Letter from the Editor

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I write this to you on New Year’s Eve, cocooned in my room, trying to ride out a cold delivered, no doubt, by one of the many well-meaning relatives who stopped by this holiday season. Issue 9 has been a work-in-progress since September, and I owe a debt of gratitude to Sarah and Jeffrey, who have continued to volunteer their time, year after year. Without their work, Madcap would be a very different journal. Thanks are also in order for Michaela, who stepped in as Nonfiction Editor after being a reader and an Issue 7 contributor, and to Mary Kay, who did such excellent work in the role.

This issue, number 9, is packed with vibrant artwork from Europe and the United States, imagery that collides cultures, tips its hat to Japan, and finds joy within its own chaos. Not to be outdone, the issue’s collection of prose writers examine travel, relationships, and religion through a variety of lenses, approaching the stories they tell with tenderness, humor, and even a little ghastliness. The poetry, too, is divergent, dealing with identity and the scheming creatures of the wild.

As ever, we’re happy to share the work that surprised and delighted us, that challenged us these past few months. I hope you find what you’re searching for in these web pages, whether it’s inspiration or pure enjoyment, and I hope that 2019 delivers every ounce of positivity it can muster for each one of us. As for me, I’m about to seek out an unnaturally orange medicine before sleeping through this new year. Let me know how it goes, will you?

Grateful as ever,

Craig Ledoux
Editor in Chief
Madcap Review