Fall/Winter 2017

Letter from the Editors

Dear Reader,

WHETHER this is the first time that you have opened up a copy of Clamantis, or the first time you have opened this issue in particular, we would like to thank you for participating in what we see as the broadest-reaching element of the MALS community. Perhaps you are reading this on a computer screen, since this issue will be simultaneously published in print and online on BePress along with past issues and former versions. We are excited by the innovations that are being made to our process with the passing of each term, and we hope that more of you, our readers, will get involved!

The most obvious way to participate in the MALS Journal process is through submitting. The Journal accepts submissions from current MALS students and alumni, so it is never too late to contribute. Within these pages you will see a collection of works from every MALS concentration, ranging in genre from fiction to academic essay, poetry to oral history. We proudly feature photography and other visual artwork that is submitted by our students and alumni as well. As always, we have been fortunate enough to receive a wide variety of fantastic submissions for this issue. Though the selection process is difficult, it is always inspiring to see the diverse results that our MALS courses yield. If anything, that is the goal of the MALS Journal: to showcase the breadth and depth of thought that our program fosters.

The submissions always touch upon a broad array of themes, but every year the Editorial team notices common threads that weave their way across genres. Many of the submissions this year were reflective, specifically processing feelings and images of home and family. This theme clearly emphasizes the need for a sense of place that we all seek at certain points in our lives. We hope that through your participation in Clamantis as a writer, editor, or even reader, that you can feel a sense of belonging in our MALS community. We certainly seek to create a positive space where ideas can be shared and discussed for the betterment of everyone involved.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of our new and returning Assistant Editors. Their dedication to the selection and revision processes was invaluable. We were very impressed by the willingness of our first term MALS students to step forward and take on some responsibility with the Journal even though most of them had not been in the program long enough to have anything to submit. We look forward to future collaborations between editors at all phases of their MALS career.

In addition to the wonderful Editing Staff, we would like to thank our ever-present support network. Without the tireless efforts of Kevin Warstadt and Barbara DeFelice, the Journal’s online presence would have never made such progress. The unwavering support of Wole Ojurongbe and Dr. Donald Pease in the MALS office continues to motivate us. We are also eternally grateful to our faculty advisor, Anna Minardi, whose guidance keeps us on track from start to finish every term. Even our lovely covers are designed by members of the MALS community—the cover of this issue was created by longtime Clamantis cover designer Ken Davis.

With that, we are pleased to present the Fall/Winter 2017 Issue of Clamantis: The MALS Journal.