It is truly an honor to introduce the twentieth issue of Tupelo Quarterly. In addition to featuring new work by such literary luminaries as Daniel Tiffany, Emily Rosko, G.C. Waldrep, Elisabeth Frost, and NourbeSe Philip, we are excited to highlight several exciting new voices in the literary arts. Raena Shirali, for instance, shows us the myriad ways that poetry can bridge philosophical and artistic traditions in a folio that is impressive in its scope and ambition. Julia B. Levine, whose star is also rising, shows us the beauty inherent in faith, uncertainty, and the unknowable in poems that are both lucid and unsettling.
This issue is one of our best ones yet, representing a full range of aesthetic approaches, formal predilections, and writerly influences. In many ways, this diversity arises from our Senior and Associate Editors’ impressive array of critical and creative projects, and the infinitely varied questions they ask of language. As always, it is a pleasure to showcase their interests in our Editorial Features section, highlighting the myriad influences that shape our magazine and its offerings. Similarly, our Editors’ Selections in Poetry, Prose, and Visual Art showcase work that has been important to our editors’ development as creative practitioners and critical thinkers.
Beginning on March 15th, we will be open to submissions for our next issue, TQ21. As always, we look forward to reading your work. In the meantime, I hope you will peruse TQ’s vast and luminous offerings. Happy spring, and enjoy!