Editor’s Note


 
 
It is truly an honor to introduce the nineteenth issue of Tupelo Quarterly. We are thrilled to celebrate the winners and finalists of three juried contests: The Third Annual Tupelo Broadside Prize, The TQ19 Prose Open Prize, and the TQ19 Poetry Prize. In addition to featuring new work by such literary luminaries as Wayne Miller, Kate Greenstreet, Gary McDowell, and Kim Garcia, we are excited to highlight several exciting new voices in the literary arts. Asa Drake, for instance, shows us the myriad ways that lyricism can be brought to bear on questions of history, loss, and the creation of a shared feminist consciousness. Alyssa Jewell, whose star is also rising, shows us the beauty inherent in the elegy, as well as its inherent vulnerability.

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 November 15th, we will be open to submissions for our in al genres. As always, we look forward to reading your work. In the meantime, I hope you will peruse TQ’s vast and luminous offerings. Happy holidays, and enjoy!