2019-2020 Editor's Note

The NYU Creative Writing Program's Undergraduate Literary Journal

Issue No. 13, 2019-20. Editor’s Notes

Though it may seem sentimental to say, there is something uniquely remarkable about sitting down in a room of editors to talk about submitted works. You might expect it to be a tooth-and-nail, blood-for-blood sort of affair—and sometimes it is—but more often I’ve found a surprising gentleness to the process. It’s not moments of debate or arguing that fill my mind when I think of the creation of the journal you now hold in your hands, but the softness that comes in the moments after those moments, when the table is mostly silent and we’re unsure how to move forward, until, timidly, someone says: Hey, you know, I kind of really liked this one. It is this voice, this impulse, this gentle love of craft that has guided the creation of this year’s edition of West10th.

Perhaps because of this, it is easy to express my gratitude for all of the editors who read the submissions and contributed to the selection process. With an almost entirely new editorial board this year, everyone brought to the journal a unique voice, talent, and energy, which all contributed to the identity of this year’s edition. Though not an easy process by any means, the passion and thoroughness of the editorial board made the process far easier (and, dare I say, more fun) than it could have been, and for this, too, I would like to express my thanks for the work put in by every single editor. The collaborative process was consistently exhilarating, from our greatest debates to the always-satisfying moment when everyone around the table agrees that, yes, these are the ones.

With that, I would be remiss if I did not thank our wonderful contributors. Many of the poems and stories in this journal escape categorization or classification, and play with form and genre in the expressive, energetic way that only young artists can capture. I was consistently blown away by the quality of the submissions, and it was always a delight to read a piece and then not be able to stop thinking about it for days to come. It is this sensation that I hope to pass on to the readers of this journal, and it would not have been possible without your contributions.

This issue would not have been possible without the generosity and support of the Creative Writing Program’s faculty. Without the guidance, patience, and support of Joanna Yas, this issue would simply not exist. We also want to thank Matthew Rohrer and Darin Strauss, our executive editors, for reading and selecting our Editors’ Award recipients, as well their constant support and advocacy for the journal. We would also like to acknowledge and thank Aaron Petrovich for the layout and design of these pages. Thank you, truly and immensely, to all of those who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help this issue come to life.

Huge thanks are also in order to our guest contributor, Franny Choi, who has generously allowed us to publish three of her poems. I would also like to personally express my deepest gratitude to managing editor Jake Goldstein for doing so much management and work that I may forever be in his debt. Lastly, thank you to all of you who are reading this journal. Whether you’ve been reading West 10th since the beginning or this is your first time, we would not be where we are today without your support, and we cannot thank you enough.

Travis Schuhardt

Prose

Poetry

Art

Contributors’ Notes