Cream City Review

Dear Reader,

You are about to dive into an issue that holds the work of countless editors, writers, readers, artists, volunteer staff, and many others. I would like to acknowledge those whose contributions often go unnoticed: the administrative staff, the university's student organization, the printing office, the mailing office, and the endless hands the issue passes through before becoming the artifact you're holding now. We were kept conscious of the complex production process as 44.1 was assembled remotely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cream City Review would not be entering its forty-fifth year of publishing if not for a lineage of dedicated editors who made sure to leave an impression on our literary journal that would last long after their tenure here. These impressions are what keeps Cream City Review alive and growing. It is because of this dedication that we can present this issue to you, the reader, today.

You may have noticed that we look a little different this year. The cover art, titled "She Who Sends and Receives" by Suiko McCall, symbolizes our process, this issue a beacon of receiving and sending out light to be discovered. The works in here reflect our growth, our continued discovery. We have seen glimpses of the brilliant worlds our authors created here and stretched [End Page 6] our imagination. We hope that you, too, will be challenged. Here, the ordinary becomes inexplicable, inexplicable events cascade into self-discovery, where we encounter the things we cannot bear to say. Or did we simply imagine it?

Thank you for supporting us and our authors; much joy and care went into crafting this issue, and we hope you can find something in it that makes an impression on you. We hope you can find something here to get lost in, a bit of reprieve from wherever you are now. [End Page 7]