Letter from the Editors

Dear AmFam,

On a cold January day, under the inauspicious broken faith of a magazine that missed its publication deadline, the two of us met for what we expected to be a quick get-to-know-you before the semester began. We didn’t expect much real work to get done. Instead, three hours later, we found ourselves on the other side of a dense list of our goals and aspirations for the semester, as well as a timeline to make sure everything goes as planned. And what’s more, Anjoleigh gave Charlotte her first real cup of tea, with milk and sugar.

Before we knew it, the reins for driving the beast that is AmLit Magazine had changed hands. We learned many of the processes as we went along, and are thankful to Alex Kaiss, Katie Meyerson, and Jinger Callwood for answering our many, many questions. We are thankful for our whole staff who quickly formed a web of support around us through their ambition for the magazine. We are truly grateful to them and one another for nights in the office burning the midnight oil over review sessions, rebirthing (not just reviving) the blog, cleaning up the AmLit space, and stitching together the quilt that is our magazine.

Over the course of 16 weeks we welcomed in 24 staff members, made 51 Instagram posts, reviewed 120 pieces over the course of 8 review sessions, hosted 5 events, and all just to produce a single 66 page magazine (well, 250 copies of it). Charlotte learned to love the numbers and Anjoleigh became a Canva Pro God. They both were brought to the brink of tears.

We truly believe that you reap what you sow, and we have put our whole hearts into farming this magazine, even if it required a little slash-and-burn. And with that, we hope you enjoy the harvest.

All our love, Anjoleigh and Charlotte