EDITORS’ LETTER

Goodnight room

Goodnight moon

Goodnight cow jumping over the moon

Who doesn’t have that core childhood memory? Tucked snugly into your blankets, maybe holding your favorite stuffed animal, your parents’ soothing voice reading you “Goodnight Moon.” As a child, you felt as if those quiet moments would stay forever, felt as if your parents would never say goodnight. But they always did. And one day, after finishing the story and turning off the lights, that was the last time they read you “Goodnight Moon.”

Growing up means constantly saying goodbye: to houses, to toys, to friends, to stories. Each one changes us, shapes us (if imperceptibly), but it adds up. Looking back on these memories, we see and understand them through a new lens, a lens we have gained as we have aged.

As another era of “Blue Review” ends, and as the seniors leave for bigger and better things, we wanted to consider what it means to grow up, age, and mature. And what better framework to understand it than through a favorite book from our youngest days, “Goodnight Moon,” by Margaret Wise Brown. From the ritual of saying goodnight to comforting objects that sent us off to slumber each night, we found inspiration in treasured snapshots of our happiest childhood moments; these set the context for each of our chapters. Although we said farewell to those days long ago, they are frozen in time in our minds, our hearts. These memories make us smile and remind us what is truly important in life.

Our first chapter, “Infinitely Small Things,” immerses itself in the unbounded joy and innocence of childhood. The writing and artwork in this chapter is free and innocent, colorful and energetic, depicting the carefree wonder of being a child, of never having to say goodbye.

Our second chapter, “Every Forgotten Name,” portrays the sadness of saying goodbye to the physical aspects of childhood: toys, homes, books. The pieces in this chapter are sadder, more wistful, weighed down by the knowledge that one’s childhood is slowly fading away.

Our third chapter, “Everything I’ve Seen,” illustrates the ending and goodbyes of emotional connections in childhood. Like the art and writing in “Goodnight Moon,” the works in this chapter are melancholic, but the pain is more abstract, though no less painful, not tethered to physical things.

Finally, in “Collecting New Memories,” we explore the maturation that comes with moving away from childhood. We have finally accepted that we must let our childhood go, but we also keep its memory close to us. The pieces in this chapter are bittersweet, nostalgic for the past, but also deeply hopeful for the future.

As humans, growing up is an inevitable thing. In the face of letting go, of moving on, we can either cower from the new and remain stagnant, or we can embrace the future and its infinite possibilities while never forgetting our childhood. Because what does it mean to say, “Goodnight,” except as a temporary goodbye, knowing that you will see them again in the morning.

COVER ART

Taylor McKinney, “The Traveler”

14x14 | Watercolor Pen & Ink on Paper

"The Traveler" is a depiction of the joys of the unknown. The liberating freedom of a bus trip to unfamiliar locales and new experiences. Taking joy from the immediate affection shown by a dog brings nostalgia and comfort, reminding us the unfamiliar doesn't need to be feared as we move into the next stage of our lives. We have the tools, we have the support, and there's always a dog that will love us.