e t t e r f r o m t h e e d i t o r s Dear Reader,

Thank you for picking up the sixteenth edition of The Muse. This issue is special to us as it marks the return of our magazine to stands across campus. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we relied on our online platforms to share poignant pieces of literature and art with our community, and it has not been easy navigating the transition back to a physical presence on campus For many of us, this was our first experience of The Muse in person, and though there was some trepidation and unfamiliarity, there was an abundance of joy and learning to be had.

However, despite the challenges we faced, we are excited to present to you a new collection of creative works from local and international authors and artists, including those from the McMaster community The works we have included raise awareness about the medical humanities, promote empathy, and highlight the lived experiences of patients and providers.

We would also like to express our deep gratitude for our hard-working coordinators, and mention how proud we are of what we have accomplished this year as an executive team In this year of transition, we surely would not have been able to create what we have without their impressive dedication, commitment, and creativity Similarly, we would like to extend our thanks to each of our subcommittee members who worked tirelessly despite their personal, academic, and professional commitments to make this beautiful issue possible.

Further, this year, we would like to thank the McMaster Child Health Conference for their collaboration, and we are excited to present the winning poster of the 2023 conference in this issue We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to the McMaster University Office of the President, the Department of English & Cultural Studies, the McMaster Alumni Association, and MSU Clubs for their continued sponsorship of The Muse. Using our platform to share unique stories and experiences from authors and artists around the world would not be possible without their generous support

Although we are incredibly excited about the new faces we have seen lend their talents to The Muse this year, we are sad to see some of our long-term members departing. Two of our Co-Editors-in-Chief, Subin Park and Kelsey Gao, will be graduating this year. We are certain that their brilliance and dedication will serve them well in their future pursuits.

We look forward to continuing our journey of renewal with The Muse in future issues and in the upcoming year We are humbled and encouraged by our team and contributors and are expectantly looking forward to The Muse continuing to find its place on the McMaster campus and in the lives of our community members. Finally, we must extend a big-hearted thank you to you, our readers. We are glad to see that our issue has sparked your interest and hope these stories affect you the same way they do all of us at The Muse Stay tuned for much more to come!

Sincerely,

Kelsey Gao Kylie Meyerman Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Subin Park Editor-in-Chief