Reader, Literature and art are able to speak during a time when it feels as though no one is listening and can cut through noise in ways that almost nothing else can. We must continue to allow them to do their jobs. We must allow words and images to do what they are intended: To provoke the same emotions that they have done for centuries. So to those who contributed work to Canto 27 — indeed, to those who submitted any work at all — I must thank you, first and foremost. Never stop creating. It may seem like a quaint anachronism to print a literary journal on paper in the year 2019, but there is still a value in placing literature directly in individuals’ hands. The value does not come in the feeling of the paper or the smelling of the ink — but in the access it provides to the reader. Our decision to, for the first time, simultaneously publish Canto 27 online and on paper ensures that the art and the words within this publication are as accessible to as many people as possible. This was a bumpy road, but if you are reading this, it is the proof: We’re still here. To this end, I must first thank our Faculty Advisor and tireless advocate, Dr. Jayne Moneysmith. Without her persistence, this publication would quite literally not exist. Every editorial position at Canto is unpaid. Neither the Editorial Staff nor I received a penny for the work we put into this publication. Not only have we been provided with professional experience, but we also received something much more valuable. We worked together to create something bigger than ourselves, to contribute to something that has existed since before we were born, and will exist long after we have all graduated. The Editorial Staff’s hard work and flexibility made this publication the best it could be. So, to Jonathan, CaeLynn, Kelsey, Jimmy, Emily, and Victoria: Thank you for being friends.
We would not have been able to produce Canto 27 without Katie Baer’s assistance, both on the website and in formatting the final drafts. Dr. Marie Gasper-Hulvat’s assistance as Art Faculty Consultant helped us not only select the final pieces for publication, but also helped us generate submissions; without this art, this volume of Canto would have lost much of its power. Prof. Jessica Jones also provided vital insight as Faculty Reader. In this same vein, I am grateful for the Art Team and the Literature Readers who gave up their time and energy to help us select only the best pieces for publication. And I must again thank you. Thank you for reading, for caring; thank you for paying attention. Without you, without people who acknowledge the importance of art and literature within our communities, society would be a much worse place indeed. And finally, this is the last publication I will oversee at Kent State University at Stark. And so, on a much more personal level, I’m so grateful to this campus community for making the past five years good ones. Thanks, John Comments are closed.
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Editorial Staff
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