Literary Forest Fires

A note from Editor-In-Chief Kaitlyn Andrews-Rice

Summer is long weekends and short weeks. It’s burgers and the ice cream truck, soaking in salt water and baking on sand.

Here in New England, upon the occasion of an oppressive heat wave, we like to say, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity,” as if you could have one without the other.

Here at Split Lip, upon the occasion of a new issue, we are often surprised by the way the work hangs together, as if our writers secretly met to decide upon a theme.

As I write this note, wildfires are raging across the western U.S. and Canada, a weather event that seems more and more like an unwanted summer houseguest, the one visitor who returns every year, leaves a mess, and forgets your hostess gift.

If you’re not living through it, it’s easy to feel like wildfires are a freakish, faraway thing, an unfortunate part of life where the sun is hot and the earth is parched. But in our own lives sparks can start and stop relationships, determine the tone of Sunday dinner, and be the catalyst for catastrophic destruction and re-construction. Sparks can be romantic or embarrassing, familial or strange. A single spark can burn the whole forest down. 

This month we’re ablaze with words from Kathryn McMahon, Nathaniel Lee Hansen, Todd Dillard, and Christina Dalcher, plus artwork from Sarah Walko. Chris Wolford talks words and music with Adam Schuitema. And the Split Lip FAM is fired up (pun intended) about our new team. Help me welcome Katie Flynn, Fiction Editor, W.S. Lyon, Interviews/Reviews Editor, and Kelly Flynn, Editorial Assistant, to the team. And please help me say congrats to Amy Rossi, our new Managing Editor, and to our GIF Queen, Becky Robison, for her guidance as our new Social Media and Marketing Coordinator.

Stay cool. 

KAR

PS – Have you heard? Print isn’t dead. Submit to Split Lip’s 1st Ever Print issue right here.