THE EDITOR'S DESK by Ellyn Wolfe

Teamwork is on my mind, mainly because I’m about to push the “Publish” buttons for the Summer Edition of Straitjackets Magazine.  When I stop to reflect on all the moving parts that had to be harnessed, tweaked, and bound together, I am astonished at the complexity of this creative process.  

My initial email call for submissions went out a couple months ago. At that point the magazine was a figment, an empty space with a name—Straitjackets, Summer 2018. As I send another email message to all of you that SJM is now available online, I can’t help but think about the space in between the figment and the reality, the beginning and the ending, and how it was dedicated teamwork that made it all happen.

Four sets of editorial eyes provided new perspectives, agreements, and disagreements that resolved in a selection of strong content from you, our writers. As editors, we gathered together and read each story and poem carefully, editing as we went along, offering recommendations to each other and ultimately to the author. We felt the suggested revisions  would strengthen the pieces and ready them for publication. Not every suggestion was accepted, not every submission made the cut, but we encouraged the writer to submit again in the future. And we tried to foster resilience in those facing the dreaded rejection letter.

Our team roles have expanded. Cheryl McGuire and Judie Maré are learning how to publish on Squarespace, our magazine’s platform. They are eager and swift learners, who have lifted a pound or two off the shoulders of this editor.  

I hope you enjoy the joint efforts of your fellow DVWG writers and the SJM staff.