editors’ introductions
From Julia:
Saying “yes” to the invitation from Charlie and Bella to join CrayfishMag as a co-editor was one of the easiest and most enthusiastic “yeses” I’ve ever “yesed.” And what a thrill it’s already been; I never thought I could be so fond of a spreadsheet, an email inbox, or a meeting until I dove into the Crayfish spreadsheets, inbox, or any of our many meetings in our various Northeast Ohio haunts. I already cherished Bella and Charlie as fellow writers, collaborators, and friendly faces, but learning the ropes from them, discussing our wealth of stunning submissions, and creating this issue together has been a true joy and adventure.
And, of course, the greatest gift of all was reading, witnessing, savoring, and being profoundly moved by all of the deeply beautiful work you see before you here in Issue 3. These pieces made me cry, laugh, smile gently, murmur words to myself over and over, sit and stare out of windows, talk with my hands so much that I look like a conductor mid-opera, stop in my tracks to feel myself belong to the world, and take a deep breath. I had a dream inspired by one of these pieces; the words in this magazine are so potent that they will flavor your subconscious.
In front of you is a bouquet, a painter’s palette, a farmer’s market, an ancient cave painted with images of horses and the shadows of hands, a prophet’s visions of the future, a rumor conspiratorially whispered into your ear, and, I believe, a dose of something that the world desperately needs. I hope this issue cures a little something that you needed cured, and I can’t tell you how excited I am for what’s next.
From Bella:
As I began thinking about how I might approach my third attempt at an editor’s letter, I kept returning to the idea of anniversaries. No, we haven’t yet celebrated Crayfish’s third birthday, but each new issue sort of feels that way. They’re each a celebration of creation—the birth of something really special. (Like a baby?) And, being the proud parent that I am, I wanted to find ways to make this particular celebration memorable, which is how I learned that three is an awkward number to celebrate.
Nobody’s ever said, “I can’t wait for my three-year high school reunion!” So, instead of focusing on number three as part of a larger project, I decided to form a pseudo-argument about why three is actually super awesome on its own. Thus, here is a list I’ve compiled of things that (somehow) get even better in groups of three: Kittens. Mimosas. Stooges. Homemade meals. Hugs from a loved one. Days in a weekend. Sasha Steensen poems. Editions of a literary magazine. Good friends who double as co-editors.
You get the idea. This issue has brought the three of us so much goodness and joy. It brought us together for the first time as editorial collaborators; it brought us to tearful laughter; it brought us, many times, to our knees. It also brought us a record number of submissions! If anything, number three is special solely because it affirmed so many of the choices we’ve made, from starting the project to growing our team. (Hi, Julia! <3) I feel so grateful, each and every time we complete an issue, that I’m able to do this with and for so many incredible people. I have truly been humbled, inspired, and uplifted by the work in this issue. I trust that many of you will have a similar experience. As always, thanks for being here with us.
From Charlie:
There is a certain excitement in building a first issue that gives way to a budding confidence when you attempt the thing again. But, what about a third issue? For us, Number Three is about growth, adding Julia Cilano to the editorial team infused us with some of that first issue energy and an upgrade in brain power. This was needed as we also saw a significant increase in the amount of submissions. This growth is very exciting, even if it means turning away pieces we really admired. Now, we are a troika. Or, as in School House Rocks, “Three is a Magic Number.” (I’ve probably been humming that song since we started working on this issue.).
Speaking of magic —transition!— there are individual pieces in this issue that are among my favorite things I have ever read. To have the privilege to publish these pieces is something we take seriously. These poems and essays and stories and works of art have choked me up, made me gasp, filled me with longing, put me in a perspective beyond what my identity gives me access to, we have also all laughed more than we expected. In all, I am a better version of myself for having spent time with this art. And, isn’t that the point of all this writing and submitting and publishing?
I hope you find pieces that do this for you. I’m confident they are here waiting for you in this issue.