Letter From the Editor And here we are, issue one of The Mackinaw. For me, it is literally a dream come true. A journal of prose poetry. For those of us who adore both small form literature and poetry, prose poetry is something sublime. It gets under our skin and into our soul. It’s a form that some say doesn’t exist, yet its history is quite long and varied and diverse. Many have asked about the journal’s title. It is a tongue in cheek nod to a completely unrelated subject in Seinfeld, the episode about the legendary Mackinaw peaches. The varietal was fictional and did not exist (but has since been invented!) yet was believed to be the most beautiful peaches of all. When I continually saw discussions among writers on social media questioning prose poetry’s existence, and defending the form as the most delicious, The Mackinaw came to me and wouldn’t let go. The idea of starting another literary journal was daunting and whenever it surfaced over the past several years I would squash it down. I already have my hands full with The Ekphrastic Review, and love that community, art, and ekphrasis with all my heart. I knew firsthand how much was involved, and didn’t want to enter into a new commitment lightly. But the thought would not let go. And here we are. This journal is a space for the story of prose poetry to unfold, its past, present, and future. The poets in this first issue are among my favourite writers of prose poetry. I am so grateful to share their works here. Thank you to each of you for bringing The Mackinaw to life by reading our words. Please share your favourite pages, poets, and the journal in general to help our writers get more readers. Please join me in celebrating the prose poetry of these incredible writers. We look forward to your prose poem submissions as well. The guidelines are in the menu above. Happy new year! Lorette C. Luzajic |