Welcome to the Fall 2024 edition of eMerge, our grand finale for the year!

As winter creeps closer and the days get shorter, we’re all starting to think about warm blankets, hot drinks, and the inevitable “I swear I’ll read more books” resolutions we make every January. Well, whether you’re bracing for the cold or celebrating sweater weather, we hope this issue of eMerge brings some extra warmth and joy to your world.

Inside, you’ll find plenty to keep you cozy. Maybe Anna Gall's "Chicken Au Gratin Pot Pies" will inspire some kitchen magic (or at least make you crave a pot pie). If you’re in need of a good chuckle, Zeek Taylor's short story "Cookies and Kool-Aid" will do the trick—because who doesn’t need a laugh while imagining that delightful combination? And for those who thrive on lyrical escapes, our selection of imaginative poetry is here to transport you. Be sure to check out Ron Wallace’s Mickey Mantle and the Chinaberry Trees or Caryn Goldberg’s When They Took the Baby Away—two standouts that stir the soul.

This issue also features the Winners of our 2024 Woody Barlow Poetry Contest, and wow, are they something special! Here are your winners:

• Marigold by Erin McGrane
• In a Swampy Area South of Morgan City by Simone J. Banks
• I Have a Photo by Lynn Packham Larson
• All Weekend I Dreamed of Dogs by Kathryn Lorenzen
• Prayer for Howard by Elaine Alarcon

Now, let me tell you, none of this would be possible without the all-stars behind the scenes. A huge thank you to our website wizard, Cat Templeton, and the graphic genius, Chad Gurley, who make everything look shiny and delightful. Sandra Templeton’s keen artistic eye keeps things beautiful, and our newest addition, Aubrey Green, lends a fresh voice to our new podcast, eMerge Unchained. (Don’t worry—it’s still chained to good taste.)

Thanks as well to our Featured Partners, Blue Clover Editing, Transformative Language Arts Network (TLAN), WriterCon and Bill Bernhardt, The Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow, Ozark Writers League, and the Eureka Springs School of the Arts (ESSA).

Submissions for eMerge 2025 opened on October 3rd and are pouring in as we speak. (Seriously, we’re swimming in poetry, prose, and delicious recipes over here!) If you’ve submitted, rest assured, we’ve got big things planned for the new year. You’ll be hearing from me by early 2025—hopefully, before the snow melts, but we make no promises about how much coffee we’ll need to get there.

So grab a cup of cocoa, settle in, and enjoy this issue. May your winter be restful, restorative, and filled with words that warm the heart.

Until Next Time,

I remain,

Just another Zororastafarian Editor trying to roll a boulder up a steep hill in Tartarus … another version of circular thinking …