Here's to the Future
photo by Ian C. Williams
Dear Reader,
Does the world really need more litmags?
When Jarfly was just a figment in my imagination, I questioned whether or not I should spend the time putting together yet another online poetry magazine. After all, the Internet is full of beautiful, rigorous, and diverse publications where poems are shared and community is nurtured. With this in mind, what right or claim did I have to think that I should add another publication title to this world? The anxieties would flood in: what if Jarfly only lasted for an issue and fizzled out? What if no one submitted poems to it? What if, even if a good issue came together, no one took the time to actually read it?
I don’t have the answers to all of these questions, but I do know this: the hard work, craft, and trust that the writers included in Jarfly’s inaugural issue is breathtaking. The poems assembled in this issue have stunned me, leaving me meditative, awestruck, and left to feel a sense of amazement. These poems explore complicated nuances of relationships and wonder how everything changes as time passes. They apply a keen eye to the planet and its inhabitants. While these pieces navigate a range of subjects and emotions, the greatest thing that these poems do is take a moment, pause the world, and wonder. As you explore this issue, I encourage you to let these poems pause the swirling business of your life and allow you to rest in their questions.
As an editor, I have learned so much from these poets and from the process of assembling this first issue. I have been able to work within a community of immensely talented artists and give back to this community. It has been such a pleasure to be able to read and share this work.
So whether or not the world needs a new online litmag, I can’t say. However, what I can say with certainty is that the world needs these poems, and I am thrilled and honored to share them with you.
Here’s to the future,
Ian C. Williams
Does the world really need more litmags?
When Jarfly was just a figment in my imagination, I questioned whether or not I should spend the time putting together yet another online poetry magazine. After all, the Internet is full of beautiful, rigorous, and diverse publications where poems are shared and community is nurtured. With this in mind, what right or claim did I have to think that I should add another publication title to this world? The anxieties would flood in: what if Jarfly only lasted for an issue and fizzled out? What if no one submitted poems to it? What if, even if a good issue came together, no one took the time to actually read it?
I don’t have the answers to all of these questions, but I do know this: the hard work, craft, and trust that the writers included in Jarfly’s inaugural issue is breathtaking. The poems assembled in this issue have stunned me, leaving me meditative, awestruck, and left to feel a sense of amazement. These poems explore complicated nuances of relationships and wonder how everything changes as time passes. They apply a keen eye to the planet and its inhabitants. While these pieces navigate a range of subjects and emotions, the greatest thing that these poems do is take a moment, pause the world, and wonder. As you explore this issue, I encourage you to let these poems pause the swirling business of your life and allow you to rest in their questions.
As an editor, I have learned so much from these poets and from the process of assembling this first issue. I have been able to work within a community of immensely talented artists and give back to this community. It has been such a pleasure to be able to read and share this work.
So whether or not the world needs a new online litmag, I can’t say. However, what I can say with certainty is that the world needs these poems, and I am thrilled and honored to share them with you.
Here’s to the future,
Ian C. Williams