A Note from a Friend:

Storytelling weaves together threads of experience, emotion, and perspective into a tapestry that reflects the human condition, and in this issue of the Rappahannock Review we wanted to navigate the intricate patterns of grief, abandonment, joy, and resilience, and explore how these elements define and shape our lives. Each piece in this collection contributes to a vibrant mosaic, inviting readers to reflect on the contrasts that make life meaningful.

In our fiction section, we have selected stories that showcase an impressive range of voices and styles, traversing the boundary between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Stories such as Adam Rotstein’s “Till the Mourning Comes” and Lucas Selby’s “Dead in the Water” invite us into worlds where reality blurs into allegory, unraveling the complexities of loss and healing. These stories, infused with magical realism, remind us of the universal yet deeply personal process of moving forward when grief feels insurmountable.

In the nonfiction section, our editors chose pieces with themes ranging from loss and memory to survival and transformation. Essays such as Regina Landor’s “Goodbye to Clocks Ticking” and Ann Matzke’s “What Losing the 1979 World Series Taught Me About Life and Death” exemplify this, and through precise prose and emotional honesty, these works and others explore how loss echoes in our lives—whether in the absence of a ticking clock, the heartbreak of a baseball game, or the quiet ways we find strength to endure. The section also touches on themes of renewal and connection, balancing the weight of grief with moments of hope.

In our poetry section, we have curated poems that explore trauma, betrayal, addiction, loss, joy, and renewal. John Sieber’s “to Jackie; faded” captures the ache of neglect and scars left by those who should protect us, and Lindsey Warren’s “Greengold Lover” celebrates beauty and resilience with a burst of jubilance in the face of darkness. Together, these poems navigate the human experience, creating a kaleidoscope of introspection and catharsis.

We present to you this issue of the Rappahannock Review which honors our collective experience. We hope these pieces resonate with you as much as they have with us, offering a space for reflection, connection, and perhaps even healing.

Gina Hiller, Art and Layout Editor