A Note from the Editor:

Unique, raw, and evocative: those are the qualities that I look for in writing. I’m a big advocate for cultural diversity and pieces that don’t talk about the things we already know but rather help us explore the world beyond our immediate reality. Our editors filled Issue 10.2 of The Rappahannock Review with interpersonal stories as well as stories of identity.

While crafting this issue, we wanted to elevate diverse and underrepresented voices and stories: “Wedding Anniversary” by Erik Tschekunow communicates the relational loss that comes with incarceration; “How to Master Shapeshifting” by Gershom Mabaquiao discusses living with HIV and how it affects one’s body image and relationships; and “Chau” by Martina Amate Perez is a story about joining a Hispanic construction crew and the struggle of choosing between belonging and aspirations.

In this issue of The Rappahannock Review, you will get to read about perspectives and struggles that you might not have had a chance to read about before, but you will also find pieces that might feel more relatable or even nostalgic. Eben Bein’s poem, “Missed Calls,” follows the speaker’s fragmented story of their relationship with their mother as it centers around an old beige phone, while Ria Parody Erlich’s fiction piece, “The Summer of Abby,” reminds us what it’s like to be young and confused in love.

We wanted this issue to be a journey for the reader, who becomes an active participant in the worlds that our authors create, guided by our editors from one to another. We argued, we cheered, and we put together an issue that is more than amazing work, but also a representation of us as people: our dreams, our fears, and our ideals. We hope you enjoy!

Anastasia Zanyuk, Editor in Chief