Foreword From the Editors (Fall 2024)
Land Acknowledgement :: We wish to acknowledge that we inhabit spaces where indigenous voices are often not heard. We are learning, teaching, and living on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Chumash, Tongva, and Fernandeño Tataviam. We benefit from the systemic exclusion of these peoples, who have stewarded the land for centuries and continue to thrive. We will uplift their stories, and we are honored and grateful to be here on their traditional lands.
December 9, 2024
Dear Friends of MORIA,
My name is Andrew Wong, the current Editor-in-Chief of MORIA Literary Magazine, the national, undergraduate-run, online literary publication of Woodbury University. Today, I am honored to announce the publication of Issue 14.
For this issue of MORIA, our editorial board has decided on the theme of transformation. Change is an integral aspect of our world, and the submissions we have received for this issue reflect the transformation each person experiences as they go through life. These stories explore the different ways people change, starting with growing up in a world in constant flux and finding your identity in the chaos. From there, we continue with works that explore creating personal, familial, and spiritual connections and the struggle that comes with either maintaining or letting go of these ties. Finally, we conclude with pieces that reflect on transformations we have experienced throughout life. On behalf of the MORIA editorial board, we hope that you enjoy this exploration of changes that shape people's lives, whether they be positive, negative, or somewhere in between.
MORIA continues to cultivate a diverse range of writers, providing a platform to represent people of all identities. In Issue 14, we have a new record of total submissions of 709, with an overall acceptance rate of 7%. Of our 49 accepted works, half were from women, 12% came from writers of color, and 8% identified as LGBTQIA+. We also have works representing authors of all ages, from young adults to seniors, and even one from a writer that is 17 years old. MORIA always seeks to include writers with diverse backgrounds and experiences, and we strive to grow a more inclusive and welcoming community.
We would also like to thank all the contributors who have made Issue 14 possible. Our team deeply appreciates the dedication and passion that went into every single submission we had the pleasure of reviewing for this issue and wish our submitters continued success with their writing in the future. Additionally, we thank those in the Woodbury University community who helped to make this issue possible. Thank you to Rachel Farnsworth for helping with administrative work and James Ly for technical support during our First Press Reading Series event, when we got to hear from the National Book Award winner for poetry, Lena Khalaf Tuffaha. We are grateful to Dr. Will McConnell, the Director of Liberal Arts and Sciences, for his financial support of this series.
Finally, on behalf of the MORIA editorial team, I would like to thank Dr. Linda Dove, our faculty editor and professor. Despite numerous changes within the school, class format, and environment, she has persisted and continues to give excellent guidance. We have all grown through this experience that would not have been possible without her. Her passion for MORIA has allowed the magazine to continue to thrive as a place for all authors to share their stories and experiences.
With this, we hope you enjoy Issue 14: The Transformation Issue and all the words within.
Best Wishes,
Andrew Wong, Editor-in-Chief
for the Editors of MORIA Literary Magazine