Foreword from the Editors (Spring 2022)
May 2, 2022
Dear Friends of MORIA,
My name is Rosa Melendez, and I am the current Editor-in-Chief of MORIA, the official online literary publication of Woodbury University. Today, it is my privilege and honor to announce the release of Issue Nine!
During a time of great chaos and emotion came some of the most impactful and stirring pieces we have encountered as a staff. Given the ongoing pandemic, which continuously presents frightening new challenges to the world, it is no surprise that many of our pieces center around grueling emotions and how we deal with them. From loss to envy, loneliness to rage, these writers bared their hearts to us. Now, we can share their experiences with you. On behalf of the MORIA editorial team, I hope you enjoy the powerful story we have put together in an issue we’ve named “A Journey Through Grief,” which examines love and loss alongside all of the ugly and uncomfortable feelings they bring in. Through the dark, we hope that you see, as we do, all the breaks of light, where pain is relieved, however briefly, by tenderness.
MORIA is committed to cultivating a safe and inclusive space for all artists. From roughly 527 submitted pieces, Issue Nine includes 25 original works by 22 writers, which translates to a 5% acceptance rate. Among the accepted authors, approximately 63% were women, 14% were gender non-conforming or nonbinary, and 18% were writers of color. Moving forward, we hope to continue and better our pursuit of fostering diverse issues.
On behalf of MORIA, I would like to extend a special thank you to the authors, whose words and experiences changed our hearts and perspectives. In a time of unpredictability, they have remained patient and consistent, empowering us with their work. We would also like to extend a thank you to the faculty at Woodbury University who have worked tirelessly with the MORIA team to ensure greatness. In particular we would like to express our gratitude towards Interim Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Cynthia Azari, for her support; Dr. Reuben Ellis, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, for first envisioning the magazine and making its programs possible; Dr. Matthew Bridgewater, Chair of the Writing Department, for his enthusiasm each and every semester; Rachel Farnsworth and Elizabeth Cooper for all that they do behind the scenes; Dr. Linda Dove for her continuous and wholehearted support; and Faculty Editor Scott Broker for stepping up and learning with us.
Lastly, I would like to give a personal thank you to my fellow student editors, Amanda, Amy, Anne, Chris, Ezi, James, and Sarah. Although we went through an awkward phase of hybrid learning, we still worked together and had fun curating this magazine. Thank you all for making this such a fun and memorable experience not just for me but for everyone included. I cannot overstate how proud I am of all of us.
With all of that said, please enjoy Issue Nine: “A Journey Through Grief.”
Best,
Rosa Melendez, Editor-in-Chief
for the Editors of MORIA Literary Magazine