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Dec 29, 2024
Happy (almost) new year, pals!
Do you do resolutions? There's something comforting about the promise of a new start, about wiping the slate clean and starting over. It's been my experience that things tend to stick a bit more when we don't attach that to a specific time of year (new year, beginning of school, etc) but I like to fuck around with them nonetheless. You never know what will stick.
I'll admit this to you: it's been a bit of a struggle to keep M7 going. I started it to cope with a hellish year, and haven't been able to promote it with the enthusiasm it deserves. And because it's a niche publication with a niche call, it doesn't get quite the volume of submission that general mags do.
I'm not sure what the future of the magazine is, but my intention (and resolution) is to pour a bit more of myself into sustaining it. If it burns out gently, I'll accept that. But I'm going to do my best to sustain it in the mean time, because it's been such a pleasure to read and publish your work.
Thanks for all the kind feedback in your submission letters. It doesn't go unnoticed, or unappreciated.
While you've got a bit of time as the year runs out, take a bit of time to enjoy these incredible writers from volume 20.
From the passenger seat, Charlie M. Case's "Gunpowder & Lead" catalogues quiet violence humming beneath a routine drive to school.
In "Jersey Girl," Angela Townsend stakes claim to state as state-of-mind, way of being, identity stamped into your accent and across the seat of your sweatpants.
"Bolero" follows a protagonist who weaves Ravel through her life—her mother's disdain, her gardening, past acquaintances, probing for reaction from her students.
Guy Cramer pens a heartbreaker in "Wounded", tracing the tenuous bond between a stray pig and the neighbours who provide her care and shelter.
"Rugged Country" has a husband and wife making deals with the Devil, who welcomes them to the neighborhood with whiskey and promises to landscape their lot into a lush garden.
Nicholas Maassen probes the inner working of a literally naked mind in "Forever", a small ode to vulnerability.
Thanks for reading as always, pals.
xo,
Kirsti
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