Editors Reveal Unforeseen Twist Regarding 2026 Contest Finalist—What They Discovered Will Shock You
As a hub for creative freedom and expression, we are inspired by the dialogue the essay created, but regret the hurt. For that, we are sorry.
Though we always read and monitor the comments section*, we don’t typically respond. In this case, cautiously monitoring the dialogue from behind-the-scenes appeared as inaction or a lack of care. That was not the intention so let us say here: You have been heard. Here is how we plan to do better:
- We’ve responded privately to the letter from concerned readers
- We drafted and posted an editor’s note and this longer statement
- We engaged with the author of this piece about ways to move forward; this included an updated author bio at the end of the piece to provide additional context
- We will continue to actively cultivate a volunteer reading team with diverse lived experiences and engage with a sensitivity reader when magazine resources allow
- We will challenge our volunteer editorial team to identify gaps in their own lived experiences and to acknowledge them when encountering them in submissions
When editing and publishing stories about people’s real lives and perspectives, we run the risk of stumbling upon a knowledge gap. Without excusing our actions, we’re mindful that the “full spectrum of the human experience” — what we promise to honor and publish in our volunteer-run magazine — is far more vast than we currently know. Unintended ignorance and inherent biases may prevent us from knowing in advance when we’re entering a teachable moment, but we pledge to always do our best.
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