Welcome to Issue 6.1! It’s hard to believe that we are entering our sixth month of publication. Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with us!

I have a few announcements this week.

We’re sad to say goodbye to Amy, who has been our Social Media Manager for the last few months. Due to personal reasons, Amy has had to step down from her position. We are sorry to see her go, but so very grateful for the time she has volunteered to help our journal grow.

On a happier note, we are very excited to welcome Namrata from Mumbai to the team. Namrata will be our Social Media Manager in India. With a growing readership around the world, I think it’s important to have an active social media presence even when I am sleeping. Namrata has stepped up to help us out. Thank you so much, Namrata! (You can click here to get to know her.)

Don’t forget to get your copy of our first anthology “Raising Her Voice.” The sale of the anthology will be our primary means of funding the journal in 2018. Not only will your purchase support the Same, but, for the month of February, we will be donating 10% of our profits to Care.org. So, go ahead! Treat yourself or someone you love with a copy of “Raising Her Voice.” You won’t regret it!

One final announcement before introducing this week’s contributors . . .

We are incredibly excited to announce our first ever themed Poetry Contest! You can submit up to six poems on the theme of “Love and Relationships.” You’re free to interpret that however you like. One winner will receive $50 and print publication in our next anthology!

You’re going to love Issue 6.1! We’re thrilled to bring you “Coping”, an essay by Alice Benson, “Cara, Cross Country”, a short story by L. Shapley Bassen, and “On Finding his Suicide Note”, a poem by Carol Lynn Stevenson Grellas. You’re really going to enjoy these pieces. Please share them and connect with the authors online and let them know you enjoyed their work.

Until next time!

Rachel Holbrook

Editor in Chief