For those writers who have not yet been published, please do not be discouraged. Our poetry winner said that she has entered the contest for three years. Imagine if she had given up! By reading the judges' comments in this issue, you will know the qualities in the writing they value. Poets love language, sound, surprise. Fiction writers want to fall into a fictional dream without any interruptions. Don't let grammatical errors, tiresome dialogue, or undeveloped characters doubt your sincerity. Stories involve craft. They demand scenes and drama. The stories that did not make the second round had no dialogue, no character development, no plot and not attention to language. They resembled diary entries or journals, both viable genres, but not what we look for when we read literary fiction.

Next week I am moving away, but tonight / we are two paper cranes / folded into a wooden swing

Things We Lost , by Laura Cok