Issue 58

Three core values—growth, change, and resilience—guided us as we combed through sixty years of archival material to assemble this issue of Red Cedar Review, the longest-running undergraduate-managed literary magazine in the country. We wanted to celebrate this anniversary by compiling pieces that celebrate authentic, unique voices.

This edition encapsulates what our team hopes will be the future of the Red Cedar Review. We wanted to challenge the exclusive nature of publishing spaces and focus on promoting pieces of literature that indicate inclusivity—another value we hope will develop in our future issues. Expanding beyond undergraduate students to feature the works of all writers from around the country, Red Cedar Review will become a space for any emerging writer who wants their work to be seen.

While it may seem counterintuitive to reshape the direction of a magazine with an anniversary issue, we wanted to prove that the future of Red Cedar Review already exists within its past. Not only is this edition an homage to the creative works of bygone years; it also serves as a promise to new and upcoming contributors. As a team, we underwent a rigorous process to give new life to stories of the past and look forward to seeing others do the same, long into the future.

Artistry can be both a beautiful and fickle space in which to exist. As artists, writers, and curators of creative mediums, we have spent countless hours discussing how our small publication will exist within the larger framework of publishing spaces and how it will evolve into something indicative of our values. In order to reach this point, we relied on support from the Department of English and guidance from our professor, Dr. Kate Birdsall. None of this would have been possible without her or the work of each member of our team, who prompted us to think about the stories we tell, and the ways we weave them together.

We look forward to commemorating the past and embracing the future with you.

RCR Editorial Staff

November, 2022