Letter from the Editor

The sky will be gorgeous, tonight: in it lies a myriad of stars, ever bright and twinkling, waiting for you to map them. No matter where you are and what constellations you see, we’re glad you’re stargazing with us—welcome to the Interstellar Literary Review’s very first issue.

Issue 01 ends off this January by lifting us off our feet and away to other planets. Whether it’s the ethereal nostalgia that Dynas Johnson’s “a reply of flowers: space girl’s homecoming” navigates us through, or the Jupiter-like hurricanes that Stella Lei’s “This is How You Make a Storm” awes us with, we’re left reeling from our contributors’ otherworldly works. At other times, this issue grounds us as steadfast and tangible as gravity’s pull: between the somber, introspective narrative of Sarah Hall-Murphy’s “Lennon’s Birds” and the personal, heartstring-pulling epistolary style of Ari Lohr’s “letter to my father // letter to my dad,” we’re tethered to their words, breathless. We hope you, our dearest readers, can find as much respite, whether it be an escape to another galaxy or the comforting hold of an orbit, in the brilliant works of our Issue 01 contributors, as we did. Keep your eyes trained to the sky, where these 34 pieces glimmer.

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Lastly, a special thanks to Interstellar’s editorial team, who poured their time and effort into giving every single submission we received the best feedback that they could. Without the warmth of their constant support, our inaugural issue would lack the shine that it has now. An eternal thank you to our prized contributors and all those who submitted to us, the community that cheered for us along the way, and you, our beloved readers—we’re forever grateful for your support. 

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So all that’s left to say is: lay down a blanket. Take your telescope, tilt your head back. The stars are waiting to take you away, and with them, Issue 01. 

My warmest wishes,

Sunny Vuong

Founder and Editor-in-Chief,

Interstellar Literary Review