The first month of 2023 is coming to an end. As the “happy new year” wishes decrease in frequency and we no longer have to fix our handwritten dates from 2022 to 2023, a new semester begins, with new classes, new things to learn, books to read, memories to form and stories to tell. The Weekender staff is excited to be back to share with readers pieces of various topics, styles and genres.  

This semester, as always, Weekender writers will push the boundaries of creative and nonfiction writing. As they reflect on their lives and the world around them, they will deep dive into social or political issues through features and commentaries, navigate important questions through fiction, depict raw and powerful emotions through heartfelt poetry and experiment with ways to explore their voices through creative personal essays.

In this first issue of the semester — and the new year — our writers all look inward. They describe, whether in analytical prose, emotional poetry or philosophical fiction, some of their most intricate thoughts and feelings. Ideas jotted down on post-it notes or on the margins of old notebooks during winter break all come alive in the form of thoughtfully written and edited pieces in this issue.