Issue #25 Spring 2023
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Dear Readers,
Welcome to Issue 25 of Jet Fuel Review! The editors are excited to share with you the wonderful collection of writing and artwork that is encapsulated in this issue. After months of reading through over 800 national and international submissions, the editors have carefully selected pieces that are representative of our mission statement. As a result, this issue highlights a variety of voices and artwork that speak to the world we live in and the prismatic nature of the human condition. Housed at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, Jet Fuel Review is a student-run, faculty-advised, four-time CMA Pinnacle Award-winning literary journal that publishes writers and artists from across the globe. We are honored not only to provide a creative platform for people’s voices but also to produce a journal that is impactful to those who read it. Our featured cover piece for this issue, Water, Hinge, Field, by postdigital artist Ryota Matsumoto, is one of two pieces that explores “the morphological transformations of our ever-evolving urban and ecological milieus.” Matsumoto uses his art to comment on the speculative changes in society, culture, and ecosystems. He rises above the limitations of two and multi-dimensional art by combining traditional and digital media. The poetry section of this issue highlights an expansive and engaging set of voices, such as the work of M. Cynthia Cheung, a physician who serves as a judge for Baylor College of Medicine’s annual Michael E. DeBakey Medical Student Poetry Awards, and Jules Wood, whose work highlights where performance ends and the body begins. We’re also thrilled to showcase Pablo Otavalo, James Fujinami Moore, Emma Bolden, Ronda Piszk Broatch, Sandra Crouch, Ashish Singh, Flower Conroy, and many other dazzling voices. The fiction section features a variety of stories that showcase the hidden struggles that many face over the course of their lifetime, including “The Ball” by Jeremy Wilson. This piece forces readers to recognize the moment in which they lost their innocence, whether or not it was at their own hands. “The Ball” also leads readers to question the absurdity of life during a war. In addition to the artwork created by our front and back cover artist, Ryota Matsumoto, our art section showcases dynamic pieces by Annabel Jung, who makes powerful statements about personal experiences. Jet Fuel Review also features the work of Eve Ozer, an acrylic artist born in Germany whose pieces create a dialogue between colors, lines, and shapes. These are just a few of the many amazing authors and artists who grace our pages. The literature and artwork in these pages are a testament to the diverse perspectives and experiences that are currently present in our society and to voices that are both candid and sincere. We invite you to dive into our 25th issue, and we hope that you appreciate the works that make up this issue as much as we do. Read on! Selena Tomas & the Jet Fuel Review Editors |