Note to readers (1/21/24):

We have recently learned that the work of fiction we published in our 2023 winter literary issue, “Scrimshaw,” was stolen from another author.

This piece was submitted to us by John Kucera, aka John Siepkes, who digitally signed a contract attesting that the work was his own and unpublished elsewhere.

In fact, “Scrimshaw” was written by Jess Hyslop and published by the journal Mirror Dance several months before we received the submission. If you enjoyed Jess's writing, you can find more of her short fiction on her website, which includes links to purchase her recently published novella, Miasma.

It’s an understatement to say we are profoundly regretful. We apologize for this significant oversight, and this incident has prompted us to be far more careful in how we analyze unsolicited submissions of literature.