December Issue of Apex Magazine: Turning the Leaves

We’re well into December, my birthday’s four days away, and there’s a new issue of Apex Magazine to enjoy, with work by Ken Liu, Rachel Swirsky, Maria Dahvana Headley, Kat Howard, Daniel José Older, Sandra McDonald, and me, as well as art by Katy Shuttleworth. This is the last issue edited by Lynne Thomas, closing out her two years of extraordinary service to the magazine.

There’s excellent stuff in here: Ken Liu writing a powerfully effective story that consists of one sentence; Maria Dahvana Headley’s heart-breaking rumination on memory loss, bereavement, and sea horses; and Kat Howard’s more literally heart-breaking explorations of haruspicy. Rachel Swirsky’s “All That Fairy Tale Crap” first appeared in Glitter & Mayhem and is as startling and irreverent here as there.

For my part, “Turning the Leaves” is an unabashed tribute to Lynne Thomas, who asked me to write her a poem in a way that felt like her taking my hands in hers and looking me in the eye.

Sigrid Ellis is taking the reins at Apex, and I’m really looking forward to what she does with it. Meantime I raise this mug of milky tea to Lynne and say cheers; you were fantastic.

#SFWApro