Dear RWW Community—

In their poem “August Moments,” Wo Chan writes, “of course like language, I love you— / like language, I barely know you.” I turn to this simultaneous love and bewilderment reflecting on the time since our summer residency on PLU’s campus, those sunny and sweaty days filled with words and all that they can do, reflecting on a similar affection for language and craft that brings this community together. That particular pair—I love you and, at once, I barely know you, language—are a current running through this issue of Soundings.

In this issue, Scott Nadelson shares his craft essay “The Vulnerability of Outrage,” which he presented as a moving and timely morning talk at residency, inviting us to open ourselves to the lessons outrage might afford us while writing in discordant times. Elissa Favero, our new Contributing Writer, interviews alum Jen Soriano about her newly released book, Nervous: Essays on Heritage and Healing. Jen also shares wise reflections on their experience at RWW.” We look back at residency with a photo album crowdsourced from the very members of our community who were there to witness it all. And, finally, as with every issue, we celebrate our community with our listings of Publications, Announcements, and Literary Citizenship.

This is also the premiere issue of Soundings brought to you by our new team! Join me in welcoming Sharina Black as Assistant Editor. I will serve as Editor this year, and I am grateful to Elissa Favero and Garrett Brooks for their continued collaboration and guidance. We also extend the deepest gratitude to Sydney Elliott for her decade of work to support RWW and especially Soundings, while welcoming Hannah Comerford as Managing Editor!

We would also like to acknowledge and celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Rainier Writing Workshop this year. RWW has offered a home for a brilliant community of writers, and we are thrilled to continue growing and writing onward. We hope you enjoy this Fall issue and we are so humbled to be writing alongside you this year and for all the years well beyond it.

—antmen pimentel mendoza