Editors' Welcome

to Issue One of the Papyrus Review. This project has been in the works for the better part of four years, and we are excited to finally release it into the world. 

For our first issue, we thought what better way to introduce ourselves than by plumbing the very depths of our darkest secrets and offering them up for you to peruse at your leisure? Like a first date with an oversharer, we hope these poems make you uncomfortable, make you question what we're doing, and maybe ask yourself if we aren't just trying to bridge the chasm between you and us--strangers--in a bid for connection. 

And so, without further ado, we'd like you to meet Issue One's cast of characters: Scarecrow, Ghost, and Wick. You'll find them in the pages ahead, falling off of cliffs, in snowy Midwest cities, burning out in an office, and sometimes in each other's narratives. You're invited into their stories, to hear what they have to tell you and explore the worlds they inhabit. Enter, and acquaint yourselves with your hosts at your leisure.

Finally, one of our editors INSISTS on making table top RPGs part of this project. So if you dare, enter the lair of the Harbinger of Sorrow in our D&D Home Brew section. And if you are brave, bring them to a table top near you. 

One brief note of caution: our cast have endured hardship and trauma, which are reflected in the stories they tell. Scarecrow is sharing his experience with depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. Ghost deals with anxiety and grief. Wick is struggling to cope, and experiencing symptoms of burnout and early stages of depression. The Harbinger of Sorrow aims to personify something dark about the human condition. Be aware of the themes ahead, and proceed safely.