“Summer’s end came faster than we wanted.” —John Prine

Dear Reader,

As the leaves redden and we close the curtain on days of salty air, the Empty Inkwell Co-founders invite you into the world of “Summer’s End.” While our initial vision of this issue was simply one of quietude and reminiscence, our contributors have reinvented this theme into something else entirely. From roaming with “heat stroked coyotes,” to weeping with a ghost in Bangkok, to remembering debate camp with “bombshell teenage girls burning in the atmosphere of male academia,” you will find that the pieces in this issue stand strong in their unique, playful, and poignant visions. These pieces are evocative, interesting in their youthfulness, interesting in a way we cannot quite explain. Instead, we feel as though they will speak for themselves. 

Issue Two has brought a few upgrades, one of which being the inclusion of art and photos, from Sadie Chapman’s grainy film photographs to Audrey Lou’s “Poem Without Words.” The full version of all our favorite pieces can be found under the Summer’s End Gallery.

Now, there are a few special people we would like to acknowledge. First, our team of 20+ prose and poetry editors, most of which we gained in the past few months. The expansion of this magazine would have been impossible without them. A special shout-out goes to Managing Editor Juna Brothers for her design of the virtual flip book. Speaking of design, we’d also like to acknowledge our Cover Artist Sunny Cao, and our Cover Designer Zak Vallar for making our nostalgic summery dreams come through with this visual representation. Lastly, we’d like to once again thank all of you for your sustained support of this youth-run magazine, as writers, artists, and readers. We are still stunned by how far you’ve brought us.

Hopefully, you are itching to scroll down and begin a reading of these pieces. We have a feeling that your next new favorite poem or story rests in these very pages. Without further ado, welcome to “Summer’s End.

With love,

The Empty Inkwell Co-Founders

Isabella Zhu, Acadia Phillips, & Julia Glazebnik