Issue #2 ~ Winter 2020/2021
Editors’ Note
Hello again, Friends. Today, as we write this letter, we can’t help but think about the fact that it is the last day of 2020. This year has been a doozy, for everyone, an ominous presence hovering over every inch of the year and one that we are looking forward to leaving behind. Of course, in the months of planning our debut of The Good Life Review, we were not thinking about that. When deciding to publish quarterly issues, the cadence of the seasons for a journal based in Nebraska felt very natural.
The progression from Issue 1 in autumn to Issue 2 in winter just works. Until you get to get to winter and realize that there’s a question about the year. Such a small detail, but one that concerned us: Would our second issue be Winter 2020 or Winter 2021? Surely there was enough time to produce the issue before the end of the year. Surely we would have learned enough from the first issue to roll quick and smooth through the process. Surely it would not be a problem promoting our second issue as “Winter 2020.”
It now seems fitting to close out this year with our second issue. 2020 may have been tough but art continues to flourish, and this issue is proof that life continues and can thrive in the direst circumstances. It is the end-cap to a year that will be remembered as especially difficult, but we hope that this issue serves as a celebration—in a way preserving the beauty that can come out of hardship.
And what a celebration indeed! We’ve poured over each piece in this issue and are so invested in all of them. We are once again grateful to our contributors for trusting us with their words and we hope that they find we’ve created a good home for their work. These pieces are the biggest part of what defines the voice and image of The Good Life Review and for that, we thank you!
In a way, it is also a celebration of what we anticipate and hope for in the coming year. The journal is very new and we are, as a team, still in the early stages of figuring out which directions to go with this endeavor. We have learned a great deal at every turn, but expect there will be quite a bit more as we progress through producing future issues and running our first contest in 2021.
One thing we know for certain is that whatever developments occur, we have the right team to continue being successful with what we are in the midst of planning. We want to express our thanks to the team and acknowledge their efforts, too. Without their dedication to craft and the time they take to carefully consider every submission this endeavor would not be possible.
To our readers, thank you for visiting, for reading, and for your support of the arts. We are confident that you will enjoy this issue and hope you will stick with us through 2021 and beyond!
That’s it for Issue #2, Winter 2020 / 2021.
Cheers to Hot Cocoa with Whipcream on Top,
~Shyla and Ed
