Full Circle | 47.4

What does it mean to come full circle in literature? It is often said that a good story requires change, either in the plot or the characters, if not both. Yet as I read through this issue, I keep returning to the idea of circularity. Many of the themes present, like grief and healing, are nonlinear processes, and the circular nature of these works reflects that journey. In fact, many of the pieces in this issue return to familiar places: to mothers and fathers, to childhood homes, and to people once known and loved. A number of these pieces play with the concept of time. In Shashi Bhat’s commissioned story “Keeping Things Fresh,” time moves in a dream-like haze. Marta Balcewicz’s “Fall and Winter,” flashes backwards, while in Em C Buth’s “Interstices, Interstiches,” time plays on a loop. In other pieces, writers reminisce about the passage of time, and who they once were.

As I read submissions for this issue, I found many that touched upon death. Some of those pieces have been included here—some are sombre, others reflective, and some humorous. In her interview, Sarah Leavitt speaks candidly about the passing of loved ones and the experience of making art while grieving. She also discusses writing about difficult topics with humour and playfulness—a balance many of these pieces strike.

Finally, a personal full-circle moment: after three wonderful years as Managing Editor of Room, I am closing this chapter. Since joining in 2021, I have had the privilege of overseeing twelve issues, and now here is another one for you. Thank you, dear readers, for your support, and thank you to the collective for trusting me with this role. A special thanks to my editorial team—Rose, Kailee, and Melissa—for being by my side.

– Shristi Uprety