It’s always mesmerizing to see how an issue can just seem to build itself. From the very first issue of Savant-Garde, potential contributors have asked us what it is we look for. To that, we’ll always say, send us your best (how original of us). Send us that piece you’ve written and have been holding onto because you’re not quite sure where it belongs––because there’s a pretty good chance it will have a welcomed home here. If you’ve read through our past issues, you might begin to see a certain theme. It’s clear we love deep emotional pieces with a fantastical or speculative element. Even then, to be honest with you, we can’t always say for sure what it is we’re looking for. But we’ll know it when we see it. This rings especially true with Issue Six. 

 

I still remember the first submission that landed in our inbox this submission period. It left such an impression on me––with its vivid juxtaposition of life and death––that I still find it entering my mind every so often in moments of silence. As cliche as it sounds, every piece in this issue jumped out at us from the submissions. Each one not only spoke deeply to us, but also to one another, like different shaped puzzle pieces fitting together to produce the perfect picture. 

 

This is not to say that the submission period didn’t make for some difficult choices. On the contrary, we’re constantly elated and overwhelmed by the abundance of talent that graces our inbox each submission period. It is always difficult to choose. We’re so grateful to everyone who entrusts us with their work every submission period, and we cherish the brief time we get to hold on to their words. 

 

At Savant-Garde, we strive to produce a visually stunning magazine each issue, with illustrations that invoke the complete essence of every piece and, of course, the issue as a whole. For this issue, the illustrator was inspired to build the issue into its own world. Each cover is a snapshot from within that world. And what better way to represent “connection” than to provide each piece with a cover that encompasses its own feeling as well as how each unites with the whole. There’s a stagnant beauty to them that makes your gaze linger.

 

So, dear reader, writer, poet, contributor, wearer of many hats––whoever you are––thank you. Thank you for reading, for giving us and our talented contributors a little of your time. We hope the pieces you read in this issue stay with you long after, and perhaps find you again during your own silent moments. 

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Warmly,

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Jacquelyn Ferguson, Editor-in-Chief

Amélie Robitaille, Publisher

Mikaela Lucido, Poetry Editor

& Taylor Zantingh, Fiction Editor