Dear Reader,
Way back in 2010, at the turn of the last decade, two fresh-faced MFA grads had a dream: to put together a journal that featured first and final drafts of their favorite contemporary short stories, along with interviews with the writers about their process. Not only did it seem like an interesting project to keep them connected after grad school, but they thought it would be a useful tool for the classroom, because, of course, they were both sure to be offered tenure-track teaching jobs within the year (ha.)
Had either of these energetic up-starts ever edited a magazine? Kind of. And did they have the resources to undertake such a monumental task of starting a new publication from scratch? Not at all. But their excitement conquered their logic, and these friends, stationed on opposite sides of the country, came up with a plan: They would start with a draft. Like, a practice run. Not even Issue One, but Issue Zero. Try it out and see how it could work. See if any readers or writers or teachers would even be interested.
And so, yes, a draft of draft came to be.
The newly-minted co-editors passed out a slick 50-copy run of draft: Issue Zero at AWP in Washington, DC (remember that one? Mark does, but Rachel doesn't because she didn't go, which was fine... Mark doesn’t still mind). And, due to the kind response of those folks on whom they foisted another literary journal at the nation's largest book fair, they decided to continue the experiment of showcasing the revision process, and have been for the last ten years.
Third-person plural works well for the origin story of draft, but perhaps it’s time to try first plural? … We think the content in that trial run issue is as strong, compelling, and instructive as the issues that came after. To celebrate our 10th anniversary we are now re-issuing Issue Zero as a proper book in the draft oeuvre.
Issue Zero features two incredible short stories and the fascinating creative processes of their authors, Greg Hrbek and Mary Miller. Two of our very favorite writers. From draft to draft in Hrbek’s work on “Sagittarius,” which was anthologized in Best American Short Stories, you see a writer pushing a beautiful story into surprising new territory, until the key to unlocking its full heartbreaking potential reveals itself. There are new perspectives, new characters, new and pivotal scenes that transform the story, only to be discovered in the final rewrite.
Mary Miller’s story, Once Upon a Time, Bananas, showcases her trademark charm with wry, understated prose that suggests worlds beyond what’s on the page, especially in a micro first draft that gets blown up, expanded, and transformed with a long-form revision. Each draft is a fully realized gem, but the facets sparkle a bit different, depending on the version, both of which teach volumes about the form.
We are feeling nostalgic. We are feeling hopeful. We are grateful and gleeful. And we want to thank you—dear reader, writer, editor, teacher, student—for reading our pages for the last ten years. Here's to another decade of draft: the journal of process!
Keep re-writing,
Mark and Rachel