A Word From Our Editor on Delusion

A second issue is a big step. It cements this magazine’s existence in the real world. Apparition Lit is still new, but we’re gaining traction and following a solid plan toward permanence. Last year, while laying out the plans for our magazine launch, we chose the themes for the first four issues, enough to cover our first year. The first theme, Apparition, was to highlight our initial appearance (buy that issue here!). Our second issue would be themed Delusion.

I’m convinced all four editors agreed to the second issue’s theme, Delusion, because we were all subconsciously thinking our idea was on the fantastical side. Creating something out of nothing is the stuff of fairytales. We weren’t positive that we could create a magazine quickly, find our audience, curate stories that we loved, and generate a publication we could be proud of. Every creator must be a little mad. Turns out, with a lot of planning, clear goal setting, and detailed organization, our dream materialized. Our Delusion issue is real and it’s in your hands!

We received so many amazing submissions again, so many different and creative approaches to the theme. I’m beyond thrilled by the diverse and amazing authors featured in this issue: Matthew Harrison lives in Hong Kong, Amelia Fisher describes herself as a “weird gay hippie who lives in a van,” M.P. Neal has a PhD in space science, Laura DeHaan writes “genderbent queered fairy tales,” and Sarena Ulibarri is a master in the Solarpunk genre.

The stories get a little trippy, a little strange, and are full of delusion. I hope you enjoy each of them for their own unique weirdness:

Interview with cover artist Luke Spooner about his journey through a career as a visual storyteller and the inspiration behind Quiet Time, the vivid art used for our Delusion cover.

Sarena Ulibarri’s ultimate anti-heroine takes her hero’s journey to “The Ice Tree.”

I strongly suggest we all follow the advice Amy Baskin offers in her poem “don’t paint the devil on the wall”.

“Mirror Mirror” by M.P. Neal is a cautionary tale of modern technology and reflection on beauty in our culture.

The world is a little tilted and things are not always what they appear to be in Laura DeHaan’s humorous Western, “Long Dry Waste”.

We should absolutely be paying attention to the warnings in Matthew Harrison’s poem “The Deniers”.

In her story “Sea Shanties,” Amelia Fisher sweeps us into a tale of love, obsession, and sea monsters.

And Tacoma Tomilson takes us on an epic quest in her Essay, “The Shared Delusion of Dungeons and Dragons”.

So much delightful delusion tucked into one issue! We, the editors, hope you enjoy the stories and poems as much as we have. Follow us on our website, Facebook, or Twitter where we post articles, contests, and give shout-outs to authors we publish, and others we love.

Apparition Literary Magazine is funded by the editors and by your kind donations. If you’d like to support us, please donate and/or subscribe via our website. And be on the lookout for the upcoming launch of our Patreon, which will reward people who donate monthly. Our 2019 goal is to increase pay from .01 cent a word to the professional payment of .06 a word.

Thank You!

Amy Henry Robinson
Associate Editor, Poetry Editor, and WebMaster