While scrolling through Instagram last night, I saw that well-known author of books like Speak and Twisted, Laurie Halse Anderson (who I got to meet at a conference in October, by the way) posted a photo of a poster that read “Failure is success in progress.” Now it might be because I had just finished my unit plan for my teaching of writing course and was feeling like a very sentimental pre-service teacher, but this statement truly hit home for me.

I began writing this, the letter from the editor for the Fall 2018 issue of Euphemism, at 10:45 last night–less than 24 hours before our launch party and reading. Earlier this semester, I conducted a successful discussion facilitation for one of my English classes, only to be informed by my professor immediately after class ended that I had presented on the wrong chapter. This had never happened before. This semester–my final semester–was relentless; I have slept and ate less than I have in my entire life in order to finish assignments and keep up with course readings, all while working at a wine bar and still attempting to take time to finish up a chapbook of poetry I plan to submit later this month. I’m not even sure “failure” is the word I need to describe how behind I felt in all of my courses for the first time at ISU.

Something else that happened for the first time this semester, however, was getting accepted to a creative arts journal outside of the college realm. After over half a dozen submissions and rejections, one of my poems entitled “Oceans” will find a home in the Spring 2019 issue of the Sagebrush Review.

I guess what I am trying to say here is that I agree with Laurie Halse Anderson’s post that “failure is success in progress.” As I have learned this semester, failure is not an excuse to give up. In fact, failure is the motivation I needed to have real conversations with my professors about how difficult college truly is. My fellow staff and I have been hearing remarks from discouraged writers and artists across campus who have submitted to Euphemism during some of the most competitive periods the journal has seen. To them, I want to say: embrace rejection! Believe it or not, most of our previous and current staff have received rejections from Euphemism. Use this as inspiration to write more, to write about what matters to you, and to keep submitting.

At this point, I want to thank ISU’s English Department, Dr. Jim Kalmbach for his always appreciated technical support for our online presence, the editorial board and staff of Euphemism for working quickly and diligently to review submissions and get our issue published, and as always, the incredibly talented writers and artists who continue to submit to Euphemism every semester.

Alexandra Daggett, Editor-in-Chief