Yes, I did this last year. Yes, it’s the easy road. But no, I didn’t do it for that reason. I tried writing about a few other things but none of them were working and then I remembered what I did last year. And when I thought about doing it again, I realized how it great it was at forcing me back into what I was doing, thinking, grieving about, and laughing at. I needed the reminding. And not just because I can’t remember shit these days. But not not either.
In chronological order…
-
10.I know Dave has some uncool shit in his past, but he still means a lot to me. I grew up watching him, staying up late through my teenage years. When he retired, it was on what would have been my dad’s 74th birthday. I wrote about why that was so significant to me. His new show wasn’t the best thing I saw all year, but I like that he’s back, I like how he’s grown, and I dig the beard.
-
9.2018 was full of all kinds of fucked up terrible shit. Sometimes a laugh helps.
-
8.Same same, Beth. Same same.
-
7.I didn’t know Zach. Met him once when he stopped by our table at AWP in LA. But I remember him being exactly this. And for whatever reason (or for a few) his passing really stayed with me. Maybe because it reminded me how important — and needed — this little twitter writing community can be. Maybe because I’m closing in on the age my dad was when he died and I’ve got my own mortality to deal with. Maybe for a few other maybes, too. None of it changes that our community lost a much loved voice. RIP, Zach.
-
6.If you read my list last year, you know I’m big Gethard fan. And if you know who he is, you’ll truly appreciate this little video. Even if you don’t know who he is, this video is funny as hell. Trust me and watch it to the end.
-
5.This one was a huge, pleasant surprise. I had no idea Lisa Mecham’s Big Truths essay was selected for Roxane’s anthology. I am so proud we got to publish it and so proud it found a second home in this important collection.
-
4.Another celebrity passing. But this one felt different, didn’t it? Hit harder? I think it’s because he was one of us. A creative soul. A storyteller. A tortured voice that sounded like ours.
-
3.I’m excited for this novel and you should be, too. Especially if you read any of Claire’s stories. It just so happens that we have one here, and it just so happens that it topped Longform’s Best Fiction of 2015 and was named to the Sundress Best of The Nest anthology that same year.
-
2.The GOAT. Now you know.
-
1.I’m proud of everything we publish (obviously), but I’m especially proud of this collection. For the first time in a while, I took the lead on a project and I needed it. I needed to get my head and my heart back into it. To read every submission again. To send rejections again (okay, maybe I didn’t need that but Beth definitely didn’t need it). Thank you to all the writers who were so amazing to work with and to Beth, Liz, and Alvin who helped bring it to life. Now let’s do it all again next year.
Troy is the founding editor of this here lit mag, website, whatever you want to call it. He also designs the covers, makes trailers, and takes care of the site. Oh, and he’s a part-time bio writer whose work mainly appears at the bottom of year-end top ten lists. Like these ones.
