SFWP Journal Issue 32 / Spring 2025
Spring Renewal
“It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it.”
SFWP Journal
Issue 32 / Spring 2025
Table of Contents
Editor’s Note
Rachel Weber, Guest Editor
Spring Issue 32: Renewal
Since January, we have asked authors to submit their original works of fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry pieces that have centered around the theme of renewal.
I have noted that this theme should include stories about creating new beginnings, reinventing oneself, experiencing growth, reimagining life, celebrating the rebirth of a season, or finding hope in all the new and unforeseen changes around us.
My hope was for authors to understand through their own storytelling that renewal is an ongoing process that requires reflection and adaptation along the way, and for their work to express that. I wanted the authors to awaken their senses and let their stories come to life, and I am happy to report that this journal’s issue is filled with pieces that do just that—from new authors to the very experienced.
When I chose renewal as this Spring issue’s theme it was the very end of 2024 and the new year was approaching. As New Year’s Eve comes around I always make a habit of writing down a list of dreams and goals I would like to accomplish for the upcoming year. I also look back on my list from the year prior to see what I managed to complete. There is something about the start of a brand new year, seeing an open wide calendar and a fresh new month on the page that screams renewal. Motivation is high, possibilities of a new and improved you seem limitless, and you may even feel invincible about not letting anything stand in your way. I typically feel flooded with emotions of positivity and empowerment. Like I have the choice to do anything I set my mind to, almost like I finally have permission to create new dreams and change or improve anything I’d like about my life. There is nothing more satisfying than checking off items on a to-do list and I try my best each year to write down realistic goals for my resolutions.
Throughout the years I have had to restart my life over and over again it seems. From moving across the country three times all within seven years, to changing careers multiple times (even if I just considered them jobs to keep busy to get through that phase of life), and to falling in and out of relationships along the way—both in friendships and love. Though I have been determined to make the best out of each situation, my life hasn’t truly felt content until now. I am finally settled in a home and in the high desert of Santa Fe with my husband and two cats, exactly where I want to be for a very long time, and that feels comforting. I decided to continue my education in a field I knew was always meant for me, and even though I am still pursuing a stable career, I know I am on the right track.
For years I was always thinking about what was next and planning for the next move, but now I can relax and enjoy the space I’m in. I have gotten to this point by choosing not to settle until I know what outcome is right for me. I’ve adapted to living in different cities and environments, and after a while the fun of being somewhere new wears off, but that’s when I believe you’ll know where it is you want to be—where you truly belong. I think we find ourselves in times of boredom, on average days when our life feels mundane, and once I get to that place I know it’s usually a good sign. I have learned a lot about myself through my many life changes and I am conscious not to take anything for granted because life’s opportunities are like grand gestures. Every day is a new day that we can choose to renew some part of our lives, and what’s great is we don’t have to wait for the new year to decide.
I also loved the idea of a Spring Renewal theme due to the hope warmer and brighter days bring. I thought about the authors writing their stories as the seasons transitioned from Winter to Spring, and envisioned their work blossoming into something special. I love this time of year, especially the month of May, and not just because it’s my birthday month! The possibilities of this season seem endless and I appreciate each and every author I have chosen for this issue for representing that.
This collection of poems, short stories, and memoirs resonates with renewal through many life changing circumstances. Through loss, finding love, holding on to hope—these stories do an amazing job of showcasing what it’s like to create a new beginning. As a reader, I encourage you all to open up your minds by reimagining your own life and the possibilities of change. As the saying goes, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
Rachel Weber is the guest editor for the SFWP Spring 2025 Journal. Her work with SFWP has included a variety of editorial tasks in the Acquisitions department. She is part of the creative writing program at the Santa Fe Community College, where her work has been placed as runner-up and honorable mentions in the Katie Besser Writing Awards. She has two poems, and one creative non-fiction piece published in the 2025 Accolades. You can find her on Instagram at @rjanson10.
Past Issues of The Quarterly