When we selected the theme “IX Lives,” we had no idea how fitting it would be. The concept of transformation was already on our mind; our beloved Master of Professional Writing program at USC was entering its final year, and without enough students to fill the editorial staff, the ninth volume of its literary journal, the Southern California Review, was set to remain unpublished.
Taking on the journal was a challenge, but a welcome one, as we transitioned from a university-based print journal to an independent online publication. As our editorial staff emerged from among the last graduating classes of the MPW program, from those navigating the fine line between working professionals and word addicts, we found ourselves evolving from Southern California Review to Exposition Review.
And, though Exposition Review is a different beast than its predecessor, at its core, it remains a part of the legacy that MPW left behind, and a home to which its alumni can return.
In choosing “IX Lives” as our theme, we wanted to celebrate that spirit of change and renewal. The work in our new volume reflects the wide spectrum of human experience, and the power we have in ourselves to take control of our destinies and take on new shapes.
We are indebted to so many people who have devoted their time and energy to make this journal possible. We have to thank our team of editors and supporters as well as our mentors and MPW teachers, especially our Editor-at-Large David Ulin and MPW program directors Brighde Mullins and Prince Gomolvilas for their guidance, and Richard Rayner and Claudia Rankine for keeping the MPW community alive and participating in our journal. And of course, we are so grateful to our contributors whose words moved and compelled us, as we know they will our readers.
This first issue of Exposition Review is only the beginning of this new life. We are so excited to present it to you and to continue to act as a hub of the multi-genre writing community in Los Angeles and beyond.
Jessica June Rowe
Brianna J.L. Smyk
Editors-in-Chief