When you publish across so many genres, the theme is the glue that holds the issue together. Deciding Expo’s annual theme is a point of great excitement and pressure for the editors-in-chief as they seek something that will excite both our editors and our submitters, and will work for poetry as well as for stage & screen and art.
We also admit that after several years of being in “Flux,” going through “Act/Break,” and experiencing “Hunger,” it was time for a more lighthearted theme. While most years the decision has been an arduous one, “POP!” came to us as conveniently as a soda delivered from a vending machine.
“POP!” was an invitation to our submitters to play—with expectations, with pop culture, and even with fads that only #LiteraryTwitter will recognize. We see Expo not only as a home for emerging writers, but as a space for writers of all experiences to push their limits, and this theme gave us all new ways to explore.
One of our favorite moments this season was when a writer submitted a revision after incorporating feedback from other sources, making their piece more traditional in form and voice. Our entire editorial crew enthusiastically preferred the original, more experimental version, and that’s what you’ll see published in this issue.
“POP!” is also a reminder to our team to continue to push our limits and experiment with new ways of keeping the journal relevant. We grappled with AI and its place in Exposition Review. We leveraged technology and invited editors onto Submittable, which allowed greater transparency and collaboration, but like all change has had its growing pains. We also ushered in many bright, new voices to our reading team, and their questions encouraged us to examine our practices.
This issue is the result of our contributors embracing our theme, and the efforts of our amazing editors and readers who support them in finding those fresh voices that snap, crackle and, well … you know.
Annlee Ellingson
Laura Rensing
Editors-in-Chief