Note from the Editors

“The mundane continuation of everything became a kind of joke. You just kept moving pieces around the board, even if you’d forgotten what they were for.” — “The Philosophy of Chess” by Davin Faris.

The nuance in meridian fascinated our team from the very beginning stages of our planning — from an intangible line dividing seas and land to the peak of our lives, each meridian requires a story, a connection that spans from across the world. Meridian is the middle of our lives, the middle of the story we’re telling, in media res, paradoxes; it exemplifies the uniqueness in the mundane.

Perhaps we find meridian in the transition between running water and a world ablaze (“Fire Dances Around the Edges” by Eniola Abdulroqeeb Arowolo), in the thawing of winter before spring (“Suddenly Spring” by Alma Ariaz), in the in-between of life and death (“miserere” by Daniel Aôndona, “alter ego” by Sophia Pan), or in parallels and uncertainty (“dinner with best friend” by Ava Clare Ng, “ad nauseam” by Beatriz Brodsky). Meridian exists in the windows (“Cerulean Sunset” by Yanna Mallari) of lives we venture into through literature — those of identity and families (“Ode to H” by Malak Askar, “AN UNCOMFORTABLY LONG LIST OF CONFUSING MOMENTS IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU WISH TO LEAVE UNEXPLAINED” by Erin Han) and rebirth (“Gap Dynamics” by Ember Jones).

Meridian hits a little closer to home for our team as we end a transition period, onboarding new editors and promising to keep in touch with our graduates who have mentored us through hours of meetings, color coded spreadsheets, and the production of three issues. Thank you to our team for their priceless work, to past team members for constantly inspiring us, and of course, to all of you, for the love that allows us to share your stories; whether you’re a submitter, a reader, an Instagram follower, an event participant, or a podcast listener, Aster Lit would not be possible without you.

We are so thankful for the opportunity to read all of your amazing work, and we are honored to be the home to 24 incredible works from 21 outstanding writers and artists who mesmerized us in their captivating diction, visceral imagery, striking voices, and moving writing and artwork.

So, lovely Asterisks, celebrate the mundanity of your world and transform it into your meridian. Share your stories. Find connections. We can’t wait to see where you lead us next.

Follow us on Instagram (@aster.lit) for more literature, artwork, and cross-cultural connections, and send us more of your work once submissions open!

We love you. Your voice matters. Keep telling stories.

With all our love,

Jane Lee (Co-Editor-in-Chief) & the Aster Lit team