The 8th Collection touches on themes of belonging and parenthood. We see fathers and mothers challenging the modes of love and belonging; we examine the wishfulness and disappointment felt when expectations and realities collide forcefully.

The 7th Collection, like all others, stems from meticulous work that includes vetting all submitted work to ensure authenticity and to minimize risk of plagiarism, finding stories that speak to a collective narrative of the “now”, and finding pieces that uplift the mission of The Black Lion Journal and of The Wire’s Dream Magazine. I thank all of you so much for your patience as I worked to comission pieces from some of the best contemporary creatives out there.