Anatomy

Dear Readers,

The Sanctuary Magazine has been many things to our readers over the years. A place where loss, rebirth, feminism, love, therapy, hatred, happiness, and more could thrive in a world not unlike our own. A place where characters like Leisel Meminger and Scout Finch can tell their stories without fear or judgement. A place where you can read about struggle and talk about blow jobs and ramble about the mythos. As our editors said in 2011, the sanctuary is, by definition, a refuge after all.

In the past year, there has been a lot of change in world, regardless of whether it’s been in your own backyard or your neighbors. People are grabbing each other by the throats and shouting in each other’s faces while the same story is played on repeat. It’s important to remind ourselves to take a moment, to stop, to rest in a place that allows us to be who we are. Even if it's only for a moment.

It’s hard to find a grounded place to be ourselves when there is no solid foundation to stand on. While The Sanctuary will always find home in its roots, there was never a tree for us to stand on. The editors have been working hard this year to build a foundation that lasts well beyond our graduation and helps future editors build a new world from what we leave behind. If Harry Potter has Hogwarts and Clary Fray has the Institute to call home, then you should have The Sanctuary.

The editors rebranded the face of The Sanctuary so our readers had a place to call home, even if they did not have one. We want the weird, the offbeat, the peculiar, the left behind, the silenced, the forgotten. We want those who do not have a voice to be able to speak here, to be seen, to be heard. What is a sanctuary if not a place that welcomes all?

Sincerely,

Sara Koch, Editor-in-Chief

Prose Winner

“You Don’t Even Try to Remember Anymore” - Jacob Dimpsey -

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“You Don’t Even Try to Remember Anymore,” explores a world of love and loss, contemplating the age old question of sci-fi, How do we interact with our new technologies? Dimpsey calls back to ancient legends and myths, restructuring their meaning as a way to enrich the future. There is a school of thought in science called Uniformitarianism that says, The present is the key to the past, and the past is the key to the future. And Jacob Dimpsey sows that into his story flawlessly. It is an extraordinary story reminiscent of film noir, and it all starts with love, robots, and a party.

Poetry Winner

“7 proud lbs ekphrastic” - Deon Robinson -

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“7 proud lbs ekphrastic,” is a short poem, but it is packed with immense feeling. As the ekphrastic form alludes to, this poem is based on a tweet by Twitter user @eveewing and a video originally posted by Ke’mari Cooper on YouTube. Robinson’s poem grasps exactly what it means to be compassionate, to have the ability to show kindness to others around you. There are many legends across the world about catching fish in a river, those usually do not come with a happy ending. Deon Robinson’s language moves the reader through the emotions of the video, exploring generational growth and what it means to have black excellence.