Dear Reader,
Welcome back. I say that with a sort of hopeful presumption that you are in fact coming back, but if you're not, if it's your first time stopping by, welcome.
It's December now, shockingly. This year has both managed to crawl by slower than a snail and sprint past in a disorientating way. I question how it's fair for the passage of time to work that way. I'm very aware that this year has been no slower or faster than any other, and yet, already nearly 365 days have once again been marked off the calendar and I find that to be incredibly unfair.
Don't worry, despite what the title may suggest, this isn't a Christmas issue. I know how many people may be reading this and feeling that worry in their stomach of this anxiety building up about what we were going to talk about this issue. I never want to bombard you with anything, Spineless is never going to be a place where we want to push anything onto you. It's a place where you can come and read the work of very talented writers, find some good music and look at some pretty artwork.
We have content contributed from a huge range of people, both within Australia and abroad, and the writing we have reflects that. From me, I'm sending you happy holidays and love and safety for the new year, but whatever you celebrate, wherever and however, I hope you have a good one.
Actually, the theme this month is far less of a theme than previous issues have been. In part, the theme is festivities, the usual ones that come around with the year drawing to a close, and yet it doesn't nicely fit into that box either. It seems that everything this issue is mixed in with an underlying issue of changes happening. With every December brings a close to the year. With every New Year a chance to start again next year. With this issue, a celebration and goodbye of Spineless as it currently exists.
But that feels far too depressing, doesn't it? Spineless isn't retiring, we're not being sent to the woodchipper just yet! It's a time for celebration! After all, we've made a zine from absolutely nothing over the span of six months! I think that's something to be pretty proud of, don't you?!
I guess I don't really know what this theme is exactly. I feel like I should, I feel like there's a lot of stuff as editor that I should just know, but I don't.
How do you save a corrupted file?
How do you ask people nicely to get their writing in on time?
How do you make something that matters to people?
How do you know if what you're doing matters?
I like to think that these things will come to me eventually. That I'll wake up one morning and suddenly understand it all, but I don't think I will. I think I'll learn. Over time it'll become clearer, I'll become more sure of myself. I think that might be what this issue is about, closing this chapter of Spineless and starting a new one.
In the same way, it began with "Something New," it is once again reaching that point, a wrap-up that offers new chances on the horizon.
Above all though, thank you for reading. Whether you're picking up an issue for the first time, or have been here since day one, thank you. I'll save all the mushy stuff for the end of this issue, but we really do appreciate it.
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