Dear All,

                Having just completed freshman year, I walked through the city in July of 2024 when the beginning of an idea crossed my mind. I didn’t quite shake it off, but I didn’t quite act on it either. The thought ended up in the graveyard for such ideas—my notes app.

                It’s true, The Glass Lotus Society began as a small notion. After some not-too-careful consideration, I wrote the idea down somewhere, as any good writer would do. “International publication.” It didn’t take long for me to return to the idea, however. Within a few days, I had long documents filled with platforms and plans for a publication that would outlast me. I drafted covers of potential issues, made logos, and even began working on a website. In less than a week, I had already contacted a few friends to gauge interest. But despite my vigorous planning, I still wasn’t sure. Could this actually work? I am proud to say that GLS really has come to life—and with such vitality! If only I knew then that just a few months later, twenty two members from all around the world would come together through zoom meetings and WhatsApp to create not only an impressive collection of writing but also a strong community. After making many phone calls, sending many text messages, and printing many posters, I was able to recruit friends and strangers alike, near and far. Some of these people I hadn’t talked to in months, others in years. Others I hadn’t talked to at all. Going into our first meeting, saying I felt “nervous” would be an understatement. But our members soon broke the ice. Students ranging from thirteen to eighteen years old formed connections regardless of their different schools, ages, countries, and continents. All of them were eager to share their writing with others—some submitted twice, if not three times, for our first issue alone. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through all of the different voices and writing styles our members had to offer, and I have no doubt that you will be similarly impressed.

                Welcome to the first issue of The Glass Lotus Society. I would argue it is the best issue thus far, but seeing as it is our premier, what I will say instead is that it sets the bar very high. Sharing writing is paired with a measure of vulnerability, and therefore is one of the most effective, if not one of the best, ways to connect with others. Publishing your writing is both a question, an offer, and an invitation to the reader. Here, these are my thoughts. This is my story. Do you want to have a conversation? Meanwhile, reading is both an entirely individual and an entirely communal experience. The words are a means of introspection. You could be reading our publication on your couch with the sun rising or setting by your window, and a tea bag steeping in your nearby mug. Perhaps you know one of the writers, and are drafting a text message to tell them your thoughts on their poem. You read alone. But you read the same words alongside many others. The voice in your head is a vessel for the twenty two international voices that speak in their writing. You invite the speaker, the narrator, the characters, and the author to share their experiences with you, and so, our international web widens.

                It isn’t enough for a variety of voices to be represented. These voices must also be heard by a variety of people. We aim to make our issues as accessible as possible to enable students from around the world to read the work of their peers. Each student has a unique identity, so every narrative is different. To capture them all is an impossible task. But with the publication of each new issue, our community grows stronger and larger, adding new sides to our narratives. Thus, we avoid the “Danger of a Single Story” that Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warns against. In our first issue, we have narratives that span roughly 37,000 miles, from multiple states in America, then to Chile, Morocco, Scotland, India, and China, and all the way to Australia​. This statistic doesn’t even take into account the origins and ancestry of our writers. The cultures mixed into our issues really does make our literary society a cliché—the “melting pot.” What better way to connect with our backgrounds than creative writing?

                Once I successfully brought together the members for our 2024-2025 publishing year, I encountered my first riddle: the title of our issue. According to The Oxford English Dictionary, elysium means “a place or state of ideal or perfect happiness.” So why did I choose the word Elysium? I must admit, I have always been drawn to mythology and ancient histories. Could it have been because of the Elysian Fields that I had seen in my beloved Greek myths? Possibly. Was it because I was looking for words that contrasted the darkness and the cold that pervaded the winter of 2024? Or was it a response to something else? In a world that suffers, writing for a light-filled paradise—Elysium—serves as both a distraction and a rebellion of its own. I suppose Elysium is whatever the writers made of it, and whatever the reader makes of it. Elysium is not the theme of the issue, but rather, the byproduct of our mission. By joining global student voices through writing, we hope to get closer and closer to finding what the ideal world of the next generation is.

                I am thrilled to publish our first issue, and I am so proud of all of our members for their dedication over the last few months. Thank you for reading our words and listening to our narratives. Allow yourself to be brought to different lands and time periods, allow yourself to feel familiar or foreign emotions that may not be comfortable, and most importantly, allow yourself to be inspired by every author. I hope you enjoy their hard work.

 

Sincerely,

Ella Taft

Editor in Chief

Founder of GLS