[easy-media med=”8228″]Dear Readers,

The nonfiction author invites you to see the world through his or her sensibility. It is up to the author to present a story that is new and dynamic but still gives the reader a first-hand point-of-view, which may not always be conventional or expected. We asked writers in this issue to submit works that challenge the usual approach to point-of-view and enhance the reader experience.

It’s not always easy for a nonfiction writer to experiment with point-of-view in creative ways, especially when writing about personal history. However, despite the seeming constraints of our craft, it is our calling to push nonfiction storytelling into adventurous new horizons. The writers of our two selections succeed in transporting the reader beyond usual boundaries in a way that wholly captivates and satisfies.

“The Sounds of Dying” confronts the familiar theme of loss by submerging the reader into an arresting and moving look at the slow erosion of life. “Scrub Defined” challenges the deeply entrenched tenets of a simple life in the face of an encroaching cultural shift and tries to find balance between the two. Both of these pieces present a tableau of a time and place that might seem foreign to many readers, yet each maintains a humanity that is universal.

Readers will be engaged and stimulated by the unique point-of-view in each of these pieces, which we are very proud to share in this issue of Mason’s Road. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did.

Gaily Yours,
Colin Hosten + Zac Zander