[easy-media med=”8357,8361″ mark=”gallery-8Wm9mq”]Dear Readers,

Transformation is the lifeblood of literature. Sublime poetry can be transformative for both the writer and the reader. In fiction, we expect characters to grow and change as the story progresses, so that they have learned something by the end that transforms the way they view the world. And in creative nonfiction, in which characters are often recreations of the authors writing them, the process of transformation can take on a very personal meaning—one where readers are privy to a first-hand view of a very spirit being forged.

The writers of our selections in this issue bare their souls in a way that gives us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into transformative episodes in their lives. They are not salacious, tell-all confessionals. They are the literary output of people reconciling their lives the only way they know how.

In “Bound” and “Disconnected,” two writers confront the issue of shifting personal identity from very different perspectives. One has been imprisoned inside a body that feels alien, even hostile, while the other yearns for the stabilizing roots of family. And in “The Perfect Dress,” we see that the very nature of family identity can sometimes be thrown into question by the smallest of cultural paraphernalia.

We truly hope that readers will be as transformed by these pieces as we were. It is with tremendous pride, then, that we welcome you to enjoy the Transformations issue of Mason’s Road.

Cheers,

Colin Hosten + Jenny Rider

Co-Editors, Creative Nonfiction