We are in the midst of what has often been referred to as a “dark winter.” A world before masks, where groups of people huddled together–strangers, even–in cozy theaters, restaurants, or dinner parties, seems almost impossible to us now. We grieve the losses of this past year, those who we have loved and the life that we took for granted.

Winter 2021 Letter from the Editors
photo credit: Tricia Grunick

And through it all, together, we have continued to shine light and love on our common mission: to empower and elevate regional storytelling in the western Pennsylvania Wilds. More writers are publishing their work, more books are finding new readers, and more conversations about the people and places here are happening. Support for The Watershed Journal continues to grow and every day at Watershed Books, we are meeting people who immediately connect with our stories and our purpose.

In this Winter edition of The Watershed Journal, we are grateful for the talented submitters who have given us an opportunity to reflect on the range of emotion and experiences that express the darkness, the longing, the laughter, and the hope for new beginnings in 2021. Some of our submitters are directly confronting the disequilibrium and sadness they feel as a result of the pandemic. Some are offering a distraction. Others are focusing on that which endures in spite of everything–the beauty around us, the joy of the holiday season, and our memories of the past.

In our eleventh edition of the Journal, we hope that you find comfort and a sense of belonging in the community that we have built together. We will continue to grow while making sure that the original spark that inspired this endeavor is kept precious.

More about the Winter 2021 Edition
Winter 2021 Online Exclusives

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