Editor's Note
What a year!
With the release of Issue 75: Spring, The Penn Review can officially celebrate 75 years of publishing the finest poetry, prose, and art from around the world. This milestone reminds me of the ever-changing yet undying value of the arts in our society.
When describing the work of The Penn Review, I am often asked if there is a particular theme to which writers and artists should adhere. The answer is always no: we prefer that the holistic shape of our submitters’ work guides the shape of each issue. This year was no exception. We were particularly struck by the relationship between art & language and violence. In Heather Holdaway’s “I’m sorry but I would still like my book back,” the narrator strains for normalcy in a fractured series of unfinished notes, only able to finish a thought once they have removed themselves from the site of violence. Jacqueline Dee Parker’s “Interlude,” the winner of our 2026 Prize in Art, uses cut-up vintage paper and acrylic paint to craft an image evoking both ancient pottery and modern music notation, reminding the viewer that destruction can reconstruct beauty.
I mentioned our 2026 Art Prize, and I am happy to announce that we have continued to award our Prizes in Poetry, Prose, and Art—the third year since their revival. Alongside “Interlude” by Jacqueline Dee Parker, Dominic Viti’s short story “Riffraff” captures a child’s voice and balances childlike wonder with gritty reality. The poem “Black Urban Realism for the Post-Apocalypse” by Yishak Yohannes Yebio offers an incredible new angle on the pain of assimilation. All of these pieces impressed us with both their technical skill and the prescient messages underlying each. Congratulations to all three, and thank you to all who participated this year.
Thank you to the entire staff of The Penn Review for weathering a record-breaking submission volume with grace, intelligence, and great taste. Thank you to our contributors for offering pieces of their hearts for us to see. And thank you, reader, for supporting our work. It is my blessing to offer Issue 75: Spring of The Penn Review.