The last day of 2014 saw the publication of the Fall issue of the ever-wonderful Goblin Fruit. The artist was a bit delayed, so I created a quick placeholder layout for the issue. The placeholder melted on the 2nd of January, to be replaced by a glorious “Winter is Sown” layout by Grant Jeffery, which is a companion to his “Summer is Dead” layout. But while my humble offering has melted, I am nevertheless fond of this little bird spirit, the opening of the layout I drew in the last moments of the year, and I wanted to share it with you:

The issue contains a poem by me, “The Law of Germinating Seeds,” which also somehow perfectly encapsulates how I feel right now. It was written almost exactly a year ago, around this time. You can listen to me read it, too!

It’s a great issue, including marvelous work by Ada Hoffmann, Mari Ness, M Sereno, Judith Chalmer, Sara Cleto, Neile Graham,Janna Layton, and Alena Sullivan. If you are following Bogi Takács’s #diversepoems and #diversestories tag on twitter, e is planning to do a Goblin Fruit week next week, focusing on some of these poems.

Last but not least, in 2014 we have discovered that Goblin Fruit almost made the Hugo ballot in the Semiprozine category. It is eligible this year as well. Goblin Fruit had and continues to have a transformative effect on speculative poetry, and it more than deserves a nomination. Let’s put it on the ballot this year!