For as long as I can remember, I have loved to write. Sometimes I imagine that I was born with a pen in my hand, thoughts in my head and heaviness in my heart, and I would not change that for the world. It took me a long time to realize that — and maybe even longer to mean it — but I truly would not. Everyone has their outlet, and mine has always been this. I remember being in second or third grade, racing to finish my math assignment so that I could engage in “free time” which, for me, meant pulling out my little blue spiral notebook and continuing a story. Whether it was my exaggerated tale of summer days spent at my grandparents’ house or the series I wrote that personified each of the four seasons, I just loved to watch a story come to life and illuminate before my eyes through words on a page.
What I always lacked with my conviction to write was an equally strong voice. I had things that I wanted to say, but they were sometimes too real, risky or scary to put on paper. As I have grown up, I have grown braver. I have found a voice that I believe in and a voice that fills rooms I was once afraid to stand in or ones I feared that I did not belong in. It seemed only fitting that my final endeavor at the Marquette Wire would be to create a magazine that had that same voice. “Playing with fire” is very much a double-edged sword of a concept. In one direction, it can cause chaos, anguish, violence, hurt. In the other, it can be just enough to evoke change, invite conversation, take steps towards a brighter future, set new precedents and create new tides. It can reveal a very beautiful thing burning beneath a shuddering flame. I hope you find this publication to be the latter.
In this Journal, you will see two photo series, “Up in Flames” and “When The Smoke Clears,” one representing chaos and the other clarity. These were created with the intention of representing the theme through visual storytelling. And the stories, well, they will explain themselves.
I want to take a moment to thank my magical friends and family who are responsible for shaping me into the person I am and helping me find the voice I now possess. I want to thank my peers and mentors who have paved the way for me to grow as a writer and who have loved me through that journey. I would also be remiss not to mention and thank Gail Collins – the subject of my story and a large source of inspiration for this entire Journal. I will never forget the moment a nineteen-year-old Grace sat and watched a call from New York, New York come in while I sat in my dorm room and found the courage to pick up. Thank you for sharing your stories and for giving me confidence, even if you didn’t know it then. Finally, thank you to all of the contributors of this project – I have no doubt that you will each set the world on fire in your own way.
With so much love, Grace
This note was written by Grace Cady. She can be reached at [email protected].
