Last issue, we announced that in order to accomplish what we want with this magazine, we were moving to a bi-monthly format. I’m pleased to say the experiment worked. It has given both Adam and I more time to concentrate on all the various tasks that are necessary for a modern online magazine to both survive and thrive in what is quickly becoming an oversaturated market.

If you follow us on Twitter, you probably noticed an immediate change. We are now using our Twitter account not only to inform you about the incredible writing and art on our pages, but to also bring you publishing news on an (almost) daily basis. If you are a writer or artist who wants a quick way to see the big publishing news of the day, simply follow us @emptysinkpub and we’ll hook you up.

There’s even more in the works that it would be premature to mention, but I can tell you that Adam and I are both excited about the future and hope to have some big announcements for you over the next few issues.

In the meantime, the best thing about this change is that it has given us time to fill our pages with even more quality writing and art. This issue is jam-packed, so let’s get right to it.

In Fiction, Montana Grae’s Between Stops takes us on a subway ride and reminds us why we need to keep our eyes (and ears) open to the world around us. Kristen Keckler examines what it’s like to lose both people and things in Collectors. Sarah Gignac’s Savage Cut forces us to stare into the void at the end of life. And Tony Kicinski’s Shirt Tale, with its very unconventional protagonist, will make you ponder the origin of the clothes hanging in your closet.

We have two entries in our Reality section this month. In Where Dead People Live, Bill Vernon explores the nature of death and dying through the eyes of an aging protagonist. M. M. Adjarian’s What Abides also examines the nature of youth and makes you ask the question: do you really know who your parents are?

There is no shortage of poetry in this issue. Eric Jensen, who previously appeared in our second issue, provides a glimpse into the joys of enlightenment and the fleeting nature of inspiration with Awaken and Santa Barbara. Christopher Mulrooney’s poems might be short, but the images he paints and the feelings he inspires in just a few words are masterful. Jennifer Lessey’s Time Travelers will make you reconsider humanity’s place in the universe, while Jena McLaurin’s Voices will force you to marvel at the universe we take for granted every day. Finally, Volodymyr Bilyk comes to us from Ukraine, sharing his unique voice and verse amidst the chaos that most of us only read about, or see on television.

In our visual selection, two heavyweights from past issues return. Glenn Halak, who was featured in our second issue, brings his electrified canvas back with Axiom. And Lance Copeland, who was Editor’s Choice in our sixth issue, returns with his magnificent painting style (and I guarantee, at least one of these paintings has the potential to haunt your nightmares). Also included is the newest installment of N. Piatkoski’s graphic novel Strange Fish; if you have not been keeping up, make sure to go back into our archives and get caught up.

It’s also been a good couple of months for books. In this issue, I review Jacob M. Appel’s The Biology of Luck. I was honored to have the opportunity to interview Dr. Appel, and the full interview is included in this issue as well. In addition, I was happy to receive an ARC of R.M. Ridley’s debut novel, and the first in his White Dragon Black series, Tomorrow Wendell, and my full review appears in this issue.

Our Editor’s Choice for Issue 7 is from our visual selection. Holly Day’s Dusk Brings the Ninja almost won just for the title alone. But do me a favor. Look at this piece without looking at the caption. Take it in. Try to figure out what you’re looking at. Then read the caption, which also tells you how the image was created, and you’ll see exactly why we chose to honor this piece.

We are very proud of this issue, and hope you enjoy it. We’ll be back in August: in the meantime, if you haven’t already, check out our Twitter feed @emptysinkpub, and if you have a piece of news from the world of the arts that you think we should share, send it our way. The best way we can promote the arts is to spread the word about them, and Empty Sink Publishing is thrilled that we are able to do so.

—E. Branden Hart, Executive Editor, 6/8/2014