Issue 7, Spring 2023

We couldn’t be more excited to be publishing the seventh issue of Floodwall, the student-run literary magazine at the University of North Dakota. Floodwall actively honors our namesake by steadfastly holding space for our creative community since its revival in spring 2020. In that time, our community has endured a worldwide pandemic and borne witness to social inequality and unrest—both collectively and individually. Similar to the flood walls in our local communities, Floodwall exists as a barrier that allows individuals to explore current matters, to escape the present and create something new, and to participate in an effort that’s larger than oneself. It’s a great honor to have been part of so many lives and a recipient of an outpour of support, which has allowed us to continue this work. We’ve enjoyed every moment of it.

Undoubtedly, our ability to sustain and continue our work can be summed up in one word: community. In its many forms, community has always been central to the values and work of Floodwall. We consider it to be to our benefit that we’re a part of such an actively dynamic community—one that’s always changing. Our capacity for change is what brought us to our most recent volume and has allowed us to publish a truly unique issue for the past seven semesters. We consider the opportunity to remain a dynamic, ever-evolving publication one of the most special parts of our work. We’re so grateful you’ve joined us on this journey. 

As we move into the season of growth and change (otherwise known as spring!), we hope you’ll take a moment to reflect with us through this issue. On the cover, you’ll find Jonathan Sladko’s photo, which captures the intense greens and blues of our local prairies and skies in the spring and summer. In the pages that follow, you’ll be invited into even more creative spaces, which grapple with ideas of change and growth. A tale of a group of snails who find joy amongst the soil of neighborhood gardens, feast on various vegetables, and even encounter a little trouble along the way. Portfolios of photography that ask us to stop, observe, and appreciate the natural beauty of our home, Earth. A trip to the farmer’s market which leads to an unexpected testimony of lineage and home. A meditation on existence, growth, and self through the nostalgia of music.

We’re immensely grateful for our contributors entrusting Floodwall to be the home of their creative pursuits and for our volunteers who helped make this issue possible. And most importantly, thank you, readers, for your support of our work. We hope you find as much joy in this issue as we have in the process of creating it.

While you’re here, make sure that you check out the masthead for this issue! The masthead lists all of our volunteer editors, readers, copyeditors, and proofreaders. We owe this issue to their time and dedication. Floodwall wouldn't be possible without them.

For offline reading, download the complete spring 2023 issue of Floodwall.