Note from the Editors

“Attempting to translate [রোদ্দুর (roddur)]  made me discover its untranslatability and beauty. Yes, it is a lacuna, but perhaps some of them are better left unfilled. It makes every language of the world retain a little box of magic of its own. Oh, one can never really translate magic or charm, can they? That is what makes every language special and fascinating. Without the tiny hole, could the cocoon give birth to the elegant butterfly?”  

- Sripurna Majumdar (India), “Every Time a Train Goes By” 

And what an elegant butterfly this issue is—from finger tattoos (“Düsterkeit/One Word Week”) to the spirituality of angelfish (“Notes from an Aquantist’s Granddaughter”) to nuclear families (“quiet/loud”) and asking to be girls forever (“Red-tailed Hawks”). Perhaps, just like the transformation of gaps into stories, words into wings, what matters is not the things we have lost but the emotions we hold onto in spite. Gaps of translation across borders and generations (“Every Time a Train Goes By,” “Raksh-e-Qamar”), reinterpretations of the nuances within famous works (“CALL ME”), and meditations of growing up (“And I wrote this,” “24th Revolution Around the Sun”)—lacunas are the epitome of change, reflection, and a melting of perspectives as we continue to define and communicate who we are and the worlds we want to create. 

In Aster Lit Issue 10: Lacuna, we received over 570 submissions worldwide. On a planet with a diameter of 12,756 kilometers, where land only covers 29%, it’s easy to feel disconnected and insignificant. And yet our words and stories have continued to bring us together across oceans and ages, and we are so thankful for the opportunity to read all of your amazing work. We are honored to be the home to 19 incredible works from 18 outstanding authors who awed us with their beautiful imagery, technical mastery, refined craft, developed voices, and inspiring stories. We have also expanded to art and photography for the first time, featuring 8 artworks and photos imbued with starlight and wonder. 

To our wonderful international constellation of stars—our readers, our submitters, our Instagram followers, our podcast listeners, and everyone reading this Editor’s Note right now—thank you for making Aster Lit possible. Your voices will continue to motivate us far beyond this issue.

As always, deciding our pieces for publication was extremely difficult; we truly wish we could publish every submission we receive. If your piece was not selected for publication this time, we sincerely invite you to submit to our next issue. Issue 11 will be open for submissions starting in mid-January, and we would love the chance to review your work. In the meantime, you can follow us on Instagram (@aster.lit) or Twitter (@LitAster) to stay involved with our community and receive updates on issue submissions.

We love you. Your voice matters. Keep telling stories.

The Aster Lit Team