Letter from the Editor
Dear Reader,
I have never felt more honored-or less qualified-to step into a role than I do with this one. Everyone involved in the creation of this collection, from the artists to the authors to our incredible staff, have worked tirelessly for the past few months to bring you this issue. Well, maybe not tirelessly. More than a few of us lost some sleep to make sure everything lookedjust right, so, here it is.
ForApplause Issue 35, our feature theme is "The Unnatural State," a play on the nickname of our home state of Arkansas, "The Natural State," turning it on its head. As we reviewed submissions, we looked for pieces that embraced the weird, macabre, orjust downright unnatural. The most striking of these you'll find in our feature section.
I find that we are often pressured to fit a certain mold, no matter what community we align ourselves with. Even in communities and spaces that pride themselves on openness and acceptance, there are still expectations for how we should look, act, or live, unspoken as they may be. In these pages, I hope you will find a reprieve from those pressures-a place where you can immerse yourself and float amongst the beautiful, strange, and unusual. For some of us, it's rare to be allowed the privilege of removing the mask and revealing our true face. My hope is forApplause to exist as a space where we can breathe freely as ourselves.
I want to extend a final thanks to every author and artist whose works are housed within these pages, as well as all to my fellow staff members. Without each and every one of them, the magazine you are about to read simply wouldn't exist. I certainly couldn't have done it alone. From the depths of my heart: thank you.
Now, I'll let you step through the door. May whatever you encounter-strange or familiar-show you something you have perhaps forgotten about who you are. Find yourself. Remember yourself. Love yourself.
-Ari Long Applause Managing Editor
April 2025
