In a celebratory lunch with coworkers, the question as to whether a decade ends on the last day of 2019 or the last day of 2020 came up and it’s true that according to the Farmer’s Almanac, the end of the decade is December 31, 2020, but to me, the cusp represented by a year “0” is too enticing to pass up. And what is the future and what will a new year, a new decade birth? Despite the uncertainties of our strange world, we hope what follows illuminates and keeps expanding our culture.I want to take this moment and sincerely thank you for all you’ve done to help us serve the writing community. Digging Press is a collaborative organization promoting the poetics of language and the visual arts. It’s an expansion of what began with our journal, Digging Through The Fat, a way for me to live and not just exist as a member of the literary project. We know we are a small fish in an ever-expanding pond of literary and arts organizations and that your choices in who to follow and support are vast. We thank you for the gift of your attention and we hope that you continue to read and share our publications. Your presence over the last six years has made it possible for us to share our platform with over 170+ writers, poets, and artists.

I also want to express my gratitude to our contributors. Thank you for teaching me how to appreciate a multitude of aesthetics through your intellectual and artistic experiments. They have shown me the importance of plurality and I’m deeply indebted for this invaluable education.

In 2020, we begin a new decade with hope and continued dedication to our mission. Digging Press will announce a third winning chapbook, and publish Ain’t Country Like You by Abigail Carl-Klassen, the second chapbook in our series. Digging Through The Fat will continue proliferating new works by poets, writers, and artists on our website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Our new monthly reading series, Digging Through in the Red Room at KGB Bar, NYC will debut on January 14 and will feature readings by Paul Beckman, JP Infante, Christine Kendall, Hadley Moore, and Joanne C. Valente. We are super excited that the incredibly talented singer-songwriter, Tamar Eisenman will also be joining us for a musical performance to celebrate the night. And lastly, our podcast, Digging Through with Gessy Alvarez will continue with more talks about art and the life of the mind. At the cusp of 2020, we look forward to each of these endeavors.

As we move forward into a new decade, we need to think about how we can help our world grow and support those who are also working to help in this evolution. For Digging, that means a world that values experimentation in the arts, where thinking and dialogue are valued.

Thank you–simply and with sincerity–for all the ways you make Digging what it is and will be. Much love to you in the new year, new decade.

Flowers,