Sometimes, I wonder why I left California after seven years for a new life in Asheville. Regardless of its problems, it’s a tough state to leave. Personally, I think California should be required reading for prospective high school graduates, like taking a prereq in math or science. Coincidentally, The Citron Review was started in California and now operates from many places: Idaho, Missouri, Massachusetts… I wonder about these things. How I met my wife on a whim at a dive bar in West Asheville — one that is no longer standing — in early 2011. How writing can take a back seat to life in a big way — when someone we care about gets injured in a freak accident at a ballgame. When a relative surprises us with a phone call at 1 a.m. Writing is something we return to after life has its way with us and then, just as quickly, recedes into the background. Writing is always present, much like the sound of the Pacific crashing against the cliffs near the Palisades. At Citron, we hope you enjoy the new issue, and may life have its way with you in a positive, meaningful way.

Eric Steineger
Senior Poetry Editor
The Citron Review

TABLE OF CONTENTS