Dear Readers,
Welcome to the tenth issue of Illinois Central Review!
I'm pleased to share this issue with you! While this issue is smaller than those published last year, we have a variety of strong content. Worth mentioning is the record number of short stories in this issue as well as our first publication of video art by Drashauna Souba.
Additionally, we are lucky to publish the first place winner of Illinois Central College’s Student Writing Awards (2025-2026) in the creative writing category: "American Girls" by Gracie Brinker.
Illinois Central Review is currently accepting submissions for its next issue, which will be published in January 2027. The deadline to submit is December 1, and you can do so here: Volume VI/Issue 1 Submission Form.
Remember, submissions are open to all students taking classes at ICC, including those in the Dual Enrollment and Strong Start programs through Early College.
Finally, I invite you to visit the Illinois Central Review Facebook page for updates and weekly features of this issue's contributions, starting Monday, August 25.
I hope you enjoy this issue. Thank you for taking a look!
In writing,
Melissa Grunow
English Professor
Department of Humanities