It was a cold 44 degrees on Friday night, but you wouldn’t have known it if you were at Space Gallery for the Fourteen Hills 18.1 release party. Warmth pervaded the venue, which was packed with an enthusiastic and diverse crowd, united by their desire to help us celebrate one of our best issues yet, and, of course, maybe win a great raffle prize, too.  

Editor-In-Chief Kelly McNerney and Faculty Advisor Matthew Clark Davison, who was decked out in a utilitarian and fashion-forward jumpsuit, mc’d the lively proceedings. The performances began with a short music set by Michael Mullen of Pocket Shelley. Pocket Shelley’s piano-driven songs, which feature lyrics both melancholy and funny, charmed the growing crowd who were partaking in the Space Gallery’s wonderful (and perhaps now famous) spiced cider. Afterwards, Cedar Sigo, whose fantastic poem “A Gentlemanship” closes-out issue 18.1, read a selection of his recent work to a reverent room.

D.A. Powell, a 2011 Guggenheim Fellow in poetry, was next and delighted us with his wry poems of love and desire. Our final reader, Elizabeth Bull, shared an excerpt of her short story, “The universe holds an infinite number of possibilities.”  Bull elicited laughs and hearty applause for her work, which you can read in its entirety in Fourteen Hills 18.1.

In between the performances and the awarding of various raffle prizes, friends old and new mingled with each other and moved to the music of our DJ. Over a hundred people eagerly sought out and bought copies of Fourteen Hills 18.1.

Speaking of our latest issue, the cover art was officially unveiled Friday night! John Masterson, who is a writer, photographer, and designer living in New York City, provided the striking photo that graces the cover. This issue marks the first time in years that a photo has been featured on our cover and we think you’ll agree that it provides an eye-catching entry into the quality work you’ve come to expect from Fourteen Hills.

With the readings complete and the last raffle prizes won, attendees, with spiced cider and copies of the new issue in hand, danced and socialized among the eclectic zombie art of Ezra Li Eismont who is being featured Space Gallery until January 7^th. They also had the opportunity to buy art from Ayuna Collins who generously donated her own artwork to our raffle. All in all it was great night and we hope to see you all in the spring for the release of 18.2!

18.1 will be available for sale online soon! You can purchase here.

Did you miss the party? No worries, we will soon have video of the event up on our YouTube site.

— Jason File, Assistant Fiction Editor, Fourteen Hills