Dear Readers,

            2024’s issue of The Vehicle is finally here, and I am beyond grateful to be able to share this experience with all of you. This year brought out some of the best submissions our magazine has ever had the privilege of reading, editing, and publishing in our 65 years as a creative arts journal. This year, we have the honor of awarding four incredibly talented writers with the esteemed Winnie Davis Neely award, in which we choose one piece of writing from each of our four categories to win a scholarship for their incredible work. Our fiction winner is Jenna Tobias with her short story “Snow Angels.” For creative nonfiction, we have chosen Pamela Zimmerman’s essay “She.” In poetry, our winner is Athena Ballard with their poem “LOVE LETTERS FROM THE DEEP.” Finally, our chosen winner for drama is Kierstyn Budz with her play, “Scrap of Life.”

            When you read this special issue of ours, we hope that you feel connected to one another through the power of writing and art. EIU has shown time and time again that it harbors excellence in many forms. Thank you for choosing to shine your light on the creative side of EIU by reading this journal. This labor of love could not be possible without readers and writers like you.

            Dani Harris

            Editor-in-Chief