Summer 2026

It’s been difficult at times to leave be whatever current flows beneath this process, when the view of the world beyond our windows is all but demanding we make a thematic statement. The inevitable effect doing so has on Assignment though, is toplace unnecessary guardrails on the scope of our selection process, while also adding an unfair editorial voice to those of the authors and artists within. In the end, what we found was that every one of our received submissions—whether or not they made it into the issue—was sent by someone looking out a window of their own; each searching for a way to interrogate that world, even if only to turn whatever questions they may be asking, over to you.

The thematic through-line here is that we’re all looking for our own way to navigate what we’re seeing and, far be it from us to tell them, as authors and artists, or you, as an audience, how to do so. The voices you’ll find in the pages that follow are strong enough that they should be allowed to speak on their own.