This book brings together work first published in Mysticeti’s online journal between 2021 and 2025—letters from artists, journal entries, essays, and short stories. Many of these pieces began as first drafts. Some were written by people publishing for the first time; others by artists and writers discovering new ways of expressing themselves.

 

Mysticeti began as a small online journal with very little that literary journals are expected to have. There were no themes, no submission windows, no masthead, and no reputation to speak of. It was simply an invitation to share stories.

 

Slowly, submissions began to arrive: first drafts, journal entries, essays, artwork, and stories that had never been shared before. Over time, it became clear that people were looking for more than a place to publish. They were looking for a place where their work would be read with care—a place that replied, edited thoughtfully, and believed the story mattered more than the journal.

 

Since then, Mysticeti has grown into a community of writers, artists, educators, and readers. Much of it is still built the same way it was in the beginning—independently, patiently, and one story at a time.

 

This collection is a record of the conversations, memories, and reflections that people chose to share. It is also a celebration of the relationships that grow through writing, reading, and listening to one another.

 

Like the whales that gave Mysticeti its name, we hope to continue travelling, listening, and finding one another along the way.