We’re going to look back on the 3-4 month period before Issue 03 came out as the time when Funicular officially became a literary magazine. We don’t know how many issues we’re going to have to put out before we learn to write one of these launch posts, though. Issue 03 was where everything became real. We stared down the barrel of over 1,000 pieces submitted by more than 500 writers. The submissions became very real as well. We had to make some tough decisions and ultimately send rejections to some extremely talented writers for some very good short stories, poems, and flash. 

We became fans of literature all over again while reading the pieces that make up this issue. Like aliens from another planet that have literature on their own world but are reading literature from a whole new planet, we became fans of Earth’s writers all over again. We came up with new terms for their tricks and turns of phrase: We call this one ‘the fade’, this one is the ‘time bomb’, over here with this piece of flash, this is called ‘the prestige’. Ok, that last one was from a Christopher Nolan movie. The point is there is great stuff in here!

Issue 03 has become so real for us because new and established writers have entrusted us with their work and they’re letting us use these pieces (in exchange for money) to help our little magazine grow bigger and stronger. We get to become champions of these writers as we fight over the merits of one piece or another over chicken wings or while watching the hockey game. This is all we’ve wanted and now we have it. Thanks to you.

And by the time you’re reading this we’ll already be hard at work on the next one.

Please enjoy.