by Akira Coats, Adia Harriott, J.R. Harrington, Bella Hickman, Kimmy Larson, Aaron M. and Patrick Owens
This morning Kimmy Larson, a Northern Spy editor, saw a fledgling in her garden. The fledgling was a dunnock: scruffy and round. It peeped and flicked its wings enthusiastically as its parents zipped about, collecting bits of seeds and plants to shove in its gaping, pink mouth. The trio paid no mind to Kimmy’s dying hen.
The hen hunched nearby, resting with eyes closed shut. The fledgling hopped through the shadow of Kimmy’s sweet, old girl as if she were not there at all—soon, she wouldn’t be. What Kimmy saw this morning, as life and death brushed up against each other, captures our experience over the past months editing the special issue you are about to read.
When we selected the theme “New Beginnings” for our spring issue, we anticipated stories of joy, discovery, and opportunity. We imagined this as the bright, optimistic twin of our upcoming, darker fall issue, “Twisted Roots.” We expected these special issues to come together as an analogy of mortality. As novelist Haruki Murakami put it, “Life is here, death is over there. I am here, not over there.”
But grief does not wait for the Easter Lilies to wilt. Our authors understand that, just as Kimmy’s hen and the dunnock fledgling had; in Murakami’s words, “Death was not the opposite of life. It was already here, within my being, it always had been.” As our readers, you now have the chance to learn how a new beginning is bittersweet to the writers and artists we have the honor of publishing.
Every piece is a peek into someone’s joy and loss. There’s something to be learned on every page, as our authors are vulnerable about starting anew. We’re grateful to have experienced these endings and beginnings alongside them—to glimpse so many chances at a gained perspective, an opportunity for growth, and for more life.
Northern Spy has been a labor of love for the editorial team. As we transitioned from our time as the Bare Hill Review, we have had to start anew. Just as we are privileged as editors to have witnessed so many new beginnings, we hope you’ll take the time to enjoy the new beginning of Northern Spy.
The pieces we’ve chosen are not as wholesome as we had expected. Instead, they are honest, about life, and what new beginnings truly are: to leave something, or someone, behind. So hop as the dunnock had through the shadow of death and into the light of rejuvenation—feel the warmth of spring’s sunlight, but don’t forget winter’s lasting chill.
About the Editors:
Akira Coats (she/her) is a 22-year-old college student at FLCC. She has worked as an intern for FLCC’s creative writing program, where she helped organize events for visiting authors. She has also assisted in editing works for FLCC’s creative writing capstone students. Akira has a passion for writing and reading. She enjoys poetry and fiction. She can be very detail-oriented and likes to dabble in the visual arts as well. The best apple is Red Delicious, and Akira will take no inquiries at this time about her apple opinions.
Adia Harriott is a 23-year-old creative writing student at FLCC, hoping to publish her own work in the future. No matter the place, she writes whenever there is time to spare. She enjoys editing and reading other people’s work. She hates apples. She wishes to use this experience to inspire fresh ideas for her writing and experience new perspectives.
J.R. Harrington (it/its) is conceptually in love with the Black Diamond apple. It’s largely inspired by nature, particularly the reclamation of manmade structures. It is studying Creative Writing with the aspiration of becoming a published author, though it has been published in various indie literary magazines online, as well as being a staff writer for several publications, including Studio Moone and Tea Stained Literary. It’s excited to read submissions that explore nature, humanity, mental health, and politics. It can be found on Instagram @j.r.harrington_author or @fosterweird, which is its own magazine.
Bella Hickman (she/her) is currently studying Liberal Arts and Sciences at FLCC, with a dream of getting a degree in Forensic Psychology. She has gained experience in English and literature through her courses at FLCC and her passion for reading. Through this journal, she hopes to gain insight on unique lives and help everyone’s voices be heard and valued. Her favorite apple is also the Honeycrisp.
Kimmy Larson is an emerging autistic writer living near Antwerp, Belgium, where she enjoys eating local Magic Star apples with her husband and their bunnies. Her work has been featured in The No Sleep Podcast and The Piker Press, with a forthcoming honorable mention for the CRAFT Flash Prose Prize. Kimmy is also a watercolor and gouache artist with an AA in Illustration. When she isn’t writing or painting, Kimmy volunteers as a wildlife rehabilitator, providing care for a variety of animals, from owls to hedgehogs. Baby doves are her favorite. View her artwork or say hi on Instagram @kimmy.creatures.
Aaron M. (he/they) is a 25-year-old trans-masc artist and aspiring poet. Much of their passion is dug up from the marshes of the Finger Lakes. His favorite literary pieces include discussions of gender, nature, metaphysics, philosophy, and ethics, and he hopes to someday inspire this same curiosity in others through his own writing. If you don’t see him roaming the local library, you’ll find him on the ice embracing his new-found love for ice hockey. Aaron’s favorite apple is a classic Honeycrisp. They can be reached on most platforms as @coffeeajames.
Patrick Owens is an author of many facets, including poetry, fantasy, and sci-fi. He has written poetry for 43 years with one poem published. He branched out into fantasy for Dungeons and Dragons adventures, which reignited a passion for writing that he thought had died out long ago. Embracing his love for writing, he decided to get his Creative Writing degree at FLCC. He is currently working on more poetry and his memoir. He hopes to publish a new collection of poetry in 2027. He planted a Granny Smith as the first tree on his property, so it has been decided that he likes the Granny Smith apple best.