HAMPTON RENAISSANCE

A Note From the Editor 

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Welcome back, Hampton Renaissance readers, writers, and friends. As another fall semester at Hampton University comes to a close and the days grow shorter and the nights longer, we wanted to know, what comes to your mind? While the sun sets and the sky’s bright blue dissolves into deep violet, what do you see? When you’re alone with your thoughts in the wee hours of the night, what do you hear? When the moon slinks into the sky, what do you feel? 

Our theme this semester is After Hours. We are curious about what keeps you up at night. What do you do in the dark? When street lamps come on, washing the street below in hazy yellow light, what do you think of? This issue is for the late-night poems scratched in the margins of your notebook, for the song your heart sings as you look up at the moon, or down at the cup of coffee you desperately need to get through the pile of work in front of you. We asked you to stop for a moment. To take a break, take a breath, and reflect on these late night hours.

 Our questions made for some truly amazing pieces. From Iijia Dubois’s chilling "The Straw Man" to Anthony Akins’s reflective short story "Secunda", every piece in our third issue provides a unique perspective on After Hours. I am so happy to be able to provide a platform for these amazing works. At the Hampton Renaissance, we strive to showcase the talents of the Hampton Faculty and student body, and to provide a space for students and faculty alike to share a little bit of themselves and be heard. Thank you for giving us your time and your energy, thank you for sharing your stories with us, and thank you for trusting us to listen.  

 

Don’t stay up too late,

 

Zoe J. Treadwell