The names of birds, animals, and wildflowers sprang up. The bloodroot flower struck us as especially fitting because, like the struggling writer rooted in language, the plant is rooted in the wild, struggling to push through layers of old leaves. From its poisonous, bloodred root, it produces a solitary, multilobed leaf. When it unfurls, a small, beautiful spring flower emerges with five to nine white petals that extend gracefully from its golden stamens. Similarly, the writing process unfurls from inspiration, imagination, and the love of words. Writers, like all artists, must perform their profession just as the plant must bloom.

As writers and editors, we hope that this plant will remind all of us to look with a wakeful mind at the words of contemporary writers who work to inspire and engage the reader. For these are the authors exploring ways to help create healing, balance, harmony, beauty, pleasure, and truth.