Common House Magazine

Dear readers, writers, and relatives, 

One might argue there is only so much pigeon-holing one can do with an open-themed issue… thankfully, our Common House team does not subscribe to such philosophies. 

Welcome to Spring 2025: Issue 5 – “How We Got Here.” 

It has been truly a pleasure working as Common House’s Editor-in-Chief these last few months. From the release of our first consecutive issues since the founding of the magazine, to the tripling of our masthead, it’s felt like that little seed we planted in the Fall has finally bloomed. I can’t thank the team enough for bearing with us through reorganizations and learning experiences (which included but are not limited to: always bringing a tablecloth to events, keeping an extra pen on-hand, and looking up what the knobs on a soundboard do before you’re set to perform).

I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished as well as the team’s commitment to our vision, even through waves of submissions, essay seasons, and final exams. So, this is where I hand it off to the next Editor-in-Chief, who will be the one greeting you in the Fall. I’m extremely excited to see what she has in store for you all.

Now, back to pigeon-holing. The beauty of themed issues is that, from the get-go, you are presented with cohesion and well-roundedness because you have hundreds of writers and artists approaching the same topic from varying angles, heights, and prescriptions of beer goggles. It’s an appealing offer. And Common House may not always remain open-themed, but my favourite part of the submission process is finding that through-line across such a wide range of pieces. For about a week each submission period, I become a fanatic with red thread, dragging ties from narrative to narrative, artwork to artwork. 

“How we got here” has obvious ties to causality – it considers past, present, and future. This issue deals with retrospection, looking back on past mistakes, the people we hated to be, or the ones we’ve left behind. It also features pieces that confront the darker aspects of today: namely, technological advancement and the climate crisis.

However, amidst tragedy, there is human connection – the relationships we rely on in times of crisis and the hope on the other side. The cover for this issue reminds us that community is a remedy for all kinds of grief – or a consolation, at least; that we keep moving, marching, lurching along towards the future, and that there might be something peaceful when we get there. 

Naturally, in an issue all about causality, reading the pieces in the order decided upon by the team who selected, edited, and organized them might be recommended – but you are welcome to read the pieces in whatever order you wish (it’s not in our budget to track you down if you don’t).

Lights out,

Heidi Elder (Editor-in-Chief (on her way out))