December 13, 2009 Greetings both seasonal and literary, Brace yourselves. Are you sitting down? You're not operating heavy machinery, are you? ...okay. Wait for it—we are on time. Sort of. How early is "early December?" Today, we say it's the 13th. We thank you for your patience while the submissions were closed. We also thank you for your patronage and presence if you were at any of the performances of Carissa Halston's Portraiture. And, with no further delay, we are pleased to bring you the twenty-second issue of apt. For prose, we give you the work of Chris Castle, Paul Elwork, Neila Mezynski, and Brandi Wells. Regarding verse, run (don't walk) to read poems by Liam Day, Richard Fein, CJ Hallman, Carissa Halston, Paul Handley, Samiah Haque, Kristian Markus, Daniel Romo, and Donna Vorreyer. We hope to return to you, with issue twenty-three in tow, around Valentine's Day. Or thereabouts. It's going to be like a chocolate sampler for your mind. Like a Whitman's Sampler, of the Walt variety. Like that girl you liked in high school, but never had the nerve to talk to. But we won't break your heart. Promise. Festively yours, Carissa Halston Randolph Pfaff J.F. Lynch Robin E. Mork PS - For those of you reading this from a cubicle, seek out this issue's dedication. It's for you.