This issue of The Torch lingers on moments of introspection and self-discovery, with pieces that explore transformative thresholds and eerie territories: open waters and spotlit swan song stages, libraries and metro platforms, anxious minds and grieving hearts. They grant access to diverse and unfamiliar interior worlds, shifting from quiet suffering to medicated mania, from the whispers of young lovers to the twisted thoughts of villains and psychopaths. As is so often the case with compilations of creative work, pieces that at first feel disparate come together in this issue to reveal profound, fascinating human complexities. 

 

It is the continued mission of The Torch to bring our readership a variety of works that will leave them with impressions that linger through moments of recognition and connection. We believe wholeheartedly in the power of art in all its forms to help build and sustain creative community and to create spaces that feel inspiring, safe, open, and joyful.