Dear Readers:
Slice wouldn't exist if it weren't for heroes. We realize this might seem odd if you imagine a cartoon hero wearing a cape with his underpants in clear view, stopping trains with the tip of his finger. But our heroes are of a very different sort. They sit huddled over their computers, agonizing over the right word to express an emotion or capture a moment. They inspire children to pick up a pen and tell a story. They wouldn't leave home without a sketchbook in their back pocket to secretly depict a stranger's expression. They're artists, all at different stages of their epic journey.
These people are our heroes because they inspire: their stories transport us to incredible places, which is one of the most admirable superpowers of them all. Some have been writing novels and poems for decades, some just penned their first stories for this issue. But no matter how long they've been at it, they help us see the world in surprising and multitudinous ways.
And you wouldn't believe who our heroes' heroes are: they play a wicked bass guitar, they wear cowboy hats, they're war veterans, they're in the sixth grade, they're moms and dads, they create comic strips, and they annoy their wives.
We hope you enjoy these new glimpses of the world as seen by our literary heroes.
Cheers,
The Editors