We are publishing one more issue this summer, then taking a pause to figure out what’s next for Tangled Locks Journal. I have committed to hosting our website for two more years, so these gorgeous words will remain available until July 30, 2028, if not longer. While we take this break, we will not accept new submissions until mid-2027.

We have been together, writing and reading through momentous times: the final days of COVID, two Trump terms that upended protections for many communities, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade. We have also seen the rise of AI and economic challenges, including rising costs and a flat labor market. These pressures have impacted our small journal. Donations decreased, and my own ability to fill the gap diminished as my discretionary income decreased. I also found that my own creative writing kept being pushed aside.

Sometimes, a planned respite is the only way to listen carefully for what comes next. This pause is not an ending so much as a way to honor the work already gathered here and to make room for whatever the journal may become next.

Thank you for being part of this extraordinary community and for helping Tangled Locks Journal become a home for such necessary, beautiful work.