Welcome to Issue 23: Creature! This issue brings you stories and poetry with hordes of creatures—human or otherwise. When the focus is on the monster at the end of the tale, where does the line divide prey/predator and nature/nurture? Imperialism, oppression, and individuality flow within these works and we hope you carve out a creature you can hold close. EDITORIAL A Word from Our Editor by Wen-yi Lee STORIES “Unit Six: Intro to Manticores” by Louis Inglis Hall – 2500 words, ~12 minutes reading time “Lupus In Fabula” by Briar Ripley Page – 2900 words, ~14 minutes reading time “The Fall of Esther Park” by Lynn D. Jung – 2100 words, ~10 minutes reading time “The Greenhorn” by Taylor Rae – 2300 words, ~11 minutes reading time POETRY "The Nigerian Nightmare" by Chinedu Gospel – 27 lines “Love and Strife” by Frank Podmore – 40 lines “the thing that leaps” by Elis Montgomery – 67 lines “kan-da-ka” by Nadaa Hussein – 20 lines NONFICTION How To Become a Creature by Premee Mohamed Creatures Big and Small Under the Desert Sun by Maria Schrater