The tradition of glassworking and the history of Rowan University are deeply intertwined. South Jersey was a natural location for glass production - the sandy soil provided the perfect medium, while plentiful oak trees fueled the fires. Glassboro, home of Rowan University, was founded as "Glass Works in the Woods" in 1779. The primacy of artistry, a deep pride in individual craftsmanship, and the willingness to explore and test conventional boundaries to create exciting new work is part of the continuing spirit inspiring Glassworks magazine. Glassworks magazine is a publication of Rowan University's Master of Arts in Writing program. For a graduate program, it is important to have a literary journal to provide professional development for students and to supplement the purpose and quality of a program. Under the guidance of two faculty members, graduate students serve as editors of the magazine who read submissions, select work for publication, and assist with all aspects of the publication and promotion process. In addition to providing opportunities for graduate students to participate as literary citizens, Glassworks publishes literary work from both emerging and established writers from across North America and around the world. We value writing that is well-crafted with a range of forms, subjects, and aesthetics, and we seek nuanced complexity in work with insight, depth, honesty, and emotion. We especially seek to promote work by new authors and those from marginalized communities.Glassworks believes in sharing excellent work with the wider literary community, which is why you can read all of our issues online for free. However, we also pride ourselves in producing beautiful issues with full color artwork throughout, a rarity for literary magazines, and we take great care to order our issues in such a way that creates thematic and emotional pairings among literary and artwork.