Letter from the Editor

Vallie Lynn Watson

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Confession: I didn’t know what boudin was until about six months ago, when I learned that one of the perks of my wonderful new gig teaching in the MFA program at McNeese State University (Lake Charles, LA) was inheriting the relatively-new magazine Boudin, formerly known as the “online home of The McNeese Review.” I didn’t even know how to pronounce “boudin”!

For the uninitiated, boudin (boo-DAN) is “traditionally a blend of cooked pork, rice, onions, peppers and seasonings stuffed into a sausage casing” (Explore Louisiana). My first bite of boudin was a few hours after my arrival in Lake Charles, LA, this past August; it was not my last! I soon discovered that boudin is prepared in a variety of ways–not just in casing–and is served in a variety of dishes, but one thing seems consistent: its spiciness.

It didn’t take long into my first semester to realize that Boudin is the perfect journal name. The magazine has certainly been shaped by the spiciness of life-altering world events over the last few years. Boudin’s first issue was delayed considerably by not just the pandemic, and not just one hurricane, but by the wall of challenges that the pandemic plus two disastrous hurricanes brought to the people of Lake Charles and McNeese State University in one short year.

In his introduction to Boudin’s first issue (December ‘20), Christopher Lowe, former MFA faculty and the creator/former editor of the magazine, examines what happens when the best laid plans unravel. His words resonate. My first semester at McNeese was blessedly free of catastrophic weather and pandemics, and was really quite fun, but at the same time was filled with the expected difficulties of moving, starting a new job in a new state, etc. Busy. Stressful!

One of the challenges of the new job was to try and look into the future, and figure out what directions the still-new Boudin could travel. January’s issue–Boudin’s ninth–marks a major shift in publication schedule. All Flash: Spice of Life is our first issue as a monthly, a feat made possible by having expanded the magazines’ graduate staff, as well as implementing an undergraduate Editorial Assistant intern program. (Make sure to check out the found flash fiction at the end of this issue, constructed by our interns Mia Bonds and Alexandria Knight, using phrases from all thirteen pieces in the issue.)

Deciding on the focus for the first monthly issue was another challenge–you never know what the outcome will be until the work comes in! I spent much of my winter break reading absolutely gorgeous flash fiction, and what a treat, especially after such a busy semester. I relaxed for the first time in months, perhaps the first time since I learned the word “boudin.” My experiences and hopes about the stories in All Flash: Spice of Life (Boudin, January ‘24) are much like Christopher Lowe’s about Boudin’s very first issue: “Reading the pieces in this issue as we finished putting it together gave me that . . . feeling of normalcy and joy. I hope that you – wherever you are and whatever you’re dealing with . . . – find that in them, too.” I am so excited to pass these stories on to our readers.

This extraordinary collection of flash fiction would simply not exist without the help of our amazing graduate students, who spent much of their winter break hard at work: Boudin’s longtime managing editor, Abbie Skinner; Assistant Editors Karris Rae, Taryn White, Meilyn Woods; and Aiman Tariq, the guest editor of this issue, who unearthed the thread of femininity that bind these thirteen stories together. I am so proud of you all and of the issue we put together, together. And much gratitude to Michael Horner for his guidance and patience.

What will now be monikered “the spicy online cousin of The McNeese Review,” Boudin, much like the dish itself, has endless possibilities. Our online format gives us a chance to spice it up and try new things; stay tuned! And, please consider submitting your work for one of our upcoming issues. In March, we want your best music-related fiction, poetry, and CNF. April features a pet-themed prize issue/fundraiser. May is themeless: we’re open to fiction, poetry, and CNF of pretty much any length. Surprise us. Spice up our Spring!

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To learn more about submitting your work to Boudin or applying to McNeese State University’s Creative Writing MFA program, please visit Submissions for details.