Happy Birthday to us! Jersey Devil Press turns four with this issue and Ryan Werner, Dan Ress, Lawrence Buentello, and Caitlin Sinead Jennings are all here to help us celebrate.

Really, JDP’s always been a four-year old at heart. We occasionally say something profound, but then almost completely by accident. We can dress ourselves, but still prefer to run around without pants on. And we like the parts where Batman fights best.

None of us knows how long this crazy whirligig will keep defying the space-time continuum, so enjoy it while it’s here. Whether it’s four more years, four decades, or just enough time to match the Enterprise’s five-year mission, treasure JDP while it provides a home to the well-written weird, whacky, and enigmatic. (And by “treasure” we of course mean “promote on social media.”)

There’s more weepy stuff to say, but it’s probably quicker just to go watch the end of Serenity and insert “lit mag” whenever Mal talks about his ship to River.

Just try not to get impaled.

Let’s make it official. Starting in November, JDP’s new editor will be none other than Laura Garrison. Laura’s been an integral part of everything we’ve done over the past two years, including guest-editing our astounding Poetry Issue. As a self-professed reluctant academic and aspiring wrecking ball operator, she has just the right mindset to take over the reigns at Jersey Devil Press. Mike will finish up his run later this week with our Fourth Anniversary Issue; after that JDP is Radio Free Garrison. Congratulations!

Those with a keen eye on the calendar will note this week marked the one-year anniversary of our releasing Ryan Werner’s debut collection, Shake Away These Constant Days. Helping get that book published was one of my favorite things I’ve done during my editorial reign. If I could change one thing though, I’d somehow magically (but legally) give it more reviews over on Amazon. While it’s fared better over at Good Reads, SATCD only has two reviews on the old titan of Internet commerce. So, if you enjoyed the book and want to consider this a shameless plea to tell others about it, you wouldn’t be wrong.

Apparently inspired by the billions we’ve made in the indie lit game, Ryan also started his own micropress in 2013, Passenger Side Books. He’s published three chap books so far: Murmuration, a collection of five interrelated stories that we’re guessing includes this; Whatever Doesn’t Drown Will Always Rise by Justin Daugherty; and Infinity’s Jukebox by Matthew Burnside, who just happened to pen this little nugget of wonderful for us last year.

And since I seem to be shamelessly plugging work by writers I like, I’d also remind everyone that Graham Tugwell’s collectionette, Everything Is Always Wrong, is well worth picking up. Also, our founding editor, Eirik Gumeny, has a new chap book out from Red Bird that you should definitely check out and while you’re at it grab a copy of Ally Malinenko’s Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb if you’re looking for a great YA fix.

Collect ’em all.