Beck Finley

Introduction to the Fall Issue

More so than astrological houses or the pull of the moon on the tides, the weather determines our behavior. We talk about it and dress for it. We plan our days around it. We even make meteorologists into minor celebrities.  It’s no surprise, then, that writers make great use of weather. Try to imagine a Tennessee Williams play without heat and humidity or Jack London without freezing snow.

Of course, there are the clichés: ever-present rain at funerals, storms that heighten conflict, drought or floods that bring financial ruin. But, when weather is well-integrated into a story, it can create atmosphere, motive and even become a sort of character in its own right. So, as the days grow shorter and the air brisker, I hope you’ll enjoy these stories of freezing ice and snow, a girl who hates precipitation and the power the weather has over our flights and our lives.