Dear readers,

We enter Issue #02 of The Mean Journal with six stories by six powerful, assured voices from across the country. 

We have a collection of 10 micro stories, 4 short stories and one flash fiction in this edition. The stories deal with love, despair, longing, regret, hope, failed relationships, human tenderness, and the sometimes catastrophic consequences of our choices. 

We are grateful to have an ever expanding community of writers and other creatives who believe in MeanPepperVine, and who have continued to cheer us as we bump along on this incredible journey. We thank everyone who submitted to us, got in touch via mail, commented and shared our posts on IG. Your support means the world to us. 

I thank our fiction editor Salini Vineeth, whose keen eye for details, and fierce passion for excellent storytelling, were the driving forces behind this issue. 

We hope you enjoy the stories of Summer 2022. Our beautiful cover art is by scientist-artist Anirudh Acharya from his ‘The Sea in our Stories’ series.

As usual, our publication will be spread out through the month so that each story can get due attention from our readers. 

Happy reading!

Ruati Chhangte | Founder Editor, The Mean Journal