Before there was draft, there was draft: the preview, of which we printed a 50-copy run and handed out to folks at AWP 2010 in Washington D.C. in order to promote this idea that we had. This issue has never before been for sale.

From draft to draft in Greg Hrbek’s work on “Sagittarius,” which was anthologized in Best American Short Stories, you see a writer pushing a beautiful story into surprising new territory, until the key to unlocking its full heartbreaking potential reveals itself. There are new perspectives, new characters, new and pivotal scenes that transform the story, only to be discovered in the final rewrite. 

Mary Miller’s story, Once Upon a Time, Bananas, showcases her trademark charm with wry, understated prose that suggests worlds beyond what’s on the page, especially in a micro first draft that gets blown up, expanded, and transformed with a long-form revision. Each draft is a fully realized gem, but the facets sparkle a bit differently, depending on the version, both of which teach volumes about the form.