Floodwall Magazine

Spring 2025

Introduction

Time flies when you’re having fun! We are proud to present volume two, issue eleven of Floodwall, the University of North Dakota’s student-run literary magazine! Each issue seems to progress quicker than the last, and after the…generous winter the North Dakota powers that be granted us, it’s hard to believe we’re already wrapping up another issue and presenting the work of our incredible contributors with you, the reader. The team here at Floodwall are so grateful to our wonderful support system, both in and out of UND’s wingspan. Much love to you all, dear readers.

This issue is special for many reasons, including that of the incredible work showcased within its pages. But what is perhaps most spectacular is that Floodwall 2.11 is our fifth-anniversary issue! Floodwall 2.0—the revamp of the original magazine that entered hibernation in 2014—has now seen ten issues to production, each showcasing the beauty of UND’s own creative community. From start to finish, each issue has been produced by students attending UND. Those who know their lit mags might recognize that five years is no small feat—the average lifespan of a lit mag is around three years! We owe Floodwall’s success to a myriad of faces, both past and present; to Floodwall’s OG masthead, Floodwall 2.0’s original masthead, and all Floodwall volunteers, readers, contributors, and supporters, thank you. You are the lifeblood of this magazine.

Following the transition of power nationally, Floodwall has seen its own baton pass. Two Assistant Managing Editors, Jasmine Patera and Veronika Linstrom, joined the team this semester and will fully take the reins as Co-Editors in the fall. They’ve done a wonderful job learning the ropes, and we have no doubts that they will continue to do so. Under the guidance of Floodwall advisors Dr. Patrick Henry and Dr. Courtney Kersten, there’s no doubt that Floodwall will continue to stand the test of time. Here’s to another five years (and beyond)!

With the spring semester coming to a close at UND, curl up with our newest issue. Jeremy Hautau’s “The River Runs through It,” serves as our fifth anniversary cover image, reminding us of our namesake and deeply submerged roots in the student experience at UND. Dive into the pages below and explore the broad conversations presented. The twisted agony of family ties, brought to horrific extremes; confrontations with gender expectations, queer love, and the heavy hand of death; a deep consideration of images, and images displaying the world around us; and worlds that take the reader to the brink of magic and nostalgia—all these find their place here. Floodwall recognizes its distinct privilege to serve as an artifact of the student experience at UND. We hold their work close to our hearts, and our contributors bare theirs to you.

The success of this magazine is reliant on that of our community. To our contributors past and present, thank you for trusting Floodwall with your creative work during your time at UND. To our supporters, faculty, and staff, Floodwall would just be a pipe dream without the guidance and mentorship you provide. Thank you. And to you, reader, our biggest thanks. Thank you for your kindness, support, and determination to see a student-run lit mag succeed at UND. You are worth creating for.

We owe wonderful team of student readers, section editors, copyeditors, chief copyeditors, design and layout volunteers, and proofreaders a huge round of applause. Be sure to check out the masthead to get a full list of volunteers. They deserve their flowers.