I am not native to the Wenatchee Valley. I moved here Nov. 2016 without ever having stepped foot in Washington State. In my relatively short amount of time in the area, I’ve noticed something quite profound that I haven’t seen so readily elsewhere. This area is teeming with creative minds; but I’ve also noticed how unheard many of these unique voices are. I’ve met writers who never publish and poets who never speak their hearts. But see, even just appealing to people who’d consider themselves “writers” and “poets” is restricting. I’m talking about people who journal, people with deep thoughts, people who have something to say and most notably, people who don’t give themselves any credit.This is what In the Words of: Wenatchee is all about. Academic journals and thematic magazines limit their contributors with submission fees, their favoring of an initial theme, and a well-conditioned bias of what is it to be “poetic” or “good writing.” Most importantly, there is no aspect of community among the contributors.I only point this out to say that in everyway I want to break this down. I want any and all people to send me whatever they will. I’m looking for sincerity. I’m looking for the heart of this Valley through collecting the voices of it. I’m talking about poetry, short stories, journal entries, a little paragraph you wrote this one time, this one this you wrote but you don’t know what to call it, all of it!Your voice is worth hearing. Nobody can write you better than you. You have a unique voice. It deserves to be heard.Once submissions are collected, the theme will be established from what people have submitted, not the other way around. This is very intentional. From here on, it’s a matter of design and publishing. As the editor of the work, I will not be contributing any of my own written works, however I’ll be contributing the outreach, design, and impetus of the project.When all is said and done, the words of Wenatchee will be available for all to see, yes even those beyond the Greater Wenatchee Area. For those who know the area well, and for those who’ve never heard of it, this collection will show us as we truly are, as authentic and deeply creative people.There is no limit to submission. Submit as much or as little as you are willing, multiple entries even. Anywhere from a long story to a few sentences. If you wish to stay anonymous in your submission, this project will respect your anonymity and not include your name if accepted for the publication. Nobody is turned away because of the “quality” of their work, there’s only 2 things that’ll cause an entry to be denied: (1) the piece doesn’t fit the later established theme (2) other works by this author have been featured and nobody ought to be favored over others.With all of this said, please spread the word. This project won’t reach its maximum potential if it doesn’t reach those who are hidden away. For inquires or to submit, email: cgdahlin@gmail.com.