The NightWriter Review is the literary journal of San Luis Obispo NightWriters ( SLO NightWriters ), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission of nurturing the Central Coast writing community and providing writing education, opportunities, resources, workshops, and scholarships. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this book go to SLO NightWriters, a support group for writers and poets based in San Luis Obispo, California.

The NightWriter Review, Volume 1, Issue 1, Winter 2024/2025, is a literary journal showcasing a diverse range of voices and styles from members and non-members of the SLO NightWriters, a writing organization based in San Luis Obispo, California. This inaugural issue memorializes the winning entries from the annual Golden Quill Writing Contest in print for the first time, alongside other works of merit and general submissions. The journal aims to provide readers with memorable, thought-provoking, and entertaining examples of the writing craft, while also inspiring writers at all levels.

• Fiction: The first-place winner, Sounds Like Joni Mitchell by S.S. Presby, tells the story of a man saying goodbye to his dying dog. The second-place winner, The Lila Segovia Smile by Anne R. Allen, is about a woman who reinvents herself and connects with her favorite author. Other fiction pieces include The Mary Taft Mystery by Kevin Carver, Devil Cut by Robert Morgan Fisher, and The Essence by Christine Ahern.
• Nonfiction: The first-place winner, My Favorite Animal Is A Harbor Seal by Michele L. Roest, recounts a childhood experience of caring for an orphaned seal pup with her father. My Wrinkled Brain by Rusty Evans, the second-place winner, explores the changes that occur in the aging brain. The Stoic Parent by T.K. Schuberth received an honorable mention, and reflects on parenting during a crisis. Ninety Miles From Normal by Christina Dillow, tells a personal story of surviving a life-threatening health crisis.
• Poetry: The issue features works such as Memory of an Unnamed Color and An Old Friend Calls to Tell Me About The Death of Another Old Friend by L.I. Henley, Game Time, Exploration, and A New Tune by Misty Wycoff, What I Miss Most by Lewis Leicher, The Light of Luna Madre by C.S. Perryess, poems by Andréa Ferrell Gannon, A Horse Ran Amok by Shari Neva Hollander, and Mother-Daughter Luncheon by Debra Davis Hinkle.

The journal also includes an editor’s note from Harvey Ardman, the Editor-in-Chief, who expresses the hope that the pieces will be entertaining, instructive, and encouraging.