The Fall 2025 issue of The Missouri Review (46.3) is themed “Under the Influence,” which opens with Editor Speer Morgan’s commentary, “Much of this issue concerns altered states of consciousness caused by illness, personal struggles, and drugs.” and goes on to explore how altered states — especially those induced by alcohol — shape personal experience and historical events. Speer traces alcohol’s long cultural role from colonial America’s heavy consumption to his own ‘youthful encounters’ with drinking. Like Speer’s commentary, this issue features works that provide a collective reflection on society’s evolving relationship with alcohol and its lasting impact, as well as other ‘influencers.’
Readers can enjoy debut fiction from Arabella Sanders, plus new stories from Seth Fried, Philip Hurst, and Brecht de Poortere; new poetry from Kai-Carlson Wee, Rebecca Foust, and Campbell McGrath; new essays from Jacob M. Appel, Molly Rideout, Cara Stoddard, and S.L. Wisenberg; features on Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Marlene Dietrich; and an omnibus review of four short story collections from Robert Long Foreman.
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