Some may think it's fitting that the theme for our thirteenth edition of our anthology, The Guilded Pen: Good Luck With That, includes a reference to luck. After all, the number thirteen conjures up thoughts of misfortune. But we believe the short stories in this anthology bring out a more important theme-a sense of the authors' optimism. The stories show that we each have the ability to direct our luck through our choices, reflecting the optimism and dedication of our members to continuous learning and growing.