The Vernal Pool gives undergraduates from UC Merced a venue exclusively devoted to creative writing. We publish traditional text-based arts of poetry, fiction, and drama as well as newer entries into creative expression that include creative non-fiction, prose poetry, and any other writing whose primary principle is perceived to be that of effective creative expression. Special issues devoted to regional topics such as those focused on the San Joaquin Valley or the Sierra Nevada are also part of this journal’s plan, as well as the occasional inclusion of reviews of newly published books, chapbooks, anthologies, and local and California creativity. Additionally, editions may offer readers a focus on biographies, regional events, contests, and calls for papers.