Desire

Hayden’s Ferry Review presents our Spring/Summer 2025 Web Issue, Desire. Oscar Wilde wrote, “The only thing worse than not getting what you want is getting it,” a sentiment that captures the heart of this collection. What began as a call to explore the journey of desire, how we reach for what lies beyond our grasp and what it means when we finally attain it, has become a rich gathering of voices examining how longing shapes our lives and identities. The writers in this issue reflect on the sacrifices made in pursuit of desire, the revelations that emerge with fulfillment, and the tension that exists between yearning and arrival. From intimate personal narratives to expansive imaginative visions, these works explore desire in its many forms: romantic, spiritual, creative, and collective. Together, they reveal the transformative power of wanting and the quiet truths we discover when we finally find what we seek.