For our Summer 2025 issue, the theme “Bloom,” allowed us to select stories that explored personal evolution, resilience, and embracing new beginnings. We continue to showcase women characters and narrators who shine in their complexities–bold, flawed, and unapologetically themselves. Women who weren’t afraid of the raw, real, and edgy side of growth.

We chose pieces from global contributors who have interpreted the theme in distinctive styles, genres, and voices. Our creative nonfiction features insightful essays centered on real-life experiences. Some of these stories are rooted in nature, while other blossom with metaphor—wild and daring and brilliant. After each story, we invite you to linger in the worlds these writers cultivated, opening their words into your heart like secret seeds—reading to crack open, take root, and bloom.

DRP is also proud to introduce two featured artists, Reshma Gorde and Manman Huang, whose works beautifully complement the spirit of our stories. We found their pieces to deftly capture the nuances and emotions of our theme through their selection of subjects and symbolism. Their paintings mirror the complexity of our stories, reflecting on the growth from shadows into light.