Our Halloween issue! Originally released from Chicago in 2008, Conclave: A Journal of Character is a bi-annual print and e- journal of character-focused writing and photography. We seek writing that centers around well-crafted and authentic characters: like Leopold Bloom, Huckleberry Finn, Anna Karenina, Hamlet, Miss Havisham, Hannibal Lecter, Hester Prynne, and others. Whether you love them or hate them, these characters are unforgettable and infuse their stories with life beyond the page. We reflect an assembly of characters, as well as the artists and writers who dream them up. We chose conclave because it means a gathering, a private chamber, a room that may be locked. It has the Latin roots of com (meaning "with" or "together") and clavis (meaning "key").