Dear reader,

As we scatter across the world, some of our writers find peace in the warmth of summer sun, or vitality in the glow of a languid, multicolored evening sky. Others yearn for the relationships that only time and coincidence can forge. 

But just as summer invites relaxation, it can also herald a time of isolation from our regular rhythms. This issue, our writers explore the moments of longing, grief, and frantic searching that can accompany this isolation. They demonstrate a tension between contentment with the present and nostalgia for the past or future. 

Grappling with this ever present tension can distract us from the dread of the present moment. As our writers remind us, ongoing mass deportations and the slow encroachment of deadening plants disrupt the balance we search for in summer’s promised calm. Even as we celebrate our current respite, our writers urge us to not withdraw too deep into the self. 

Our relationships to places and communities never remain in one fixed position, but rather contain contradictory elements. The deep green leaves of August prepare for their autumnal withering while the drawn-out summertime evenings slouch towards shortening days. 

In this issue, we left things out in the sun. Now, watch them grow.

Yours,

Frankie and Alex, EICs