Dear dearest,

Lines that we abide by, whether spatial or social, often appear to us as natural. But there is no inherent reason why a boundary exists in one location rather than somewhere else. To raise that thought would be to undermine the social force that stabilizes that boundary—the force that transforms what we may not do into what we cannot do.

This week, Nass writers grapple with the barriers that cut across the spaces of modern life. They explore how in-groups are ritualized, how lines of gender impede alternate social relations, and how to deal with the longing that arises from the separation from, or fracturing of, a homeland. These many divisions are defined by lines, schisms, or borders. But the physicality of these divisions is dependent on their social constructions, and vice-versa; these divisions will only be maintained so long as the lines that define them are recognized. What would happen if that recognition fades away?

This issue marks the end of Volume 49 of the Nassau Weekly and of our time as this magazine’s Editors in Chief. Thank you for being here with us. We can’t wait to see what Volume 50 will bring.

Peace and love and more love on top on that,
Alex and Frankie, co-EICs