Letter from the EditorDear Readers,
Making art is a way of making sense of what is means to be human. Through stories and images, Glassworks has spent 15 years contributing to the vast collection of literary magazines that gather and publish work in a humble attempt to grant a platform to folks with something to say and a particularly impactful way of saying it. These days, it feels like the mere act of being an artist is an act of resistance. Whether through the proliferation of AI or governmental cuts and restrictions, our words and creations have so much to compete with. It’s more important than ever for us to continue writing--sharing with others the beautiful, complicated, sometimes ugly, messiness of being human. In times of conflict, artists remind us what we are fighting for and document the present for future historians. We didn’t set out for Issue 31 to speak so directly to current events, but here we are. |
|
Our opening poem, “Coyote Wakes to the American Dream,” challenges readers to confront some of the shameful realities of American history. Our interview with author Suzi Ehtesham-Zadeh explores her dual heritage as an Iranian-American and the presence of this tension in her short story collection Zan. Later in the issue, a pair of poems by James B. Nicola asks us to consider how we treat our neighbors, and thus by extension to consider our role in the cultural conflicts that seem ever present in America today.
There is more, of course. Heartache, loss, grief, and even joy. Being human is so much bigger than our differences, so much bigger than a few handfuls of poems and stories can contain. Yet this issue feels very of the moment--a snapshot of the world we are living in now, and a way of saying: we are here, and even through the messiness, we are hopeful.
There is more, of course. Heartache, loss, grief, and even joy. Being human is so much bigger than our differences, so much bigger than a few handfuls of poems and stories can contain. Yet this issue feels very of the moment--a snapshot of the world we are living in now, and a way of saying: we are here, and even through the messiness, we are hopeful.
|
Keep resisting, friends. Keep art-making. Keep living.
In solidarity, Katie Budris Editor-in-Chief |
