Les Kay

Michael K. Gause

Editor's Note

As I write this note, our dog Archie—an Italian Greyhound mix—is shivering against my side. His right hind leg, sore from knee surgery, is splayed out on the sofa, and he is clearly in pain, but he is sleeping well now, and soon, he will be tearing through our house like a tiny tempest.

His surgery to repair a congenital defect, which was likely exacerbated by trauma, took place on Monday. Since then, he has been the primary concern in my life. I've coddled him as though he were a colicky infant. I've worked around his high-pitched protests against continuous pain. I've slept on the sofa, so that I could be there for him when the throbbing became too much in the middle of the night. And, as a result, I've fallen a few hours behind on the launch of our third issue.

Yet, at last, here is our third issue.

Although we did not plan for this to happen, Issue 3 is brimming with work that is more overtly political than we've published thus far. Considering that the midterm elections are upon those of us in the States, this seems to me a wholly appropriate accident. For example, Adam Engel's story "Parlor Radicals" offers us a fabulist's view of contemporary consumer culture. Likewise, the creative nonfiction selection from Michael K. Gause, "Dis Ease," provides us with what seems a jaded stream-of-consciousness look at a prime example of our culture.

Yet, as I look over the issue, I'm also struck by the heart-rending poems of Dzvinia Orlowsky and Marcus Cafagña. To my mind, even a deeply personal poem has a political element. Such work reminds us of the stunning perseverance that we are all capable of: when we face unfathomable loss, we go on. Like, Archie, struggling to get comfortable enough to sleep, we all go on, adapting as we must.

And this, I believe is cause for celebration. So take a moment, celebrate with me. Read the poems, the stories, the nonfiction. And then, spread the word that we're here—offering the world studies in perseverance, studies in what we find beautiful.

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