I always feel the editor’s statement is a little unnecessary. After all, these poems need no introduction. They are beautiful and complete as individuals and as a collection. So by all means, feel free to skip ahead. But if you’re interested in how I would frame them, I would say: here are some poets who chose to breathe through this year. Sometimes they responded directly to the world’s events, sometimes they offered reprieve from them. As you read, my hope is that they give you a chance to take the kind of full breath you might need right now. Let these poems give you permission to come up for air.
Abigail Michelini
Poetry Editor
In tumultuous times such as these, I still find poetry to be a great solace of mine. These poems left a strong impression on me not because they acted as a great escape from many of the current issues plaguing the world, but because they managed to succinctly convey many feelings that I often have trouble putting into words. I hope that as you read the poetry in this issue, that you too, find yourself riveted by the sense of humanity demonstrated in each poem.
Izumi Kuroda
Poetry Intern
