Spring/Summer 2020
Volume 48, Number 2
Editor’s Note
Dear Reader, Dear Friend,
I write to you mere weeks before the November election, an election in which we are actually discussing—fearing—the peaceful transfer of power. In case we needed it—and I wager we didn’t—this is a frightening reminder of why, in the words of Thomas Jefferson, “dissent is the highest form of patriotism.” What you have before you is a compendium of dissent: against racism and poverty, against violence carried out against bodies and land, against the structures that perpetuate such. Our mission is to “shed light on, prompt conversations about, and explore the ramifications of eco- and social-justice issues by sharing work that exemplifies this focus.” That is, of course, only a small part of the solution; but it’s our part.
Lately, I’ve found myself repeating a few lines by the great Polish poet Czesław Miłosz:
My generation was lost. Cities too. And nations.
But all this was later. Meanwhile, in the window, a swallow.
Perhaps we are lost, perhaps so. But there is still a swallow in the window, there is still the solace of beauty.
All of us here at CMR hope you enjoy the poetry, prose, and art herein. More than that, we hope it inspires you, comforts you. We hope it reminds you that you are not alone. None of us are. And everywhere is beauty.
Yours,
Mark Powell
