October 1, 2020
I chose the theme of Journey because I miss airports. A lot. I know there are many things to dislike: the weird and ever-changing security rules, long lines, delays, missed connections, overpriced cocktails, passengers who try to stuff a steamer trunk into the overhead compartment. I don’t care. I love it all. Airplanes will forever be magic carpets to me and all the hassle is worth experiencing what still feels like an impossible reality: sitting inside a machine for a few hours and arriving hundreds or thousands of miles away from where I started. Also Bloody Marys taste better in flight.
All this to say that for the first time as Feral’s Managing Editor I had preconceived ideas of how this issue would unfold. Instead what we are bringing you is not what I anticipated. And in keeping with Feral’s mission, we let the poets and artists lead us. While the journey issue is not filled with carefree adventures, our contributors have created something far more profound and enduring. Thank you: we continue to be humbled by your trust in us.
We did a few things differently this time around. You will notice that in addition to featured artists, we’ve added featured poets. Also this is our first issue with as much art as poetry. We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback about how much you all love the pairings so take a moment to thank Amanda McLeod on social media – she is our brilliant matchmaker.
Finally, this issue is dedicated to my beloved father, Sidney Hamilton Gordon, who died on September 4. He was a man of endless energy, creativity, service to others, humor, humility and love. Our family took many road trips in a 1962 Buick Electra that he kept running with junkyard parts and toothpicks. He always knew the way.
Beth Gordon
Managing Editor