Terrorism

In the United States, the month of September is a month of rememberance for the terrorist attacks that happened on 9/11, 2001. It is my observation that this single act of terrorism has become nearly synonymous with the word in the US, sometimes even making other acts of terrorism seem "less than" to citizens - for example, the normalization of school shootings as just a part of our lives as Americans. This is absolutely due to the sheer gravity of what happened on 9/11, of which we are still seeing the aftermath in America and beyond. As devastating as it was, 9/11 became the poster child for terrorism with little room for examination from critical, cultural, historical, racial, or geographical points of view. This issue called for artists to dissect terrorism, much like they dissect magazines and what-have-you to create their collages. Many participating artists opted to share their personal stories about how acts of terrorism have impacted their lives. I encourage you to take your time to read through each one individually and thoroughly. Set aside time to really delve into the words the artists have shared so vulnerably. Interestingly, much like our first issue, there are recurring themes of pain and also of healing. While this is a heavy, dark, and very real subject, there is a hint of comfort in the words of many of the artists. This suggests to me that there may be hope, even in the midst of pure, unfathomable violence. Enjoy, Robyn Mallery