Like a lot of you, I had plenty to say last month, when this thing really took hold in Louisiana. History seemed to be unraveling daily, and with that came a bit of a head rush cocktail of anxiety, despair, and maybe even a little hope about what might be different going forward. It opened up portals in our brains where priorities kaleidoscoped and realigned themselves, while visions of doom and rebirth appeared in our daydreams and nightmares alike. Biologically, this kind of stimulus is no different than what cup after cup of coffee, a line of coke, a video game, or a box of donuts does to our brain. And like a lot of you, after that initial wave, the grind has now set in, and even this thing seems to be developing its own bludgeoning routine. So I don’t have as much to wax eloquently about this month, especially as I stare down yet another deadline. Some things will never change!
Nevertheless, it’s always a special and humbling honor to steer this publication through waters both calm and rough. I really appreciate everyone who’s made it come together over the past month, namely all the contributors who somehow carved out time from their own mania, our current advertisers who still find room in their ever-thinning budgets for lil ol’ AG, and of course all the people near and far who reached out last month and supported us through our new subscription program. And as always, I’m buoyed by the abundance of riches this issue provides and I hope you find some connection in the always wide spectrum of moods you’ll find within, from absolute misery to radiant positivity. Stay safe out there, New Orleans; thanks for reading.
cover image by Hyena Hell
photo this page by Matthew Seltzer