As we worked on the Spring 2022 Issue for The Lit, the world outside kept inundating us. At the start of the semester, we were still living under COVID, and at some point we had hoped that it would be over soon, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. Everyday we were getting news about the catastrophic state of the world: the war between Ukraine and Russia, another mass shooting, another incident of anti-Asian hate, more violations of human rights in Palestine, the potential overthrow of Roe vs. Wade, more attacks on the rights of LGBTQIA+ people, more consequences due to inflation like skyrocketing gas prices, and so much more. When we signed up for this class, we didn’t know what to expect. The act of reading other students’ work to choose for an issue of The Lit felt simple but we quickly learned that it required patience, dedication, and, above all, empathy. Throughout this semester, we had the opportunity to read and view many submissions from LaGuardia students and alum. We also had the chance to meet published authors, which we interviewed for this issue. Additionally, we got to workshop our own pieces and get feedback to revise multiple times. The course and this issue of The Lit was a transformative intensive on what publishing and writing is all about. At the end, amidst the chaos of the world, we feel fortunate to present the pieces that were selected for this issue–stories, poems, essays, and artwork that celebrate love, endurance, and community. We hope you enjoy exploring this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Thank you,

Viviana Peña, co-editor in chief

Elias Bailey, co-editor in chief

Image credit: “Tulips,” Kaj386NL. Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.