Editor-in-Chief — Basil Humke

Dear readers,

This past summer, fighting wildfires in Montana, I spent several weeks working closely with a 20-man hand crew from Salem, Oregon. All I remember from Spanish class is that “albahaca” means “basil,” so we didn’t share much language. What we shared was food, music, laughter, goodwill, triumphs and frustrations. I was reminded of living abroad as a teenager, playing “night pickup” soccer in Suzhou, China, and learning that speaking the same language is not a necessary precursor to connection. 

Close friends, romantic partners, family members — we are aware of the power these relationships have to shape us. We tend to place less emphasis on our more transient connections, but we should not discount them. When experienced authentically, these connections can be potent proofs of humanity’s capacity to transcend division.

I like to think that any time people choose connection, the world becomes a bit less divided. I like to think that some of the connections formed in these past months between editors, writers and members of the broader Bellingham community will be evident in these pages, and also that they might inspire all manner of unlikely, beautiful connection in the world beyond these pages. I like to think that people’s stories matter, and that capturing them does, too.

Do not allow language to divide you, readers, nor color, age, religion or anything else. Search for similarity in your differences, and tend always toward respect and empathy.

And please do enjoy our magazine. Lots of people worked very hard on it. 

“We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone — we find it with another.” — Thomas Merton

Intentionally,

Basil Humke

Editor-in-Chief