“Throughout childhood we are led to believe that there is some ultimate feeling of grownup-ness—likely lurking somewhere behind our next milestone.” Gary Joshua Garrison searches for the elusive feeling of growth completed.
“One of our favorite activities is to compare genealogical lineage. Kinships are discovered and celebrated. Discussions of what might have happened in the gaps of our family records abound….Speculation is plentiful, but much remains unknown in many family trees.” Edward G. Gauthier on commemorating a 400-year-old cultural migration.
“A meat packing plant smells like rotted meat. A rendering plant takes the foulest olfactory notes of bovine death and transforms them into a symphony.” Andrew Kanago on what led him to leave Lexington, Nebraska.
“Everyone had 4 or 5 children, and needed to go out without them. 50 cents an hour. I cleaned the house, folded baskets upon baskets of laundry, took care of children, whose ages were skipping stones 5, 4, 3, 2, months old, including a set of twins.” M.J. Iuppa on working for gum money.
“I was never going to be one of those people standing alongside other creative movers and shakers, guiding photographers through hallways beautifully decorated with antiques. As much as I hate to admit it, no one wants to take a tour of my old PEZ dispensers.” New work from Alex Ebel.
“My younger brother, Gus, doesn’t go to class reunions. He doesn’t meet up with friends at the local bar or exchange pictures on social networks. In fact, he rarely sees his friends. But when he does, there’s always a casket.” A personal essay on the drug crisis in Scott County, Indiana, by Meryl Diaz.