In this highly anticipated new issue, we encounter brilliant examples of what writing can do in a hypernormal time – whether that's Benjamin Gready on the absurdity of fieldwork on land under active occupation or Zahid Gamieldien's short story about a dancing rat who finds itself enmeshed in systems too shadowy to be true. But, as with the emotional cycles of resistance, hope and snark are features too. Dan Hogan considers the lawn as a class obsession, and π.ο. asks a question: why people hate poetry? We also read about a rakhasa family who passes on wisdom to their young kin, a story by Shefali Mathew. And you’ll find new poetry by Eli McLean, Fiona Hile and Sol Chan, among others, as well as a comic by Safdar Ahmed, plus heaps more. Co-editors Evelyn Araluen and Jonathan Dunk write in the editorial, "Writing always matters, but it matters most directly in the face of this kind of thuggish assault on language, our first and last commons. We can’t let the bastards have it.”
Andrés Vaccari was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and migrated to Australia at the age of 18. He published a handful of short stories and academic papers, self-published a novel (Robotomy, 1997), and freelanced as a book reviewer for the Australian, Sunday Telegraph and Sydney Morning Herald. He now teaches philosophy online at Macquarie University, where he is also a Research Associate (Department of Philosophy). He currently resides in Argentine Patagonia with his wife, two daughters and a significant number of animal others.
