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.”
Nia Sims is a writer, an ex-registered nurse and activist for the rights of the sick and disabled. She lives in Sunshine, Melbourne, with her mum. She volunteers with Go Gentle Australia. The five-minute film (18+ warning) about her experience of her father’s death in hospital can be viewed at stopthehorror.com and the writing that inspired the film is on the ‘story wall’ at the Go Gentle Australia website gogentleaustralia.org.au
