“That brief meeting aroused my curiosity to such an extent that now, a year later, I find myself staring into the porcelain bowl of Stalin’s toilet.” – John Wreford
Stalin’s Toilet
Stella Bowen Self Portrait, an Ekphrastic Poem
Mike Ladd’s ekphrastic poem in response to Bowen’s courageous self-portrait.
The Complexity and the Simplicity of Things: Neal Rantoul on Fred Sommer
Neal Rantoul writes with rare warmth and reverence about a transformative visit to photographer Fred Sommer.
A Weird and Joyful World: An Interview With Calef Brown
“The humans, human-animals and animal-animals in my books are the deliverers of the spirit of my work, and its substance — character, humor, wordplay, story, color, and visual pleasure.” An interview with Calef Brown.
A Box of Slides
A poem from Mike Ladd reflecting on time, memory, love and ephemerality
Triumphant Woe: Reimagining Climate Lament with Andromeda Turre
In our age of environmental collapse, socio-political polarization, and brutal warfare, the jazz composer Andromeda Turre has created a new album that pulls the listener into “a dark night of the senses” and configures a space of hope.
Letter From the Editor, September 2025. Light is Sufficient to Itself.
September mood.
Tangled Dürer: The Six Knots (ca. before 1521)
“The wires of Dürer’s knots do, in a sense, chart the paths of entwined networks — of knowledge, commodities, cultural and material translation, repeating idealistically within a flourishing system.”
Scattered Moments from my Days as a Domestic Truck Courier
A sketchbook of memories from painter Joel Adas’ time as a courier for the Brooklyn Museum.
I Like Trees: Neal Rantoul on Harry Callahan
With a few stories spanning a few decades, photographer Neal Rantoul shares his affection and admiration for fellow photographer, teacher, and friend Harry Callahan.
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