a note from the editor 06

by Ishan Benegal, Editor-in-Chief

Volume 6

raze | renew | erode




How often do we weigh the first sentence of a story with its counterpart that closes it?
Is its ending not as continuous as its beginning; is its beginning not as continuous as its ending?

I wonder whether our perception of endings does them justice.

There is an equal amount of excitement and trepidation when we talk about beginning. The age old adages of the limitless possibilities and simultaneous crushing endlessness of the blank page, the blank canvas, the blank stage are continuous. But what of endings?

A beginning is an end.
A beginning marks the departure of what was, contiguous with endings.

Two Koi swimming effortlessly towards and away from one another.
Asking us to remember:

Remember endings are continuous.
A new day marks the end of its predecessor
Zero insistence that they need be twins
Entrenched to joined fates.

Remember beginnings are continuous.
Even in silence there is sound when we stop to
Notice the gentle touch of the
Earth’s whisper as she says
Wherefore.

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editor's note

Volume 10

contact | shadow | fringe

I’ve been reflecting on the theme for our tenth volume, a lovely milestone that coincides serendipitously with the warehouse’s tenth year, and how it feels apt for the moment we find ourselves in currently. The theme straddles a threshold. The movement from this side to the far side. It isn’t inherently accompanied by an emotion. And yet, I feel it suggests a sense of hopefulness. 

This isn’t in a vacuum but is influenced by two events that concern themselves with a tremendous threshold: our atmosphere and the expanse beyond it. I am referring to the successful flyby mission around the moon by the Artemis II and the release of the film “Project Hail Mary” (adapted from Andy Weir’s novel of the same name). These two events, coinciding in this manner, serve less as random happenstance and more as a reminder, as Carl Sagan said, “The Cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff.” A reminder that everything out there, is also everything in here. It serves as a reminder for hope that as we resume our exploration of the darkest depths of the universe, we must take that strength to step forward from our own personal shadows.

Shadows can be freeing. There is comfort in creating, expressing, and working without scrutiny or pressure or expectation. It has potential for great freedom, movement, and discovery. However, when the driving force isn’t exploration then it can be crippling and lead to paralysis. In those moments, “coincidental” events like these can be arresting and provide a sense of hope that the next step is all that matters. One step at a time soon becomes many past an imposing threshold. As we gather momentum, pressure is bound to build. It is here, with changed circumstances, that the intention must persevere. Learning the rules, allows the impact of breaking them to feel that much sweeter, but that isn’t necessary. Acting from pure instinct allows for an innate expression to present itself. It is balancing this, instinct versus experience, that proves vital to take experience into one’s stride with child-like instinct and intention.

Our focus, at imprint and G5A, on independent stories allows this freedom. It is something we work to preserve so that the experience of ten volumes and ten years, respectively, does not weigh us down but lifts us up through the shadows and into the expanse. This is not easy but it is simple. When you default to curiosity and wonder, it isn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’.

We’re excited for Volume 10 and everything it will hold.