Dear Readers,
As above, so below. Huddled in our rooms for 365 long days, we land on a year in lockdown with our latest issue—Underground.
Reminiscing on the year gone by, Erik B. starts us off by delving into the lows (and a few highs) that are front and center in our minds on this lockdowniversary (1). Next, peer through bushes and branches in Calvin B.W.'s mysterious, forested scene (5) while Allison W. graces us with the third installment of the spooky, gourd-y happenings in the Physical Hauntings and Manifestations Department (3). After that, prepare to be whisked away from the doldrums of existence right now with Sky’s action-packed fantasy world, accompanied by their dreamy watercolor (7). Albert K.’s prose tackles tectonic shifts and rocky relationships (9), while Wani P. unearths the goddess of wisdom’s likeness (13). If you’re feeling a bit of self-loathing, it’s time to go subterranean in Jules D.’s tale of a psychedelic punk rock concert, featuring a band of moles will surely get you out of a funk (14). And finally, since we’ve had plenty of time to stop and smell the roses, enjoy some other floral wonders, like Sidney F.’s tiny flowers (17) and Bee Y.’s crocuses in the sidewalk cracks (18).
Prepared to be dazzled by light, form, and nature in our photography contest issue coming out next Friday!
A year is a while. A lockdown year is an eon. With all that time, we hope you enjoy it reading this issue of the Grail.
From the fallout shelter,
Your Spring 2021 Editors
Aislin Lighter Steill, your local lean, mean, apple butter-downin’ machine
Bahar Tarighi, only crawled out of Plato’s cave because Aries season is approaching
Erik Beserra, Angel of Bread, Patron Saint of Gluten, amazed at how humanity has avoided nuclear war
Lauren Mondroski, hoping to bang out her ~spicy~ final thesis chapter this weekend
and Sophie Halpin, keeper of the beloved Grail rat mascots
PRose by Erik Beserra
Fiction by Jules Dubel, Albert Kerelis, and Allison Wallace
Photography by Sidney Fong and Bahar Tarighi
Art by Calvin Beeman-Weber, Sky Ford, Wani Pandey, Ross Tidwell, and Bee Yermish
Playlist by Grail & Friends
I am locked up in a cell. The captors are conducting medical experiments on us. They give us metal wires to stick in our necks, which I know instinctively will erase our memories.