Dear Reader,
We’ve all finally made it to the end of this semester! Whether you’ve finished your papers and exams or are desperately trying to avoid them by picking up whatever literature you find strewn about, The Grail is here for you! We’re ending this semester on a high note, just like we hope you soon will be too, with an array of writers and artists old and new. We begin with editor Dan’s reckoning with the study of literature and tragedy through the work of Eugene O’Neill (1–3). From there, enjoy the view and check out Sarah’s photography (6), and discover a feline friend (and a personal and physics-filled account) from first-time contributor Lex (7). Misha revives the travelogue and muses from Russia (8), and Kaleb shares his untitled poem (9).
Finally, the fashion column DeSastre returns, with an exclusive look at Reed College’s most iconic dog-accompanied lesbian (10)! Also, the beautiful cover design, titled “Doorknocker,” is the work of the incredibly talented Sophia T.
From two juniors only now emerging from the depths of JSEM after fourteen weeks, we thank you, our readers, for sticking with us until the very end. Thank you to our wonderful contributors and to our layout editor Sophie — we couldn’t have done it without y’all! Have a restful break and take care of yourself!
Love,
Dan and Lauren
P. S. from Dan’s first time doing layout: Thank you so much Sophie! Also we managed to not disappoint our Grail foreparents and future descendants with an 8 page issue, and for that holiday miracle I thank you all!
News & Features
Poetry & Fiction
Art & Photography
DeSastre
For this semester, I have spent my time reading a genre which I believed was all but dead, the literary travel-louge. In this age of the information superhighway, the literary travelogue, with its cliched markets, leaning italics of words and phrases in the native tongue of the location in question, and contrived reflections on the state of the folk, seems to no longer be needed. Of course, there is the immensely popular genre of the video-travelogue, but I would prefer to put these, for the most part, in the category of “free-advertisement” for specific locations.