ii
Editors' Prefaces
While working on this issue of Flumes, we found that a lot of the pieces shared something in common: they expanded on the small details that we tend to not notice in our day-to-day lives. We came to appreciate the way in which many of these pieces show challenges that we face in life. The following are some personal statements that we made when reflecting on our accepted piece for Flumes.
Ivan Collazo
I would like to thank you for reading our 2020 Summer Issue of Flumes. I know it has been a turbulent time for everyone in the world, and that is why I feel that it is more important than ever to write. I think we have a strong issue with the pieces gathered here. Many of these pieces work well together with a common theme, more than I would have expected. That theme being the expanding upon small ordinary moments and making them extraordinary.
For me the purpose of writing and art as a whole is to capture truths and life itself. More often than not, these truths can be painful, ugly, and dark. The most important aspect to keep in mind is that truths are liberating, and when applied to an artistic medium, art can be medicine used to heal the hurt turning something that was ugly into something quite beautiful.
I am glad to present these pieces from the fresh to the seasoned writer. They weave together to form a fabric of lives and diverse voices. I did not want problems to focus on the current crisis itself but rather showcase the fortitude of humanity in face all challenges. Humanity can withstand, crack, and even break; that is perfectly fine. If this issue can invoke feelings, resonate with readers deeply, and inspire them to take on life’s challenges with new confidence, then I feel we will have succeeded in our presentation of this literature.
Rodolfo Ferreira
Good writing for me is when a piece lures you in because what you read somehow birthed an emotion that you wish to read more. When you get to the end that same emotion will make you want to read it again. Pieces that we chose like “Windfall” or “God’s Green Earth” invoked emotions and reflect what good writing for me would be. When reading throughout the issue we want you to get a feel of our way of thinking as editors. A reflection of our individual minds working together to create our very own Flumes experience for you. in-betweens. We hope they captivate you as they have captivated us.