Dear Reader,
What is art and literature if not humanity manifested? The second issue of Kalaa takes us on a journey of self-discovery by enabling us to draw connections with the musings of those we’ve never met. As we emerge from the all-encompassing throes of a pandemic, there is an unspoken but shared vine of emotions that is coiled around our hearts. Living through destruction, experiencing loss, coping with melancholy; it compels us into introspections that creep up and around our spine, consuming us from the inside out. Though we have witnessed the annihilation of the self or the collective, in the aftermath there remains a seedling of persevering hope.
Within this issue, poets and artists manifest the gentle solitude of obliteration, urging us to sit with the emptiness and then unleashing the exhilaration of hope that cuts through, steadily taking over and filling the void left behind. This issue of Kalaa is the vine of emotions that weighs heavy in our hearts; it forces us to carry emotions, lessons and questions with us long after we’ve finished reading it. I urge you to take your time with these works—let the words and visuals seep into the layers of you.
This issue in all its beauty would not exist without the efforts of our executive and editorial teams. I would like to extend the warmest gratitude to the people who have worked hard to make this issue possible: Kathryn Lakin, Simone Crowder, Emily Doherty, Zev Ginsberg, Alissa Doemling, Timothy Chang and Hannah Tsai. My vision for this publication was to create a space for people to express themselves unabashedly, without judgment and without restraint. Kathryn and the rest of our team has done a phenomenal job of upholding these values and expanding the space by making it more accessible and inclusive.
Of course, no editor’s note is complete without the mention of writers, poets and artists. I am awestruck by the talent of our contributors, and I am incredibly proud to share their works with you.
Thank you for choosing to embark on this journey with us. There are not enough words to describe the beauty of the emotions that these creations carry, and I am honored to welcome all of you as you experience them for yourself.
Janki Bhatt
Vice President
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