Dearest reader,
Since we last saw you, the world of The Woodlands Magazine has changed.
Some leaves have fallen, decomposed, and given life to new leaves, dewy flowers, and buzzing bees. We hope to continue this magazine’s tradition of nurturing creative nonfiction writing that brings to light the tragedy, beauty, and mundane of Philadelphia and the broader world.
Within the pages of this issue, we find ourselves subjected to the realities of lost pasts but also potentially radical futures. In “From the City of Eternal Spring,” memory and archive blur and congeal as lived experience comes into conflict with the reality of adoption. “A Loss of Language” poses Urdu poetics as a remedy for the callousness of modern-day romance. “Garlic Press” explores how an ordinary kitchen instrument’s temporary loss can mirror a family’s emotional turmoil. “Inner Tube” floats you down a creek to find peace.
“Kensington Field Notes” lays bare the disconnect between Philadelphia policy makers and the lives of folks facing addiction. “Something Found” challenges our expectations of what recovery can look like for women after surviving domestic violence.
We, as writers, editors, and students, face critical decisions regarding the state of our craft. Do we center our reality, the lived experience of the oppressed, and expose the oppressors? Do we remain silent? The voices of Palestinian families, torn from their homes, sound out through thousands of miles. In Philadelphia, the city government works with the police to displace communities from their homes and life lines.
On our phones and in our streets, immense grief hangs over us like a shroud. In these trying times, it’s easy to lose ourselves to apathy.
While it may feel difficult, finding our courage is not impossible. Our writers and you, dear reader, give us hope that what is lost can be found again.
We would like to thank our writers, Emmie, Allison, Ashna, Sophia, Lila, and Ellie, and our cover artist María, for their words and hard work. With a smaller, and relatively new team, we would like to thank the Friends of the Woodlands for their patience as we rebuild The Woodlands Magazine for a stronger and sustainable future.
We invite you to live in The Woodlands Magazine for a moment and find respite from the taciturn of daily life, a place to grieve as well as love. Come, lose yourself in the written word with us.
Love,
The Woodlands Editorial Team
The Woodlands 