When you live in a temperate climate like the American Northeast or Midwest (as your editors do!), it feels like the world changes when fall arrives. Cooler air moves in, filling our lungs with a crispness. The leaves that litter the ground and crunch satisfyingly under our feet are a stunning array of reds and oranges and yellows; the light refracts differently as the days shorten. We can’t help but notice how the earth encourages us to slow down, to embrace this time of change in advance of winter’s demand for rest.

With this issue, we bring you work that continues contemplating that connection between the body and the natural world. Sun and moon, space and earth and sea – all elements of the universe are reflected here, with careful consideration of our bodies and how they exist in these spaces. The writers and artists included here share the real physicality of the joy, fear, gratitude, anxiety, and wonder of the human condition with voices that feel simultaneously strong and tender.

We encourage you to lean in to earth’s autumnal invitation toward rest. Leave the leaves on the ground, put the lawn mower away for the season. Sip a warm mug of cider and spend some time inside reading Issue Four.

As always, we’re so happy you’re here with us and we hope you love these pieces as much as we do.

Rachel & Donna