Introduction

So much in this world we can’t make better. So much in this world we can’t understand.

For those reasons, literature sustains us. We need, more than ever, language that expands human perception, that opens us to the broken world. We need the compassion and outrage and tenderness and horror of language that nibbles at the edge of our vast unknowing.

You’ll find in these pages brilliant voices, fierce voices, mysterious voices. Lyrical language, carefully crafted. Clarity that allows mystery. Grace. Characters located in a precise place and time. Surprises. Memorable turns of phrase. Joy. Evocative details that spark buried feeling. Close observation plus insights that come only from active imagination. Unbearable loss. Connections. Words touching the edge of what must always remain unresolved. Luscious thoughts. Intuitive sensations made articulate. Tenderness in the face of many cruelties. A fresh perspective, distinct. Another mind, paying particular attention.

These writers have allowed us access to many-layered lives: the public ones that anybody may witness; the private ones we share with a trusted few; and our inner lives, often secret.

May you savor the privilege and pleasure of reading what they offer us all.