Issue 13 explores the complexities of portraiture and the tension between capture and preservation, particularly in the face of political violence and exclusion. Featuring work by K-Ming Chang, Clifford Prince King, Seema Yasmin, Alexis Aceves Garcia, t. tran le, Shamecca Harris, and others, this issue confronts white supremacy and violence without centering them, focusing instead on resilience, joy, and life beyond oppression. Through visual art and writing, the works explore how to preserve without perpetuating harm—such as Zinzi Minott’s defiant “Portal” and Marcus Clayton’s exploration of punk music and anti-Blackness in “The Good Hair.” Fiction and poetry like Thomas Renjilian’s “F** Scale” and Cyrée Jarelle Johnson’s “a machine of mahogany and bronze” grapple with themes of loss, defiance, and self-preservation. Issue 13 challenges readers to reflect on the power of art to witness, hold space, and resist while ensuring the care and love in our portrayals endure beyond the violence of capture.
