Why do we dream, what do we dream about, and why? These questions have become significant during our pandemic-present. Where do we wish we were? What do we want our future to look like? What have we been promised, but never received?
With our final magazine of the year, our contributors have answers to these questions.
As we sit inside our houses, dreams offer hope and refuge, and inspire us to create the world we want to live in.
Delving deeper into world-building, Eva Chang visits an old friend in alternate dream realities. Skylar Cheung considers the difference between the dream of a person and reality.
And of course, there are some dreams that cannot always be attained. Some dreams and wishes might not be what they seem. Janna Abbas dreams of shoes that are just beyond reach. Keah Sharma presents the American nightmare—assessing how the unattainable “American dream” profits off the hopes of immigrants who want a better future.
Memory takes the form of dreams for some authors. Morgan Murray incorporates photos taken before the pandemic with her reflections on the dreamlike state of déjà vu. Similarly, Olivia Hsuen-Ferris takes us with her on her trip to Japan, or at least, how she remembers it. Siena Kunacec remembers her grandfather with a powerful short story and photos, some old and nostalgic, and some taken by her.
Our poets craft mystical worlds. Rheannon Demeter presents her lyrical poetry in both English and French. Tara Costello’s poem entrances you with a spell for sleep. Sarah Abernethy explores the phenomenon of “quarantine dreams” through poetics and clever footnotes.
And we are always grateful when our writers teach us new things. Saba Javed ponders insomnia and provides suggestions on how to combat your sleepless nights. Seavey Van Walsum’s comic teaches us how to lucid dream, and their essay explores how lucid dreaming influenced their gender dysphoria.
As always, we’d like to thank the contributors who chose to share their work with us, and our illustrators who bring the authors’ words to life. This website wouldn’t be possible without our design team—Khadija and Yoon-Ji with their tactful eye for beauty, and our web editor Para with his technical wisdom—putting the finishing touches on everything.
Thank you to our masthead, whose support makes projects like this possible. We would be nowhere without them.
And thank you for reading—we hope you dream only of good things.
Sincerely,
Ellen Grace & Hadiyyah Kuma,
Co-Editors-in-Chief, Volume 63
