The Core Blog

Issue Theme: “Age of Anxiety”

It has been a liminal year. Covid, war in Ukraine, and political upheaval have shaken and will continue to shake preconceived notions about the world as we know it, from the viability of liberalism to the merits of state power in protecting public health. All these sources of apparent division make it all the more important to recognize what still unites people. Mindful of these circumstances, the editorial team of this publication have tried to provide a space where our community can find open dialogue and a sense of unity. While everyone will experience the words and images in the Journal differently, what we have in common is the experience of engaging with these works. That shared experience is proof enough that common ground is possible, even in small ways, no matter how ablaze the rest of the world seems. So, in the face of an Age of Anxiety, I think that the wise lyric of R.E.M. still holds true: “it’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.”

On behalf of the editorial team, I’d like to extend thanks to people who have been indispensable in the publication of this issue:

• thanks to Sassan Tabatabai, our faculty advisor and Hub instructor, for his instrumental guidance, especially with our expanded book review and poetry sections;
• thanks to Zachary Bos from the BU BookLab, who worked with us through every step of the publication process, supplying experience and expertise to make a daunting task seem less overwhelming;
• thanks to Core director Kyna Hamill for her sponsorship and support;
• thanks to our donors in the CAS alumni community;
• thanks to all the Core office staff, who were so hospitable in providing space for us to work and so helpful when it came time to draw upon their skills with revision and proofreading;
• and thanks to all of our contributors, for giving us the opportunity to showcase their phenomenal work.

I would also like to personally thank the student editorial staff for all the hard work that they’ve put in throughout the semester. Between school, social lives, and other extracurriculars, the life of a student is busy to the point of bursting, but our team members found additional time to invest themselves in making something worthwhile together.

As you read this issue, I hope you can revel in the collectiveness of reading, and appreciate the meticulous work of our submitters and staff. The Journal is an artifact created through the joint efforts of Core students, CAS students, faculty, staff, alumni, our editors, and our readers. It is not just the product of one semester, but the generative output of all those issues that have come before and in an age of great worries, it has been a source of calm and pride to carry on that tradition for another year.

With hopes that you and yours will stay safe and be well,

Jack Martin

Read and enjoy the issue online here. To request a print copy, please email the editors.