editor's note

2021 has been an eventful year, to say the least.

In a period where unpredictability became the new norm, many of us experienced boundless change, unrest, and growth. However, with life constantly in flux, there comes a need to just pause and release everything. With this in mind, Clare invites you to be vulnerable. She asks you, what were you most afraid of? What did you lose? More importantly, what made you feel the most alive?

In this issue, Clare explores the different forms of catharsis that exist within and around us. For some, catharsis is peace. It nestles in a moment of crisp clarity: it is a feeling of calm that can only be found in long stretches of silence. For others, catharsis is violence. It emerges from an explosion of emotions: it is an unbridled, liberatory force that seeks to confront, resist, and change existing vectors of inequality. And for the lucky few, catharsis is love. It glows from the depth of our hearts: it is a bright light that basks the world in its warmth and abundance.

As our contributors will show you in the following pages, catharsis – despite its many manifestations – is intimately linked with complex questions surrounding identity, conflict, and progress.

And now, we turn to you, our beloved reader. What does catharsis mean to you?

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Michi Kang

Editor-in-Chief, September 2021