Open Skies

You know, writing is a lot better at ending wars than starting them. I think about great treaties, speeches, and art that takes us out of the horrors we can find ourselves taking part in—whether that be in our personal lives or from afar—and so many of those things can come to an end with well-crafted words. It's a beautiful thing, isn't it? So much of what we want out of writing these days boils down to knowledge or escapism, but where's the writing that shines because of its sincerity in the face of the things in life that scare us the most? I feel there's a desire for that kind of work, but it's so much harder to come by these days; often in literary magazines, I find there's a certain performative nature in them. Of course, some degree of performance is necessary to engage readers, but I've found their essence misses the proverbial mark for me. Much of it feels self-congratulatory, or talks around in circles. There's fair intrigue in much of it, but the emotive spark is tough to…