The following is a copy and paste from an announcement I just sent to my lit journal subscribers. The writing and art in Issue 14 of Exist Otherwise is really, really good, and sorely needed.
When I began publishing Exist Otherwise in September of 2022, I knew Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore were anti-fascist activists, and that they were captured and sentenced to death by the nazis. They were spared that fate when the war ended and they were released from prison.
I didn't know, nor did I think it likely, that the US government was about to be taken over by an alliance of christian nationalists and tech-bro, authoritarian, white supremacists. If you've ever wondered what you would have done under the Nazis, you are doing it now.
Given the circumstances, I don't mind saying that this issue is the most important one we've published to date. The work in 14 is a very clear and loud response, saying, "No, We Are Not Going Back!"
Exist Otherwise
I'm very busy in my personal life at the moment. I don't have much time to devote to my own creativity (this is a temporary situation). But publishing the work of other artists who are facing the onslaught head-on fulfills me in much the same way. I am proud and honored to be able to support so many brilliant and courageous artists who, like our muses Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, are willing to put themselves in the front line of resistance.
Creativity, Art, and Joy are among the most powerful tools we have to fight injustice and oppression. We must never let these be taken away from us.
Some relevant reading suggestions:
Claude Cahun as Anti-Nazi Resistance Fighter
Art as Resistance – How Creativity Fuels Global Struggles for Justice
The Role Of Art In Political Resistance
Art as the Last Form of Resistance
Thank you for your continuing attention and support. I hope you will consider offering some feedback for our brave contributors, whether in the comments here, or by sending email to existotherwise at quack dot nexus. Our voices are exponentially greater when joined in chorus.
