fatal flaw

We live in an imperfect world. Our shoes get soaked in the rain. We get mile-long receipts for buying a pack of gum. Our partners misunderstand us, our pets ignore us, we ache to belong to groups that won’t accept us. However, some flaws are not merely inconvenient or disheartening – they’re fatal.

In honor of our two year anniversary, we chose Fatal Flaw as this issue's theme. Our name celebrates the exquisite imperfections found in literature, art, and life. With this issue, we wanted to examine the limitations that make us human and celebrate their chaotic beauty in the way we know best: through art.

The works in this issue reveal cracks in families, identities, and institutions. They shine a light on the unspoken weight of generational loss and hardship. They combat broken systems and release us from traditional constructs our society has long clung to. As these pieces have so bravely shown, a Fatal Flaw can be a downfall or a saving grace, but it will always change the story.

Boundless thanks to our flawless contributors whose work digs up truth and whose vulnerability captures the poignancy of being human. You make us worthy of our name.