From the

ne of my favorite books – by one of my favorite authors – was inspired by El Paso and the apocalypse. According to legend, Cormac McCarthy returned to the Sun City after a long visit with his son in Ireland and was moved to write the awardwinning dystopian novel that’s as haunting as it is hopeful.

The story takes place after the end of civilization as we know it, with the two main characters called “The Man” and “The Boy” because names -- identities -- no longer matter. Despite the desolation, The Man instills duty, integrity, and resilience in The Boy, termed “carrying the fire.”

“The good guys carry the fire,” says The Man. “The bad guys don’t.”

This month, we’re excited to shine a light on some of the good guys in El Paso who are doing their part to carry the fire in their respective industries.

From taquerias and animated film, to indie rock and tech, the men in these pages are fueling a better future.

For example, it’s virtually impossible to travel from one site of the city to the other without passing by an In*Situ Architecture project. Bill and Edgar of In*Situ -- our cover stars -have transformed El Paso while preserving the historical integrity of iconic buildings. Their vision for the future, love of their craft, and lively partnership are inspiring other business professionals to dream bigger and rethink their expectations of El Paso.

Let’s go, boys.

In this issue you’ll get to know El Paso’s own “Masa Master,” interviewed by Claudia Flores, who is raising awareness on Indigenous methods of making tortillas by preserving the craft and educating the community.

You’ll also read about the coalescence of language and tech, in Amber Lanahan’s story, that is adapting education and apprenticeship to contemporary circumstances for students.

Plus! We have a one-on-one with FitFam!

I’m not often nervous or starstruck about interviews, but felt like I was talking to the mastermind behind Gossip Girl or getting to know the wizard behind the curtain in Oz during our phone conversation -- it was so cool. What I learned is that El Paso continues to be a community where the people care about each other (and also love a little bit of gossip, but who doesn’t?).

This issue was created during a crazier-thannormal time in the magazine as we navigated leadership transitions alongside moving offices. We’re a very woman-driven team, but relied heavily on our guys -- Chaz WIlson, Omar, Samaniego and Ernie Sanchez -- to keep the whole team (and magazine) moving forward.

May we all continue to carry the fire.