Letter from the Editor

In “Burnt Norton”, the first poem in T.S. Eliot’s renowned Four Quartets, Eliot writes that “Humankind cannot bear very much reality.” This line, laden with what initially seems like a morose depiction of the human existence, was actually the positive impetus for the creation and creative direction of this issue.

As individuals, we go about our daily lives immersed in what often feels like an unrelenting, tumultuous, and sometimes tragic state of existence. In these past two pandemic-ridden years, life has ground to a halt, begun again in a blustering flurry, and has thrust us students in a college magazine into an unrecognizable world that still seemed all too similar in its harsh realities.

So, observing the state of the world, we at The Liberator, turned to the abstract: we sought to embrace the fantastic and we resolved to utilize our dreamscapes and fleeting musings to create something beautiful amidst the starkness of reality.

We looked to our reveries .

French in its etymology, the word “reverie” evokes the fantastical experience of being lost in a potent daydream and succumbing to the wondrous thing that is unreality. As our first print issue in two years, “Reverie” works to break free from the constraints of the monotony of everyday routines and life, and has challenged our staff and Creative Competition writers to delve into what exists in those otherworldly moments when you’re caught in a reverie.

While our writers found their inspiration from within, I as Editor-in-Chief, looked outward to the team that has grounded me. So naturally, I want to extend my eternal gratitude to my Liberator family (editors and writers alike), Liberal Arts Council as a whole, and most dearly, Allison McCarty, for who I wouldn’t have grown into the writer and editor I am today. Thank you for the most challenging and rewarding two years of my life thus far. It’s been a privilege serving as this wonderful magazine’s Editor-in-Chief.

This issue is brimming with heart, talent, and unrelenting passion, so, dear reader, sit back and crack open the following pages, I assure you it won’t disappoint.

Perhaps nothing is certain in this world but death and taxes, but at least we have our reveries. I implore you to get lost in this one.

Humbly,

Hayle Chen, Editor-in-Chief

Kara Hildebrand, Justin Pastrano, and Quynhmai Tran, Associate Editors