Introduction

LIBERTY

Art is represented in “Liberty” as a necessary expression of human freedom. In the busyness of life, online presences, glowing headlines and radio-static can take up our head-space. Though we must acknowledge the chaos of the day-to-day, we must also recognize our personal freedom and our ability to all at once participate in the grander schemes of life while simultaneously regaining our own perspectives. By taking a step back into our own minds, to view the world through our own unique perspectives, we can begin to create and to grow.

The themes of beginnings, freedom, and growth are well-represented by the works included in “Liberty.” Margaret Orford’s essay, “The Effect of Modern Western Society on the way we Perceive Art,” opens the chapter with a wonderfully articulated argument for freedom of expression in art. Addressing the modern Western perspective, Orford stresses the need for society to recognize that the technicalities and rules of art are meant to be a tool to enhance the emotion and personal freedom of the artist. “Fluorescence,” a poem by Mallory Travis, artfully describes an encounter with nature and the growth that this experience initiates in the narrator, accentuating the freedom that follows in our recognition of nature’s lessons. Setting up beautiful scenes of new growth in her prose piece “Springtime Songs,” Barbara Rousseau creates a space for island spring and the wonders of nature, engaging with questions of human focus and distraction. Similarly, through his poem “Spider,” Jared Simmonds hints at the decline of the human mind and the human reverence for wisdom, while in “Midnight Library” he alludes to human curiosity, describing acquired knowledge as an entity unable to breach the innocence of mystery.

Each of the selections in this chapter comment on the human condition. With their unique voices, the authors of these works engage with themes of growth, beginnings, and freedom through multifaceted ways, complementing and building on their individual perspectives. Nothing short of wonderful, the works in “Liberty” emphasize a singular truth; that to grow, to express ourselves freely in art, is human.

Arielle Dunn

Editor