From the Editors
“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” —Psalms 61:2
IN SEPTEMBER, we began the year with hope of renewal from one of the most tragic events in the history of this university. Only months earlier, an act of unthinkable violence had taken the life of James D. Holloway, an invaluable mentor, professor, and friend. Our community was shaken, the safe haven of our Lutedome broken. And the year ended—an end without conclusion. We returned to our unfinished grief on September 10th—another Convocation, another incoming class, another day. The cliché is all too true: nothing has been the same since. For many of us, our local and national tragedies came to be related—random, meaningless acts that demonstrated what humanity is capable of inflicting upon itself. It is too soon. While we will always remember where we were when each of these tragedies became real to us, they are still too present, too glaring. The rock has been shattered. It is worth noting that this is the first issue of Saxifrage in many years to be produced without the direct guidance of its founding member and most dedicated champion. From student to professor, underground editor to head of her own well-established Publishing and Printing Arts program, Megan Benton has demonstrated an outstanding love for and commitment to the art of publishing. We wish Dr. Benton the very best as she enters her well-deserved retirement from this university. We would especially like to thank her successor, Solveig Robinson, for her boundless energy and professional expertise. We are confident that Saxifrage will continue to flourish under her care. As always, we would like to thank our dedicated staff. We probably could have produced this magazine without them, but it is difficult to use a computer while wearing a straitjacket. Their commitment to a thorough and fair selection process—as well as their tireless endurance—was essential. Thanks also should be extended to Rick Eastman, Kathy Berry, and Mark Faul for their direction and support as the printing deadline approached. While the arts have traditionally provided an opportunity to “split the rock”—attacking, defying, challenging—we see now that when the rock has been shattered by outside, unforeseen means, the arts may also be used to rebuild that which has been broken. The pieces are still too sharp to collect. But perhaps with time we can begin this process of restoration and resolution.
Saxifrage Saxifrage
Matt Cameron Kirstin Vorhes 7