Breach Inlet, 36 Degrees

From the editor

It has been especially sweet to be part of The Chronicle this semester- the first time in two years that we have had a full semester of in-person meetings, that we have held events, and spent time together face-to-face on a weekly basis. This magazine is the home of an extraordinary staff that I am privileged to lead and learn from, especially as we all navigate the new worldscape of pandemic-normal. I can’t explain how much joy it has brought me to celebrate the good chaos of this magazine, and the excitement of being with each other again, taking part in one of Clemson’s oldest celebrations of student work.

Our theme this semester is urban fantasy- two distinct ideas melded together into something entirely new and unexpected, something that inverts and challenges our perceptions of the world and what “normal” really looks like. At the risk of sounding repetitious or trite, this type of uncertainty seems to define what college looks like in a world that feels more tense and fraught with every refresh of my Twitter feed. This magazine is a place where we not only acknowledge that, but we turn it into art.

I am especially proud of this semester’s magazine because of how beautifully it handles these tensions. Our art encompasses the rage and beauty and sadness of our adolescence and young adulthood, and our poetry and prose welcomes the ugly, the messy, and the raw honesty of our hearts.

To the staff- thank you for showing up, for proving that art and people who are passionate about it really did survive the pandemic, and for taking your place in the tradition of the bold and fearless that The Chronicle represents.

To this semester’s contributors- thank you for your honesty, your vulnerability, and your bravery in sharing your truth with us. Our school and our world are better places for it.

Caroline Morales