In Zeteo‘s New York home, this year’s spring was delayed by a long, biting winter. Low temperatures forced us to walk through spring, as Joseph Conrad suggested, “with eyes half shut, with dull ears, with dormant thoughts.” But earth is finally emerging from under the blankets of hibernation and so too does Zeteo, with a vibrant and warming Spring Issue.

Walter Cummins uses S. Lochlain Jain’s critique of the U.S. medical system to explore different narratives about cancer. His personal encounter with malignancy reveals some similarities but also striking differences from Jain’s narrative of struggle and culpability.

Vanessa Badagliacca explores Song Dong’s Doing Nothing Garden art work from dOCUMENTA(13). The growth of this garden on top of layers of rubble and biological waste, and without conscious human intervention, speaks about the possibility of renewing environments and ourselves through not doing.

Ghaida Moussa writes about the dynamics of race and control in the world of deejaying and music. She argues that the dance floor is a public space for identity formation, and, thus, deejays have a social responsibility to their listeners to select music that does not exclude minorities from the space.

William Eaton explores an alien idea about parenting, proposing that the act of bringing a child to life brings with it, for the parents, infinite responsibility.

Rachel Corbman revisits James Baldwin’s legacy, reviewing and commenting on a discussion of this legacy conducted as part of the Year of James Baldwin celebration which began in April in New York City. (Please note that this piece is the latest in an ongoing series of Zeteo Reviews, most of them book reviews, that are published throughout the year, as they are completed.)

We hope these buds provide food for thought and are given the opportunity to fully blossom in the hands, eyes, hearts, and minds of our audience.

Happy reading,

Alexia Raynal, Managing Editor