Much has happened and changed in the world since our last issue in June and many of us in the ducts family have been directly affected. The home base for ducts is, in fact, New York City and on September 11th, some of our friends and neighbors had to flee for their lives, and nearly four thousand of their coworkers and those who tried to rescue them were tragically lost.

On that terrible morning, Phil and I watched the World Trade Center crumble before our eyes. The attacks and subsequent war have left us saddened, but more determined than ever to keep the ducts growing. Given these extraordinary circumstances this issue of ducts is dedicated to telling stories related to the attacks. While societies and cultures clash, it is important – perhaps more important than ever – to hear as many unique voices as possible. So, in our small way, we come together here to experience the very diversity of thought that the terrorists have tried to destroy.

We have compiled a special Sept. 11th Memorial Section, filled with responses to the attack. Our dedicated readers from all over the world have sent us their thoughts. Some of you are angry, some fearful, but all are passionate. In addition, you’ll find pictures that Phil and other members of our staff took during the disaster, and drawings contributed by children in New York. We hope all of these will give you some sense of the emotional and physical toll the attacks had here in New York.

Thomas Fast, aka Naked Man, happened to be visiting New York City during the week of September 11th and has written an account of his experience in the city and his drive across America throughout the aftermath. In addition, Bachelor Girl has written a timely piece about dating in the wake of all that’s happened. You will also find a short essay by our new poetry editor, Ryan Van Winkle, an opinionated analysis of the New America by our resident ranter, Randy Woods, and a thoughtful column by Bill Bilodeau.

In addition to these pieces, you will find the usual myriad of ducts stories that you have come to treasure: great Fiction, Reviews, Art, and three wonderful Personal Essays. Our Humor duct, by golly, is as strong as ever. We also have beautiful writing by and for Kids and we’re also happy to introduce a new Memoirist, Helen Zelon – she’s a passionate essayist who has offered her sparkling prose to ducts’ readers in issues past.

This new issue of ducts is, in its way, a memorial to those killed in the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. But it is also simply dedicated to any individual – reader or writer, artist or viewer – who wishes to take the time to think about the meaning of human life. We hope that this issue, like every other, sparks your imagination and brings you closer to the lovely individuals who pour their hearts into their work.

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As always, I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone on the ducts staff: editors Laura Buchholz, Ryan Van Winkle and Stephanie Hart who do a wonderful job extending ducts ever further into the world; Jennifer Pelley, our tireless illustrator; and Anne Mironchik, our treasurer. We also thank Rachelle Meyer for her design contributions, and we're especially grateful to Jonathan Toubin for putting it all together and somehow remaining relatively sane in the process.

-- Jonathan Kravetz, Editor, ducts

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