ISSUE 3: CONSUME
The theme of our third issue, our C issue, is “Consume”. The word’s roots are from the late 14th century when it was used to mean, “to destroy by separating into parts which cannot be reunited, as by burning or eating,” in Old French. It’s Latin roots are from “consumere: to use up, eat, waste.” By the 1570s it was also being used to mean to “engage the full attention and energy of.”
One can consume, or be consumed. Our culture of aggressive consumerism is destroying our home. Lives have been consumed by the fight for racial equality. A love affair can be all-consuming. It is a word about passion and destructi on. Is being completely consumed by a feeling, idea or goal necessary in order to create anything truly new and important? It brings to mind images of artistic genius, disease, waste, invasions, romance, darkness, light. We have been consumed by current events recently, but Space Cadet brings our heads above the water to take in a big, fresh gulp of air. This issue spends time in the kitchen, on human psychology, in the bedroom, in Venice, and more.
We hope this brings you a pause and some much needed joy.
Big thank you to all of our contributors and copy editors: Ignacy Heringa, Maura Gaughan, Giovanni Forlino, The Horns Cartoons, Matt Vituccio, Carly Ann Filbin, Alexandra Rubinstein, Julia Wollner, Mia Berg, Xiao Hua Yang, Emily Scheines, and Julian Konrad.
Cover collage by Space Cadet, using part of a photograph by
Robert Riger of Wilma Rudolph, 1960 Olympic Games, Rome.
ISSUE 2: BETTER
The word we chose for this issue is “Better.” It is a conceited word and a hopeful word. It means “improved” and/or “greater than.” The etymology is the Old English bettra and even earlier betera, meaning “of superior quality or excellence.” In Middle English there was an adverbial form of bet, which meant “improved in health, more healthy.”
“Better” is loaded too. It is a word that carries inherent positive qualities, but in a certain context, it can be a dark word. We are all striving to be better people, better at specific skills, better friends, better lovers, better colleagues. It’s a word that infers competition and superiority over something—other people, other objects, or abilities. Better indicates that something (or someone) is worse.
But once we get there . . . to being better . . . is it all it’s built up to be? Does more money make us happier? Does getting to intimidate and condescend make us less lonely? Does getting better ever end? When do continuous improvements take away from the beauty and authenticity of the original thing?
It is a word that risks missing the journey for the destination. But better is the human condition.
In this issue we explore the theme through topics such as types of trophies through the years, the world of plastic surgery, sexual dimorphism in animals, movies we loved, and an artist’s quest for improvement.
ISSUE 1: ARRIVAL
One might arrive home from a long day. An emotion can arrive. You can arrive at a state of mind. Warm weather has finally arrived. Maybe you are arriving on new shores. The roots of the word are Latin and Anglo-French, meaning “to reach the end of a journey by sea” or “to touch land”.
In our first issue we have pieces that touch the theme of arrival such as interviews with New Yorkers about their first experiences in the city, a profile of an immigrant artist, the tragic Greek myth of Persephone, an advice column to a bride, a poem by Walt Whitman celebrating his 200th birthday, and of course—a word from our sponsors.