moonShine review tackles tough issues!

Listening is where love begins. — Mister Rogers

Featured Photographer: Lynn Farmer

Featured Authors: Franklin Bailey, Anna Catanese, Joyce Compton Brown, Steve Cushman, Gregg Cusick,
Alan Gartenhaus, Joiya Morrison-Efemini, Martin Settle, Jane Shlensky, Allen Stevenson, Bob Strother,
and Nancy Young

Fear. We all feel it, especially this year. We’re frightened of dying from an unseen virus, of living in a society that excludes some individuals from fundamental human rights.

Arguably the most basic, yet complex, of emotions, fear manifests itself in myriad ways, as shown by the stories, photographs, and quotes shared in this issue of moonShine. And the message is not so much about what frightens us but how we react. Some choose to deny fear, some use anger to mask fear, and some act courageously despite fear.

In a year when we’ve literally faced life and death decisions, creative endeavors seem marginal to those front-line efforts of medical professionals and emergency responders.

But the artist’s role in society, particularly during turbulent times, remains crucial—to question the status quo, to engage in dialogue, to challenge ourselves and others, to promote change.

Lynn Farmer, our featured photographer, provided such powerful images to accompany the stories, we knew the captions had to be equally compelling. So, we turned to peacemakers, philosophers, artists, scientists, even select politicians to address the issues herein—and to speak for us.

Thank you, Lynn, for outstanding visual imagery. Thank you, authors, for profound words. Thanks, Beth and James, for your many hours and creativity. Thank you, Scott, for printed books that meet our high expectations. And thanks, everyone, for submitting, for spreading the word about us, for contributing to our success.

Mister Rogers, who devoted his life to teaching acceptance, said, “Listening is where love begins.” May you listen with all your senses to this moonShine—let it illuminate the dark corners where fear thrives and encourage openness to change and much-needed healing.

Anne M. Kaylor
Executive Editor & Publisher