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Letter from the Editors

By Jason Thayer and Aaron Reeder

Issue 34 • Fall 2016

Jason: Shit’s rough. Times are tough. 2016 has sucked. And continues to suck.

Aaron: Yes, we could easily insert a president-elect anecdote here—it wouldn’t be unpresidented— but why give him the space? Like Jason and myself, many who write also teach, and we found ourselves in the position of consoling our students in the wake of the election—some fearing hate crimes, others sick from worrying about being
deportation. I had one student tell me of her sister, who is an elementary school teacher here in Albuquerque, how one of the kids in her class asked who would eat breakfast with him in the morning if his parents were deported. I was devastated when I heard this. What’s more, I know someone who is attending college on a visa, and she
brought her younger siblings with her to escape the political corruption of their hometown. She is now afraid that her siblings will be sent back to a place where over dozen individuals are being murdered in the streets, weekly. As more of these stories surface, I keep asking myself, how did we get here? How is this man going to be the leader of this country?

Jason: And while we were all still reeling from Trump’s rise to power, an Oakland DIY space caught fire during a show, killing 36 young, creative people. The DIY music scene was a huge part of my life when I lived in Chicago. I performed at and attended hundreds of these concerts in basements and warehouses and garages and living rooms and long defunct ballrooms. These makeshift venues are safe spaces for the LGBTQ and otherwise marginalized communities. They encourage musical experimentation and unbridled self-expression. These scenes across the country are connected and I knew three people who died in Oakland. Edmond Lapine was an affable, charismatic guy who I met through friends in the Northwest. A few summers ago, we all played loud music in an apartment building in downtown Olympia, Washington. Chelsea Faith Dolan was an electronic musician who I met through
my friend Justin the last time I was in New York. She was vibrant and warm, unpretentious, yet effortlessly cool. And one of the best House musicians on the planet. I never formally met Joey Casio, but I saw him perform his no-rave, Futurist, electro-punk at a DIY festival in an old yacht club in Astoria, Oregon when I was 18. So much
kindness, so much creativity lost in that fire. Our cities need to support the arts so no one has to play in unsafe spaces.

Aaron: And then there is Aleppo. Those families. The children.

Jason: God, Aleppo. Heartbreaking.

Aaron: Horrible. And Bowie. And Prince.

Jason: And Leonard Cohen–and Alan Thicke. Show me that smile again…

Aaron: Show me that smile…

Jason and Aaron: Don’t waste another minute on your crying…

Jason: Alan Thicke. One of the great songwriters of our time. 2016 hasn’t been all horrible, though. Aaron? Help me out.

Aaron: Well, I became a father in February 2016—the best thing that has happened to me in my whole life. And what a little adventurer Wolff is. That’s his name in case you were wondering. But yes, he’s already walking and speaking gibberish—but don’t tell him that!

Jason: I watched the video that Aaron posted on Instagram of Wolff walking and giggling, over and over again. Beyond precious. I didn’t have a baby this year, per se, but I did finish the first draft of my memoir. Which is kind of like a baby, in that I’m trying to protect it and grow it until it is mature enough to be ushered out into the world. And Aaron finished a draft of his book of poetry. You feel good about it, right Aaron?

Aaron: I do feel good about it. Writing makes us feel good during tough times. You know what else makes us feel good during tough times?

Jason: Drinking?

Aaron: Ok, yes. Drinking. But also…

Jason: …Singing?

Aaron: Cooking. We love to cook. Both of us.

Jason: And we are good cooks. Aaron and I.

Aaron: So I thought that right now, during these tough times, we could share a couple recipes with you to get you through to the new year.

Jason: You can make this food and eat it while you read through this issue.

Aaron: For me, I always go to comfort food. And what’s more comforting than green chile stew? A good green chile stew starts with the broth. And no, I’m not talking about you running out to the grocery store and picking up a carton of Swanson’s. You need a chicken carcass. Throw those chicken bones in the crockpot with five cups of water, two onions, a crushed whole garlic, a little apple cider vinegar, and let that thing simmer overnight. Trust me. It’s worth it. The next step is cubing out some stew meat and brown it in a large pan on high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil (be heart healthy!). While your meat is browning, chop up some red bell pepper and potatoes to add in. Once meat is browned, combine it with the chopped bells, potatoes, and bone broth in a large pot. Bring this to a boil for five minutes, and then reduce the heat for a simmer. Last but certainly not least, dice up some fresh roasted Hatch chile, about two cups worth. You’ll toss that in the pot as well. Now, let the stew simmer on the stove for at least three hours, but in my experience, the longer you can go, the better it will taste! Garnish with chopped cilantro and pinto beans. I also recommend fresh flour tortillas, but that’s another recipe for another time.

Jason: I make a damn good salmon. Get a wild caught fillet and scrape the scales off–you are going to want to eat the skin, all those omega-3s. Place the fillet in a Ziplock bag and pour in a marinade of 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger, 1 tablespoon of freshly minced garlic, and if you have an orange
handy, squeeze a tablespoon of its juice in as well. Let the salmon relax in the fridge for an hour. Heat a tablespoon or two of sesame oil in a cast iron pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot, lay the fish skin side down in the pan. You should never over cook salmon, so I don’t flip the fish. I put a lid on the pan and let it fry for 5 minutes and
call it good. The flesh should easily break away from the skin and range in color from pink to pinkish red–never pale pink. Serve with couscous and grilled vegetables.