January 28, 2021 Yesterday afternoon the copy edited manuscripts for NDQ 88.1/2 arrived in my inbox. This is always an exciting time it feels like the issue is taking the first step in its move from a gaggle of disaggregated selections to something more cohesive and complete. At around this time in the process, I usually start to chat with our Art Editor, Ryan Stander, about the cover. I tend to see the cover as an integral part of the issue. It either highlights something in the issue or offers a brief meditation on its own. For issue 88.1/2, we’ve chosen one of Ryan’s works titled “Pursue _______________” which speaks to his experiences during the COVID pandemic. It’s a crowd-sourced letter press project that Ryan discusses in the issue’s editor’s notes. We’re still trying to figure out how to make it work as a cover, but we thought we’d offer a little preview here.