dear readers and contributors,

thank you for celebrating our first issue of ribs, respiratory.,with us. 

our first submissions have already inspired ideas for further growth, experimentation, and artistry in our team, and i hope as you read the generously close-to-the-heart words of our writers and browse the art and photography we received you feel similar connection. as we've said from the start, we hope this publication becomes a place for artists to give their work, that which beats as if it has itself manifested blood, that which is shakily defined but well loved, which is made in the hysteria of youth, a home. 

while respiratory. has no definite theme we've found that the pieces featured here are similar in their search for the preservation of adolescence in its most bewitching forms. as creators in a time of rapid evolution and simultaneously rapidly accumulating uncertainty, the ability to separate oneself from age and study human nature with the utmost vulnerability is one of our most critical skills. we are proud of our contributors for their commitment to this practice, and we look forward to our future in promoting such devotion to remembrance, compassion, and self bettering. 

our best x
gabe espey-davis
​EIC