Letter From the Editor
Volume 5 signifies a departure from LooseLeaf’s first four volumes.
It is the first volume to be printed in riso, the first to be funded by the OAC, and the first to be spread across digital and print mediums. We are joined yet again by new staff members, are accepting new genres of art, and publishing yet another cohort of Asian creators living, working and fighting on Turtle Island.
In many ways, the content of this volume deals with departures as well. Departure from conventional representations of self, from dominant narratives and oversimplified caricatures, but also departure as escape, traversal, and return. More than ever, the Asian community is grappling with the complexity of identity, relationship to home and land, yearning and belonging. More than ever, we as a masthead are privileged to hold these storied, artful explorations in our little magazine.
Resistance is also an act of listening. As we work through these pieces with their creators, we learn through listening to their creative voices, questioning our own value systems, considering the limitations of our biases, and working toward a better understanding of the multiplicity of experiences that make up the diasporic Asian community. We recognize difference and privilege, specificity and context, and we critically engage.
It is our hope that LooseLeaf remains an interrogation of its moment. It is two ears open and arms stretched wide, brains whirring. We exist as a departure in form and structure from industry, and from institution. We are quiet and small, but not less mighty.
Thank you to all the staff who as always, bring their love and talent into the editorial process. Special thanks to Anna who has generously shared her riso wisdom, and Olivia and Pindot for bringing the print magazine to life. Our love and gratitude to all the submitters who believe in the need for our platform and trust us with their creations. And lastly, for you, if this is your fifth letter from the editor, your first, or any number in between; thank you for sharing this space with us.
- Jasmine Gui
The production of this magazine volume is made possible by the Ontario Arts Council