The mission of Esopus is to create a space in which our contributors and readers can interact in the most direct, unfiltered way possible. This means, of course, avoiding advertising or commercially driven editorial material, but it also requires me, as the sole person standing between those two parties, to stay as much out of the way of this interaction as possible. My hope is for you to engage with the unmediated creative expression you find in the pages of Esopus on your own terms: to be inspired and moved (and perhaps at times confounded) by an artist’s project, poem, removable insert, or song without being told what you should expect from it according to my own (or anyone else’s) interpretation. 

For this reason, I have more often than not resisted the urge to write an editor’s note. On the occasion of our 25th issue, I’ll use this opportunity not only to reiterate the importance of this hands-off approach to the mission of Esopus, but also to remind you that if you’re intrigued by a particular piece featured here and would like to learn more, you can always visit our website, esopus.org, which tends to go into a bit more detail about each contribution, and which also features links to creators’ websites and to their other work. And you can always contact me directly at tod@esopus.org.

Finally, if you happen to be in the New York City area in May, please drop by our Esopus Space pop-up in Greenwich Village (at 64 West Third Street, #210). We’ll launch this issue there on Wednesday, May 9, from 7 to 9 p.m., and the space will be open Tuesday to Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., for the rest of the month. I hope to see you there, and I thank you, as always, for being a part of the Esopus community—and for taking us on our own terms.—Tod Lippy