Ink Well

“Behind this mask there is more than just flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea… and ideas are bulletproof.” -V for Vendetta

Volume 4, Masks, unveiled in October, 2011. October means Halloween, which got us thinking about the allure of dressing up as someone (or something else), and how masks often play a key role in that transformation.

But in reality, we are presented with different forms of masks every day. Whether we’re fighting to keep our true thoughts or feelings concealed from another; whether we’re probing and prying to get to know someone more deeply; whether it’s to protect or destroy, masks—cultivating, maintaining, and even exploring what’s beneath them—are a part of everyday adult life. So, we asked contributors to explore those motifs.

Art:

• Rachael McHan, “Putting On (Mask I)”
• C.J. Hungerman, “Invasion of the Body Bots”
• Eduardo De Soignie, “Moor”
• Ben Salus, “Mask”
• Maria Lux, “Masks”
• Ashley West Leonard, “The Other Woman”
• Blaine Bradford, “Holofernes Masquerade”

Lit:

• Subhra Bhattacharya, “Shadows”
• Eric Jenkins, “Two Sides of a Coin/Chinese Fire Drill”