Whats up. It’s me, I’m again. My title is Emily Nokes. I’m a musician, artist, author, and now, The Stranger’s new Arts Editor. Yay!
Welcome to our Spring Arts challenge!
As soon as upon a time, I used to be the Music Editor right here. I left in 2015, then nothing a lot occurred on the earth within the decade since. Except you depend this nation’s bonkers descent into precise fascism, a gentle food regimen of the merciless and incomprehensible, and the pandemic we by no means actually processed—all in opposition to a backdrop of pervasive cultural context collapse aided by units that make us deeply sad, however that we nonetheless have to make use of for nearly every thing. And now it’s 2025, a yr that feels precisely such as you’d anticipate a yr to really feel that was kicked off by an exploding Cybertruck!
Whoa boy. I’ll have deserted a few of my outdated strategies of understanding the world we stay in, however I’ve not deserted all hope. In reality, a part of my cause for returning to a neighborhood print publication was not based mostly in nostalgia (okay, not fully, my first Stranger period did rip), however in a deranged optimism for this factor we name the long run.
I don’t learn about you, however I really feel a touch of one thing new within the air. We’re due for a correct revolt, however we’re additionally due for some pleasure, some humor, and a few fucking human-being-ness. People are FREAKS, and one of many freakiest issues about us is that we make artwork. Curiosity and creativity are our superpowers. My views on arts protection in a metropolis like ours are so robust they verge on civic obligation. If individuals are making issues, we should always speak about them, expertise them, assist contextualize them, and be serious about them outdoors the churn of income and promotion. Neighborhood for group. I imagine in Seattle, even when Seattle sucks!
I additionally imagine in print—in making one thing that lasts for some time, that you could sit with, and that gained’t slide into the ether if you put it down. I imagine in actual reporting, and taking a beat earlier than reacting (also referred to as “responding”). I imagine in nuance, and in variations in opinion, lengthy conversations, and the artwork of current within the discomfort of coming to the conclusion that there isn’t a conclusion. I additionally imagine in having some fucking enjoyable on this life. I wish to see extra of every thing in print. Hell, if it had been as much as me, I’d carry again private adverts. I need these I Noticed U’s blazing prefer it’s a god rattling relationship app! I wish to hear about your cool band or pop-up or efficiency piece or artwork challenge or mime evening or regardless of the fuck, let’s gooo!
Anyway, again to the duty at hand, which is now to let you know about this challenge. We’re rolling the tales out on-line, so one of the best ways to see all of it is seize a replica within the wild. On web page 49, Megan Seling describes watching songs get made out of skinny air, which isn’t dissimilar from watching this very newspaper come collectively. I virtually forgot how a lot of it depends on teamwork, fast decision-making, and a secret third factor on par with conjuring. It’s such a profoundly human effort, from brainstorming to writing to the enhancing course of… And that’s earlier than it even will get set on a ravishing web page.
Now that The Stranger is again in print each month, I used to be hellbent on bringing again a “Issues To Do” arts calendar (discover a copy and flip to web page 61) as a result of I’m past sick of wanting on the work of janky bots and regurgitated press releases. We people labored over the recent range of alternative right here—combing by poorly constructed venue web sites and occasions pages to decide on issues we expect are fascinating and noteworthy, from a twisted reenactment of The Titanic to Annual Daffodil Day. Algorithms may by no means. Our collective style is INSANE and can’t be PREDICTED!
Additionally on these pages are wormholes, portals, bagel holes, and… sizzling butts (I can’t take that joke to its pure conclusion). We’ve received seafood boils, music to sit up for, DADS dadding, and mothers giving heartfelt recommendation. And babe, we reply the query on everybody’s lips: Does the billionaire die?
I’d let you know about every bit, however I’m operating out of time (shout out to the angels ready for me to kind this earlier than the paper can go to press! It’s 12:47 a.m.!), however I belief you’re going to learn each phrase anyway as a result of we labored actually exhausting and made you one thing. See you subsequent month!
Love Truly,
Emily
COVER ARTWORK by Johanna Goodman, from the present Power of Nature at AMcE Inventive Arts
Typography by Corianton Hale
