This Issue

Sep/Oct 2011

September 11, 2011, marks the ten-year anniversary of 9/11. Back then, some of you were probably still watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Do you remember Fred Rogers saying how, when bad things happen, you should always "look for the helpers"?

Helpers are something Anna Blech witnessed firsthand when the Twin Towers collapsed outside her bedroom window and she and her family were evacuated to a shelter across the river in New Jersey. You'll find her story, "Adventure Day," as this issue's Expressions.

Extending a helping hand is a powerful image that appears elsewhere in the September/October issue. In "Green," Eve is an earth mother who reaches out to Theo, a homeless teen traumatized by the frightening things that seem to happen when he's around. In "Clover," we meet Graham Koglin, a lonely teacher who experiences the comfort of human touch after a more-than-rough day in the classroom.

Of course, hands can be formidable things as well. For a change of pace, check out "The Ontological Factor," where Steve, a philosophy major and manga comic artist, discovers the nature of reality. Trust us, it has nothing to do with Plato, Hegel, Nietzsche, or any of those guys. It does have a lot to do with formidable hands.

When you're done reading the following selections from Cicada®, go to www.cicadamag.com/submitwork and answer the Call for Creative Endeavors. Your Challenge theme: Hands!

© 2011 by Carus Publishing Company