Our first-ever mini issue, back when we hand-printed all the covers.

Here we are, in the Charles River Basin. You can hear the rush of traffic from almost anywhere. The sun rises early here on the edge of the Eastern time zone. Our soil is acidic, our wetlands are sprawling, and our roads are rumored to be old cattle paths. This is Massachusett, Nimpuc, and Wampanoag land. A river cuts through the center. Originally named the Quinobequin. What does it mean to live here?

I posted flyers all over the area, inviting writers and artists to answer this question. In this issue, you will visit a sidewalk in Dorchester, a pub in Allston, a graveyard in Dedham, and a classroom in Waltham. You will find seasonal vegetables and washed-up pottery shards. And you will keep coming back to the river, as a magnetic force, an inescapable inheritance, an angry torrent, and a beautiful escape.

My greatest hope is for The Q Review to capture the essence of this place we call home. I hope it inspires you to tell your own stories and ask your neighbors for theirs.