This Issue

            In the second issue of The Divine Animal our feature is once again a poet, and this time you are even less likely to have heard of her. Her name is Saphire and we think you will never forget her. She is brazen, forthright and astoundingly lyrical. She speaks with a clear and powerful voice that is impossible to ignore, and her work may very well define the voice of an entire generation in years to come. There are seven of her poems in this issue as well as a truly visionary piece of literary criticism by John Yates that explores the significance and beauty of Saphire’s work.

            In the art section, we have the haunting photography of featured photographer Cheryl Townsend, as well as the sensual melancholia of Marci McDonald’s erotic paintings. This month we also feature the first of four photo essays by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Dustin Morrow, The Warmth of the Sun.

            Perhaps the most important piece I have ever had the pleasure of publishing appears in this issue. Crossing the Border, a short story by John Yates, is one man’s venture into the streets of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. This story lays open the heart of prostitution, life on the streets, and the average American’s amazing ability to walk in and out of the center of human devastation and never be touched by it at all.  It is the story of a girl beautiful in spirit, against the backdrop of ugliness and greed that surrounds her. Most of all, it is the story of a man who will not shut his eyes and walk away: one man who cannot save the world but will never stop weeping for it’s destruction. Never before have I read anything capable of simultaneously being as brutally honest and completely compassionate. Yates’ work is revolutionary in both content and style, seamlessly blending poetry and narrative into a tale that will leave you profoundly moved and perhaps changed forever.

            This is only the second issue of The Divine Animal, but I believe we have already taken huge steps towards accurately portraying human sexuality as it is, celebrating the beauty of eroticism and also in pointing the way towards a society in which the sensual/sexual can be accepted as both a desirable and necessary part of a whole human being. I am excited to be able to share this with so many viewers and grateful for the plethora of resoundingly positive feedback I have received in the last month. So thank you! And welcome…