We Have an Issue: We Weren't Built for This

Photo by Jana Birchum

If you're holding a copy of this paper in your hands, then that means things are finally starting to go right again after so much going wrong. Like, spectacularly wrong.

If you're looking for somewhere to pin the blame, you could point a frostbitten finger in a bunch of directions – bad luck, bad planning, failed leadership, climate change, climate change denial, deregulation, and good old-fashioned gross negligence. Our governor, of course, went on Fox News during this crisis to blame renewable energy and shit-talk the Green New Deal, so his priorities seem in order.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to be snide. But I'm angry, and I know you are, too.

Readers, I ache for the extraordinary hardships so many of you have endured during this awful time, and I am awed by the extraordinary work being done by true public servants, first responders, essential workers, and everyday people volunteering their time and opening up their homes to shelter others. I hope the thaw is quick and merciful for us all.

So you might notice this paper looks a little weird. It was put together by a skeleton crew, whoever had power and internet hour to hour. Our printer in Houston has been losing power intermittently all week; as we send this off on Thursday, a day late, we honestly have no idea when it's going to be printed, or trucked back in to Austin, or delivered around town by our drivers. If there's inaccurate or outdated information, you'll forgive us. We're all flying by the seat of our sweatpants here.

Finally, this crisis bumped our original cover highlighting the breathtaking work of Austin artist Deborah Roberts. We're reprinting it here. Find Robert Faires' story here, and seek out Roberts' exhibition at the Contemporary Austin's Jones Center through August.

Deborah Roberts' Fighting all the ISM (Photo by Paul Bardagjy / The Contemporary Austin)