30 color pages

The cover

The cover

A page from "A Brief History of Modification," by Madeline Detelich.


Table of Contents: 

Letter from the Editors

A Brief History of Modification by Madeline Detelich (comic)

Let's Dream of Electric Sheep by Diego Cruz (essay)

Still Life by Monica Kortsha (photograph)

The GMO That Needs Us by Monica Kortsha (essay) + art by Douglas Pollard

A Brief History of Modification cont. by Madeline Detelich (comic)

Farm to Blog by Monica Kortsha (interview) + art by Madeline Detelich

Biotechnology No.1 by Mike Lewinski (artistic photograph)

Potato, Potahto by Diego Cruz (essay)

My Gene Patent Journey by Monica Kortsha (essay)


Our current issue issue is also our first. It features a potpourri of writing and artwork inspired by genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. 

What's classified as a genetically modified organism depends on who you ask. Some people count all domesticated animals as GMOs, while others limit their definition to organisms with intentionally edited DNA. The latter category includes characters like bacteria that produce insulin and lab rats with genes knocked out to simulate human disease. But when most people hear the term GMO, they think food and they don’t like what’s on the plates: Fifty-seven percent of Americans say GMOs are unsafe to eat, according to a 2015 Pew Research Center Poll

It makes sense that a technology we interact with so intimately can cause so much controversy. Eating is a basic yet profound necessity; every animal eats to survive. But for humans, food is also a cultural force that shapes our lives, identities, and health. 

What we offer here aren’t necessarily answers, but rather a series of meditations that explore a rich and complex topic that could have far-reaching consequences in our lives and our future.