The Front Porch Issue It wasn't so long ago when the front porch was the main feature of a home. Connected to the sidewalk, to the neighborhood, to the world-at-large, the front porch was an important destination. Families gathered to discuss big ideas, to share heartache and joy, to greet neighbors with news. But then something changed and the community-centered feature become replaced. (Any guess with what? You'll have to read the issue to find out the answer.) This issue is a tribute to the long-lost artifact, the once-centerpiece of the family and community. We've recreated a front porch especially for you, complete with a museum-like experience for the everyday reader. Some writers you'll encounter: J. Patrick Lewis (US Children's Poet Laureate 2011-13), Paula Brackston author of The Witch's Daughter, Richie Swanson, Claude Clayton Smith, Carmen Welsh, Red Haircrow, Robert, Kingett, Nandini Pandya, Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingde, Mary Buchinger, Steven Ray Smith, and many more. Cover photo by Christopher Woods.