I am, by nature, disinclined to empathy. Whether paintings, film or words, enjoying art has been an invaluable tool to help me to feel connected to others, and understand the human condition. In creating art, I strive to recognize the struggles and dreams all people hold in common. I hope this aspiration outshines any clumsy shortcomings in my Wikipedia-level evocation of culture, language, religion and geography in the following stories. Thank you for reading.
Acknowledgement and thanks to the following inspirations: John Elder Robison, VICE News, every Santa Muerte pickup truck cab window decal I ever saw on I-45, the Roanoke Colony, Zendik Farm and Heaven’s Gate.
- R. Nephi Smith 2018
