issue 26

The Russian word for summer, leto, is amost the same as the word for the year. Maybe the ancient Russians marked the passage of years by the summers. Even by the modern international standards, this year is half over, about to fall off some temporal cliff to join its siblings in the hip of history.

As the years go, it could have been worse. The Year of the Beast didn't materialize on 6/6/06. It could have been better. The US could have won against Ghana. If you favor excitement over stability, or if you prefer adventure over comfort, you are probably equally dissatisfied with the first half of the current year. But here is the event to cheer you up: issue 26 of Vestal Review. A great summer read, a cool feast to the eye. Something you may remember leto after leto. Enjoy.

—Mark Budman