The Cloudscent Journal is so pleased to finally present to you our second issue and our first issue of 2023 - Issue 2: ADAGIO. Adagio, a word that embraces the slowness and modesty in a journey, is what we found to capture what this issue has to offer in the most fitting manner. In this issue, we've gathered pieces that blur the lines between surrealism and reality, each piece taking the audience on a carved journey, some heartfelt and powerful, and some sweet and saccharine. ADAGIO highlights the determination and pathways of our 27 contributors, showing us that their artistic visions can persist even through tragedies and hopeless pursuits, and we have never been more thrilled to let you discover the tempos each writer has chosen for themselves.

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We open the issue with Minha Kyun's "Hours Before Midnight," wind chipping away at the page as it tells "the story of a person left behind" and gives you a glimpse of what it is like to live with an unrivaled urgency and panic. ADAGIO continues to move us past and take us through the many worlds of natural wonders, Nicholas Barnes's "lan su gardens" giving us a glimpse of the beauty memory has to offer as Matthew O'Rourke's "Birdie in the Forest" intertwines heartbreak and grief with the looming craze of sound.

 

As ADAGIO continues to move, every journey becomes a little more different, and despite the uniqueness of every story we witnessed, we've separated them into three sections: blur, haze, and light. These categories, to us, perfectly capture the otherworldly premises, struggles, and survivals we see in this issue's works, and the way each contributor strives to inspire with the hopeful, relentless, and expressive manner that defines this issue and journal.

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And lastly, to our wonderful readers, The Cloudscent Journal is always thankful for your continual love and the overwhelming support we've seen garner for our journal since the release of our first issue. You've shown us that art can reach every corner of this world and that it is one of the most powerful things despite being just on the tips of our fingertips. We hope you enjoy your own journey as you read on this issue; it's the least we can do. 

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We present to you: Issue 2, ADAGIO.

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Warmly,

Vivian Huang

Founder & Editor-in-Chief