We would like to acknowledge the work of the many volunteers who helped us communicate with writers and artists and who helped to edit and develop their work. We want to give a special shout out to Emily Nonko, who facilitated the connection between Apogee and Empowerment Avenue / Prison Renaissance, and who helped us to navigate the ins and outs of partnering with people for whom communication is so restricted. Special thanks, also, to Su Kim, who got so much of the visual art for this issue to us. Thank you to the other Empowerment Avenue volunteers, Bronwyn Isaac, Gavrilah Wells, Holly Delany Cole, Jack Fukushima, Louise Copp, Sarah Holtz, and Savannah Weinstock. Also, thank you to Gretchen Primack for connecting us with incarcerated writers in New York State. 

This issue would not be possible without the vision and dedication of Rahsaan “New York” Thomas, who advocated for the issue, spread the word about the call for work, connected us to supporters and volunteers, and collected work from fellow incarcerated individuals, in addition to sharing his own story and collaborative essay for the issue. Thank you, Rahsaan. We will continue to support your struggle for freedom.

We would like to extend a special thanks to the foundations and individuals whose gifts made possible this issue and the honoraria for contributors. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Resist Foundation, Gloria & Peter Stern, and the Center for NuLeadership on Human Justice and Healing.

We also received community support through our GoFundMe, and would like to thank Abigail Oot, Alexander Chee, Alexis Lin, Amy Hagopian, Ana Melo, Austin Szabo, Bani Campozano, Bianca Neptune, Cary Rothschild, Casie Horgan, Catherine Baab-Muguira, Catherine Napjus, Chris Lange, Daniel Jones, Deb Hinchey, Elizabeth Cruikshank, Elizabeth McCarthy, Elizabeth Parks, Ella Evans, Elvia Pyburn-Wilk, Evans Joseph, Frances Choi, Gisela Sanders-Alcantara, Gustavo A. Rivera, Hannah Powell, Holly Delany Cole, Hugh Ryan, Isabel Lake, Jack Fukushima, Jael Humphrey-Skomer, Jared Benjamin, JD Davids, Jeffery Kissinger, Jennifer Baker, Katharine Lasell, Kitsy Roberts, Lanre Akinsiku, Laura Peer, Lindsay Lyman-Clarke, long vo, Lucas Grindley, Lydia C. Kiesling, Maheen Khan, Mai Nardone, Malcolm Sacks, Margot Cohen, Mari Christmas, Martha Tenney, Mary Margaret Moore, Meredith Benjamin, Minahil Khan, Mindy Huffman, Monica Mohapatra, Muriel Leung, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Peter Rider, Polly Jirkovsky, Rachel Kozlowski, Rachel Zarrow, Rebecca Wender, RM Haines, Rohan Sud, Russell Moore, Ryan Gingery, Sami Feld, Shawn Ritchie, Taylor Moore, Traci Arnold, Victoria Cho, Whitney E. Lewis, William Epling, Yukari Kane, and zavé martohardjono. Thank you to all who donated anonymously. We forever appreciate you!

Apogee Journal is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Apogee Journal must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Apogee Journal’s 2021 operating expenses were supported in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.