By Lacey Jarrell
Photo by Will Kanellos
In his memoir, On Writing, author Stephen King states, “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.”
It’s true that writing or publishing any form of journalism can bring about some, if not all, of those things. But at the end of the day, the core of a journalist’s work is much truer than that. As storytellers, we are acutely aware that the values and lessons we learn from our sources can be used to educate, advocate, and entertain our readers. In our story “Beneath the Hijab,” page 34, one writer uncovers the essence of religious clothing, while in another, “Uncontrollable Actions,” page 20, we provide a glimpse into Tourette Syndrome, a well-known, yet mysterious neurological disorder affecting thousands of Americans. The piece, “Tattooed and Employed,” page 24, explores the prejudices facing women with body art and the proactive action one group is taking to demolish those stereotypes.
Narrating stories such as these has allowed Ethos to illustrate countless aspects of the human condition through the last eight years, and my hope is that Ethos continues to document our ever-changing cultural landscape long into the future.
To the community members who have shared their work, lives, struggles, and dreams with our writers and readers, we dedicate this issue of Ethos to you. Without your perspectives and insight, Ethos could not create such intimate reflections of what it means to be human in today’s world. So even if somewhere down the road getting dates or getting famous arises from our careers in journalism, please remember that these superficial benefits could never match the rewards we gain from working with you. Thank you for allowing us to share your stories. Enjoy.

Gallery • 1 Photos

Will Kanellos

Editor’s Note – Spring 2013