Welcome to ISSUE 7.
Seven is a lucky and lonely number. A week has seven days, a rainbow has seven colors, a musical scale has seven notes, and we celebrate that ubiquity. Yet, in the world of mathematics, it is alone. It is the fourth prime number, only divisible by one and itself. Of the numbers we can count with our fingers, seven is the only number that is not divisible by or a factor of the others.
In our own ways, 2021 has been a lucky but lonely year. The ongoing pandemic has isolated us from some of our communities, but we’ve found solace in others. As a writer and editor, I’ve seen many successes—acceptances and opportunities that can only be explained by luck. Amidst the successes, I witnessed my own and my family’s health reaching rock bottom, and felt estranged from my friends at times. We find loneliness in luck, and luck in loneliness.
Our seventh issue explores this dichotomy. Kaya Dierks’ “Moving, Pictures” is a documentation of a shared history full of tenderness amidst sadness—a lonely endeavor full of luck. Ashia Ajani’s “nameless” reaches into cultural identity through moments of oppression and hope: through loneliness and luck. Still, in these emotional extremes, all our contributors found common ground in telling their stories. Throughout the issue, you too will find comfort in the memories of home, bodies of water, and love.
With that, I welcome you to The Lumiere Review’s seventh issue. We may have had our moments of loneliness, but our team is more than lucky to showcase the works of 27 contributors.
Lots of ♡,
Jessica Kim
Editor-in-Chief
(P.S. Our seventh issue made me think of BTS’ album, “Map of the Soul: 7,” a record of their seven-year journey and seven-member band. If you need a playlist to check out while browsing through this issue, “Map of the Soul: 7” is it!)