Molly McCully Brown, “Suffering Weather” | Editorial Statement (Page 3)

• Brown identifies some examples of storms depicted in this issue of Image. Where in the issue do you see other depictions of weather? What ideas or emotions do they evoke? How do they contribute to your understanding of individual poems, essays, or stories?

• Brown writes that she’s “always been compelled by the texture of the word weather,” unpacking its meanings and associations. Are there words that especially fascinate you? What makes them especially moving or significant?

Chaim ben Avram, “Hebrew Numerology” | Poetry (page 123)

• Numerology is the belief in the divine or mystical significance of numbers. How does this poem draw our attention to the significance of the seven days iterated in Genesis?

• The poem’s first lines invite you to imagine a version of the creation narrative with only six days. How do you imagine the world, or our conception of it, might be different without the seventh day, the day of rest?

• Where do you notice either repetition or litany at work in this poem? What kinds of feelings or questions do its refrains and lists create?

In the Studio with Mahmoud Saleh Mohammadi | Visual Arts (Page 90)

• In Parallel Universe, Mohammadi’s suspended carpet references the roods of medieval churches. How does his work challenge or reinterpret traditional roods or triumphal crosses? does the piece function in this space?

• “For us Iranians,” Mohammadi explains, “carpets are not just objects but a sacred part of family existence.” Are there ordinary items in your own culture or home that function similarly? What might Mohammadi’s engagement with carpets reveal about your sacred objects?

Claire Hanlon, “This Pillar of Cloud” | Essay (Page 98)

• Hanlon interweaves images from the biblical exodus account with the story of her exodus from an abusive marriage. Which of the biblical images most stands out to you, and how does it add to the meaning of the essay?

• Hanlon describes her experience through metaphors like “lost in the dustpan of a brain in crisis” and “a slice of cold butter scraped unrelentingly over soft bread.” Which metaphors carry the most weight for you, and why?

• The pillar of cloud at the beginning of the essay appears sinister, but Hanlon concludes that it was instead “a terrible providence that led me to freedom.” What terrible providences have you experienced, and where have they led?