This project arose from an interest in criticality—in probing it, questioning it, asking what it might look like. To us, the term “criticality” expands the way academia defines and practices critique. We arrived at the title (Ki, or what) and mission statement via collaboration and conversation, and we are thrilled that many of the pieces featured in this inaugural issue have taken shape in the same spirit. In Issue 1.1, criticality is thought in the form of the lyric essay, the photograph, the conversation, the poem. The eclecticism of the work our contributors trusted us to publish is beyond what we hoped for when we opened our submission window in January. We sought to feature critical thought in all its forms, particularly those that might not find their truest home in traditionally demarcated “academic” or “creative” spaces. We were thrilled by the volume of submissions and honored to read, see, and hear them. The work represented here is multidimensional, fragmented, and challenging. As editors, we have found ourselves enmeshed in it; it is our hope that readers of the journal will be able to access it as participants in the expansive conversation we have collectively begun—and intend to continue.

—Naima Karczmar, Justin Greene, Mehak Khan, and Yvonne Lin
June 2022, Berkeley, California