In November, Chicagoans reflected on the passing of influential writer and radio presence Studs Terkel and proudly celebrated the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. Obama’s ascendancy and Terkel’s astounding, lifelong body of work have shifted divisional lines and asked us to reconsider a single street, a city, a nation, and recognize that being an individual means recognizing you are not alone.

The work in this issue struggles against property lines in their myriad forms: physical, personal, and intellectual, and considers each differently. From the very literal boundaries that draw and divide nations, to the divisions that become restricted or expanded by fear, racism, religion, and even creativity, the fact remains that lines exist in our daily navigations, right or wrong.

In this issue, you will find discussions on the ownership and responsibilities of language, cultural and personal indentity, the line between “accused” and “guilty,” the translation of a visual image into language, and the transgression of traveling in order to belong.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue and to everyone who crossed the line.