Esopus 12: Black and White, our second themed issue, and printed using only black ink, included artists’ projects by Fiona Banner (a 33" x 15" poster), Michael Iskowitz (a removable 24-page “sketchbook”), and James Pyman; as well as 100 still frames from director Charles Burnett’s classic 1977 film Killer of Sheep (with an essay by critic Armond White). Also included: Stanley Greenberg’s compelling photographs relating to 20th-century particle physics (with an essay by Harvard historian Peter Galison); fascinating, often harrowing recollections from a group of soldiers who performed in a tour of The Fantasticks on Vietnam’s front lines in 1969; a complete facsimile edition of a 44-page 1974 artist’s book by the late artist, writer, poet, and scientist Bern Porter; a new installment of our Modern Artifacts series with the MoMA archives featuring materials relating to painter Grace Hartigan (1922–2008); and much more.

The enclosed audio CD features brand-new songs, commissioned for the issue, inspired by black-and-white films from musicians including Nina Nastasia, The Ruby Suns, Sam Amidon, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, and DJ/rupture.