Recent controversy about immigration reform struck me as a good reason to return to a theme that has popped up throughout my professional life: the connections made among different people of different cultures, crossing borders, oceans, economic and social boundaries. A particularly persuasive example is my memory of the enthusiastic and heart-felt response of a Russian audience to the play Driving Miss Daisy. It was an unlikely experience for me: there I was, in 1989,  producing this very Southern play, in English, in theaters in Moscow and Leningrad filled with mostly Russian speakers.

In that case, it wasn’t the power of words that brought some in the audience to laughter and tears; it was the emotional connection made among the characters and conveyed through artistry to the audience.

In so many ways, we make connections; through words, of course, but also through our travel, Southern hospitality, our stories, food and even our manufacturing! In this issue, some of our favorite writers bring you many such varied connections of our Longleaf area to other people and cultures. From fire plugs to K dogs, from books to neon, you will see connections with every page you turn.

The journey of discovery we promised our readers when we began five years ago continues with exuberance in this and future issues. Unearthing long-forgotten stories and finding emerging writers and artists has added immeasurably to our magazine. We prize  the wonderful comments in conversation, on line, and in letters that tell us you like what you read. Keep it up!

Finally, I want to direct you to our website which has a new design (still in progress!) and lots of stories from back issues - www.longleafstyle.com. If you remember a story which especially appealed to you and you don’t see it there, let us know and we’ll be sure to include it in the archive.

Best wishes from all of us here at Longleaf!

Josephine E. Ayers