More than any other month, February revolves around the human heart: The Super Bowl gets our adreneline flowing and inspires many to cheer with their hearts on their sleeves, while Super Tuesday demands that we examine our hearts at the ballot box. And Valentine’s Day invites us to partake in some romantic whimsy, while the public health community reminds us to take our hearts seriously during American Heart Month.

Fittingly, this month’s issue of InTheFray offers several takes on the heart’s emotional manifestations. We begin with a story that will make your mouth water. In “Cooking like an Egyptian,” Aisha Gawad discovers her Egyptian heritage in the kitchen. Meanwhile, our Books Editor Amy Brozio-Adams reviews Anya Ulinich’s Petropolis and discovers that émigrés — no matter how hard they try — can never quite satisfy the heart’s longing for home

Rounding out this month’s stories are three poems about love, passion, and devotion. Each line meticulously written, poet Heather Fowler muses about and the power that we have over our hearts — and the power they have over us. To get the full emotional effect, be sure to listen to the sound file accompanying Fowler’s prose poem “A long time coming: love’s promise poem.”

Thanks for reading. Have a great month!

Laura Nathan
Editor
Buffalo, New York

Laura Nathan-Garner