The 20th edition of Last Exit is called Escape. The idea for the theme came before the tragic earthquake in Haiti, but the correlation is not lost on us. This is especially true because the new issue features a photo essay by Gary Fabiano documenting the mass exodus of Haitian people away from Port-au-Prince in January. “With the infrastructure of their city in rubble, thousands of survivors whose homes were destroyed or near crumbling decided that the only choice left would be to flee,” writes Fabiano.

Beyond that, you will find very little else that will make you think of Escape. Maybe one other thing. But our goal at Last Exit has always been to publish content that interests us, regardless if we can tie it all into one broad theme or not. Sometimes it works out that way, sometimes it doesn’t.

Oh yeah, we should have a few updates in the next couple of weeks with various things to warm you through the rest of this weird winter. And one administrative item: Please come follow us on Twitter.

On to the roll call…

As mentioned above, photographer Gary Fabiano checks in with a sobering photo essay from Haiti.

Nicholas Weissman spent time in Willets Point, Queens documenting the workers and single resident who are being forced out by the city in order to build a massive commercial and residential community. This video, made with Corey Wascinski, is stunning.

Last Exit co-editor Keach Hagey interviews writer, professor, blogger and musician J. Robert Lennon about his new novel, Castle.

Flavor columnist Anne Dailey documents her seven-week escape to a farm, doing the kind of work most women in her grandparents’ generation escaped from.

Contributing editor Bryan Joiner offers some advice to our dashing new senator from Massachusetts.

Last Exit co-editor Paul Menchaca looks at America’s last chance to save an eight-year war in Afghanistan.

— The Editors