We live in an age where to speak may not always be wise. Big Brother is watching you as you call and as you write. So why not write something that really stirs up ideas? The enemy for most Americans, the one thing that makes our lives sordid and uneventful, is the mind numbing life we all live. If our mind is too numb because we cannot turn off electronic stimuli long enough to think, then where will good writing come from? The Los Angeles Review is the voice of Los Angeles, and the voice of the nation. We do not have one editor who chooses work based on their idiosyncratic tastes, but instead bring in a variety of editors for each issue. This year\u2019s editors are focusing on The Stories We Tell. We dedicate the second issue of The Los Angeles Review to Deena Metzger.