★ Cover Story
"The Ones Nobody Sees Coming"
Six artists, three cities, zero budgets. How the underground keeps making stuff that matters when nobody's watching — and why that's exactly the point. Interview + photo essay inside.
"We don't wait for permission. We never did."
Read ✦
p. 4–11
01
Interview
D. Okafor: "I Make Art for Telephone Poles"
"Stopped applying for grants. Started printing anyway."
The paste-up artist and sound collagist on refusal, repetition, and why she puts her work where it can get rained on.
p. 14
D
Quick
EVENTS
Zine fair, Sat May 10
✦ bring cash
✦ bring zines
✦ no slides
✦ no pitches
Open mic, Wed
bring literally
anything
Zine fair, Sat May 10
✦ bring cash
✦ bring zines
✦ no slides
✦ no pitches
Open mic, Wed
bring literally
anything
Essay
On Caring Too Much
A defence of sincerity in an age that calls everything cringe. Why giving a damn is the most radical act available to you right now, and how to do it without apology.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: The economics of the photocopy shop at midnight. A short history of bad sound systems. Why your flyer matters.
Reviews
Turnstile / The Riv
loud. sweaty. essential.
That Zine Fair
too many laptop stickers
Tape in old coat
peak. perfect. keep it.
loud. sweaty. essential.
That Zine Fair
too many laptop stickers
Tape in old coat
peak. perfect. keep it.
✂ Classifieds — cut & keep
FOR TRADE: Box of VHS tapes (unlabeled). May contain art. May contain a wedding. Serious offers only.
WANTED: Drummer who doesn't own a car. Must haul own kit on bus. Helmet optional but appreciated.
FREE: One broken Epson. Still prints. Sort of. Art supply or paperweight — you decide. Smells like ink.
Mailbag
Letters
"my landlord threw out my risograph printer so I set up in the bathroom. the ventilation is not good."
— reader, Detroit
— reader, Detroit
"limelight saved my commute. possibly my life."
— anonymous
— anonymous
Theory corner
Against Curation
What happens when the algorithm starts doing the discovering for you. A short, angry essay about playlists, recommendation engines, and the death of the beautiful wrong turn.
p. 22
?
Puzzle
Limelight Crossword
1A: What we're trying to give you (9)
3D: The opposite of algorithm (8)
5A: Where good art ends up (walls) (3)
Manifesto
We are not
a brand.
We are not
a platform.
We are a
spotlight.
a brand.
We are not
a platform.
We are a
spotlight.
limelight ✦