“Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.” – Stephen King
With THE FREEDOM ISSUE, Spirit & Flesh has been lucky enough to capture (if only temporarily) the following brightly feathered, exotic birds for our readers to study and be dazzled by:
Renowned Photographer Ellen von Unwerth, and one of her favorite photographic subjects, Mosh, create the freewheeling equestrian story My Pretty Pony.
Swizz Beatz, musician, artist, DJ and entrepreneur is once again ready to share his music again, along with his feelings about the value of art, and its creators (along with the value of street-smarts and ambition). Photographed by Nigel Parry.
Jussie Smollett, from the Fox hit series Empire tells us about his good fortune to work with several of music biggest icons, including Patti LaBelle, and the joy of creating his own music. Photographed by Lionel Deluy.
In Child of India, Mona Patel seeks to lift the lives of of others in a unique way: she founded Couture for Cause, an organization that auctions one of a kind couture fashion to raise funds to help people in need. Photographed by Alikhan.
In 103 Miles, photographer Danny Clinch takes his Cuban-born wife -and us- on a trip to Cuba, a country in an interesting state of transition.
Transgender model and activist Carmen Carrera graces our issue with her presence and brings along a few friends in Where The Boys Are, photographed by Mike Ruiz, who also contributed an anthem to diversity and individualism in the extraordinary feature Transmutations.
If someone threw a party for the freedom of personal expression, that person would be Susanne Bartsch, the legendary Queen of the Night, and the creator and host of The Love Ball, in support of victims of AIDS. In Do You See What I See, Bartsch, speaks to us about her latest projects and seemingly boundless energy. Also by Mike Ruiz.
In the feature about the french spy Mata Hari, Seduce and Destroy, Mark Seliger captures the allure (and the jewelry) of the notorious seductress.
There are many many other rare and colorful birds in this jam-packed issue; check them all out, before they are inevitably set free once again.
