cover | Lillian Nelson

Distorted Tiger (pastel) Lillian Nelson, winner of The Monthly’s Fifth Annual Cover Contest, graces this issue’s cover with an art class assignment she did while a sophomore at Piedmont High School. Nelson, 16, who maintains a rigorous gymnastics practice, says she’s also committed to continuing her art through high school. For more information on Nelson and the other winners, see page 35. Local artist Bert Monroy will present awards to this year’s top three and honorable mention winners at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 22 at Amsterdam Art, 1013 University Avenue, Berkeley. The ceremony is open to the public.

FEATURE | Fighters on Both Fronts
As the war in Iraq blazes on, military recruiters struggle to attract fresh soldiers into the Armed Services while anti-recruiters step up their protest of the war. One side hopes to help youth be all they can be while the other educates teens about other opportunities available to them. By Andrea Lampros

Up Front | Arts and Minds
Rigorous academic curricula and an emphasis on testing have left classrooms with little time or money for creative arts. But the VALA project believes that visual art enhances language arts and kids learn when they are having fun. By Mike Rosen-Molina

East Bay Life | Nuts About Therapy
We live in a spawning ground for new therapy techniques, social activism, customized spirituality, and New Age values. But are all these opportunities for enlightenment leading us to greater self-awareness? By Meredith Maran

First Person | On a Mission
While helping her fourth-grader with the competitive "Mission Project," a local mom uncovers the dark side of school projects: a black market of completed mission models and gift-shop profiteering. By Jennifer Eyre White

In Faro’s Garden | Out of the Blue
When the gray all around mirrors an inner gloom, our hero wonders what it will take to foil the funk: A pep talk? Dividing the irises? By R.E. Faro

Shopping Around | Border Control
Good fences make good neighbors, and in the East Bay, where artisans abound, property markers showcase ironwork, hand-carved wood, and earthy stones. By Mike Rosen-Molina

The Kilduff File | Fu-Teng Cheng
Local designer starts a concrete counter culture. By Paul Kilduff

The Monthly’s Fifth Annual Cover Contest