'Literature stands on the front lines, wherever noble human impulse confronts the void. Mass extinction of species, collapse of earth’s vital ecosystems, devastating environmental degradation, systemic impoverishment, and the fraying of hard-won systems of geopolitical cooperation all hang heavy on us in this generation. One often underappreciated aspect of this avalanche triggered by human overreach is the accelerating loss of our cultural diversity—of the peoples, traditions, and languages of our world.' (Introduction)