Under the Surface

At every turn, truth and wonder await us in the depths. Each entry point, whether strategic or unexpected, is an invitation to explore. Pushing past the veneers on top — and peeling back the layers below — uncovers strata of possibility.

In the autumn 2020 issue of Hidden Compass, we bring you stories that delve under the surface.

In this issue’s photo feature, Lola Akinmade Åkerström finds herself Draped in Reverence as she respectfully navigates the line between cultural appreciation and appropriation. Her Portrait of global connection lifts the veil on a tapestry of cultures, from the Sámi of Sweden to the Yoruba of Nigeria.

Janna Brancolini plunges into the Mediterranean and through millennia of intrigue on a Quest to bring the origins of underwater archaeology into the light. Honor and the Sea follows in the wake of a tenacious woman who made waves excavating an ancient shipwreck off the coast of Sicily.

Out of Desolation, onetime Navy sailor Lance Garland discovered an unlikely guide through the wilderness. Our Time Travel feature follows the dual paths of Jack Kerouac — and 13 years of the author’s own twisting journey — to a new outlook on identity.

The Medusa of Time lures Daniel Hudon to the edge of Newfoundland, where he scans a primordial stone expanse imprinted with strange relics of a distant era. As he walks on ground once buried beneath an ancient sea — brought to life in illustrations by Henry Sharpe — Hudon ponders how the Human and Nature dynamic fits into life through the eons.

Finally, in our Chasing Demons feature, Jenna Scatena examines her role in The Age of Conquest — an era of travel defined by listicles and selfies, consumption and over-tourism. In this moment of global pause, she illuminates a brighter way forward.

As always, we extend our deepest gratitude to our readers, who share our vision of powerful storytelling, and to our contributors, who bring us stories from the frontiers of exploration.

Until the next voyage,

Katie Knorovsky, Managing Editor

Sabine Bergmann and Sivani Babu, Hidden Compass Co-Founders