Letter From the Editor... So just what does it take to be "patently offensive"? That's a question I've been asking myself a lot lately. It's a question that's come up, from many quarters and on many occasions as we've worked on this special issue of erotica. By the guidelines of the Rensselaer Media Statement, the Gorgon is forbidden to "depict" or "describe", "in a patently offensive way, normal or perverted sexual conduct or lewdness." It has been suggested that this magazine will violate that guideline. I don't think that the magazine that you are holding in your hands fits that description. In fact, I think it's pretty tame. To me, that is both a relief. . . and a disappointment. It is a relief because the conservative content of this issue means less trouble for the Gorgon and for myself. It is a disappointment because some wicked, perverse little demon inside of me yearns to challenge that guideline, as well as the sensibilities of the people responsible for enforcing it (readers with more delicate sensibilites should breathe a sigh of relief that most of the truly questionable material was just too long to include). When we asked the RPI community for erotica, this is what we received. I think that every piece in this little magazine has something to teach us about sex, love, and our own erotic lives. I hope that you enjoy reading this magazine at least as half as much as I have enjoyed being a part of its creation. -Andrea K. Barreiro