It was in 2019 that I met Megha Rao at the very first open mic I attended. I was enchanted by her piece which took me to lands I’d never known, seeing things I’d never seen. That’s what her poems are, they’re so much more than what they seem. Her latest publication, Teething, is what […]
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Featured Image: Lucxama Sylvain Aged eleven I knew Black was not beautiful That my 4c coils, dark brown skin, and protruding curves Made me too big, loud, and ugly Not blond enough, small enough, or white enough I was a sore thumb in a sea of white A sidekick in some white girl’s life Nice […]
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Featured Illustration: Ekaterina Kapranova During my elementary and middle school years, I dreaded lunch period because I was embarrassed to open up the stainless steel thermos my mom bought me from Target that was stuffed with Kebob or other Persian foods like Ghormeh Sabzi. I’d stare at the Uncrustable peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit […]
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South Africa lost a much-loved leader in Nobel Peace laureate and Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, in December 2021. A kind and principled man and the moral compass for our country both during apartheid and after democracy in 1994, he fought vociferously to bring about change. He was an avid campaigner for international […]
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Disclaimer: This review may contain spoilers for ‘Maybe I Don’t Belong Here: A Memoir of Race, Identity, Breakdown and Recovery’ by David Harewood (Bluebird Books). . . . MAYBE I DON’T BELONG HERE, the black-and-yellow poster on the wall of the subway in London shouted to me, on a visit last September. As a South […]
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Featured Artwork: ‘Anxiety’ by aaakeith Trigger Warning: Eating Disorders . . . Catherine comes over the night before Thanksgiving with her mother She was my first best friend my unofficial older sister the girl I wanted to be when I grew up I was six She was nine We had just read […]
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Featured Illustration: Alison Czinkota My earliest memory in the kitchen was at my grandfather’s elbow as he makes sweet potato pie, looking down at me, winking as he added an obscene amount of sugar. The scene continues to recreate itself. But I get taller, lankier, the kitchens change over time, but I was always at […]
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Featured Illustration: Abbey Lossing I’ve always loved celebrating the New Year. On December 31st, we’d feast as we waited for the clock to strike midnight, and I’d look up to the sky to admire the fireworks, despite harboring deep resentment for loud noises. In pre-pandemic times, my village hosted dinner parties, which were the only […]
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You know those kids in your class. The ones who take the hardest courses, do a million extracurriculars, always seem to be studying or working, usually aren’t free to hang out, and you once saw them tearing up over a B on their last assignment? I want to talk about them. To call myself one […]
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