I remember years later working the day bar getting a call from a Florida police detective and how the line was disconnected.

I remember how the call came through again and the detective said I am putting Vera on the line.

I remember that Vera was my step-mother’s sister and she was around 90 and probably never used a cell phone before in her life.

I remember how the line got disconnected again as soon as she came on.

I remember knowing the phone would ring again and I figured she was calling to tell me Dorrie had died in the nursing home where she was currently residing.

I remember finally keeping the connection and Vera telling me, “Bill is dead and you need to come down here right away.”

I remember Bill was my father.

I remember thinking, despite heart issues my father wouldn’t be the first to go.  

I remember thinking Vera was going to tell me that Dorrie had died from her cancer.

I remember thinking, not for the first time, show’s what I know.

I remember that was the Spring and  Summer of spending six weeks in Florida and not getting any closer to a beach that a crematorium in Daytona.

I remember the first time I saw a blue tattoo in the city at a market with my mother.

I remember my mother telling me that was a phony mark.

I remember I was just a kid but I knew, instinctively, that couldn’t be right.  

I remember, many years later, all the things she told me that were the opposite of what they really were.  

I remember thinking her delusion was a defense mechanism to conceal information she couldn’t process.  

I remember wondering if there was a correlation in her well-diagnosed mental illnesses with Trump’s undiagnosed ones.

I remember how young I looked when I was eighteen.

I remember how young I looked when I was thirty.

I remember the last time I had my proof checked I was forty-four years old.

I remember the summer of my junior year getting my proof checked to see ”My Sister, My Love.”

I remember it sucked.

I remember seeing “Belle de Jour” at the Stanley in Utica and taking turns making up sex scenes to describe to the legally blind guy we had taken with us.

I remember being squeezed in the back of a Triumph driving from Utica to Syracuse in the middle of Winter to see “Carmen Baby.”

I remember, except for one scene, it sucked too, but not as bad as “My Sister, My Love.”

I remember “I Am Curious Yellow.”

I remember being curious what all the fuss was about.

I remember thinking I’d almost like to see it again and find out what the hell they were talking about.

I remember seeing “Last Tango in Paris” and except for the bloody suicide what an absolutely great movie that really didn’t need that graphic sex scene which was only a distraction in a otherwise masterful acting performance.  

I remember thinking, I know why they included it and that people were bent out of shape for all   the wrong reasons.

7-

I remember Sounds of Silence

I remember Mellow Yellow.

I remember the first time I saw Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony Live.

I remember how my heart almost stopped when the chorus stood up in their white robes and began the Ode to Joy.

I remember my youngest son’s third grade teacher being in the chorus and how he died such an unnecessary self-immolation death  and the poem I wrote “The Burning Song Book.”

I remember it was in my long out of print book Stop Making Sense.

I remember drinking unpasteurized milk on St Croix.

I remember toxoplasmosis.

I remember Johnny Jelly Beaner

I remember “Pluck Your Magic Twanger, Froggie.”

I remember the singing nun and wished I didn’t.

I remember “Deck the halls with Boston Charlie.”

I remember Jean Shepard reading Byron with a Spanish guitar accompaniment on his nightly WOR radio show.

I remember his inspirational readings from the Manhattan phone book.

I remember phone books.

I remember In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash.

I remember seeing Curtis LeMay at a political rally in Utica.

I remember seeing Hubert Humphrey and the demonstrators chanting, “Dump the Hump, Dump the Hump.”

I remember that Tommy James and the Shondells were the “musical act” meant to attract and appeal to younger voters

I remember it was the first time we seen Tommy and his friends live.

I remember the dance my friends and I went stag to, stoned out our minds, and hung out with boys.

I remember they got a kick out of us.

I remember wondering why no one stopped us from having complete access to the band.

8-

I remember peace marches through the city.

I remember America Love it or Leave it.

I remember all the Utica cops had that phrase on bumper stickers on their patrol cars.

I remember when President Nixon called for the Silent Minority to be heard, Uticans turned out in force.

I remember when we had a peace fair on campus for the locals no one showed up.

I remember “This Little Bird.”

I remember “Girl on a  Motorcycle.”

I remember Marianne Faithfull’s soulful Ophelia.

I remember Billy Pilgrim

I remember Kilgore Trout and Venus on a Half Shell.

I remember Ace Science Fiction Doubles

I remember Mother Night.

I remember The Penultimate Truth.

I remember The Man in the High Castle.

I remember the first time I heard Dylan Thomas read his poetry.

I remember, ”rage, rage against the dying on the light.”

I remember losing almost thirty pounds when I had double viral pneumonia mid-way through my first semester freshman year.

I remember taking up smoking beginning with Luckies when I got over it.

I remember how stupid I was when I was 19 and immortal.

I remember writing “Visions Fill the Eyes of a Defeated basketball Team in a Showroom: a symphonic poem in three movements.”

I remember think no one would guess where I got that tile from.

I remember seeing Jumping Johnny Green live at the old Garden, at six foot six, out center jump Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlin 7’1’ and it wasn’t even close.

I remember writing “An Explanation Offered to an Extraterrestrial of Bernstein Conducting Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on Television with the Sound Turned Off.”

I remember the first time I saw The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade.

I remember the second time I saw Marat/Sade and thinking it was a little too close to home.

I remember the first time I visited my mother at Pilgrim State when I was seven.

 Remember the years prior to that on St Croix.

I remember being told we were going there for “a rest cure,” though no one told me why my  father wasn’t going to be there.

I remember understanding that my father was never going to be there or anywhere else in my mother’s life ever again.

I remember  that I was eventually told I would see him again.

I remember it was close to two years after we went to St Croix, came back and she had the “nervous breakdown.”

I remember how I felt being alone twelve hundred miles or so from home with an out of control, hysterical woman.

I remember during the visits on weekends to Pilgrim State how mellow and laid back she was and  I thought this is not my mother, this is someone impersonating her.

I remember on one of those visits watching a movie in a day room with in-patients where I saw Frances the Talking Mule.

I remember how one patient in particular looked at me, as an outsider, as if I was somehow in league with Wilbur and that we were interfering with the messages Frances was trying to convey.

I remember how it wasn’t until many years later when I was writing my chapbook Visiting Day on the Psychiatric Ward that the patient actually believed Frances was a talking mule and had special  messages that needed to be understood.

I remembering wondering if the people who ran Pilgrim State and by extension, were responsible for treating her severe mental illnesses, did not have Clue 1.

I remember the second time she was at Pilgrim State, Involuntarily Confined, on a conference call with family and the doctors in charge of treatment and getting no real answers as to what her condition actually was and understanding that my first impressions was correct; these people had no fucking clue much less an understanding of how she thoguht and why she did the things she had done.

I remember, after my father died, finding the divorce decree and learning that in 1953, if you established residency in St Croix for one year you could get a No Contest divorce in the States.

Adrea Stojilkov in “Life (and) death in “Harry Potter”: The Immortality of Life and Soul, 2015, surveys critical case study of popular culture of fantasy fiction novelistic tradition whilst examining the titular heroic protagonist archetypal fictitious character of Harry Potter. Voicing Harry to be the harbinger of loving survivor heroism for the witchcraft and wizardry, the stream of consciousness authorial narrative trope within the realm of imaginative essayist, endows the heir of the Potter to be temptress of the soul. As journalistic eucharist eschatoglogical revelation of the hermeneutic tradition is radicalizing springing forth to the foray of theological and metaphysical implications. For instance, “Basilisk venom and fiendfyre” are fundamentally instrumental unicorn of blood elixirs of the spiritual battles raged in destruction of animosity harboured by manipulative schemers such as ripped burdened souls of ghoulie-phantom spectre-like figures of transgression.  

After all the boarding school detective speculative gothic romance adventure fantasy fiction is hailed as superheroic agency of the witchcraft cult textual performativity of immersive theatricality through visceral evocation of experiential spectatorial gaze and/or phenomenal aurality of being “The Chosen One”, who thwarted Dark Lord Voldemort. However, hectic ordeal of seven books and herculean odyssey of seven corresponding years transcend as a triumphant victory over the diabolical agency of devilry. Being doppelganger Harry Potter resurrects the aural spectrality of Voldemort’s redemptive quest for salvation and atonement by the transfiguration of humane virtues. Stone-heartedness of sadomasochistic ambitious antagonist Voldemort is surrealistically patronizing Potter-esque charisma in Rowling’s gothic masterpiece, since the former vouchsafes earthbound enchantment spirit for the anticipatory fear of deathliness. 

In Life (and) death in “Harry Potter”: The Immortality of Life and Soul, Andrea Stojilkov (pg. 8) cites Harry and Dumbledore’s utopic space time travel through psychic farsightedness, then and there, Rowling herself states through Dumbledore’s words that Harry’s death is not definite. Furthermore, the white, misty King’s Cross seems too desolate for Heaven, believed to be inhabited by the souls of good individuals, God and angels, a place of fellowship. To my intuitive argument, Harry’s phoenix-like resurrected reawakening of the afterlife healing journey is transformatively rewarding by Dumbledore’s sacrificial boon’s forces. Despite the withered hand being healed, however, the crookedness of nose and piercing blue eyes of a half moon spectacles do not vanish in Dumbledore’s fate. Since then, the limbo child-leaving Voldemort inverted serpent soul whimpering of master theologian metaphysician sacrificial vouchsafing safeguards and shields Harry with immaculate vision and disappearance of lightning scar. Herein, Dumbledore’s lamb-like lamp sheds light by the glory of magical realism as envisioned by King’s Cross. 

However, essay writer’s conjuration of Harry’s admissibility through Barzakh ushers wholesome “wh(s) on earth” and “good heaven’s sake” subliminal textuality of Quranic allusion. Herein real and imaginary, life and death, spirituality and materiality, neither existent nor non existent, neither negated nor affirmed facsimile world; Harry’s metaphysical quest of pilgrimage in spirituality encounters phoenix-fawkes spirited guardian angel Dumbledore—the custodian and protector of souls; because of flesh and blood material bodied souls offered by veil or barrier “body can see anything and everything from everywhere everytime”. Life (and) death in “Harry Potter”: The Immortality of Life and Soul, Andrea Stojilkov (pg. 10) 

Because of ascetic and moralistic writers disposition of austerity and graveness, the literary critic Margarita Carretero Gonzalez in “The Lord of the Rings: a myth for the modern Englishmen” ( 1998)declares fantasy fiction and imaginative literature to be a depopularizing paperback bestsellers genre tradition amongst the Spaniards. Nonetheless, plurilingualism of other European worlds gracefully occasioned to wholeheartedly embrace translation of Tolkien such as Sweden and Denmark. This might be posited that perhaps beyond multilingualism, plurilingualism provided dynamic and interconnected nature of language repertoire, advancing code switching and cross-linguistic influences to appreciate romantic fairy-story mythlore of epic romance. 

Gonzalez (1998, p. 2) went on to argue that the Anglo-Saxon period, Victorian medievalism, idealization of the Middle Ages predominantly depicting spatiotemporality of the hobbits and the Shires to be the character and culture of the English way of life and the English rural countryside, might have been intriguing the denizens and locales of English native soil and clime. These Britishers have felt the urgency for environmental stewardship  and climate change campaigns due to the progressive disappearance of England’s natural environment. This paving of nationalistic internationalization predominantly springs forth in Northern European regions more than the Southern European regions. Furthermore affinity to the sagas in the North Atlantic peoples—— the Scandinavians and their heirs in Iceland, Greenland and England extrapolates critical commentary of Georgiana St. Clair in “‘The Lord of the Rings’ as a Saga” (1979). Thus facilitates acculturation of hybridized and diversified generic terms of fairy-story, epic, novel and romance.      

Much like J K Rowling’s Harry Potter series heroic idol of feminism Hermione, J R R Tolkien’s Eowyn is a star studded champion in advocacy of women’s emancipation and female empowerment. Eowyn, House of Eorl, a woman with a strong, stern and steel personality, ride and wield blade and does not fear pain or death resembles Hermoine’s association in the company of Ron and Harry in slaying Basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor. Both J K Rowling and J R R Tolkien are acquitted from misogyny and sexism after this literature review, thus challenging stereotypical gendered expectations of hackneyed microcosms. After all these heroines of chivalry crucially manifest themselves as iron ladies and shield maidens in redeeming their male counterparts to be defenders and protectors of life.  

If narrative history of chronicle like recording of events would postulate a saga of recovery, escape, consolation, that then J K Rowling’s Harry Potter sagas and J R R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy emanate characteristic quintessential features of eucatastrophe in the inner consistency of reality and/ or the willing suspension of disbelief. In substantiation of this internally consistent fictional world, Georgiana St. Clair in “‘The Lord of the Rings’ as a Saga” (1979) states that, “These critics see in the Grey Havens the Christian Heavenly City: they see the ending as the joyful ascension, without death, of the heroes into heaven. However, in “The Hobbit-Forming World of J. R .R. Tolkien,” Henry Resnik reports that Tolkien’s long acquaintance with Norse and Germanic myths inspired the chillier, more menacing landscapes of middle-earth, and he makes no secret of having deliberately shaped the two major interests of his life—- rural England and the northern myths—— to his own literary purposes. In The Lord of the Rings Tolkien says, I have tried to modernize the myths and make them credible.” Consequently, if the Grey Havens is to be associated with Valhalla rather than the Christian Heaven, then the ending must reflect that interpretation. The Valkyries take the heroes from this life to Valhalla, to a magnificent banquet, sports, and fighting. But Valhalla is not an eternal refuge, only a waiting place until that final confrontation between good and evil. In this final battle, the Gods and the heroes will fight valiantly, but they will fall. The joy of Valhalla is the promise of one more combat, not the infinite gloria of Christian salvation and everlasting life. The voyage to the Grey Havens is not a eucatastrophic event.” 

Following this un eucatastrophic trajectory and after digression from Hans Christian Andersen and Dostoevksy a full fledged paper authorship is a swashbuckler challenging spectacle, whilst considering the limitations of JStor resources free accessibility. For instance, “The Lord of the Rings”: The Novel as Traditional Romance” by George H. Thomson is the least of the reading material I wish to endorse for citation. However, my two days work of independent scholarly research would proffer a standing ovation and libation tribute to the comparative literature and cultural studies curricula in the context and worldview of Rowling and Tolkien. Imagining a fiction writing master class workshop with J K Rowling positing the imperative pronouncement of poetic diction and I am delighted to craft a transliteration of a feast of the middle earth home: “Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold”. Author of the modern century and the modern medievalist delves into the subliminal aura of the readers with treasure trove of pale enchanted and long-forgotten gold.

Gender roles in society

Beyond the Binary: Gender Roles and the Diplomacy of Open Minds

Introduction: The Personal and the Spiritual

In a world that is increasingly interconnected, how we understand and respond to gender roles is more than a cultural footnote—it is central to our spiritual journey, governance, development, and personal relationships. Gender roles, as outlined in the Bible, are not fixed ideologies etched in stone; they are dynamic, evolving, and deeply contextual.

My own experience is proof of this paradox. In my family, gender roles have profoundly shaped the way we relate to one another. The traditional expectations we inherit dictate our responsibilities and aspirations, yet an underlying discord remains: each of us operates within the cusp of our acceptance and understanding. This limitation constrains our ability to evolve beyond preordained roles—yet the capacity for change exists, if only we make space for it.

A Brief Historical Backdrop

Historically, gender roles have been constructed through a complex web of religion, economics, war, labor, and culture. Ancient matrilineal societies like the Minangkabau in Indonesia or the Iroquois Confederacy in North America stood in contrast to the patriarchal structures of ancient Rome or feudal Europe. With the Industrial Revolution came a rigid divide: the public sphere for men, the domestic for women.

The 20th century shattered many of these binaries. World Wars I and II saw women entering the workforce en masse. The feminist movements—from the suffragists of the early 1900s to the second-wave feminism of the 1960s and intersectional feminism of today—challenged inherited norms and demanded new paradigms of equality and representation.

But progress is not linear. In some families and communities—including my own—tradition persists, creating tensions between progress and resistance.

Personal Reflections: The Limitations of Acceptance

Growing up, gender roles shaped my family’s dynamics in ways that often felt immovable. There were clear expectations—who was responsible for earning, who managed household affairs, who was granted emotional space, and who bore the invisible weight of cultural obligations. Yet, as our world evolved, these once-fixed roles felt increasingly impractical, if not outright restrictive.

At times, I saw my father wrestle with the idea that nurturing was not solely a maternal trait. I observed my mother balance professional aspirations against unspoken pressures to maintain domestic harmony. My siblings and I, in different ways, have questioned why we must conform to roles dictated by tradition rather than individual potential. This disconnect—between the roles we inherited and the realities we live—demands dialogue, effort, and an openness to change.

Case Studies: The Global Friction in Gender Roles

This struggle is not unique. Across the world, individuals and institutions grapple with the limits imposed by gender roles.

Example 1: The Japanese Corporate Landscape

Japan, a country known for both tradition and technological advancement, continues to struggle with gender equality in the workplace. Despite progress, corporate hierarchies often reinforce expectations that women should prioritize family over career. The result? Women frequently face the “M-shaped curve”—leaving the workforce after childbirth with limited re-entry opportunities. But change is happening policies advocating for parental leave and inclusive work environments are slowly reshaping these structures.

Example 2: South Africa’s Shift in Household Dynamics

In South Africa, gender roles intersect with economic realities. Historically, patriarchal structures placed men as primary providers. Yet, with shifts in employment trends and societal expectations, women increasingly assume financial leadership in families. This transition is not always met with acceptance, leading to conflicts where traditional masculinity clashes with contemporary survival needs.

Example 3: The Rise of Nonbinary Identities in Legal Frameworks

The recognition of nonbinary identities in countries such as Canada, India, and Germany marks a significant departure from historical gender binaries. However, legal acknowledgment does not automatically translate to social acceptance. Individuals navigating gender fluidity often encounter resistance—not due to inherent opposition, but because established frameworks struggle to adapt.

Why Keeping an Open Mind Matters

Open-mindedness is not about abandoning one’s values—it’s about making room for other realities. In diplomacy, this is especially vital. Misunderstanding gender roles in a host country can derail peace talks, foreign aid programs, or education campaigns. In everyday life, failing to listen to different experiences creates exclusion and resentment.

In my own family, I’ve seen that the mere act of listening—without immediate rebuttal—creates opportunities for dialogue that were once impossible. Understanding precedes transformation.

Five Ways to Keep an Open Mind About Gender Roles

Interrogate Your Assumptions

Ask yourself where your beliefs about gender roles come from—family, religion, media—and whether they still hold true in the face of new evidence.

Listen Without Rebuttal

Let people speak about their experiences without preparing a counterpoint. Listening is not the same as agreeing, but it opens the door to understanding.

Consume Diverse Narratives

Read books, watch films, and follow thought leaders from different genders, cultures, and identities. Empathy grows through exposure.

Be Comfortable with Discomfort

Growth often comes from discomfort. If something challenges your worldview, sit with it. Ask why it feels threatening.

Update, Don’t Cancel

You’re allowed to evolve. Holding a belief ten years ago doesn’t make you irredeemable—it makes you human. Be open to changing your mind.

Conclusion: The Diplomacy of the Self

Gender roles are no longer dictated solely by tradition or biology—they are in dialogue with economics, technology, global mobility, and generational change. In that dialogue, the most effective diplomats are those who can listen deeply, adapt respectfully, and think critically.

In my own life, I have seen that acceptance and understanding are the first steps toward change. A family, a workplace, a nation—none transform overnight. But a modicum of effort can create ripples that extend far beyond personal experience.

An open mind is not a passive one. It is a powerful tool for transformation—of policies, institutions, and most importantly, of ourselves.

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References

• Beauvoir, S. de. (1949). The Second Sex.
• Butler, J. (1990). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity.
• Maathai, W. (2006). Unbowed: A Memoir.
• Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. (n.d.). https://seejane.org
• UNESCO. (2019). Gender Equality: Heritage and Creativity.

UN Women. (2024). Progress of the World’s Women Report.

With the prevalence of social media and growing societal expectations, it has become increasingly common for individuals to voice their frustrations and opinions online, particularly in technologically advanced societies. While there are valid reasons for expressing dissatisfaction on such platforms, I strongly assert that this trend has both harmful consequences and meaningful benefits. On the one hand, it may increase negativity and affect mental health; on the other, it can raise public awareness and lead to quicker solutions for social problems.

One of the major consequences of this trend is the spread of negativity online, which can significantly impact individuals’ mental well-being. As more people share complaints and disappointments about their lives, it creates a cycle of emotional dissatisfaction that others are exposed to daily. This constant exposure can lead users to feel more anxious, discontent, or even inferior, especially when comparing their own lives to what they see online. Over time, such emotional stress can damage people’s mental health and reduce the overall positivity of online spaces.

Despite these downsides, public complaints on social media also offer a significant benefit: they can serve as a catalyst for change. By bringing issues such as poor infrastructure, low-quality services, or political concerns into the public eye, individuals can draw attention from government bodies, service providers, and the media. For example, in Uzbekistan, citizens often highlight poor road conditions via social platforms. In many cases, these posts go viral and prompt authorities to respond quickly. In this way, social media empowers ordinary people to contribute to community development and hold institutions accountable.

In conclusion, although venting frustrations on social media can negatively affect users’ mental health by spreading pessimism and stress, it also allows people to highlight societal problems and demand immediate action. Thus, while the trend may carry emotional risks, it plays a vital role in raising awareness and pushing for positive change.

My name is Rashidova Jasmina, daughter of Bahodir. I was born on November 23rd, 2008, in Shakhrisabz district, located in the Kashkadarya Region of Uzbekistan. I am currently a 10th-grade student at School No. 74.

Throughout my academic journey, I have proudly taken part in numerous educational grants, national seminars, and academic meetings. I am a winner of several contests and competitions dedicated to education and innovation. Notably, I was a finalist in both the “BBG” and “FO” programs, which further motivated my passion for leadership and community development.

One of my most prestigious achievements includes being awarded the “Katta Liderlar” grant, which recognizes young emerging leaders in Uzbekistan. I also had the honor of participating as a delegate representing Switzerland in a Model United Nations (MUN) conference, where I strengthened my skills in diplomacy, negotiation, and global issues.

In addition to my academic accomplishments, I run my own educational channel, where I teach and mentor students in various subjects. I am also the founder and instructor of a Pixel Art course, where I combine creativity with digital skills to inspire others in the field of design and technology.

First, here are a few announcements.

Jeff Rasley’s released a new book, Presbyterian vs Methodist Youth Group Rumble in Pokagon Park. This is a light-hearted satire of teen life and the heightened emotions of the age.

Jacques Fleury was also invited to the Boston Public Library’s Author Showcase to show off his title You Are Enough: The Journey Towards Accepting Your Authentic Self.

The National Storytelling Championship seeks online submissions from Indian nationals living in all parts of the world.

Now for our new issue, Revival and Rejuvenation.

Christopher Bernard celebrates the photography of urban chronicler Vivian Maier and the recent rediscovery of her work.

Gopal Lahiri’s poetry looks over varied landscapes – aging city infrastructure, a painted teatime scene, a rainstorm – with a painter’s thoughtful eye.

Wazed Abdullah draws on soft, childlike language to elegantly portray a monsoon rain in Bangladesh. Don Bormon writes in a similar style of the rain’s return in the region after a hot sunny summer. Tamoghna Dey speaks to the strength and flexibility of water as a metaphor.

Eva Petropoulou Lianou finds union with nature on her daily walk, taking inspiration from its diversity and authenticity. David Sapp’s poetry highlights our human connection to the rest of nature through musings on barns, fields, and a dead cat.

Chimezie Ihekuna revels in the beauty of nature and the intricate ways in which its systems work and creatures survive, but warns of its destruction. Graciela Noemi Villaverde also urges care for the natural world and highlights how natural systems can self-heal and regenerate.

Sayani Mukherjee revels in the passage of seasons in nature as Kylian Cubilla Gomez explores the hidden world of snails, centering the small mollusk in his photos. Sara Hunt-Flores reflects on the sun lighting her path, helping her distinguish illusion from reality.

Svetlana Rostova uses nature metaphors to convey the breadth and intensity of her past experiences. Mahbub Alam compares falling in love to the wonder of seeing a firefly. Shamsiya Khudoynazarova Turumnova illuminates the way love can revive a person and rejuvenate their life. Dr. Prasanna Kumar Dalai evokes memory and the ecstasy of falling in love. Mesfakus Salahin pleads with a lover to take him back as a response to his enduring feelings.

Stephen Jarrell Williams reflects on the poignancy and power of stories: those in books and those of family love and passing generations. Kassandra Aguilera’s poetry expresses love that remains despite troubled parental relationships. Bill Tope’s short story addresses a platonic and artistic friendship between a man and a woman and the tragic social disapproval that drives them apart.

Scott C. Holstad probes various sorts of physical and emotional desire. Duane Vorhees speaks to birth and death, love and war, then turns to a personal blues poem about feeling disillusioned by faith.

Gordana Saric offers up a prayer for personal compassion and global peace. Brian Barbeito shares daily musings on meaning and ethics and and speculates on our individual lives’ effects on the universe. Inayatullah encourages us all to look inward and heal our inner wounds and forgive each other in order to change the world on a larger scale.

Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa shares the hope and strength and healing she finds through her faith. K. Sayyid Mubashir Hadhi explicates the spiritual and cultural significance of Eid Al-Adha. Timothee Bordenave’s old-style pieces express his spiritual faith and desire for universal oneness. Bruce Mundhenke expresses how faith and wisdom can outlast our technologies and our inhumanity to each other. R.K. Singh calls us to ethnic and religious tolerance based on the world’s complex history and celebrates physical and spiritual love.

Dr. Jernail Singh speculates on how literature and drama, religious or not, can inspire moral development as well as catharsis, when villainy and evil are stopped. Matthew Kinlin interviews Kenneth M. Cale about the inspirations and creative process behind his book Midnight Double Feature: Director’s Cut, a stand against the growing darkness he sees in the world.

Lidia Popa describes the power of writing to transmute ideas and feelings into a mode of communication from one soul to another. Haroon Rashid outlines the role of silence, observation, and empty space for thoughtful writing in his ars poetica.

Xadjiyeva Nodira studies idioms and whether the phrases can take on different meanings within the same language. Kaljanova Gulmira’s paper outlines the benefits of having a language learner “shadow” a native speaker. Shahnoza Ochildiyeva’s essay explicates the complex task of translation and how, as of now, translation requires a human being with cultural awareness.

Isabel Gomes de Diego’s photography celebrates human and natural creativity in various forms: origami, sewing, typing. Bahora Mansurova turns to the craft of medicine, discussing ways to treat periodontal diseases. Linda S. Gunther reviews Kristina McMorris’ suspense novel of the newsroom, Sold on a Monday.

Nozima Gofurova describes an educational visit to Tashkent’s Mirzo Hotel, where she learned about Central Asian art and history. Joseph Ogbonna highlights the majesty and historical influence of ancient Egyptian civilization. Maja Milojkovic’s ekphrastic work draws inspiration from the strength of ancient Herakles.

Z.I. Mahmud explores feminist speculative literature in India and the works of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossein. Bhagirath Choudhary, in a piece translated by Eva Petropoulou Lianou, advocates for respect for women and for society to celebrate positive traits traditionally associated with the nurturing feminine.

Eva Petropoulou Lianou speaks of her intimate and demanding relationship with her female poetic muse. Isaac Dominion Aju reflects on the artistic inspiration he received from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose work helped him to find his own voice. Donna Dallas’ poetic speakers find writing inspiration from a quiet morning, a busy urban city full of desire, and the throes of drug addiction. Hauwa’u Naseer Mukhtar evokes the peace and creative source of solitude as Chloe Schoenfeld resolutely affirms her claim to her own soul.

Kelly Moyer’s asemic poetry invites us to the experience of appreciating writing and art, even without literal meaning. Ric Carfagna’s poetry touches on perception, how we experience and make sense of our world.

Loki Nounou reflects on life’s unpredictability, as S. Afrose exposes existence’s slippery nature, complex and hard to pin down and define. Utso Bhattacharyya’s short story involves an ordinary man’s visit to a surreal reality existing alongside and within our own.

Alex S. Johnson’s horror tale probes the insidious way oppression works not only through violence, but also through individual and social gaslighting. Mark Young’s poetry crafts off-kilter scenes where people and other creatures adjust to their settings.

J.J. Campbell turns to poignant nostalgia while experiencing slow trauma. John Angelo Camomot’s verse speaks to the grief of losing a loved one and the comfort of memories.

Sean Meggeson’s humorous tales probe our relationships with authority and failures of communication. On the theme of authority, Taylor Dibbert observes wryly that leaders who are least affected by policies are often the first to advocate for them.

Mykyta Ryzhykh’s short story depicts war as an unwelcome trespasser, refusing to communicate its intentions or ask permission to occupy someone’s basement. Ahmed Miqdad laments the suffering of civilians in Gaza while expressing hope for the region. Combat veteran Steven Croft speculates on goals for a possible return to United States military intervention in Afghanistan and hopes they will finally get girls back to school.

Sadoqat Qahramonovna To’rayeva reflects on pursuing education as a child and teen in his humble farming village. Marjona Baxtiyorovna sends out a tribute to education and graduating students.

We hope this issue is educational, inspiring, and enjoyable!

The Ancient One  

Before the stars began to shine, 

Or the moon was a pale light in the night , 

Eons came and went, 

In this age we live in, 

Stories were told and retold, 

Until lost in the in the mists of time. 

Many wise men shared their wisdom, 

And their truths were made known 

To the world.. 

But the people walked on in darkness, 

Trampling their truths as they went. 

Their weapons became more and more fearsome, 

And they had help with the evil they chose. 

The Ancient One is watching, 

He knows this too shall pass, 

He seen it come,  

And He watched it go, 

He is the first and the last.