A Toy Snake
One day I was walking down the street. Looking ahead a bit, I saw a snake coming behind me. Where I went, the snake also went. I was going to my friend's house but it followed me. I didn't see the snake when I went to sleep at night and I thought it would not come again. But I woke up in the morning and saw the snake next to my bed. One day it didn't come with me anymore. I looked for the snake but could not find it. After two months the snake came again. In an accident that snake was ran over by a truck. Later I found out that the snake was a toy snake. The snake was exactly like a real snake. Everything is possible with the digital technology.
Abdullah Al Mamun is a student of grade 7 in Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.
Technology has improved our lives for the better. People are able to live safely because of technology. Modern age is unimaginable without technology. Through technology we can all keep each other updated. Looking back to the past, it can be seen that ancient people used pigeons to send letters from one place to another to keep them in touch with each other. But in today's age, technology can send one's news within seconds through mobile phone or computer.
Previously, people couldn't have the facility of using the technology. But nowadays people can easily keep connected of different countries through technology because of mobile phone, other network and social communication. Today, the entire world has come to the hands of people, thanks to technology. In our country earlier people used to harvest paddy by hand with great difficulty, but in the present era, farmers are able to thresh rise in the field very easily with the help technology - rice threshing machines. As a result the farmers do not suffer much.
People of the world have been able to live comfortably due to modern devices; it is possible because of technology. Earlier people used to take a lot of time to go from one place to another. But now through technology people can easily move from one place to another place. So, there are many positive aspects of technology but it also has some negative aspects too. Its abuse can cause a lot of damage to the world. Technology is used in all crimes including, terrorism, murder, drug dealing etc. After all, if technology is used on beneficial way, our world will see a bright future one day..
Md. Tasirul Islam is a student of grade 9 in Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.
Magical Book
A long time ago, when I was studying in Chapainawabganj Government High School, we wanted to go on a class study tour. But our teacher was saying that education tour is not possible at that moment. But they will talk to the head teacher and try their best to take us on the educational tour. Several days passed after that. Then suddenly one day at the beginning of class, our class teacher gave us a good news. Our class teacher told us that the headmaster has given permission to take us on the educational tour. However, he asked the teachers and students to fix a place together. At that time, many people were confused where to go. But finally we decided to go Mohasthan Garh. But some of our classmates were saying that they want to go but their parents won't give permission. So, our class teacher talked to their parents. Finally their parents allowed them to go. Then our day goes by.
On the day we left for the educational tour. We left at 10 am and arrived at the spot at 3 pm. We were all tired, so no one went back. The next day we were touring the whole Mohasthan Garh from morning. When the sun was right above our head, we all were going back to have lunch. But then a strange statue fell in front of me. I approached the memorial and looked around the statue.
Then an open book caught my eye on the back of the statue. Teacher Aman was calling me when I took the book. I didn't tell the teacher about the book at that time. Then we left for home in the evening. Then it was too late after returning home so I didn't open the book. The next day I opened the book and after opening the book I saw that there was nothing written on it. I thought someone's book might have gone there by mistake. And I put the book on my reading table. After that I turned off the light in my room and slept. In such a situation, suddenly a colorful light starts to shine from the book. I was very surprised. But I opened the book somehow. When I opened the book, there were many writings floating there, but the writings seemed to be of an ancient language. I wasn't awake much longer. I took the book to my teacher the next day. I told him everything. He heard all this and told me that there might be some secret which shouldn't be revealed. So, we should keep it in the museum. So Amika and my teacher left the book in the museum. Maybe the book is of some use to them.
Md Rafiul Islam is a student of grade 7 in Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.
CHOIR PRACTICE IN ANTALYA!!! (MUSIC NOURISHES THE SOUL)
In Antalya, the choir ensemble named THM and Folk Music Night, led by my dear friends Ali Gardaş and his wife Selma Gardaş, has returned to the stage after a long season break, starting their choir rehearsals on September 17, 2023. Comprised of elite artists who are passionate about music, the choir, under the direction of Ali Gardaş, captivated the audience while performing new pieces from their repertoire. They also made significant contributions to the world music culture. Therefore, inspired by the saying ‘Music is the nourishment of the soul,’ our ancestors used music to treat many illnesses. Music is not only nourishment for the soul but also a significant art form that motivates the heart. It can assist in the treatment and recovery of various illnesses, including expediting the healing process of heart conditions by normalizing heart rhythms and regulating blood pressure. Music, considered the best painkiller, plays a crucial role in alleviating and reducing pain.
Furthermore, according to scientists, music has a profound impact on the body’s value systems. Music also accelerates positive cultural change, guiding individuals toward new roles and lifestyles. As an important educational and communication tool, music significantly aids individuals in integrating into society. For example, although I may not understand the language of musicians such as Mita Hogue, Muhammed Milon from Bangladesh, Fakir Alemgir, Kanika Kapoor, Shreya Ghosal from India, Muhammed Reza and Kayhan Kalhor from Iran, and American musician Elvis Presley, listening to their music soothes my soul. In this regard, the need for government support for music is increasing day by day. Now, let’s list the quotes of famous figures, including Atatürk, about music:
Additionally, the quotes of Atatürk and other celebrities about music and art are quite meaningful: ‘A nation’s renewal is measured by its ability to accept change, including in music. A nation without art has severed one of its lifeblood vessels. The distinguished Turkish nation, which is an elevated community, also has a unique characteristic in history: its love for fine arts and its pursuit of excellence in them.’ -Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul. (Plato)
Music is the most transparent language of emotions. (Emil Zeig)
Music is the harmony between heaven and earth. (Confucius)
When things go awry on the world stage, the orchestra comes into play. (Kari Kraus)
If you want to enslave a nation, corrupt their music. (Confucius)
Music is very powerful, my young friends. It takes us to our memories, influences our mood, and determines our attitude towards the problems we encounter. (Sharon Draper)
Music rules the world. (Martin Luther)
Music is the paradise of the poor. (Emerson)
Music should enflame the hearts of men and bring tears to the eyes of women.
Music is such a vast sea that I have rolled up my pants, but I still haven’t entered it.
Music is the nourishment of the soul. (Mendelssohn)
Music is another planet. (Daudet)
On this occasion, it was up to me to perform an Azerbaijani Turkish song.”
I also wanted to share with you that.
Yahya Azeroğlu was born on October 24, 1955, as the second of nine siblings in the village of Yukarı Topraklı (Alkızıl) in the Aralık district of Iğdır, Turkey. He began his education in this region. In 1970, Yahya Azeroğlu and his family migrated to Turgutlu, a district in Manisa, Turkey. Afterward, he went to Germany, where he received two years of German language education. He returned to Turkey in 1984.
Upon his return, Yahya Azeroğlu established the Poets and Writers Association and served as its president for 15 years. Within this framework, he continued to engage in cultural activities. He has published eight books and maintained close ties with the Turkic world. Yahya Azeroğlu has received around 105 awards for his cultural activities. He is a member of the Azerbaijan Writers Union and was honored with the Turan Medal in Kyrgyzstan. He has won numerous poetry competitions and was recognized as an Honorary Professor in Azerbaijan. His life and work have been the subject of theses by university students, including those from Celal Bayar University in Manisa and Akdeniz University.
Yahya Azeroğlu, who has four children (two sons and two daughters), currently serves as the General President of the Turkish World Arts and Culture Center (Tüsküm), headquartered in Antalya, where he continues his cultural activities.
Today many see the existence of music as purely for entertainment. However, if we were to take a beat and think beyond our immediate history, but rather the history of the world or better yet the universe, we find that music’s origin story is a sacred one. In the Hindu religion that a one syllable word and tone, Aum (Om), resonates at the same 432Hz frequency as the universe and all of nature. And that that sound was present at the dawn of creation. The Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras also believed that creation began with sound. He referred to it as “Musica Universalis”, meaning universal music. The Bible and the Torah both speak of creation being sung into existence in some form or another. The musical scale that we are so familiar with today was essentially created by a Gregorian monk for chanting Psalms. All around the world and across many cultures and their respective mythologies and religions, sound and music are revered as a means for communing with God, Gods, Deities, our planet, spirits, elements, and celestial bodies.
As a creator of music, I have often wondered why some pieces feel divinely inspired while others feel forcibly pulled and coaxed into being. The process is either euphoric or taxing. The taxing work more often than not is upon request with formulaic requirements and deadlines. There is very little to no emotion behind the requests, just a desire to achieve a technically well composed piece of music, lyrics, and vocal performance. Again, it is very formulaic. However, when the work is inspired, it flows. Sometimes it flows like cool crystal-clear water cascading over the rocks of a calm river or a babbling brook. You just sit with it and feel the work comfortably come through. Other times it roars in like the sea during a hurricane with melodies, harmonies and words crashing into your consciousness while you sleep only calming when you surrender, get out of bed to grab a pen and something to record with, and create what the waves ask of you. Whether the pieces come through serenely or intensely, the finished work always feels like it was meant to be. In my experiences those pieces also tend to connect with more people and in much deeper ways. In other words. the projects that hit for me on a global level came to me of their own free will; no coaxing or stressing or writers block or dead ear to finding the hidden top-line and accompanying vocal arrangements. There was consciousness at play, perhaps all mine, perhaps not. But that’s another discussion involving the concept of having a soul and a higher self. What I want to do here is open the door to the space where we ask the question: Is sound and music at its core divine?
Stereo Mutants feat. Jannae Jordan
It would take a graduate school level thesis chock full of words like Solfeggio frequencies, Hertz, resonance, cymatics, limbic and endocrine systems, mathematical, etc., plus pages of citations and references, for me to go into all of the science, history, and mythology behind why some people feel that music is divine as well as why many think it is just science. I’m not here to do that, nor am I qualified to do so as I am still seeking answers, forming new questions and learning as I go. I can only convey what I feel and believe on the matter. Based on my personal and professional experiences as a Vocalist and Songwriter, I think that inspired work is truly rooted in the divine. As a creator who has felt compelled to create certain works at times, I see it as being given a task and completing it while being led by the part of ourselves that is tethered to the universe and all around us. Over the years I have come to know that many of my peers have had similar experiences and feel as I do about it. We agree that the connection is why that work tends to cut through the noise and resonate with others in very real and personal ways. It’s more than natural talent and technical skill. As silly as it sounds, it’s your vibe! Literally and figuratively your overall vibe and energy, the frequency you were vibrating on when you created the work.
A simple and proven scientific fact is this; we are all in constant vibration, emitting our own frequencies. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/), the overall range of human resonant frequencies is 9-16 Hz. There’s a lot of fancy math that gets more into it. But that’s the average range of a human being’s natural frequency. Knowing that I ask, is it implausible that some of us would be in sync? And more than that; if those of us who are in sync are so because we are in sync with a greater vibration, perhaps the one that sang us into creation? The same vibration found in nature. The frequency of Earth itself is ever present all around us and goes right through us. Granted, we vibrate at considerably lower frequencies than the planet. But the fact that we exist speaks to our vibrational compatibility with our planet. Kind of like playing chords, the notes can be several keys apart and make a sound that works. Vocal harmony is a prime example of this sort of compatibility as well. In this instance I’m saying some of us are synched up and tuned in more acutely than others. For some by design, and others by desire, discipline, and meditation. I’d like to believe one day we all will be. Keep in mind, I still cry when I see that old Coca-Cola advertisement with the hippies on a mountain in Switzerland singing “I’d like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony…”. I’m a cynical dreamer, but I dream big, and I do hope we can all sync up one day because the lack of harmony in the world seems unrelenting at times. Discord everywhere. See what I did there? Music is so much a part of our lives that linguistically, musical references are embedded into our language to describe the universal themes of peace and chaos.
Although we as humans are, and have always been, in a constant dance with music and sound almost as if it’s a part of us, something is off these days. I may want to sync up with others, you may want to do so as well. But it would seem that we can’t reach one another in quite the same way we used to. Today we live in a world where we are constantly being bombarded by more frequencies than ever before in human history! We are literally unconsciously, subconsciously slogging through a thick soup of transmissions of everything from news… social media…air traffic control…smart house devices … audio and video surveillance…traffic signals…cellular phones… miscellaneous streaming TV and movies, and music transmitting in the air 24/7. And what’s more than that, we are now codependently tethered by way of the Wi-Fi umbilicus to our many electronic devices as we need them to decipher and consume and engage with all of it at any given time. How do we still find, hear, and feel that one right frequency in the midst of it all? For many of us we just do. Which is why now more than ever before, I believe that when you hear something that lifts your spirit or feels healing in some way, in the purest sense it’s because it was created on the right frequency.
I believe that creators of works that heal, comfort, inspire, express the truest forms of love, passion, and compassion, are divinely assigned to create that music to get through the cluttered broadcast soup for people to connect with it. I also believe that is why there is a movement of those who feel driven to create music that vibes on a higher level to take more control over what we cast out sonically via sound waves into the atmosphere. We know and respect that music’s genesis was sacred. Today it’s easy to forget that as it has become overwhelmingly commercial and monetized to entertain, or even numb people to the harsh bits of reality that we are also bombarded with in that aforementioned soup of transmissions and daily life. However, there are still many of us creators of music who know that somewhere in the mix we must keep some lines open for that which connects us all to “the all” around us so that we don’t lose ourselves. It’s inherent for us to desire synchronicity and connection, it’s a part of our make-up. Much like how the solar system moves as it always has, like a perfectly calibrated and choreographed example of how things should be. Which is why I really appreciate Pythagoras’ Musica Universalis, also referenced as, Harmony of the Spheres. The spheres being all of the bits in our solar system. There is balance, order, and calm in that. There is also sound, and music ascribed to that.
This piece clearly isn’t about solving the mysteries of music and sound. This isn’t supposed to make anyone feel poorly or intellectually superior about their listening choices or how they create music. I just want you to think on this for a moment. Whether you find this to be mere fodder, or heavy food for thought, I just want people to think. As a creator of music and devotee of words, music, and sound, I rather like the idea of starting a conversation for others that may take them on a journey of thought exploration that they hadn’t considered going on before. If nothing else, I hope you take a moment to ponder a question about the universe in general. As for this moment, no matter if you are a pure science person or a spiritual or religious one, we all know what sound is.
Think of a bell, such a simple instrument and simple sound capable of many tones and decibels. A loud strong bell breaking a still quiet space can startle. A soft gentle bell can awaken or signal something pleasant. It’s so basic, and we all understand it. We also know what music is. The assemblage of sound, musical notes in an order that some compose with no idea of its mathematical relevance just that the collection of notes in a particular order is pleasing to the ear. Yet, that same collection of sound, that music, can alter one’s mood negatively or positively. It can be evocative of memories, sensations, and emotions so deep that one can experience feelings of ecstasy, catharsis or pure bliss! We know that even when people can’t understand the language of a song lyric that they can understand the feeling imbued into the composition or vocal performance of that same song. And we know that sound was here before we were. Knowing those things is more than enough for me to continue to listen deeply while asking more questions. So, I guess I’m posing a challenge here. I challenge you to take a moment, think of a song that has always moved you in a good way. Sit with it and ask yourself what is it about that song that does it for you? See what you come up with! If you create music, ask yourself the same thing. Except for you, it’s why did you feel that song needed to be brought forth into existence?
I leave you with this; many moons ago back in college for my Philosophy class term paper, I theorized that God was an author and wrote the story of us in many languages with variations on certain themes so that one day we would all realize we were one. That all our stories were the same, just different languages. Clearly I’m oversimplifying what I wrote back then. I will say this, it was good, and I got an “A” for it! I was very young, and that was many years ago. Today I think I rather prefer the notion that all of creation was composed and sung into existence with mighty intention, and it all flowed into being. Now, our job is to all get on the same note and harmoniously continue to the composition and sing it together. And yes, I really would like to buy the world a Coke!
Jannae Jordan
I am a Writer and a Songwriter first and foremost, then a Singer and Producer. For me the magic is in the words. Words are powerful things! My song lyrics are always inspired whether I’m a hired gun on deck to find the words to tell someone else’s personal story, or the featured vocalist and lyricist. The work is always personal on some level. Every word, melody and arrangement comes from a profoundly genuine place in my core. I love what I do!
First of all, an announcement: I (editor Cristina Deptula) am going to be providing accessibility support on Zoom for Art and Mind 2023, which is an amazing virtual showcase of art, music and writing centered on BIWOC creators and how their art helps them heal themselves and others. All are welcome and this is Thursday, October 5th, 6:30 to 8:30 EST (New Hampshire time).
“Art & Mind,” is a virtual Zoom disability-accessible film event series supporting creative marginalized women and marginalized genders to share their journeys. This event uses short films, documentaries, entrepreneur features, and speaking engagements from professionals such as therapists and activists to raise awareness about social issues these creatives face.
Tickets are free but they accept donations towards the fund they are developing to give artist grants to low-income BIWOC artists. They have a $1000 fundraising goal and so far have reached $711.
I’ve known the mother and daughter pair, Amaranthia and Claire, who are organizing this show, for several years through the art and writing world. They put a lot of heart and thought and research into this, and I encourage you to come see it!
Also, our October issue will have the theme of Electronica: Sound Medicine, edited by Kahlil Crawford, and will encompass themes of electronic music, music in general, the intersection of music and writing and other forms of art, and writing/music/art/technology. Submissions related to the above themes that touch on Indigenous People’s Day in mid-October are also welcomed. Please submit to synchchaos@gmail.com with “Electronica” in the title.
Third, our contributor Mantri Pragada Markandeleyu seeks a songwriter with whom to collaborate to set his Bollywood-style lyrics to music! Here is his information if you are interested.
Finally, we at Synchronized Chaos Magazine acknowledge that as well as artists and writers and creatives, we are members of the broader human community. And right now the community is affected by the earthquake in Morocco and the flooding in Libya. We express our sorrow at the loss of life and property and encourage people to contribute if they can towards the relief and recovery efforts. Information on how to do that here.
This issue’s theme is This Mortal Coil. A reference from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, where the titular character considers whether to continue his life, the phrase has come to signify the struggles and complexities of life.
In this issue, our contributors illustrate and grapple with various physical and psychological aspects of existence, or nonexistence.
Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa shares a basic universal statement: how we all face death and need love. Maja Milojkovic’s pieces call us to remember who we really are, at a personal and universal level.
Mark Young ponders physical aging and mortality in a piece inspired by a lizard, which he wrote as a teen and reflected on in his older age. Grzegorz Wroblewski reminds us to enjoy life while we can, as it’s impermanent.
Shamsiya Khudoynazarova Turumovna encourages faith and trust over the ups and downs of life. Mirta Liliana Ramirez asserts her existence and place in this world while acknowledging her Creator for animating her spirit.
Jim Meirose’s surreal story conveys the unease of losing control over one’s body and mind during surgery. Filip Zubatov relates a common struggle, failing in one’s best-laid plans to wake up early. Ari Nystrom Rice narrates an experience of insomnia.
Skye Preston’s poignant piece on a flightless bird speaks to how disabilities can cut to the heart of our identity and self-perception. Kendall Snipper presents a person’s spiritual death due to their self-doubt.
Cody Tse’s speaker compares himself to a floor covered by a decorative rug: useful rather than ornamental, but often overlooked. Mary Acosta speaks to the pain of being forgotten and unheard.
Celeste Alisse writes of the struggle to be heard and seen, the lengths we go to in performing and sharing our pain in order to be noticed. Zofia Mosur expresses her rage at being trapped in a world not of her choosing and blamed for problems not of her creation, as well as the common artist’s angst at not meeting her own standards.
Daniel Aondona relates his physical, embodied grief at living in a war-torn country. Zahro Shamsiyya looks outward at the multitude of sorrows concealed by night within her city of Tashkent, and the whole world.
Taylor Dibbert describes confused, alienated travelers just returning to the airport after long periods of isolation, playing the role of clueless Americans. Sayani Mukherjee’s poem shares her love for Paris, spring, and the color pink.
Brian Barbeito sketches his observations of Vegas, focusing in on various individuals at a physical and spiritual level. In his photography, he evokes the spirit of places with basic natural elements, clouds and water and light.
Mahbub Alam writes of growth from the refreshing natural nourishment of rain. Vandana Kumar recollects the endless rain of last winter in her lament. J.D. Nelson notices the imminent passage of summer into fall.
Don Bormon illustrates the glory and majesty of trees. Channie Greenberg splashes the screen with her colorful flowers.
Isabel Gomez de Diego contributes somewhat domestic scenes of cows, pans, and fish. Daniel De Culla’s photographs, which include taxidermied boar’s heads, juxtapose reminders of wildness with indoor calm and prettiness.
Marley Manalo observes nature closely, wanting to be seen at the same level of detail rather than just enjoyed as a pretty object.
Alma Ryan’s poem speaks to the simple joys of surfing and togetherness. Kristy Raines evokes a deep and emotional love connection while Graciela Noemi Villaverde expresses the hope of reunion with a loved one after long absence in pieces laden with nature imagery. Anindya Paul’s love for nature and for other people meld into one and the same feeling, while Gustavo Galliano exalts the mystical and physical communion of lovers amid the clouds and the deep night. Annie Johnson also describes long term communion with a partner and with nature. Mesfakus Salahin encourages a lover to return so they can together bring light to the world.
Fay Loomis’ Bali travelogue shares how she started to let go of rigid expectations (her own and others) and embraced a softer, more dreamlike and natural schedule.
Patrick Sweeney’s little vignettes also slip the bounds of rationality, merging the familiar with the outlandish or cataclysmic.
Jerry Durick conveys the surreal experience of reading, of imagining oneself as someone else, shifting one’s sense of time and place. Gabriel Flores Benard illuminates the flickering and transitory life of a fictional character, existing only in our imperfect memories. Monira Mahbub wishes for a variety of natural and fanciful things in her short but evocative poem.
Peter Cherches’ stories probe the familiarity and mystery of neighbors. How well do we know the people we think we know, whom we see every day?
Grant Guy’s nearly nihilistic black-and-white humorous pieces point out the potential absurdities in artistic expression, in contrast to the often explicitly meaningful and message-centric art outlined in Alec Dunn and Josh MacPhee’s Journal of International Political Graphics, reviewed here by A. Iwasa.
Mykyta Ryzhykh’s modernist, absurdist lowercase poetry reminds us there is life in the midst of death, ugliness in the midst of beauty.
Robert Ronnow’s poetic speakers peruse their complex natural and human landscapes, classifying and observing, speculating on their place in the world and how they should live.
Muhammad Ehsan Khan suggests in his essay that compassion and wise and considerate actions begin with empathy.
Nurujjaman writes of the development of character, will, and perseverance. Iftikhar Zaman Ononno talks about what it takes to be a good citizen. Tanvir Islam describes a deep connection with a true friend.
Mantri Pragada Markandeyulu shares wisdom on developing character and inner peace. His story “Vishal and the Evil King,” reminds those in power that duty to those they govern is more important than their own fleeting sensual pleasures.
Pascal Lockwood-Villa’s poetry illustrates how one’s childhood experiences cast a long shadow over who we are. For this reason, several authors highlight the consideration we should show for children and young people.
Tasirul Islam looks into how to be a good teacher. Mustafayeva Feride urges teachers to show care and dedication for students. Abdullah Al-Mahin reminds us not to underestimate the contributions young people make to our world.
Abdullah Al Mamun offers love and thanks to his mother. Mr. Ben’s book The Darn Things Kids Say includes children’s candid thoughts about their parents. Rasheed Olayemi puts out a call to help struggling widows, especially those with young children.
Sabrid Jahan Mahin illustrates the personal and intellectual growth that can come through reading.
Andrea N. Carr encourages young adults, and all people, to follow one’s dreams and carefully select those who will advise us. Asadova Sabina highlights the importance of setting goals in life.
Ali Haider’s story demonstrates how laziness and revenge can have evil consequences. Stephen Bruce wryly points out how we escape responsibility by blaming our choices and circumstances on others and bad luck.
Guzal Botirova reminds us that the highest profession and calling is being a good and considerate human.
Akhlima Ankhi’s poem is a lament over global climate change and human degradation of the natural world. Nahyean Bin Khalid’s time travel story illustrates the risk of technological advancement without parallel advancement in our humanity and conscience, including our treatment of the environment. At the same time, Adhamova Laylo Akmaljon qizi reminds us that technology, when properly used, can be interesting, with her description of how a television set works.
Mahmudul Hasan Fahim’s horror story poses the existential threat of zombies, and probes what dies inside of you when you become the kind of person who can easily kill them.
J.J. Campbell writes of his isolation, his inspirations, and how memory can be a curse. Jerry Langdon’s poetic pieces reflect his speakers’ desire to escape their lives and free themselves from memories of past violent trauma.
Sukhrob Saidov also deals with historical memory, reviewing the documentary “Before Stonewall” and its articulation of LGBT history and journey towards equality.
Z.I. Mahmud traces Jane Eyre’s character development in the eponymous novel, which, unusually for its time, highlighted the journey of a regular person as having literary merit and being memorialized.
Elmaya Jabbarova’s piece comes from a one-time lover urging a former partner to remember the good times they shared. Ahmad Al-Khatat’s romantic poems also commingle love and memory, mixing loss and grief, reconnection and longing.
Duane Vorhees speaks to romance, wisdom, aging, learning, and spirituality.
Tolipova Zebuniso Ulug’bekovna concludes the issue with a simple poem with her wishes on how she would like to be remembered. We hope that this issue provokes and inspires thoughts of a similar nature for all of our readers.
