Born in Catanzaro(1962-Italy) where he lives and works…Claudio Parentela is an illustrator,painter,digital painter,photographer,mail artist,cartoonist,collagist,textile artist,journalist free lance…Active since many years in the international contemporary art scene.He has collaborated &he collaborates with many,many zines,magazines of contemporary art,literary and of comics in Italy and in the world…& on the paper and on the web…some name amongst the many:NYArtsMagazine,Turntable & Blue Light Magazine,

Komix,LitChaos,Why Vandalism,Thieves Jargon,180 Mag,Braintwisting,The Doors of Creativity Anthology,Lo Sciacallo Elettronico,Inguine,Stripburger,Lavirint,Komikaze, Mystery Island Magazine,Monoclab, MungBeing Magazine,The Lummox Journal,The Cherotic R(e)volutionary,Sick Puppy,Malefact,Gordo,johnmagazine, SHITTY SHEEP-Lamette, alchimiadeldolore,Be|Different, UpScene Magazine ,Chance,Lucid Moon, Tryst ,Carolina Vigna Maru’s Blog, Abusemagazine, hijacked, Synthesis, filosofem.com, Spartandog, Numbmagazine,DrexterMagz,Que Suerte,Art Life,Pintalo De Verde,ApArte,Evasion,The Benway Institute,Phony Lid Publications,First Class,This Is Magazine,Diesel,Stu Magazine, Becoming Journal , Exposweb, Pockoville,Crane Magazine,Staplegun, Zupi ,4×6-art, Funtime Comics,Untergruntblatte, lartmagazine, Passenger May, Sekushi , Onthecamper,Head Press,Entmoot,

Lartmagazine,You&Me,Rorschach,Fagorgo,B.G.A.Comix,Tracce,Prospektiva,Balkan Spirit,Liberazione.net,Don Juan Online,Emozioni, Digitalabstract,Fatece Largo,Petrolio,Out Zine,Pssst Zine,Bolle Di Cartone,All About Fucking,Gibbering Madness,Rotkop,Anima Mal Nata,ZZZzine,Labour Of Love,Bianco D’Uovo,Bries,Ratriot,Kami Zine,Pus!,Bathtub Gin,Experimental Forest,Stardust Memories,Sunburn,Funtime Comics,Spaghetti,Plop,Topaz&Psichedelica,Joey and The Black Boots,Blind Man’s Rainbow,The White Buffalo Gazzette,Lore,Lunatic,Chamelon,Rigodor,Axolotl,Luca Bonanno Editore,Succo Acido,Pitchfork,Chainsmoker,Surface,Crimson Feet,Skyline,Re:Magazine,Oyster Boy Review,Anthology,Xero Magazine,Slic,Lit Pot Press, warmtoast cafe,Gumball Poetry,Mineshaft,Milk&Wodka,Yahoo Zine,Stardust

Memories,CartaIgienica,Faestethic,Field Report,Out Of The Blue,Comfusion Magazine,Careful,Ellin Selae,Multistorey,Disegni Di Sogni,Omnibus,The Sound Projector,Gooch Magazine,Laugh Clown Laugh,Shift, Castlemagazine- WAMtv,Vial,Frior,Debilana,Cool Strip Anthology,Territory,Panik, weblog.bezembinder.nl,Celulit,Pimba,OtomanoProper Gander,Container,Mammamiaquantosangue,Cikuta,Traspiratore,Gambuzine,Empty Life,Erroneo,Kalte Tage,Planeta Underground,Cabezabajo,

Poetexpress,Nexus,Criade,Love Eternal Lost Infernal,Algiza,Raven,A.K.O.M.,Mutate & Survive,Angelflesh Press,Skirocore,Sirota Jerica,Zone Optimiste De Bande Dessinèe,Breakfast All Day,The Brown Bottle,Crystal Drum,The Brobdingnan Time,Edgar,Il Foglio Clandestino,Microbe,New York Press,Something Else,O!!Zone,Vitriol,The Flashing Astonisher,Devil Blossoms,Contagio,The Dream Zone,Sinus,Yops Zine,Versus Press, lamoira. –ultrazine-graphola-tribenet-linarte-homme-moderne-furtherfield-globevisions-artbabyart- UpScene Magazine -zanzibart-braintwisting-arte.go-designradar-sitart-sciacalloelettronico-artfaq- Caveat Lector-lazaruscorporation-ionone-lospaziobianco-youandiproductions-artrenegades-artbureau-cimaisevirtuelle-americanspiritstudios-Choler Magazine-graphiland-artpoetryfiction-catalyzerjourna-ambulant-surfaceonline-lambiek-thebluesmokeband—equilibriarte-gumballpoetry-cafeshops-subtletea-vu gallery-silverfish-zeroboutique-mondocolorado-succoacido-artzar-unlikelystories-discord-aggregate-latchkey.net-bewilderingstories-artbarge-yokeandzoom-bhag.net-chaosgeneration-artgalerie34-lobstupidfish-netcells.net-thundersandwich-sensuoussadie-thepedestalmagazine- BecomingJournal- No More Flowers –

Space Junkies Magazine-lucidmoonpoetry-ubq-plumrubyreview-komikaze-tattoohighway-Burrow Magazine-Swoon Magazine-artistswithoutfrontiers- WAMTV-…El Eros Incesante -thedigitalartist-doubledarepress-theaxis-cloudking-monkeyview- Y SIN EMBARGO magazine –Dirt Cheap Magazine- Degrees of Separation- WeirdArt-drunkenboat-erreur404-bigbridge-monkeyview-opensewer-oysterboyreview-labisagra-Entero’ziNe-arti(e)rumori –botulinux-tenaviv-eternarte-fameweb-erbadellastrega-muse-apprentice-guild-dimensionearte-socialdesignzine-indiejournal- thanalonline-Rorschach-roxybar-genomart-spreadhead-duepunti- AnythingILike- LIFE DURING WARTIME- surreal collages-

-stategrezzi-agliincrocideiventi-stradanove-Tiscali Arte-hybridstudios-arthal-socialdesignzine-boxart-.eroxe-edizioniriccardi-art.e-zine-erroneo-SOGNOdiSEGNI 2002-clubghost-musicheart-linguaggioglobale- dwarfcadaver -actarus-xseven-whipart-girodivite-ideerandage-gordo.it-erbadellastrega-skorieindustriali-wema-Entero’ziNe-robotswillkill-omnisat-lucidmoonpoetry-H+Art-komikaze-hoardmag-phueydesign-Culture1.com-tattoohighway-arteutile-herecomethewilddogs-RetortMagazine- subculture-lovepain.com-showcomplex-lobstupidfish-wormwoodchronicles-ArtRemains-gallerythe-prettythings- artsingulier–dustydomino-halfempty- americanartists-cartaigienica-escualotis-artactif-webdesignersexperiments-outsiderink-pseudolo-samsara-strangedude-globevisions-lospaziobianco-yokeandzoom-cafeblu-casaditolleranza-equilibriarte-stickyourneckout- artrevolt project- Hugo Strikes Back!-botulinux-literarypotpourri-locomediadub-halfempty-Choler Magazine-Mistery Island Magazine-inkpots-

artisticdevil-lamette-studiocleo-lovepain-tribenet-inguine.net-Hermatena-prosetoad-stickyourneckout-pickwick-samsara-artfaq-rorschachonline-arte.go-jamcafe magazine-locomediadub-Animals in Mailart –roxybar-Arts Ablaze Gallery –Filosofem-enfusemagazine-sensuallogic-phirebrush-millenniumartgallery-dork magazine-galleryculture-Escáner Cultural-digitalconsciousness-Arts Ablaze Gallery –mousikelab-fameweb-socialdesignzine-theshowingplace- warmtoast cafe-gumballpoetry-invisibleinsurrection-hybridstudios-digizine-charnwood-arts-surface-wiredheart-poemus-artrenegades-mindcaviar-succoacido-gallerythe-Vulcanoidi- The Lamp-Araba Fenice -net-art-artetop-guzzardi.it-mentalcontagion-furtherfield-catalyzerjournal-Cristian S. Aluas CSA Books-Lummox Press/Journal-lovechess-americanspiritstudios-Mashnote Magazine …- ANIMAL magazine- Wicked -TheArtSource- Not The Tate, gallery- nonzi-escmagazine-graphiczone-

theamericanskin-undergroundxchange-Silent Presence Gallery-publiceyesore-locusmag-Unwound-cartaigienica-Buiten Westen -armando adolgiso.it-artdish-the-vu-BATHTUB GIN -JHON magazine-bonobo-galleryculture-linguaggioglobale-progettobabele-subsystence-samsaraquarterly-traspi.net-arteecarte-galerieserrano-vicodelferro-woesteweduwe-dimensionearte-braintwisting-topolin-prospektiva-placesofart-falsestart-GLUBIBULGA’ -arti(e)rumori –cafepress-annotazioni-electronic-art-edizioniriccardi-ilbolerodiravel-subculture-arthal-sitart-citizen32-paroladidonna-lilacedius-essendemme-inguine.net- DarkArtists-tangents-cimaisevirtuelle-riflessioni-jackmagazine-Exquisite Corpse -obscurity . webzine -UBQ | Leave Your Fingerprint-Rivista Anarchica Online-bedfordnovel-poemus-Tiscali – Arte-wormsarts-atopiaonline-dorkmag-digizine-pigmag-outsiderink-ROJO®magazine –doubledarepress-

redfoxpress-HOARD MAGAZiNE -NoTxt Magazine -filtered-magazine-Arts Ablaze Gallery –thewissahickon-doubledarepress-hoardmag-thundersandwich- rockheals-CimarronReview-charnwood-arts-jackmagazine-madhattersreview-Whalelane- BoundlessGallery-oysterboyreview-thewissahickon-invisibleinsurrection-aliens-cafe-masthead-ambulant-roxybar-blank-magazine-funtime.comics- ConArt-lovechess-zafusy- P.F.S.-bigbridge- EOTU Ezine – OK ARTE-SpokenWar- Bant Magazine-Hybrid Studios-lunaticchameleon-fearsmag-Mashnote Magazine –fifthstreetreview-locusmag-theaxis-XERO Magazine-Pulled Up Mag-litvision-inkpots-ESC! Magazine ––Animal Raw Art- Spent Meat- artbarge-buitenwesten-artuindenfair-youandiproductions- ionone-takingitglobal-thepedestalmagazine-Half Empty –iconique-

smallspiralnotebook- Transmission Magazine-sidewalkpoetry-vialmagazine-peaceseed-monophobic-thepoisonedapple-two-zero-Exquisite Corpse –kenagain-HEAD magazine-zerooneart-virtuallyinfamous-BATHTUB GIN – Illustrationmundo,Gambuzine-tenthousandmonkeys-CHANCE MAGAZINE-channel83.gallery-soupskin.- spreadhead- thelemming-prettythings-funhousemagazine-gallery-21-leportillon-raggededgepress-Bonobo galerie –hexvalue-netcells-retortmag-crystaldrum-locomedia-cafepress-Tokyo Cow-kufia-Crack! Fumetti dirompenti -Corps Possibles – Identités Possibles-retortmag-artrecess-johnmagazine-Tiscali – Arte-Roxy Web – Arte-biographic.ubq-deliriohouse-indiejournal-Outsider Ink-latchkey-poopsheet-lamoira-tribenet-linarte-homme-moderne-globevisions-artbabyart-zanzibart-arte.go-sitart-sciacalloelettronico-pseudolo-illu-station-botulinux-lazaruscorporation-lospaziobianco-Federico Feroldi Arte Contemporanea-rockheals-cimaisevirtuelle-americanspiritstudios-Choler Magazine-The House of Tate-artpoetryfiction-otro.it-Outsider Ink-Cimaise Virtuelle -GQ-La Tora Web-Mutate&Survive-Doodlers Anonymous-latchkey.net-Mashnote Magazine –Anteism-vorticeargentina-spreadhead-indiejournal-3rdthought-edificewrecked-galerieserrano-sugardrum-curiousculture-wrath.de-Magpie Magazine-Lazer ArtZine-DoDmag-Dark Sky Magazine,Paraphilia Magazine,New Chemical History,Cut-click Magazine,Dirt Cheap Magazine,GOB Magazine, Inprint-Mag,…
…etc…etc…and the list could continue again a long time…

During the 1999 he was guest of the BREAK 21 FESTIVAL in Ljubliana(Slovenja)…
…His obscure&crazy artworks are present &shown in many,many art galleries in the endless web&in the real world too…and then again at ’’GIRASOLE’’(Villa Basilica),at ’’TABULA RASA’’(Barcellona),at Vahagnartgallery ,at ‘’GALERIE SLAPHANGER’’(Amsterdam),at ‘’La Casa Di Tolleranza’’(Milan),at’’La Cueva-No Art Gallery’’(Milan),at Spazio Aurora(Milan),at Forte Prenestino(Rome),at Andenken Gallery(USA),at’’ HOEPLI INTERNATIONAL BOOKSTORE EXHIBITION SPACE’’(Milan), at Skorie Industriali(Rome),at theMUKY(Faenza), in Turin with the Association’’Mind The Gap’’,at The ‘’Pina Gallery’’(Koper),al ‘’Diesel Gallery’’(NY),at the ‘’METAVERSO’’(Rome),at the”Virtual Shoe Museum”,,at ‘’Little Cakes Gallery’’(NY),at the’’Interzona’’(Verona), at ’’Trainside Gallery’’(Haverhill,USA),at ‘’Blah Blah Gallery’’(U.S.A.),at ’’Scaremongering Gallery’’(USA),at ‘’Sage Club’’ (Berlin),at ‘’Panda Club’’ (Pistoia),at Creativa2006(Rignano sull’Arno-FI-Italy)),CAM_Casoria

Contemporary Art Museum(Casoria,NA,Italy),at ‘’Cultural Association EKIDNA(Carpi-MO-Italy)- at Glowinski’s’ Library(Olesnica-PL), ‘’Da Marisa Gallery’’XM 24(Bo-Italy),’’ Blog on Arthur Rimbaud’’ 2 shows at the Castello di Rivara, near Torino ,and at the the San Carpoforo church, place of the Accademia d’Arte di Brera in Milano, at ‘’Tenax’’ (Firenze),at ‘’Teatro Studio’’ di Scandicci (Firenze),at the Libreria Segnalibro of Ferrara(with the show’’Tarocchi Evoluti’’organized by the Associazione Hermatena),at ‘’Ambasciata di Marte (Florence)’’,at ‘’Klyk’’ (Firenze), at ‘’The Wurst Gallery’’(Portland-U.S.A.)- at Red Labels(Toronto-Canada), at Centre for Graphic Arts HogeDRUKgebied(Rotterdam-NL), at Galerija DLUM(Maribor-SI), at ’’Achab’’(Catania) and at all the other sicilian stops of the show’’SognoDiSegni’’,at Artitude Gallery(Paris),at ‘’Zo Cafè’’(Bologna),at the show” the show”CHILDREN NO MORE”(Bari-Italy),”at the Barcode(San Benedetto del Tronto-Italy),at Circolo Culturale Bertold Brecht(Milano-Italy), NO.HUMAN.NO.CRY(Monza-IT), at Atkinson Art Gallery ( Southport UK),at’’ DYNAMO’’ (Milano-Italy),at the show’’Arredi Digitali’’in San Benedetto Del Tronto and at the shows that GRAPHOLA has organized and continues to organize…at’’Leave Your Fingerprints’’ organized by the friend Mimmo

Manes&UBQ,at ‘’ Fira Magica de Santa Susanna’’(Spain),at”GUAPOPO Gallery”(Spain),at’’Sechiisland’s Micro Gallery’’(Brasil),at ‘’Museum of Porn in Art’’(Zurich),Cranky Yellow(Saint Louis, MO-US),at”Hoody Art Gallery”(London-UK),at’’Black Maria Gallery(LA-USA),at’’Third Drawer Dawn(Australia),at”Green Art Fair Miami 08″,at 3rdthought, at ”Umber Studios”(Minneapolis-USA),,at”Zoccoletti e Zoccolette”(BIOKIP GALLERY @ Pervinca OpenSpace-Milan-It),at ”The Woom Gallery”(Birmingham-UK)-SPAZIO ARKA(Assemini centro (CA)),”SUBject Festival”(Bologna-It),CeC 2009 Uttarakland (India),at ”I MALEDETTI DEL ROCK ITALIANO”(Palazzo del Podestà,Città di Castello-IT),”Human Emotion Project”(Brancaleone,Rome It),”Ocho Delicate Nature”(Milan-It),”Ocho global group exhibition & book”(Barcelona-Spain),at the ”Mezzanine”collective show curated by Chillin’s Productions(San Francisco-U.S.A.),”®out 3ª Mostra Internacional d’Art Urbà Publicitari”(Barcelona-Spain),”Inspiration Art Exhibition 3”(Tel Aviv-Israel),at”Phobia”collective show at the”Gallery’101′(Kaunas-Lithuania),at the”#2AdunanzAutogestitArtisti”(CasalBertone -Rome-IT),at the Italian Institute of Culture(London-UK)…and again..and again to other …He does a lot of mail art and he partecipates to all the mail art projects he knows…

…He has collaborated and he collaborates with many bands of industrial music,noise,experimental&electronic,harsh&death&metal gore…punx…….He has illustrated poems and stories&music of Gavin Burrows,Harry Wilkens,Vittorio Baccelli,Claudio Morici, Alberto Rizzi,Cristiano Quadalti,Shannon Colebank,Gary Sneyd,Robert Smith,Michael Kriesel,Mark Sonnenfeld,Nathan Medema,Richard D.Houff,…drawn together for&with Maurizio Bianchi M.B,Elvi Athan,Marcel Herms,Kapreles……for various publishers he has realized some booklets of illustrations and comics:’’Il Ratto Bavoso’’,and’’L’Incubo Dimezzato’’(Innovation Studio-B.G.A.Comix-Italy);’’Fashion Robot’’(David Lasky-Seattle-USA),’’L’Agnello Sacrificale e la Salamandra Impiccata al Patè 666’’(Medicina Nucleare-Italy);’’Storie’’(Progetto Siderurgiko-Italy),’’Eudemoni’’and’’Piccola Trilogia Nera’’(Poems of Alberto Rizzi and of Cristiano Quadalti with Claudio Parentela’s illustrations -Criatu Prod.-Italy);’’Jeanne Dark You Got Balls’’ and’’The Frogs’ Ballet’’(Self-produced);’’Black Kisses and Other Stories’’,and ‘’The Book Of Secrets’’(La Cafetiere Editions-Belgium);

’’Endless Tongue’’(texts of Richard D.Houff and Claudio Parentela’s illustrations -The Benway Institute-USA),’’Else Beds’’(Claudio Parentela’s illustrations and poems of Nathan Medema-JesusBunny Press-Canada);’’The Savage Soldier’’(Luca Menichini Prod.-Italy);’’Derrumbe’’( Valter Casini Ed.-Italy),’’Matter Ballet’’(Claudio Parentela’s illustrations and poems of Michael Kriesel-BoneWorld Publishing-USA),’’Social Reform’’(poems of Shannon Colebank and Claudio Parentela’s illustrations-Whizzbanger Prod.-USA);’’Le Miopi Della Montagna’’(Underground-Press-Italy).”The Weak Cuckoo”(Gran Negro Publisher-Spain).…He has drawn 2 tarots for’’Tarocchi Evoluti’’(published by Associazione Hermatena-Italy)…and always Hermatena Publishers has published my last and new tarots’ decks”I Tarocchi dell’Iride” and’’I tarocchi Dell’Archetipo Blu’’…and on the web he is present on many pages and in many places again… 

For contacts:

CLAUDIO PARENTELA

VIA F.CRISPI N.79
88100 CATANZARO-ITALY
Tel.Num&FAX.:+39 0961744087-Cell:3713423289

E-Mail: claudioparentela@alice.it — claudioparentela@gmail.com
My Web Sites: https://ilrattobavoso.altervista.org/—https://ibelieveinblackaliens.altervista.org/–https://claudioparentela.wixsite.com/mysite—https://claudioparentela.wixsite.com/mysite—http://parentelaclaudio.altervista.org/– –http://www.myspace.com/claudioparentela —https://twitter.com/cparentela —https://www.instagram.com/cparentela/— https://www.instagram.com/claudioparentela62/–https://www.instagram.com/claudioparentela2/—http://claudioparentela.tumblr.com/— https://www.facebook.com/claudio.parentela.1—http://www.flickr.com/people/49533264@N05/—https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudioparentela/—https://www.talenthouse.com/claudioparentela

My Art Blogs: http://theextrafinger.blogspot.com — http://foggygrizzly.blogspot.com– – http://cparentela.livejournal.com/ —  http://elvisinh.blogspot.com/ — http://thethermostatandthegreendragoon.blogspot.com/ — http://diabeticdew555.blogspot.com — http://cosmiccrystalsdirtypigs.blogspot.com/ —  http://coward33sneeze15.blogspot.com/–http://variationsinnortherndegradations.blogspot.com/

Brian Michael Barbeito is a Canadian writer and photographer. Recent work appears at The Notre Dame Review. 

Spirit of a Place, Spirit of a Thing (Artist Statement)

In an off handed remark during an interview, U.G. Krishnamurti, called by some an anti-guru, and by himself, ‘Something like a philosopher,’ said that he once thought he could sense the spirit of a place. But then he brushed it off through words and body language. It didn’t fit in with his philosophy and message. But I resonated with his statement anyhow, because I had always felt that I could feel the spirit of a place and also a thing. Old town, lake still and wide. City street, carnival game vendor and prizes. Bee. Spider. Flower. Vine. Ridge. Summit. Stone. Petal. Stream. Sun. Cloud. Bird and dusk, horizon and dawn. Lock, denoting love, affixed to lonesome bridge alone in the rain. Artifacts. Areas. Some saturnine and some sanguine. Hundreds of places and things, their spirit, against reason and logic, somehow speaking out, not with language of course, but calling out nevertheless. Semantics and nomenclature could argue what spirit means. Is it the atmosphere, the daemon, the angel, the area, the vibration, the feeling? Is it physical, metaphysical, true and there, or purely imaginary and projected? Difficult to know conclusively. But there is something I think in all that mise- en-scene, and so on the rural footpaths and metropolitan worlds also, I try and photograph it and also write about it, this spirit of a place and spirit of a thing.

For the Bird of Peace

Some parts are jerking in earthquake
Some hearts are trembling in fire and fighting
The queue of death getting larger
We, the commoners affected too much
The souls cry in desert
The unstopped rain pouring on the soil in red
Only a touch of love can dispel
The dried, pathetic or hectic sight of face
Where is the bird of peace?
Oh bird, come so fast flapping on the eyes
And make us all joy.

Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh
27/02//2023

The Relics

The kite of love flying in the sky
Rotating from time to time on and on
You and I come out and visit the scene
Once they made The World of Love – still alive
Hundreds and thousands of men, women or children
Watch the relics and remember the shrine adding the wedding room
Built in 600-700 century called Gokul Medh at Bogura Zilla
The relics is open to all brightening the archaeological value
The tune of love suddenly focuses
The Basor Ghor ( The Wedding Room) of Behula – Lakhindor
The image you can draw at your own frontier.

Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh
27/02//2023

Welcome to February’s issue, the Literary Browsing Experience.

First of all, Synchronized Chaos stands with all those affected by the recent earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria. We encourage all who are able to contribute to the relief efforts, which you may do through the Red Crescent or other worthy organizations.

Also, please come out to Synchronized Chaos Magazine’s in-person event, held during the Association of Writing Programs’ conference, Thursday March 9th at 6pm at Ada’s Technical Books in Seattle.

During the pandemic many of us came to miss browsing in bookstores and libraries. The experience of scanning and flipping through books that we wouldn’t ordinarily order for ourselves, but which catch our eye and we find ourselves fingering, flipping, reading, and then checking out and buying.

This reading creates an ‘audible browsing’ experience by presenting readers who are published authors in a variety of genres. This includes mystery, romance, poetry, memoir, drama, literary and international fiction.

Also, our friend and collaborator Rui Carvalho reminds us about our Nature Writing Contest for 2022.

This is an invitation to submit poems and short stories related to trees, water, and nature conservation between now and the March 2023 deadline. More information and submission instructions here!

Now, for February’s issue. We’re experiencing a visual browsing experience right here in our magazine, perusing pieces of different genres and styles in this combined issue.

Farok Faisal encourages us to cultivate our lives as if they were gardens.

Jeffrey Spahr-Summers’ poetic speakers seek both liberation and sanctuary, and he highlights ordinary life into signboard-esque posters in his photography.

Z.I. Mahmud highlights the role of kindness in Homer’s Odyssey, while Rakhshona Akhmedova poignantly celebrates a friend’s kindness to her puppy.

Laura Stamps explores the potential and the limits of the human capacity to forgive, while Taylor Dibbert expresses the hope that can come through simply moving forward with one’s life.

Obirija Somtochukwu speaks eloquently about the nature of grief and of wanderlust. Aasma Tahir contributes elegant prose on love, nature, emotion and Romantic literature.

Gaurav Ojha urges us to live with a balanced perspective, while Osieka Osinimu Alao finds an entire cosmos and all of human history within his solitary bedroom.

Ari Rice imagines himself existing simultaneously as people of different ages within a single photograph, while Gerry LaFemina waxes nostalgic about the Beatles. Richard LeDue draws on artistic metaphors to highlight our mortality and the brevity of our lives.

J.J. Campbell probes how much we can truly change through the generations, what we keep and what we can hopefully leave behind. Nahid Gul celebrates the joy of sharing writing with the generations who come after us. Starlie Tugade relates the thoughts and feelings of a young immigrant woman reflecting on the lessons of her past. Emmanuel Umeji urges youth to learn from their elders and not be cocky about growing up too fast.

Daniel De Culla talks of aging in his signature earthy, physical way. Ian Copestick finds a form of faith in the renewal of blossoms in the spring, while Mesfakus Salahin speaks of the spiritual renewal he finds in nature.

Channie Greenberg captures horses at gentle moments of contemplation. Mahbub Alam writes of the power of the natural world to restore our perspective when we get caught up in human stresses.

C.L. Liedekev speculates on his and humanity’s future as he looks into water. Will we be devoured by sharks or simply drift away along the river?

Maurizio Brancaleoni renders a tourist’s visit to Italy’s historical relics into its own form of art, while Petro C.K. harnesses predictive text to process human history and nature. Andrew MacDonald turns to state parks as a metaphor for the well-meaning desire to preserve some of our ceaselessly changing world. Ryan Quinn Flanagan contributes his signature humor to probe our human condition and frailty.

Irene Koronas forges poetry as if it were metal in a blacksmith’s foundry. Daniel Y. Harris probes Wittgenstein’s philosophy as if Derrida were a hacker presenting his ideas through malware. J.D. Nelson crafts phrases to highlight our often fragmentary, incomplete and mysterious view of our worlds.

Alan Catlin crafts his words and sequences in a logical order known only to himself, while Jim Meirose renders a visit to the barber as a surreal experience. Mark Young sculpts a papier-mache work out of “found words” from his environment. Joshua Martin scrambles fragments and ideas into their own form of meaning.

David Woodward questions whether human justice systems can ever reach the truth, while James Whitehead presents American political satire through dreams and waking reveries. Sevara Gapporova recommends fresh ideas for restitution and rehabilitation within Uzbekistan’s justice system.

Chris Butler speculates about a dystopian future where human thought and connection become obsolete.

John Edward Culp’s poetic speaker harkens to the voice that matters to him after quiet contemplation. Christina Chin and Uchechukwu Onyedikam finish each other’s sentences in a set of seamless collaborative haikus.

Don McLellan presents a humorous story of culture, intrigue and domestic investigation among South Asian immigrant communities in Canada.

Caleb Ishaya Oseshi presents snapshots of Nigerian city life, people of various ages and genders, all with energy and determination.

Roodly Laurore bears witness to the current violence and tumult in Haiti.

Sandro Piedrahita draws parallels between modern-day political leaders and Shakespearean antiheroes to lament the perennial tragedy of our quest to oppress and dominate others.

Chimezie Ihekuna evokes the physical bliss of romantic attraction in his song lyrics. Ajibola Aljanat speculates how romantic love holds the power to both elevate and destroy humanity. John Tustin renders the grief of losing one’s love, faith, and home into words that dissolve on the page, along with the speaker’s identity and sense of self.

Joseph P. Wechselberger captures the surreal beauty of being caught up in the moment of poetic creation.

Sayani Mukerjee’s poem grants dignity, grace, and beauty to domestic chores. Natasha Leung explores a young woman’s quest for beauty, rendering shaving leg hair as a poetic way to reach softness and grace.

Aloysius S. Harmon acknowledges that boys and men can grieve and feel emotions deeply. Chloe Schoenfeld draws on the language of yesteryear to convey empathy for another’s grief.

Film critic Jaylan Salah describes director Quark Henares’ film Where Is the Lie, a psychological thriller that explores the depths of friendship and gender identity.

We hope this issue is enjoyable and thought-provoking for all.

Calypso lives as a goddess of immortality and youth upon the Ogygian island and she entraps and encharms Odysseus until the divine cosmic intervention of Zeus averted her into succumbing this lusty temptation as embellished in these lines, “By then, good bye to him, since no God can evade or thwart the will of Zeus.”

When Odysseys felt homesick remembrances of Penelope haunted him, Calypso’s immortality makes her more superior in her form, stature and appearance compared to Penelope. Odysseus’ choice of being paramoured by this enticement seemed to be foreshadowing Penelope’s susceptibility to time and decay, as metonymic for the realistic human condition he prefers unlike ‘ageless youth’ of Calypso. In this behaviour Odysseus’ choice deprioritizes
idolized beauty.

“A cruel folk you are, unmatched to jealousy? You gods cannot bear to let a goddess sleep with a man, even if it is done without concealment or she has chosen him as her lawful consort.” Calypso become disillusioned by the boorish heraldry of Hermes, the giant slayer and Messenger of God; Zeus, the Lord of Hera and Thunderer doesn’t relish the fact of her conjugal union with Odysseus
and thereby she releases her captive.

Odysseus cannot but be suspicious of villainous trickery of Calypso, who in intercession, chants breathtaking rhetoric, pointing Odysseus’ crafty mind. “What a villain you are to think of such a thing! It shows the crafty way your own mind works.” This happens, however, that the nymph Calypso becomes intensely emotional and elevated with sensational feelings for the hero proclaims in ingenuity of her fairness of being tender hearted soul.

“For I, after all, have some sense of what is fair; and my heart is not a block of iron. I know what pity is!”

Describe the cosmic and divine interventions of the anthropomorphic Gods in Homer’s Odyssey.

Or
Justify Odysseyean narrative in perspectives of man’s responsibility rather than divine malevolence

Or
“The companions yielding to reckless folly invokes the wrath of the Gods. Explain in the light of the commentary.

Or
“That is the God’s work, spinning threads of death through the lives of mortal men…” Explain and justify the perspectives of Alcinous’ speech through the light of divine intervention and cosmic role of gods and goddesses.

Poseidon Lord of the Earthquake and Earth Girdler incites a thunderous rivalry with Odysseus for murdering Cyclops, the mountain giant. In vengeance and vengeful spirits, he shipwrecks Odysseus as manifested by these inferences to these dactylic hexameter, “So I had only to go to Ethiopia for the Gods to
change their minds about Odysseus. And there he is, close to the Phaeacian lands, where he is destined to bring his long ordeal to an end. Nevertheless I mean to let him have his plentiful of trouble yet.” In a nutshell, Poseidon is cast as the blocking force of obstacle or hindrance to Odysseus’ return and to Zeus’ will. Odysseus attributes both destructiveness and helpfulness to Zeus when he
describes the culminating disasters of his travels and the shipwreck off Thrinacia.

Throughout the narratorial omniscience poaching of animals renders
impending doom and life threatening stance. Zeus’ animosity of lightning thunder to strike Odysseus’ ships reflect the divine justice of his companions’ doom and furthermore, Zeus’ prevents Scylla’s reappearance. Both Teiresias’ and Circe’s re echoing of stock advisory imperatives entails foreboding apprehensions with incurring the wrath of Poseidon or Helios’ against killing their sacred cattle:

“And if you yourself contrive to escape, you will come home
late, in evil plight, with all your comrades lost.” Athena aids in the favour of betterment for the future of the Ithacan kingdom and she exclaims, “I knew in my heart”.. “That you would return after the loss of all your companions, but I did not want to fight with Poseidon, the brother of my father, who has put anger in his heart in wrath because you blinded his own son.”

Athena’s magical divinity and wondrous marvels have been a boon for Odysseus’ and Telemachus’ accomplishments. Nestor exclaims after the disappearance of Mentes, that, she [goddess Athena] For never in my life have I seen the Goddesses display such open emotion as Pallas Athena had shown for the championship of Odysseus. For instance, Odysseus was blessed by a divine
showering of radiance by Goddess Athena upon his brine crusted ascension to shores of Scheria from Ogygiaian isles. Arrogant and hubristic beasts such as Cyclops Polyphemus have been bestowed by Zeus’ showerings of torrential downpours for the fertility and productivity of grapes and grains in mountainous caverns, which Odysseus feels loathsome. Nevertheless, Zeus’ retributive justice
to invoke wrathful vengeance in collaboration with Artemis to disenfranchise maidservant for entrapment of Eumaeus is vindictive justification.

Evaluate Nausicaa’s character as a feminist threat of the Homeric epic Odyssey.

Or Explain the significance of Nausicaa’s feminist character in Homer’s Odyssey.

Or
Describe Odyssus’ journey from Ogygia to the island of Scheria and
eventually acquaintanceship with Phaecan princess Nausciaa. Illustrate your answer with references to family, marriage and conjugality.

Or
“Good luck, my friend, and when you are in your own country, you will remember at times, since it is to me, before all others, you owe your life.” Explain the incidents of the episodes at Scherian island with Nausicaa.

Or
Odysseus’ and Nausicaa’s can be considered as unrequited love in
canonical literature. Explain with textual evidences.

Seafaring wanderer Odysseus acquainted himself with Phaeacian princess Nausicaa. If Homer hadn’t intended Odysseus’ eventual homecoming then this folk tale romance would evolved as a ‘tragic artistic blunder’ linking conjugality of Odysseus with the Phaeacian princess Nausicaa in the isles of Scheria. The princess attends neither courtly royal affairs, Phaeacian palace games nor
Odysseus’ eventual departure. Their solitudinous solace of final meeting renders romantic anticipation. Odysseus’ impetus of Phaeacian episode falsehood rechoes to safeguard the image and reputation of the princess in King Alcinous presence. “My lord”, replied the resourceful Odysseus, “your daughter [Phaeacian princess Nausicaa] is not to blame for that [ushering Odysseus
along with her attending maidens’ accompaniment], and I beg you not to take her to task. She did tell me to follow along with the servants. But in my modesty I shrank from doing so, thinking it possible that you might be annoyed at the sight.” [VII 303-307].

Nausicaa’s tactfulness and vigilance in espousal of shipwrecked foreigner Odysseus infers the imminent danger of tarnishing
reputation amidst Phaeacian sailors and noble suitors Princess Nausicaa’s demeanor possesses a considerable appeal to influence Odysseus’ future prospects through the cherishing of a royal wedding and sovereignty of a dukedom.

Nausicaa is a divine deity as envisioned by Odysseus’ in spellbinding
admiration of her grace, beauty and statute. “If you are one of the Gods, it is of Artemis, the daughter of Almighty Zeus, that your beauty, grace and stature most remind me.” [VI 49-52]. Odysseus’ pitiful appeal for a rag to shroud and wrap his nakedness and storytelling of the winds and tempestuous waves of
island of Ogygia ensues within this phenomenal meeting. Even Nausicaa’s is hailed to be a female of wonder and veneration for a seafaring voyager like Odysseus. Furthermore, Odysseus’ prayers for Nausicaa’s future blissful conjugality assures something charismatic. Since home, husband and family will be confounding their enemies and delighting their friends. In the end, Nausicaa’s feminine persuasion, graceful eloquence, charming beauty, youthful
intelligence exalts Homeric artistic triumph and Odyssean resolution.

1. Nausicaa: A Feminist Threat, Authors: Nicolas P. Gross and Nicholas P.
Gross, Source: The Classical World, February 1976, Vol. 69, No. 5, February
1976, pages: 311-317
2. Poor Polyphemus: Emotional Ambivalence In “Odyssey” 9 and 17 , Author:
Rick M. Newton, Source: The Classical World, January-February 1983, Vol. 76,
No. 3, pages: 137-142.
3. The Role of Telemachus In The Odyssey, Author: M.J. Alden, Belfast,
Northern Ireland, Source: Hermes, 2nd Qtr, 1987, pages: 129-137
4. Narrative and Rhetoric To The Odysseus’ Tales To The Phaeacians, Author:
Marianne Hopman, Source: The American Journal of Philology, Spring 2012,
Vol. 133, No. 1, pages: 1-30
5. The Reunion of Penelope and Odyssey, Author: Chris Emlyn Jones, Source:
Greece and Rome, April 1983, Vol. 31, No. 1 , Pages 1-18, Cambridge
University Press On Behalf of The Classical Association

Thy Sorrows

I cannot comprehend such grief thou holdst

Thy mourning that torments thy soul so

My eyes have not perceived horrors; thou hast

Carried a burden so strong in thy blood

In thy heart of hearts of hearts that doth sing

Oh, sweet summer sun sing to me tonight

Sing thy sorrowful heart into the wind

Lull me asleep with thy tears: wearied eyes

Allow me to share thy troubles with thee

Taketh my silken hands that tremble so

The stars doth sing back to thee in the night

Hast thou heard their voices? They sing for thee

My voice shall join thy prayer to the stars

Thy sorrows I have not, wherefore hast thou