Them Ribbons Were Gold

Lucas Thompson

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

“Them Ribbons Were Gold” is a short story from a larger work that draws its inspiration from across the Americas. In it, I hope to tackle dilemmas of reliability of speaker, self interest, and–with nods to Flannery O’Connor and the story of Icarus–ambition. I wrote this story while keeping in mind the lack of non-European influence in the fantasy genre, as well as with the desire to create a speaker who presents readers with the opportunity to judge his actions for themselves, and develop their own conclusions on the nature of his character.

My Mother's Golem

Amanda VanNierop

Saint Louis University

This piece was composed for the 2020 Inspired By Showcase, where it received first place for undergraduate written work. The competition asked students to create a piece of art reflective of the themes in Michael Chabon’s novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. 

Over time, the Golem has taken on varying symbolism both in and out of Jewish culture. To titular character Joe Kavalier, the Golem represents escape. Freedom. And, of course, protection. I wanted to express these central themes of the Golem in this piece, from the perspective of a daughter who is being told two things: literally, that she suffers from generational depression, and metaphorically, that she is her own mother’s Golem. In this piece, I also wanted to express the idea of escape being limited. The mother can escape her feelings by bringing a companion to life, but this escape is finite—the daughter grows up to feel what the mother did. In a way, the cycle begins again.

Two Poems—"Fried Egg" and "Two (2) Slices of Baloney"

Mercury-Marvin Sunderland

The Evergreen State College

Mercury-Marvin Sunderland (he/him) is a transgender autistic gay man from Seattle with Borderline Personality Disorder. He currently attends the Evergreen State College and works for Headline Poetry & Press. He’s been published by UC Riverside’s Santa Ana River Review, UC Santa Barbara’s Spectrum Literary Journal, and The New School’s The Inquisitive Eater. His lifelong dream is to become the most banned author in human history. He’s @Romangodmercury on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Maiden of the Lost

Jeneva Grace Midgett

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Within this poetic narrative, I attempt to challenge what makes someone important or worth remembering. While a nameless woman in history may seem unimportant or useless in society, ones’ name is not what is important. People hold power in themselves, and depending on how they use their actions and voices to interact with others, they determine their lasting effect in the world. I hope this narrative challenges others to consider how they affect those around them and where their power is.

Uproot

Jake Gentry

Tennessee Technological University

Jake H. Gentry is a college senior at Tennessee Technological University, where he studies creative writing and literature. He is an LGBTQ+ author and poet. Other than writing, his hobbies include playing with his beloved cat Poe and pondering the nature of the multiverse.

What Isn't There

Petra Ellerby

Western Washington University

This essay is a meditation on an idea, an exploration of absence as it is expressed in the writings of four poets from four places and four ages. While the work does not fit easily into any one disciplinary category, its approach is traditionally humanistic: it addresses the many routes by which a concept intersects with the compositions of various authors—and with the humanity of their readers. Its theoretical concerns run the gamut from grief to syntax to logic and back again, incorporating a wide collection of possible points of view. The essay is structured like a crystal; each section centers a different facet of its core unifying idea. All of these ‘chapters’ also incorporate a collection of sub-explorations, each focused on absence’s manifold forms.