Some personal news, some items to read + a new artist!
In 2019, I began writing a short story, and didn't know where it was taking me. I wrote it anyway. One fine day I was staring at a 5000 word story which I then sent out to multiple literary magazines and soon forgot about it.
Hello, and wish you a happy Sunday morning!
In 2019, I began writing a short story, and didn't know where it was taking me. I wrote it anyway. One fine day I was staring at a 5000 word story which I then sent out to multiple literary magazines and soon forgot about it.
Some time last month, and as (most of) you know, it was published by the New York based Litbreak Magazine. I was so over the moon that I forgot to share it with you, dear readers. My short story is called 'Agni's Reluctant Body-Partner.' Does the title make you curious to know more? Wait until you read it. 😉 But read it and tell me know what you think, ok?
In this week's good, long (and emotional) reads:
- How to predict the unpredictable? by Katie Gutierrez - Are you someone that's lost a pet? How do you deal with the grief? In this mind-blowing long read that made me cry, Katie sketches what happened to Lola, her beautiful black pug and how Katie's been dealing with it. You can follow her here. Here're a few words that stood out to me and made me cry, again and again.
2. Trigger warning: Dark humour. It's about the American healthcare system. Recently, I was flipping through an old issue of The New Yorker and this piece by Kate Sidley made me choke with anger and laughter. Yes, I experienced both because I'm removed from the U.S, but you might feel differently about it. It's from 2019, but it holds true today as well. It's a harsh reminder of what has happened, especially considering the pandemic.
3. I remember how I used to do an Artists' Spotlight in my previous issues and thought I'd bring it back. If you want something lighter than 1 and 2, here's that.
This time in the spotlight is Nidhi Jacob, a lovely artist whose works have always inspired me to write more, or simply stare at and feel grounded. I got to know about Nidhi's work, thanks to The Alipore Post's newsletter. Her pieces remind me of earthy smells and moss grown stones with water splashing around it, lakes and little fish that float around in the ocean spraying seafoam and forming patterns of shoals. Folks, follow her and tell her how you feel about her art. If possible, buy it.
If you come across something you'd like to share with me, go ahead, shoot it!
Oh, before I go, here's another piece of writing by Yours Truly —an essay on reading and writing, solicited by the Editor of Litbreak Magazine. Tell me what you think, ok?
If you're in Tamil Nadu, don't forget to go out and vote on April 6th.
Until next time,
Swathi
Photo by Marcus Winkler from Unsplash