Posts

Short Fiction: From the Editor's Desk

  From the Editor’s Desk  by Olivia Logan West First, his face. Attractive as it is, I add some rosy tones and remove the shadows from under his eyes. The blood-filled, emotive, sympathetic face is in right now. Last year there was a trend toward the pale, mysterious, and vampiric, but as styles come and go, eventually an inverse takes hold. His voice was fine enough, but I added a slight distortion and vocal fry overlay to present him as a little older, a little rougher, a lovely contrast to his boyish and, at some angles, feminine features. To further entice I add some stubble shadow on the edge of his chin and lower jaw to again provide some semblance of weatheredness and subtle masculinity. I ensure that his eyes shine before going to work in the background. I remove cheaper, store bought objects and replace them with higher-end pieces from the marketing list. His wall art was removed in a few clicks and drags and replaced with more minimalist pieces including a Demoix t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Short Fiction: I am the Bug Catcher

  I am the Bug Catcher By Olivia Logan-West I am the bug catcher. With the sow-bugs, jooper beetles, nightcrawlers, and dead bumble bees I find, I’ll catch the biggest fish my father has ever seen. We’ll eat it for dinner and everyone’s bellies will be full. I turn over stones and check the wet mud for worms. The cinder blocks in the garden bed are best, but I wait until Mom is on the phone to turn them over. Then I place them black carefully so she won’t know. I don't think she'll mind if I turned up her beds when she sees the fish I’ll bring home. I’ve got my pole ready by the door and I’m full of energy because today is a good day for bug finding. I’ve already put two ladybugs, three flies, and four worms in my tin. I’m not sure which will be the best bait, and I’m not sure if one type will eat the other. I know I need a few more before I head to the pond.  I am distracted by the girl. She’s jumping on the trampoline with her older sister. They bounce and bounce and I fig...
Post a Comment
Read more

Essay: DIY Trans Buddhism

  DIY Trans Buddhism by Olivia Logan West My introduction to Buddhism, and Eastern thought came through a Western lens. As a young psychology student I craved a deeper understanding of both my own experiences and those of others. Why I craved that deeper understanding, I didn’t know. It felt like an innate urge, as if I was robbed of a secret understanding that might contextualize the strange experience of thinking, feeling, moving within a body. My inquiries were challenging and often left me feeling more lost in a hunger to know. I looked toward adjacent fields, namely philosophy, and began taking what undergraduate courses were immediately available. I cycled through courses like Ancient Philosophy, American Philosophy, the Philosophy of Sex and Love, until I found myself in an online, “Eastern Philosophy,” course, where I finally perceived a feeling of relief, that I’d touched that secret I’d craved for so long.      It was the first time I was exposed ...
Post a Comment
Read more