iSSUE IV: Patchwork

i S S U E IV p a t c h w o r k

JULY 2024 | NOT AN iSSUE LITERARY MAGAZINE

Dear Reader, Here is iSSUE 4: Patchwork, brought to you with love. This time around, contributors were encouraged to submit their best, most creative pieces, which were then threaded together by our editors and patchworked into a colorful, cohesive fourth issue.

This issue also coincides with the graduation of our leading staff members, including our two editors-in-chief. In order to honor the birth and existence of NAi under current staff members, collage artwork on the part of senior editors is woven in throughout the issue. The formatting of pieces also follows a scrapbook design, with funky, nostalgic elements that communicate a retrospective sentiment.

Lastly, as always, thank you to all the talented writers and artists who submitted their work to this issue. We hope you enjoy this patchwork of art, writing, photography, and memories.

Emma Lu and Catherine Xue Co-editors in Chief

Table of Contents

1

Sleeping Lure

by Yifan Zhang

9

It's Too Late. But I'm Struggling by M.S.

3

Sunlight: A Riddle

by Erika Lee

11

BEES...and honey

by Vincent Shao

5

When the Moon Met the Sun by Zara Azeem

12

Remains of a Forgotten Past

by Beverly Jin

6

Too Busy to Live

by F.W.

13

aLWAYS cONNECTED

by Diana

7

Callisto

by Erika Lee

15

Inside of My Heart

by Anya Clemente

8

Franken Baby

by Karen Daly

17

Collective Memories

by Yasemin Tingleff

1

by Yifan Zhang

2

Erika Lee

where has the lig ht g o n e ?

Sunlight: A Riddle I am falling upon the world with wide eyes, driftwood, specks of sky sand, tumbling over the tree branches. I drift apart like waves at noon, I sink softly into the ground as if the weight of the world was above me.

(But softly, yes, always softly). I wrap around houses and skyscrapers and office buildings that seek to break the dome of the sky into a thousand greedy pieces. I wreath the tiny growing things with the crowns of life, I travel from places you can't imagine, I exist everywhere all at once.

(But everywhere is nowhere, didn’t you know?).

I float through your window, rest on your Desk, and crawl over your hands with warmth—I am setting in a glorious explosion of fire. (But not really. You just can’t see me anymore. It’s all for the dramatic effects). And you mourn my absence, on some instinctive level. But you have already replaced me with harshness and anxiety, fizzing crackles and electricity, and now you are free to run down darkness in a fast-paced frenzy of consumption (want) as you sit there with your wide eyes— Where has the light gone?

Answer: It has gone nowhere. But perhaps you are just too blinded by darkness to see it).

3

4

5

Too Busy to Live My seconds are numbered My body is not dying But it is eroding under the pressure Every minute wasted is another metal slab on my back How many hours can I fit into a day?

24 is not enough Stealing time from my sleep Still it is not enough Cancel plans or go with a shaking heart I should not be doing this Every moment determines the future Everything I touch causes a butterfly effect No time to waste I cannot do it I am far too busy to live

6

Callisto 7

by

by Karen Daly

8

e. t a l o o Its t gling g u r t s but i’m

It’s already too late You’re already in your sophomore year You should have had it figured out now, you won’t make it You need to figure out what to do Be a doctor, or a software engineer they pay well Or you can be a lawyer or is that too hard for you?

This is why you should’ve started earlier but now it’s too late You’re too dumb to be a scientist How about you go work at Target instead?

You’re don’t have enough to be a dancer So why don’t you go work at Burger King You’ll be on the streets I will not have you.

You're too much of an embarrassment.

Just worried for you What do you mean you have it hard?

You’re only 15. Don’t be dramatic. Get up and start working

9

That’s what I hear.

But whBu y tdowhIy ne doveIr ne heve hearwothe arrthe rds words

"It’s no "Itt’stono o tlatto e"o? lat e"?

But why do I never hear the words I do hav I do e ithav e dit har hard "It’s not too late"?

I’m soI’m sorry rry I I do don’t havn’t e ithav e ur figou urittedhard out Ifig have doited I’m toI’m o foto focu cuosed onsed myon mypin drop drop pin gtwe we igh ight I’m sorry I don’t have itgfigured out I’m I’m try I ing sweaIrweight swear I’m too focused on try mying dropping But allBu t sallselthi thi s do selub fubt I’m ftrying It do swear

I can I han candle ’t han it dle it But all’tthis self-doubt Guess Gu thiess s Iis thi s is my my fate fahandle te can’t it My theMy therap rapist saysistitsay ittti is sge isng gettirse rse Guess thiswo isng mywo fate Ju Ju st go keing ep worse going My therapist saysstit ke isep getting And yo An yoeu to u dhav havbe e fiebe rce fie rce Justto keep going But frBu from omt wh ere wh e ge doerI dot I getstrthe str gth? h?en And youthe have en togt be fierce I'm str I'ug mgli str gling ngugwit with enotoonhe h no to help. lp.

But from where do Ion get theestrength?

I'm struggling with no one to h

elp.

by

M.S.

10

and honey

BEES...

11

3D Blender work

by Vincent Shao

DIGITAL ARTWORK

BY BEVERLY JIN

Remains of a Forgotten Past

12

13

aLWAYS L o v e .L

o v e .L o v e .

I love you

cONNECTED

by Diana

.

3 words that slowly tur ns empty.

We used to talk about the thoughts that woul d raid our mind.

The thoughts that the mirror would whisper t o us every moment that we stared at it.

The numbers that appe ar on every bite Maybe if you ate less y ou wouldn’t look like t hat And so

Every bite became less and less Each workout became l onger and longer 2,000 calories turned t o 200 And yet The demon that stared back at me was Never satisfied The thoughts still inva de my mind You’re sick But I can’t seem to sto p anymore The numbers became ve nom in my veins So sweet seeing 0s 0 bites entering my bo dy 0 calories 0h, sweet venom How did you become my paradise?

~ en ~

14

15

created with white clay, underglazes, clear glaze, and wire

by Anya Clemente

16

17

Collective

by Yasemin Tingleff

18

d

c

’s t a

a gr

p ca

!

1. decorate grad cap 2. take pics (mom will make sure this one happens) 3. don’t fall on stage (please)

emma & nitya’s pics

19

ch? u o t n i p e e k let’s

20

thank you

Contributors Yifan Zhang

Vincent Shao

Erika Lee

Beverly Jin

Zara Azeem

Diana

F.W.

Anya Clemente

Karen Daly

Yasemin Tingleff

M.S.

21

Emma Lu

Catherine Xue

Nitya Masina

Erika Lee

Sneha Moudgalya

Sumana Sri Manikala

Zara Azeem

Isabelle Charernruengkit

Nooriya Vanak

Maia Taylor

ssu e 4 i

Credits

22

JULY 2024 | NOT AN iSSUE LITERARY MAGAZINE