A reflection on thankfulness at the end of the world.
When I was nineteen, I started writing down what I was thankful for every day. I called it my thank-for list. I had read somewhere at the time that practicing gratitude and thankfulness can be a way to alleviate feelings of anxiety or depression. And, as someone who lived mainly in my head, I thought it would be a good grounding exercise.
It slowly became my favorite form of journaling, and, coincidentally, the easiest form of journaling. On days when I felt like I was walking on uneven ground, waiting for the world to tip me over, thinking and writing down what I was grateful for tethered me to the people, places, and things that made life, life.
I’d start with really big ones, family, health, friends, general overarching themes in life, and then I’d slowly start adding pages and pages of seemingly insignificant things: silver hoops, french bread, bright pink blush. It was in those small little items, small little moments, that I’d realize in retrospect had some vital aspect of me in them. Some vital part of that shared human heartbeat we all want to feel.
The past week has been, I think to no one’s surprise if you know me, rough. Days when it has been hard to be thankful. Days where even those small wonders, small pockets of happy seems far too insignificant to overpow er and beat out things like fear and dread and hatred.
This week felt a little bit like the end of the world. Or a least a world. A world where I felt safe to make choices about my own body. A world where I felt protected by my fellow citizens, where I thought maybe not all of us, but most of us, believed women, cared about others, condemned blatant racism and homophobia, wanted to move forward.
It’s the end of a world where I feel safe to want.
And yet,
Even in this world, there are sunsets (although they are far too early now), there are people who love me, who make me know that there is a future filled with hope. I am thankful for all of that. I am thankful that I didn’t vote for a convicted felon (crazy sentence to say) and I am thankful, even still, for silver hoops and french bread and bright pink blush.
I am thankful for this magazine, for the wonderful people who contributed to it. I am thankful for my sadness, because it means I care. And I am thankful for my anger, because it means I have not been defeated.
And I know there will be days to come, days where I will whisper into the air again, thank you thank you thank you. That I will feel that feeling again.
A Thanksgiving Dinner If It Were Up To Me
A Love Letter to Mashed Potatoes
Killer Kale Salad
Rachel’s Guide to Thrifting
Ten Wedding Planning Tips from a Bride-to-Be
Which Gilmore Girl Are You?
Transitional Fall
SHITS & GIGGLES
A Non-exaustive List of My November Daylist Titles
Getting Back Together With Your Winter Coat
Thanksgiving Food Alignment Chart
Tips For Getting Through Thanksgiving Dinner
A Turkey’s Last Words
Ways to Subtly Let Everyone in Your Hometown Know You’re Better Than Them
THE PUBLIC SQUARE
“Squares and Squares” “Saturday In December”
Yearning for a simpler time (early 2000s)
PUZZLES & GAMES Turkey Word Scramble
It’s Turkey Lurkey Time
Executive Editors Macy Kissel and Rachel Loring
Thanksgiving Dinner
IF IT WERE UP TO ME
Appet er Entree
OUR FIRST COURSE IS A LEGAL PROTECTION OF YOUR FREEDOM TO EXIST AND ENGAGE IN LIFE IN THE WAY YOU DESIRE.*
*AS LONG AS HARM IS NOT BROUGHT TO A BODY OUTSIDE OF YOURS.
RESPECT
THE FOUNDATION OF THIS MEAL IS A DEEP-ROOTED UNDERSTANDING OF WOMANHOOD AND IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN AROMA OF CAMRADERIE, SERVED WITH A SIDE OF ADMIRATION OR SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE.
Dessert
RECOGNITION
ALSO KNOWN AS “BEING SEEN”, THIS SWEET DISH IS SERVED WARM AND IS SPRINKLED WITH CELEBRATION AND HONOR.
Post-Meal Treat RIGHTS
REVENGE
HAVE ANY ROOM LEFT? THOUGH A TASTE NOT LOVED BY ALL, THIS SWEET TREAT IS AN OPTIONAL INDULGENCE AND IS SERVED COLD AND HARD.
ENJOY!
A LOVE LETTER TO MASHED POTATOES
by Chesney Jensen
While potatoes of all kinds deserve their flowers, one, amongst the many, will always take the cake. I can’t find them in a restaurant, and rarely am I even able to recreate them in my own, grown-up kitchen. It’s unclear what my mom and sister whisper into the pot while they boil, or blend in when I’m not looking, but the mashed potatoes in my parents’ home at the bottom of the street on Millwater Crossing are, without question, the best form of potato.
They don’t just mix perfectly with every dish, they’re the glue that holds it all together. Whether wedged between my turkey and broccoli casserole, with canned cranberries inching closer with
every bite, or compli menting Sam’s birthday meat loaf in the middle of June, this simple side has become a cornerstone to Jensen family meals. It’s crafted above hungry dogs and around sneaky fingers; we all grab bites when my mom turns around as if she hasn’t snuck her own spoonful.
For me, mashed potatoes weave together memories. Memories of my grandma, surrounded by three, four, or five dogs, slowly handing each eager one bites off her own plate. Memories of leftovers flying from one end of the kitchen to the other. Mouths open, going for Hail
NOVEMBER
by Brenna McWha
And when I sit with the window open left ear to the trees
And hear the birds that chit in unison flitting in the breeze
My spirit floats to join in and dance among worms and sky
For when the window sits wide open I feel like I can fly
Mary’s like the football game on the TV in the living room. And the back porch. My grandma playfully shouting, “you all” at my cousin as he tosses me a huge spoonful. I miss the catch. We have to scrub the floor now.
A thank you is owed to Hannah Glasse, who according to a quick Google search, invented this dish as we know it in 1747. My fondest memories would not be complete without this gift.
SHITS & GIGGLES
A NON-EXAUSTIVE LIST OF MY NOVEMBER DAYLIST TITLES
midwest emo suburban nostalgia I should (not) call her thursday evening
150 BPM doof doof bedroom solo dance party club friday night
manic hyperpop brat overslept your alarm above the speed limit monday morning
walter mitty office bathroom break escapism dramatic orchestral tuesday afternoon
don’t we all wish we were snoopy fall autumnal jazz thursday evening
tech-house rave-when is the last time I went on a run? wednesday evening
cathartic 2000s I miss my iPod nostalgic pop friday evening
girl put your records on late morning breakfast saturday morning
counterculture protest inspired americana tuesday morning
holy shit did that just happen wednesday morning
it’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine?) by R.E.M. but 50 times on thursday, friday, and saturday.
this salad will kill is my heart if you don’t love it. My mom found this rec-
What you’ll need for the salad:
Bacon 1 red onion
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch kale
½ cup white wine
The recipe calls for 4 slices but I say go crazy, truly, the more bacon the better
I could eat red onion raw (and at times I do)
Again, go crazy however much you want
I make my mom get more so I have salad for DAYS
Optional: Ree uses goat cheese but I find goat cheese gross so I don’t add--but that is your call!
and for the dressing:
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Assemble Your Salad:
Fry bacon, drain on paper towel, and cut into bits. Pour most of the grease out then in the same pan you cooked the bacon in, add in onions to cook until soft (Ree calls for butter here but I am not a big butter girl and find that the residual bacon grease is good enough to cook the mushrooms in). After onions are soft/cooked how you like, take off heat and put to the side with the bacon. Next add your mushrooms, wine, and salt and pepper to the same pan and cook until mushrooms are soft or wine evaporates, then remove from heat and put with other toppings. Remove your kale from the stalks, clean, and cut! Then you’ll add your mushrooms, onions, and bacon and toss together with dressing.
To make the dressing simply add all your ingredients into a bowl/ mason jar, combine, and toss in with kale (Ree suggests tossing kale and dressing first then adding in bacon, onions, and mushrooms) but I think I just toss everything together at the end and it’s fine.
And there you go, the most beautiful, perfect Thanksgiving salad! Enjoy your next hyperfixation!
I’M DOING IT
by Macy Kissel
I’m doing it
I have a monthly subscription gym membership that I use to go to the same gym twice a week
I bought a wool coat secondhand with holes in the pockets
I paid double what the coat cost to repair the pockets
I am starting a collection of secondhand books but I have no space for a library
I am reading more
On my kindle
I’ve kept almost all of my apartment plants alive
I’m part of a book club
I’m part of a knitting club
I’m part of the small population that has AMC A-List and thinks that they’re better than everyone else
Have you been to the Lincoln Square theatre?
I’ve perfected my commute to the Trader Joe’s under the bridge
I’ve downloaded Hinge and gone on several first dates
I’ve run the entire loop in Central Park in one go
I’ve become a regular on Wednesdays at a coffee shop on my way to work
Try the pistachio muffin
I’ve curated the perfect purse contents to prepare me for anything
I carry a deck of cards on me at all times
I carry pepper spray with me but some bars will confiscate it
I carry the weight of being the eldest daughter
I’m doing it
I do my own laundry but it’s in the basement of my building
Six floors
I make my own coffee at home so I’m not shelling out money that I don’t have
Six dollars
I am still friends with the girls I met during my senior year of high school
Six years
I moved my room around but there was no room to walk
Six inches
I have a monthly subscription lunch plan so I can bond with my coworkers
I donate my read books to little free libraries
I’m growing out my bangs
I’ve found out what I’m passionate about after getting my degree in something else
I’ve found a group of friends that live in walking distance
I’ve found the perfect pair of black boots that I can wear with anything
I’ve found that I don’t have a lot of money left in my account after I pay my rent
I’ve found a therapist on ZocDoc that I see at least once a month
I’ve found the perfect place to stand so that the subway doors open right in front of me every time
I’ve found my personal style and what I feel beautiful and confident and comfortable in
I’ve found an appreciation for my mother and how much I am becoming her
I’ve found myself
I did it
SATURDAY IN DECEMBER
by _Broze
Snapping bites into sour apples, In my quiet room.
The one we kept made for a guest.
Chewing as loudly as possible... Juice trickles down my chin.
No mirror, yet face paints a silly grin.
Horse bites, I always snag some seeds. Often swallowing them. I still laugh that guts grow trees.
We are all passengers here.
Too gentle for this hurried life. Taking up spaces, leaving less, Frantically chasing happiness, reaching out and falling prey.
Amnesia, what a profound feature!
There is a warmth that radiates from my freckled skin. Whittling minutes, desperate to somehow harness it, find my strength, and begin again.
FIBER FRIENDS NYC
SOCIAL CLUB
A GATHERING OF FRIENDS AND FUTURE FRIENDS IN THE NAME OF FIBER ARTS
FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH SPRITZENHAUS 33 BROOKLYN, NY 7PM
GETTING BACK TOGETHER WITH YOUR WINTER COAT
by Rachel Loring
Hey baby, it’s me. U up?
And by up I mean hanging up. I see that you moved from the box I keep under my bed back into my closet, I remember you always liked it there more. Good for you, I’m proud of you, getting back out there.
Well, I’m just calling to say that…I messed up baby. Last May I was just, I don’t know, I wasn’t ready to commit to you. I know, I know, I say that every May, but this time, I’m serious. It’s you and me. Remember all our warm nights together?
Do you still have that cough drop I left in your pocket last January? Yeah, that sinus infection just wouldn’t go away.
I know how I treated you was awful, discarding you, locking you up in that airtight plastic rolling bin under my bed next to my five-pound hand weights that I WILL use this year. But, if you take me back this time it’ll be different! I’ll get you a soft velvet hanger! I’ll take you to the actual dry cleaners and not just spray you with a can of aerosol deodorant! I’ll even get a new hook on the back of my door for you…well it’ll be a command hook but I swear it’s the landlord’s policy not mine!
Just take me back, please, I can’t stand another cold day without you.
—a cold girl with an even colder heart
This was written in 2020 and has been revisited in mourning.
My America. make America great again.
A slogan coined by a man who does not know what greatness is.
Who does not know what America is.
Whose view of this country is through a position of privilege so high he cannot see the people on the ground.
So I guess you cannot blame him for not understanding.
But before you put on the red hat with the pretty propaganda.
I have one question, sir. What does that mean?
What is it that you believe makes America great?
What is this idea of greatness you want to return to?
I love my country.
I am proud to be an American. Despite what you have tried to turn it into, I will continue to be proud to be American.
I am proud to be American because we are a country that is supposed to care about the little guy. The underdog. The downtrodden and forgotten.
We are great because we are the ones who act, the ones who change the world.
We tore down injustice. We fought for our freedom with blood and used it as ink to set into law a new way. Our history is not all red white and blue. a lot of it is just red. The body kind. Our history is ugly and bruised. But we must take her and move forward.
My America, sir, is complicated. The poison of the past still runs through her veins. But still I believe that America can be great. That greatness comes with great tragedy. So when you, a round orange man with little hands, from on a throne of privilege you have never stood up from preach to me about making America great again.
Forgive me if I spit in your face, but:
You do not deserve my America. You cannot have it. It is not yours.
Your America runs on fake patriotism. It is fueled by the false idea that we are done. My America knows that we are never done, and that the fight for freedom is not won until it is won for everyone.
Your America has taken my flag and shoved it down people’s throats, choking them with the lie that they are free. You wave guns in the air and a child dies. But look how free you are with your gun in the air, sir.
Your America loves freedom until it does not apply to you, and then you like to pretend that it is not the backbone of this country. Free to love. Free to choose. Free to protest. Free women. Free people of color. They were each written in blood too, sir, on
the same document as your second amendment, or did you stop reading when it stopped applying to you?
Your America can suck my America’s dick.
My America is stitched together. it is a patchwork of the Indigenous who were silenced, the enslaved, the freedom fighters, and the activists. We are a people who know how it feels to be suffocated by injustice. We are a people who have built ourselves back up stronger than before. We are a people who use that strength to lift up others.
My America is out on the streets, with signs of ripped cardboard marching with linked arms because it understands that freedom has never been free. It’s funny sir, did you forget what our history looks like? Did you forget the harbor that tasted of tea? How dare you celebrate that history and condemn it now. My America does not make excuses for its past. My America is tumbling statues. My America is marching for its life.
My America is not, and never has been, afraid to tear down what is known to make room for what is right.
My America does not need to broadcast its greatness on hats and banners. Her self-esteem is not so fragile,
Make America great again. I mean no offense, sir, the last thing I would want to do is upset a man so keen on destruction. But you would not know where to start. You do not know the meaning of the word.
You can not make something great when you yourself have never been great.
by Rachel Loring
Are you, like me, looking into your closet and realizing you need a fall shopping spree? But then are you, like me, looking at your wallet and realizing that’s not an option? Well, good thing thrift stores exist! As someone whose wardrobe is 99% thrifted, I’d consider myself a bit of a pro, and I’ve got the hauls to prove it. Here are my top thrifting tips and tricks so you can secure a deal and, maybe, your next favorite piece!
Bring water and snacks. The saddest loss is leaving a store too soon because you’re hungry or need a drink--even if you’re treating yourself to a coffee or treat beforehand, you need a big fat water bottle in your tote! I always bring a granola bar with me too, it’s the perfect little pick-me-up before you take on the try-on phase of the thrift. And on that note…
Wear something thin you can try clothes on over!
I know the temptation to scare all the resellers away with your cool fit is high, but since COVID most thrift stores don’t have changing rooms so you need to be prepared for the very high possibility that you’ll be trying things on over your clothing. I recommend leggings or bike shorts with a tank top. Oh and remember socks if you’re trying on shoes (although I have yet to get a foot fungus).
Go with a vision in mind.
A scattered mind will produce a scattered energy, leading to a bad haul. Thrift magic is real and I find that if I write down or make a Pinterest board of items/ styles I’m interested in, they magically appear on the shelves. Thrift manifestation works!
Go in with a game plan. Just like how you want to know what you’re looking for, it also helps to know where you’re looking. I personally like to start with shoes and purses. Digging into too many racks at first just overwhelms me. Starting with shoes and purses gets me kicked into thrifting gear and it’s easy to look at. Once I’m warmed up with shoes I go to skirts and dresses then shirts and pants. I tend to go easiest to hardest so by the time I get to jeans (which is my least favorite category) I am either too deep in the thrifting sauce to stop, or if I get tired out and want to go home, I didn’t waste my energy on a section I don’t love.
Optional: if you get thrift overwhelmed like me or are short on time, it also helps to just pick a couple of sections that you want to dig deep into and a couple that you’ll just lightly pass. Sometimes the idea of spending hours and hours going through every pair of 2012 jeggings in the jean rack is enough to scare me away.
Set a budget for the day!
Better yet, bring cash! It’s easy to go spend happy when you’re looking at a rack of shirts for three dollars, but remember, the goal is still to save money. We want pieces we will cherish and love, so I try to set an amount of money I will spend at the thrift when I go so I’m not just wasting more money on grandma sweaters.
Don’t forget to check out the non-clothes sections!
Books and accessories can be easily missed, looking at belts and scarves is a great way to add some fun intrigue and try new things for a low price. Hats also are a great thrift but remember to wash! The thrift is also the best place for wall decor, I’ve gotten some amazing art, mirrors, and frames for every one of my apartment gallery walls!
Look for what stands out! And look for good quality!
I look for cool patterns and fabrics when I’m not looking for something particular. I think of thrfting as a chance to try things you wouldn’t otherwise buy, so this is your chance to get the fur, the lace, the wild prints!
I also like to thrift by touch,
Be mindful...and dare I say... demure
Remember that just because you’re thrifting doesn’t mean you can’t overconsume. When I get something at the thrift I have a rule that I have to be able to come up with at LEAST two ways I can wear it with things I CURRENTLY have in my wardrobe. If I can’t think of those two, then it’s put back. But don’t let that stop you from following rule number five which is…
If something is REALLY cool, you’re legally obligated to get it. Sorry I don’t make the rules (except this one I suppose) If you see something really cool and it speaks to you…you have to get it. And yes this is why I have a blazer with fur cuffs and a sky high pair of cheetah platforms boots that are sitting in my closet.
all your friends a long video haul of your thrift finds the
TEN WEDDING PLANNING TIPS FROM A BRIDE-TO-BE
by Isabella Dawson
I am getting married in the spring of 2025 and these are some random tips I feel are relevant in the realm of wedding planning. I am planning my own wedding and things can get complicated and overwhelming at times! I hope these tips can help someone getting married, or just make a fellow wedding planning bride feel comforted that there is someone else out there who doesn’t really know what they are doing.
Consider eloping
This is partially a joke, but genuinely consider whether a wedding is for you and your partner, or if you’d prefer an intimate elopement. Both are great, but have very different levels of effort.
Don’t get lost in Pinterest
I’m sure I am not alone in surfing Pinterest for hours. While there can be some very helpful information and inspiration, there can also be an overload of things that will make you sec- ond guess yourself on what you want. There will always be something bigger and better out there. Know your budget and stick to your plan.
Ask for help from loved ones
I am a control freak and have tried doing everything myself. I need to take my own advice more often, but it is so important to ask for help if you need it. You’d be surprised how your loved ones will want to help with things when you ask.
Stop comparing yourself to people on TikTok
Throughout my wedding planning process, I have gotten stuck in the TikTok algorithm of being on weddingtok. My feed is filled with hundreds of brides giving tips and opinions on weddings. There’s no harm in finding some good ways to DIY and a plethora of helpful in- formation, but take opinions with a grain of salt and trust your own direction on things.
DIY
fun things
Get creative! My wedding has been a fun way for me to get crafty. Some things you can DIY are seating charts, stationary, florals, etc. Making things yourself will give your wedding a personal touch of your charm.
Just know that you can do it! Stay organized and simplify as many things as you can. Or just hire a wedding planner and all your problems will cease to exist.
Happy wedding planning!
Make small to-do lists
I like to make small to-do lists so I can check one or two things off my list every day. I have a horrible memory, so I have found writing down the things I want to do is helpful so the next day I’m not wasting time wondering what it is I want to get done. The list of things you must accom- plish for a wedding can be paralyzingly long, try to break it up into smaller items chronologically.
Find your decor vibe and stick to it
Whatever decor style you choose for your wedding; try to create a mood board and a list of decor items you know you will have to make or buy. This will help you visualize certain elements of your wedding, such as your tablescape or ceremony aisles. Things are always changeable but it is helpful to know what you are looking for.
Consider using Canva for your stationery
Canva is a great resource that will help you print affordable save the dates, invites, and other sta- tionery. You can create anything to your prefer- ence, and if you need help with ideas you can also get a digital download from Etsy to help you create just about anything wedding related.
Do
what makes YOU happy
This is very cliche to say, but it is an overused phrase for a reason. This is your wedding and don’t let others tell you what you should do. Whether you are wanting a more traditional or modern wedding, do what suits your preference!
Try not to overthink it
This is a laughable thing for me to say, and if you asked any of my family or my fiancé if I had followed this tip, they would scoff. I have thought to myself many times, how the hell am I going to pull this off? I always feel that there are things that other brides are doing that I ha- ven’t thought of. Although these thoughts are consistent, I find it helpful to go back to oth- er things mentioned, such as my to-do lists and get back on a positive way of thinking.
SQUARES AND SQUARES — SONNET #3
by Alex O’Brien
I met with a woman who had my name. I hadn’t seen her in 10 years. She told me we grew to be yin and yang—same girls, now a glowing twenty six years old.
Recall my youth; all our dumb rendezvous. I missed my tenacity to create. Sometimes it takes a childhood friend to tell you, “there is power in a blank slate.”
With her finger rid of Ring, we baptized each other as artists. I think dearly of how we reminisced. ”Prioritize your joy, I believe in you, sincerely.”
Strength in the soft and tender in the tough, still learning to believe we’re good enough.
THANKSGIVING FOOD
LAWFUL GOOD
Roasted ham as the main dish instead of serving turkey
LAWFUL NEUTRAL
Cornbread or dinner rolls
LAWFUL EVIL
Cranberry sauce that still has imprints of the aluminum can
SHITS & GIGGLES
ALIGNMENT CHART
NEUTRAL
GOOD
Apple pie with homemade crust and hand-picked apples
TRUE NEUTRAL
Casserole with breadcrumb topping
NEUTRAL EVIL
Creamed dishes i.e. creamed corn, creamed spinach
by Macy Kissel
CHAOTIC GOOD
Next day leftovers thrown into a pan and mixed together into a slop
CHAOTIC
NEUTRAL Turducken
CHAOTIC EVIL
Giblet gravy (liquidized liver heart and gizzard... yum?)
TIPS FOR GETTING THROUGH THANKSGIVING DINNER Shits & Giggles
by Daniel Diaz
When your uncle inquires why you haven’t brought anyone home this year, nod and smile like that demon in that one movie. With any luck, this will get the curse to move on from you to him.
If she gets passive aggressive like last year, do not be afraid to remind your Aunt Linda she is on her third husband. As long as we’re gonna get testy!
If your cousin Greg asks why you are wearing a sweater this Thanksgiving when it’s 78 degrees out, remind him that he’s the one who thinks climate change isn’t real. Where’s his sweater??
When bringing wine, it is recommended to buy two bottles. One for the table, and one to put below your chair. You do not need to announce the second bottle.
Bonus tip: Remember that “Oaky Afterbirth” is not a real flavor note for wine. Also, apparently not everyone at the table has seen The Office, especially your Catholic great-grandmother Wendy (bummer).
Always get a spare slice of turkey for the family dog under the table. What a good boy, not a thought behind those eyes! He didn’t even have to vote, the lucky bastard.
Before the “I am thankful for” portion of the blessings, remind your sibling that “being the favorite sibling” isn’t a real thing and doesn’t count.
During the “I am thankful for” portion of the blessings, announce that you are thankful for being the favorite sibling. The rules never applied to you, you chaos agent.
If the political discourse starts getting heated, a good pivot tip is to announce a sudden celeb rity death in the news. It doesn’t have to be real, but it should be someone your family likes, like Tom Hanks. Note: this strategy does not work year over year.
If your family institutes a “no-politics” rule at the table, bring a spray bottle for policy enforcement. You never know with cousin Greg.
Feeling overwhelmed? Excuse yourself to the restroom, inhale and exhale deeply, turn on the sink, rinse, look at your face in the mirror, and realize this isn’t a movie, silly. You really do have to finish eating with those people! Go get ‘em tiger. Where’s the dog again?
A TURKEY’S LAST WORDS
by Hallie Cain
Mama, I’m ready to go. Don’t be sad when I gobble my last gobble, for another world awaits me.
When I look back on this life, I’ll think how small it was, When the world existed inside a 500-square-foot wire fence.
I’m gonna see the globe, Mama! I’m gonna make people smile!
They’ll gather ‘round the table and pray to me, like a god.
I’ll be all dressed up, center stage, the guest of honor. You won’t believe the way they’ll look at me, Mama.
For one night only, with just a handful of encores in sandwiches to come, I’ll be everything. More than one of 20 in this dinky little farm. For the first time, a flightless bird will f l y y y So don’t cry for me, Mama, I’m on my way.
2022, REVISITED
WRITTEN IN 2022 ON THE OVERTURNING OF ROE V WADE, REVISITED IN 2024
by Rachel Loring
I cry today because I am a woman it is not usually allowed it is a weakness something that makes us unfit hysterical but tonight I cry because my value is not in my personhood but in my potential for motherhood
because my body is not mine but a site for men’s violence
tonight I cry because I know how it feels to live in a world where I am not equal and my beating heart doesn’t count toward a heartbeat bill
How I wish I could leave this body That binds me to motherhood Binds me to hysteria
But I am only a woman, an overgrown girl So tonight I cry
I remember being told: go cry to Daddy because he’ll feel bad and now I cry and the daddies grin
and I think about my mother her lifelong servitude to men the one in the sky and the one in the house and how I wish she were a poet that she kept her girlhood had stayed fluent in that language; her native tongue
I cry because it all hurts It hurts all the time the women who were lost before me lost and hurt so I would be found and free so we wouldn’t do this again bled out for me died for me how many women died thinking they would be the last one? in vain
So I cry tonight for that hurt I cry like I am seven years old again, screaming it’s not fair
but really I cry because I am just too tired just too tired to not cry anymore
WAYS TO SUBTLY LET EVERYONE IN YOUR HOMETOWN KNOW YOU’RE BETTER THAN THEM
by Rachel Loring
Mention “the city” a lot
You don’t even have to mention which city, just make often and vague enough hints to the cool city you live in. For example, “ I just am so glad to be getting out of the city for a couple of days, you know how it gets in the city…oh wait…I guess you don’t. My bad.”
Peacock
Sure, you might just be running up to the grocery store to get an extra bag of green beans for your mom but is that not the perfect occasion for your fur coat and oversized sunglasses? And yes, you will keep those sunnies on inside as well.
Look perpetually bored
Lean on every surface you can. Doorways are your friend this year. What’s that? Someone you know from high school got engaged? Who cares, you’re too busy leaning up against a wall and rolling your eyes every few minutes.
Consider getting into smoking, but in a glamorous way I’m not saying a pack a day, but leaving your neighborhood bar to Carrie Bradshaw-style smoke a cig can be pretty cool and sexy (especially if you were lame in high school, too) just don’t talk to any locals while you do it.
Break out the mass market paperbacks
Listen, the covers are ugly but they will fit into your pocket or purse. Just make sure you find a way to get them to peak out every so slightly. Think Jacob Elordi at the farmers market. This way, everyone will know that you’re actually wayyy worldly and smart than them. Books to consider? Anything your one feminist high school English teacher would have assigned that made all the boys roll their eyes.
Wear your tear-stained Kamala-Walz hat around It will show that 1) you’re not a sore loser and 2) you do care about human rights, and what’s cooler and sexier than that? Okay…maybe actually winning but there’s always 2028… right…right?!?
YEARNING FOR A SIMPLER TIME (THE EARLY 2000s)
by Brenna McWha
SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS
The Postal Service
SOFT SHOCK
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
A MOVIE SCRIPT ENDING Death Cab for Cutie
MAYONAISE
The Smashing Pumpkins
RALLY
Phoenix
THE WAY I AM Ingrid Michaelson
SHORT SKIRT / LONG JACKET CAKE
GOODS (ALL IN YOUR HEAD)
Mates of State
SUMMER BABE — WINTER VERSION Pavement and many more!
Which G ilmore girls Character are You ?
Lizzy Zarrello
Lorelai
You’re loyal and loving. You’ll do anything to help a friend, but also value your independence.
Sookie
You’re kind and smart. You may be a bit reserved, but are very passionate when helping others.
You’re direct and decisive. You may not be affectionate, but you’ll drop anything for those you love.
You’re creative, charismatic and a devoted friend. Your bubbly personality is always wellintentioned.
Transitional Fall
by
Rachel Williams
It all began in June, actually.
I forced my mistress (who wasn’t really a mistress, but I wanted to give him a name that was more fun than ‘that guy I’ve been seeing casually once every other week for six months’) to help me build the Ikea wardrobe in my new closet-less bedroom. It was one of the last times I saw him.
That Ikea wardrobe is now falling apart because when my mistress built it, after I falsely promised I would help, he told me that it would be excessive to nail 40 nails into the back panel like the instructions requested. At the time I agreed, so I told him it was fine. However, when I recently shoved my winter coats into the wardrobe, where my thin linen pants once lived, the back burst open from the weight of the clothing. I realized that the universe was slapping me in the face with a metaphor: there simply wasn’t enough space for whatever it was we had built together.
After I ended things with my mistress (by sending the uncomfortable “hey, don’t want to see you anymore” text) I met New Jersey Boy.
If you live in New York City, you know that New York to New Jersey is a long distance relationship. But, I was willing to do it (because he was driving to me every time, except once when I took the train
to him because he was making me a ribeye). We just had that chemistry, and I really thought, “this is it, my karmic reward for all of the meh dates and relationships I’ve had in the past few years.”
That was until he came over to hang some paintings. If you haven’t noticed, I love making the men I’m dating do my manu labor. The paintings were just never hung right: one was crooked, one kept falling off the wall, and another we couldn’t get the an gle right to even get it on the wall in the first place. All it did was confirm what I wasn’t letting myself admit, that deep down, despite the chemistry and the ribeye, I knew this wasn’t it.
I know it sounds so elementary to be using these metaphors, but apparently, I needed it spelled out from the universe. During, and after the time I was seeing New Jersey Boy, I also was participating in “Sober September.” This is where I probably should’ve been focusing my energy all along.
cohol in general, which begged me to question why I was drinking in the first place. During the month, I was sleepier at bars and didn’t stay out as late and had a harder time talking to strangers or friends of friends, but I was still there and doing it. And then I could wake up on Saturday and enjoy a yoga class or a coffee date with a friend without the dread of a hangover or just pure exhaustion. It felt like taking alcohol out of the equation gave me a chance to rebalance my life. I
t could be awkward, like when people would ask why I was doing it, I wasn’t sure how to say “I feel like drinking was ruining my weekends”
Sober September meaningfully impacted my life, in a different way than my search for Bob the Builder. I decided to do it because I began to feel extremely neutral about al-
aren’t great for me either. When should we decide to end things, after we’ve seen the destruction or before we see it coming? I’m not quite sure what the answer is, and it may vary, but I am really proud of the courage I had to choose myself and my own well-being. And I’m happy to, like this season, transition into a different version of myself, one that hopefully won’t be bursting apart any time soon.
WORD SCRAMBLE
by Macy Kissel
Unbutton your pants and unscramble each word in the list and reveal the hidden message.
GUSTFINF
ETRSHVA
BCNERRRAY ASCEU
LOFTABLO
DSHAME TEPAOOST
BOEISHNW
MEVRNOEB
EADD KUTEYR DITTROIAN
ICUONROPCA WORSCERCA
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