Interview // “The Quiet Dark”: A Conversation Between Jennifer S. Cheng & Tanya Holtland
“The dark, for me, is always a place of brimming; even when it is anguishing and unbearable. . .”
The latest features, essays, interviews from our contributing writers and editors.
“The dark, for me, is always a place of brimming; even when it is anguishing and unbearable. . .”
“In the field, looking and listening, I am never not a little bewildered.”—an essay by Hai-Dang Phan
“At times, forgetting is essential. In the poem, that refers to the way one person, a mother, a woman, part of a traditional family where roles and expectations are clearly cut, needs to forget about that part of hers in order to breathe, to tend to the little things that make her happy—like doing her nails—to keep it going. We are a multitude of things, after all.”
“I thought nature was complicated. I thought everything had been named.”—an essay by Monica Rico
Conducted by Jennifer Elise Foerster
words by I.S. Jones
art by Gabrielle Bates
Everything holds up a mirror.
The mirror holds up a door.
“Often, as I attempt to solve literary problems, I find my mind working not in language, but in music or in space.”
“Research is an intimate practice.”
“It’s interesting to me how when we think of the dead and project their presence in our lives, the projections often point to events or milestones that the dead will not experience with us. Birthdays, holidays, first days of school, etc. There were so many events in 2020 that I’m glad Vivian never had to endure.”