VOLUME FOUR

essays from spring & fall 2003

Aspects of a Negro Life
Melissa Burlovich

Through his political activism and his artwork, Douglas dramatically changed the way other artists viewed African Americans. Politically, he helped found and served as president for the activist organization that drastically assisted with employing thousands of artists.

Quilted by Grandma
Brooke Mckenzie

The inside of my body resembles a sieve. The biggest whole is buried deep beneath my aching soul. The rhythm of my heart seems to skip a beat with each breath that my lungs consume. As I stand at the front of the church entrance, I can feel the weight of my body shift from side to side.

Ice Cream and Tears
Valeria Boriak

Exhausted, I passed through customs towards the exit door and stepped into a new world. My father gave my still sleepy brother and me a stick of Wrigley’s peppermint gum and we experienced our first taste in our new life. Every trip back home has matured me in many ways.

A Piece of Gum on the Kitchen Table
Livvy King

I am at the kitchen table. “Don’t tell anyone, you promise?” I look into my best friend’s eyes, which are the size of large grapes, filled with confusion and sorrow, but yet that “I can’t wait to tell someone” look.

A Curse and a Gift
Louisa Tangula

He stands in the dark, lingering. Always lingering. Faceless, but his cold, menacing eyes illuminate from the depth of the abyss.