Letter From The Founder
I’ll be honest, I’m struggling to write this one. I’ve tried to borrow the perspectives of others via quotations and aphorisms but none of it is quite working how I want it to. This is the way it goes sometimes.
Perhaps it is because I know that you know what my perspective is on these Symposiums. You know what I think about what we do here each month. You already know that I believe that everyone who contributes here is genuinely (and often frighteningly) talented and that everyone involved is underrated. And so I wonder why should I state this if I believe it goes without saying?
That logic is faulty of course. Presumptuous. It’s the kind of thinking is what happens when your perspective is too small or too fixed. We all naturally see the world from our own vantage point but we can become trapped in that if we do not use our imagination to see beyond what is in front of our noses. Life is bigger than our own immediate P.O.V. And one of the wonderful things that art does- whether it be stories, poetry, paintings, essays, music or anything else- is to offer us new P.O.V.s, new perspectives, new vicarious experiences that lead to new direct and internal understandings and awakenings.
Great art can change how you see and feel and from that how you act in the world. It can shift your whole being and your whole approach to being. If it is good enough and powerful enough and if it hits you in the right way.
And I believe we have some of that to offer here today. But then I am biased and I would say that. Naturally that is my perspective.
Enjoy.
Essays
Pillock by Ana
Pillock is a word that should be in wider use. One of the all-time great family-friendly insults in my opinion. It’s fun to say and it won’t lead to either estrangement or a fist-fight if you use it to refer to someone who is, well, being a pillock. Frankly, I’m over the moon to be able to feature Ana Bosch ‘s great, great essay here and begin the pillock revival in earnest.
For Us, Descendants by Konstantin
Konstantin Asimonov does it again by offering up another original work of Russian to English literary translation. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy discovering new works via this method. I believe translation and curation and being a tastemaker and enthusiast are hugely valuable public services online. We drown in the superficial and the now while whole swathes of jewels remain buried just waiting to be unearthed and shared. ‘For Us, Descendants!’ is clearly an example of this.
On Death by Minna
Minna asked is she could submit this older work from her archive for this month’s Symposium. As if there was any doubt that I would turn away something as excellent as this on the technicality that it has not been recently published. Honestly, it’s a luxury to be in a position where I have so many fantastic artists on the roster that such an idea could even be an option. But of course only a fool would not feature this after it had crossed his desk. Read it and you’ll see what I mean.
playing around by Jeanne
This essay is incredible, the way the ending plays out is absolutely fantastic and the ‘beautiful hippie charcoal sketch’ is the icing on the cake. I’m not sure a single bit of this one can be improved upon, you know. I guess that means it’s perfect.
Seeing through the See-through by Trilety
You show your vulnerablility. Beautiful pictures. Beautifully written.
As is so often the way, someone in the comments section (in this case Jeanne) perfectly says everything that needs to be said in a more effective way than I would’ve done.
Trilety Wade has real courage which is one of the most important traits of all, in both creativity and in life. Everything stems from it.
The X-stasy of Screwtape's Feast by Clint
Dear Wormwood,
I encourage you to plant the idea in your charge’s mind that he should “build an audience” on social media.
That is how you start an essay. This, friends, is a banger. Plain and simple. Clintavo knows what he’s talking about with this one and he absolutely nails the execution. Impressive.
In which I write a think piece and engage in navel-gazing by Adam K
Shoo-in for ‘Best Submission Title of The Month’. You’ve got to respect the honesty and that sentiment of course extends far beyond the mere title of the piece. Adam Writes superbly tackles the whole idea of the thinkpiece and manages to put into words a lot of what I myself have been feeling about that genre from both a reader and writer perspective. There’s real gold in this.
A different perspective by Terry
Can teachers learn from politicians? Is it possible to be too generous when trying to look at things from a different perspective? Is Terry Freedman having a laugh?
These questions, and more, are answered in this short, possibly-just-a-little-bit-tongue-in-cheek essay. Oh, and the comment section is great on this one as well.
Fiction
A Lass Named Troof by Vanya
The strapline- admirable for it’s playing it straight honesty- reads:
an absurdist folk tale about two strangers uniting on a surreal journey for their personal quests.
What more can you ask for? An instantly identifiable authorial voice? Genuine humour? Wit, intelligence and a real sense of fun?
Well, you are in luck on all counts, dear reader.
The Vacancy by D.B.
Even without the outstanding visual accompaniments Dane Benko ‘s ability to create a world that lives and breathes clearly shines through with this one. To draw someone in without having to hold their hand and pander to them is a real skill and one that Dane has in spades. Remarkable work yet again.
The Omega Perspective by Clint
Clint pulls off The Gambit (where contributors exploit a loophole in our submission rules whereby you can be featured twice by offering up two different works in two different mediums). And it’s not merely a ploy either- both his essay and this short story are excellent and deserve to find a wide audience, especially because Clintavo is one of the few who genuinely don’t care about such things. That’s one of the things that makes him so good. And perhaps contributes to the copious outpouring of his pen. Something to think about.
Poetry
Tim’s Lover by G.K. Gaius
gkgaius single-handedly keeps the poetry section going for us this month, which I am pleased to see. Poetry is a form of capturing something about this world that no other medium can quite do. Of course I love what essays and stories can do and can provide but a world without poetry would be a much poorer one. And this very much includes G.K.’s minimalist marvels.
Elliot’s Corner
Child by Elliot
I’ve created this subsection because every month I find that Elliot Lessing’s contribution (and he hasn’t missed a Symposium since joining us) is a genre unto itself. I mean this in the best possible way, of course. Every time I walk away from his work thinking ‘I’m not exactly sure what it is, but I know that I like it.’
And in an increasingly homogenised online world (our own corner here notwithstanding of course) it is always a thrill to feel this reaction from a work.
So that was the STSC symposium on Perspective. We hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Thank you for your support with these projects we share, thank you for reading them and thanks for all of your comments, feedback and notes. Thank you for taking the time to share them and pass on the word.
And of course above all thanks to all of the contributors and those who help keep the STSC going via their kind support, especially those who keep a low profile, I hope we will be able to coax more of you into taking the plunge and participating in future issues.
Cheers.
Do you guys accept submissions, and if so, how do I send them?
I want to go on record as saying Eliot’s corner is brilliant. Both the idea to create it because Eliot’s work is hard to categorize and the works themselves which are so honest and out there. I enjoyed this issue. Thanks!