"Every baby born will one day die. Whether sooner or later, it will feel like they go before their time. Such is the nature of all that breeds happiness. What delights the heart is always fleeting, gone in a blink like a shot of tequila. Hence, we learn to savour the moment. We immortalise memory and experience in art, so that we may relive them, vicariously, through creative imitation."
In this issue, we explore the temporal in its various subjectivities. From lamentations over a short-lived romance to the dopamine hit of a contemporary haiku, we offer you many takes on the theme of ephemera in the form of fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry. We also bring you some stunning photography that isolates the fleeting moment, attempting to immortalise it for the reader’s view.
KALEIDOSCOPE
Just as a kaleidoscope is multifaceted and complex, the chaotic beauty of our pieces comes from reflections of one another, drawing on perceptions of the self and everything before that. The what and hows that have shaped our identities or environment in some way tell us our humanity runs deep and wild within. Our very first interview piece with a Viking expert from our UK campus, for example, describes how much more diverse Nordic culture was than what is depicted in the mainstream.
REDISCOVERY
For Particle’s Issue 19, Rediscovery, our pieces explore the nostalgia and melancholy that come with seeing old things with a fresh perspective (some quite literally!). As you read on, you may find the process of growing up, heartbreak, or purpose-finding all too familiar. Or you might be discovering them through different magnifying glasses. Either way, our writers want to remind you that change is not a matter of loss. Rather, they are moments that spark unexpected journeys and hope. Sometimes there is more value in finding something when it was once lost.
ADRIFT
As we continue to move forward in life, there will be moments where you feel lost— lost in the middle of an ocean, where only adverse emotions exist.
We become so lost that we would let ourselves float aimlessly, voluntarily. Where was the strength we thought we had? Or the resilience we had built from the ground up to strive forward? We had neither at that moment, as waves lapped against our bodies and stripped bare skin.
That’s why we present to you our themeless 18th issue: Adrift.
In Issue 18, our writers braved waves of doubt and currents of insecurity, putting forth pieces dealing with disruptive and turbulent issues of loss, grief, and memories. Their voices echoed against pure emptiness, hoping someone would listen to them.
MATAHARI
In Issue 17 Matahari, you will find intriguing works— works that will cause you to stop and wonder: how? How did they find comfort in the darkness and learn to wait patiently for the vow of a returning sun. How did they have faith in the dark unknown and find a hand to hold in the midst of it all.
In Matahari, these beautifully-talented writers will prove to you that light exists within you. And it is illuminating. So much so that it could fill an entire cathedral, only if you allow it, only if you give it a chance.
IN FLUX
For the first time in its history, Particle has accepted submissions from beyond the UNM campus. This marks our first step in fulfilling our promise to amplifying the voices of Southeast Asian writers and artists. We are honored to share such beautiful creative works with you.
TIME ZONES
It is peculiar to me that time has never worked the same as before. When the pandemic spread the world like wildfire, I felt like time has stopped working and all of us are suspended in the air, following the same routine in isolation, seeking reasons to live and hoping that everything will get back to normal again tomorrow. This universal feeling of loneliness crossed time zones to foreign places and this omnipresent longing exists in every language.
Therefore, Particle has decided on Time zones as a theme for this issue with an aim to bring you literary pieces and art works that discuss about the human experience in different place and time. We are excited to publish these eccentric and original pieces for you to dive into the world of a story that takes place outside of your room and reading a poetry that moves you.
We hope that these literary pieces and art work will help you gain a new perspective when coping during this uncertain time, these works may not have the answer that you are seeking but, they may share a longing that is common to you.
SOLACE
During uncertain times, we often look for solace.
For many, it is found in family, friends or work. For us, we find comfort in our words.
With this sentiment in mind, this year’s Spring issue of Particle was created. With this iteration, we aim to relieve you of the fear, worry, concerns and sadness synonymous with this unprecedented period of our lives. We invite you to fully immerse yourself in these words, and find your solace in between the lines. Give yourself a break from the craziness of the world, even if it is momentary, even if if it only lasts the length of one poem.
PARADOX
Paradox: a statement that seems to contradict itself but may nonetheless be true. This is the theme that we have chosen for our Issue #13. We felt that the theme was broad and yet specific enough (funnily, a paradox here also) that everyone could relate to it. Most things in life, although we may not realise it, are paradoxical and as writers, it is certainly intriguing to explore.
REMEMBRANCE
All works curated here have been recovered from those lost in an unfortunate incident. We, the Editorial Team of 2018, have decided to republish these pieces in the memory of our predecessors.
ROOTS
In this semester’s issue of Particle, themed “Roots”, the works we have carefully selected challenge several fictions. Among them is the idea that roots, so closely associated with the concept of home, are inherently benign. “The cancer has taken root,” is a death knell one would hope never to hear in an oncologist’s office. “Money is the root of all evil,” declares a verse from the Bible. And one short story submitted to this issue of Particle snarls defiantly, “I was the better survivor in this field, and so I have dominated the landscape.”
