Issue 28

Universe

Issue 28

April 2021

Welcome to Issue 28 “Universe.” It is an understatement to say that it has been a year. And the loneliness that understandably comes with illness, lockdowns, quarantine, and uncertainty can only be repressed for so long. In this issue, poets explore the multifaceted ways in which loneliness manifests in our lives and uncover the hope that might be gained by questioning the universe.

This month's featured poet is Samantha Fain. Please view the commentary on Samantha's work here.

Issue 28 includes work by Samantha DeFlitch, Ashley Elizabeth, Samantha Fain, Laleh Gupta, Jeffrey Hermann, Rafiat Lamidi, Tasneem Maher, Elizabeth Morton, Adrienne Rozells, Eric Wang, Carson Wolfe, and Sarah Yost. And Promise O. Agoyi is featured in "And Freedom?" to make it a baker's dozen.

Issue 28 Accessible Document (PDF)

"Damavand"

Featured Artist

Suedabeh Ewing

Suedabeh Ewing is a visual artist living in Wylie, Texas. Born in the United States and raised in Iran, she returned to the U.S.A. at the age of 20. She is deeply influenced by Persian culture, which she often refers to as a source of inspiration for her art. Her intimate experience from her upbringing has provided a significant influence for a number of works where she incorporates her identity in her art. She is constantly photographing her surrounding nature to document the living beauty that exists only for a short time and uses these photos as her source material in creating new paintings. Aerial images of Earth continue to serve as an awe-inspiring resource in her current work. She believes art should bring peace and comfort to one’s life, and she strives to achieve that aesthetic aspect in her work by using colors, shapes, textures and movement in ways that are pleasing to the viewer’s eyes.

Suedabeh has exhibited her work internationally and has participated in multiple juried exhibitions within the state of Texas. While pursuing her BFA at Texas Woman’s University, she won first place in a student gallery competition, where she displayed her paintings and ceramic installations. She is also very proud to have participated in the “Women’s Invitational Exhibition”, which took place at the famous Crow Museum of Asian Art in Dallas, Texas. Her work was published in the exhibition’s catalog alongside that of other well-established female artists in the field. She is thrilled to have multiple works in private collections throughout the United States.

Suedabeh received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing (Summa Cum Laude) from Texas Woman’s University in 2015. She considers both Iran and the United States of America as her common home, and believes that both cultures have equally impacted her life in significant ways. She resides with her husband and three-and-a-half year old daughter in Wylie, Texas.

And Freedom?

In his poem “Birdsong,” Promise O. Agoyi examines the danger in making false assumptions. Read Promise's poem "Birdsong" and his commentary here.