It gets dark at 4pm now. (And other updates)
A winter mood board: A collection of lies and some truths
Fun Fact: Being from Illinois is my entire personality.
For when it’s too cold out: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5LWmUL46HIFwNeg8HyRhSP?si=54c4d631a5c8405b
A journal entry:
When I was 18, I wrote an essay for my intro to creative writing class. Today, at 20, I am beyond honored and grateful to have it included in Isele Magazine’s Print Anthology. The collection is gorgeous collection of fiction, poetry, and personal narratives. It’s available wherever you purchase literature.
The essay: https://iselemagazine.com/2021/12/20/an-odd-sort-of-thursday-ria-dhingra/
The full collection: https://www.iskanchi.com/product/best-of-isele-anthology
For staying home in your pajamas: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0s1cfGoWEIqdE4pc2SkjT8?si=ac754b30283443ad
Another Journal Entry:
The Fall 2021 issue of the Madison Journal of Literary Criticism comes a year late, delayed by a pandemic and marking the beginning of a new direction where we transform the MJLC into an abolitionist art collective. This has been a complicated process, but I am am so proud to serve as a the co-editor in chief of this amazing journal.
^^^“As students studying humanities, we are often asked why we study the disciplines we have chosen or are prompted to justify the pragmatism of said choices. What these questions are actually asking is: “What are you going to do with this degree?” These questions reveal a desire for students to be doing something–whether it be a job, internship, or some other future activity. The thought process, while generated in curiosity, is rooted in simplicity. The selected papers reveal that these students are not simply doing a task to produce; rather, they are engaging with their study — cultivating complex ideas and articulating them in a skillful manner. The practice and skill of literary criticism is a discipline that prompts one to embrace, uncover, and create complexity. It is comparison, interpretation, argumentation, and analysis — working to holistically understand a text rather than provide a simple summary. And literary criticism, engaging ourselves with subjects that fascinate and frustrate us is needed today, more than ever before. In a world where unregulated misinformation, soundbites, political alignments, and headlines dominate a collective worldview, having the tools to navigate an increasingly complicated society is a prerequisite for bettering it. In a digital age, we are more connected than ever, yet we seem to misunderstand one another more and more. Understanding complexity is the foundation of humanities. And it’s applicable everywhere. We are so proud to share this critical collection with all of you.”
For an early morning: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0S9jTzPneZTK3oitJvImJZ?si=664af32a517541e3
Some Pictures: