Join us on Wednesday June 14th at 7 pm for the launch of two of 小黄猫传媒’s literary magazines, Alchemy and . Doors will open at 6 pm in Terrell Hall 122 on the Cascade Campus, and then at 7 pm we will hear from the editors and contributing authors of this year’s issues of the two magazines. To end the night, we’ll have short readings from award-winning writers Crystal Wilkinson and Ron Davis, aka upfromsumdirt.

Please write to thepointedcirclepdx@gmail.com with questions!

Cover Art by Emerson Mitchell

Welcome to the , an annually published literary journal of 小黄猫传媒. As the editorial staff, it has been our privilege to review all the wonderful submissions made by our community, who shared themselves and their art with us, their peers.

We have found it awe-inspiring to witness the tenacity of our community. The road to 2022 was rough for many at 小黄猫传媒. Every submission we received hinted at struggles faced or overcome, offering us personalized windows into worlds that were, along with the strength to laugh in uncertain times.

Many of us turn to the arts to seek humor and connection or take us away from the now for just a moment into a brighter future. So, dear reader, it is with joy that we now share with you. Some are heavy, some are light, but they are all honest, and we are proud of each.

Special thanks to our cover artists, Emerson Mitchell, and Mel Ditmanson and Brooke Taylor, who led the layout team.

Enjoy!

[an excerpt from]

This Is Not The New Normal

Gretchen Miner

This. Is. Not. The New Normal.

I want to scream every time I hear the phrase 鈥淭he New Normal鈥�. Nothing is normal about right now. It is most definitely not soothing to prescribe normalcy to this situation we are in. Everything is shifting with each new revelation, whether scientific or fear-based. We are in constant flux every few hours鈥攆uck, every few minutes. We don鈥檛 even know what sources to trust or where to get adequate information to survive. Or stay employed, or insured, or sane鈥�

There is nothing normal about this. There is nothing even constant, or consistent. In this pandemic.

There鈥檚 all these phrases that have been on repeat. 鈥淚n these trying times鈥�.鈥� or some iteration of that platitude. We鈥檙e all in this together. Screw that! This has put the world鈥檚 largest magnifying glass on the fact that we are all having incredibly disparate experiences currently. Some are working 24/7. Some are at home 24/7. Some are at risk 24/7. Some are so used to being alone and fending for themselves that there is less risk. But there is fear. And as far as together goes, we don鈥檛 even all have toilet paper. Who the hell would have thought people would be so selfish as to hoard what you need when you shit? Don鈥檛 even get me started on how health insurance is connected to your job when unemployment is at an all-time high in this country.

All these ideas about the collective experience have driven me to pay more attention to the specific words we use to communicate. How words impact us, the power they have, and how we can best communicate with each other. While it is crucial to reach out, it is as important what we say as it is how we say it. Empathy is as important as it is challenging.

To that effect, I鈥檝e come up with a brief list of words that may be best to avoid, think strongly about, or fully lean into with the current situation in mind.

Words not to use:

should, normal, normalize, shame

Use caution with:

fear, judgement, anger

Perhaps incorporate these words instead:

structure, routine, coping, strategy, emotion, feeling, valid

In the case of 鈥渟hould鈥� I鈥檓 referring primarily to suggestions of what we 鈥渟hould鈥� be doing with all this time 鈥渨e鈥� have now, not the ever-important edict we should wash our hands more frequently, and other public health proclamations. Please follow those!

It鈥檚 worth noting that people could use an extra dose of compassion as we face new challenges each day. Empathy isn鈥檛 always accessible鈥� as we struggle to secure our own oxygen masks on this flight, but let鈥檚 strive for this whenever possible. Now is the time to give others the benefit of the doubt, and respond in kind with our own actions. It鈥檚 important to realize that we aren鈥檛 all in the same collective boat, and not everyone is just dealing with new experiences staying at home, or working from home. Some of us have lost jobs, some of us are unsure if we鈥檒l have a job or business to return to, and there are varying levels of health and insurance concerns that should be honored when communicating with your fellow humans (i.e.: not everyone is able to pick up a new language, disinfect their house, produce enough PPE for your local hospital on your own, or be another form of sideline superheroes). It may take all of ones wherewithal to just not freak the fuck out.

I cried for the first time today. The first time since we began this isolatory process called Social Distancing. Aggressive Social Distancing. It鈥檚 been two weeks. For me, my husband Hal, and our 13-year-old dog. I am tuned in to the fact I am well positioned to 鈥渨eather this storm.鈥� We live in a house where we can work from home, do remote schooling and I regularly buy food and supplies so we have a few weeks on hand at most moments. We were out of toilet paper but thankfully that was rectified quickly at our neighborhood store. Grateful doesn鈥檛 begin to describe how I feel about all of that. But there are other emotions right now. Yesterday was anger. Today is an overwhelming sadness that started at 2:30 in the morning as I activated my ocean/wave sounds sleep cast to drown out the fearsome thoughts clouding my mind and pushing the possibility of sleep further out into the morning, if at all.

摆鈥

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Carl Boon

In the neighborhood
where I met boyhood,
where it adorned me
with monarch butterflies
and sun-tea on stoops
and teenagers blatantly
kissing the wind,
the bikes are quiet now.
Imagine all that chrome
resisting oxygen, all those
garages, slim rhombuses
of sun through slim windows.
Imagine those abundant
ways through the park
around parked cars,
that imaginary tunnel
our friends believed in,
1983, when the world
was black and white
and mostly good because
we weren鈥檛 the Soviets.
So much is lost now,
so much meant to be is gone鈥�
the redbuds, the meandering
plum, the crabapple. Only
children see them, unused
to our need to be elsewhere.

Each year, Sylvania鈥檚 literature and art magazine selects its cover from work by a graphic design class, this year taught by Daniel Soucy. We wanted you to hear the 鈥渂ack stories鈥� of these pieces of these pieces we find so intriguing鈥�

2^nd place, Corinna Scott:

I began this project by thinking about the contents of this literary compilation. I imagine that the contents of Alchemy will be quite varied, but that each piece will be a story/journey for the viewer/reader to experience. I started brain storming imagery that would convey taking a journey. Then Leon Russell’s song “Tight Rope” popped into my mind. “Yes,” I thought, “literally and metaphorically, walking a tight rope is taking a difficult and brave journey.” It’s also a bit of a romantic image, in my opinion.

I wanted to tackle the proposed challenge of making the design connect across the back and front of the book cover. That’s how this tight rope image developed in this surreal direction. The back of the cover reveals that the tight rope walker is being supported by a character standing on floating books, holding one end of the rope. It’s impossible. And now both characters are essentially being supported by a pile of books, which can represent knowledge and experience through written words.

So this cover is a literal, metaphorical and surreal image of taking a journey, and that journey being supported by written words.

鈥� Corinna Scott

Tied for 3^rd Place, Seunghoi An:

There’s a mini stationery in downtown, Portland. I used to go there and just look around the store when I lived in downtown. There is a fancy vintage typewriter that everybody can try. I loved the sound when I typed a letter. It was so different than a computer.聽 I thought Alchemy was similar to a typewriter.

A typewriter looks simple and easy to use. If I push the letter, it would print on the paper. However, it takes so much effort and time to make that machine. I was mesmerized when I saw all of the parts inside of typewriter. Alchemy is also made by so many talented people and their effort and time. I want people to appreciate how much commitment it takes in order to make something.

鈥� Seunghoi An

Tied for 3^rd Place, Lee Meredith:

When I thought about the theme of transformation, I thought of my experience with crafting, and specifically with making old things new again or transforming simple things into beautiful objects through craft. I decided to transform an old grey sweater into a book聽cover聽by stitching onto it with colorful yarn.

I’ve had an interest in design my whole life, but it took me until halfway into my 30鈥檚 to realize that graphic design was my perfect career. I spent my younger years pursuing art and photography, but it never really clicked and I found myself distracted by craft projects and knitting… and then I turned that into a career by becoming a knitting pattern designer for about ten years. When I started to get burned out running my own business doing that, I realized how much I loved designing the page layouts for the knitting patterns, and it hit me that graphic design was a perfect fit for my strengths and interests.

I would love to design book聽covers聽in the future! That’s pretty much my dream job. Other things I’d love to design are album聽covers, fabric patterns, movie posters, and magazine spreads. I love page layout but am also very interested in illustration, so I don’t know where I’ll end up!

鈥� Lee Meredith

And in First Place, our cover winner, Olga Khristoforova:

I wanted to convey the message of聽alchemy聽without being obvious and predictable. The dead bird illustration for the聽cover聽came to me as a beautiful and dramatic representation of the immortality of art. The worm typography pulls the viewer away from “the tragedy” and makes him smile. The colorful feather explosion on the back聽cover聽reminds us that we must celebrate life in every moment.

鈥� Olga Khristoforova

Thanks to all the designers who submitted work. Please keep your eye out for Alchemy鈥檚 44^th edition, which will arrive near the end of Spring term.

Vandoren Wheeler (Alchemy鈥檚 faculty advisor). For more information contact Van at Van.wheeler@pcc.edu.