What I Learned During My Summer at Penn State
I was sitting at Whiskers when the verdict was returned. Whiskers is a neat little pub off the lobby of the Nittany Lion Inn, the historic, colonial-style hotel on the campus of Penn State University, seemingly the place to be if you didn’t want to deal with the crowds of onlookers at the real place to be – the Centre County Courthouse, ten miles to the northeast in the little town of Bellefonte. Thirty minutes before, I had asked the bartender for my check. It was 9:30, and I had a solid half-hour walk back to my apartment on the south side of town. For the second day in a row, it...
Read MoreWild Violet Featured Works: Week of Aug. 12 (Otakon Tribute)
A member of the press in traditional Japanese dress at Otakon As many people who know me are aware, I am a staffer at Otakon, currently working in Press Relations. Otakon is a membership based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakon was this past weekend! In honor of that, here are this week’s selections: In Richard Luftig’s short story, “Amaya,” a pregnant Japanese woman tries to connect...
Read MoreIdol
The fuse was lit at tryouts, though I didn’t realize it then. Two thousand hopefuls turned out! Two thousand, on our tiny island, and energy sparked from every one. Even government officials were in a holiday mood, their faces wreathed in smiles. Preliminary cuts occurred with Singapore’s usual, remarkable efficiency. That afternoon we lucky chosen ones performed in the jam-packed Singapore Arena. Each voice had to sing out bravely, and alone. I crooned “Every Step You Take” to the accompaniment of my guitar only, and heard in the gasp...
Read MoreShort Film is the New Fable: Society’s Honest Voice
Still from “To This Day” The form of the short film has always been a deep draw for critics and art lovers, especially the ones found in places like Wild Violet. Something about the medium gives it a depth that isn’t always created on full-length feature films, which devote themselves to following a predictable narrative building up to an action-packed ending in mainstream cinema. Oddly enough, the restrictions which short film-makers face — duration, budget, and resources — help create a finished piece which is obsessively conscientious...
Read MoreAmaya
With one hand Amaya massaged her protruding belly and with the other raised the cup of green tea to her lips. Only two more months and the baby would thankfully arrive. It wasn’t that she minded being pregnant with her and Kevin’s first child. She liked the experience despite the way it made her look when she gazed in the mirror in their small apartment at the University of Illinois. What looked back was a slight, twenty-two year old woman, just over five feet tall with a stomach that she thought made her look like a beached seal. Kevin was always so kind whenever he saw her looking at...
Read MoreWild Violet Featured Works: Week of Aug. 5 (Religion, Part 2)
This week, Wild Violet’s contributors take another look at the many sides of religion, specifically Christianity: Kimberly Gladman’s poem, “Rosary,” explores the emotions experienced by Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Lynn Hoggard’s poem, “Pieta: The Mary of Michelangelo,” delves into the anguished beauty of a famous sculpture. Gwen Filardi’s humorous short story, “To Hell in a Handbasket,” recaptures a family’s weekly frenzy to get ready for church. Angela M. Shupe’s short story, “November...
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