Digressions

In this episode, Cory reflected on their experience as an emerging non-fiction writer. We talked about their recent collection of personal essays, its inception and motivation, and the extraneous creative process. We looked at the different roles a writer assumes during the drafting and editing process, the intricate balance of the voice of a creator and of their audience, and the idea of writing as a way to cope with traumatic experiences. In the end, we asked ourselves: what does being a creator mean and how does this role affect our perception and appreciation for other people's creative works? Tune in for a casual discussion, now with one of my favorite writers - Cory!

We are sort of late to the game, but In this episode, Lily and I talked about the number one game of this age of quarantine: Animal Crossing! Lily shared about their experience in the game, and we discussed them in relation to a number of "driving forces" behind the game design. Also, we thought it might be interesting to draw a connection between the game and the concept of kindness, which is the theme of this year's mental health awareness week. When in-person communication is either unaccessible or significantly limited, we figured that the popularity of the game has much to do with the alternative way of connecting that is much needed in this difficult time. Let's all find ways to stay connected, for example, you should all visit Lily's island (DM for details)!

In this episode, Lily and I talked about American cartoonist Alison Bechdel's acclaimed graphic novel/memoir Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, which is a profoundly moving account of the author's childhood in Pennsylvania, her complicated relationship with her father Bruce, the latter's unexpected death, the author's sexual awakening, and the uncovering of Bruce's repressed homosexuality. Drawing on personal experiences as well, we addressed themes and ideas including childhood exposure to death, the use of literary references, individual vs. society, family structure, and the creative process. Whether from a critical perspective or a lay reader's point of view, Lily and I agreed that this is a memoir so thoughtfully created and beautifully written that we would return to it over and over again. If you haven't read it, you should! And let us know what you think!

In this very first episode, we will start by asking the intriguing question of "What do we do with our excised body parts?" From there, we will talk about the relationship between the body and the perception of the self, addressing concepts such as unity, exteriority and interiority, normality, and etc. We might digress from time to time, but we had so much fun doing this! We hope you like it too! :)