The Afterpast Blog
Join us on our journey and let's take a look into the Past, Present, and Future!
A Conversation with Robin Messing from Girls Write Now
written by Julia Choi
interview by Julia Choi
5/17/24
interview by Julia Choi
5/17/24
“The interior life is a real life, and the intangible dreams of people have a tangible effect on the world.”
- James A. Baldwin
A Quote that Robin Messing felt that summarized her stories and purpose for her writing.
On April 28th, the Afterpast Review had the opportunity to meet with Robin Messing, a distinguished poet, essayist, and fiction writer. As she delved into the arts of writing, she discovered her true voice and successfully published her first novel, Serpent in the Garden of Dreams, in 2008.
Growing up with a mother who dearly loved literature, Messing spent a majority of her childhood immersing herself in the library. Reading held a prevalent presence in their home, and as her love for words were fostered, her writing journey began. With her mom as her model, she began writing rhyming poems and just by 2nd grade, her poem was published in her school newspaper. Writing, to her, was not a mere activity of putting words together on a paper but using it as an opportunity to speak her truth and to understand herself.
“What kept me writing was just this desire to speak my truth[. . .] it was also a project to understand myself and where my feelings came from.”
- James A. Baldwin
A Quote that Robin Messing felt that summarized her stories and purpose for her writing.
On April 28th, the Afterpast Review had the opportunity to meet with Robin Messing, a distinguished poet, essayist, and fiction writer. As she delved into the arts of writing, she discovered her true voice and successfully published her first novel, Serpent in the Garden of Dreams, in 2008.
Growing up with a mother who dearly loved literature, Messing spent a majority of her childhood immersing herself in the library. Reading held a prevalent presence in their home, and as her love for words were fostered, her writing journey began. With her mom as her model, she began writing rhyming poems and just by 2nd grade, her poem was published in her school newspaper. Writing, to her, was not a mere activity of putting words together on a paper but using it as an opportunity to speak her truth and to understand herself.
“What kept me writing was just this desire to speak my truth[. . .] it was also a project to understand myself and where my feelings came from.”
A Conversation With Patricia Cumbie from Global Rights for Women
written by Afterpast Review Staff
interview by Julia Choi and Yenna Lee
4/21/24
interview by Julia Choi and Yenna Lee
4/21/24
On April 9th, the Afterpast Review had the opportunity to meet with Patricia Cumbie, the communications manager for Global Rights for Women. As a successful advocate for women empowerment and an award-winning author, she strives to share the voices and voices of women and girls, especially concerning domestic and sexual violence.
At just 15-years-old, she was set on becoming a writer. However, her dream felt unachievable as she felt vulnerable and silenced from the lack of support from her family and the memory of her experience of sexual assault during her college years. Despite this, she took the courage, participated in a writing class, and was ultimately successful in achieving her goals as she published her first book Where People Like Us Live.
“Becoming a writer was so integral to that process of becoming a woman [for me]. I know my own mind, I have my own mind, [and] I can cultivate my own mind. I think that for a lot of women and girls, we have a lot to say; [. . .] I believe
that stories can move mountains and help people change the world.”
From writing, she also embarked in the journey of advocacy as she joined the Global Rights for Women.
Global Rights for Women was founded in 2014 by their current executive director, Cheryl Thomas. Ms. Thomas originally worked in other agencies prior to finding Global Rights for Women, and through her experience, she noticed how whenever there was a humanitarian crisis, the needs for women and girls were always under-prioritized and the rates of gender-based violence always went up. Ultimately, the Global Rights for Women Organization was found to change the current system dynamic and to remove the practice of victim-blaming; As of now, they have successfully completed 48 projects in 30 countries such as the North Dakota Project: North Dakota Project 2023
At just 15-years-old, she was set on becoming a writer. However, her dream felt unachievable as she felt vulnerable and silenced from the lack of support from her family and the memory of her experience of sexual assault during her college years. Despite this, she took the courage, participated in a writing class, and was ultimately successful in achieving her goals as she published her first book Where People Like Us Live.
“Becoming a writer was so integral to that process of becoming a woman [for me]. I know my own mind, I have my own mind, [and] I can cultivate my own mind. I think that for a lot of women and girls, we have a lot to say; [. . .] I believe
that stories can move mountains and help people change the world.”
From writing, she also embarked in the journey of advocacy as she joined the Global Rights for Women.
Global Rights for Women was founded in 2014 by their current executive director, Cheryl Thomas. Ms. Thomas originally worked in other agencies prior to finding Global Rights for Women, and through her experience, she noticed how whenever there was a humanitarian crisis, the needs for women and girls were always under-prioritized and the rates of gender-based violence always went up. Ultimately, the Global Rights for Women Organization was found to change the current system dynamic and to remove the practice of victim-blaming; As of now, they have successfully completed 48 projects in 30 countries such as the North Dakota Project: North Dakota Project 2023
Are Slashers Becoming Feminist?
by Patricia Zhang (Canada, 16)
12/14/23
12/14/23
Trigger Warning: Mention of Rape and SA
Is Pearl going to liberate me from the patriarchy??
Slashers are the backbone of the horror genre - Scream, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, Final Destination - they are all well-known and infamous examples. Admittedly, I might have watched them to be contrarian—to say “I love watching things that are gross and gory because I’m special!” But above all, I do genuinely find slashers interesting to watch; some of them have horrible special effects, they all have tropes, and the old ones are glaringly misogynistic.
Slashers are self-aware that they're a part of the horror genre; they’re in a position that allows them to justify using gore as a medium to channel other themes into the film that are more “morally violating.” One usually sees this pattern in typical counterculture as more controversial opinions are easier to be aired out because it supports the overall movement of something
“alternative,”—something that's shocking to the mainstream...
Is Pearl going to liberate me from the patriarchy??
Slashers are the backbone of the horror genre - Scream, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, Final Destination - they are all well-known and infamous examples. Admittedly, I might have watched them to be contrarian—to say “I love watching things that are gross and gory because I’m special!” But above all, I do genuinely find slashers interesting to watch; some of them have horrible special effects, they all have tropes, and the old ones are glaringly misogynistic.
Slashers are self-aware that they're a part of the horror genre; they’re in a position that allows them to justify using gore as a medium to channel other themes into the film that are more “morally violating.” One usually sees this pattern in typical counterculture as more controversial opinions are easier to be aired out because it supports the overall movement of something
“alternative,”—something that's shocking to the mainstream...
F-word: The Past and Present of Feminism
by Blanka Pillár (Hungary, 17)
11/9/23
11/9/23
Feminism is a broad, multifaceted system of ideas ubiquitous in an ever-changing world, yet not easily defined. It is at once a centuries-old struggle, a peaceful aspiration, an everyday event, a distant thought, a passion, an inspiration, a force, an emotion, a concept and an action.
However, this complexity did not emerge spontaneously; proto-feminists speaking out as individuals appeared as early as the 14th century, the group struggles date back to the 17th century, and the movement only began to take shape in the second half of the 19th century. The history of emancipation is moving, inspiring and unique: past, present and future, it holds so much uniqueness and magic for those open to its ideology.
However, this complexity did not emerge spontaneously; proto-feminists speaking out as individuals appeared as early as the 14th century, the group struggles date back to the 17th century, and the movement only began to take shape in the second half of the 19th century. The history of emancipation is moving, inspiring and unique: past, present and future, it holds so much uniqueness and magic for those open to its ideology.
Choking on Pomegranate Seeds
by Arthur DeHart (Maine, 23)
9/29/23
9/29/23
At this point, we have all heard the myth of Persephone and Hades. Persephone, the Goddess of Spring and Hades, God of the Dead, are too classical Greek characters that show up in a lot of today’s fiction.
As the original myth goes, Hades is enamored with Persephone and traps her while she is playing with her nymphs and dryads. He lures her in with a beautiful flower, and then takes her down to the depths of the Underworld. Her mother, Demeter, scours the Earth looking for her and all of the crops and greenery of the land die. While this happens, Hades manipulates Persephone into eating six pomegranate seeds. Once it is demanded that Persephone be returned to her mother, it is revealed she has eaten the pomegranate seeds which if you eat anything in the Underworld, you cannot return to Earth. Zeus strikes a deal with both Hades and Demeter saying that Persephone must return to The Underworld for six months of the year and to her mother for the other six. This is the myth of how we have Spring.
As the original myth goes, Hades is enamored with Persephone and traps her while she is playing with her nymphs and dryads. He lures her in with a beautiful flower, and then takes her down to the depths of the Underworld. Her mother, Demeter, scours the Earth looking for her and all of the crops and greenery of the land die. While this happens, Hades manipulates Persephone into eating six pomegranate seeds. Once it is demanded that Persephone be returned to her mother, it is revealed she has eaten the pomegranate seeds which if you eat anything in the Underworld, you cannot return to Earth. Zeus strikes a deal with both Hades and Demeter saying that Persephone must return to The Underworld for six months of the year and to her mother for the other six. This is the myth of how we have Spring.
Barbie’s Dreamworld Is More Than a Political Battlefield, It's a Celebration of the Imagination
by Jacqueline Knirnschild (Ohio, 26)
8/20/23
8/20/23
When I walked out of the Barbie movie, my hair was dolled up in fuchsia ribbons, but my understanding of what I had just experienced was low. The opening Space Odyssey satire had, admittedly, given me chills; the Dreamworld details were perfect—sparkly slipper heels, matchy- matchy bows and hats, a pink ambulance; and Margot Robbie was exactly how I had imagined Barbie to look when I was a little girl meticulously crafting my own Dreamworld. But, as soon as we left behind the crisp, dazzling fantasy for the vulgar grittiness of the real world, I was disappointed. The second half of the movie felt like a pink fever dream, and, initially, I didn’t know what to make of it.