What we believe
The reasons we write what we write matter, whether those reasons are political or personal, or both.
While there are works we can appreciate without knowing their respective contexts, there’s no denying that we can understand and enjoy them more deeply once we learn where the author is coming from. And given that the voices of people in other parts of the world don’t reach us, who else will and must tell us about the works and the stories or circumstances behind them, if not the authors themselves?
We imagine a kinder, more empathetic, and more connected world through stories, by seeing—and vicariously experiencing—different but familiar and nuanced perspectives.
We’re here to shine more light on the stories and cultures of people closer to home—people like us, who aren’t sure where home is anymore, or who have realized we have more than one home. (Don’t we oscillate between the two?)
Writers should be able to talk openly, without being shamed, about their creative process.
Doing so can help fellow writers who are going through similar challenges (writing isn’t easy or glamorous for many of us). Likewise, we love to see all writers, not just the bestselling or award-winning authors, promote and take pride in their work. We celebrate the act of writing something meaningful to oneself and/or other people.
We don’t believe in hierarchies—that Work A is “better” because it was published in Journal A, or that Work B is “any less” because it was published in Journal B.
What you read and what we share here are works that have mattered and resonated with people.
We understand that a newsletter might sound odd when our vision goes well with running an Asian-oriented literary magazine.
We’re here not to compete with but complement present and future literary magazines—and, fortunately, there are more lit mags springing up as we speak! We’re here to help authors be read by their intended audience, and we want to empower authors to share and talk about their work, because they might not have had that chance in the past. Last but not least, we’re here for readers who’ve been waiting and searching for more stories written about or for them. The newsletter format adds a personal touch to how these stories are delivered, each piece being a gift.