To our Readers

For students at Trinity University, social life halted while academics became more rigorous during the pandemic. Having access to entertainment through technology has been a way to transport us away from the struggles of reality. So, the Trinity Review staff has decided to produce a mini-issue this winter alongside the larger magazine we produce each spring. Further, we also expanded our magazine to all kinds of art, in addition to literature and photography, to reflect the full range of student expression during these difficult times. This includes drawings, collages, and music. Even though working virtually proved difficult, our staff has worked tirelessly to produce a wonderful online mini-issue. We thank the staff for their work, the artists for their contributions, and Dr. Carlisle for he supervision. Without her guidance and mentoring, these editions would not have been possible.

We hope you enjoy,

Hannah Friedrich and Rebecca Kroger

Co-editors of the Trinity Review

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Contents

Short Stories

Have You Ever Been in Love?…………………………………Gwen Kaliszewski

This piece is a flash fiction, 300 words long. I used a place I love and a feeling I had for a friend when I was younger to write a little story

Untitled…………………………………………………………………..Kennice Leisk

This short story is inspired by the genre of flanerie as well as works such as Edgar Allan Poe’s The Man of the Crowd, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Double, and Sadegh Hedayat’s The Blind Owl. It is a comedic and suspenseful story about a young woman who loves books and has a tendency to let her curiosity get the best of her.

Xenophobia………………………………………………………….Xander Hancock

Growing up as an “effeminate” guy always made me feel like an outsider to my own gender. Guys were supposed to be tough, rough, crass, or whatever else society dictated. But I wasn’t; I was different. And so, I was shunned– seen as Other. I blamed myself for the longest time, until I realized later in life that it wasn’t my problem. It was theirs, and their unhealthy definition of masculinity. So, I consider this a letter to xenophobic men, and xenophobes in general, to wake up and smell the “man”-doesn’t-mean-anything roses.

Poetry

To Worry…………………………………………………………………Jessie Metcalf

This piece attempts to emulate anxiety

Sixteen……………………………………………………………..Gwen Kaliszewski

One day in November I had a conversation with some co-workers about aging: What age we think about ourselves as, and if our inner voices ever change. This inspired me to write this poem.

Today, March 27th………………………………………………Gwen Kaliszewski

I wrote this one night in March, after a particularly hard day during the weeks we were sent home from college and my sate was shut down.

My Purple Heart………………………………………………………Meg McDonald

This poem details the complexities of love after heartbreak through the lens of the military award, the Purple Heart, and the use of different colors of heart emoji in a text conversation.

Museum Art (Part I and II)………………………………………..Caroline Wolff

This is technically two poems, but I view them as companion pieces and thus as a cohesive unit. This poem showcases one of the most troubling dualities of my personality: an unyielding confidence and “invincibility” that I carry in public (Museum Art I) versus a more sensitive, fragile, and scared-to-trust self that exists behind closed doors (Museum Art II).

Silly Wraith Crushes Fruit……………………………………..Mackenzie Cook

This is a little poem I wrote last winter about identity, and also fruit.

The Gravity of Her……………………………………………………Caroline Wolff

This is the first love poem I have ever written about a female in which I discuss the infinite and unbound nature of my attraction to her. This is a poem largely about sexual awakening, as it was written in a time when I was first starting to embrace my bisexuality.

Visual Arts and Miscellaneous

Little Candles for Cozy Nights…………………………………..Grant Peterson

A spot of warmth and light amidst the dark

The Two Towers……………………………………………………….Grant Peterson

Icons and hotels– tourism at its finest.

The Hourglass………………………………………………………….Hannah Hsu

This is an original piece I composed for my electronic music calls. Sound design and video editing by Hannah Hsu. Video accessed from public domain.

Summer Haze…………………………………………………………..Grant Peterson

Murchison Tower and Northrup stand in silhouette against a late afternoon sun.

Echolocation…………………………………………………………….Kate Nuelle

As I find myself spending more time online, and with COVID confining me to my own home, I discovered my interest in exploring the intersection of technology and domestic space. I created Echolocation after learning to determine the size of the room a speaker is located, and where, in relation to walls, they are. The piece is a part of a broader body of work about technology’s ability to mine data about an individual’s everyday life.

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About the Artists

Mackenzie Cook

Mackenzie is a queer poet and sophomore that has been previously published in Midwestern University’s Voices, CICADA, Blue Marble Review, Body Without Organs, High noon, and Lithium Magazine. They are also a parent of two pet rats, Idra and Twiggy, that they love with their whole heart.

Xander Hancock

Xander is a senior Marketing and Spanish Major just making their way through life. He enjoys the simple things like a kind smile, a compliment, and nice sunset. He believes kindness is one of the most important things one can give to another and tries to abide by that creed. In the end, he wants everyone – including himself – to live their life the way they want to, without anyone or anything holding them back.

Hannah Hsu

Hannah, born and raised in Houston, Tx, studies Music Education and Creative Writing. In addition to being a movie-talker, video essay enthusiast, amateur composer, and painter, Hanna writes songs, plays, poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Her poems have been featured in the 2019 and 2020 issues of the Trinity Review. Hannah is a mezzo-soprano, 2019 Rosalind Phillips Vocal Competition Finalist, an active member and coordinator of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, a member of TU Chamber Singers, T.E.A.C.H. leader, and founder and Music Director of Soli Deo Gloria Singers.

Gwen Kaliszewski

Gwen is a Sophomore Anthropology major and Creative Writing minor from Portland, Oregon

Kennice Leisk

Kennice is a English and Latin double major with minors in Creative Writing and Comparative Literature. She loves reading, writing, and music.

Meg McDonald

Meg is a sophomore from Houston majoring in Ancient Greek. She is a trumpet player in the Wind Ensemble and has a passion for singing, Classics, and film. Although she has enjoyed writing since she was young, this is her first piece in publication.

Jessie Metcalf

Jesse is a senior English major and (recently declared) Creative Writing minor. I am still trying to figure poetry out, but I enjoy writing even if I am confused half the time.

Kate Nuelle

Kate is a senior Art and Art History double major. She was born and raised in Austin, Texas. She is a photographer and illustrator for the Trinitonian and the Mirage, as well as graphic design intern for TU Press. Last summer, she was a PR and Communication intern with the San Antonio Museum of Art. She hopes to continue working as a designer and illustrator after graduation. In her free time, Kate enjoys doing mini crossword puzzles and doodling.

Grant Peterson

Grant is a senior Computer Science and Art double major from Boulder, Colorado. He enjoys photography, and sometimes writes poetry and short prose for fun. Tragically, photography has been his one reason for going outside lately.

Marielle Anne Sambilay

A sophomore English Major

Caroline Wolff

Caroline is a Sophomore Communication major with minors in Creative Writing and Linguistics. In addition to writing poetry and fiction, she loves to express herself creatively through drawing, singing, and dancing. In her spare time, when she is not writing, Caroline loves to scroll through TikTok, get lost in a good book, FaceTime her friends, and spend time with her tuxedo cat, Hayes. You can find more of Caroline’s creative writing on her Instagram page: @carolinemariewrites

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About the Editors

Hannah Friedrich

Hannah is a senior English major, minoring in Classics and Philosophy, and Writing Center tutor. She is also a fiction writer and plans to pursue writing for a long, long time. She plans to pursue a JD after graduation. This is her first year as Co-Editor.

Rebecca Kroger

Becca is a senior English and Classical Studies double major. Alongside her work with the Trinity Review, she is a writing tutor at the TU Writing Center, and Co-Captain of Trinity’s Ultimate Frisbee team, Altitude. After graduation, Becca plans to pursue a MA in Art History. She has enjoyed her two years as Co-Editor for this magazine and looks forward to enjoying future editions.