by Janet Anchondo, Nonfiction editor
About Plain China
Plain China , a national literary anthology, showcases undergraduate writing. The journal review is best describes itself to be an anthology, that exposes and provides current literary culture from writers and artists from different majors and backgrounds. Undergraduate students across the nation can submit pieces online, or can send physical copies (5-10 copies minimum) by mail. The anthology seems to be very active, since they currently accepting submissions from literary journals and magazines that feature undergraduate writing during the 2019-2020 school year. The literary anthology uploads monthly (from September to December and February to April). Older issue publications are archived in the “archives” tab of the website, while the newer issue (s) star in the “issues” tab of the website. I love that the web design purposefully brings writing from all backgrounds, across America, and compiles them in such a way that makes them complement (speak) to one another. For example, you can have an author's work (poem) with an artist work (photograph). Readers are meant to engage with both author and artist works, and be simultaneously immersed in both worlds.
September 2020- Issue
All writing comes from every corner of the nation. Different states and different writers only mean that the writing style and perspectives will vary. We can appreciate that the journal review celebrates diversity. The September 2020- Issue contains five authors’ work, in addition to the artists’ work included in each writing. The writings have a strong portrayal of identity and socially modern unconventional themes. Poetry comes in the form of narrative that often talks about identity and personal dilemmas. A poem called “Asexual Dysphoria Waltz” by Liam Strong, take on the perspective of an individual that seems to be fighting the social norms of gender. While depicting the moments of wanting to overcome adversity. Liam Strong is a nominated queer writer and many of his work can be found in various other magazines/journals (Impossible Archetype, Dunes Review, Monday Night, Lunch Ticket, Chiron Review). Moreover, there is (what looks like) a nonfiction narrative called “Vanilla’ by Rebecca Sanchez, where the narrator demonstrates strong ties to her parents, especially her dad. Her parents are the narrator's refuge and the closest thing to her heritage and language. Rebecca Sanchez’ “Vanilla” first appeared in The Tower.
“Asexual Dysphoria Waltz” by Liam Strong (+) artistic work from Colleen Simmons: http://plainchina.org/2020/09/01/asexual-dysphoria-waltz/ (Links to an external site.)
“Vanilla” by Rebecca Sanchez (+) artistic work from Kamron Williams: http://plainchina.org/2020/09/01/vanilla/ (Links to an external site.)
My Favorite Piece
My favorite piece must be “Falling in Love With the Red Priest” by Amanda Pekar. This is from the April 2016-Issue. It is a story within a story, where the narrator tells the story of when she first wanted to play the violin. The story is very factual and indulging because readers might learn a thing or two about a musician that is unknown to many. As someone who doesn’t know much about classical music, Pekar finds a way to express the narrator's passion and commitment to wanting to play the violin. As she narrates her journey of taking violin lessons, she is also retelling the life story of Antonio Lucio Vivaldi. We are fully aware of how Vivaldi’s life, as a violin musician, has ignited eternal appreciation for such a musical instrument. At first, I was completely intrigued by who the "Red Priest" was--who was this mysterious figure the narrator fell in love with? I learned that Vivaldi was called "Red Priest" because he had red hair and had studied to become a priest, back in his time (1680’s-1700).
“Falling in Love With the Red Priest” by Amanda Pekar (+) artistic work from Kaitlyn Fitzgerald: https://plainchina.org/2018/08/06/falling-in-love-with-the-red-priest/ (Links to an external site.)
Plain China Editors
From reading various pieces I can see that the literary anthology (journal) meets up to its expectations. Many of the writers and artists come from different backgrounds and majors. And this is true for the editors as well. Plain China has noticed an increase of interdisciplinary backgrounds in their editing boards, over the past few years. Today, they count on staff and students from psychology, sociology, cinema studies, political science, criminal justice, art history, graphic design, foreign languages, to only name a few.
Janet Anchondo is one of DiN's nonfiction editors. She is a full-time student at New Mexico State University (NMSU), who is majoring in General English.
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