The Liberator Magazine
The Official Publication of the College of Liberal Arts
Written by Hayle Chen. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – For Allison, who told me I could absolutely write on a topic that I had never pitched to her before—you brought the best kind of control to this chaotic world. “To be in hell is to drift; to be in heaven is to steer.” When addressing the fervent lust for control that […]
Written by Marielle Glasse. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – There was a day when The night wet the grass and My feet came Stomping in to crush it all all those little green sprouts mocking our growth So we decided to play god We kissed concrete We hit the ground to break it before It fell out from under […]
Written by Bismarck Andino. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – With a 20% increase of homeless animals this year and only 19 full-time animal care employees to care for them, the Austin Animal Center has experienced chronic overcrowding for the past two years, an Animal Advisory commissioner said Oct. 14 during a meeting where the Commission approved a set of amendments for no-kill practices. Austin […]
Written by Kate Diller. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – He didn’t hear the footsteps behind him, hadn’t heard the bodies fall. The glass came to his lips, smooth liquor gleaming in the light from the moon above him. The shadows slipped forward, blades in hand. They faltered, though, when he turned to face them, setting his glass down on the […]
Written by Aryan Bhalla. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Should I, Rest as I do; aimless; like a polarizing wind or must I rise above these clouds? Shrouded in mystery as my destiny and the stars hide behind these clouds. Compounded in labor as my life shies away behind these clouds. Groom my wings and face my fears, Should I […]
Written by Morgan Jeitler. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – UT prides themselves on their use of energy. Their sustainability website explicitly states that UT Austin “continues to lead among universities by reducing waste, conserving energy and water resources…” and follows immediately with a list of awards and achievements garnered by the university over time. They’re right in priding themselves on […]
Written by Cameron Waltz. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – A Warm Embrace I hold him close. Don’t leave me for the World yet. You’re far too young to leave my arms. The great, wide world is one of danger and loss. I tug you back to rest, but you won’t let me hold you down. I wish I could keep […]
Written by Hayle Chen. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – **Content Warning: Graphic Content** Envision this: You’re gazing into a black void. There’s haphazard electronic humming and stark white letters emblazoned across a pitch-dark background. Then—the unnerving crack of the void, the screen, as a sound akin to a distressed heart monitor pitching higher assaults your ears. There might be a […]
Written by Harrison Fernelius. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – “After all, very few musical genres are able to contain the sheer force of sentiment and anger that metal can accommodate. It simply has an enormous capacity for emotion. No anger is too great, and no sentiment is too dark. It is the musical mouthpiece of the counterculture.” – What makes […]
Written by Kate DillerGraphic by Emma Robinson – “Suddenly, or perhaps imperceptibly slowly, my lungs are empty. I cannot find air, even as my chest heaves, trying to draw it in.” – The desk beneath me is shockingly cold, distracting me momentarily from the scene before me. My attention doesn’t stray for long though, the sharp scent of blood drawing […]
Written by Jennifer Dong. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – “Swift’s greatest strength is her rare ability to expertly pinpoint sacred emotions through a combination of tenderly crafted lyrics and music in the same way that the prisms of crystals are able to catch the fleeting gaze of light at just the right time, place, and angle.” – More than a […]
Written by Varun Hukeri. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – The hustle of Beijing West Railway Station is a common sight no matter the day or the hour. Serving almost two hundred thousand passengers everyday, it’s a rather unglamorous scene of crowded walkways, confused passengers yelling and pushing through, and of course, a McDonald’s — a staple of every train station […]
Written by Hector Osegueda. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – And there we were The air, how brisk and free as it flurried past up […]
Written by Peyton Cabaniss. Graphic by Peyton Cabaniss. – As ten glass blowers don their safety goggles and sweat bands to enter a dark industrial warehouse, Blown Away introduces the Netflix peruser to the fine art of glass blowing. Unlike some forms of art that can be undertaken with a quick trip to Michael’s, glass blowing isn’t accessible to the […]
Written by Luisana Cortez. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – I cannot detach my cousin Ramona from the memories of my flesh. Through the darkness, she surfaces, baring the sun-lit mesh of my childhood: crooked teeth, feral eyes, my lumping chest, the curvature of a rib cage. I blink, and just as the familiar strain of the desert heat hits my […]
Written by Caroline Tsai. Graphic by Emma Robinson. – I am seven years old when I decide to be white. I pester my parents over and over again with the possibility that I might have been adopted – as if I might be able to sever the source of my non-whiteness that way. Upon finally realizing that I am irrevocably, […]
