The Liberator Magazine
The Official Publication of the College of Liberal Arts
Written by Maya ErtayGraphic by Mary Claire Jackson. What now? He comes in and their eyes meet Light streams, the beat, Both are silent but eager. The softness, the melody: Leyli Menal. So obvious yet hidden, All those novels of love forbidden. See them meeting, See them dancing. The ballroom of lonely souls Wandering around Just to let their weak […]
Written by Kayla Hays.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Content Warning: This article features content that might be triggering to those with histories of domestic violence. Please read with caution. – Ever since I was small, all I have held were words. Words for my mother when she scolded me, still as gentle as ever, as if tending a plant. […]
Written by Olivia Oswald. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – In a nursery lies a sleeping girl, Dreaming of bliss beyond the stars. Forever wishing for an adventure, Something she can hold close to her heart. She sleeps between the veil Of the unconscious and the aware, Soon she’ll feel his presence, Waking her up to hold his stare. His nearness is alarming, […]
Written by Kara Hildebrand. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. — TW: allusions to sexual assault and body image insecurity — Multiplicity I am many things; none of them constant, none of them tangible enough for me to grasp: a price tag, a dying flower, a mannequin. I belong to the ads that redirect me to clothes that don’t fit right that redirect […]
Written by Eunsu Cho.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. Broken feeling empty is when you don’t know whether to fill the cup back up again, or whether to break the cup so it can never be filled again Spring they call it beautiful renewing awakening blooming but I call it struggling growing hurting under blissful gazes of the ignorant people who romanticize […]
Written by Eva Strelitz-Block.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. Dendrochronology is a new word I’ve learned. It is the science of the transformation of trees. If you cut a tree down, the analysis of its rings provides insight into its seasonal experiences over time: its nutrient and climate highs and lows, its times of abundance and scarcity. It has always made sense to […]
Written by Kayla Hays. Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. “We bought this for you,” said my mom, handing over a hot pink blanket which burned brightly in both the soft fabric and the forced femininity for my five-year-old self. Of course, I didn’t know to care at the time; I didn’t know to care that my blanket was hot pink and my brother’s […]
Written by Kara Hildebrand (she/her)Graphic by Quynhmai Tran (she/her) – Flipping on an episode of Riverdale (totally ironically, of course), presents the unsuspecting audience member with a cast in their mid-to-late twenties lamenting about relatable teenager problems. The school dance got canceled, the boy next door doesn’t like me back, and parents are so controlling. Perhaps this slips past them, […]
Written by Justin PastranoGraphic by Asiyah Saeed. – Trigger Warning: I have every intention of being sensitive towards those who have been affected by suicide. This is a profound issue in our society that should be discussed. The target audience here is not for those who may be experiencing these issues. The Myth of Sisyphus has an emphasis on the […]
Written by Jadyn Simental.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Sometimes I catch myself deepening my voice to hide any form of femininity. I find myself eyeing make-up in stores, but then remember the time I was caught wearing it in high school and swore it was acne medicine. I talk about painting my nails with friends, but consider my disapproving mother […]
Written by Ashley Mireles.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Twice a year, students are asked to complete the grueling task of enrolling for classes. As spring registration looms once again, we must address the flaws with UT’s current system. UT is considered a world-class institution, but its registration system doesn’t reflect that. Outdated and disorganized, the system creates unnecessary stress for […]
Written by Frida Silva.Graphic by Asiyah Saeed. – “Since bathroom graffiti is done neither for acclaim nor money, it is the purest form of art. Discuss” I’ve always considered bathrooms to be an odd space. They uniquely exist in the wavering border between the public and the private, with only a flimsy stall door to divide the two. People come […]
Written by Eva Strelitz-Block.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – Jude is two years younger than me. According to family lore, the night he was born (literally in the room next door to my bedroom), I slept without waking for the first time ever. Characteristically, his arrival was noisy and chaotic. He has never once in his life finished a family dinner without […]
Written by Alyssa Hiarker.Graphic by Quynhmai Tran. – We all know the horror movie experience: a darkened theatre, ominous music to set the mood, screams followed by a collective breath of laughter, strangers turned to friends as the tension builds with each new scare. There’s more to horror movies than just the moments of abject terror that come with jump scares; […]
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 […]
The Liberator Magazine 