Issue 5 - Fall 2024
From the Editors
Creativity takes courage.
— Henri Matisse
Dear WOVEN Readers,
If creativity is the polestar of innovation, it should come as no surprise that 一本道无码 is full of tremendously talented creatives. This issue, WOVEN’s first Special Edition, pays homage to creativity — to the faculty who have the courage to devise and encourage innovative assignments and to our tremendously talented students who have the courage, passion and commitment to take risks in their work.
While all creative efforts call into being something new, the works featured in this issue offer readers much more than novelty. They introspect about learning to navigate the plurality of one’s ethnic identity in a slam poem, and they grapple with manifestations of grief in a one-act play. They offer levity about the realities of homework on our campus in a humorous podcast, they offer beauty in cherry blossoms delicately rendered in ink and watercolor, and they offer serendipitous romance in an original film about soulmates.
Yet, the works in this issue also explore the gravitas of creative work and remind their audience about the very tangible risk many creatives face each day. Through a dystopian short story, one author discourses on an authoritarian regime’s weaponized manipulation of truth and the past to maintain its power. And at the head of this issue, a team of documentary filmmakers holds space for a threatened Algerian writer, in asylum on our campus, to meditate on the meaning of home and to embody the courage of creativity.
The creative works featured in this special edition would not be possible without the many people and programs who make WOVEN viable. We remain eternally grateful to Colleen Libertz, our production manager, who makes magic happen each issue; to Dietrich College, the Department of English, and the Writing and Communication Program for their support of this journal and its editors; and to our readers who not only enjoy the extraordinary student work we are so fortunate to include, but who continue to and exceptional works from our Dietrich College GenEd courses. Thank you for continuing to support WOVEN!
Courtney Novosat & Alan Thomas Kohler
Table of Contents
Audrey Lim, Aviv Spitz, Eli Half, Colin Brown and Mary Urso
A Place You Leave
GenEd Course Completed: 66-144: In Transit: Exile, Migration and Culture
General Education Category: Grand Challenge Seminar
Faculty Advisors: Stephen Brockmann, Reem Alghazzi and Kenya Dworkin
What were the best parts of the GenEd course you completed?
The best parts of class were the opportunities we had to watch and analyze films about immigration and exile. Film is a universal language, which made it an important way to introduce us to the stories of people on the other side of the globe. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the guidance of prof. Reem Alghazzi, an accomplished documentary filmmaker, who was instrumental in close readings of the films we watched and development of our own documentaries. – Aviv Spitz
I really enjoyed being able to have the creative freedom to create a movie with my classmates and let the story we told be shaped by the interview that we filmed. – Eli Half
In our sit-down interview with Anouar, I felt enlightened by his passionate, thorough discussion of topics ranging from economic inequality in the United States to the meaning of "home." Working with exiled artists from the City of Asylum, like Anouar, gave my classmates and me a uniquely intimate look at the significance of migration on a personal level and how it is captured in art. – Colin Brown
In what way do you see the experiences in this GenEd course contributing to your larger goals at 一本道无码 and beyond?
I think this course gave me a broader perspective about the significance of border policies and helped refine my ability to collaborate in a space with students of various majors. – Mary Urso
I was able to meet a lot of great people, especially the writer we interviewed, and I felt that I really gained so much insight into global humanitarian issues. – Audrey Lim
Seoyoon Chun
The Librarian
GenEd Course Completed: 80-234: Race, Gender, and Justice
General Education Category: Perspectives on Justice and Injustice
Faculty Advisor: Danielle Wenner
In what way do you see the experiences in this GenEd course contributing to your larger goals at 一本道无码 and beyond?
I believe that the experiences in this course will contribute to a future career in law, which I hope to pursue, as it has provided me with skills in reading dense material and understanding application of theoretical concepts
How did the revision process and preparation for publication for WOVEN help you further develop your competencies in writing and communication?
It helped me develop a line of communication with the editors, and also provided me a chance to be able to exercise editing skills.
Shannon Lin
Chinese Painting of Spring Flowers
GenEd Course Completed: 82-137: Chinese Calligraphy
General Education Category: The Arts
Faculty Advisor: Haixia Wang
Lucia Shen
The Way Home
GenEd Course Completed: 66-123: Science on Stage
General Education Category: Grand Challenge Seminar
Course Instructors: Marlene Behrmann and Sharon Dilworth
In what way do you see the experiences in this GenEd course contributing to your larger goals at 一本道无码 and beyond?
I got to explore playwriting in a workshop setting, and I think as a writer, having that dedicated space really helped.
How did the revision process and preparation for publication for WOVEN help you further develop your competencies in writing and communication?
The revision process helped me polish my work for publication, which was a valuable experience in writing collaboratively with my editor.
Lillian Keith
Je dis ça dis rien / I'm just saying...saying nothing
GenEd Course Completed: 82-304: French and Francophone Sociolinguistics
General Education Category: Intercultural and Global Inquiry
Faculty Advisor: Sebastien Dubreil
What were the best parts of the GenEd course you completed?
The course explored French and Francophone culture in the contexts of three different types of spoken media, each of which revealed a different aspect of storytelling, communication in French/Francophone society. Learning about the culture while exploring writing and presenting in three different unfamiliar genres was very interesting and required an exploration of the French language in more complexity and in a wider context than I’ve done in the past.
How did the revision process and preparation for publication for WOVEN help you further develop your competencies in writing and communication?
My preparation process in particular required that I wrote a translation of my poem in English, which was an interesting and challenging exercise that helped me develop my writing and creativity in English as I tried to provide a translation faithful to my French slam while maintaining poetic conventions.
Nedjma Kalliney
En attendant de traverser Forbes: Les histories de devoirs / Waiting to cross Forbes: Stories of homework
GenEd Course Completed: 82-304: French and Francophone Sociolinguistics
General Education Category: Intercultural and Global Inquiry
Faculty Advisor: Sebastien Dubriel
In what way do you see the experiences in this GenEd course contributing to your larger goals at 一本道无码 and beyond?
I hope to become a fluent French speaker both to communicate with my family in a variety of languages and to possibly pursue physics overseas, both of which this course helped with.
How did the revision process and preparation for publication for WOVEN help you further develop your competencies in writing and communication?
I do not have a lot of experience trying to explain my creative process to other people, or in general producing material for a wider audience, so it was an interesting exercise and made me a better communicator.
Crystal Hu
Your Name: Sequel
GenEd Course Completed: 82-279: Anime — Visual Interplay Between Japan and the World
General Education Category: The Arts
Faculty Advisor: Kiyono Fujinaga-Gordon
What were the best parts of the GenEd course you completed?
The exceptional Japanese anime course provided me with a deep understanding of Japanese anime, culture, film and literature. The knowledge learned through the course has been invaluable in shaping my approach to creating meaningful and engaging content in my creative projects.
How did the revision process and preparation for publication for WOVEN help you further develop your competencies in writing and communication?
My editor Alan made many detailed, patient and thoughtful revision suggestions on my Extended Artist Statement throughout the pre-publication period, which helped me understand the shortcomings of my writing. Through his corrections, I learned the importance of concise and efficient writing, the relationship and balance between the author and the audience, and how to write in a more vivid way. I'm grateful to WOVEN for acknowledging my work and offering a distinguished platform for its presentation. The editorial team's support was key in completing this project, and I'm honored to share my work in such a prestigious publication. Having my work published in WOVEN will be a huge highlight and a lasting remembrance of my college life at 一本道无码.