XOXO
Art by Kirsten Hemrich
October 02, 2019
As another year of college rolls into motion, my school work is beginning to pile up. Clubs and volunteering fill my schedule, and the constant thought of what’s due next lurks in the back of my mind. It’s rare that I ever get a moment where my mind is truly clear, but that doesn’t mean the world ever halts in its rotation just so I can crank out an essay that I left to the last minute. With few moments to step back and take a breather, this sort of obligation asthma has me gasping for air
Art by Kirsten Hemrich
October 02, 2019
Redheads, of course, are not like other girls. In literature (and just maybe in life), red hair is an encoded promise to deliver the heroine from standard girlhood; it guarantees a life worth telling, implying that most girls’ are not. Redheaded heroines are witty, undaunted, independent, and bold, qualified for narrative-worthy lives which “other girls” can’t access. She is the one whom the billionaire will adopt (Little Orphan Annie) or whose estranged parents will reunite after she meets
Art by Kirsten Hemrich
October 02, 2019
1. What color sweater are you wearing?
a. Vibrant colors like red or yellow…they are aesthetic af with the falling leaves
b. Neutrals like brown or grey
c. Darker shades like blue or purple or green
d. Black…always black
2. Go-to Starbucks drink?
a. **PSL**
b. Hot chocolate/macchiato/anything warm, really
c. I’m only here for a snack tbh…slide me a cheese danish plz
d. Black coffee…or maybe a
Art by Kirsten Hemrich
October 01, 2019
The memory of writing my first ever short story is clearly etched in my mind. I remember the setting (an elementary school), the characters (a class of third graders) and the conflict (a radioactive lizard, loose in the classroom). I also remember that all of the characters in that first story, and in my next dozen, were all white.
I have been writing stories for more than a decade, but I have only just begun, slowly, to dare to think of myself as a writer (the title feels elusive,
Art by Kirsten Hemrich
September 18, 2019
The menstrual cup is intimidating, to say the least. I come from a community in which many believe that somehow tampons can take your virginity and are thus something to fear and be protected from. It’s easy to see how this might conflict with my desire for the relatively more invasive menstrual cup. Fortunately for me, after my mother laughed at me about the idea of the cup, she encouraged me to try
Art by Kirsten Hemrich
September 18, 2019
As I begin my fourth and final year at the prestigious University of Virginia (thank God), I realize I find myself feeling a combination of three ways:
- Excited
- Relieved
- Terrified
I’m excited because I'm leaving. I’m relieved because I’m leaving. And I am terrified because… I have to leave.
My journey at UVA has been complicated (see previous article).
Art by Kirsten Hemrich
September 18, 2019
From a very young age my father instilled in me a love of cooking. Over the years he tried to teach me the culinary basics: the art of pairing flavors, the five mother sauces of French cuisine, the importance of making sure meat remains tender, and the fact that if you ask any Italian chef they will downright condemn putting cheese on seafood. Thinking back now, I realize that I have encountered fish and cheese before (your classic lox and cream cheese on an everything bagel), but for some
Art by Kirsten Hemrich
April 16, 2019
Trigger Warning: Explicit Language
I noticed the word on the board before anything else. I stared at it. It stared back at me. I looked around to see if anyone shared my reaction. I squinted my eyes to study the font. Did he type that out or was it copied and pasted? If he typed it – does that mean he would say it?
My eyes
Art by Kirsten Hemrich
April 15, 2019
As my final semester as an undergraduate college student winds down, and as my time as an intern for Iris comes to an end, I’ve been taking time to reflect on the last four years.
My first year of college I went to VCU, and it was a very difficult time for me. I was depressed and wanted nothing more than to leave Richmond and leave that school as fast as possible. But I knew I wanted
Art by Kirsten Hemrich
March 19, 2019
In a few short months, after years and years of stress, I will be graduating from college. I know, I’m not supposed to say ‘graduating’ because I go to UVA and we like to be elitist and use exclusionary language, and learning is supposed to be forever, but I’m sorry TJ. Once I get that diploma, this girl is done learning for a while.
I think I’ve earned a break after spending my whole life