Judy Zhao
(any pronouns)
Judy is a fourth year double majoring in Media Studies and Studio Art with a concentration in new media. They are interested in fandom media and relationships between properties and audience, as well as East Asian art and media. Outside of Iris, they are collecting jewelry, online shopping, and working on new media projects.
More Articles Featuring this Artist
Behind every lyrical and poetic genius, however, is a growing writer that had to start somewhere too.
Dear Beloved Reader,
I am no stranger to the Unexpected. In fact, we are now old friends, but we weren’t always so friendly.
The theologian Kallistos Ware wrote that Now is all we really have: the past and future exist only conceptually, framed by present experience.
Dear Beloved Reader,
As the semester draws to a close, I have not only been looking forward in anticipation of frightening finals and a relaxing release, but also backwards in reflection of a tumultuous yet thrilling semester.
1. Burnett’s Liquor
If they’re over 21, this is an insult.
Returning to Grounds as a fourth year, I feel as though life is moving too fast and has suddenly gotten away from me.
On a recent Saturday morning, I was bursting out of the dimly lit Paramount Theater in Downtown Charlottesville with furrowed brows and a long stride.
There was a beautiful girl who lived mostly in her head. She wasn’t beautiful for any notable extrinsic features. She looked quite normal, but radiated a natural essence of charm. Her name was Ruby.
I am instantly hit by an unforgiving wave of humidity and booming trap music. There are tons of people around me dancing, drinking and making out, but they all seem adrift.
My camera roll is a time capsule that launches my brain back to a specific space.
It is not lost on me, the irony of reading The Idiot as my clock reads midnight: I have work in 8 hours. But I am captivated.