Staying Flexible
Editor's note for Issue 11
An extraordinary feature of creative writing is that it can start anywhere – and it can go anywhere.
Starting from a one-word prompt, “FLEX”, the authors in this issue take us from the modern day to the time of legends, from the deeply personal to the cosmic.
Julian Lyden’s “The Bride” combines a classic folk tale of Hong Kong about Bride’s Pool with a modern morality tale and (could it be?) biting social commentary. But like all classic folk stories, it ends with a song. In Vanessa Ho K. S.’s introspective poetry, the idea of a protagonist-antagonist conflict is turned inside out, for the two are the same.
Holly Sykes, with her story “Black Sun”, also challenges traditional forms by choosing an unconventional vacation setting and placing the main action internally. But readers are rewarded for their attention with a transcendent conclusion.
In “Babel”, Sambhu Ramachandran offers a moving example of concrete poetry, whose form is to be admired but which can just as readily be felt and pondered without its creative typesetting. On the other side, the final piece in this issue, “The Last Hour of a Billionaire” by Nolo Segundo, is unsubtle – but all the more powerful for its simplicity.
The artwork in this issue also displays the thoughtful interpretations that a theme can bring – from the physical arts to impressionist paintings and the gleam of sunset in a cocktail.
Sometimes, in writing or in art, the biggest flex is to stride forth and say what you want to say.
Issue 11 of The Apostrophe will be published starting on December 1, 2025 - one piece per day, with the full PDF version published on the final day.