The Opiate Books presents Brontosaurus Illustrated

Regular readers of The Opiate may recognize Leanne Grabel’s work from the pages of our magazine, where we previously serialized Brontosaurus. Now available as Brontosaurus Illustrated, this is the work as you’ve never seen it–gorgeously illustrated and beautifully designed with the help of Robin Chilstrom. Don’t miss out on this truly unique and unprecedented memoir that turns a lasting trauma into something triumphant and hopeful. … Continue reading The Opiate Books presents Brontosaurus Illustrated

Genna RivieccioJuly 1, 2022Leave a comment

Poetry

Penis Envy by Ron Kolm

didn’t start withTrump and Putin.Unfortunately, itGoes all the way backTo the dawn of man.Two males in a caveWaving their clubs aroundStare at each otherIn fear and envy.“Mine’s bigger,” one shouts.“No, mine is!” yells backThe other.And then they startBashing each other untilOnly one guy is left standing,One hand gripping his clubThe other cupping his manhood.He almost seems to smileAs he leaves to find some womenTo yell … Continue reading Penis Envy by Ron Kolm

Genna RivieccioAugust 10, 2022August 12, 20221 Comment

Poetry

An Ode to Evil by Matthew Peluso

Does good always triumph over evil? Not for its victims, for whom timing was everything—too late for them.Not for the millions slaughtered in the camps—was Nuremberg a triumph?The tens of millions un-personed by Stalin, Pol Pot, etc.What benefit to them the death of the dialectic? Reconciliation committees? Nor for the murdered Bosnians, machete-hacked Tutsis, beheaded Afghan women How have the ex post facto treaties helped them? … Continue reading An Ode to Evil by Matthew Peluso

Genna RivieccioAugust 8, 2022Leave a comment

Essay

Why Marilyn Monroe and Sylvia Plath Go Hand in Hand

On what marks the sixtieth anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s death (a suicide, an accident or a murder, depending on who you ask), there seems to be more interest than ever in the icon that captivated the world and incited a sexual awakening within a repressed American culture. From Kim Kardashian effectively dancing on Marilyn’s corpse by forcing her ass to squeeze into the Jean Louis … Continue reading Why Marilyn Monroe and Sylvia Plath Go Hand in Hand

Genna RivieccioAugust 4, 2022Leave a comment

Fiction

Oblivion by Susie Gharib

His mind had stripped every surrounding object of color, shape and sound. Substance is an illusion that deludes one’s eyes. He claims to have insulated every nerve cell in his nose so that no smell or odor can resurrect any shreds of the past, any associations or residue that may in his subconscious still reside. He boasts the fact that his ears need no plugs … Continue reading Oblivion by Susie Gharib

Genna RivieccioAugust 3, 2022Leave a comment

Poetry

Symphony by Anna Kapungu

I find myself screamingIt is the same symphony Never again, never againYou let me downTrust is but a word used by othersThe ones that have found love that is trueAt the human race I look with blank eyesA cry, a symphonyOf course I only wanted to love youTo have the best friendship a girl could haveSit outside the house in New OrleansWith barbequed Texas beef steaks, … Continue reading Symphony by Anna Kapungu

Genna RivieccioJuly 25, 2022Leave a comment

Poetry

Spell-caster by Caroline Reddy

I cleared the ashes atop the altarand decluttered my fairy gardento grow,for the flicker was hiddenand the words were dimas I began to awaken: beneath the crescent clothunderneath the shards I left the circleand let the poking pitchforksplash spurts of blue and purpleto the renewal of my heart. I closed my eyes and let the tears drip and dreamt of the quartz crystalsto pour,for the … Continue reading Spell-caster by Caroline Reddy

Genna RivieccioJuly 23, 2022Leave a comment

Interview

“I’ve Turned Depression and Anger Into Vaudeville”: An Interview With Leanne Grabel

In an interview with Brontosaurus Illustrated author Leanne Grabel, The Opiate probes the mind of this Portland-based luminary to get her thoughts on everything from the creative process that went into the book to her advice on how to cope with sexual assault, itself the subject of her new graphic novel released on The Opiate Books imprint. The Opiate: When did you first know that … Continue reading “I’ve Turned Depression and Anger Into Vaudeville”: An Interview With Leanne Grabel

Genna RivieccioJuly 20, 2022July 22, 20221 Comment

Essay

“Stop Being Rich” Feeds Into What Mark Fisher Said About Anti-Capitalism All Being Part of Capitalism

It’s no secret why Mark Fisher ended up killing himself. Sure, he was “depressed.” But why do you think a mind like that would be? He knew, in the end, there actually was no alternative to capitalist realism. A question he asked in the title of his seminal work, Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative? It would appear not. And, after exploring the many facets of a … Continue reading “Stop Being Rich” Feeds Into What Mark Fisher Said About Anti-Capitalism All Being Part of Capitalism

Genna RivieccioJuly 19, 2022July 19, 2022Leave a comment

Criticism

New York Is A Town of Ghosts (You’ve Fucked): Cult Classic

It’s no secret that staying at the fair that is New York for too long (to paraphrase Joan D.) will lead to irreparable damage. Usually of the emotional variety—though you might also need a liver transplant after all the drinking expected of you as well. Sloane Crosley is here to crystallize that fact in literary form with her sophomore novel, Cult Classic. In contrast to her … Continue reading New York Is A Town of Ghosts (You’ve Fucked): Cult Classic

Genna RivieccioJuly 12, 2022July 12, 2022Leave a comment

Poetry

Do U Hear It? by Yuan Changming

From the heart of the PacificFar beyond the Pandemic A Moby Dick is screamingAs if to keep its throat clear Or it would be choked toDeath with parcels of plastics Continue reading Do U Hear It? by Yuan Changming

Genna RivieccioJuly 8, 2022Leave a comment