An Alien’s Perspective by Susie Gharib

What’s behind this preoccupation with UFOs, this anticipation of ferocious foes? Aren’t the contorted, alien forms with ugly horns a reflection of your own distorted souls? You project your own mania for wars your abductions of slaves, infants and thrones, your inhuman experiments on animals and clones on extraterrestrial norms. What if our eyes are radiant beams that covet not, nor evil breathe. What if … Continue reading An Alien’s Perspective by Susie Gharib

Genna RivieccioFebruary 17, 2019Leave a comment

Criticism

The Sadness of Past Romance As Delineated by the Depiction of Age in Less

While, of course, there is a bittersweetness to all novels centered on aging, perhaps no other in recent memory gets it so right regarding both the cruel and just nature of time. That novel in question being Andrew Sean Greer’s Less, which miraculously won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2018 in the face of it being a “humorous” work. And, as we all know, … Continue reading The Sadness of Past Romance As Delineated by the Depiction of Age in Less

Genna RivieccioFebruary 14, 2019February 14, 2019Leave a comment

Poetry

Black History Month for White People by Giovanna Pompele

Observe all the times you go, But surely Take notice of It was a different time Which draws a bead on It could have been me I could have done that Which frog marches to (Incongruously/invariably) Therefore It wasn’t innocent. It never was. None of it ever was. Not by a far cry. Apologize, apologize, apologize. Continue reading Black History Month for White People by Giovanna Pompele

Genna RivieccioFebruary 13, 2019February 14, 2019Leave a comment

Poetry

Bon ok d’accord je t’épouse, mais… by Agathe Bourgeois

Bon ok d’accord je t’épouse, mais tu viendras pas pleurer plus tard ok? Parce que je t’aurais prévenu Je t’aurais prévenu que je suis insupportable, Que quand je souris je veux faire sourire tout le monde Mais quand je suis pas bien c’est comme un nuage de pluie constamment au-dessus de ma tête Et moi je veux pas t’éclabousser avec ma mauvaise humeur et ma … Continue reading Bon ok d’accord je t’épouse, mais… by Agathe Bourgeois

Genna RivieccioFebruary 6, 2019Leave a comment

Poetry

GOD INDIA by Sarah Helena

Oh, God India with your 4am japa mala parties, raving to mantras at sunrise as Surya embraces the temples’ rooftops each morning. With your saffron robes and American swamis and Russian devotees and sweet milk prasad. With your every street corner turning into a very public toilet. And your children touching me and crying for money when no “Hare Krishna” will satisfy their needs. What … Continue reading GOD INDIA by Sarah Helena

Genna RivieccioFebruary 1, 2019Leave a comment

Interview

A Feel of the In-Between: An Interview With Juice Aleem

Toward the end of 2018, The Opiate’s Editor-at-Large, Malik Crumpler, had a conversation with Birmingham rapper-turned-space travel writer Juice Aleem about his book, Afrofutures and Astro Black travel: A passport to melanated futures. They discussed Aleem’s atypical upbringing, as well as his artistic process for writing, researching, rapping and live sketching. Furthermore, the two examine the ancient and contemporary traditions of diasporic lineages involved in Afrofuturism/Afro Flux. … Continue reading A Feel of the In-Between: An Interview With Juice Aleem

Genna RivieccioJanuary 30, 2019January 30, 20193 Comments

Poetry

Story Catcher by Wim Coleman

The thrall of Scheherazade is a hoop shaped of bitterest willow stretched taut with sheep-gut webbing that buoys a dozen or so ripe dangling gemstones graced with dancing peacock feathers. She doesn’t play the thrall like a lyre, although there are those who would tell you otherwise. No, her sleep alone serves as bait and enticement, and she picks through the night’s catch of stories … Continue reading Story Catcher by Wim Coleman

Genna RivieccioJanuary 28, 2019Leave a comment

Criticism

You Adds Further Flames to the Fire of Book Lovers Being Freaks

It is precisely because you’ve probably living under a rock for most of December and January that you’ve heard about and likely seen You, the Penn Badgley-starring series resuscitated from the grave of Lifetime by Netflix. Centered around a bookstore manager’s unhealthy obsession with a requisite basico named Guinevere Beck, (a blonde who reads?! What’s not to splooge and get obsessive over?), our anti-hero, Joe … Continue reading You Adds Further Flames to the Fire of Book Lovers Being Freaks

Genna RivieccioJanuary 27, 2019January 27, 2019Leave a comment

Poetry

frank by Khalil Anthony

1. i talk to myself sometimes and sometimes i answer myself too i got it from my mother who likes to do this (talk to herself) when i am sitting right next to her, mind you while we are literally in a conversation speaking to each other. she’ll blurt out something that doesn’t quite make sense, (“green tomatoes”), and i’ll say what? and she’ll be … Continue reading frank by Khalil Anthony

Genna RivieccioJanuary 22, 20192 Comments

Poetry

Medusozoa by Jessica Fischoff

And so, in the desperate measure Of undoing, the Lord transformed me Into a jellyfish and skipped me Across the continent, into the darkest Trenches of the sea. I cleaned my fluorescent regalia Of the sandy cover, like Medusa Letting down her hair, I unfurled my tentacles To sting the salty brine, And claimed my kingdom. Continue reading Medusozoa by Jessica Fischoff

Genna RivieccioJanuary 17, 20191 Comment