Words by: Angel Tully
Art by: Jess Heng
I’m not looking for a man in finance with a trust fund who’s 6’5 with blue eyes — sue me.
I know some people may argue that there’s nothing sexier than a corporate slave who dresses himself with Daddy’s money, but I’ve got my eyes on a different prize.
… Sexy Fireman Pants
Words by: Shabnam Sidhu
Art by: Evelyn Johnson
This was never the way I planned, not my intention…
I was 12, belting out the lyrics to Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed a Girl’, curious about what Cherry Chapstick off someone else’s lips would taste like. I thought to myself, I would kiss a girl, but I would never do anything more than that.
… Could You Eat That Girl For Lunch?
Words by: Akira Kerr
Art by: Sama Harris
Maren is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met.
I met her while I was studying abroad, and she quickly became a beloved member of our group of kindred international folk. One time we all sent a picture of ourselves from when we were little to our group chat and she took it upon herself to categorise us by whether we would have been a kid who stabbed other kids with pencils or who were the unfortunate stab-ees. Maren is very flirtatious. She threw winks at people across the table, once suggestively told me she would ‘tell me about it later’, and tenderly slow-danced with people when we went to karaoke.
She is also asexual and aromantic.
… Hearts and AcesWords by: Karen Grace Prince
Art by: Jess Whelan
It’s the summer of 2016, and I’m watching the infamous City Hunter for the first time. And if you’re not in the loop, it’s probably THE quintessential hard-boiled crime anime — a cult classic that follows a private detective with a sharp aim and penchant for shameless womanising.
Even at fifteen, I couldn’t shake my youthful discomfort: why were the female characters simply there just to be props for sexualisation or violence? What was the point of their existence beyond advancing the male character’s story? Why are the women reduced to mere objects for lust and trauma in the narrative, and nothing more?
… Keep Your Panty (Shots) To Yourself
Words by: Angel Tully
Art by: Jess Heng
I always dreamed about the man who would sweep me off my feet. The one who would stand outside my window serenading me with a stereo above his head. Or the one who would gaze longingly over the edge of his dock at the green light in the distance yearning for my love. I wanted Ryan Gosling to twirl me around and ask me to dance in the middle of the street and I wanted Heath Ledger to sing Frankie Valli’s ‘Can’t Take My Eyes off You’ to me on the bleachers with the school marching band. I wanted that fireworks-and-butterflies kind of love.
… Love That’s Good on Paper
Words by: Ash Dowling
Art by: Sasha Clancy
My books are kept in a modest 3×3 cube bookshelf in my bedroom. I wish I could say it was organised so that each cube contained books of a particular genre, era, or even colour — but instead, they are all mixed up, like the surprising friendship groups that emerge in middle school.
… Hello Espy, Welcome to my Bookshelf
Words by: Anne Bui
Art by: Evelyn Johnson
I stare at my own to-be-read pile, tucked away in the corner of my cosy room, pondering over when I started losing interest in reading new books. Have I truly lost interest in books? Or have books simply not been appealing enough to catch my attention? I have no clue…
… Reading and the Attention Economy
Words by: Akira Kerr
Art by: Dora Chung
She is rewarded with a light peck on the cheek for straightening her husband’s tie as he steps out for another day at the office. She softly closes the door behind her, happily pondering upon what wondrous tasks lay ahead of her today. She gazes wistfully at her children playing on the hearth, her daughter combing her doll Betty’s pristine polyester locks, and her son puttering around with a Matchbox miniature car in hand. She looks in the mirror hung next to the front door and smooths the non-existent creases out of her floral square-necked, A-line dress.
Then, she pulls out of her apron pocket an iPhone 15.
… The Rise of the Tradwife
Words by: Anonymous
Art by: Parisa Sarmady
Our relationship first began back in lockdown when I felt I had exhausted all my other options of entertainment and satisfaction. At first, I only dabbled occasionally, half out of boredom and half out of intrigue. But the more time I spent, the more I fell in love, until eventually… I was absolutely hooked.
… Piece of Mind
Words by: Caleb Katsakis… Oh, to Walk a Mile in Your Shoes
Art by: Gina Day
Words by: Akira
Art by: Simonette Labrain
When my siblings and I were kids, our mum used to sing a lullaby to us every night before we went to sleep. We would have our nightly glass of milk, brush our teeth, faff around for a bit avoiding bedtime (little Akira didn’t understand just how great sleep was yet), then hop into our beds and wait. My mum would come in, sit down next to us and ask in Japanese, “What would you like me to sing today?”.
… Little Songs
Words and art by: Nikole Bradbury
It seems as though this author has found herself compelled to share the most scandalous of news.
… Confessions of a Portrait Thief
Words by: Danielle Roche
Art by: Sama Harris
All the elitist drama typical of ‘Gossip Girl’ in old-timey language. The blinding obsession featured in ‘Saltburn’ with the grotesque dial set to zero. A narrator is as involved as a reality TV audience member.
If these traits sound appealing to you, run! Don’t walk to your nearest independently owned, endearingly kitsch local bookshop (we’re not Amazon-supporting corrupt capitalists, cough Gatsby cough) to get your hands on a copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 industry-plant, ‘The Great Gatsby’.
… The Not-So-Great Gatsby: A Review
Words by: Natalia Godinez
Art by: Siena Thomas
Finding a definitive winner in the debate over whether movies are superior to their book counterparts can be challenging. I usually say the book is better, but after days of consideration and a few contestants, ‘The Princess Diaries‘ is the only exception. If you weren’t aware of the book’s existence, it’s likely because the movie outshone it.
… Long Live ‘The Princess Diaries’
Words by: Angel Tully
Art by: Rai Cade
It is traditionally said that men are the hunters and women are the gatherers. As much as gender roles may have evolved since cave people times, I think it is safe to say that women have been gathering things for a long time. We didn’t just gather nuts and berries, we gathered information, emotions, alliances and secrets. The latter, which when left uncorked, translates into the age-old tradition of storytelling in the most lavish and scandalous sense—gossip.
… XOXO
Words by: Shabnam Sidhu
Art by: Jennifer Hoang
As I write this, I am wearing a pair of red patent leather Mary Janes, a pearl necklace and a pink ribbon in my hair. I am at my desk, my freshly painted red nails clicking away on my keyboard. Occasionally, I take a break to sip my strawberry matcha latte and my eyes wander over to the hot pink ‘cunt’ pin that I have carefully placed on top of my holy bible: Sofia Coppola’s ‘Archive’.
… A Case for Pinks and PastelsWords by: Karen Grace Prince
In my early teens, I had a phase where I’d pen letters to various female literary heroes whom I fantasised were my friends. I’d pour my heart out to characters who embodied qualities I admired: Jane Eyre’s passion, Hetty Feather’s resilience, Anne Shirley’s boundless imagination, and Tracy Beaker’s spunk. And of course, my ultimate heroine, Jo March whose unwavering literary ambition would eventually influence my own aspirations.
… ‘Little Women’ – A Love Letter to Girlhood
Words and photography by: Dayna Lim
Far away from the land down under’s Melbourne and its gloomy days of late, sits a little red dot. The luscious land of Singapore with its everblooming and sprawling gardens, coupled with sweltering heat and obnoxious humidity, set the scene for my fairytale day.
… My Fairytale Day
Words by: Akira Kerr
Art by: Janae Hunter
Whether you want to admit it or not, Taylor Swift is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. She has such an acute awareness and understanding of human emotion, as she puts into words the feelings so many of us have had but can’t quite explain. She weaves surprising rhyming couplets, threads through the eyelets of literary fiction and stitches together beautiful phrases to create a tapestry of musical symphony for her listeners. She is a lyrical genius.
… Taylor’s Literary Department (10 Minute Read Version)
Words by: Liv Brown
Art by: Imogen Davis
My beloved Gaia, she stands tall and proud.
With her cloak of green, a living shroud.
Her hair, the trees, reaching up to the sky.
Each one a strand, reaching out far and wide.
Photographer:… Roots
Emily Lederman
Styling and direction:
Siena Thomas
Models: Angel Tully, Akira Kerr, Natalia Godinez
Esperanto Magazine 