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By Emma Miao, Editor-in-Chief
This year has been relentless. Between the mask-wearing, the seemingly endless flurry of restrictions, and the everyday tragedies on the news, 2020 threw us into the deep end without a life raft. But within the chaos, art and writing reminded us of the beauty to be found in the small. Our new reality’s seemingly insignificant aspects: a nod in the halls, a picnic at the beach. A conversation about heritage with our parents. Like the speaker in Ellie’s poem, “a quiet i seek is a silence i betray,” we were faced with “cacophony, [but] in this silent din [we] sought quiet.” Art has the potential to transport us to different realities. It can allow us to interact with other cultures and characters—real or imagined—and, in the end, gain greater empathy for those around us. Take, for example, Wren’s short story “Memories Are Such Fickle Things” where the speaker explores the fringes of memory and reality. Take, too, Emily Duan’s artwork, where she contrasts China’s cultures and social norms and her family’s past with contemporary photographs, reflecting on the global social and cultural paradigm shift throughout the past decades. This year has taught us the importance of taking breaks. To reflect, internally and externally, on our lives and our communities. To remember the big picture. To hold the delicate snowglobe of our lives in our palms and to observe it from a new angle. The work in this issue allows us to do just that: to dive into new realities in words and colour. This issue was made possible by our contributors, representing eight different schools across British Columbia. Thanks to Alicia Tai, Emerald Yun, Emily Duan, Erin Xi, Samantha Chan, and Kate Ankerman, as well as the Surging Tide readers and editors for submitting such creative and thought-provoking work. Without further ado, I warmly invite you into Surging Tide Issue Two: Exhale. Comments are closed.
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