Fresh Hell

The theme for our fourth issue, Fresh Hell, comes from a famous quotation attributed to wisecracking American satirist Dorothy Parker:

"[Parker’s] way of looking at life was incurably pessimistic. Confronted by the unknown, she immediately prepared for the worst. Ordinary occurrences—the doorbell or a ringing telephone—made her wonder 'What fresh hell is this?'"

• Marion Meade, Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This? (1988)

The phrase “fresh hell” embodies the intersection of humor and despair in the face of life’s twists and turns. We invite you to respond to this theme by responding to the tumultuous and unpredictable facets of human experience—personal, social, cultural, global, or otherwise.

This might mean delving into intimate encounters with life’s daily challenges. Or dissecting the absurdities of our world, casting a light on its more comically tragic elements. Maybe you have a pessimistic satirical take on life’s inherent chaos. Or perhaps your work explores personal growth our of the depths of fresh hells.

As always, these are merely suggestions to get you thinking about the theme. Indeed, we always appreciate thematic angles we haven’t considered!