New Call for Submissions: Only In The City

[ceciliatan]

Stories wanted for a Circlet Press anthology with a city/urban theme/setting/motif, co-edited by Nico Vreeland and Cecilia Tan.

Living in the city fractures us, it makes us split ourselves in order to find a part of ourselves to deal with this or that scenario, this or that person, this or that facet of the city. It doesn’t wait for us, it doesn’t

Comments

[rosefox]

Living in the city fractures us, it makes us split ourselves in order to find a part of ourselves to deal with this or that scenario, this or that person, this or that facet of the city. It doesn’t wait for us, it doesn’t give up ground, it doesn’t come to us; we must go to the city, and we must adapt ourselves to its demands. City life is cluttered and high-density but anonymous. We’re constantly surrounded by strangers, constantly anxious about making a connection with another person. We’re physically crowded but emotionally isolated, even from ourselves.Wow. This is so completely different from how I experience city life, I don't even know where to start. The city completes me, makes me whole, holds me up, loves me. I connect with people everywhere in quiet glances and shared moments of elevators and subway cars and crosswalks. People flow past like water and their passing washes me clean

[ceciliatan]

The same way we have many many anthologies that would squick 90% of Americans. For once, my dear, you fall outside the proscribed/described kink.

[rosefox]

Fair enough!

[ceciliatan]

:-)

[linkar123]

This is a very interesting proposition. As a child of a big city, I can attest to the notion of being lonely in the crowd.

People flock to Moscow hoping to "make it" there. They want to achieve a life that their "backwater" towns and villages can't offer. But it's very competitive in the big city. People look at you but don't see you. You have to make them notice you.

Still, the struggle and whatever small successes you achieve are intoxicating. After you taste the big city life, there's no way back to your quiet hometown.

There's an old Russian adage about Moscow:

"Moscow doesn't believe tears."

[ceciliatan]

Interesting! I'll have to point that quote out to Nico.

[linkar123]

There was a Soviet movie 'Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears' that won an Oscar in 1980. A story of three girlfriends in 70's Moscow. :-)