We Just Want To Do Art

  "A grandmother carries the weight of her family while battling a darkness she can no longer keep contained." A Note from the Writer I wrote “Caged” as an exploration of family, sacrifice, emotional exhaustion, motherhood, and the things we carry silently. I wanted to write a character who spends her entire day taking care of everyone around her while quietly struggling with something she has not allowed herself to fully confront. Through Odessa, I wanted to explore what happens when someone becomes so accustomed to being strong for everyone else that they eventually have very little strength left for themselves. The story follows Odessa, a grandmother, wife, and mother, through what begins as an ordinary day with her grandson. She makes breakfast, runs errands, answers a phone call, and begins searching for her son, Ricardo, after learning that something may be wrong. As the day continues, Odessa's responsibilities begin piling on top of one another. She has to be a gr...

  A Note from the Writer I wrote “Uncle Rick” as an exploration of family, shame, illness, addiction, and unconditional love. I wanted to write a character who is struggling to recognize the person he has become while still longing to know that his family is proud of him. The story centers on Rick’s 42nd birthday, when a family celebration brings old memories, insecurities, and difficult questions to the surface. At the heart of the story is something many of us have experienced in some form: the fear that we have disappointed the people we love. As I continue developing my fiction writing, I’m learning that some of the most powerful moments in a story can happen in quiet conversations. “Uncle Rick” gave me the opportunity to explore character, memory, family dynamics, and the complicated ways love can exist alongside disappointment. This is one of the pieces I’m adding to my growing writing portfolio—and another step in building the writer I want to become. I hope you enjoy read...