Foreword
If a book truly interests me , I cannot follow it for more than a few lines before my mind , having seized on a thought that the text suggests to it , or a feeling , or a question , or an image , goes off on a tangent and springs from thought to thought , from image to image , in an itinerary of reasonings and fantasies that I feel the need to pursue to the end .
― Italo Calvino , If on a Winter ’ s Night a Traveler
In a world of intersections , where paths part and ideas expand , Tangents invites readers to explore a compelling chorus of voices from a collection of talented writers . This anthology captures the essence of creative writing as a reflection of life ’ s changeability – each piece is a unique thread branching from a shared experience . The title itself suggests not only divergence but the courage to venture off-course , to probe the peripheries of thought and emotion .
Anna King ’ s evocative ‘ Selective Memory : Poems after Paris ’ reflects the anthology ’ s building themes of the deeply personal and political . Her verses confront the weight of collective grief and the narratives that emerge from shared tragedies . Similarly , Bethany Issatt ’ s ‘ Psyche on Love ’ is a masterful reimagining of classical mythology , where the timeless struggles of desire , identity , and sacrifice resonate with startling immediacy . These works set the tone for a collection that navigates intimacy and universality .
Eleanor McAdam ’ s ‘ Black Hole Memories ’ transports us to the liminal spaces of memory and technology . Her fragmented yet deeply emotive prose examines how the digital realm reshapes identity and remembrance , evoking a poignant sense of disconnection in a hyperconnected age . This theme of alienation recurs in Chloe Robinson ’ s ‘ Peering Out of the 6th Floor ’, where an exquisite meditation on light and darkness becomes a metaphor for longing and the human desire to grasp fleeting moments of connection amid crumbling civilisations .
The diversity of narrative styles and themes continues with Kaya Purchase ’ s haunting ‘ Petit Rat ’. Through the poignant story of a dancer , the piece unpacks themes of exploitation and resilience , casting a critical eye on the commodification of the female body . Ellen Pigott ’ s ‘ Centipede ’ and ‘ Pigeon-Toed ’ provide sharp , visceral reflections on the fragility of the more-than-human body and the resilience of the spirit , using surreal imagery that lingers long after reading .
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