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Cringe #3

Cringe #3 Friction

In our third round of interrogating cringe, like the discomfort that being perceived by others brings us, and the self-consciousness that comes with perceiving ourselves, we wanted to focus on the awkwardness of molding our ever-changing bodies to time and space (19-22 & 63-66).  

But instead of looking at metaphysical spaces alone, long-time contributor Christopher reflects on the generational tension he encounters on the tennis court (55-60) and discovers the virtue of occupying spaces for a seemingly pointless round of sports, while Stella discusses the constant tension between body positivity and society’s submission to the trend cycle (11-14). We also reflect on the tense and tender space of human relationships (17-18 & 53-54), not to forget the relationship we have with ourselves (17).

Just like in previous issues, this edition is full of thoughtful poetry and art submissions exploring the (ab)used body (45-50), self-consciousness exhibited through the lens of an unknown photographer (9), and the curse of the perfectionist who wants to be seen by others while at the same time hiding from their judgement (15-16).

We hope you take time to sit with whatever feelings this issue brings up for you, and that it might even spark some conversations with others and yourself in the process.