Suburbia Vol 6. • Renaissance

WRHSLITERARYMAGAZINE~VOLUME6

s u b u r b i a

Suburbia The Renaissance Issue

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Renaissance is a French word. It means “rebirth.”

It’s been a difficult year, to say the least. It was tempting to reference that difficulty in the theme of this year’s magazine, but when the idea for a Suburbia Quarantine Issue was pitched to the team over zoom, we quickly realized that wasn’t the approach we wanted to take. Of course it wasn’t, because we don’t need another reminder. There are reminders everywhere we look. Even so, it is hard to fully separate works of art from the times they were created in. We see this with every renaissance period throughout human history— how their paintings, sculptures, songs, and stories reflect the political, religious, and scientific ideas and conflicts of the time. You will see it here, a year that has been painful, disheartening, transformative, and so many other things, bleeding into every piece of art between these pages in ways known only to their creators. Renaissance means rebirth, and over this year each one of us has been reborn in their own way.

Suburbia has been reborn, too, with the largest influx of new members since the club’s founding. We present to you now our first-ever completely virtual issue, put together by a group of West Ranch students who have never been all together in the same room, but who have become great friends nonetheless. With every curveball this year has thrown at us, we would not have made it through without the exceptional talent of every member of this club, every layout editor and cover designer, every person on the fundraising and social media teams. An enormous thank-you to our secretary, Liliana Puente, our social media manager, Mackenzie Ozhekim, and our advisor, the lovely Heather Frame. Lit Mag will be back in person to fill room 206 with chaos before you know it. To every artist who submitted work for this issue, every writer, painter, photographer, musician, and designer—your brilliant minds are what make this magazine possible. And finally, to Skijler Hutson and Mina Jang for paving the way, and to Austyn Malynn for your guidance, your wisdom, and your ukulele.

Renaissance means different things to different people. We hope Suburbia’s sixth issue helps you discover what it means to you.

Yours truly,

River Allen and Zoe Barron

Letter from the Editors:

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“Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.”

- Leonardo da Vinci

“Oh, for a muse of fire that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention! A kingdom for a stage, princes to act, and monarchs to behold the swelling scene!”

- William Shakespeare

“Seems to me it ain’t the world that’s so bad but what we’re doing to it, and all I’m saying is: see what a wonderful world it would be if we’d give it a chance. Love, baby - love. That’s the secret.”

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- Louis Armstrong Italian Renaissance European Renaissance Harlem Renaissance

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Table of Contents Inside Cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Letter from the Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Staff Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Collage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Emma Sanchez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Old Gods and New Magic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Donnah Moon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 “The Artist’s Lament”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Strawberry Thyme Chewette Recipe. . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Monochrome Artwork. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Renaissacnce in Modern Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Costume Sketch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 “White Lies for your Love”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Anna Kim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Anonymous Collages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 The Renaissance in Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Mackenzie Ozhekim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Liliana Puente Photography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Liliana Puente + River Allen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Mathew Kunkel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Hannah Zeringue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Holly Hinze. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Roy Yoo art. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 River Allen Poetry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Nicola Ogdoc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Emma Sanchez

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River Allen

OLD GODS & NEW MAGIC 8

The Artist’s Lament

she’s a shadow of what she’s believin dyin too fast too know what to put her faith in it’s the soft-spoken destruction that �ills her with euphoria

she’s got a plethora of nasty thoughts coming at her hard hands leaden with rocks and when she falls, she’ll do it so elegantly blood running from her skull or so little boys keep telling me

oh the self destructive nature of an artist they work themselves to death, don’t stop when they’re just a carcass even in the ground, their cogs turn round and round as the rocks turn to sand, so disintegrates their hands

there’s spiders in the cof�in crawlin up his nose, spin their webs in his brain, till it’s all he remembers his mom and his brother still send him letters but both their faces are replaced with embers there’s ash on his hands, he feels them tremor he doesn’t see his art, he burned it in december

Poem by Sunny Monson

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Painting by Donnah Moon

RENAISSANCECOOKING 11 https://youtu.be/kLffVFHRPnQ Watchtheprocesshere:

THISIS:

Renaissance Strawberry Thyme Chewette~

The dish being made is a type of renaissance tart called a chewette. Typically, these dishes were, and still are made without a top crust, and are prepared with sweet and savory flavors incorporated into them to make for a wonderful flavor contrast that delights the senses. The sweet and savory pairing for this tart is strawberry + thyme. For this dish you’ll need the following:

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

• 1/2 cup butter, chilled and cubed

• 1–3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 1lb strawberries, hulled and halfed

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1tbsp flour

• 1tsp lemon juice

Whisk together flour, salt and thyme until combined. Add butter and mix with your fingertips, pastry cutter, fork, or in a food processor just until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add enough ice water to bring the dough together (about 2 tbsp should do). Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least half an hour. In a medium bowl, combine strawberries with sugar, flour and lemon juice. Set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry ball into a 9 inch circle then transfer the crust to a baking sheet. Arrange strawberries over the top, leaving about 1 inch of space between the edge of the crust and strawberries. Fold up edges of pastry to keep in the strawberries. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet (edgeless preferred) at 400F for 25 minutes, or till the edges are light brown, and the center is bubbling. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs if desired. Wait until mostly cooled to eat. Enjoy! 12

Allison Kim

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Miette Bieberich

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Abigail Ang

Renaissance in the Modern-day Media

When you hear the word “renaissance” most of us think back to the historical period where art, technology, and common values experienced a rebirth. Renaissance, in a broader sense, is when something, typically art, enters a new era and is revived. To take a look back on some notable “renaissance” pieces of media, here are some of the best films, tv series, and musicals of the past century that reflect this iconic period.

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

This take on the famous Shakespearean tragedy combines elements of the true Renaissance period with some really cool 90s elements. The characters talk in Shakespearean English, but the costumes, sets, and overall aesthetic of the film reflected the time it was released.

Beauty and the Beast

While Beauty and the Beast doesn’t reflect the historical renaissance, it is one of the most notable movies from the Disney Renaissance of the 90s. Though this era began with The Little Mermaid, this movie definitely sums up the revival era of Disney.

Elizabeth

Released in 1998, this period piece follows Queen Elizabeth I, played by Cate Blanchett. This movie illustrates Queen Elizabeth’s rule over England and the overall atmosphere of the time period. Though it definitely focuses on more of the English Renaissance, it creates an accurate representation of what life was like in the late 16th century

Medici

This three season long TV series explores the life and drama of the notorious Medici family. The Medicis were a powerful banking family who ruled over Florence, Italy and its politics during the peak of the Renaissance Era.

Something Rotten!

This very popular, two and a half hour long musical is a fun comedy about the townspeople of South London. With entertaining characters, this is a combination of true entertainment and the history of the English Renaissance.

Hereditary

Though this movie doesn’t seem like a Renaissance piece on the surface, Hereditary is a perfect example of the modern horror Renaissance taking over the film landscape. It is not the first of its kind, but Hereditary is one of these movies that fit this unique modern horror style.

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My skin feels hot and heavy when you’re sitting in my head You pile the bricks on my chest, Im suffocating You take one look at my face and say “let’s get out of this place” I need a welcome escape from your hot air

Art by: Keira Banks

White Lies For Your Love

I don’t think that you feel what I feel

And if i ask you, i’ll say “do you feel real”

I’m running circles in my head

You’re running circles around me The days pass in a blur

Poem by: Anonymous

You still say “i love you” first But lately it’s just for passing the time You’ve got me pinned against a wall Tell me if i lie again we’ll see how far i can fall But im lying in my tomb and i’m thinking about you Make me empty so i can feel again

Unnamed

Poem by: Anonymous

to all the sinners and saints that lie through the ‘eve to avoid all their narcissistic tendencies stare through the flame and throw your baggage away devastate your heart and carve a hole into your chest we’re close to the end they’re getting feral now the anarchy begins they tie you down and cut off your limbs you’re stuck so why don’t we throw all caution to the wind and hope the insufferable secret keepers never tell you the truth

to all the thieves and cheats they’re lying through their teeth about the murder that they’ve done the souls that they’ve damned for naught but a selfish vendetta crawl back into your cave and make your tongue your slave we’re close to the ending of your life

Art by: Anna Kim

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Collages by Anonymous

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The Renaissance In Music

1) Angel

2) Greek God

3) Achilles Come Down

4) Persephone

5) Raphael

6) Writer In The Dark

7) Aphrodite

8) Welcome to Eden

9) The Romantic

10) Icarus & Apollo

11) Northern Italy

12) i saw you in a dream

13) Painter

14) Golden Slumbers

15) What A Heavenly Way To Die

16) Make Me Your Queen

17) All of Them Dreams

18) The Louvre

19) Literature Lovers

20) Romeo & Juliet

21) Golden

22) Dreams

Zoe Barron

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Artwork By: Mackenzie Ozhekim

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Poem by River Allen

Ghost Deer

a dark curve of road winding through towering redwoods the girl’s heart a quick engine running under a sharp crescent moon

Photos by Liliana Puente

her father in the driver’s seat fiddles with the radio the air awash with shadowy voices casting rules and weaving illusions in the static wind whistles in the window cold and clean, the pine scent mingling with the perfume sprawled across her collar her strange new love, like nausea, trembles to be spoken

a white deer jumps in the road, light-struck and waiting to break open on the hood of their car the girl’s voice pierces the darkness she shouts and grabs to swerve

there’s a flash of that other girl’s eyes in the soft summer of her mind river reeds and lemonade, her head on her knee hands full of books full of damsels in armor eyes full of dreams that seem real

then the road stretches empty and still dark curve of road hallowed for false alarms and split-second visions of light

her father shouts she scared him, then apologises, asks if she’s alright her blood, armored damsel’s blood, beats harder she turns to him and slowly starts to speak

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