Kazim Ali’s “Notes on Silence” is an imaginary syllabus for a semester-long college course devoted to (if not conducted in) silence. What are some intriguing implications raised by this text? What is the communicative power of not speaking? Is true silence ever entirely possible? In this ongoing era of so-called “information overload,” are we suffering from a silence shortage? Can this be cured?
Larissa Lai’s “Salt Fish Girl” is an ode celebrating female creativity—is there anything potentially blasphemous (or empowering) in the phrasing of “In the beginning, there was just me”? How might the title character here have existed even while “The materials of life still lay dormant”? Does this imply that our soul exists before our anatomy does? What is being expressed and explored in the image of a fish-woman capable of molding new lives out of fresh clay?
Regarding Kazim Ali’s “Notes on Silence,” the text raises several intriguing implications. One of the main ones is the idea that silence can be an active and communicative force. While silence is often associated with the absence of communication, Ali suggests that silence can actually be a powerful way of communicating, allowing us to connect with ourselves and the world around us in a deeper and more meaningful way. Additionally, the text raises questions about the possibility of true silence, and whether it is ever possible to completely escape the noise and distractions of the modern world.
As for the question of whether we are suffering from a silence shortage, Ali seems to suggest that we are. In our era of constant connectivity and information overload, he argues that we have lost touch with the power and importance of silence, and that this is something we need to actively work to reclaim. Whether or not this silence shortage can be cured is an open question, but Ali’s work suggests that it is at least something we should be aware of and actively seeking to address.
Moving on to Larissa Lai’s “Salt Fish Girl,” the text celebrates female creativity and explores the idea of existence before physical form. The phrasing “In the beginning, there was just me” could be seen as potentially blasphemous, as it disrupts the traditional idea of a divine creator, but it is also empowering in the sense that it places agency and creativity in the hands of the individual.
The title character’s ability to mold new lives out of fresh clay also speaks to the power of creativity and the potential for new beginnings. By existing before the materials of life have been formed, the character suggests that there is something innate and essential within us that exists before our physical bodies take shape. This can be seen as a way of exploring the idea of the soul or the self, and suggests that there is more to our existence than just our physical form.