By Maia Baum & Amanda Castro Thijssen
Dear reader,
We are happy to present the third issue of RevUU! Building on the hard work of last year’s board, our aim is to continue providing a platform to diverse and critical voices. Recently there has been a growing attention for previously unheard voices. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the work is done: our team believes that there is still plenty of room for change. The creative and critical writing that appears in our articles has the potential to start important conversations, which can help in examining more closely the world around us. With this in mind, we are happy to announce that we have chosen ‘Identity’ as the main theme of this issue. The complexity and different interpretations of the concept are reflected in the variety of themes discussed in our issue.
While social media has made our understanding of who we are even more complicated, at the same time it has provided a platform for marginalised voices to be heard and for like-minded people to connect. The world of social media is discussed in Paula Werdnik’s piece on Patricia Lockwood’s No One is Talking About This. However, after multiple COVID-19 related lockdowns, the importance of real-life connection and affection has been emphasised. This topic is discussed in Ris Schortinghuis’ review of Sara Winman’s Still Life, a book about queer love. The pandemic has also confronted many of us with the challenges of being far away from home, who will be able to identify with the nostalgia discussed in Sanne Tukker’s article on In Moonland. Written by Miles Allinson, the book talks about important themes like climate change and generational trauma, all set in Melbourne.
The essays in this issue also demonstrate the co-existence of a range of different experiences of identity. Using Virginia Feito’s Mrs. March, Juliette Huisman analyses the different tropes that are used, and have historically been used, regarding female identity. In a fictional conversation with the author, Elif Kayahan’s narrative focuses on sex and plagiarism in Kathy Acker’s Great Expectations. Angela Kroes reflects on the impact of giving recognition to experiences in her insightful reading of I Had a Miscarriage, a memoir by Jessica Zucker, where important themes such as pregnancy loss and infertility are discussed. Race and identity crisis are main themes in Sophie Bierhuizen’s review of the thriller The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalia Harris. The 13 other insightful, creative, and critical pieces included in this issue explore many more views, styles, and interpretations.
With the launch of our third issue, we would like to celebrate the hard work of our authors and team, and thank Mia You for her continuous guidance and engagement with RevUU.
We hope you enjoy reading the articles as much as we have enjoyed working on them!
Sincerely,
Maia Baum & Amanda Castro Thijssen
Chief Editors
RevUU 