Fresh Ink: An Anthology

“Somebody gotta care for all the stuff underwater that nobody can see. It’s a beautiful world down there, full of living things that most folks don’t understand.”

Shay’s aspirations to be a marine biologist and explore the world under the ocean symbolize her feelings about how the world treats her. As she’s being evicted from her home and separated from her boyfriend, she (perhaps subconsciously) realizes that the world is largely ignorant of people like her and her family and thus often mistreats them. While she longs for help for herself and others like her, she also wishes to offer similar help to something she sees as in need of care: life under the ocean.

“I’m happy that Sulu got to be the gay character. It’s too bad there can be only one, though, even in the Star Trek universe.”

This quote from Nic conveys one of the important issues that anthologies like this one address: lack of representation. The Star Trek world has only one gay character, which leaves queer people like Nic with little representation and few role models. By putting together stories about underrepresented people like Nic, the authors of this anthology give readers characters to look up to, learn from, and feel themselves represented in, something that most popular literature, film, and art in general tends to lack.

“That was the problem with being queer. You should never assume, but if you didn’t assume, you had to ask. And asking directly was so hard to do.”

Nic and Tamia, two queer girls, aren’t certain that the other is queer and, throughout their story try, to ascertain the other’s orientation indirectly through mild flirtation and roundabout questions. This reveals one of the major issues with relationships that aren’t heteronormative. While straight people can operate under the assumption that everyone else is also straight (and expect little repercussion if they’re wrong), queer people struggle to make sure they’re certain of the other’s sexuality to avoid prejudiced responses or embarrassment.

“My place as the Big Indian Kid made white kids nervous. By the middle of the day, [Hayley had] begun to sit next to me. We just sat together, silently pretending that we didn’t live a road apart. I knew when it was safe to talk. Those Passing Indians, as soon as they got to the busses, suddenly they were Indian again.”

Doobie’s use of capital letters throughout his story (here with “Big Indian Kid” and “Passing Indians”) is ironic. The capital letters convey the extreme importance that he perceives these labels as carrying for the school and his classmates in deciding who is socially acceptable to fraternize with and who is not. Additionally, this quote shows Doobie’s emotional intelligence: He’s socially aware enough to realize what the other kids from the Rez are doing, and he’s empathetic enough to alienate himself to allow them to do it.

“When I was seven, I’d tried to scrub the color off my elbows so hard they blistered and bled.”

This recollection reveals Doobie’s internalized racism. His entire existence as an Indigenous American surrounded by white children centers on his features and the color of his skin. When he was younger, he saw that white children were treated better, fit in better, and generally had much better school lives, so he perceived them as “better” than Indigenous American children. Consequently, he harmed himself to make himself lighter and more “white.”

“You like Seventh as much as Kindergarten? Just do what they tell you, Doobie. Not everything’s gotta be about proving you’re Indian.”

When Andy sees what Doobie has done with his drawing, he reprimands the boy for trying to “prove” that he’s Indigenous. Ironically, he notes that “not everything” has to be about heritage, yet that is exactly what Doobie’s school experience has been about: His lack of friends, the bullying by other kids, and his inability to fit in are all about his heritage, and he has thus far allowed himself to be bullied and done nothing about it. Although a small act, Doobie’s drawing is still a step toward claiming and standing up for his heritage rather than hiding it as Andy does.

“Shirin’s sarcasm was aimed at Francesca, but its collateral damage landed on Jeffrey. Fine. Maybe he’d go and find whoever it was he had been looking for. Then Shirin could go back to being an observer rather than caught in the light of his electron microscope.”

When Jeffrey tries to talk to Shirin, expressing interest in her favorite band, she responds sarcastically. Despite really liking Jeffrey and trying to get close to him in homeroom, she pushes him away with annoyance and sarcasm when presented with the opportunity to actually talk to him. This reflects the depth of her insecurity and lack of self-confidence and how deeply she’s affected by constantly comparing herself to Francesca instead of seeing her own self-worth.

“You convinced your parents to let you go to concerts when you were fourteen with research and a PowerPoint. […] You don’t give a damn what anyone thinks of you. Like, you always say what’s on your mind.”

In the story’s climax, Jeffrey not only reveals that he has feelings for Shirin but also makes it clear that Shirin’s view of herself isn’t how he views her. Throughout the story, she struggles to hide within herself and convince Jeffrey that she isn’t good enough for him. However, Jeffrey already holds a higher opinion of her than she holds of herself, seeing the “adventure” and strength in the little things she does, feeling that she’s absolutely worthy of him.

“I felt stronger when they had the candles and the picture of me in the park. But the sanitation department took all that stuff away.”

Big Eddie reveals that the public set up a shrine to him after his death, which made him feel “stronger” in the afterlife because he was the center of the public’s attention. However, the sanitation department symbolizes how people move on to the next death and quickly forget those in the past. People hold vigils and mourn the dead but then move on, failing to make any real change or address the real issues that affect boys of color, as one death is replaced by the next, ad nauseam.

“This is what our lives were always like. We out looking to make a name for ourselves and staying in the sunlight.”

Big Eddie reflects on how the boys struggle to place their tags in new places to be remembered, exactly as they did in life. Society has largely forgotten about impoverished urban children, especially those of color, and thus they turn to guns, violence, and drugs when they don’t get the financial, educational, and emotional support they need.

“It wouldn’t have to be a huge coming-out thing, Yasi. You could just introduce me as your friend.”

Hannah’s simple suggestion to her girlfriend, Yasi, reveals the complexities of queer relationships. To avoid the awkwardness or rejection of her queer relationship, Yasi has two choices: keep her grandmother and her girlfriend separate or pretend that her girlfriend is just her friend. Although the latter is an easy choice on the surface, it forces Yasi to lie and still keep separation between the two important parts of her life.

“You never apologize for taking up space, Yasaman. You have just as much right to take as much time in that line as you want to.”

Yasi’s grandmother is attempting to empower Yasi and teach her a simple lesson: Other people’s space or time is in no way more valuable than hers, and she owes no apology for existing. This reveals not only the personality difference but also the cultural difference between Yasi and her grandmother. Because Yasi grew up in the US, she understands things her grandmother doesn’t and therefore largely avoids annoyance, strange looks, and comments from strangers. Conversely, her grandmother had to learn everything about US culture as an adult and regularly experiences things like people becoming annoyed at her in the grocery store, so she has learned to ignore it and live her life.

“He always lied and said everything I made was delicious when we both knew it wasn’t. He said it was delicious because I put so much love into it. Your dinner is good because it was made from love, but you don’t need to lie. And neither does she.”

This message from Yasi’s grandmother conveys the universality of love. While Yasi’s grandmother may not understand her bisexuality, her queer relationship, or any of her relationships for that matter, she does understand what it’s like to love another person. She compares Yasi’s love for Hannah to the feelings she shared with her husband, which allows her to connect with and accept her granddaughter.

“Story after story formed a glimmering, twisted reflection of the tales Oba recited each night at the Bochinche. But these weren’t Orishas or ancestral spirits; they were monsters, demons, phantoms of the deep.”

Ramses discovers that the stranger who stole Rosie’s notebook was using their cultural stories and oral histories not as they do, to share their culture, but to manipulate it and thus bring dangerous and evil creatures into their world. This metaphorically represents cultural appropriation, which occurs regularly in society. Society often takes parts of a people’s history and culture without understanding it and uses it to their own ends, twisting the original meaning or intent of an artifact or a ritual. Although these acts may not bring “monsters” into the world as the stranger does in this story, cultural appropriation can still cause deep and lasting harm to the original people and culture.

“There would be turmoil and strife ahead, but there would also be stories and music; many long, joyful nights at the Bochinche awaited them, and there were still so many new machines to invent.”

Although danger awaits Ramses and Rosie and their people, potentially through the release of evil beings into their world, the narrator emphasizes that their lives will still be filled with joy and happy moments. This is especially important given the story’s context: an old man telling it to a younger generation. Although their history is being stolen and used for an evil purpose, they still own that culture and all its happiness.

“‘Put that hatchet away.’ Ma takes it. ‘They steal to eat. For shoes.’ She looks awfully disappointed in him.”

This quote reveals several things about Zakary. First, he’s often dishonest with people to protect himself, which is understandable given the way that his father and society as a whole regularly belittle him for his vagrancy and the color of his skin. Second, it reveals his lack of support and guidance in his life: The closest thing he has to a mentor is Mr. Jackson, who regularly puts him down and verbally abuses him despite all he does for the café. Without that support, he recognizes that his dreams are his own, and it’s up to him to pursue them.

“I felt conflicted. It might seem weird, but power washing the graffiti so quickly seemed to add to the injustice. It’s like the administration wanted to erase the fact that the racist message ever appeared. It’s not like I wanted to read those words every day walking to class, but I didn’t want the words to simply disappear. I wanted everyone to see the truth—that even Stanford wasn’t free from this kind of hate.”

Jasmine remarks on how the school quickly erased the graffiti, and her conflicted feelings expose the complexities of dealing with racist incidents. Although the incident should be addressed to put a stop to it, addressing an incident makes it more real while also giving it attention and potentially leading to similar or copycat incidents. However, removal of the words without comment, as the school did, is dangerous in that it makes Jasmine feel dehumanized. They ignore the very real problems that these messages cause and leave Jasmine and others feeling exposed and unprotected in a place where feeling comfortable is crucial.

“We even talked about getting married so I could get a green card and be naturalized, but I didn’t want to put that pressure on our relationship. I wanted America to want me because I was already a part of the fabric of the country. Not because I would be parried to a politician’s son.”

Jasmine’s thoughts here explore the complexities of immigration in the US. Almost always, the difference between “legal” and “illegal” simply comes down to a card or a person’s status, such as whom they’re married to. This oversimplifies a complex issue: One’s roots in a country, one’s contributions to society, and the life that one has built should be far more important than a card or one’s legal status.

“Owen, listen, I thought of a compromise. We’ll just call it a sword from now on, okay? No modifiers.”

Wujae’s words show his lack of understanding about how important Owen’s culture is to him. In trying to compromise with Owen, he offers to remove the modifier “paladin” yet still won’t commit to calling it a “samurai” sword. While this would eliminate the immediate conflict between the two, it still avoids the root of the issue, which is that Owen wishes to represent his culture. Additionally, Wujae is only compromising in an effort to get Owen to leave the party and keep playing, which again reveals that he still doesn’t understand what’s important to Owen.

“The word Tommy glows in my head. This is the first time anyone outside of my family has used my new name. There is no hint of difference in his voice and I find the power to move forward again, pushing open the door on the left.”

Tommy has dreaded swimming practice and seeing people in real life after coming out through Facebook. His first interaction, however, one simple word from Parker, gives him the motivation and the support he needs. This reveals the power of peer support and also how true the opposite is: Negative words or actions can have equally discouraging and dangerous effects. In addition, this passage foreshadows the end of the story, when Parker stands up to Roman’s bullying, giving Tommy the courage to finally do the same.

“Beneath the surface, I am not the girl everyone says I’m supposed to be—in fact, I’m not even sure I’m a person. I’m just swimming. I am a singular action, proof that I am alive and powerful. Under the water, their taunts have no sound. My body has no gender. I am just me.”

This quote reveals the power of swimming for Tommy as an escape. As teammates harass him outside the water and he struggles with social constructs like gender, pronouns, and something as simple as restrooms, swimming allows him to feel as though he’s nothing but his swimming strokes. The joy, freedom, and power this gives him conveys one of the important messages of the anthology: the power of things like sports, art, and media as an escape for those struggling to fit in socially.

“In the locker room, Roman and his friends are already ragging on Parker. ‘You really are a pussy, letting her beat you.’ The disrespect stings, but I’m madder that this is hurting Parker. He cowers.”

Tommy’s reaction to Roman bullying Parker shows his inner strength while also revealing two sad truths about Tommy’s situation and those of other marginalized people. First, it shows that he has become nearly immune to bullying, to the point that it no longer holds much power over him. Second, it shows the impact that supporting LGBTQ+ individuals can have on those offering the support: They’re often bullied as well. However, as the end of the story suggests, people can find support in each other and stand up to hate.

“He was definitely black, they said. One pundit on CNN called him African American, until another pundit pointed out that he was a superhero like Superman and was probably from another planet and therefore not human, never mind African or American. Some pundits called him post-racial. Others talked about race as a social construct, and how interesting it was that it would take a superhero with brown skin to bring that point home to white Americans. Other countries ignored the race discussion entirely, calling them inane. WHY ARE AMERICANS SO OBSESSED WITH RACE? asked a Guardian headline.”

Situational irony here conveys a truth about US media: It’s obsessed with ethnicity rather than humanity itself. Despite X having saved humanity countless times, the media doesn’t center its message on commending these great acts or conveying gratitude, instead focusing on something as inane as his ethnicity.