Lu Chixaro
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#SUNDAYREADS

#SundayReads is a Curated List of New Work by Established & Emerging Writers, Freshly-Published in Literary Magazines

Each week on Instagram, I handpick and share an essay, short story, or poem that has moved, inspired, or made me think a little differently about the world. Something short, that can be read on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Then I archive them here for easier browsing.

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Literature is best when shared. If you’ve read something amazing that deserves greater reach, I’d love to hear from you. Tag me on the best new pieces on IG @luchixaro or send me a DM.

005
CW: SA, DV
Many of us may instinctively know that domestic violence and sexual assault transcend gender and sexual orientations, but there is still so much work to be done to highlight their occurrence across all strata of society. Jan Edwards Hemming explores this topic from multiple angles with poetic flair in her essay, "Labyrinth."

Essay

by @jehemming

at @electricliterature


"In the narrow doorway, she stood a foot from me, and two futures hung in the air between us."
—Jan Edwards Hemming, "Labyrinth"
004
This week’s Sunday Read offers a light-hearted take on conservative projections of meaning imposed on the female nude. How does one woman's body become a neighborhood disturbance? Brendan Gillen explores this heavy topic with levity and grace.

Short Nonfiction

by @beegillen

at @theflreview


“It was something you had to work for. Not the body, the love for it. That alone was worth the heartbreak.”
—Brendan Gillen, “In the Nude"
003
Luisa A. Igloria’s short meditations on the blurred lines between motherhood and sisterhood are worth a read on this day when much of the world celebrates (sometimes superficially) the act of mothering.

Short Nonfiction

by @poetslizard

at @nat.brut


“Mother, noun. ‘A thick substance concreting in liquors’…’filth, dregs.’ Or even mud.”
—Luisa A. Igloria, “Mutter, Mater”
002
What happens when a mother’s love meets a son’s guilt? Ashish Kumar Singh’s stark poem dissects a sense of displacement that can only be cleaved by identity.

Short Poem

by @ashish_the_reader

at @frontierpoetry


“When he reverses / the car, you get to see how light / abandons a place.”
—Ashish Kumar Singh, “Desperate Acts”
001
Vanessa Mártir's powerful essay on imperfect motherhood, grief, and forgiveness will give you plenty to chew on.

Mid-Length Nonfiction

by @vanessa_loba

at @agni.magazine


"I've written these stories down, as a way to bring them into my body."
—Vanessa Mártir, "An Epistle for Edenia"