ZYZZYVA #120: The Technology Issue, Stories, Dreams and Nightmares examines the various ways technology has shaped us, and imagines how it might do so in the near future. Noted reporter and author John Markoff shares an essay on the conflicted legacy of Stewart Brand. UC Berkeley doctoral student and technologist Xiaowei Wang discusses blockchain, the incorporation of tech in rural China, and asks, "What does it mean to live, to be human right now?" Fiction by Lee Conell, Juhea Kim, and Kate Reed Petty considers the impacts of technology and a changing environment upon communication and connection, and our sense of identity. In Troy Jollimore's essay, a rumination on the films of the Coen Brothers dovetails with urgent questions about how personal and cultural narratives are shaped by the media and technology with which they are told-and how the disastrous proliferation of conspiracy theories fostered by internet culture has deep roots in American history. Also includes fiction from Andrew Tonkovich and Kate Reed Petty; poetry from Sheryl Luna, Benjamin Voigt, Amanda Moore, William Brewer, art by Dave McClinton; and many others.

Zyzzyva #120: The Technology Issue

Literature & Fiction

United States

Zyzzyva Inc

Fiction: "Odd Jobs" by Jonathan Escoffery: A college grad living out of his car can't be too finicky about what a young woman asks him to do for a bit of cash. "Panda Express" by Francisco Gonzalez: Far from the eyes of family, a student allows himself to savor what he truly hungers for. "Jello Sees" by Kathleen Mackay: "Jello had come to hate the celebrities. Funhouse faces that looked familiar and disappointing in their ordinariness, but always beautiful, always remarkable for their familiarity. This seemed unfair." Plus stories from Michelle Latiolais, Siel Ju, Andres Reconco, and Perry Janes. And in honor of Ray Bradbury's centenary, a republication of his classic story "The Pedestrian." Nonfiction: "Postcard from L.A., April" by Nina Revoyr: When you've long been attuned to life's precariousness, what does the growing threat of pandemic mean? "Alterations" by Wendy C. Ortiz: "I write to you, craving. I know there are music and texts I won't gravitate toward in these next few fragile weeks of newness, because they threaten to drive me back to pleasure ..." Plus essays by Joe Donnelly (on the enduring legacy of the wolf known as OR-7) and A. Kendra Greene (on the museum that is the Holyland Exhibition). Interview: The late Wanda Coleman on writing for TV, running in the same circles as Charles Bukowski, and being "a poet, about as valueless as anyone in this nation can be. But maybe I save a life." Poetry by: Victoria Chang, David Hernandez, Genevieve Kaplan, Douglas Manuel, Dan Murphy, and Mary Otis. Art by: Henry Lara

The L.A. Issue - ZYZZYVA #119

ZYZZYVA #118 THE ANNIVERSARY ISSUE: Including fiction from Bryan Washington, Lysley Tenorio, Elizabeth Reichert, Santiago José Sánchez, Mark Chiusano. Plus new stories by Peter Orner and Kristen Iskandrian. Nonfiction from Lauren Markham and Dave Madden. Poetry by Meg Hurtado Bloom, Lisa Higgs, Troy Jollimore, Debora Kuan, Jennifer Richter, Dujie Tahat, John Sibley Williams, and Emma Windsor Wood. Art by Anne Siems. ZYZZYVA was founded in 1985 in San Francisco with the goal of publishing a superb literary journal shining a spotlight on West Coast poets, writers, and artists from a wide range of backgrounds, many of whom were otherwise overlooked by established publications, and providing them with a much needed platform. Since then, the journal has evolved into a nationally distributed, widely acclaimed publication showcasing contributors from across the country and around the world. As the journal marks 35 years of continuous publishing in 2020, we celebrate more than three decades of enriching contemporary literature and supporting literary communities in the Bay Area and beyond.

Zyzzyva #118: THE 35th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

Bryan Washington

Meg Hurtado Bloom

Kristen Iskandrian

Debora Kuan

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