Artist’s Statement: CHID alum Hutchison (2014) travelled to Bulgaria to complete his senior thesis project, which was a volume of short stories titled “I Am Not Bulgarian.” The stories take up the themes of Bulgarian identity formation and the ethnic conflict between Bulgarian, American, and Gypsy identities. The sun was hot and high in the […]
Tag Archives | Essays + Short Stories
Dream
I was beginning to get very sleepy sitting in the airport. Once or twice I glanced at the newspaper being read by the guy next to me, but it was just a bunch of words. Suddenly, Frigga, the Icelandic queen of the gods and the goddess of wives and mothers, rushed up and offered me […]
Are You American?
Growing up in Newport Beach, California, diversity wasn’t always celebrated. To better understand what I mean, picture the MTV show Laguna Beach. That was actually the life I led. My dad is Mexican and my mom is white. Because I lived in an affluent white community, I assimilated into their culture. Mexicans in America are […]
The Glory and Horror of the Roman Colosseum
Similar to the first time I saw a Seahawks game at Century Link Field, goose bumps raced down my neck and through my arms as I felt an indescribable excitement for what I was about to see. This was the day marked on my calendar long ago when I was accepted to study abroad in […]
Reykjavik is for Lovers
This piece was originally published as a post on Stillman’s blog, The Reykjavik Chronicles. It was the first time since arriving in Iceland that Id been able to see the brilliant blue Nordic sky. That morning I made an executive decision to wear shorts, to commit to the beauty of the morning and will the […]
On the Way to the Volcano
“You’re nowhere near the volcano,” the heavily accented voice said through a half-rolled passenger window. “Would you like a ride there?” We had been hiking for the past hour in search of the trailhead to the volcano overlooking Vestmannaeyjar, but had mistakenly wandered into the city dump. The proposition seemed like a good idea at […]
Mornings in Italy
This day started out like the rest. Sun crept through the window of my room, waking me from a peaceful slumber. I rolled out from under my sheets, removing the cocoon I had forged out of an assortment of blankets splattered with strange but now endearing cartoon characters, and quickly put myself together. Still half […]
Firmes en la fe
I feel the warmth of the sun as it shines through the windows. I look around and I see decorations typical of a Catholic Church: the altar, the crucifix, candles, and paintings. Sitting in the University of Washington Catholic Newman Center brings back a flood of memories that tie my life in Washington State and […]
Triptych
Drifting I was losing interest, quickly, on my drift for our class project. Leaving the greenery of Westerpark, and the gravel walkway along the small canal for the busy residential/commercial street seemed like a wrong turn to me. Yet, as I stood on the sidewalk taking photos of a decorative flag, parked bicycles, and a […]