Photography by Brian Nguyen
You ask me, while we stand in the rain (somehow, you managed to stay bone-dry), to
tell you a story, any kind of story, but begin it with a day in November when the leaves
are red. I think about this, but instead decide to jump onto the street, far away from an
arc. Half an episode. You posit that, with blood and beat we are, without once glancing
at the billboard. Yet the seeds of a pyrophyte are spread among the flames. Condensed
smoke. Then reaching into the archive with hands covered in blood, you try to find a
book that has not yet been read and, from the side, I watch you, stumbling, because the
narratives you keep clustered around your chest collapse your lungs.
Alex Deng is a Chinese-Canadian writer based in Toronto. He has appeared or is forthcoming in The Temz Review, Canadian Literature, Pinhole Poetry, La Piccioletta Barca and Reverie. Find him on Instagram @allexdeng.li
Brian Nguyen is a visual storyteller whose creative path has taken him from Hanoi to Busan to Vancouver. Recently joining Ricepaper Magazine as Visual Editor, Brian brings a fresh and dynamic perspective shaped by his cross-cultural journey. With a background in Professional Communication and a passion for photography, he believes his mission is to connect with people—visually and emotionally—through stories that uplift, encourage and humanize. For Brian, visual storytelling isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about reaching people where they are and making them feel seen.