If you had the misfortune of not being able to make it to our latest issue’s launch party, let us at Ricepaper fill you in: it was a gas.
No, really. It’s still hard to decide who was the most enjoyable to watch, who gave us the most metaphysical meat to gnaw on. Was it Sabrina Mehra Furminger, who read her submission “Bombay Water” with the cadence and emotion of a seasoned actor? Was it Larissa Lai and the way she spoke of Chinese history, nature, and the city in way that made your own lips move, like you were trying to follow the words, catch them for yourself? Was it Howie Tsui’s beautiful monsters in blue pen, magnified in glass and projected over his head while he explained the process of his work, and the cover for this issue, Horror Fables? Was it how Tetsuro Shigematsu relived the trauma of a high school fight? Maybe it was The Jaggerbombers and their cover of Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite”?
Dr. Ray Hsu also proved that my two personal most favourite things–irony and musicals–never go out of style. Even as a literary magazine it’s hard to find the words to do it justice. But this is why we have video:
Thanks to Tetsuro Shigematsu for being on the ball with that one. Check out photos on our Facebook page! We also want to extend our thanks to Rhizome Cafe, for providing the flattering golden light and delicious nibbles.