I often rant about my love for William James — philosopher, psychologist, fellow Masshole, and fellow depressed motherfucker. My friends have gotta be tired of my devotion to this guy who’s not only a dead white guy, but has the audacity to have a building at Harvard named after him. (At least it’s a weird brutalist building).
So, I am taking my rants to you, my adoring (?) public. Namely, I want to share one of his best-known quotes:
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
Most days, it’s impossible to feel that you’re making a difference. Especially if you’re a writer toiling away countless hours alone hunched over a laptop rearranging sentences in a paragraph or flinging your words out into the ether to get nary a response. And yet, here I am and here you are, ravenous for words and the sense of connection only they can bring.
I’ve been thinking a lot about who benefits from us feeling powerless. If we cry uncle and accept that everything in our world is completely beyond our control, doesn’t that smooth the path for evil assholes? What if instead of throwing up our hands and sinking into a Netflix binge so deep that the computer asks “Are you still there?” and you aren’t even sure how to answer, we focused on telling our stories, caring for each other, and doing whatever we can to make the world more livable and joyous. It can’t hurt, right?
With that in mind, we present to you a smorgasbord of work by brilliant outsiders. You may notice that this issue is quite a bit longer than our previous issues. That’s because we were bowled over by the amount of talent and beauty that came into the Whiskey Tit queue these past few months. We can’t stress enough what a privilege it is to have these writers trust us with their work and bring it to all of you.
And if that wasn’t enough for you, we’ve also got images from the talented Linda Rizzo in this issue accompanying each piece.
Happy Reading,
Meagan Masterman
Issue 4, March 2021
Appeal or What I wish I said when you told me it was...
Clark While running in the woods near Foz do Arelho, just below Nazaré,...
Content Warning // Self-harm On a work day my eyes are red from...
Falling Down And Crawling Out (Excerpt From “Wormwood”)
Something's not right, you think to yourself. It's Saturday night. Your body and...
Floridamyth of my Friends Who Shade Gravity Black
“Your friends are not dead, but gone before, Advanced a stage or two...
Love, Death & Photosynthesis (Two Excerpts)
Whiskey Tit Journal is pleased and proud to present a sneak peek of...
I didn’t make much selling life insurance, barely enough to put food on...
Pollyanna Goes To Hell – Excerpt
“I would not have helped you if I thought you were one of...
Biking over the bridge in the evening, I looked up and hoped for...
Sssssssonnet: A poem from the point of view of a snake I saw in some girl’s hair on Instagram
I sit inside my tank and feel at ease. I spiral through my...
This really isn’t the afternoon to start trying to write a book, believe...
We painted it on walls and overpasses, all over our little city in...
New York photos by linda rizzo / @girl_of_gotham Linda Rizzo is a Photographer / Music Curator & DJ / Graphic Designer / Fashion Designer…and is apparently completely right-brained. She is a native New Yorker who spends much of her time photographing the beauty and the beasts of New York City, You can find her on Instagram @girl_of_gotham.