Volume VI, Issue 6: Dazed

Welcome, Inkwell readers! We are excited to bring you the beautiful pieces our staff has written reflecting this month’s theme, “Dazed.”

Dazed: “unable to think clearly or act normally due to injury, shock, bewilderment, fatigue, etc.” (Merriam-Webster).

Feeling dazed, shocked, or bewildered, is not often a fun experience, but it is a human one. Regardless of your position in life, each of us has almost certainly experienced what it’s like to be dazed, whether that be the result of events in our personal lives, relationships, or cultural and political realities. When overwhelmed by circumstances we struggle to make sense of, it’s easy and natural to lash out, seek retreat, or simply freeze in a paralysis of indecision. Or sometimes we feel stunned and overwhelmed by the positive and beautiful—this is also wonderfully human. And, often, the positive and negative experiences can look surprisingly similar in the moment. This Issue explores both sides of this feeling, thoughtfully probing into the experience of feeling “Dazed.”

This Issue also contains the special publication of our annual Writing Contest winning piece, the short story “Coruscation” by Caleb Fabrizio. Caleb’s story beautifully blends the contest’s theme, “Embrace,” with this Issue’s theme “Dazed” as it provides us with a snapshot of one man’s response to a situation filled with uncertainty.

Coruscation: “glitter, sparkle; a flash of wit.”

We hope you enjoy “Dazed!” A PDF copy will be available soon. In the meantime, enjoy Caleb’s story, “Coruscation.”