Vocal Creators Chronicle Vol. 5

Hello everyone, and welcome to November! For those of us north of the equator, by and large that means cooler temperatures and shorter days. (Yes, our aussie friends, we see you chuckling and waxing your surfboards...) There's just something about winter that makes us head for home, curl up on the sofa and reach for something warm to drink and good to read. But what defines 'home' varies immeasurably from place to place—more so even than the weather. One thing we can agree on is that we all long for somewhere to belong, to rest and feel at ease.

In the wake of the sudden departure of a fellow beloved creator, Tom Bradbury, we have been championing a home for the male voice on Vocal. It was Tom's dream to form a Vocal publishing community for writing that celebrates the multi-faceted experience of men, whether that be their chosen identity, sex, or simply to write about the men we care for like our sons and fathers. It is a modern day controversial topic laden with both historical minefields and delicate courses to navigate... but we are not ones to shy away from doing the right thing.

Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

We started academically, as all good propositions should, with The Chronicle's Rachel Jordan and her article, "Men Need Safe Spaces, too." For an overview of the nuance in this topic, you will find, in Rachel's article, a comprehensive introduction.

Then we began to visualise what that safe space would look and feel like on Vocal. Lesley Leatherdale pioneered the vision with her article "Hiraeth", which encapsulates all the wonderful potential inherent to a community dedicated to the male voice.

It is our hope that you enjoy and respect the concept of a community for the male voice. Going forward we move with the ambition to be as inclusive as possible, listening to and connecting with as much diversity as we can. If you have a suggestion that could find a voice with us please email us at [email protected]

Our email is always open. Share your kindness. Celebrate life.

~Be sure to hit that 'back button' or follow the 'return to magazine link' (available in some inclusions) to return to the main magazine and explore all its content~

This edition's suggested soundtrack to accompany your VCC reading:

Ludovico Einaudi (Berlin, 2017)

Editors

Co-Founder, Digital Editor & Public Relations: LESLEY LEATHERDALE B.A. (CALL ME LES)

Les' column presents candid interviews with people from all backgrounds, and aims to examine the finer points in the lives of those around us, such as Calvin Cox: self-styled Barbie doll model, makeup artist, experience creator & fearless provocateur extraordinaire.

Co-Founder & Content Editor: CAROLINE JANE

For this edition Caroline decided to share one of her short stories. This story is about privilege. We hope you enjoy.

"We were haunted men by a nameless ghost. We knew it was there, we could feel it. Yet we couldn't speak of it. We didn't know how to. We could only feel it and be assured when we saw it staring back at us from one another's eyes."

Co-Founder & Editor: JAMES U. RIZZI

This coming of age...whatever your age... poem, by James, is a beautiful insight into the seasons of one man's poetic soul.

"I stroked the tree from its roots to its withered branches. Etched with memories and times of old, the memories came back, reclaiming its hold."

Some Gems We Found This Week On Vocal

Steven Christopher McKnight

"An artist, or group of artists, out of its own conscience, discontinues a piece of art that it has, on its own accord, identified as problematic. Right-wing reactionaries cry out that it is not the free will of the artist that drove this, but changing social values brought about by left-wing censorship. And facts won't have any affect on them. I've been down that road before."

Lisa Gerard Braun

"I am of a generation that regarded feminism much differently from the actual meaning. Please forgive me for being confused all these years. No girl, young woman, or even professional adult who I knew of in my age bracket or up-bringing wanted to be labelled as such back then. It was deemed distasteful, extreme, and pitted men and women against each other."

Caroline Jane

The forceful eviction and the hateful dispossession of everything you owned by this other family was really the least of everything. You became overnight a social pariah. Your scandal carried a stink which threatened to infect and undermine the delicate security of those around you. Your friends, even your family, turned against you. From respectable, virtuous, housewife to unmarried mother of five. You were conned, then condemned, and your children considered bastards".

Ashley Herzog

Most people remember the shooting scene from the movie. It's a turning point scene; it's when Cal tells his servant that things are "starting to fall apart" and this is more serious than they thought. But that's pretty much all you see of Harold Lowe. Lowe was such a minor character that few people realize the "guy with the gun" is also the guy who returns to the wreck to pick up survivors.

Celebrating Creators We Are Incredibly Proud of...

Casey Promise Thomson

Christina Defoe

From Our Columnists....

"What Your Brain Doesn't Tell You" by: RACHEL JORDAN

How Acting Classes are Helping me Heal and Find Peace

I lost my inner peace in 2013 when I dated a man with the reactivity of a stagnant pond. A murmur of dissent was a smooth rock skimming across the surface, causing ripples, resulting in irreparable damage to the ecosystem. I learned that I'd rather be silent than deal with his emotional hurricanes, so I made my voice as delicate as a wish upon a dandelion. I did this for so long that I forgot what it was to speak.

"News From Down Under" by: NATASJA ROSE

Kindness in the Face of Politics

We aren't used to having so many people around us anymore, and not all of them are good at respecting personal space, never mind proper social distancing. Some people decided to go from zero to a thousand and completely ignore the restrictions that are still in place, leading to potential super-spreader events and the risk of being sent back into Lockdown. The mental strain of Lockdown is hard, but the stress of coming out of Lockdown shouldn't be discounted, either.

"Seeking Brilliance" by: SOLEIRA GREEN

How to Pull Ideas Out of Thin Air

"Consider our miraculous brains, the parts we use anyways, as software-filled computers, holding as much knowledge as we can pack into them. But if that brain (your stand alone computer) isn't hooked up to the quantum field (the infinite internet of ideas & possibilities), then what you get is a version of what you already know ... an improvement of what is without the quantum leap of new'ness that's just bursting to come through you."

"Nature & Consciousness" by: SARAH ST. ERTH

Who Were the Iceni?

Through the stories of residential schools and systemic racism faced by the Indigenous of Turtle Island, and the approaches of North American Colonizers, I have been inspired to discover what became of the Indigenous of Britannia.

England is to the Britonic/Iceni what Canada is to the Indigenous. The Nomenclature of the Oppressor.

"Demystifying Non-Fiction" by: RAHMAN MOSHIUR

What are Digital Body Languages and Why Do We Need to Learn Those?

"Today, roughly 70 percent of all communication among teams is virtual. We send around 306 billion emails every day, with the average person sending 30 emails daily and fielding 96. According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50 percent of the time the “tone” of our emails is misinterpreted. " Source: The Digital Body Language

"Food & Lifestyle" by: JUDEY KALCHIK

When We All Get Together

"We went nowhere without the mask, did not eat out at all, stayed at home when we weren't (masked) at work. A holiday wasn't a reason to change that; it never entered my mind that we would do anything differently.

But this year? This Thanksgiving? It's all an open question again."

From the Vocal Creators Support Group: Yummy Recipes From Your Fellow Creators!

Word Scramble Answers (No new scramble this week. James is away.)

1. Ghoulish Figures
2. Desperation
3. Isaac Newton
4. Blade Runner
5. Wingman
6. The Sixth Extinction
7. Phosphorus Sulphur
8. Bullish - Bearish
9. Mississippi
10. Scott Morrison
11. The Evening Item

Directly From Vocal

Joshua Luke Johnson

"NaNoWriMo" Never heard of it? Find out what the hype is and why so many writers are hibernating.

Corinne Jenkins

Why does humanity come to mind when you hop on Vocal to read what creators have to say? The word 'humanity' can be a common tag used for a story, which is telling of the stories being submitted by our courageous creators; but humanity can also help detail Vocal as a platform itself.

Special Features For Our Creators

Tips to Improve Your Vocal Experience

Exploring the potential of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Have you heard of the Vocal Social Society?

The Vocal Social Society or "VSS" is a Facebook community for Vocal writers. We peer review each other's work, offer mental health supports and award the Fab 5. For more information, check out our article.

Message the Editors: Les, James or Caroline, and let them know what you are thinking about. Address: [email protected] or through Messenger on our Facebook page.

Want to be interviewed? Have a new book to your name? Message Les directly for consideration. [email protected]

Accessibility & Diversity: Should you require accommodations or materials in an alternate format, please don't hesitate to let us know. The Chronicle values inclusivity and diversity and is always open to improving your experience.

Important Note: While we love the brand that gives our creations a place in the world, The Vocal Creators Chronicle is an independent publication. We are NOT Vocal Media, and we neither represent them nor answer questions on their behalf. All direct Vocal inquires should be directed to their support staff, starting here: SUPPORT. You may also find relevant information through their resources section, which can be found here: RESOURCES.

Be sure to subscribe to The Vocal Creators Chronicle on Vocal to receive all the latest updates from your favourite magazine BY CREATORS & FOR CREATORS in your daily news feed.

Vocal Is For Everyone. Join Vocal standard or Vocal+ today and start publishing your creations alongside thousands of other talented creators from around the globe.

About our content: According to Vocal, anyone can publish on their platform. They moderate every story to ensure it complies with their Community Guidelines. However, they do not fact-check every story. Furthermore, the views and opinions expressed in the stories of the columnists and the editors of The Vocal Creators Chronicle are those of the individual Creators and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Vocal nor The Vocal Creators Chronicle. The Chronicle does not accept liability for the personal opinions or use of advice of any of the columnists or editors. All advice is considered to be undertaken solely at the readers' discretion. Non-original content submitted by columnists is expected to be used in accordance with its source licensing agreements and The Chronicle does not accept personal liability for the use of content included by its columnists.

First published November 6, 2021 by The Vocal Creators Chronicle.

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