The collection of poems written by Christian Aldana, "The Water We Swim In". I love the themes of queerness, revolution, being a Filipino in the diaspora, and the tenderness in each poem

@Zoe Clarke yes, my favorite project was also fanfiction!! It was a slice of life short story. I wrote it for a niche video game fandom when I was still in college. Every time I get a notification of someone leaving kudos or a comment fills me with joy; another fandom scavenger joining our little passel haha

@Dejan Perez truly!! There's something about experiencing art someone made and then feeling completely seen, validated, inspired, and thensome by a complete stranger

What is your name (preferred pronouns as well, if you don't mind) Ainna and any pronouns used respectfully! Greeting me sounds like saying "Hyena" (Hi, Ainna)! ➡️ Why did you decide to join The Unexpected Shape Café? I miss writing stories. In middle school, words seemed to buzz beneath my skin. I filled notebooks and WordPad files with ever-growing fantasy ideas and short stories. My sister drew some of my characters and I would tuck them into the front of my binder, whispering a question to them on my walk home and imagining their response. I was attracted to the approach of TUS in offering skills and grace to a writer with limitations. I tried a writing class last summer and the lack of community really dampened my interest in it (we only had one Zoom call together with the instructor and never got the option to connect with the other writers in our cohort). I'm excited by the importance of community and learning from one another! I also deeply appreciate the lens of TUS and honoring we sometimes have limitations as part of the process. ➡️ What is your favorite book? The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka I think this was my first exposure to retelling a story and I loved it so much as a child, especially coupled with the whimsical art! I haven't read it in a long time, but I remember reading it over and over, mulling over the illustrations. With each reading, I appreciated something new. ➡️ What are you interested in writing about? A couple things! I love short stories and want to explore different facets of identity through them. I also think essays and non-fiction are a new interest of mine that I want to explore more! There's also a growing bud of curiosity in food/recipe reviews? Like sharing an experience trying to make something new. So much to write about!