I started this site as a way to get my writing out in the world without waiting on agents and publishers to care about me first. I didn’t want to relinquish my self-worth to an industry that knew nothing about me and my talent. With it, I’ve been able to meet some great people online, engage in interesting discussions about my favourite anime and manga, and receive encouragement from other readers and writers. It’s been a blessing.

It wasn’t my intention to write so many articles about all these things; I wanted it to be a creative outlet primarily. In my About page, I specifically mention four things that will feature alongside my writing output: Berserk, Sonic the Hedgehog, Stephen King, and Toni Morrison. Time has passed and I’m yet to write about the latter two, even though they both mean so much to me.

I was introduced to Toni Morrison when I was in sixth-form. We studied Sula. I had never heard of her before that, but after believing for so long that good writing requires brevity and elusiveness, and trying to emulate the McEwans and the Carvers to poor results, her prose started a monumental shift in me. It was a watershed moment, and something forever changed in how I put words together. Since that day, I find myself recalling passages from Song of Solomon and Beloved. They echo in my head whenever that voice tells me “hold back, don’t get too passionate about this”.

I’m yet to read all her novels, and I can’t wait to devour them all. She, alongside Mr King, is an author of which I’m committed to collect every work. It shouldn’t have taken me so long to write about her on this site, and I’m both sad and annoyed that she had to die first.

I’m glad she lived. And I’m grateful that I shared space on this planet with her.