Letter from the Guest Editor

Aiman Tariq

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Life as a woman is an intricate web of societal expectations. Hailing from Pakistan, a culture deeply rooted in patriarchy that further derives strength from culture and religion, I, instead of taking the usual route of lifelong subservience in the form of arranged marriage, took the unusual one. I followed my dreams and found myself, this past fall, starting my MFA in fiction writing at McNeese State University, seemingly millions of miles away from home. My exciting venture serves as an inspiration for many women, so I carry a burden of responsibility on my shoulders. My success is hopefully a path they may follow. But I often worry that my failures and missteps are a lesson for why women shouldn’t be independent.

If there is anything that the twenty-five years I have spent on earth have taught me, it’s this—being a woman is not easy. You must check all the good women boxes—be nurturing, modest, and with a demure disposition. Perfect body and perfect looks are a must, not a bonus. Even after you end up checking all the right boxes, there’s still room for the blame game. Failed marriage: your fault. Can’t bear children: your fault. If you have children, any misstep in their lives reflects your poor mothering abilities: your fault. Put career over family: you’re selfish. Put family over career: you’re not fit for promotion.

Despite everything, all the blame games and deeply rooted psychological and emotional baggage, women make it. We make it so that we can improve and support the next generation. We make it, we change it, we progress, but somehow, sometimes find ourselves back at square one. When I left my old world behind, I thought that life as a woman would be different, easier in some ways. And in some ways, it is, but in some ways, it is still the same.

While I was mulling over these thoughts about womanhood and our place in the world, I began to curate this wonderful issue of flash fiction for Boudin. The works that I read, one after another, all reflected on some facet of femininity, from girlhood to womanhood, to our physical and emotional metamorphosis, to our ability to form relationships, to make a place feel like home, to defining our place in the world, that spoke to my experience.

All Flash: Spice of Life is, in every way, a celebration of women—their bodies, minds, hearts, souls—and of the men supporting these women. The thirteen remarkable works, like “A Widow” by Angela Ball, “True Love” by Len Kuntz, and “Houses of Rain” by Tiff Holland, showcase female strength and resilience in the face of impossible odds, highlighting women’s inherent ability to rise from the ashes like a phoenix whenever the world brings them down. Moreover, the flash fiction in the issue–our first as a monthly magazine–represents the feminine capability to challenge unfair asks and expectations while wearing their vulnerability like armor. Placing Digby Beaumont’s representation of Frida Kahlo as our cover art sealed this discovery; I can’t think of a better, more multilayered encapsulation of the female experience. As I transition from my first to second semester in a demanding graduate program, I know that I will be returning to this artifact for inspiration over my years of study ahead, with thanks to the all women who made such a path possible.

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To learn more about submitting your work to Boudin or applying to McNeese State University’s Creative Writing MFA program, please visit Submissions for details.