{"id":20585,"date":"2025-08-24T17:16:34","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T22:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/?p=20585"},"modified":"2025-08-26T18:28:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T23:28:42","slug":"letter-from-the-guest-editor-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/letter-from-the-guest-editor-15\/","title":{"rendered":"Letter from the Guest Editor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-social-links is-content-justification-right is-layout-flex wp-container-core-social-links-is-layout-765c4724 wp-block-social-links-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-facebook  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61556140010887\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12 2C6.5 2 2 6.5 2 12c0 5 3.7 9.1 8.4 9.9v-7H7.9V12h2.5V9.8c0-2.5 1.5-3.9 3.8-3.9 1.1 0 2.2.2 2.2.2v2.5h-1.3c-1.2 0-1.6.8-1.6 1.6V12h2.8l-.4 2.9h-2.3v7C18.3 21.1 22 17 22 12c0-5.5-4.5-10-10-10z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-instagram  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/boudin_mcneese\/\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12,4.622c2.403,0,2.688,0.009,3.637,0.052c0.877,0.04,1.354,0.187,1.671,0.31c0.42,0.163,0.72,0.358,1.035,0.673 c0.315,0.315,0.51,0.615,0.673,1.035c0.123,0.317,0.27,0.794,0.31,1.671c0.043,0.949,0.052,1.234,0.052,3.637 s-0.009,2.688-0.052,3.637c-0.04,0.877-0.187,1.354-0.31,1.671c-0.163,0.42-0.358,0.72-0.673,1.035 c-0.315,0.315-0.615,0.51-1.035,0.673c-0.317,0.123-0.794,0.27-1.671,0.31c-0.949,0.043-1.233,0.052-3.637,0.052 s-2.688-0.009-3.637-0.052c-0.877-0.04-1.354-0.187-1.671-0.31c-0.42-0.163-0.72-0.358-1.035-0.673 c-0.315-0.315-0.51-0.615-0.673-1.035c-0.123-0.317-0.27-0.794-0.31-1.671C4.631,14.688,4.622,14.403,4.622,12 s0.009-2.688,0.052-3.637c0.04-0.877,0.187-1.354,0.31-1.671c0.163-0.42,0.358-0.72,0.673-1.035 c0.315-0.315,0.615-0.51,1.035-0.673c0.317-0.123,0.794-0.27,1.671-0.31C9.312,4.631,9.597,4.622,12,4.622 M12,3 C9.556,3,9.249,3.01,8.289,3.054C7.331,3.098,6.677,3.25,6.105,3.472C5.513,3.702,5.011,4.01,4.511,4.511 c-0.5,0.5-0.808,1.002-1.038,1.594C3.25,6.677,3.098,7.331,3.054,8.289C3.01,9.249,3,9.556,3,12c0,2.444,0.01,2.751,0.054,3.711 c0.044,0.958,0.196,1.612,0.418,2.185c0.23,0.592,0.538,1.094,1.038,1.594c0.5,0.5,1.002,0.808,1.594,1.038 c0.572,0.222,1.227,0.375,2.185,0.418C9.249,20.99,9.556,21,12,21s2.751-0.01,3.711-0.054c0.958-0.044,1.612-0.196,2.185-0.418 c0.592-0.23,1.094-0.538,1.594-1.038c0.5-0.5,0.808-1.002,1.038-1.594c0.222-0.572,0.375-1.227,0.418-2.185 C20.99,14.751,21,14.444,21,12s-0.01-2.751-0.054-3.711c-0.044-0.958-0.196-1.612-0.418-2.185c-0.23-0.592-0.538-1.094-1.038-1.594 c-0.5-0.5-1.002-0.808-1.594-1.038c-0.572-0.222-1.227-0.375-2.185-0.418C14.751,3.01,14.444,3,12,3L12,3z M12,7.378 c-2.552,0-4.622,2.069-4.622,4.622S9.448,16.622,12,16.622s4.622-2.069,4.622-4.622S14.552,7.378,12,7.378z M12,15 c-1.657,0-3-1.343-3-3s1.343-3,3-3s3,1.343,3,3S13.657,15,12,15z M16.804,6.116c-0.596,0-1.08,0.484-1.08,1.08 s0.484,1.08,1.08,1.08c0.596,0,1.08-0.484,1.08-1.08S17.401,6.116,16.804,6.116z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Letter from the Guest Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Ume Aiman Tariq<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I came up with the idea of doing a Retro Summer issue a year ago. At the time, I was contemplative and nostalgic about the summer experiences that I had growing up in Pakistan. We slept in until noon and usually skipped breakfast for brunch. Our afternoons would be spent playing badminton, table tennis, or ludo with my siblings while we waited impatiently for our father to come home. My father, a banker, owned an arcade that he managed part-time. After work, he\u2019d ditch his car for his blue Vespa and take me and my brother to the arcade that he managed and owned part-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Since I was no more than 7 years old at the time, and tiny, I would stand in the little space in front of the Vespa, and my brother sat in the back seat. Standing in the front was the best. My father\u2019s body would shield me from the piercing light of the afternoon sun. The rushing wind through my hair kept me cool through the journey. It felt like I was leaving the whole world behind as the Vespa whooshed through the busy roads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">As soon as we\u2019d get to the shop, I\u2019d play Tekken 3 while my brother helped my father close the register. Since the arcade was in the Qissa Khwani Bazaar (the storytelling market), the fun would start after we\u2019d closed shop. It was always hard selecting what kind of snack I wanted. From BBQ skewered Beef Tikka with fresh naan and mint chutney, to Doodh Soda, to Falooda; there were too many things to choose from. I remember paying frequent visits to my father\u2019s friend\u2019s sandwich shop that sold Anda Shami Burger with Fanta. It never failed to hit the spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">On our way home, my father would always buy fresh lady-of-the-night strings for all the ladies of the house. We\u2019d wear them on our wrists until it was time for bed. At bedtime, we\u2019d hang the strings from the window AC unit that would fill our room with their faint scent. The scent would linger in the house and on our wrists even through the next day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">My father sold his arcade when I was a teenager. It is now a tailor shop. The Bazaar and the food shops still exist and are always a stop for all of us siblings whenever we visit home. After I grew up, all of us siblings moved to three different continents. We now fondly look back at these memories and reminisce about how it all used to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">For me and for all of us, summer makes the most beautiful memories. The submissions for this issue proved it. For me, summer has always been both the beginning and the ending of something new and something old. We\u2019ve been either in love or heartbroken or lonely or lonesome in the summer. We all grew and became something more in the summer. As I end this summer on a high note, I can\u2019t wait to see what the next summer has in store for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In the meantime, Happy Reading, everyone!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"438\" height=\"211\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg 438w, https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1-300x145.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 438px) 100vw, 438px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">\ud83e\udca0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/letter-from-the-editor-17\/\">Back<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/the-fireworks\/\">Next<\/a> \ud83e\udca1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To learn more about submitting your work to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/boudin-submissions\/\">Boudin<\/a><\/em> or applying to McNeese State University&#8217;s Creative Writing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/mfa-application-submissions\/\">MFA program<\/a>, please visit Submissions for details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Letter from the Guest Editor Ume Aiman Tariq __________ I came up with the idea of doing a Retro Summer issue a year ago. At the time, I was contemplative and nostalgic about the summer experiences that I had growing up in Pakistan. We slept in until noon and usually skipped breakfast for brunch. Our&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[234],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-retro-summer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20585"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20585\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20613,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20585\/revisions\/20613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}