Issue 2: Summer 2026
Silence is Violence - June 8th, 2026
“I was going to die, if not sooner than later, whether or not I had ever spoken myself. My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you. . . . And at last you’ll know with surpassing certainty that only one thing is more frightening than speaking your truth. And that is not speaking.” — Audre Lorde
Dear Reader,
Silence. It’s everywhere. Underneath black bars on government and legal files, on words whited-out before they could be published in the local newspaper, jammed deep in our throats, and in coffins—the ultimate silence, where our words rot with us. Though our culture has demonstrated interest in final words, rarely are unspoken words excavated. The unsaid words that could have changed a life—or lives—or whose weight pushed their beholder underground.
Though we’re told, “If you see something, say something,” that phrase is often used in contexts that benefit the state. When sexual assault survivors speak out, when people of color demand justice from racist institutions and structures, when people with religious trauma confess their experiences, when LGBTQIA+ people vocalize their pride, when disabled people describe the horrors of mental institutions and eugenics, and when Indigineous people speak about centuries of genocide, then their silence is not only unwelcome, but normalized. These words that must be released become stones, pressing down on our collective hearts and lungs.
In dedication to the people who were forced to remain silent, this issue is meant to combat such silences. The artists and writers in the Summer 2026 issue dare to disrupt the still waters of silence, to speak out against the status quo. Poems like “girl/trans/alive” by Rachel Picard detail her experiences as a transgender woman in a transphobic society. Kelly Dwyer’s poem, “Why Do I Give A Damn?,” vocalizes the frustrations of activism against an increasingly fascist government. Mariella Marr’s short fiction piece, “Hold It In,” captures the suffocating sensation of self-imposed silence. The works in this issue form a harmony of marginalized voices, revealing agency and autonomy, subjectivities, and the human desire to be heard.
We would like to thank the submitters and readers of Wild Tongues Journal! We would also like to extend our gratitude and appreciation for the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department at California State University, Long Beach, and especially to our faculty advisor, Dr. Basarudin. We hope that this inaugural issue resonates with you and showcases the strength of wild tongues that refuse to be tamed.
With radical visions of solidarity,
Darya and Christine
POETRY
ART
★ I Suffered and I Lived
by Emma Hawes
I recently discovered the quote, "The opposite of depression is not joy; it's expression." These are two truths in my life: I am incredibly fortunate and I have suffered deeply. Throughout my life, many people have told me how strong I am, often attributing it to the suffering that I faced. My collage is a statement of self-empowerment. It is not the suffering that made me into who I am today; it is the part of me that fought to stay here even when I couldn't find any good or any reason to be a part of this world. My suffering was strong, but I am stronger. I chose life. My collage contains a variety of images that express both vulnerability and resilience. I included several animals because of our innate connection to them; like humans, animals did not choose their creation or fate. Their future is uncertain, and their present is often a fight for survival. In spite of this struggle, they continue to seek life. We are strong because we fought to exist despite the suffering, not because of it.
ABOUT OUR CREATORS
Kelly Dwyer
Kelly Dwyer is an English student at California State University of Long Beach. Her writings focus on topics that she considers important, no matter the context or subject. In her downtime, Kelly enjoys reading and listening to female rockers.
Cynthia Fernandez
Cynthia Fernandez is a university honors program sophomore studying molecular biology. Her writing follows the world from her personal point of view and those closest to her. In her studies she aims to find different pathways to success including mixing the arts and science.
Karen Guevara
Karen Guevara is a Latin American poet who blends both English and Spanish in her poetry. The themes of her poetry revolve around community, family, and oneself. Through her poetry, she aims to be a voice for those in her community who are overlooked.
Olivia Hakey
Olivia (She/her) is a first-year master’s student of English at CSULB, specializing in eighteenth-century British Literature. Participating in research of The Lady’s Magazine, or Polite Companion to the Fair Sex, she is interested in pursuing a PhD to continue exploring eighteenth-century London periodicals and intersections of women’s authorship.
Emma Hawes
Emma Hawes is a girl seeking life where she can find it. She appreciates animals, music, her dog, and all the good she can find in this world. She loves creating art for the sake of self-expression.
Matilda Iem
In the past, Matilda's poetry has been featured in the Palouse Review and events with the Long Beach Public Library. As an aspiring artist, she enjoys trying to paint a picture with her poetry. She lives in Long Beach, California.
Gisela Sequedia Lemus
Gisela Sequeida Lemus is a first gen Chicana from Hawaiian Gardens. Her work has proudly been published in English and Spanish in The Acentos Review, the Pomona Valley Review, and ¡Pa'lante! For more, follow her Instagram at: @gisela.seq.lem
Kayla Magnussen
Kayla Magnussen is fiction, and occasional creative nonfiction, writer from the Inland Empire. Her work primarily uses horror and the grotesque around painfully human themes.
Mariella Marr
Mariella Marr is a poet and fiction writer with a passion for storytelling. Most of her writing focuses on compelling emotional narrative through a feminist lens.
Rachel Picard
Rachel Picard is a Creative Writing major and Queer Studies minor at CSULB. In between classes, she reads all sorts of books and writes short stories and poetry. At home, if she isn't playing Dungeons and Dragons, Rachel can be found out in the backyard enjoying the sun with her tortoise, Darwin.
Benni Quintero
Benni Quintero is a restless multi-disciplinarian from Watts, Los Angeles. They play roulette with mediums such as comics, animation, poetry, fiber arts, zines, graphic design, and sculpture. They prefer the drama of community gardens (where every neighbor is a muse) over gallery spaces and film festivals, but they will occasionally partake in the ladder pair.
Megan Stiverson
Megan S. is a fiction writer with a love for mythology and magic. Her writing is primarily fantasy, and she hopes to help aro/ace representation grow in fiction. In her free time, she is usually gaming, reading, or brainstorming a new piece of writing.
Aniyah White
Aniyah White is a senior at Cal State Long Beach majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in Journalism. Her writing focuses on speaking up for women and African-Americans. In her downtime she enjoys crafting and reading a book.