(Multicultural Press team)
The Literary Times Issue 06 positions itself as a literary magazine and a meeting ground of cultures, a collective archive of voices daring to confront what societies label unspeakable. In the theme of “Forbidden,” the journal stretches the reader’s imagination across continents, blending folklore, theology, myth, personal testimony, and experimental prose into a rich, multicultural tapestry.
The diversity of contributors is evident from the table of contents. Writers such as Võ Thị Như Mai, who explores Vietnamese New Year taboos, stand alongside voices like Anna Maria Mickiewicz, whose poetry vibrates with Eastern European image. From Sarah Das Gupta’s vivid reimagining of witchcraft traditions to Keli Dailey’s satirical take on American gun culture, the issue moves effortlessly between geographies, presenting how “forbidden” is never a singular idea but one refracted through culture, politics, and history. The reader moves from ancestral traditions in Asia to sociopolitical tensions in the United States, from mythic forests in Europe to intimate personal struggles in Latin America.
Particularly striking is the experimental piece presented as an online theology forum discussion, where students debate the biblical “forbidden fruit.” Structured like digital dialogue with flagged posts, private messages, and moderator intervention. It mirrors the modern tension between censorship, faith, and academic freedom. This inventive form reflects how the “forbidden” is experienced in contemporary digital cultures, especially among younger generations negotiating inherited religious traditions with new modes of expression.
Equally powerful is the inclusion of prose like John Whittier Treat’s Tonight’s Meeting at Claire’s House Cancelled, which tackles themes of grief, community, and the silences around AIDS. The piece foregrounds how what is “forbidden” can often mean the refusal to acknowledge suffering—making the magazine’s act of publication a direct counter to erasure. Meanwhile, Simon Kaeppeli’s Erosion offers a stark reflection on collective disillusionment, resonating with global audiences navigating political instability and environmental crises.
The issue does not shy away from intimate, bodily taboos either. Poems such as Forbidden Fruit by LindaAnn LoSchiavo and Take a Bite by Amide capture the visceral allure of desire, temptation, and transgression. These works blur the boundary between personal confession and universal myth, drawing from both Western biblical symbolism and universal human longing. In contrast, Võ Thị Như Mai’s essay on Tết taboos transforms the forbidden into acts of protection and cultural preservation, reminding readers that what is restricted can also serve as a compass for identity and continuity across generations.
From a multicultural press perspective, The Literary Times succeeds in showing how the forbidden is not always oppressive, it can be protective, seductive, revolutionary, or communal. By presenting these perspectives side by side, the magazine refuses cultural hierarchy and instead emphasizes dialogue. The layout itself supports this ethos: visual art and poetry are interwoven with essays and hybrid texts, offering readers multiple entry points into the theme.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of this issue lies in its refusal to universalize. It does not attempt to flatten global voices into a single message about prohibition. Instead, it demonstrates that the forbidden is always contextual shaped by religion, politics, migration, history, and intimacy. For multicultural readers, this creates a space of recognition: one can see echoes of their own cultural restrictions while also being invited to witness the struggles and traditions of others.
The Literary Times, Issue 06, is evidence to the transformative potential of independent, multicultural publishing. It embodies resistance to silencing, celebrates cultural pluralism, and insists on the right of diverse voices to speak their truths even when those truths unsettle. For readers seeking a global conversation on art, identity, and defiance, this issue is not just recommended, it is essential.
Good magazine