Dear friend,
Summer’s knocking on the door here Down Under, yet my body still seems to be holding its breath for fall. I have been gorging on reels & Pinterest boards of pumpkin lattes, spiced puddings, socks & soups — &, in similar fashion, have also been reading more (& more & more & more) stories of hauntings, dreamcatchers, ghost-friends.
Amidst this hunger, I have been fortunate enough to be joined at the table by an old, dear friend, Prithiva. Prithiva has been writing for Headcanon since its inception (some of you may recognise her from the column Captain’s Orders). She has been kind enough to pick up the spatula, & help me whip up new, more exciting recommendations for you <3
Please join me in welcoming her to write all things big & small for the TINY LETTERS. — Anushka
Hi, Prithiva 😀
Thank you to Anushka for welcoming me here. When I first heard of TINY LETTERS, I thought of the version of me who wrote everyday — academic papers, poetry, letters to no one & everyone — & I missed that viscerally. So, I asked if there was space for one more, & voilà!
For a while there, I had been trying to chase that old version of myself, like we’ve all been known to do from time to time. But, chasing past-you is a futile endeavour. We need to make space for new versions of ourselves — versions that make cold coffee at home, that cook more, that take photos of the sky like it’ll disappear. TINY LETTERS is for that version of me that can keep both plants & words alive. — Prithiva
star trek & spn
This has been a landmark month for two of the most iconic fandoms: Star Trek & Supernatural, with Star Trek celebrating its 60th anniversary, & Supernatural turning 21 (raise a glass to that)! In their honour, we are sharing some of our favourite Star Trek pieces from the magazine, & an assortment of cool SPN stuff.
damn it jim, i’m a doctor not a poet by Kriti Dhanania
a star trek coffee shop au fic from our issue i by Justine Norton-Kertson
misha explaining how his older castmates serve as reference points in his life as ‘canaries’
r/supernatural by renrub
Starstruck by peanutbutterjelly-pie (Aleakim)
Star Trek column: Unimatrix Zero
At Headcanon, we are also actively reading pitches for a new Supernatural column. If you, like us, are fond of angels, pies, Jack Kerouac, & complicated sibling dynamics, write to us!
mixed bag
Like most Augusts / Septembers, this month has been good for reading. I read the second instalment of the Neapolitan quartet, & The Handmaid’s Tale — both searing records of femininity, feminism, & the relationships between desire & shame. Also, I became obsessed with Aspidistrafly, a gorgeous musician, while Prithiva was tuned into “Muse” by Tori Morgan. & like last month, me & Prithiva stayed obsessed with Heated Rivalry fics:
i just wanna get dicked down again :/ by akahomie [959, embedded images] Fandom: Heated Rivalry. Ship: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov.
Summary: A silly Hollanov Social Media AU, in which Shane has been running the most trusted Ilya updates account for almost a decade, but one day, he accidentally breaks character and sends Hockey Twitter into a spiral to help him get laid.
Reason for rec: A wonderful premise executed perfectly. Both of their personalities shine so much here, both online & in their eventual, IRL relationship. —Anushka
United States v. Barnes, 617 F. Supp. 2d 143 (D.D.C. 2015) by fallingvoices, radialarch Fandom: Captain America (Movies). Ship: James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers.
Summary: The Associated Press @AP / Winter Soldier set to stand trial for Washington D.C. massacre and treason apne.ws/1og6SWE
Reason for rec: A courtroom drama which is one of the very few fics that delve into the nuances of trauma, PTSD and the concept mens rea. The idea of “intent” is important in criminal acts, and this is an important exploration into the concept of the Asset and the Person. The format itself is also unique — the fic is told completely in third person via Tweets, Court Transcripts and think pieces. One of the best works I’ve ever had the chance to read. — Prithiva
As Heated Rivalry continues to thrill us & warm our hearts, we would also like to recommend this gorgeous video edit by askwhatthishascometo on YouTube and Instagram:
With the dominance of Social Media AUs in HR, we are also seeking to commission a story that explores the craft & instincts that make this work, for our Issue III. To learn more about this, check out the open call!
Finally, this month we also discovered the existence of something known as Kudos bots, which is a very sweet albeit strange ontological raison d’être for a software—
closing thoughts
With “Avengers: Endgame Encore” on the horizon, we have also been indulging in nostalgia, & recalling how the magazine was born: in 2019, Tony Stark died, & I wrote a poem “sorrow finds reasons to slip into my bed tonight”—a poem about Steve Rogers mourning Tony. But six months & countless submissions later, my inbox was filled with the same kind of email from magazines: we apologise, but we do not read ‘pop culture poems’.” This was the origin of ‘marvel & etc.’: a tiny space on my blog for fic / art recommendations & Marvel-inspired poems. Yet, soon, conversations within fandoms & outside revealed that this was not an isolated fancy: fans everywhere were looking for spaces in which their creative works were regarded with the same criticality & respect as critical analyses.
& so, Headcanon Magazine was born: seven years later, here we are: wide-eyed & open-mouthed <3 —Anushka
Happy reading!
Yours,
Anushka & Prithiva
In the TINY LETTERS, we cut down the fabled gods of objectivity. Here, there’s no rationality; only the rhythm of the music, & the body in motion. We would love to dance with you.