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MENTORSHIP RECIPIENT

Mentor Commentary:
Isaiah Hunt
Recipient Reflection: 
​Axel McAvinue

On "The Battle of Milky Mart" ​by Axel McAvinue

by Isaiah Hunt
First time reading this story was a blast. The electrifying vocabulary, colorful creatures, and a familiar setting in the unknowns of space is what invested me into “The Battle of Milky Mart”, reminiscent of early science fiction that influenced me as a writer. Plus, I’m a sucker for squids.

Galactic gas stations and cubes of slime aside, the story had me brewing thoughts about this battle at Milky Mart. Fussing over a last candy bar, yes, but is it really about the Milky Way Bar? I wondered what could be at the heart of this story. And I had many ideas.

When I got in contact with Axel McAvinue, I was excited (yet unsurprised, given the creative scope of this world) to hear he was eager to continue this story. What began as a prompt for a creative writing course transformed into a deeper introspection into Quinten, this meek overworked asteroid miner caught up at his local Milky Mart, yet develops an agency over his own life (albeit with some…consequences). Because there is never a ‘perfect’ time or space to stand up for yourself, but you do it when it truly matters to you, when it’s least expected.

And don’t we all feel this thumping in our own hearts?

Working with passionate writers like Axel becomes more than a mentorship. Every suggestion I offered, Axel tried, and in some cases, went beyond and made those ideas his own. Revising can be a grueling journey. But Axel and I’s conversations, celebration for the writing, and the laughter made the journey fulfilling, one that created more paths for this collaboration between us, and opportunities for Axel to continue writing. I’m thrilled to share the hard work Axel dedicated to this story, and I hope you stay tuned for his stories in the future.
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Isaiah Hunt

When Isaiah isn’t studying Pan-African history or obsessing over 90s and Y2K culture, he is teaching Fiction Writing and Afrofuturism at John Carroll University. He is currently working on a collection of linked stories that focuses on the entertainment industry, commercialism, Black cyberculture, and R&B, along with a companion novel set in a near-future Cleveland. He received his MFA from Northeast Ohio Masters of Fine Arts in ‘22, is one of the recipients of the Ohio Arts Council Award for Fiction in ‘24 and is a Clarion West ‘24 alumni. You can find his stories in his instagram bio: @Casual.dream.

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  • Gordon Square Review
    • Editor's Letter 16
    • Swimming to Mouse Island
    • Steel Mill Stacks
    • Plump Glass Birds
    • When I consider having children I think about frogs
    • Gravity Heat
    • Moth Ghazal
    • Men from the Commons
    • All My Life the God of the Mountain has been Wooing Me
    • Army Specialist Nicholas E. Zimmer Memorial Highway
    • Out on the bar's patio, we learn that the body of another gay man was found in Brooklyn
    • Bruja Business
    • A Sudden Hail of Gunfire, a Wedding and a Dance
    • At the Base of Ausangate
    • Keep Stirring
    • The Diagnosis >
      • Katie Strine
      • Hania Qutub
    • We Will Not Leave Each Other, Never So Long as We Live >
      • Isaiah Hunt
      • Abigail Carlson
    • Postpartum Depression >
      • Jeanette Beebe 16
      • Cam McGlynn
    • Outdoor Museums of Assemblage Art
    • Marvelous Memories
  • About
  • Submit
  • Past Issues
    • Issue 2
    • Issue 3
    • Issue 4
    • Issue 5
    • Issue 6
    • Issue 7
    • Issue 8
    • Issue 9
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 13
    • 2024 Blackout Special Issue
    • Issue 14
    • Issue 15