'‘Mask’ derives variously from the mid 16th century French masque, from Italian maschera, mascara, probably from medieval Latin masca, ‘witch, spectre’ but influenced by Arabic maskara, ‘buffoon’ (Wordflex app 1998–2008, using Oxford Dictionary data ).
'It is a word with widespread interpretation and meaning. It encapsulates all seven previous Not Very Quiet issues and still leaves scope for new ideas and explorations in Issue 8.
'‘Mask’ has special resonance in gender discourses, and of course, has a special meaning in 2020 images of bushfire smoke and the pandemic.' (Sandra Renew and Moya Pacey, Introduction)
Only literary material by Australian authors individually indexed. Other material in this issue includes:
Puppet show Ariella Tania Amanda
this autistic guise Oakley Ayden
A thousand ships Daisy Bassen
Talk to me Elizabeth Burnan
An ode to the most coveted machine in pandemic America Eleanor Python Colligan
The next spike Mary Cresswell
experimental love poem Ema Dumitriu
Table 4 – 2 there Amelia C. Eilertsen
hegemony Molly Fessler
Mr and Mrs and Ms Lara Frankena
Hero (Boy Wonder) Jen George
hidden in the layers Kathleen Hellen
Boquila Trifoliolata in Chilean Rainforest Lynne Goldsmith
i haven’t Ash Good
Mask Sadie Maskery
One bright summer’s day on Chicago’s South Side Erin McDonough
Costume party Leslie Ann Minot
Marie Curie records in her notebook Anita Mortlock
Middle school youth group sex ed Riley O’Connell
Eclosion Mandira Pattnaik
watercolors A. Pikovsky
I am doing yoga in a graveyard Therese Pokorney
dystopia. manda propaganda.
A mask of water Bethany Reid
Noli me tangere Marka Rifat
Unmasked and masked Jacquelyn Shah
How to make your own face mask Sara Jeanine Smith
Transient error R. Stempel
What it means to be a woman in the South Anna Swearingen
Silence Julia Park Tracey