Colore
Surviving the climate crisis is a practice of world building. We build worlds in which our communities thrive and survive. Storytelling and science fiction play the role of making those worlds feel tangible and enticing. Colore is the story of two communities separated by time but experiencing crises that require a shift outside normal survival strategies. In Hallu in 2030, Amanya (or Ami) discovers a fungi that can help enable communication and goods transfer - allowing for the establishment of a mutual aid network. Forty-five years later in the same region, Quinton later rediscovers the network when a hurricane nearly wrecks his way of life. The story answers the question of how we might survive in a future where we face the crises of a collapsing ecosystem fueled by greed and extraction. It imagines nature and place based solutions as methods for survival. Lovinia and Robin contributed their imaginations to the story, each taking a community-world to build. Christine brings the story to life with vibrant images. This short story is a quick foray into what we hope is a hopeful future.
LOVINIA SUMMER
30, Brooklyn, New York USA
During the Covid lockdowns of 2020, after a night with a few glasses of wine I had a dream about a world that needed to leave my brain. Writing seemed like the most obvious tool. At the time I was in grad school studying climate and energy - reckoning with the failures of our field. That first story felt like I was sharing a path forward where people blessed with melanin were writing an imperfect but joy-filled future.
I still work in climate and at its base, writing and working in climate are very similar. Both require dreaming up nearly impossible worlds and wrestling it into some form of reality.
When I’m writing I often imagine plucking at the through thread of a story. My goal is to write a story that rings true - sometimes I get there, sometimes I don’t. I want to use writing the way my ancestors used Anansi - art as instruction for liberation, hiding messages in alluring worlds that felt as tangible and proximate as that first dream I had.
This story was inspired by a piece I wrote called Ritual and Relationship which is a manual for setting up a mutual aid network for surviving authoritarian states. It’s also the first time I’ve collaborated with someone on a story - which is hard! Much appreciation to Robin for his patience.
ROBIN MOULTON
30, Salisbury, North Carolina USA
When I first read Lovinia’s Ritual and Relationship, I felt incredibly proud to have a friend whose work I could compare to my favorite authors. I felt transported to another universe through her world-building. As I read through the short fiction piece stylized into a manual, I found myself instantly imagining a story where I would get to see this beautiful form of community resistance in action. It fit in perfectly with an overarching theme throughout most of my work: the strength of love, especially in the midst of struggle. I’m grateful that Lovinia followed up to build on this story!
Though I’m most comfortable with scriptwriting, I also enjoy writing poetry and short fiction. I write to release complex emotions and to represent my community. Growing up, I found myself fascinated with shows like the Boondocks and Chappelle’s Show.
Their irreverent themes that not only made me laugh my ass off, but also made me feel seen. In 2016 when shows like Insecure and Atlanta debuted, I was inspired to continue writing about my background and experiences. Where I come from, most people I know aren’t strangers to misfortune, but the way I’ve seen us come together during difficult times is beautiful. Most of my stories come from either my lived experiences or those of close ones, this was a great experience to imagine a futuristic world.
My process is one that allows me to find the right balance of preparation and spontaneity. I generally come up with a story outline and general themes, then I emotionally vomit on a blank page until I have something to mold. This cathartic process lets me release pent up frustrations that accumulate with life experiences, and gives me a space to create the world I want to see.