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Creative Writing by Amanda Tien

Selected Poetry, Fiction, and Essays

Legally Blind

When I considered the very real troubles of the world, near and far, I felt guilty for being sad over something as simple and precious to me as my vision. The fear of a forever night eclipsed every day.

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EssayAmanda Tien
The Astronaut

Heath blinked in the April sun, trying to remember why he was outside. Thrushes of the swaying plants on the starboard side of his plot of milkweed plants were being chewed to absolute bits by caterpillars. A cloud of orange and white and black butterflies swayed in heavenly arcs above him.

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FictionAmanda Tien
90740

Only after I raised two babies did I see the ocean. It was always there, I guess. On the other side of Virginia where people had homes and families.

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PoetryAmanda Tien
Step 7: Be Unlucky.

Feel terrible about yourself for years. Think about how bamboo can survive everywhere, anywhere, except in your care. Convince yourself you are not allowed to care for living things.

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PoetryAmanda Tien
The Market and the Fest

In spring, the town unravels itself in the newly remembered sun. The farmers’ markets swell. They take over the town square twice a week, even in the rain. With the discipline of an ant colony, every cart takes its time-honored place on the cobblestoned expanse.

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EssayAmanda Tien