5 reasons SSS literary and arts magazine is a must-read

On November 24 2014, Shortsharpshot.com, an online literary and arts platform, was launched with a clear vision, “to create a hot spot for fantastic art, delightful words and a blend of both.” Two years later, after a series of experiments, mainly with flash fiction and art works, the Editor-in-Chief, Samuel Okopi and his team, decided […]

On November 24 2014, Shortsharpshot.com, an online literary and arts platform, was launched with a clear vision, “to create a hot spot for fantastic art, delightful words and a blend of both.” Two years later, after a series of experiments, mainly with flash fiction and art works, the Editor-in-Chief, Samuel Okopi and his team, decided it was time to put together a magazine which was published in the latter part of 2016.

Flash fiction

If you are the kind of reader who likes to read a story in one breath, Short Sharp Short’s first issue may just be a rare treat. The stories, layered with suspense and sometimes, gripping first sentences (written under 300 words), make a reader wish there’s more. Take the beginning of ‘Pouched Secrets’ by Ekene Noel Eziogulu, for example: 

We woke up one morning to find out that grandma had died in her sleep.  

Architecture

On the pages of this magazine, one gets to travel the architect way. In a feature piece titled ‘Finding badagry’, Nigerian-born architect, Oyesina gives us a peek at the beauty that is seaside resort, Gberefu Waterfront, Badagry. There’s more by Adejoh Umar Odeh, and its focus is ‘Cheese Towers’, located in the central business district of Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.    

Artist interview

Arinze Stanley Egbe is responsible for the stunning cover art of this magazine, a portrait of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari. In his interview, the artist talks about his love for hyper-realistic art, working on the Buhari piece, the controversy it generated and more.  

The muse point

This space in Short Sharp Shot’s magazine, called ‘The Muse Point’, zeros in on artists and their craft. One of them is David Akinola who works predominantly in pen, pastel, and acrylics. There’s also Robin McIntyre who rediscovered drawing in April 2014 after an almost 25-year gap. 

Poetry

Poems aren’t left out of the mix. In Tomi Olugbemi’s ‘Why She Was Not Afraid of Death’ and Reuben ‘Rane’ Nyaze’s ‘Sunrise at Night’, you are swallowed up in a flow of words that leave you breathless. Take for instance, the last few lines in ‘Why She Was Not Afraid of Death’:

Two years later and the cancer has remitted. I am still that lonely lion cub, looking for a bosom to cuddle within.

There’s much more in Short Sharp Short’s first issue: Words entwined with art, drawings, photography, food art, and so on. So If there’s anything this material has, it is variety. But like everything else, it isn’t perfect. For example, the first edition deserves a title of its own. Or, perhaps Short Sharp Short is the concept title for this very first outing. Besides this, the editing is great and the stories and the drawings and photographs and articles are altogether a sweet experience.