THE B-SIDE

A moody illustration of a girl in a forest looking at three paths before her. Golden light shines through the trees on the right side illuminating the path on the far left. In gold above her are the words "The Epiphanies B Side"

We spend our entire lives waiting for epiphanies: what to major in, who to love, when to leave. The wait can feel like wandering through a dark forest, stumbling over what we hope is the right path to where we’re meant to end up. In reality, we have no idea where we’re headed until the divine light of epiphany illuminates the road ahead. It determines which way we go, what alternate futures we leave behind and who we become at the end of the line. Sometimes, it finds us early without fuss. Other times, it only appears after we’ve seen the same tree for the fifth time or when we’re screaming and clawing for the light to shine in the darkness. Who would we have been if it only came sooner? What might we have morphed into if we had never seen it at all?

The deafness works on both sides. Epiphany might have left breadcrumbs toward the light that we simply stomped over on our way down the wrong path we were too stubborn to get off. It might have come in the form of a dead end in the tree maze, turning us away until we bring our sharpest ax to take it down. Dead ends might appear again and again until we’re too tired to lift the blade anymore. Oh, what catharsis it brings to drop the ax altogether. 

There is an infinity of epiphanies to be had in a lifetime, one for each possible path born of each possible decision we could make from where to go for dinner to what classes to enroll in. It is the realization of right or wrong, truth or falsehood, joy or despair. In the end, it’s what we do with it that matters. How will we fashion these threads of celestial verities into the tapestry of our lives? Some of the Arts Section’s most enlightened writers have graciously shown us their unique tapestries. With any luck, we can use them as roadmaps out of the woods and into the light. 

Senior Arts Editor Mina Tobya can be reached at mtobya@umich.edu. 

Moody Illustration of a man on a laptop with himself on his laptop on the screen. In place of hair, there is an octopus on his head emitting a bright golden glow
Watching me watch myself
Thejas Varma A moody illustration of an open book. A hand is hovering over it holding a pencil. There are a set of drawn eyes on the pages, a strange liquid dripping from the center and a golden glow emanating from the book.
This author and the tradition of reading as study
Cecilia Ledezma A moody, desaturated illustration of ripped pieces of paper that make the quote "I think you have to have faith in people before they earn it. Otherwise, it's not faith, right?" with hands putting it together. The pieces of paper with the words "faith" emit a golden glow.
Reflections on my favorite quote
Graciela Batlle Cestero Digital illustration of Jo March holding a glowing ornate mirror which shows a reflection of Amy March
How ‘Little Women’ made me question who I was
Jenna Jaehnig A moody illustration of a girl kneeling in front of a pink doll house. The background is dark but the dollhouse is giving off a golden, glowing light.
I knew everything at 18 and nothing at 22
Serena Irani Moody Illustration of a man standing in the center of a runway stage in the middle of a forest. There is a gold glow around the edges of the stage.
The trans epiphany
Max Newman Illustration of a scene from The Good Place with a woman in place of the character Eleanor staring into the exit of heaven which is emitting a bright golden glow
Finding my Good Place
Avery Adaeze Uzoije Moody illustration of a girl in a dark room staring out the window which is shining with a gold light. In front of her are the window curtains, torn down in a heap.
The moment I let the light shine in
Eliza Shearing Moody close-up illustration of a person's eyes with tears flowing from them emitting a golden glow.
Alone with my familial epiphanies in an AMC ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ screening
Saarthak Johri A moody, desaturated illustration of a photo of a baby sitting in her grandfather's lap. There is a bright golden glow surrounding the grandfather.
My grandfather’s daughter
Mina Tobya A moody, desaturated illustration of a pride flag emitting a bright golden glow.
On coming out
Holly Tsch