Jordan is a half-Black, half-Ecuadorian writer/artist from Los Angeles, CA. He contributed a short story entitled "Emily Rages Against Her Machine" to Future Splendor!

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 Thoughts on Afrofuturism 

"The beauty of Afrofuturism, science fiction, and speculative fiction is that it allows us as black creatives to conceptualize the sort of future we want ourselves and others to experience. There is a power in fiction as it allows us to shun this perception of what we believe the world is, in favor of what we want the world to be. I believe this is valuable because living in modern society can feel a bit demoralizing if you pay any sort of attention to what's going on long enough. However, through storytelling, we can condition ourselves to believe that the world can be better and that ideas we once thought fictitious might not be as unobtainable as once thought.

Just as important though, however, I simply believe that speculative fiction allows writers to experiment in fun. One of my biggest complaints about the literature we read in academia surrounding the black experience is that it is usually catered to be bleak and harsh as a means of relaying our struggle. And while I do believe this is important, it can paint an overly negative portrayal of what it is to be a black person. We are not just our oppression, and we have stories to tell that are vibrant, funny, and full of the life that has allowed our people to overcome despite the harshness of our world."
 

 Major Influences 

"For “Emily Rages Against Her Machine” the main message was built around the idea that anyone can fight back. Emily as a main character, by her design, is not unique in any particular way. She’s an average 20 something that grapples with the same feelings of inadequacy and aimlessness that I know many of us do. But despite this, she overcomes her fears and takes a stand against her supernatural oppressors without knowing she can win. Too often I have allowed defeatist ideologies to keep me from acting, and as a result, I have missed out on opportunities to make a genuine change. It is only when I overcame this negative way of thinking, that I was able to stand up and put in the effort necessary to see any sort of ripple. The end results weren’t always what I expected, but I am better for having tried. Emily is imbued with this same mindset.

The influence on the story’s setting is inspired by the multitude of anime and cartoons I love so much. Despite the genuine pathos I wanted to convey with Emily, I never wanted the world itself to feel miserable and without creative fun. Sentient Giraffe Heads, little brothers stuck in television sets, Plant-Human Hybrid crushes; all of these were put in because they seemed like they would add colorful layers to the story. This goes back to my belief in the value of speculative fiction in terms of Afrofuturism. We should be allowed to show that there are struggles we must overcome by our nature, however, this does not mean there isn’t any joy to be had on the way there."
 

 Creative Writing Goals 

"Currently, where I am at right now, I want to further push this intersection of creative
writing and visual media. A lot of my work recently has been visual art pieces. While it may appear that I have forsaken the written craft, this is not the case. Fiction writing allows me to have a template for the art. I’m still writing, but instead of finalizing it into a story, I’m deconstructing it so it may take new form as an art piece. As far as tangible goals,  I want to have my writing/art be sustainable as a full-time pursuit, which entails having my work keep being published by magazines and organizations like Bee Infinite Publishing. Ones that have a similar vision for the betterment of BIPOCs through the use of art and storytelling."

 Connect with Jordan  via his website and on Instagram @mostlymildmidnightmocha