Contributor Interview: Zary Fekete

Zary Fekete's "The Things I Do Not Throw Away" can be found in the Winter 2026 issue of Broad Ripple Review.

What is your favorite punctuation and a literary hot take you have? 

My favorite punctuation are the ellipsis. I use them all the time for trailing, unfinished thoughts...or pauses :) My literary hot take: We learn early to crave stories that arrive with railings and exits, narratives that promise the dark will be brief and the meaning will announce itself on schedule. But the longer I live, the more suspicious I grow of writing that reassures too quickly, that smooths the surface of experience until nothing can catch or cut. Literature should not make the world feel manageable; it should make us more capable of staying awake inside it.

What inspired you to write “The Things I Do Not Throw Away”? 

My family and I moved to Tokyo at the end of the summer (2025) for work. I immediately noticed this interesting quirk of life in Japan: There simply are not many trash cans. I asked my Japanese friends about it, and they immediately singled out the saran gas attack in the subways from many years ago as the reason for this. So, as I became more accustomed to carrying around my trash with me (as does everyone here) I found the thoughts of this piece coming together to form something interesting.

What’s one change you wish to see in the writing/publishing industry for 2026? 

I'm not sure if this answer exactly fits your question...but I am most drawn to writing from the early to middle part of the 20th century or earlier. This applies whether we are discussing style or content. I have enjoyed emulating this from time to time in my own writing, but there doesn't seem to be much of a market for it. I believe there is something to be said for mining the past to describe the present. Old books can teach me so much more (at times) than new ones.

While researching, I found that you’ve worked in six countries, including Hungary and China! How would you say these countries’ cultures have influenced your writing? Are their literary realms vastly different from America’s? 

I am most familiar with Hungarian literature because I grew up there and attended several years of primary school in Budapest. Hungarian poetry is marvelous in how it picks apart the human perspective on life. The Chinese and Japanese writing I have read in recent years have mostly been memoir-type works, and they have given me a deep appreciation for life in those cultures. Personally I have truly enjoyed taking bits and pieces from my personal history in the many places I have lived and turning them into short pieces of nonfiction to describe life on earth.

I also noted that you love film! Have you ever dabbled in script writing, or would you ever consider it? 

I have! In fact, my main work is with a not-for-profit film production company. I have learned a lot from the experience of script-writing, but it is not my favorite way to express myself.

Now that “The Things I Do Not Throw Away” has wrapped up, what’s next on the writing docket?

I have a few pieces already accepted and on their way in 2026. I also have a book proposal that was accepted and which I am in the final stages of editing. That should be on the horizon for the latter half of the year.

Do you have any advice for upcoming writers looking to get their work published?

Everybody says this :)...but write and write a lot! It is so easy to learn by writing and submitting and following people whose writing you like. That's how I got into this and it has really changed my perspective on the world.

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About the Author

Zary Fekete grew up in Hungary. He enjoys books, podcasts, and many many many films. Twitter and Instagram: @ZaryFekete Bluesky:zaryfekete.bsky.social

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About the Interviewer

Ollie Sikes (they/them) is an evolving queer writer, editor, and creator based in Dallas, TX. They completed a double BA in Creative Writing and Theatre at Butler University. Besides volunteering with Broad Ripple Review, they also serve as Content Creator for the little things literary magazine. Their poetry has been published with Synchronized Chaos. You can follow them on Instagram @ollie.sikes.