ALT Promotional graphic for a Substack essay titled Persona Non Grata: Nullius Loci. Against a muted grey background, a dark-skinned hand extends from the left and a light-skinned hand extends from the right, their fingertips meeting in a composition reminiscent of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam. The monochrome image suggests themes of race, exclusion, belonging, and shared humanity.

ALT Cover image for an article titled “Volk: The Albedo Breach.” A close-up photograph of a water droplet splashing into a dark, reflective surface creates concentric ripples across the frame. The title appears in large white text in the upper left, with the website address “suswatibasu.substack.com” displayed near the bottom. The image has a cool blue-gray color palette and a calm, atmospheric feel.

ALT Black-and-white photograph of a heavily overcrowded open-backed vehicle, with a dozen or more people packed tightly together under a worn tarp roof. Most passengers are standing or crouching, pressed shoulder-to-shoulder and holding onto the frame. The image is viewed from behind, emphasizing the cramped conditions and lack of space. Large white text at the top reads “Model Myth” and “Palimpsest,” and a website watermark appears along the bottom left.

ALT Liminal yellow spaces

ALT Cover image for a poetry piece titled Flattening and Friction, with the subtitle Notes on emotional blunting. White text appears in the upper left against a calm seascape: a flat horizon divides a pale blue sky and dark blue water with gentle ripples. The minimalist image evokes stillness, distance, and emotional numbness. The website name “suswatibasu.substack.com” appears at the bottom left.

ALT Collage-style graphic featuring repeated close-ups of a person’s mouth and tongue in warm reddish tones, creating a layered, distorted pattern. White text in the upper left reads “Erasure” with “Harvesting” below it, and the bottom shows “suswatibasu.substack.com.”

ALT Black-and-white close-up of a person’s lips whispering into another person’s ear, with overlaid text reading “Valentine’s Day: An oral tradition” and the website “suswatibasu.substack.com.”

ALT A retro black Sony Walkman cassette player with orange-padded headphones against an orange background. White text at the top reads ‘Be kind and rewind – A mixtape no one asked for.’ At the bottom, the URL ‘suswatibasu.substack.com’ is displayed.

ALT A black-and-white image of several birds in mid-flight against a cloudy sky. The title “Lost Boy” and subtitle “A Migration” appear in bold white text at the top left. At the bottom, the text “SUSWATIBASU.SUBSTACK.COM” is displayed.

ALT “A person in a uniform plays a large bass drum with a mallet. The black-and-white image includes overlaid text reading ‘Baseline – Off-measure’ and a footer with ‘suswatibasu.substack.com.’”

ALT A dark, dramatic artwork shows a woman lying on her side across a bed, draped in a pale, flowing garment. Above and behind her, shadowy winged figures loom in the darkness, creating an atmosphere of nightmare or supernatural oppression. Overlaid text reads “Incubus” and “Requiem for a Lost Dream,” with a website address at the bottom.

ALT Two hands gripping each other’s forearms against a dark background, with the text ‘Beware of the Trojan Horse: How trust can become a trap’ displayed above and a web address at the bottom

ALT A lone hand reaches out of dark, choppy ocean water under a cloudy sky. Overlaid white text reads: “Substack burns you out while pretending to be your mate. Welcome to the rat race.” The URL “suswatibasu.substack.com” appears at the bottom.

ALT A digital graphic featuring a painting of a white vase filled with blue irises, rendered in expressive brushstrokes. Overlaid text at the top reads “Self-Portrait” and below it, “A Study of Irises.” At the bottom, the URL “SUSWATIBASU.SUBSTACK.COM” appears in small white lettering.