There was a moment at the zoo when you were three and a seagull swooped down and stole your hot dog, right in front of the flamingo exhibit. Thus began a trajectory toward self-awareness; of tracking and remembering our personal tragedies. These anecdotes are often fleeting, although some mark definitive junctures in life. Our new project, firstworldtragedy.com, is an ongoing journal that sets out to document both varieties.
A first world tragedy is a story of extreme self-awareness; an ironic reflection on the fallibility of everything, from saluting the seemingly superficial to parsing the traumatic. Of course, “tragedy” is almost always relative, so this site will attempt to document the nuance, humor and tenderness of the entire spectrum.
We would like your story. Share with us a first world tragedy that you have experienced in illustrative, photographic or written form. We’re certainly influenced by This American Life, McSweeney’s, Fray, FAIL, Lives, among many others — but the format is really up to you. Use 14, 140 or 1,400 words. A single photo or a series of drawings. We just ask that you’re honest and craft a compelling story.
E-mail submissions@firstworldtragedy.com and, while you’re out livin’ it up on the interwebs, tag your flickr photos and tweets #FWT. We’re happy to credit you, hyperlink you or keep you completely anonymous.
The site is in a state of incubation now but, with your input and submissions, we hope it’ll be pushed out to the real world soon.
— Tyson & Rachel