Person Seeking Comfort

Authors

  • Mare Jannicelli

Keywords:

Modern realism, Interior monologue, Routine and isolation

Abstract

Person Seeking Comfort is a quiet, emotionally resonant short story that follows Pepper, a solitary and sensitive office worker navigating life in a new city. Through richly detailed snapshots of routine—feeding a cat, riding the elevator, brushing teeth, daydreaming—the story captures the subtle ache of urban loneliness and the hope ignited by a fleeting connection with a stranger. Jannicelli weaves a narrative of internal longing, where everyday gestures (a smile, a compliment, a cup of coffee) become charged with meaning. With restrained prose and vivid interiority, the piece examines vulnerability, anticipation, and the fear of being forgotten. In the end, a small gesture—a tap on the shoulder—offers a spark of possible human connection amidst the fog of solitude.

Author Biography

Mare Jannicelli

Mare Jannicelli is a Rutgers-Camden alumnus who
graduated cum laude with a B.A. in English and a minor in
Film Studies in January 2022. They are originally from
Marlton, New Jersey, and now reside in Philadelphia.
Currently, they are enrolled in the master’s in library science
program at Rutgers New Brunswick with a concentration in
Archives and Preservation. They hope to obtain a Historical
Preservation Certificate and work in Media Preservation.
They hope the readers enjoy and relate to the experiences
within their story.

Cover of The Undergraduate Review, Fall 2021 edition, from the Honors College at Rutgers University–Camden. The top features the red Rutgers logo and text: “Rutgers University–Camden Honors College.” The background is a bold, colorful painting of a wide, orange-and-yellow dirt path or road stretching into a vivid landscape of green bushes and rolling hills beneath a blue sky. The title “The Undergraduate Review” and subtitle “Fall 2021” appear in white text near the center. “Volume 2, Issue 2” is displayed in the lower-right corner.

Downloads

Published

2025-06-25

How to Cite

Jannicelli, M. (2025). Person Seeking Comfort. The Rutgers-Camden Undergraduate Review, 2(2), 7. Retrieved from https://rcur.libraries.rutgers.edu/index.php/rcur/article/view/2229

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2021): The Undergraduate Review

Section

Articles