What does the world mean to you if you can’t trust it to go on shining when you’re not there? In birding there is an expression used to refer to the species that drew someone to become a birder, what we call a spark bird. While I doubt there is such a phrase for someone’s first beloved poet, I think that many of us have a poet who sparked that love for the literary form. There were poets I had enjoyed before – Rupi Kaur, Rabbie Burns – but none for whom I hold a love so deep

If you didn’t know already, Mary Shelley wrote the classic, Frankenstein. I originally sat down and read Frankenstein only because of Mary Shelley herself. I became obsessed with her life after watching the 2017 movie that Hulu made about her. That was only the start of my deep dive into her life. So, I’ll tell you some interesting facts I have gathered over the years and maybe it’ll persuade you to read Frankenstein as it did for me. She originally published Frankenstein ano

As cold weather and colored leaves begin to make an appearance, a new season begins: Fall. And with a new season comes a new playlist. Many people love making playlists for fall or listening to albums that are dubbed as “fall albums”, such as Ultraviolence by Lana del Rey or Kanye’s Late Registration. However, it’s always refreshing to hear some new tracks. Below are some essential songs to add to your fall playlist. “Pirouette” by Chiiild Album: Synthetic Soul, 2020 Best par

In 2006, Disney shocked America. Just two years after the third previous installment of the legendary low fantasy DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie), Halloweentown, the series returned with its fourth and final film, aptly named Return to Halloweentown. As one might imagine, it was an expected and highly anticipated release. But when the movie aired in the midst of Monstober, millions of children across the world had their fears realized. They’d seen it in the commercials b

Tis the season of tricks or treats, and that means that everyone will be watching their favorite Halloween movies or specials from their childhoods. October is a month where nostalgia takes hold, and childhoods are revisited through specials such as Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, and other Halloween related shows. One in particular however has seemed to stand the test of time, and open the floodgates of nostalgia to many people around the globe. The special I am tal

I slouch into a tasteful but uncomfortable bench, compulsively rubbing my sticky fingers together like a horsefly. A minute ago I was clutching a stale jelly donut with both hands, using it to separate myself from the teeming noise around me. Unfortunately, I got hungry. I bought an iced coffee, but there must have been some miscommunication somewhere along the line, because what it really is is hot coffee with an iceberg on top, so that the first half-inch or so is what you’

I don’t think there is anything a baby can give me that I want. Maybe a laugh sometimes—in a crowded church or store or plane, crying its little heart out. I love the way it stops sometimes to catch its breath, then resumes the alarm, unaware of or maybe relishing the closed-eyed, sometimes-silent sighs of its frustrated audience. It’s funny that a baby—a powerless (powerful?) baby—can make a room full of people so angry and so quickly. “God, won’t this baby shut up?” “Where’

Photography as an art is fairly straightforward: you take an image, you edit it or print it or post it, and others can interpret it or it can be just for yourself. People who pursue photography as a career often center on a common theme or passion of theirs and then extrapolate on that particular focus through their work. People who pursue wildlife photography as a career follow this same vein, and those who pursue it to a more advanced degree, beyond taking photos of the ani

Contains spoilers for Fight Club (1999) In 1999, three years after the release of Chuck Palahnuick’s novel, Fight Club was adapted to the screen by revered filmmaker David Fincher. Contrary to the current admiration of the film, the initial release received little praise. In addition to being a box office failure, Fight Club was one of the most controversial film releases of the year due to its humor, violence, and twist ending. Yet, twenty-three years later, the film is cons

The horror world is no stranger to the vast impact that A24 films have had in the genre. Films like Ari Aster’s Hereditary and Midsommar or Robert Eggers’ The Witch have dominated the discussion of horror and now Ti West’s franchise X is at the forefront of the horror community. X was released in March of 2022 and its prequel Pearl was released soon after in September, marking a fairly quick release and turnaround. X and Pearl both play homage to the slasher genre as the film