Over a decade ago, I thought art was beyond critical reproach. A creation is just whatever an artist can dream up, so naysayers should stop being so critical, right? But these days I have been thinking: how can a critic analyze a work of art if it is neither subjective nor objective? After all, somebody will always come around and say, “Well, man, all art is subjective, so there’s that…” And, there’s actually a fair amount of discourse on the subject.
Continue reading The Duality of Art: Subjective vs. Objective PerspectivesTag Archives: Writing
“Fall, Leaves, Fall” by Emily Bronte: Analysis
Fall is certainly one of the best times of the year. Yet, it is strange how it differs from city to country, from sidewalk to path. The colors pop a little harder in some places, and a little less in others. With it, however, is that feeling that the winter is on its way, and that the season is forever shifting onward without you. Poets really have a way with saying one thing and meaning another. In this post, we are going to analyze “Fall, Leaves, Fall” by Emily Bronte.
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Ray Bradbury’s “The Lake”: Processing Trauma Through Writing
I was Up North with my family last week and we spent time down by the water (Burt Lake and Lake Michigan). Sitting in the sand one night, I watched my wife walk along the shore looking for Petoskey stones. She didn’t find any, but she did remind me of Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Lake” from his collection The October Country, which has so much to do with the water and the memories we make in life–traumatic or not. In this post, I would like to talk about Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Lake” and how it can help us with processing trauma through writing.
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The continuing horror of ‘More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’
Nightmare fuel is kind of my buzzword for Halloween, used in the best possible way of course. Previously, we analyzed Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. In that post, we discussed Alvin Schwartz’s nightmarish tales and Stephen Gammell’s tremendously monstrous artwork. The sequel is without a doubt similar as the first book. Yet, sometimes the stories and images are even darker than the previous offering. In this post, we are going to look at More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Schwartz.
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Why Bigfoot Remains a Captivating Legend Today
Legends are a big part of oral storytelling. They help humans understand their past and create engaging stories where there are none. The folkloric Bigfoot is such a story because of its plausibility and what it symbolizes in the vast American wilderness. In this post, we are going to define a legend and see how Bigfoot fits within that definition.
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‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’: Disturbing Imagery and Delightful Tales
There are foundational books that shape the way we think about the world around us when we are kids. Some of those books are childish, such as Clifford or Amelia Bedelia. Meanwhile, some of those books are far more adult, like Goosebumps or the book we are analyzing today, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
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“The Dead Zone” by Stephen King: Alienation and Recovery
In talking about books written by Stephen King, I think there is some trepidation when it comes to listing one’s favorites. There are just so many great novels in his horror canon. Nonetheless, I am always quick to point out The Dead Zone (1979) by King as one of my favorites. I read it when I was in my early 20s. I remember staying up night after night reading it until I had completed it in a sad, bleary-eyed mess. It was a fantastic experience.
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Richard Wright: author of “Black Boy”
In today’s post, we examine the life of Richard Wright, who wrote an extremely influential novel about the Black American experience. This novel is called Black Boy. Wright was a complex figure who participated in communist communities post-World War I. He cared deeply about the treatment of blacks at the hands of white society and wrote for social reform and justice.. Much like other authors in a similar genre, he wrote about his passions and what he believed needed to change in the world around him.
Continue reading Richard Wright: author of “Black Boy”Author Biography: Richard Wright’s Impact on Black Literature
In today’s post, we examine the life of Richard Wright, who wrote an extremely influential novel about the Black American experience. This novel is called Black Boy. Wright was a complex figure who participated in communist communities post-World War I. He cared deeply about the treatment of blacks at the hands of white society and wrote for social reform and justice.. Much like other authors in a similar genre, he wrote about his passions and what he believed needed to change in the world around him.
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The Reclusive and Complex Thomas Pynchon
There is an interesting story about science fiction author Thomas Pynchon that is a little hard to verify—because it’s probably false. But here it is anyway: the author of the book V, Thomas Pynchon, was sitting quietly in his hotel room one day waiting to meet with a publisher. Suddenly, there came a knock on the door, loudly abrasive, and the voice behind demanded an audience. It was a reporter. And he wasn’t going to leave until he got at least one picture of the famously reclusive author. Instead of entertaining this bit of mania, Pynchon instead chose to jump out of a third-story window from the hotel and into a tree. He shimmied down and ran to freedom.
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