Yesterday was my birthday. Today is 9/11. Yesterday, too, was Rosh Hashana, the New Year in the Jewish calendar. And next week is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The bitter and the sweet. There’s something poetical about that. Solidarity in Sorrow Something that many people remember about the weeks surrounding 9/11 was that our fractured nation came together in grief. People stopped in the supermarkets and were tender; you didn’t get road rage at the slow car before you;... Read more
“I don’t know why I’m crying,” I thought as I stood in my foyer, staring down at the birthday StitchFix box, a necklace in my hands, my tearstained face half-visible in the mirror. White buds dangled from my ears, playing “Our Time” on repeat from Steven Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along. A song I hadn’t listened to in perhaps a year, from a musical that moves backwards in time from the destruction of decades’-long friendships through to this song, where... Read more
As some of you may know, I’m currently – of my own free will – in a ridiculous, exciting, absurd, and impossible endeavor of putting up four of my verse plays (two and a half of which are still in development) this October. “Emily!” You may say, along with my mother who is doubtless shaking her head. “Why?” “Why not just do one play? The one that’s done and polished?” “Preferably written by someone else?” “Why put yourself under so... Read more
What is the purpose of a villain? Most story structure classes, including my favorite Aristotle’s De Poetica, will tell you that the purpose of a villain is to thwart the hero’s objective. In fact, in the classic seven story point structure, the villain shows up at points 3 & 5 explicitly to ruin whatever quest the hero is on. Thanos and his progeny, in the recent Infinity War and other MCU movies, have served as classic villains for most of... Read more
How in the world can any sane person stay Catholic? Between the in-fighting, the factions, the pedophilia, the cover-ups, the abuse, the scandal, the politicking – how can any sane person stay Catholic? Or rather, why would any sane person stay Catholic? Many friends have been pondering this question, while many friends who’ve left the faith breathe a sigh of relief and offer a way into some sort of safety in this valley of tears. Others, in typical fashion, go... Read more
Recently, upon the advice of a friend, I watched the sci-fi dystopian film High Rise, starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Luke Evans, Sienna Miller and Elisabeth Moss. I’m a sucker for a good sci-fi film, particularly one that ponders the exigencies of life or, even better, is downright allegorical – but about halfway through the film, I found myself sighing and throwing my iPad across the bed, the way I often do with those same sci-fi films. But why? High... Read more
When I was 16, I sublocated my knee. It was at an end of the summer dance at choir camp. The twist came on, and I twisted one way, while my right knee twisted the other. Before I knew it, I was on the floor, staring up at a very unfamiliar, and extremely handsome young man, who was gaping down at me. “Do you need help?” he managed to squeak. I blushed, feeling rather stupid in front of this gorgeous... Read more
Hello, friends! You asked, I answered: Thanks to YOU, we surpassed our first goal on Patreon and now yours truly will be making sure that you get at least two articles a week for your enjoyment. (Phew!) In the meantime, to make sure you never miss an article, whether it’s published here, as a review on Classical NYC, or a thinkpiece on Howlround, make sure you follow my Patreon page to get the link round-up! CHECK IT OUT. But What... Read more
CONTENT WARNING. My uncle is a rapist. An incestuous rapist, if we want to be precise, and we do. An incestuous rapist who has dabbled in bestiality, if we want to get right down to it. And we are. An incestuous, bestial rapist, known by his victims, by his children, by his family, by his wife, by his mother, by his dog, possibly by his neighbors as such – a known sexual predator… …Who is not in jail. He is... Read more
Looking for something to watch when you Netflix and chill? Here’s a quick take on two stories about complicated romances available now on streaming. As well as some thoughts about the real-life dangers of believing in romance as possession. WARNING: Some light spoilers ahead… . . . AN EDUCATION, based on a true life event, about a 16 year old British girl who gets seduced by an older man who turns out to be a con artist and an adulterer.... Read more
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