Columns

Fly on the Wall—Setting the Stage for Remembrance Day

The 1969 funk lyric refrain lingers in our cultural consciousness: “war, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing” (Star, 1969).  Yet, this Remembrance Day, aghast as we are at the continued inhumanity of humans to humans, we might recall that without war many bad deeds go unpunished.  Thanking our veterans reminds us that being Canadian… Read more »

Beyond Literary Landscapes—George Orwell

From my early beginnings as a young introvert, the public library has always been a bit of a refuge.  Years later, not much has changed, albeit with an additional affinity for endless hours spent scouring second-hand bookstores to add to my ever-growing “to-read” pile. From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and… Read more »

The Fly on the Wall—How Not to Be a Halloweenie.

Amidst gourds and ghouls and roasted pumpkin seeds our studies remain a lingering ghost within all that we do.  No matter our course load, or even if we’re between courses or embarking on personal research, the struggle to learn and grow runs headlong into the reality that life has oh-so-many distractions.  Proverbial dark forces seek… Read more »

[blue rare] An Autumnal Triple Treat

As far as I am concerned, the stretch of time between the end of summer and winter solstice is a time of lush moody liminality.  As the days grow shorter, the childish frolics of summer recede into the seemingly distant past like ghosts melting into the shadows at the corners of the bedroom.  Gone are… Read more »

Beyond Literary Landscapes—Oscar Wilde

From my early beginnings as a young introvert, the public library has always been a bit of a refuge.  Years later, not much has changed, albeit with an additional affinity for endless hours spent scouring second-hand bookstores to add to my ever-growing “to-read” pile. From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and… Read more »

[blue rare]—Getting By With the One Percent

“The saddest places in the world are graveyards,” my grandfather would often proclaim, “not because of all the lost lives, but because of all the wasted potential and unused talent crumbled into dust.” He was a very creepy and morbid old man, and often made statements like this. Still, he had a point, hadn’t he?… Read more »

Music Review—The Jellybricks

Artist: The Jellybricks Single: “Monday’s Never” The Jellybricks, hailing from the heart of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, are a seasoned rock band with a legacy spanning well over two decades.  They catapulted into the limelight with their 2019 release, “Some Kind of Lucky.”  The quartet comprises Larry Kennedy on guitar, Garrick Chow handling the bass guitar, Bryce… Read more »

Beyond Literary Landscapes—Brontë Sisters

From my early beginnings as a young introvert, the public library has always been a bit of a refuge.  Years later, not much has changed, albeit with an additional affinity for endless hours spent scouring second-hand bookstores to add to my ever-growing “to-read” pile. From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and… Read more »

Fly on the Wall—When Reality Rends Calamity as Entertainment

Between puppy videos and snazzy floral arrangements, the violent facts of the news invariably enter our mind’s fray.  Terrorists seizing hostages and destroying buildings full of people in Israel is the most recent harrowing barbarity.  Fake news and dubious facts give way when we see other people’s lives become all-too stark and harrowing and real. … Read more »