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The End of Innisfail
It’s been awhile since I’ve done a book review, mostly because my life is busy as ever and I don’t have as much time to get lost in a book as I would like. But, when given the chance to finally finish a series I’d been deeply invested in for years–and as an advanced reader–I…
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Book Review – Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Rarely do I come across a work that screams, “YOU WILL LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT ME,” the way Freshwater shouted from the proverbial book stacks. It’s taken me awhile to get to this review, simply because I found the book so indescribably powerful. It’s fierce, ferocious, ethereal, gritty, and magical–all at once. Ada, a troubled Nigerian…
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This Moment.
“I’m not sure I enjoy living through all this history…” — the resounding feelings of everyone collectively. I don’t like to write when I have to pry the words from my mind. Usually, if I have nothing wise or witty to say, I just try to refrain from leaving paper-trail proof that I, too, am…
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Stroke of Genius.
Ancient Romans believed that each of us was born with a ‘genius’ (from the Latin gignere, meaning “to give birth or bring forth”), a guiding spirit who provided us with our unique thoughts or abilities. This spirit defined us, and gave meaning to our lives. If we had a brilliant idea, it was due to…
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Character Lost.
This might be one of my first controversial posts. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love discussion, so please feel free to comment with your thoughts. If you follow me on Instagram, you may be aware that I’m currently amidst my first foray into Paradise Lost. I stumbled on a channel that does a…
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Rest.
Today’s #AestheticAdventure theme on Twitter is #Rest. But when I think about my character’s resting, it’s not about where they lay their heads or the few hours of sleep they accumulate every couple of days. For me, rest means a downshift, a moment where the tension of the story is ever-so-slightly relieved. In real life,…
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A Weekend in the Irish Otherworld
Nothing tugs at my heartstrings like mythology, and throughout the process of writing #theCollapse, I’ve discovered a bit of a passion for lesser known pantheons. I’m equally as prone to disappearing into a black hole of Wikipedia pages as I am to vanish into a well-written fantasy or historical fiction set against these beliefs, which…
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Here, there be Monsters.
As early as the first century, depictions of strange creatures began creeping in from the edges of our maps, showing territories of unexplored dangers. By the 1500s, one might find HC SVNT DRACONES on the dark corners of our globe. Later still, large swaths of wilderness bore only one warning: Here, there be Monsters. For…
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Israel & Missed Opportunities
Over the holiday, I’ve been reading Long Story Short: The Bible in Six Simple Movements by Joshua McNall. It’s a very enlightening little read for anyone who enjoys the Bible, reading, or storytelling, and I gifted it to my mom and my friend because I enjoyed it so much. As I was reading through the…
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“Don’t dream it, be it.”
There’s something appealing about starting over. So much so, that we have built it into our collective consciousness–we turn over new leaves, we get fresh starts, we make New Year’s Resolutions. History has the human race celebrating the ensuing New Year as early as 2000 BC (although back then, the calendar started in March). Our…
Illegibly K.M. West 