I recently read the piece “What Is It Like to Be A Man?” by Phil Christman, which I found to be insightful and, even if somewhat caught in a cul-de-sac of questions (not unusual for any piece trying to figure out these problems), thankfully shorter and less circular than many. One of the main points … Continue reading Speech, Power, Masculinity
personal essay
Notes from the Night Shift
Self-Portrait at Work On my first day at work, after my lunch break at 2:00am, I am locked out of the library where I am assigned to be trained. The radio I have been given doesn't work, but I am soon found by F____ who I am shadowing. F_____ is older, he has long grey … Continue reading Notes from the Night Shift
The Consumerism of Character
There's a unique phenomenon concerning the obsession with "Original Characters" on the Internet, where it seems to me like we've robbed characters of the elements that make them characters in the first place. Characters without character, so to speak. In narratology characters are often defined as actors or agents, vessels the move and develop the … Continue reading The Consumerism of Character
On the Subject of Yellow Paint
There's a story about how Van Gogh used to eat yellow paint. Yellow was his favorite color, and he thought it would make him happy "on the inside." I think about that story a lot when I'm depressed, and I appreciate the story but not the way it's usually told. It's always treated like such … Continue reading On the Subject of Yellow Paint
Pen and Screen 