Cathy Cook
Not really. But this is an introduction to a poetry form that will force you (just like the pantoum) to embrace repetition. Story time. When I was in eighth grade, I had a MySpace page. I’m not even sure if MySpace exists anymore, my page certainly doesn’t. I wasn’t a very good MySpace user. I … Continue reading How to be a Rap God
I'm not an especially patriotic person. I stand for the national anthem, but I don't own any flags or flag related apparel. I love living in the United States, but I don't buy into the idea that it's the best place to live or excels in every area. The stats show us it's not. We … Continue reading Fireworks and Macaroni
The cilantro and parsley succumbed first. Their thin stems and curled leaves couldn’t muster the strength to keep standing and fainting and standing and fainting in the heat. When temperatures rose or the soil grew bone dry they collapsed, stems hanging limply over the side of their metal pots. Sometimes the limp plants became entangled, … Continue reading I miss my cactus
I'm planning to move soon, so I made a photo essay about my neighborhood. I live on a street filled with print shops, punk shows, stray cats, laundromats, and old friends.
When I was first introduced to this 15th century poetry form, I despised it with a burning passion. If I could print out all the pantoums in the world and set them ablaze, I would have. They're easy to write. They're near impossible to write well.
I didn't grow up in a big city. Las Cruces, New Mexico, population 100,000 and growing. But it wasn't tiny either. My bedroom window faced the street, so I was no stranger to the night time sounds of cars rushing past, the occasional siren, or motorcycle. I could hear the train whistle from my bathroom … Continue reading In the Absence of Sirens
Captain Jack Sparrow stumbled his way onto the big screen in 2003. At eight, I couldn’t imagine anything better than being a pirate (or a jedi, or a wizard—between Star Wars and Fantastic Beasts, I feel like my childhood movie going experiences are experiencing a renaissance). The Curse of the Black Pearl is a prime … Continue reading The rum is actually all gone, so is the magic
There are so many journals out there. So many online only magazines. So many poetry competitions, some of which offer substantial monetary reward, others are a waste of time and money. Once you have a carefully crafted poem, where do you send it?
13 Reasons Why has received a lot of criticism in blog posts, and on my Facebook feed for glorifying suicide. It’s the reason I avoided watching the show for over a month after its release on Netflix, despite its 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and Netflix’s insistence that it was an 83% match for … Continue reading Does 13 Reasons Why glorify suicide?
When it comes to the ass kicking, cross wielding blonde icon that is Buffy Summers, I'm behind the curve. I didn't watch Joss Whedon's 90s supernatural teen drama until 17 years after it came out. In 2014, I spent much of my spring semester binging my way through Buffy episodes, debating the benefits of Angel … Continue reading Buffy on the Page
