Ugliness The slime we smear across features Different than our own. Denying beauty In the face Of truth and varying tastes. Proclaiming permanence On changeable humanity. We say beauty Is skin deep But it is always there To be discovered In the unlikeliest of candidates Despite wrinkles Tears and cares Despite age Shape and size Despite … Continue reading Beauty and Ugliness
Tag: Culture
I wanted to spend some time looking at Christian engagement in culture and the arts, and naturally, I turned to C. S. Lewis to see what he might have to say on the matter. In his article, "Christianity and Culture," he explores whether Christians ought to be involved in producing culture in the first place. In response … Continue reading C. S. Lewis in Defense of Culture and His Vocation
Just wanted to share this thoughtful post on the difference between loving, judging, and condemning: Welcome back for the third and final part of this weekly series. In Part 1 I took a look at a quote from Marvel’s Civil War series and how certain aspects of it can be interpreted as relevant to … Continue reading When the World Says “Move”, Part 3 — The Scholarly Scribe
I've been writing a bit about race and racism lately, but one thing I haven't mentioned is how this could influence a novel. And, since my blog is primarily about writing, I figured it's something worth discussing. Many people feel that they need a racially diverse cast of characters to reach the modern reading audience. … Continue reading Does it matter if your novel is “Multicultural”?
I realized that I've been looking at racism a lot from an artistic and a personal viewpoint. But this doesn't always cover all there is to be said, so I wanted to look at it more philosophically. In the light of all that is going on in our country, there are many questions we have … Continue reading Affirmative Action and Our Hearts
I grew up watching LeVar Burton in "Reading Rainbow" and later, in "Star Trek" alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Michael Dorn. Skin color was about "significant" as pointed ears or angled eyebrows; it might set you apart and make you more interesting than the rest of the population, but nothing more. And I thought racism was dead. … Continue reading The Year I Learned What Hate Was
In the aftermath There is silence More tears than words. What can I say? What do I know? Never should this be Never again Never And yet it repeats Another city Another death. Murder dresses as self-defense And though we mourn And press all the right buttons, Like all the right pages, Do we … Continue reading Black Lives…We Need You
Recently, I took the plunge and bought a corset: a real, spiral steel boned corset, just like the Victorians wore, having been inspired by the fascinating journey in corsetry by Sarah Chrisman of This Victorian Life. And, for those who are curious, I was not raised in a conservative culture where skirts and dresses were … Continue reading Forgotten Truths about Corsets
Every fictional novel not set in contemporary times requires world-building. You might be able to "cheat," as it were, and do it via extensive research about what a past time period was like, rather than creating a brand new realm, but the situation is similar. Either way, the details are what sets your story apart. … Continue reading The Secrets to World-Building #amwriting #atozchallenge
Fantasy as a genre has become extraordinarily popular with young adults, movie makers, and television viewers. Its unique abandonment of the world we know lets you have complete control of the world you create--there are no true rules in fantasy. Which should make writing fantasy easier...right? I don't think so, and having read and reviewed … Continue reading On Writing Fantasy #atozchallenge #amwriting
Andrea Lundgren 