By Alex Andy Phuong A prevalent theme in literature and poetry is the idea of opposites. Famous examples include Marianne and Elinor Dashwood in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, and various character foils in novels like Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations. Because it is such an effective technique, contrasting ideas have the ability to reveal universal … Continue reading Contrasts, Opposites, and the Need to be Different
Water and Living Instead of Feeling Frozen
By Alex Andy Phuong Water A fundamental fact is that water provides life. It can cleanse the body and clean up messes. Water is essential because everyone is a filthy creature by default. Ironically, water can also cause death. That was why more than a thousand people perished when the Titanic sank in 1912. … Continue reading Water and Living Instead of Feeling Frozen
Dinnertime Dogma
By Carol Glick The other night, Shankar Vedantam from NPR's Hidden Brain paddled down the iPhone-podcast stream and docked at my dining room table. I welcomed Mr. Vendantam. He demanded nothing of me other than an open mind and a listening ear. His digital presence removed the pressure to social distance. Best of all, the … Continue reading Dinnertime Dogma
Having an Education and Other Prose by Alex Andy Phuong
Having an Education Ever since I was six years old, I strived to emulate the teachers who inspired me to become the educator that I am today. Ironically, I did not like to read when I was a child. Nevertheless, I still went on to earn college degrees in English, and currently work as an … Continue reading Having an Education and Other Prose by Alex Andy Phuong
When You Are Gone, You Are Not Gone
By Tabassum Tahmina Shagufta Hussein Those who say about thee with words of despair, Merely weave walls of words- You are not insane, Oh my love, Talk to me for a while and bless my heart at times, With your pain. Sit with me, feel the gentle breeze, Can you listen to the sound of … Continue reading When You Are Gone, You Are Not Gone
The Song That Woke Me Up
By Alex Andy Phuong For the longest time, I viewed life with an existential perspective as I previously believed that life simply has no meaning. Lost and confused, I doubted the possibility that there is a reason for why I live. However, the simple act of curiosity helped me experience what I … Continue reading The Song That Woke Me Up
Prose by Alex Andy Phuong
A Garden in the State of California I am outside near my lemon tree. Sunlight shines upon my body. I express gratitude for having Vitamin D flow through my veins. I breathe air to survive as well as thrive. I walk on the grass, and feel the Earth beneath my feet. I am getting older, … Continue reading Prose by Alex Andy Phuong
Parallelism Between Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” and Ahmed’s “Moirae.”
By Mehreen Ahmed When the stream of consciousness technique was first introduced at the turn of the 20th century, it was difficult for many publishers to accept it. Mainly because, such a style endorsed ungrammatical choppy sentences, and sentences that had not made much sense. After James Joyce, finished and published Ulysses, it was almost … Continue reading Parallelism Between Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” and Ahmed’s “Moirae.”
Achieving My Own Great Expectations
By Alex Andy Phuong A boy named Pip had once realized that, “In attempting to become a gentleman, I had succeeded in becoming a snob.” That character is the anti-hero in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Studying that novel was a huge burden on me for more than just its sheer length. I encountered difficulty while … Continue reading Achieving My Own Great Expectations
I Tried An Internet Challenge and It Went How You’d Expect
By Thomas Page Self-Imposed challenges exist in every corner of the internet. If you were to look back, you would find people planking on top of garbage cans, standing still while a camera zooms around them, and, supposedly, eating laundry detergent pods. While most of these challenges exist in tandem with hashtags that are … Continue reading I Tried An Internet Challenge and It Went How You’d Expect
