Fiction
Shadow at the Gate
On my way home from middle school, I spot what might be a possible shortcut to my home. Checking both ways, I cross to the other side of the street and kick the gravel where a sidewalk should be. A canal runs through a field and under the train tracks. Maybe I can go under the train tracks through the canal. That can save me a mile of walking five days a week, technically 180 days a year. That potential shortcut is worth exploring for one day.
By Eileen Davis2 months ago in Critique
The Dream We Can't Wake Up From
I remember leaving the theater after seeing Inception feeling like my mind had been put through a workout, but in the best way possible. On the surface, it's this incredibly smart and thrilling heist movie that just happens to take place inside the most fascinating dreams. The visuals are stunning cities folding over on themselves, zero-gravity fights in a spinning hallway—it’s the kind of spectacle that makes you remember why you love going to the movies.
By Zara Schwartz2 months ago in Critique
I rewatched Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012) serves as the conclusion to the massively popular franchise based on Stephenie Meyer's novels. Directed by Bill Condon, the film attempts to provide closure to the supernatural romance while delivering the spectacle audiences expected from a franchise finale. However, its execution reveals both the strengths and significant weaknesses that defined the series.
By Parsley Rose 3 months ago in Critique
The Last Bet
It was a gray evening in Paris when Julien entered the small café on Rue des Martyrs. The rain tapped against the window, soft and relentless, like time reminding him he was running out of it. He had one last envelope of cash — ten thousand euros — all that remained of his father’s inheritance.
By GoldenSpeech3 months ago in Critique
I went back and watched Twilight: New Moon (2009)
The Sophomore Slump New Moon, the second installment in the Twilight saga, attempts something genuinely daring for a blockbuster franchise: it removes its male lead for the majority of the film's runtime. This bold narrative choice serves the story's emotional arc but simultaneously exposes the franchise's structural weaknesses. In an era where young adult adaptations were rushing to capitalize on the success of the first film, New Moon takes the unexpected route of dwelling in darkness, depression, and absence—a risky gambit that doesn't entirely pay off.
By Parsley Rose 3 months ago in Critique
A Letter to the One
The chair under the canvas awning of the little taverna was always mine, reserved by habit or by hope. I brought books I never finished and letters I never sent, watching the island life swirl and stall. Today, Nisyros shone in that syrupy Greek light, the kind that makes stone shimmer and even the old bicycles look romantic. A breeze stirred the napkin on my table, teasing at the promise of a new beginning.
By Diane Foster3 months ago in Critique
If Great Dead Writers Were on Facebook - 5
When we think of great dead writers, we cannot of course leave out the great classical poets. I am not a poet myself and always struggle with writing poetry even in free verse. Well, I did get the haiku down, and there's a lot of various haiku on my profile here. Sometimes, I also get washed over by true inspiration or grief to churn out something reminiscent of poetry and even rhymed. But again, I am not a poet.
By Lana V Lynx4 months ago in Critique
Mark Twain: The Father of American Literature
When people talk about the greatest writers in American history, the name Mark Twain always comes up. Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who was born in 1835 in Missouri, USA. He became famous as a writer, humorist, and lecturer. Many readers around the world love his books because they are both funny and meaningful. He is often called the “Father of American Literature” because his writing shaped the future of storytelling in America.
By aadam khan4 months ago in Critique
