HIGHLIGHTS
A Few Favorites
AN APOCALYPSE: THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT… OR IS IT?
"Right now, the world feels chaotic, unsafe, and uncertain. COVID-19 has taken our graduations, internships, proms, jobs, religious meetings, and precious social time away from us, and while the majority of people understand that this is for the best, it can be disheartening to feel like you’re losing part of your life. For some, it may feel like your world is crashing down around you. Believe me, it isn’t. Many generations have tried and failed to declare their own doomsday, yet it never comes to fruition."
“WE ARE NOT GOING HOME:” A LOOK INSIDE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMEN AND THE SBC
"It was the shot heard round the Bible Belt when pastor John MacArthur targeted Beth Moore at an event meant to celebrate MacArthur’s 50 years in ministry. MacArthur and a panel of his cronies were playing a word association game when he was given two words: 'Beth Moore.'"
“LOSE ONE FRIEND, LOSE ALL FRIENDS, LOSE YOURSELF:” WHY PLATONIC BREAKUPS HURT AS MUCH AS BEING DUMPED
"We met when we were 11 years old. He was barely an inch taller than me and bore a strong resemblance to Captain America — before the super soldier serum. When I was with him, I felt understood. The longer we knew each other, the closer we got, and odds are if one of us was there, so was the other."
NONFICTION
A Selection of My Published Work
"DISNEY'S FOLLY:" SNOW WHITE AS AN ARTFORM
"It was a hot July afternoon when I was asked an unusual question.
'Can we watch Snow White?'
At first mention, this sounds like a perfectly average question for a child to ask his babysitter. However, given that young boys often have an aversion to anything without action, I was surprised and impressed at a seven-year-old’s interest in a movie that predates him by 75 years. Popcorn popped and movie selected, we reclined comfortably on the couch, his head on my shoulder.
'Miss Allie?' he said, about fifteen minutes into the film."
THE SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP OF POP CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
"You cannot live in today’s society and get off without having seen at least one movie about dystopian futures, superheroes, or aliens. To quote the Avengers baddie Thanos, “I am inevitable.” These movies have penetrated society so much so that there are three year olds running around calling themselves “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist[s]” and grown people with arms full of tattoos of superheroes and science fiction icons such as Darth Vader."
"Upon revisiting Kingdom Hearts as an adult, I was shocked by how I resonated with it differently. As I kid, I thought of myself like Sora, the hero of the story, but now that I am older, I remind myself of somebody else: Xemnas. Now, Xemnas is arguably the worst of the many antagonists that players are introduced to. He’s pure evil, convinced that he is incapable of feeling. He thirsts for power, determined to summon Kingdom Hearts, the source of all light, by stealing captive hearts from the heartless."
"Underground Atlanta is a ghost town. The shops are abandoned, and by the looks of the women’s room, the janitorial staff quit this place a long time ago. My friend, Emily, and I wander about until we find the staircase heading down towards a small paved outdoor area. As per usual, I am completely lost until Emily points me in the right direction. It’s not quite the same as 695 North Avenue, but I still feel the familiar surge of excitement upon reading ‘The Masquerade.’ The last time I attended a concert bearing that location on the ticket, my mom was holding my hand most of the time, and we were only there to keep an eye on my older sister. This time, I came to watch a friend from college, Maggie Schneider."
FICTION
A Selection of My Published Work.
"You owe it to yourself. See what’s out there for you in the world. Take a chance for once, but does it pay off? You’ll have to decide for yourself.
Nervous? Who wouldn’t be? You’ve never done anything like this before. All of your life you’ve played it safe. When other kids played kickball at recess, you sat in the shade. When your friends started breaking into their parent’s liquor cabinets, you were still trying to stomach the taste of coffee. When everyone else fell in love, you stayed at your parents’ house, clinging to your last hope that you might get a backsplash of that happiness."
TWO CALLS, ONE LIFE
"It was two months after Dr. King died when Mona got the call. She and Jay were enjoying a home-cooked dinner of collards, meatloaf and corn made from Mama Ethel’s recipe. Time together was rare; Mona worked nine to five, while Jay worked swing shift.
Jay was saying grace when the shrill rattling of the dial phone interrupted his amen. Mona looked at the phone and back at her husband. A call at this time of night was not normal for a Tuesday. Hesitating, Mona folded her napkin and sat it on the table."
FAMILY MATTERS
"The first time he hit me, I was in first grade. There had been spankings before, but nothing like this. My father had purchased himself a shiny wooden desk, like the kind you’d expect some government official or CEO to have. The rule was keep out of his stuff and out of his way, meaning that I had to admire the mahogany masterpiece from a distance. My sister, Daphne, didn’t take the same approach. Attention, good or bad, was what she wanted. I imagined what was going through her head as she dug through the pristine shine of the desk’s surface. Where had she found my father’s car keys? Why did she choose to write my initials?"
SAMPLES
Examples of Different Areas of Writing
