Nonfiction
The Fall of Arthur
The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R. Tolkien/Chris Tolkien Naturally I’d start this series with my hardest evaluation of the year. I snagged this copy from Shakespeare & Co in Paris to appropriately cap off a trip that included seeing the Bayeux Tapestry (a lecture series for a different time, but it’s so important to the fantasy genre).
By Matthew J. Fromm2 months ago in Critique
Atomic Shadows and International Security
Historical events can reveal information about the present when they are examined in their context. One such example is the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the people who burned that day, and the shadows they left behind.
By I. D. Reeves2 months ago in Critique
Fiction Workshop Winter Quarter 1998
I had to fight to take the class because I hadn’t completed the prereqs, and it was a 400 level class. I don’t think I knew I was pregnant yet; midterm was in late October, and I got pregnant the Monday after the Fleetwood Mac concert in Atlanta. The two friends I went with were my daughter’s godmothers at her Christening, but we fell out of touch, and neither are part of either of our lives anymore. It was also the Monday before Thanksgiving, which is another story for another day.
By Harper Lewis3 months ago in Critique
The Copper Switch — When Lincoln Wasn’t on the Penny
For most of us, the penny is so ordinary it hardly draws a second glance. A flicker of copper glinting in a tip jar, jingling in a pocket, lying forgotten on a sidewalk. Yet the story behind this tiny coin isn’t ordinary at all. It’s a time capsule of national identity, artistic debate, and one bold decision that forever changed how Americans see their money—and their heroes.
By Karl Jackson4 months ago in Critique
The Monster Under Your Bed Wants to Talk
As children, we're afraid of monsters under the bed; fear of the unknown. But we're told to face our fears because doing so usually means discovering that our fears are far worse in our minds than they turn out to be in reality.
By Xena Warrior4 months ago in Critique
Truth Demands Proof
I saw a post on Facebook where a man shared a letter he had sent to his elected officials calling for the impeachment of the sitting president. He claimed that the offenses were “so obvious” and “so well documented” that he did not even need to include them. That single assumption captured everything wrong with modern political thinking. When someone says “the reasons are obvious,” what they often mean is that they cannot defend them. Emotional conviction replaces evidence. The appearance of certainty replaces truth itself.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast4 months ago in Critique
Thunderbolts Movie Review
Let’s be honest... When I first heard about Thunderbolts, I didn’t think much of it. The marketing was practically nonexistent, the trailer didn’t shake the internet, and the cast didn’t seem to scream blockbuster. In fact, the characters themselves didn’t fit the usual Marvel mold, no overly polished, Hollywood handsome superheroes. Just gritty, damaged people. It felt… average.
By Louise Noel 5 months ago in Critique
