A lesson on what happens when people refuse to think for themselves — That’s the Way We’ve Always Done It Have you ever read a short story that stayed with you long after you put it down? Since my high school days, “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson has been that story for me. Its unsettling message remains relevant: Our inclination to blindly follow tradition and give in to groupthink without…

Prioritize time to let your creative brain explore and innovate — Creating was Once Effortless Remember when you were a kid, and you’d dump out those large Lego blocks onto the floor and just start building? You weren’t sure what would come of it, but you trusted the process until something took shape. Within minutes, a perfect object was formed, and you felt brilliant. If…

A humorous novel about how we can ‘make mountains out of molehills’ to avoid examining the part we play in our troubled relationships — Meet Cara My name is Cara Romero and I came to this country because my husband wanted to kill me. Don’t look so shocked! You’re the one who asked me to say something about myself. Oh! Romero I’ve heard many fans of Angie Cruz’s novel “How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water,”…

And “Black Mirror’s” Streaming Service Plans to Let the World Know It Too — It’s no secret that your devices are all interconnected and constantly listening to you. It’s quite possible that they’re even recording and sharing every single thought you utter. And honestly, you don’t have the time, interest, or energy to go through those lengthy terms and conditions agreements. You simply click…

Experience the well-crafted descension of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Protagonist as it happens — John is a physician…perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster. The Yellow Wallpaper Published in 1892, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” is a horror short story by feminist writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman. We follow the steady mental decline of the unnamed main character who is ignored, dismissed and…

Do you own your narrative? — Homonymic words like trust, futures, bond, securities, and exchange carry significant meaning not only in the domain of finance but also in the realm of human interaction. In his Pulitzer prize-winning novel titled “Trust,” Hernan Diaz skillfully juxtaposes the cold language of commerce with relatable stories of frustration due to…

Check out what books are nominated before the winner is chosen — Even though I don’t follow literary prizes closely, I do enjoy watching booktubers organize their lives in order to read as many books on the longlist and shortlist respectively, before the official nominees are announced. I look forward to all of the related chatter-the reviews, discussions, and debates from passionate…

Why I decided to give 1Q84 another shot — Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!!! A few years ago in May, I struggled to get through Haruki Murakami’s novel 1Q84. When I first saw it at the bookstore, I was attracted to how its futuristic cover design showcased a pair of soulful, seeking eyes peering into mine. …

Learn more about an interesting genre of poetry — Happy National Poetry Month As this month of celebrating poetry comes to a close, I want to share a great find with you. I recently enjoyed reading “Black From The Future: A Collection of Black Speculative Writing”. Sprinkled between the unsettling short stories about malfunctioning humans and treacherous technology, are a few interesting pieces…