March 10, 2022
The Beast
As me and my own blood were bornTo wait the Beast’s return,We happy few with no oath swornDo ponder when to learnDo we forgive the sinners’ past –Relieve them of their pain?All those who lived in glory vast?All those who died in vain?Those husks of flesh with eyes alike,Perspectives ever bent,Like us did face His coming pikeTo be ripped of consentOur thoughts at pause by darkened skyBy brewing storm of hasteAlas, I’ll stand before Him highAnd for my son encased
—Jake Puestow, Poetry Editor
Ryan Renolds is known to most as the voice (and face) behind the Marvel superhero Deadpool. An actor who made his box office debut in 2004, in Blade Trinity, Reynolds voiced the Nintendo character Pikachu in the film Detective Pikachu. He has also been in plenty of other comedy and action films. Deadpool, to this day, remains one of his most-loved roles with how he fit it so snugly.
Believe it or not, Professor Roshelle Amundson taught in multiple settings for about ten years, in addition to her teaching practicum, before becoming a college instructor. However, no amount of preparation calmed her nerves. She recalled feeling like an “imposter,” imperfect and afraid of losing credibility with her students for simple mistakes—a common feeling for new teachers. It wouldn’t be until she learned to be transparent and honest with her students about being imperfect that she began to truly feel she was in the right place. In fact, students were able to appreciate her more and open up about their own struggles when she did this, creating safe and encouraging environments for learning.
If you’ve ever taken a creative writing class with me, you know that all roads lead back to Star Wars. Not the prequels, which I largely ignore, nor the sequels, which I pretend do not exist, but the original trilogy released starting in 1977. 
This thriller follows Qiwani, a disabled newspaper man at the local train station, as his romantic obsession with a rogue saleswoman, Hannuma, becomes deadly. A spectacularly shot Hitchcockian-style thriller, Cairo Station leaves you with this uneasy feeling suspecting that something, somewhere is going to happen. Finishing off with an ending that’ll leave you on the edge of your seat, this is one you won’t want to miss if you’re a lover of suspense. Watch now on Netflix. 
This film follows the court trial of Hossain Sabzian, a man who impersonated a famous Iranian director—Mohsen Makhmalbaf—to gain the trust and admiration of a random family. Somehow both a documentary and a drama, this is more of an engaging discussion of film and its impact on people. For any lovers of the art of cinema, this is especially one that you won’t want to miss. Watch now on Amazon Prime. 
Are you familiar with Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, released as a series in 2020? Did you know it was previously a novel? Celeste Ng’s novel by the same name is the captivating story of the power struggle between a non-traditional mother and a “white picket fence” mother in the not-so-distant ‘90s. While they duke it out to either “prove” or “disprove” the best way to raise a child, their kids learn what it means to live, to love, and all the struggles that come with becoming young adults in a world that believes in conformity at all costs. The author plays with the idea of breaking the societal expectation boundaries by becoming a traveling artist while her daughter is still an infant. They decide to settle down for the first time in a sleepy little town of upper-middle class citizens where life appears to be perfect. Almost everyone graduates high school, attends a prestigious college, and starts a family soon after. What happens when these two worlds collide cannot be undone. Romantic entanglements, family neglect, and secret pasts finally bubble to the surface for all to see. What’s more important? Fitting in or giving your child the best life you can give them?
Are you looking for new book to read? Look no further than the Pride Center’s queer book of the month: The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall. The novel tells the life story of Stephen Gordon, a lesbian born to a wealthy family in the twentieth century. Filled with many depressing twists and turns, the book shows the sadness that could come from living in a time where being queer was criminalized. Despite its overall emotional story and somewhat controversial content, the book was historically significant as one of the first modern novels about lesbians. Stop in by the Pride Center (M-145) lending library to check out The Well of Loneliness today! If the copy is gone, there are over 200 other queer-friendly books to choose from.