Morning Glories & Heavenly Blue

He’s part of the old order and he just didn’t have this particular insight or awareness that was needed to survive the empire and everything that was coming. He almost seemed naive (especially when he actually treated Maul as an ally and helped him or the way he believed staying out of trouble and being passive will keep them safe from the empire).

That’s why the things Maul said were so effective. He knew how the world works and used that to his advantage. Maul does have the ability to play the long game while Daki THINKS he does. Plus, it would’ve been heartbreaking for him to see his Padawan choose Maul over him. He was seeing her become more enticed by Maul’s methods. She was eventually going to leave him. I think that would’ve killed him too.

It’s admirable how Master Daki tried to hold on to his teachings and beliefs from the Jedi order that raised him. It’s not easy to be that committed and have faith in beliefs that don’t produce the immediate results he was hoping for. What was ironic was that Master Daki kept warning Devon about Maul’s nature, and yet he was left for dead because he didn’t remember his own advice.

I can hear the tree branches thrashing outside as I write this little monologue. The crisp clean air is riddled with thick rain drops tapping against my window. And before I know it, the restless leaves are whisked away by howling winds. The nights are now longer, the days are cooler, and the odd mixture of fear and anticipation is finally settling in. Yes, Autumn is now officially here!

This month always brings out our inner curiosities as the allure of a good story can never be resisted. Break out the fluffy blankets, cute button sweaters, and huge coffee mugs because this month, I can’t wait to share my amazing line up of recommendations that match the aesthetics of this bewitching season.

Hello, my fellow book lovers and story fanatics! 

Classes are starting again this week and with a gorgeous snow storm signaling the start of the new spring semester, I just want to bring up this really cool book that’s been lingering on my mind. As a terrified yet hopeful twenty - something - year old, I think now’s the perfect time to share all about Tillie Walden’s graphic novel, On a Sunbeam.

On a Sunbeam is an emotional space odyssey which evokes a sense of wanderlust and yearning through Walden’s artistic style of immersive, eclectic imagery and psychedelic coloring. This story features an amazingly realistic and endearing group of women who learn how to cope with the mistakes of their past, face uncontrollable challenges, and adapt to a new environment while creating loving memories together and sustaining strong connections with one another. This story delivers vast and fantastical settings that are both familiar and unique to the audiences; from the fast paced hallways of school drama to the dangerous curiosities of a forbidden territory, readers can look forward to the hypnotic experience Tillie Walden delivers when you open her graphic novel.  

This graphic novel is an exciting and astounding journey of self - discovery, relationships, perseverance, and courage as these characters plunge deeper into the mysterious unknown. It’s the kind of book that could help anyone confront their own insecurities and uncertainties regarding their future, yet it also offers a cool reprieve through lavish visual details and unique storytelling.

On a Sunbeam is a graphic novel that appeals to so many readers, like fans of Young Adult, New Adult, and Sci - fi, but I think Tillie Walden’s experience and versatile story telling not only explores a number of different genres like autobiographical memoir, contemporary fiction, and science fiction, but they all profoundly resonate with universal themes that audiences can easily connect to. So check it out and I know you’ll have a wonderful time indulging in this welcomed, new adventure.    

Welcome to the first ten days of the new year and we’re already seeing some mayhem and discord (the chaos, not the app). All bad jokes aside, I want to continue the hype train for one of the most - discussed, most recognizable movies of the new year: Wolfwalkers! 

That’s right! If enough people talk about it, then it will eventually attract some curious eyes and piqued attention. This audience member, speaking for myself and myself alone (maybe my best friend too), just couldn’t resist taking a full glimpse of this widely - renown gem. And the one to deliver this animated - fantasy adventure film was none other than director Tom Moore and his team from Cartoon Saloon whose work is getting better and more enjoyable with every release. 

This Irish folktale centers on a young girl named Robyn who lives in a bleak and dreary medieval settlement that’s overseen by the daunting Lord Protector. Her father is the hunter who is tasked by the Lord to exterminate all the wolves from the forest so they may expand their growing settlement. However, when Robyn sneaks away and follows her father into the mysterious woods, she encounters a strange girl named Mebh who introduces her to the beauty and magic that the natural and weird world possesses through the eyes of a wolf. 

The film is majestic, glorious, and evocative with its fluid animation, vivid colors, and stark imagery. Its visual story telling combined with its hypnotic music/ soundtrack and endearing characters does a great job with establishing tone and emotions which emphasizes the film’s settings and action sequences. Such as showcasing warm, vibrant colors which makes the autumn aesthetic of the forest really pop and then making that same forest look so mysterious and secretive at night that you could feel the wolves’ adrenaline and excitement rushing through your body as they explore the landscape and discover more about themselves. 

The narrative was definitely compelling but it did have some kinks to work out. It was a coming - of - age story where young girls, mostly Robyn though, are working through that tricky transition between trying to retain those important values of childhood like curiosity, willfulness, and confidence, while becoming aware of concepts like responsibilities, escalating situations, uncertainties, and carrying that overwhelming burden of figuring out what’s the best way to protect everyone. We get to witness all of these provocative thoughts in a sweet friendship between two young girls, a sweet bond between father and daughter, and a strong sense of community and protection through a pack of wolves. 

Now, here are the kinks: While it was realistic (and definitely refreshing) to see how even adults could falter and struggle during all these overwhelming situations with bigotry, rigid standards, and uncertainty, I didn’t like how the film tried to drop the main source of conflict with such a sloppy solution. The film tried to juggle so many thematic contrasts such as, nature vs civilization, wild vs propriety, freedom vs submission, Christianity vs Paganism, and responsibility vs. independence, etc. Even though most of these can be pooled into the same category of themes, I didn’t like how the film tried to convince the audience that they have to choose one or the other in order to be happy. It doesn’t resolve future conflicts that could erupt due to the same problems as before, no matter where they might go.

I don’t hate ambiguous, open endings, especially since everything came out to be all happy and hopeful, but I just wish there was some sort of understanding/symbiosis between the residents of the walled city and the inhabitants of the forest. (I’m not going to use the word ‘balance’ because that word gets way too overused). It would’ve been maybe a better message and interesting narrative route since they could’ve continued to build on what we already know and seen with the villagers that we did encounter (their goofy personalities, their prejudices, and strife they were struggling with). That’s one critique I had to rant about, just a little, but then again, the discussion of tough topics is not something that can be easily translated in a nearly 2 hour animated film. 

Overall, I give this film a solid 4 stars if this was a restaurant. But seriously, give this film a chance and watch it with some good company (friends, family, children, or someone who just loves good animated stories) and you won’t regret exploring this enriching, entertaining, and ethereal movie experience for the new year.  

I know she doesn’t respect me but it still hurts to hear her openly admit it to me. She didn’t even have the decency to look me in the eyes when she told me this. She was too busy playing with her new Nintendo Switch.

She’s 19 years old and I’m 25, but I still don’t know what I’ve done to make her hate me to such a degrading degree; She refuses to talk to me, refuses to listen me, refuses to even look at me when ever I try to include her into my life. She’s trying to erase my existence from her life as she ignores me everyday.

I told her that I don’t want us to be distant, I don’t want us to be such a broken family, but she just dismissed me with a shrug and a snide, clipped answer: our brother and our dog are enough for her. I’m replaced by a dog. I’ve been replaced by a dog.

I still love my sister. I admire her confidence, her intelligence, her unfiltered mouth. She enjoys so much freedom in her life without ever compromising her independence or submitting to authority. She’s always in control and if she can’t figure something out, she’s undeterred. She never stops that vivacious way of living.

I try to respect her. I try to give her space. I wait for her to come to me and let her know that she can lean on me, no matter what. But I’m tired of this indifference. I’m tired of feeling like the dismissive employee she can’t wait to fire. It’s hard being on the receiving end of this treatment, especially from family. It’s nice to feel like she can rely on her big sister, but that’s when she needs to find extra cash from somewhere.

I think, at this point, it’s better to be strangers with her than family. She’s always been nicer to strangers. We’re already at that point and I’ve just been slow with the uptake this whole time.