There are certain memories of childhood that seem to invoke strong feelings of joy, sadness, or fear. I’m sure most could recall the first time they experienced the loss of a relative or pet, or the thrill of riding a bicycle without training wheels, or even a first crush. However, some experiences are so unusual and raw, that they imbed themselves like cancer, no matter how hard we try to forget.
I grew up in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on the corner of Washington street. Our home was a three-story red brick structure, a perfect house for a family of eight. From…
I never thought politics would come between me and my family, however, that’s exactly what happened. Growing up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, I’ve always had some interest in politics. Mostly, I kept my opinions and beliefs to myself. If someone asked, I always said I was a proud Democrat. I didn’t wave flags or scream from megaphones to get my voice heard, I just voted in every election.
On the other hand, my brother never showed any interest in politics. He thought all politicians were thieves and liars, and he never voiced his opinion on social media. Then, Donald Trump came…
WHAT IT’S LIKE TO DATE SOMEONE WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA
This is not your typical love story, however, there is nothing typical about love. Love is a hodgepodge of feelings and emotions that can cause someone to experience intense highs and extreme lows. A few years ago, I was depressed. This was not one of those moments of feeling sad that would last about a day or so and then go away, No, this was something more. I have never been one to ask for help. I always pretended things were fine even though they were falling apart. As Paul Simon said…
On his first full-length album, Poems of the Past, Canadian rapper Powfu navigates the trials of growing up with clever, poetic writing complemented by a catchy indie vibe.
Although the album only has six tracks to its name, with most of the songs clocking in at less than three minutes, Poems of the Past doesn’t waste any time with fillers. “I’m used to it” is the first track from the album, and similar to the tracks that follow, “I’m used to it” discusses the hardships of young adulthood, topics such as high school, breakups, and being bullied. The moody rap…
As far back as I could remember, I have always been an introvert. While the other school children were busy playing dodgeball at recess, I was more concerned about dodging human conversation.
Not to say that I don’t enjoy people, I just prefer their company from a distance. My mother insists that this goes back to my childhood. One might assume that being the youngest, in a sibling group of six, took its toll on me.
Not to say I was a victim, far from it. Time alone, allowed me to discover the invaluable importance of patience. While my peers…
Shopping for groceries has become a nightmare. I never really enjoyed it, to begin with, but now I despise it. One needs to prepare for shopping as if they are about to enter a warzone. But how do you fight an invisible enemy?
I put on my latex gloves, my homemade mask, and I hold my breath. I look over my shoulder, wondering who might be infected. Is it the elderly man, the one wearing the WWII veteran hat? Perhaps it’s the Chinese cashier? After all, Donald Trump did say this was a Chinese Virus, or did he say Chinese…
When people think back to the 90s, they tend to think of Bill Clinton, O.J. Simpson, The Gulf War, Friends, and Seinfeld. But Just like the 80s, the music of the 90s was an explosion of diversity. Whether it was rap, rock, grunge, or R&B, there was something to appease the taste of everyone. While MTV mainstreamed grunge bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Soundgarden, many great bands got overlooked. It wasn’t for lack of talent that some bands made it and others didn’t. The problem was that there was too much talent, and not everyone got…
The 1980s was a decade of unbridled creativity, and nothing showed the diversity of the era more than the music. The 1980s, more than any other decade in history, gave us a variety of music in every genre. With the launch of MTV on August 1, 1981, Generation Exers’ could watch music videos 24 hours a day, seven days a week (Mental Itch). No matter what genre you listened to, MTV had you covered. The 1980s saw the emergence of hair metal, rap, and new wave as disco fell out of fashion (History.com). MTV made household names out of Michael…
As the Raiders prepare to leave the Bay Area and head for Las Vegas, questions remain on who will be their starting quarterback come September. It remains to be seen if Derek Carr is a franchise quarterback in the NFL. The three-time Pro Bowler has broken some passing records, but he has also struggled under Jon Gruden’s system. In the past, Raiders head coach, Jon Gruden, has been an outspoken advocate for the 28-year-old quarterback; however, this is the NFL, and everyone knows that the NFL is a business.
Jon Gruden has shown that he is not afraid of change…
In 1992, Jon Krakauer was working as a journalist for Outside magazine, when he was asked to write a nine-thousand-word article about the life and death of Christopher Jonson McCandless, a young man who gave away most of his money and possessions and headed into the Alaska wilderness, alone. The article, which ran in the January 1993 issue of the magazine, generated more mail than any other article in the magazine’s history (Krakauer). Jon Krakauer’s obsession with Christopher McCandless’s life and death didn’t end with the Outside magazine article, instead, it became an obsession, retracing Christopher McCandless’s journey from beginning…
Michael Gabriel/ The Writer's Voice
Writer of fiction, opinions and everything else. Graduate of Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
