And Not to Yield

"Money is a mind, the oldest artificial intelligence. Its prime directives are simple, its programming endlessly creative. Humans obey it unthinkingly, with cheerful alacrity. Like a virus, it doesn't care if it kills its host. It will simply flow on to someone new, to control them as well. City Hall, the collective of artificial intelligences, is a framework of programs constructed around a single, never explicitly stated purpose: to keep Money safe. What would it take to rival something so powerful? What kind of mind would be required to triumph over this monstrosity? What combination of technology and biology, hope and sickness? How can we who have nothing but the immense magnificent tiny powerless spark of our own singular Self harness that energy, magnify it, make it in something that can stand beside these invisible giants, these artificial intelligences, weighty legal words on parchment and the glimmering ones and zeros of code in a processor somewhere? You sco...

I have been meaning to make this post for three months, but I stand by the premise. If at all possible, go watch these three movies on a big screen with a big speaker and some overly-salty junk food. I promise you, it's how they should be watched. Black Panther You thought the three-month comment was a joke, huh? Nope, I've been meaning to write about the awe-inspiring Black Panther movie since I watched it. So much has been written about it now, much of it really beautifully complex, and all of it by people smarter than me, so go read all those thinkpieces about Killmonger and T'Chaka and Wakanda's places in narrative and morality. Gosh, this was a stunning movie: the sumptuousness of the colors and the soundtrack, the compelling characters, the way it navigated through real-world consequences and history without feeling a need to blame or console the characters or the audience for being complicit. A truly masterful work. Tomb Raider I'm a huge fan of the p...

I've lived my whole life near enough Salem, Massachusetts for an easy weekender, but I've never done so. I mean, it's roughly the same time as my usual monthly trek to see my long-distance paramour, just the opposite direction, and yet, I've never gone. It might be that I'm worried the mystique will wear off; or, just as likely, that the mystique will increase to the point where I'm another silly tourist, dropping dollars left and left on callous reminders of a deeply misogynistic rampage-turned-horror movie twaddle. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane , by Katherine Howe, is an immensely effective way of checking yourself before you wreck yourself when getting into the mythos of Salem.  I'll quote the author biography on the back flap for some insight into what this book is really about:  "Katherine Howe is completing a PhD in American and New England Studies, and is a descendant of Elizabeth Proctor, who survived the Salem with trials, and ...

Eight years ago, I had the pleasure of playing Miranda in a local production of The Tempest. It was a hot summer, I was newly in love, and I thrilled at the magic of both the story and the stage; I couldn't tell you if I made a very good Miranda, but I felt the connection to her and, as such, had a wonderful time. Since then, that play has stayed as one of my favorites, even as my understanding of the depths of the story has changed. I'm aware there are several novels that toy with the story, but I never had the time for any of them, until I saw Hag-Seed for sale. Of all of the reinventions of Shakespeare's seemingly-easy magical comedy that is, in fact, wildly complex, I trusted Margaret Atwood to do it right. And my trust was not misplaced. Felix, a once-great artistic director of a theatre festival, sits in a hovel on a cold Canadian farm and dreams of vengeance against his foes, all while conjuring hallucinations of his lost daughter, Miranda. An opportunity to teac...

2018 is off to a smashing start, as I am three for three for movies in January! I reviewed The Shape of Water 's limited release back at the beginning of December , based on the critical and social reviews that had come out, but seeing it myself confirmed just how good it is. Part inverse fairytale, part subversive horror movie, the protagonists challenge every kind of status quo imaginable. My personal highlights: a subtle, but not shy, examination of female sexuality and a fairly large cameo by a Canadian actor I adore.  Proud Mary had me with the trailer : an impeccably dressed Taraji P. Henson as a hitwoman. The movie itself is much more than that, more a raw examination of the cyclical nature of gangs and familial abuse than a straight-up action movie. The yearning for a home, for sharing care without strings of obligation, and the ways we create our own sanctuaries really spoke to me, shown in highlight by the relationship between Mary and Danny. Approach the story ...

No burying the lead here: I loved this film. It is not without its flaws, some of which I'll detail here, but this film was, to use an old Storywonk quote, made specifically to delight me. Character development along keen philosophical lines and potent sociopolitical commentary will always win me over, regardless of logical flaws or tactical errors. Starting with the characters, oh me, oh my! The new generation of chess pieces in this age-old game between Light and Dark were treated unevenly, I will grant you. Finn and Poe (two men of color, we should point out) have storylines that have caused much discussion among the fandom, while Rey and Kylo's dance provides a refreshing rhythm to the story. Finn, a former kidnapped child soldier for the First Order, spent TFA finding something to fight for, instead of merely something to fight against, as he was taught. He found it embodied in Rey, which is where his story starts here, but the Space Vegas excursion and meeting Benicio...