And Not to Yield

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 ...