Junior Literary – Page 86 – Literary Arts Blogspace

Irish mythology is insanely underrated.

I never really understood why everyone likes the Norse and Greek pantheon so much. The vast majority of the gods are arrogant, and the myths have been retold so many times that practically everyone knows the end to every story.

May I introduce to you, Irish mythology. And no, I don’t mean Catholic Christianity, although they do play a big part in this religion. You see, when Catholics rolled around in Ireland and started Christianizing anything they deemed pagan, they kind of messed with a lot of the books documenting the Irish mythology, which unfortunately means that many of the things we currently know about the original Irish religion is incredibly tinted with Christian influences. Despite all of that, the things we do know about the Irish mythology are very unique and interesting.

For example, the Irish “apocalypses” myth. Unlike most of end of the world myths, the Irish end of the world myth doesn’t have a climactic clash between good and evil, and arguably doesn’t even end the world. The world just gets a lot worse. Something causes all the humans everywhere to lose all their morals. Lawlessness, incest, wrath, and all that bad stuff becomes common place. The world doesn’t technically end, and neither does humanity. Its just not a world anyone would want to live in.

There’s also the Tuatha De Danann, the fairy god pantheon. to give a quick summary of the mythology we know about them, the fairy gods found Ireland and made a truce with the humans who already lived there to share the island in peace. Then the Fomorians (sea fairy’s) invaded, and the Tuatha de Danann and humans kicked them off the island. After that another human kingdom invaded and tricked the Tuatha De Danann into living under Ireland in the hills of Ireland, where they supposedly are to this day.

Of course, there are also the beings depicted in Irish mythology that are fascinating, and could provide some pretty cool plot devices. Sprigans, who steal human children and replace then with one of their own. The hero Cuchulain, who becomes a giant monster by turning himself inside out. Banshees, who are supposedly the souls of women who died in labor. Dulihans who are essentially headless horsemen. My personal favorite is the Dagda. The patriarch of the Irish pantheon, radiates cool dad energy, and is all around just a genuinely nice guy.

All of this stuff is nice and all, but the main reason I like Irish mythology so much is because of how open ended it is. There are so many unknown bits that we could fill with modern stories of our own. I’ll give a few nice prompts to fill below:

What caused humans to go crazy during the end of the world? What would the fairies do about it?

What happened to the humans who teamed up with the Tuatha De Danann? Did they move underwound with the furies? Do the Tuatha De Danann hold a grudge on them because their humans?

What would happen if a fairy woman died during labor? Would they turn into a banshee?

What do sprigans do with the human children they steal?

What happened to the remaining Famorians after the Tuatha De Danann defeated them?

This little essay has left out about 99.999% of the mythology, so I suggest you do your own research. I just wanted to make this blog about Irish mythology because I think one of the best stories humans have ever told are told through the apparatus of mythology, and it would be a criminal waist to not tell them through this ancient pagan religion.

This Is Also A Blog

Hello! This is also a blog (omg I did it again!!!). Honestly, I’m going into this wondering if I can even top the utter radiance of the last blog in this series. But you never know until you try. In fact, that’s gonna be the theme for this one! You never know until you try. That’s definitely a completely original theme and the only blog with that theme ever.

So. Paragraph two, blog two. You’re really here for another one. I’m so proud of you! You know what? This time! I’m not going to be mean in the second paragraph! Trying something new! You should also try something new! Something small or simple, like listening to a new song that you haven’t heard before, or starting a new book. Maybe, and this is the one I recommend, reading all the way to the end of this blog. Just get out there and try something new for once!

Alright. So something new I’ve tried recently is a fruit called a Rambutan. They look a little funny, but they taste pretty good. They taste a little bit like grapes, kind of? Not really, but just a little bit. It’s weird. They’re so good though. I’m getting well adjusted to dorm life so far. It’s been nice being able to see friends every day again, and also hang out with them after school. I hope that the connections I make with people here will last a lifetime.

I have a big project now. I’m not going to give anything away, but it’s in the style of a lot of Rick Riordan’s works. I recently finished the first draft for chapter 1, and I’m hoping to get a chance to workshop it soon. Even if I can’t workshop it, I have a good idea on what I need to look back on and alter once I complete the first draft of the entire story.

It’s fascinating though, isn’t it? How one sentence can make you change your entire introduction to a story, or how you realize you can implement foreshadowing in places. That’s what I love so much about writing as an artform. It’s so fluid, you can go back and change your mind on anything without having to restart completely. You can create worlds with entire histories and expand upon them, or create a moment, just an instant in someone’s life. Oh boy. Now I understand how some writers get god complexes.

Well, I suppose I should stick to the topic I mentioned earlier. You know, try something new! I doubt you’ve forgotten. These few minutes have been days for me. I’m just reminding myself, in this blog, what my theme is before I get off track. Honestly, I think I’ve about reached an endpoint for this one. I don’t want it to run as long as the last one.

Alright! Okay! Listen, you! Yeah, I’m talking to you! The reader! Let’s try something new. Yeah, sticking to my prompt, I know. Amazing isn’t it? I’ve been pondering this idea for a while, and I’m going to implement it. Though, you’re going to have to find out what it is on your own. Come on, It’ll be fun. You get to read and comment on every single blog I write, and I get to be motivated to continue my little plan! It’s a win-win!

Alright, so with that announcement, I suppose I should end this one off. It’s a week early, the first blog posted today. I wish you the best of luck in figuring this out. Oh, by the way, this challenge is for classmates only. I won’t tell any of you what my plan is either. Only Literary Arts Juniors can participate, and well, Seniors too… I guess. The prize is, for whoever figures it out, a spot as a character in the story I’m writing, and the ability to plan out your character arcs. Doesn’t that sound fun? I’m sure it does. Well, best of luck, all of you!

Oh, quick question. Are you sure this was a blog?

Lorelai Gilmore: My Fictional Mother

Hello blog world! Adele here! I thought to start out my introduction to the blogging space I should start on something that interests me. My interests all seem to revolve around either creating a fictional world or inserting myself into one. Being a writer, it’s not uncommon for me to get lost in the lives of fictional characters, but one thing in particular I find extremely intriguing is “comfort characters.”

‘Comfort Characters’ are fictional characters that you may find comfort in watching, or you may attach emotional significance to their lives and storylines. Personally, I seem to get attached to fictional characters fairly easy. I think viewing my relationship with a fictional character as more of a friendship is something I do often. It’s also a goal of mine to one day create a character with enough commendatory qualities to one day become someone else’s comfort character.

My absolute all-time favorite comfort character in my repertoire of emotionally soothing fictional beings is Lorelai Gilmore from the show ‘Gilmore Girls.’ Throughout the show, you are shown the lives of Lorelai and her daughter, Rory, as the they navigate life together in the small town Stars Hollow. Lorelai and Rory portray a mother-daughter relationship that many young girls long for. Their witty banter and sense of connection portray a true friendship that others envy.

I think the reason I became so captivated with Lorelai is because she reminds me of my own mother. She’s not perfect, but she is always there for her daughter in all senses. Lorelai is perfectly imperfect in her parenting and the comedy of her relationship with Rory is similar to the relationship I share with my own mother. They don’t always see eye to eye, but they truly are bestfriends. Lorelai always tries to see life from Rory’s point of view; A trait that I often mentally applaud my own mom for.

When thinking of Lorelai Gilmore, I think of comfort. Even in the first week of residential life at MSA, I relied on watching Gilmore Girls when I was homesick and missed my mom. The adjustment of leaving home definitely threw me for a loop, and just watching the banter between the mother and daughter on the show comforted me. Watching the screen and drawing similarities between my own mother and Lorelai brought me joy in some of the toughest times. I would watch the small town in the show and think of my own small, nosey town.

So anytime I am in need of motherly consoling, (when my mother isn’t available of course) I turn to the comedic comforts of Gilmore Girls. I look to Lorelai to get me through the ups and downs of life. She basically acts as an interim fictional mother that never gets tired of me complaining. Her familiarity acts as a weighted blanket against all of life’s anxieties. Of course watching a TV show won’t fix all of your problems, but it can act as a band-aid for some of the metaphorical wounds of life.

The Gilmore Girls is not only a show in which I find comfort, it is also a show I wish to pass down to the next generation of my family. I hope to share the show I love so much with my own son or daughter one day so that they can look back on times we shared and find comfort in it too. I want to create a bond with my own child like the one my own mother had created with me throughout watching the adventures of Stars Hollow.

So, if you are ever in the need of a consoling, fictional shoulder to cry on, I highly suggest watching your own favorite show. Maybe you have a character in mind when reading this, or maybe you have yet to find your comfort character. Whatever it is, I encourage you to find that someone who can comfort you when the non-fictional characters of your own life’s story cannot.

why i want to be audrey horne when i grow up

hello, blog world! i’m emma, and you are a total stranger to me. i’m almost entirely unfamiliar with the concept of my writing being viewed by anyone but me and the occasional english teacher, but i’m excited to expand my horizons! at first, i struggled a bit to choose what to write about for my first ever entry. i knew that because my interests lie heavily in the areas of television and film, i would likely write a review or character study, but i couldn’t quite narrow things down. suddenly, as i sat listening to my music and staring at my blank screen, i finally had an idea that i loved- writing about the female characters who inspired me and helped to make me who i am. while i can see the melodrama in the previous statement, the art of media has truly had a profoundly healing effect on me throughout my life. for as long as i can remember, i have taken comfort and inspiration from the strong women both in my life and on my screen, and the opportunity to write about them brings me such a lovely sense of pride and happiness. so, blog world, i invite you and yours to join me on this expedition into the catalogue of the fictitious women whose natures intrigue me- the women i want to be when i grow up and why.

upon seeing audrey horne, a central character in lynch’s televised masterpiece, twin peaks, the first thing you notice will likely be her undeniable beauty. she stands, a porcelain prima donna with raven hair, a gaze that cuts like a knife and a mind just as sharp. she brings the world around her to its knees in her sensible skirt and saddle shoes. she carries with her an unmatchable grace and quiet confidence, not in her looks, but in her unspoken wisdom.

the show introduces audrey under characteristically odd circumstances- beloved prom queen laura palmer has been murdered, and the student body of twin peaks high school is deeply affected by the tragedy. audrey, however, continues with her morning as usual. she puts on her red high heels, smokes a cigarette and watches as the world around her nearly collapses with grief. to those around her, it likely seems that her calm demeanor is indicative of a lack of emotion, but it actually stems from her intrinsically strong sense of curiosity. audrey, at her core, is an observer- and quite a fine one. her lifelong habits of watching, listening, and uncovering have made her unusually skilled in the art of reading people.

audrey’s family situation is a tragedy that largely contributes to her more melancholy side. benjamin horne, audrey’s father, is a calculated, unloving parent. he is known as a corrupt businessman with little regard for others, least of all his wife and children. audrey’s greatest wish is to have her father’s approval, but as she grows into herself, she somewhat realizes that she doesn’t need the love of an evil man (or any man for that matter) to make her whole.

johnny, audrey’s brother is older than her but has severe mental issues which cause his mind to be much younger than his body. she loves her brother dearly but doesn’t have a very strong relationship with him because of the guilt she associates with him. when she was a toddler and he was nine, she accidentally shoved him down the stairs, and the trauma to his head caused his condition. though she was only a child and his injuries weren’t her fault, her mother blamed her for the incident and shut her out entirely, leaving audrey completely alone.

spending her life in unwilling isolation at such a young age naturally jaded audrey, and the idea of friendship was so unfamiliar to her that it no longer seemed desirable. she had mastered the crafts of being alone without being lonely and being lonely when surrounded by people.

one of audrey’s most definitive and interesting storylines is her relationship with dale cooper. cooper is the fbi agent sent to investigate laura’s murder. from their first interaction, it is clear to them both that there is something there- something ineffably, gorgeously intense that neither of them have ever felt before. cooper, being a man of rigid principle and compassion, ultimately chose not to pursue a relationship with audrey because he thought it clear that what she needed in her life was time to grow individually and a true friend- that’s exactly what he gave her. she was left heartbroken, despite his good intentions in distancing himself. still, they learned a great deal from each other. he gave her the balance to use her investigative nature wisely and the knowledge of her worth. she showed him the importance of abandoning his comfort zone and letting people in, even if for a short time. though their feelings for one another were genuine and pure, the timing was impossible. personally, i believe that if the show had continued, the two of them would have inevitably ended up together because there is simply no better match or greater love for either character.

as an awkward twelve year old girl with no real sense of direction, twin peaks was life-changing for me. i saw reflections of myself in its characters, not all of which were pretty. on my screen, i saw both evil and goodness in their very purest forms. while there are many wonderfully complex characters in the show, audrey horne is one that brings me tremendous comfort and inspiration, and being even just a bit like her would mean being closer to the person i’d like to be someday.

audrey horne mini playlist:

silver springs- fleetwood mac

crimson and clover- joan jett

audrey’s dance- angelo badalamenti

you were meant for me- jewel

she’s always a woman- billy joel

Recently Added

One of my favorite past times is finding new music. I was never one to stick to a certain genre and was experimental with my taste. I would like to show you some of my new favorite songs that I’ve discovered in the past few days. I’m always late to certain things so these songs might be old, but I would like to give you my interpretation of these songs and what they’ve meant to me since being added to my playlists.

PinkPantheress

PinkPantheress is new to the world of music, and she blew up on Tiktok with songs like Pain and Break It Off. Her smooth angelic voice complements the soft beats behind her songs. If I had to put them in a genre I would say bedroom pop is the closest to her work. She recently dropped a minuet long single called “Attracted to You” and it once again blew up on Tiktok. The one song that stood out to me most was her song “Passion” because it has a nice pace and soft beats to it. This aesthetic goes against the message of the song. It talks about loosing her passion for music and heartbreak of it all. The lines “The teachers always called it a shame” and “They say I don’t have passion the same” are something I resonate with because I struggled to find my passion in writing. I love the song so much because it really grasps the feeling of losing passion for something you love because of the environment that you’re in. I recommend listening to her whole discography because I’m sure you can find something that relates to you as well!

Yugyeom

Yugyeom is a Korean R&B artist who was recently sign to AMOG, a label owned by Korean Hip-Hop artist Jay Park, last year after the disbandment of his hit K-pop group GOT7. His first solo album Point Of View: U was released June 17, 2021. This album is really filled with golden R&B hits. When the album first dropped, I listened to it straight through with no skips. Yes, it was just that good! Yugyeom has a really smooth and velvety voice that is perfect for the beats on this album. The album features amazing Korean R&B and Hip-Hop artists such as, DeVita, Jay Park, Gray, and punchnello. I couldn’t pick a favorite song from the album, but an honorable mention would be I Want U Around ft. DeVita.

DPR Live

I’ve been listening to DPR Live for years now and every time he releases music its like listening to a new person. He recently dropped a new EP called IITE COOL. It features some big names in Korean Hip-Hop such as Hwa Sa, Beenzino, and another artist under Dream Perfect Regime, DPR IAN. This new EP really catches the essence of the summertime. He talks about the highs and lows of this hot season creating some perfect summer hits. My favorite song from the album has to be “Yellow Cab”. It’s just a fun song about his current success and how crazy his fans could be. In the song, he goes into detail about the pressure of being a celebrity and having to be this perfect person for his public image. My favorite line from the song has to be “Can’t understand Korea sometimes, Why is it that foreign fans are quicker to realize that…” As a non-Korean person I can’t say too much about this issue, but I’ve been listening and following Korean Hip-Hop and Pop culture for a while, and one thing that is constant is the fact that Korean artists often are over worked and it causes a mental strain on them. I really love that he brings up this issue and it is disguised by an up-beat background. The message contrasts from the song giving the song more texture. Here’s some honorable mentions from this artist: Martini Blue, Jasmine, and Summer Tights.

Mac Ayres

Mac Ayres is a R&B artist I recently discovered on Spotify. After he dropped out of Berklee, he soon released his first EP Drive Slow in 2017. When first I heard his latest EP, Magic 8Ball, I sat and listened to it straight through. I was surprised when I heard the first song from the EP, Sunny & 62, because his music didn’t match his looks. His voice is so soulful and earthy. He makes the kind of music you can sit and vibe to on a sunny afternoon. My favorite song from Magic 8Ball would be Every Time because the bass is so heavy on the slow, smooth beat. His voice is like honey on the track making it all the more enjoyable. The song talks about losing trust in someone he loves and how everyone is telling him to be weary of this person. He feels uncertain about this relationship and you can really tell that from his voice. The entire EP is something everyone can enjoy because it witches from more up-beat songs to something more sad. His versatility really shows with this EP.

To Get You Started

This is just a glimpse of the type of music I find on a weekly basis. I really like being able to enjoy new sounds and experience cultures through music. I find that not limiting yourself to one genre can be enlightening. I heavily recommend that you explore music out of your comfort zone. It opens your mind to a lot of different things you don’t know about the world. I never let a language barrier get in the way of music because music is a language of it self. Here’s some artist to get you started on your musical journey: Kali Uchis, JHope, August D, Xaiver Omar, Baby Rose, Kaytranada, and Serena Isioma.

A New Beginning

To an average person the idea of leaving their home, and actually living on a school campus prior to college might seem out of the ordinary, but as we all know the students here at MSA are anything but ordinary. A school dedicated towards allowing students to have artistic freedom, and allowing them to focus on the art that captivates them seems to good to be true. Though in the bland state of Mississippi I have been introduced to a place where I have seen the most interesting and creative people.

You all know me as Simone Smith, and despite how shy I might come across as, there is an entire side of laughter and energy that is kept hidden. Never feel afraid to speak to me as I am always in the mood to have a nice conversation.

As a Junior, I feel honored to be able to be apart of the Literary Department this year. Having an entire class dedicated to working and creating works of writing is beyond wonderful, and I’m so excited to start working on everything that this department has to offer. I look forward to getting to know everyone, and having a great 2021-2022 school year; despite the setbacks that the corona has upbrought.

An Awkward Introduction :)

Hello everyone! You likely know me by the name Hunter Nix, but now I answer to Elliot and, if you haven’t met me around campus or couldn’t already tell, I am a Junior Literary. Which means these lovely little blogs are a part of my life now. And, truthfully, I’m not entirely sure how to feel about that. Of course, there’s the part of me that, as the inner author, leaps at any writing opportunity. I am sure my fellow Literary students will agree with me on this. As expected, there is also the inner critic who is worried my blogs will not go over well with the audience, given that publicly sharing my work is something I’m relatively new to.

However, there is also a discernable third option I was not quite prepared for. An as of yet unnamed inner party who wants nothing more than the simple goal of writing something that is worthy. Not something I can be proud of, or that people enjoy, like every other piece. But rather, the idea that, in five years time when I randomly remember that MSA blogs exist and revisit this site, I will still find satisfaction deeper than “that is written well enough to please” in my writing. I want these blogs to mean something.

Not necessarily some unfathomably deep meaning or complex message. Truthfully, my head is already so full of ideas that are so varied I’m sure these blogs will wind up ranging everywhere from Midnight “meaning of life” contemplations to breakdowns of my weekend trip home.

Rather, I want these blogs to convey something that is special to me. Even if they’re written about some seemingly trivial topic or an everyday discussion. I want them to hold meaning. To be personal.

I’m thinking that I’ll try my hand at a bit of everything. Series, reviews, excerpts of my work or the work of my peers, mentions over friends I’ve made on campus that have done something “blog worthy”, etcetera etcetera.

So, I hope that you, my lovely little audience, will stick with me as I explore what it is that I’m searching for and how I can find it. I promise, one way or another, it will be worth it.

After all, the one thing we can all agree on is that I am never boring, right?

Sincerely, an overly anxious Junior.

Hunter Nix <3

Top Ten Bo Burnham Songs From “Inside” and the Lyrical Genius Behind Each One.

Hello! If you’re a Bo Burnham fan just like myself, you would know that his most recent special was probably the most musically diverse works of them all. If you haven’t seen or heard of the special, PLEASE go watch it. You can find it on Netflix and probably some other sites wink wink. Anyways, I decided that for my first blog I would rank my personal top ten songs from the special here. This blog will be biased due to my love of this special, which means that my interpretations and opinions will be included. Enjoy!

10. “Sh!t”

Okay, listen to me here, the comedic aspect of this song is absolutely amazing. A song about feeling like c0mplete garbage, but has this happy and sarcastic tone to it makes the song come together for me. I rate the jam-ability of this song is a 9 out of 10. Obviously everyone has those days where they… you know, feel like… the title, which gives this masterpiece a sense of reliability. A verse of this song was also sang by a famous Minecraft twitch streamer and YouTuber that goes by the name TommyInnit. This definitely boosted this song’s popularity.

My Favorite Verse: “Are you feeling what I’m feeling?
I haven’t had a shower in the last nine days (ah, ah)
Staring at the ceiling and waiting for this feeling go away
But it won’t go away!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn8TL12lXR0&list=OLAK5uy_k90oyL9rMAHPNupVRm4P3Ed2zBJrKAbT8&index=13

9. “Comedy”

This one’s reasoning to be placed here should be pretty obvious. Bo sings and shares about his feeling towards wanting to help the world in some way during this pandemic. Though, its not strictly about the pandemic. It contains some ideas about systematic oppression and his own self doubt. On the other hand, these deep meanings are overshadowed with comedic punches like “the world needs direction from a white guy like me.”

My favorite verse: “I know what I’ve got to do, healing the world with comedy making a literal difference metaphorically.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3byzgVCdRSw&list=OLAK5uy_k90oyL9rMAHPNupVRm4P3Ed2zBJrKAbT8&index=2

8. “30”

This one kind of gives me anxiety about getting older. Bo talks about how he feels about turning 30 years old. He sings about how active he used to be and he compares his life to others his age and feels that same sense of self doubt that really makes me feel for him. He also brings in a darker aspects as well. Though, in this special Bo has been really good about covering the depressing parts of the song with jokes and funny lines.

My favorite verse: “my stupid friends are having stupid children”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n57aQQsQiwc&list=OLAK5uy_k90oyL9rMAHPNupVRm4P3Ed2zBJrKAbT8&index=11

7. “problematic”

I love this song in particular just because of how Bo talks about the small and big things that he’s done when he was younger and his life when he was that age that can be considered problematic. He talks about how he wants people to hold him accountable for his actions. That’s what the whole song is about. One of the biggest segments of the song is about how he dressed up as Aladdin for Halloween when he was a kid. He kind of has a mini crisis and panic about what to do with the costume that is now in his mothers attic. Towards the end of the song he keeps repeating about how sorry he is, but again, this song isn’t one of those sad toned ones. He definitely has a skill in making more serious subjects sound comedic.

My favorite verse: “I’m problematic (he’s a problem)”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsTG1ETKkHo&list=OLAK5uy_k90oyL9rMAHPNupVRm4P3Ed2zBJrKAbT8&index=10

6. “Look whose inside again”

This song is one of the only ones that is sang seriously, and is about serious subject matter. In this song, Bo talks about how he kind of felt trapped inside of a room. He wanted to be funny, he wanted to make jokes, but he felt like he was encaged in a box. He talks about things that he did to try to cope with that feeling as well. Later in the song he sings “Well, Well, look who’s inside again” meaning that he now feels placed back in that room. That box. Or maybe that’s just how I interpret this song. It really makes me feel for him, and everyone else who has experienced that type of feeling. Although this one lacks the comedic aspect, it really has the power to impact people.

My favorite Verse: “Went out to look for a reason to hide again. Well, well, buddy you found it, now come out with your hands up we’ve got you surrounded”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3FnqD1UqwM&list=OLAK5uy_k90oyL9rMAHPNupVRm4P3Ed2zBJrKAbT8&index=9

5. “Don’t Wanna Know”

We’re going to start getting more into the meaning full songs as we get higher on the list. In the special, this song starts during the intermission. He asks how his watchers are feeling and if they like the show. He asks if its boring or if he has our attention. After each question he says he doesn’t want to know. I think this symbolizes how he is doubtful of his own importance and the acceptance of his work. He says he doesn’t want to know because he would rather not know anything than hear something negative.

My favorite verse: “Do I have your attention? Yes or no? I bet I’d guess the answer but I don’t wanna know”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APGBRDeqsSI&list=OLAK5uy_k90oyL9rMAHPNupVRm4P3Ed2zBJrKAbT8&index=12

4. “Goodbye”

“Goodbye” is the last song, and one of the most vulnerable ones on the whole special. The ending. It contains a lot symbolism and is one of the more sad ones. There are a few comedic lines but the whole song revolves around something more serious. It has a sense of many different aspects of his personal issues. For example, he sings about how he thinks he’ll be stuck in this “box” forever, even when he’s irrelevant and broke. The pressure of this whole special. The pressure he’s had to endure to even reenter the comedic environment. This special had been distracting him for almost a year and half. He doesn’t really want it to end, he’s afraid of what his life will be after it.

My favorite verse: “I’m slowly losing power, has it only been an hour?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA9deCtUNGM&list=OLAK5uy_k90oyL9rMAHPNupVRm4P3Ed2zBJrKAbT8&index=19

3. “Welcome To The Internet”

On the surface, this song just goes through some of the contents of the internet and some things you can find there. Though, like every other song on this special, it contains an undertone. Internet addiction and its affects on our brains. He takes on a villain-like voice, narrating from the internet’s perspective and talks to the listener as if he did this on purpose. “It did all the things we designed it to do… now look at you.”

My favorite verse: “Apathy’s a tragedy and boredom is a crime”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1BneeJTDcU&list=OLAK5uy_k90oyL9rMAHPNupVRm4P3Ed2zBJrKAbT8&index=15

2. “That Funny Feeling”

Nostalgia. Nostalgia is the biggest feeling that I get from this song. It feels cozy. It gives me campfire vibes, yet its also mostly nostalgia from quarantine, which is something I think we can all agree that we don’t want to go back to. During the verses between the choruses Bo sings about different events and some internet trends that went on during the past.

My favorite verse: “The surgeon generals’ pop-up shop, Robert Iger’s face
Discount Etsy agitprop, Bugles’ take on race. Female Colonel Sanders, easy answers, civil war.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPB6u1BqZqU&list=OLAK5uy_k90oyL9rMAHPNupVRm4P3Ed2zBJrKAbT8&index=17

1. “All Eyes On Me”

This is one of the more straightforward songs in terms of theme and subject matter, but in my opinion this is the most meaningful song. From what I hear in the song, it’s about Bo’s anxiety, the pressure he holds onto and how he describes that sinking feeling. Even the title of the song speaks out about the surrounded, paranoid feeling he gets. I believe that there is some dialogue with himself when he sings not just when the actual dialogue comes in during the middle of the song. During the speaking segment Bo talks about his five year break from doing his performances due to the panic attacks he had on stage. He asks for people to pray for him. I don’t necessarily think that this is a cry for help, but more of a way for him to let everything out. A coping mechanism.

My favorite verse: “You say the ocean’s rising like I give a sh!t
You say the whole world’s ending, honey, it already did
You’re not gonna slow it, Heaven knows you tried
Got it? Good, now get inside”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rx_p3NW7gQ&list=OLAK5uy_k90oyL9rMAHPNupVRm4P3Ed2zBJrKAbT8&index=18

Thank you for reading this far! Feel free to leave your top ten songs in the comments and maybe something that I missed when reading into the songs!

Songs that Radiate Arthur Morgan Energy

Red Dead Redemption II was and still is an amazingly groundbreaking game, in my opinion. Our story begins in 1899, taking you across a fictionalized representation of the Western American Frontier. You play as Arthur Morgan, an outlaw in the Dutch Van der Linde gang. The gang is doing their best to escape civilization and return to the old ways of the wild west. Chased at every turn- by government officials, another gang, even nature- our gang is desperate to escape. If you have heard of this game, you probably already know most of this. Some of the songs in this article need explanation, and the last thing I want to do is spoil such a fantastic game for anyone. So please be advised, there will be spoilers ahead! And not small ones either; most of these songs relate to Arthur during the game’s later stages.

Alright, hopefully, that got rid of most of the people who could complain about spoilers. Now it’s time to get into the meat of this article.

5. Keep The Wolves Away – Uncle Lucius

Arthur cares for his family, the gang, more than anything. At a young age, he incorporated into their fray, Dutch practically picking him up off the streets and raising him. He was more than loyal; he dedicated himself entirely to what he was doing and never questioned. Then, things started to turn for the worst. He had put his faith in someone who did not care for his feelings or thoughts. After that point, the gang began to fall apart either by betrayal or false accusations and deaths tied to their crimes. In the end, he did his best to let the others escape the gang unscathed. The wolves he was protecting his family from turned out to have already infiltrated their ranks.

4. Everybody Walkin’ This Land – Paul Cauthen

The unfair world fuels Arthur’s want for change. You, the player, can choose to help anyone and everyone you come across. When you finally visit the city of Saint-Denis in Lemoyne, you meet a man of the cloth. Brother Dorkins. Whether you donate money to his cause of helping the poor or not, Dorkins will ask for Arthur’s assistance in a matter of utmost importance. A nearby fence is holding children as slaves for work. Arthur frees the children, and Dorkin is very grateful and even offers him the donation money as thanks. Doing this mission shows that Arthur indeed does have sympathy for humanity, and this is not the first or last time he will help someone. Arthur can build an entire railroad, help a suffrage movement, and he will make up for his past mistakes as best he can manage if you play your cards correctly. Charles, another member of his gang, needed help aiding the Wapiti Native Americans. Arthur was very close to death when he was asked to help, his sickness taking hold, yet he put everything on the line to help them. Arthur second-guesses himself and puts himself down constantly, but that does not mean the man can’t stand up to help those in need. He knows just how unfair the world can be.

3. Sweet Creature – Harry Styles

Throughout this overlapping and sometimes uplifting story arc, you will be able to visit a woman named Mary Linton. She was Arthur’s former love interest, but their relationship fell through because of Arthur’s attachment to the gang. As it progressed, these missions were one of the most tragic parts of the story (to me). On the outside, he’s a bitter, heartless man. But Arthur has been through enough heartbreak for anyone to realize he is a fully fleshed out, fully realized man. Mary and Arthur spend sweet moments together, and she makes him happy like no other, but when she gave him a chance to run away with her, he didn’t take it. He was so immensely loyal to a ship he couldn’t see was sinking. His vulnerable heart takes the final chapter of the game by storm when he realizes he is dying from tuberculosis and there is no way to stop it. Arthur desperately wants to fix his mistakes.

2. Devil’s Advocate – The Neighborhood

Dutch Van der Linde. A man Arthur considered to be his father after his blood betrayed him. The gang leader, the mastermind behind their plots, and a man overcome by his narcissism. Throughout the game, we watch as Arthur’s loyalty is ripped from him, as he is hurt again and again with no sign of stopping. Death ensues as the gang desperately tries to escape from the world, and the entire time Dutch listens to the devil on his shoulder. He never learns from his past mistakes, always saying, ‘one more, one more time,’ until there is no time left. Even towards the end of the game, Arthur can’t bring himself to lose faith in Dutch. Until everything begins to fall to ruin around him, and he realizes who his true family is.

1. I Gave You All – Mumford and Sons

This song once again reinforces the fact that Arthur was betrayed, wholeheartedly, by a man he loved. But that is not all. Arthur makes the final big sacrifice for his true family, the ones who were always there for him even throughout their problems and vice versa. The last objective of the game, the last mission, is to protect John Marston’s family. A man who he knew he did not treat well. But he knew, even throughout everything, they still had a chance. The others who died along the way did not have a chance, and Arthur viewed himself as dead already. But John, his wife, and his son? They all had a chance. Arthur put the last of his faith into them and made the ultimate sacrifice in the end. Gasping for breath, we watch Arthur’s final sunrise.

This Sure is a Blog

Isn’t this crazy. It’s a blog. You’re probably gonna have read this, think “man, this sure is a blog”(lol title reference I am so cool and funny), and then continue on with your life. To be honest, if you really, really think about it, blogs really are just blogs. I wonder if there is any way this could NOT be a blog. Like, really, this is a blog. Maybe even the bloggiest blog ever blogged. Guys I am blogging isn’t that so wacky.

Personally, I don’t care much for blogs. Nowadays, a lot of really popular ones are just journalism if you could be as blatantly biased as you wanted. It’s crazy, with blogging you can say anything you want about whatever you want, and, now this is the scary part, it’ll still be a blog. I could start spouting information so incorrect it’d make The Hobbit (J.R.R Tolkien) look like non-fiction. I can say that muffins are a type of cookie and you would just have to sit there and deal with it. What am I gonna do? Read the comments in a hope to improve myself and see how people react to what I am saying? Of course not! Who do you think I am, a person with common sense. Also, mushrooms are TOTALLY arachnids. The fear of sheep is called Baaphobia, totally. You should ALWAYS trust what you read on the internet because nobody here would lie to you, ever. You should TOTALLY download a link on an ABSOLUTELY ORDINARY website! (this paragraph, if you could not tell, has been a sarcastic joke. Please stay safe!)

Wow, you’re actually still reading this. Well, I guess I AM still typing it, but hey, what else am I gonna do with my time? NOT blog? That’d be crazy, like foxes not being strictly herbivores! I have decided that the next paragraph will be a bunch of terrible jokes. I hope, kinda, that you fully prepare yourself for this. It is going to be so bad. As bad as when someone typed out that muffins were a type of cookie in this blog. Who did that anyway? No clue. Anyway, bad jokes are on the way. Right about….

Now. Anyway, hey, glad to see you here. I invented a new word. I call it plagiarism, other people say they created the word but it was really me. I am going to say orange in the next sentence. Just kidding I am saying banana. I am so mighty and powerful. Insects bug me. Hey, laugh, LAUGH! I know you’re not laughing right now I swear you better laugh you better laugh right now. If you don’t laugh I’ll blog sarcastically about YOU next. How would you like that, huh?

It’s a new day now, well, at least since I wrote the last four paragraphs that you just read. I’ve gotten an idea for a story. I intend to write a story that gives form and describes the stages of grief while minimalizing dialogue and the cast of characters. I want the protagonist to be both nameless and voiceless, so that the reader can put themselves into the story and better imagine the different locations around them. The story will rely on heavy imagery to move the plot forward, while also making the protagonist as interesting as possible. I intend to keep the theme vague. I don’t have a title for the story yet, but what is currently on the table is “The Lands which lie within”, “The Journey They All Must Take”.

So, actually, the story has changes completely (the weekend has passed now, if you’re wondering). I’m gonna be using the open field beginning that I originally had planned, but instead attempt to create a unique fantasy world. I’m planning to write it out like a video game, where some parts are set with no options (like the beginning of the story) but add dialogue and quest options and such. Hopefully, if it gets fully fleshed out, I’ll be able to sell it off to a company of some kind to get it published as an actual video game. That would be cool. Today’s not much of a writing day for me, to be honest. Well, except for the fact that I’ve begun on the intro to my story. The intro is almost done, so once it is done I’ll sneak a teensy preview of the current form into it, though it will probably change several times before it’s where I want it to be. I want to take the writing elements of Dark Souls, a game by From Software, where the story is told through NPC (Non-playable character) interactions and item descriptions. I also intend to take an idea from Hollow Knight, an indie Metroidvania from Team Cherry. The idea is a journal of sorts that you can find pages of after bosses (in Hollow Knight it’s after beating an enemy a certain amount of times) that list information about the bosses and some of the area enemies. I want to challenge myself to make a massive open world the likes of which have never been seen, and could by all means take over a decade to fully build. I want there to be at least 200 bosses, and just as many, if not more, areas to explore. I want to make it, by all means, a metroidvania, despite most of this genre being 2D platformers. I may also include sci-fi elements as the late game approaches. I want to set a new standard for writing video game stories. I, hopefully, will have it finished by the end of my senior year, which is May 2023. First, however, I should probably create the different areas, and decide how they must be accessed, and when they will be accessible. I also intend to, though it would be incredibly difficult for players to achieve, make their be a way to complete the main game in around an hour. I want the world to fully evolve and change as things happen. I would also like to implement the idea that there is no hero or villain in the conventional sense. I am going to plan different types of spells and magic, along with fighting styles, that will be available to players.

It’s the next day now. I’m probably gonna end this blog off soon. I wrote this in hopes of doing something a little unconventional. If there’s one place I’m confident in my ability to bend, or even break, the rules it’s in writing. When I write, I am the author, and the rules are mine to decide. If I want to create an entire language, give it a dictionary, and then write something in that language, I have all the power to do so. So, I guess I should at least make this publishable? So. A lesson. Uh. How about this? Don’t let anyone else tell you what the rules for writing are, because they’re a good guideline (sometimes), but you will be your most creative self when you write what, when, and how you want. But also remember this. No matter what rules of writing you follow, you have to respect others in your writing. Do not write for the sake of invalidating others, because if the day comes you face the public as their enemy, you will turn to those who you have ridiculed for mercy, and they will not even hear your cries.

Anyway! Now that I’ve taught a valuable life lesson, we can really talk about whatever we want! Now, I know that this is generally going to be a lighthearted blog that only really exists to entertain, but I do want you to take into consideration some of the things I said. I have to apologize, I’m in a rather stern mood. Well, I think I probably am going to cut this blog off here. Right now, this paragraph. Because things always come to an end, some more abrupt than you’d like. Once I’ve finished this I’ll have a chance to refresh and start anew. My goal this year is to completely remove the idea that writing has to follow the rules to be good writing. Well, I guess that’s my goal as a writer in general. So, as we reach the end of this moment, this instance that we shared together, I thank you, truly, for reading this. I hope you had a good time. Be prepared to see me evolve as a writer, especially through these blogs. See you next time, pal.