“Big Magic,” written by Elizabeth Gilbert (the author of Eat, Pray, Love), is a masterpiece. Gilbert has once again written an anecdotal self-help book without sounding preachy, and appealed to the empathetic creative in all of us.
The novel is broken into seven parts: Courage, Enchantment, Permission, Persistence, Trust, and Divinity. Gilbert articulates the creative process in a remarkably easy way, by slicing her advice into short essays that follow one arching theme, and breaking up the text with sweet and relevant anecdotes. She walks you through finding the courage to be creative, being open to inspiration, taking the opportunity to embark, persisting through difficult times, trusting in your abilities, and leaving a little bit up to faith. The one common question is this: how do I create Big Magic?
My favorite quote appears right at the beginning of the book:
Q: What is creativity?
A: The relationship between a human being and the mysteries of inspiration.
Gilbert will be speaking in Jacksonville on April 25th. For more information, visit http://floridatheatre.com/event/theatre-jacksonville-presents-elizabeth-gilbert/
This week, collegiate campuses were abuzz with the news that New York State has declared college tuition free. Sort of. The plan, called the Excelsior Scholarship, actually cuts the cost of public universities for families making less than $100,000 per year. Additionally, the plan most benefits traditional college students, or those who enter a four-year program straight out of high school. Part-time and adult education students won’t be helped in the same way. Excelsior also only covers tuition, not room and board or books, so low-income students with Pell Grants or federal aid can’t receive the scholarship. Many legislators believe it won’t change the accessibility of a college education, but only make it easier for those already planning on attending. The plan was inspired by the platform of 2016 presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. Though the program may have its kinks, it is remarkable that politicians are willing to bend on this at all. In the current American climate, we’ll take all the compromise we can get.
Congress has just approved Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court by “going nuclear,” a term most Americans in our generation won’t have heard before. It’s a very complicated timeline leading up to this historic measure, but the impact will be felt forever.
Here’s a drastically oversimplified course of events: Trump nominates Gorsuch. The Democrats, who hold the minority in the Senate, filibustered (when a Senator starts talking and doesn’t stop in order to prevent Congress from voting on an issue they don’t think should pass) to prevent voting. In the Senate, you need a supermajority (that’s at least 2/3 of Senators approving) to confirm a Supreme Court Justice. However, in the case of a filibuster, a Senator can move to “go nuclear” on this topic– ask for a simple majority (50% or more) vote to speed along the process. Going nuclear involves changing the laws of the Senate to allow for a simple majority ruling in all future cases like this one: essentially, every other time a Justice’s seat must be filled. The simple majority was approved and so was Judge Gorsuch, 55-45.
So, what does this mean for the future of the Senate? The next time a Justice must be nominated, the Senate again only requires a simple majority; since the laws have been changed, it will be a simple majority forever. Essentially, whoever controls the Senate by 51% or more can approve a new Supreme Court Justice, preventing a true balance of power and further silencing the minority party in the house. When the next Justice passes away and the Democrats control the Senate, the Republicans will be regretting their decision to go nuclear.
In 1983, two years before the American president would acknowledge the AIDS virus, Fidel Castro asked a team of Cuban doctors to keep an eye out for a new virus called HIV, which he believed to be the next great epidemic. He was correct.
Next up was a firestorm of mandatory testing, preventative education, and interrogation. They began the controversial practice of mandatory quarantine, though the government preferred to call them “sanatariums.” All positive carriers of the virus were locked together and essentially imprisoned; they couldn’t travel outside the sanatarium except on weekends and with an escort. Testing was mandatory, and the government at times tended to be quietly homophobic. Ronald Bayer, a reporter for the LA Times, was one of the first Americans to visit a Cuban sanatarium, which he called “pleasant but frightening in its implications… [it is] incarceration based on supposed future behavior.” The government reasoned that the interests of public health outweighed the rights of the individuals. Ethical concerns aside, the program was effective until its end in 1993; Cuba has one of the lowest infection rates in the world. Only 14,038 cases and 2,000 deaths have been reported, which is shocking considering the island has roughly the same population as New York City, which suffered more than five times that amount of infection. Since 1986, only 38 babies have been born with the virus and, despite Cuba having more than 20 strains of the virus, only 0.1% of their people are infected.
Sam Gold’s newest incarnation of Tennessee Williams’s “The Glass Menagerie” features the same classic story about a young man’s memories of his disabled sister Laura and the rest of their family. However, Gold cast Madison Ferris, an actress with muscular dystrophy and in a wheelchair, to play Laura. He’s raised considerable controversy with this, and the community has been quick to recall the last Broadway actress in a chair, Ali Stroker.
In 2015, only two years prior, Ali Stroker was the first person in a wheelchair to ever appear in a Broadway show. Though there have been characters in chairs before, she was the first paralyzed individual to take the stage. Her case, and the rest of the performers in her show, highlighted the serious lack of diversity in this industry and opened dialogue about diversity. The steps they took for Ali and her cast are being mirrored now at the Belasco Theater, where “The Glass Menagerie” is staged.
Ali was involved in the Deaf West production of “Spring Awakening,” a musical about teenagers coming of age in 19th century Germany. It cast Deaf and hearing actors in order to sing and sign the music. The Brooks Atkinson Theater had to be renovated backstage just to allow Ali to move around. She was given her own dressing room on the first floor, and ramps were added to allow her easier access to other areas of the building. She was given her own “chair-ography” in every dance number and the cast always adapted to include her in movement activities. In “Glass Menagerie,” Gold has staged the show to highlight Madison’s disability and purposefully make the audience uncomfortable. She climbs the stairs painstakingly (though safely) and at one point pulls herself across the stage with her arms. Some have called this exploitation, but Gold’s intention is exactly the opposite— to bring Madison and people like her into the limelight and highlight the one in five Americans living with a disability.
The live-action/CGI adaptation of Beauty and the Beast hit theaters this weekend, just in time for spring break. The remount of an old classic follows Belle, a bookish girl from a quiet French village, as she warms to a prince who was cursed to be a beast until he could learn to love another. There’s also Gaston, the village brute, who intends to marry Belle whether she likes it or not, and his (newly gay) sidekick LeFou; Belle’s genteel father Maurice; and a myriad of dancing housewares. Watching it feels like watching the original animated film, but with a fresh coat of paint and a nice tune up.
Directed by Bill Condon, the film makes a few necessary updates that give the story the feminist boost it needs to stay relevant. Belle is the inventor now, while her father is a painter and clock worker. She fashions a washing machine using a barrel and donkey, so she has more time to read, and teaches another little girl in the process. Most importantly, the Beast has had a formal education, so he and Belle bond over books they love instead of her teaching him to read. There’s also the addition of gay characters (LeFou and a villager) but in a subtle, nuanced manner. The revamp allows a dated story new life.
It’s also visually stunning— very rarely do the computerized seams show. Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts have an impressive amount of detail and realism, and the Beast has remarkable humanity behind his digital enhancements. The set is gorgeous and impeccably dressed. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for children under five; the wolf scenes and the final battle were loud and frightening, and might disturb little princes and princesses.
Beauty and the Beast keeps with the beautiful live-action trend, and revitalizes the story to match Emma Watson’s true empowerment potential.
Here’s the final installment of our podcast project, where myself, Nate, Nicole and McClain interview the director of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” Kip Taisey!
On the February 27th episode of the New York Times podcast “The Daily,” they profiled a predominately Republican community that was directly affected by the very legislation they voted for. The formerly blue state of Illinois voted overwhelmingly for Trump in a surprising turn of events. One town in particular, West Frankfort, was upset after Obama’s legislation led to a dip in their coal-mining industry. Living in this town was a man named Juan Carlos Hernandez-Pacheco, who had been in America since 1997 after moving from Mexico. He was a pillar of the town, and everyone frequented his restaurant “La Fiesta.” His friends and neighbors described times he donated hundreds of meals to firefighters and trauma relief workers after a local business burned down. He knew everyone’s name and was loved by many in the town.
One morning, he was approached by immigration officers who were looking for someone else in town. Emboldened by new power under President Trump’s administration, the ICE officials were able to ask for Mr. Hernandez-Pacheco’s papers without cause. He didn’t have them— he’d been living in the U.S. undocumented, but was paying his taxes and living altogether like a citizen. His wife and children are all American citizens. Nevertheless, he was arrested and now faces the possibility of deportation.
Many within the town have expressed their outrage over Carlos’s arrest. They think he is an integral aspect of the town and doesn’t believe the government has the right to take him from his home and his family. They wrote letters to their representatives, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and their mayor. However, when asked about other scenarios in towns similar to theirs, they remained firm: no exceptions, no mercy.
Carlos was released after 20 days of detainment and is in the process of gaining lawful permanent residence.
Midterm season is underway for Flagler students, and it can often be difficult to unwind in our fast paced city. The fort is nice, but you’re still affronted by tourists and other students. I used to go to Anastasia State Park whenever I needed an escape, but the entrance fees make it annoying to visit regularly.
However, I recently discovered the Twelve Mile Swamp and Conservation Area, a hiking trail off of US 1 near Palencia. It’s a little off the beaten path, but the trail is beautiful and well-maintained. There’s one main trail that branches off into several smaller trails, and the path is wide enough to ride horses through. The walkable forest spans nearly 400 acres. The best part: it’s free!
If you’re looking for a nice nature walk or a break from your homework, unplug from your technology and head to the 12 Mile Swamp.
4400 International Golf Pkwy, St Augustine, FL 32095
In her TEDTalk, Daphne Bavelier examines how video games can be structured in such a way as to help develop certain problem-solving sections of the brain. She points out improvements in vision, spatial reasoning, attention, and logic, and she has laboratory results to prove her findings. At the end of her speech, she mentions the need for action games that perform all of these functions but are also entertaining for people of all ages. At this point, she is scratching the surface (but not delving far enough) into the problem with action video games.
Action video games can be designed to benefit our brains, and many have that effect without intending to. However, these games are often violent, containing graphic imagery of blood, war and guns. Is this the kind of content we want to be training our children’s brains with? Bavelier mentions needing to marry a good structure with good content, so we can get all the benefits of action games and still be entertained. The current culture of video games goes way too far with violence and excessive gore. If Professor Bavelier intends on using these games for training older patients, the content will certainly need to be adapted to fit a more peaceful group of people. I will be interested to see how this field of study, and these types of games, develop over the years.
