Review: The City - Laura Moreno
The eponymous term “the city” means little without proper context—and on first glance, means even less when used as a book title. Yet in this case, readers soon find, with the author’s guidance, that the versatility of the phrase is exactly what makes it perfect for this novel.
From Open Letter Press, The City by Lara Moreno, translated by Alice Banks and Katie Whittemore, follows the lives of three women in urban Madrid up until the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Oliva, a native Spaniard, Damaris, an immigrant from Colombia, and Horia, a seasonal worker from Morocco, represent the various echelons of Madrid society.
Review: Apotheosis of Music – Witold Wirpsza
God’s / Fingers… resemble the fingers of a pianist,” writes the Polish poet Witold Wirpsza. In Apotheosis of Music, translated by Frank Vigoda, religion and music blend, or deeply merge, in poetry that explores God, war, death, and life through the terminology of an orchestra. For Wirpsza, a fugue can be a person, notes can be nails that stick in one’s head, and God himself can play the piano of humankind, becoming the maestro of creation.
As the world of American politics turns more shadowy and more convoluted in this day and age, a plethora of conspiracy theories follow when the official story fails to suffice in the minds of certain groups and individuals. These sorts of theories spring up around popular figures, divisive politics, any place where even the tiniest shred of mystery can surround it. It has been shown throughout American history and American political history that conspiracy theories can be used to tear down a candidate, support another, destroy lives, undermine a party, or at the worst, fuel an attempt to obstruct democracy.
Freshman Honors Thesis
From The Lost Cause to The Deep State: Conspiracy Theories in American Politics
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On an Island of Broken Hope
(In Progress)
Beneath its turn-of-the-century glamour, Galveston Island knows how to hide its secrets. Rosalind Harriston, a Chinese nursing student, wanted nothing to do with such legends, determined to make a career for herself in a society working against her. That is, until she is thrust into the world of The Order of Temples, an underground organization on a mission to recover the lost treasure of an infamous pirate. Her plans for her education are halted when she is given a harrowing choice: join the Order, or leave the island for good.
Recruited alongside her is German immigrant Frederick Kramer, a musician who left everything in his past behind, who is at odds with Rosalind after a tumultuous misunderstanding left them archenemies. They are forced to work together despite their differences to find the treasure and with it the wealth they badly require.
They are soon joined by Theodore and Samantha Delacourt, heirs to one of the largest fortunes of the Galveston elite after a chance encounter gives the siblings no choice but to join the Order themselves. The four navigate long-buried clues and legends turned reality in their quest, but are soon forced to make life-or-death decisions. Choices, amidst an island tragedy and personal trials, that test the core of who they are, and who they want to be.
Choices that may cause the treasure to slip right through their fingertips.
The Mirror
When Tomas Delacourt leaves Galveston Island, turning his back on his family for good, May Taylor Delacourt is left with no choice but to mourn. Her children are taken from her for a time, so she is left alone to grieve. Set over the course of a single week, the novella explores a woman's grief, mania, madness, anger, and the love she still holds onto for someone who did not return it, at least not enough to stay.
Published in Issue II of Front Porch Magazine!
The Ring
Before Rosalind Harriston managed to arrive on Galveston Island, nursing school seemed an impossibility. That is, until a fate worse than death might be all too real, if she does not act, and quickly. The choice she makes will determine her future, and the relationship she has with the family she wants to forget, forever. This short story examines why we make the choices we do, and how we deal with the eventual fallout.
Winner of the Fresh Ink Fiction 12th Grade Award 2022
In a City of Waking Dreams
(In Progress)
Galveston, 1883
A prospering, wealthy, ever growing coastal city. Twenty two year old Josephine Parr arrives in this metropolis, ready to make her mark on history. Her task: find the treasure of pirate Jean Lafitte, earning herself the legacy which is her birthright. She recruits three young hopefuls: a young Colombian immigrant, Tomas; a burgeoning businessman, Matthew; and his best friend, also Josephine's neighbor, Eleanor, young and ready for adventure. And, for Jo, the object of feelings that are totally untested.
Tomas becomes involved with the carefree daughter of a Galveston elite; Matthew cannot help but go after the business that is rightfully his; and Eleanor sees Jo as larger than life, practically to the point of obsession.
This group is forged by the tenuous bond between those all desperate for glory, though as Jo's plans become riskier and risker, and their personal issues spiral, it might cause them all to fall apart.
