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Books

Seeds of Dissolution by William C. Tracy Book Review

Happy Pride Month! For many countries around the world (namely Western ones), June is Pride month—a month of recognition, and in the recent decades a celebration, of the rights and equality of all members of the LGBTQ+ community. It is no revelation that to many, literature is a form of escape from reality. And in the case of the LGBTQ+ community, it has similarly been turned to as a source of validation. Literature featuring homosexual characters is not as new as some may think, with evidence of same-sex relationships being hinted at, or even described, in as early as the…

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TV Shows

Why Sense8 deserved a Season 3

Netflix’s Sense8, a show that started in 2015, has taken its viewers on a wild and emotional ride. After season 2’s cliffhanger ending, we were aching for more, only to find out that Netflix cancelled the show due to the high production cost and not enough viewership to maintain the budget. Though it was a fairly straightforward reason to do so, Sense8’s audience was enraged that one of the most refreshingly inclusive, diverse, and thought-provoking shows was cancelled. Many petitioned for a renewal, though the odds seemed dire. However, in true spirit of the hopefulness in humanity that Sense8 inspired,…

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Books

Unpacking Race in “Americanah”

“I only became black when I came to America” says Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche’s protagonist, Ifemelu, of her latest novel Americanah (2014). This line stuck with me long after putting down this incredible book, which brought to light some of the complexities of race. Adiche has made multiple headlines in recent years with her unapologetic approach to race and gender issues, namely ignorance surrounding those issues. Most recently was her clapback to a French interviewer asking if libraries existed in Nigeria. So, it is inevitable that this same unapologetic attitude would appear in her writing, particularly so in Americanah. As a…

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Reflections

Black History Month Reading List

Black History Month is upon us once again! For those who are unaware, Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements of African Americans and a recognition of the central role of Black people in the history of the United States. This tradition spread to Canada shortly after its conception in the US in 1926, though at that time it was merely a week-long event, expanding to a month in 1976. Unfortunately, this month it is not met with enough attention as it should be. As argued each year, Black History should not be a topic left to…

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