Over the weekend, the macrophile artist known around the internet as DNA closed up his FurAffinity page. This all but completes his steady withdrawal from the furry fandom, which was announced a few months ago. The announcement came suddenly, and ever since then I've been trying to sort through my feelings on that. Now that … Continue reading (Fandom) Goodbye, DNA
Category: Better Living Through Stories
(Personal) Moving Forward, Looking Back
The picture on the right is a sankofa bird, a symbol from the Akan art culture of West Africa. Sankofa is a word that comes from the Twi language, and it roughly means "Go back and get what was left behind." The sankofa bird has been a big symbol for a long time in Africa … Continue reading (Personal) Moving Forward, Looking Back
(Writing) A Future With Me In It
It's getting harder for me to look at the news these days without feeling like I'm staring into the void of our own self-destruction. The current US administration seems obsessed with assuaging the bruised ego of the President, making the lives of the poor and working class as difficult as possible, and letting the rich … Continue reading (Writing) A Future With Me In It
I’m…37? Yeah, 37.
Yesterday I celebrated my 37th birthday by watching Kubo and the Two Strings, playing two rounds of mini-golf, and having a dinner out with a few friends. It was tremendously fun, and I really appreciate folks coming out to help me ring in another personal new year. I have amazing friends, and to say that … Continue reading I’m…37? Yeah, 37.
(Reviews) DisneyFest: Zootopia, Finding Dory, Moana
2016 was the best year for Disney animation in a very long time, and it pleases me to no end that I'm able to say that. Walt Disney Animation began the year giving furries their new generation-defining obsession in Zootopia, which was also an all-around excellent film; in June, Pixar Animation rebounded with their best … Continue reading (Reviews) DisneyFest: Zootopia, Finding Dory, Moana
(Personal) Mission Statement
This is an amazing world, inhabited by amazing people. We don't have to go very far to see an animal or plant that does something incredible, if we stop to think about it. All around us, there are countless people each with their own rich inner worlds and intense, beautiful, heartbreaking stories. I think the … Continue reading (Personal) Mission Statement
(Review) The Shame Locked Away in Giovanni’s Room
The Paris in James Baldwin's novel Giovanni's Room is a kind of hell in which desperate men step on each other to climb out of the hole they're in, never realizing it's possible to help lift one another out of their predicament. Fear motivates everyone; they're afraid of anyone finding out who they really are … Continue reading (Review) The Shame Locked Away in Giovanni’s Room
(Writing) The Anatomy of the Story
This summer I want to take the time and get really serious about my writing. That means working on it every day, reading stories from friends and colleagues as much as possible, and thinking about the aspects of my craft that I need to work on. When I asked my husband -- the accomplished writer … Continue reading (Writing) The Anatomy of the Story
(Personal) The Best Thing About Tragedy
Pixar's Inside Out is an amazing film, and I'll get into exactly what I think about it later. But for now I want to talk about one perfect moment of many in the movie because I keep thinking about it recently. If you haven't seen the movie, don't worry -- I won't spoil too much … Continue reading (Personal) The Best Thing About Tragedy
(Reviews) DisneyFest: WALL-E, Bolt, Up
In 2008 and 2009, both Walt Disney and Pixar Animation were entering a new era. Disney Animation was under the control of Pixar executives Edwin Catmull and John Lassater, who set about trying to turn around the studio. They rehired a lot of the "new guard" who had left the studio years earlier, changed the … Continue reading (Reviews) DisneyFest: WALL-E, Bolt, Up
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 