Category Archives: literature

A Lesson from The Abolition of Man

“Did you know C.S. Lewis predicted the modern obsession with “being nice” would destroy the soul? In The Abolition of Man, Lewis argues that when a society stops believing in objective virtue, it doesn’t become tolerant… it becomes manipulable. He calls the result “men without chests.” People with appetites and intellects, but no courage, noContinue reading “A Lesson from The Abolition of Man”

No Bad Weather

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” Alfred Wainwright By: Gabriela Yareliz Alfred Wainwright is right. The morning was warmish and damp. I ventured out ambitiously, and now, the temperatures have dropped wildly. I find myself yearning for thicker sleeves and my knit hat my mother made me. I was reminded ofContinue reading “No Bad Weather”

Creation

“Bradley Cooper: Don’t you think if we’re doing our jobs properly, everything’s autobiographical? Guillermo Del Toro: People say, ‘Oh, you identify with the creature.’ In the past, yes. Now I identify with the creator. I’m the antagonist of my own story, as well as the protagonist.” On Frankenstein (Source) By: Gabriela Yareliz I heard somewhere that nothingContinue reading “Creation”

Wintering Reminder

“Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get them through. But that’s where the transformation occurs. Once we stop wishing it were summer, winterContinue reading “Wintering Reminder”

My 2025 Library

By: Gabriela Yareliz It’s almost time to let go of the year. Before we do, I wanted to say ‘thank you’ to all of you for reading, the comments, and engagement this past year. Whether you are new this year to the site or you have been with me for the 16 (yes, crazy, 16)Continue reading “My 2025 Library”

Detector

“The world is full of people with agendas, trying to persuade us to act on their behalf (spend on their behalf, fight and die on their behalf, oppress others on their behalf). But inside us is what Hemingway called a ‘built-in, shock-proof, shit detector.’ How do we know something is shit? We watch the wayContinue reading “Detector”

Maximum Tilt

By: Gabriela Yareliz We have reached our “maximum tilt away from the sun,” my almanac tells me for the month of December. I tuck the ribbon bookmark into our last month. There is a soft tap-tap on the window of rain mixed with some sort of sleet because it sounds harder than just rain. It’sContinue reading “Maximum Tilt”

A Boat Appeared

“There’s something very deep here. How do we endure pain? How do we transcend it? We turn it into art.” Steven Pressfield, Govt Cheese By: Gabriela Yareliz There is a book I have been thinking about since February 2023. I bought it, and it is filled with short standalone chapters that sort of build onContinue reading “A Boat Appeared”