Kathryn Milewski

Author's Note: Thought I'd make this poem more on the artsy-fartsy side since it is inspired by the details in Amber's artwork, specifically the flower the woman in the piece reaches for. Although the only downside to using images to create your poem instead of actual words is that Vocal will reject your poem because it doesn't meet the word count. That's why I've got this handy-dandy author's note! :) Fun fact: a man near Central Park once improvised a poem for me on his typewriter. I still have it hanging on my cork board. That's another simple pleasure I've experienced. I'm recommending SKYLERIZED's poem, "Sage" for this challenge. It totally belongs in a poetry book/collection. And it's also about plants. Toodaloo. -Katy

I write this article the day before my country's birthday. With everything happening within our fifty states, I find it difficult to plan for tomorrow. Thinking about sparklers, frankfurters, fireworks and cheer makes me feel like I'm ignoring many elephants in the room. The 4th is the best holiday to celebrate outside, yet this year we need to stay home. Additionally, anti-racist protests demonstrate that while the Declaration calls for "certain unalienable rights," not everyone in this country enjoys those rights equally. How can we celebrate freedom in America when not everyone is truly free? I don't know about you, but it feels hypocritical to me.

TRIGGER WARNING: the following review discusses some graphic and severe elements of Cupcake Brown's memoir, "A Piece of Cake." While some details may be disturbing, it is important to talk about them, as they pertain to systemic injustice we the people are trying to overcome. Thank you.

I spent May and July watching over a dozen new comedy shows. While I recently wrote a piece about which shows I found the funniest, there were many programs I wholeheartedly enjoyed and wished I could recommend. Unfortunately, not all of them fit the criteria for the article. Maybe the episodes were too long in length or there was a performance in another show that was funnier. Maybe they were dramedies rather than comedies. That doesn't mean the shows I rejected were bad. In fact, there were three shows in particular I couldn't get out of my head, even though I couldn't include them in my original ICYMI piece.

It is a truth universally acknowledged - by TV junkies, at least - that the 30 Minute Episodic Comedy format is the greatest gift given to mankind. When I was a humble intern grading new screenplays for the Nantucket Film Festival, I would jump for joy when the submissions manager assigned me the TV 30's. 30 Minute Episodic Comedies are short, sweet, and forced to be smart due to their defining time constraint. No wonder cult classics like The Office, Veep, Fleabag, Atlanta, Seinfeld, and Friends all fit into this golden category.

After the untimely passing of our last tabby cat when I was 12 years old, my father decided there would be no more pets living in our household. No more new felines, no more cockatiels, not even a hypoallergenic dog that wouldn't affect our allergies. His primary reasoning for the ruling was a materialistic one. If we got a new animal, no matter what it was, it would tear up our living room furniture - just like the cats did.