literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Book Review: "Character Limit" by Kate Conger and Ryan Mac
Full Title = Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter by Kate Conger and Ryan Mac I think it is important to remember that Elon Musk is one of those human beings that divides opinion. This book goes off the opinion that he destroyed Twitter and to many of us who have Twitter, that is true. The 'bot' accounts he was apparently going to rid us of are worse and more populous than ever, the freedom of speech rule only applies if you aren't making fun of him and finally, his weird endorsements of the government may be viewed as a conflict of interest when it comes to viewing content on Twitter. No, I will not call it X - I am sorry. Perhaps in brackets, it can be (X). But it will remain 'Twitter' for this review.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Equus by Peter Shaffer
Peter Shaffer’s Equus was first staged in 1973 at London’s National Theatre under the directorial vision of John Dexter. Inspired by a true story Shaffer had heard about a young boy’s pathological blinding of six horses, he crafted a play that interrogates the psychological underpinnings of worship, repression, and obsession. Shaffer’s unique approach blended psychology with mythology, presenting Equus as a haunting exploration of the human psyche and societal norms.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Terrifying Nature
The concept of the sublime, rooted in eighteenth-century aesthetic philosophy, refers to an experience that provokes both awe and terror in the face of something vast, overwhelming, or transcendent. Edmund Burke, in A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757), distinguishes the sublime from the merely beautiful by its capacity to evoke astonishment through vastness, obscurity, and power. For Burke, the sublime is “productive of the strongest emotion which the mind is capable of feeling” (Burke, 1998, p. 36), often emerging in natural phenomena such as: storms, mountains, and oceans. Immanuel Kant similarly viewed the sublime as a confrontation with nature’s might that simultaneously humbles and elevates the perceiver by revealing the limits of human comprehension and control.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Men Who Made Hollywood" by Michael Freedland
You know I like reading books about film and I have mentioned over and over again in reviews and lists that if you want to know more about film then you should start reading books regarding films. Possibly one of the best is called The Big Screen by David Thomson - I mean, it is a fantastic book which goes over some historical and cultural contexts of earlier cinema eras. I've probably read over twenty or thirty books on film in my time and yet, I have never encountered the one we are about to go through. This is The Men Who Made Hollywood...
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
"Most of Our Students Are Functionally Illiterate..."
Background and Context: Of course, we are finding that social media is becoming more divisive than ever, or it could be the fact that we are seeing things that would create more of a visceral reaction in us because it suits the algorithm and the requirement for interaction on social media. It's true people tend to communicate more on social media when they are upset about something or angry about something.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Mozart in Italy" by Jane Glover
Another library catalogue find that I reserved, this book I actually found interesting because it is a beautiful cover (let's face it). Also, I felt like reading something about Mozart which was not in line with the plot of Amadeus but focused on a different aspect of his life. I am aware (before you say anything) that the events of Amadeus are hyperbolic at best. Anyways, I think that this book is absolutely fantastic. The writing is beautiful and captivating and the imagery of Italy during the 1700s really makes you feel as though you too, are there. It is a brilliant exploration into the life of one of history's most revered artists.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Snow Queen" by Michael Cunningham
Around a decade ago, my friend recommended that I should read a book called The Hours by Michael Cunningham and honestly, it took me forever to actually read the book. It just sat there on my TBR for ages and when it appeared on a university reading list a few months later, I read it and I loved it. It was one of the best books I had read that year with one of the worst movie adaptations I have ever seen. I am so sorry but the movie is frankly, awful. I don't think I'll be watching any adaptation of The Snow Queen though, but the book sure is very good...
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "How the Classics Made Shakespeare" by Jonathan Bate
I love reading about Shakespeare and that's been true for more than fifteen years. As of March 2025, that has not changed. If you've loved the articles I've written about Shakespeare then I think you'll quite enjoy that there are books and readings behind them. As I've constantly said, you should always be exploring those secondary source lists to gain access to some really insightful books. One of these books is called How the Classics Made Shakespeare by Jonathan Bate. It is a fantastic work of nonfiction that does a deep-dive exploration into how Shakespeare's classical education in his stint at Grammar School influenced parts of his writing and the philosophies expressed in them.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Super Villains
You might be surprised to learn that super powers exist. Nothing like the flying Hercules with super speed and x-ray vision you see in comics. More accurately there are psychics. People who can read minds, talk to the dead, tell the future, that kind of thing. Subtle powers, ones a magician might use with reasonable doubt. Almost anybody can achieve these supernatural gifts, typically it happens to people who have died and were quickly resurrected before brain damage. It is believed that those who visit the afterlife and return to the realm of the living; often come back with a paranormal ability most men and women will never receive. I know it sounds ridiculous, but if you've ever had a vision for the future, only for it to come even slightly true, there is a chance you also have this gift.
By Joseph Roy Wright2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Carthage" by Joyce Carol Oates
My most recent read by Joyce Carol Oates before this was My Life as a Rat and honestly, I could not help but compare that to her novel The Book of American Martyrs when it comes to the morality argument and how our perception of what is good and right are challenged. This is probably also true for this novel entitled Carthage in which we must also have to face that perhaps, not knowing the whole story means that we will judge things at face value. It is only after that will we be taught the entirety of the story. Let's take a look...
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
