Personal Essay

torso down view of person wearing a midi dress and high heels too big for her

The Many-Headed Creature That Is My Big Blended Family

So compared to my siblings, who was I?

a green heart next to two golden hearts that kind of look like pineapples

Jo the Word Nerd: Ache

And so, my mornings are not full of pain and hurt, just ache. 

cup of coffee on a doily next to a stack of books

Problematic Male Characters I Kind of Like: Jay Gatsby

Are any of us without fault?

spooky green faces coming out of screen

Dreaming of TV Static: A Brief & Personal Account of Techno-Horror

I set out to watch some of the landmark films of techno-horror to gain a deeper understanding of the genre as a whole

tombstone reading "so long fiesta" on starry background and green grass

Digital Afterlife: A Collection of Our Past Selves

Social media used to be chronicles of our lives; now it is just a curation of a persona. 

black and white shaded creepy crone staring at us

My Friends and All Their Fiends

Nearly every one of my friends had a parent introduce them to a nebulous figure who punished naughty children. 

person looking worried

Living With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity/ “You People Can’t Do Anything” Disorder

All this to say, ADHD isn’t some “quirky” disorder that makes you super whimsical because your brain is in the clouds or whatever. It makes life hard.

 

a female figure shining triumphantly

The Need to Conquer Everything 

Sometimes conquering comes when you remove the pressure to be the best... 

a movie theater with a large screen facing the audience, with VAFF on screen

I Am Seeing 12 Movies in 4 Days and No One Can Stop Me!   

I want to explore this year’s lineup of films, discuss the ones I am most excited for, and  help those unacquainted with the festival...

a little girl growing left to right from young to older and more stylish

How I Learned to Wear Myself

The more something trends, the more I try to stay away from it, because I’ve played this game before. Trends come and go.