Novel
Snow White 2025: Balancing Woke Themes with Classic Storytelling – A Review
The 2025 version of Snow White, to be fair, Disney's live-action remake of its first animated picture, has received mixed reviews from the audience. The remake tried its best to be accepted as a feminist film and one that promotes woman empowerment while balancing the old and the new. I watched the film with a grain of salt and kept my logical mind aside—at least, I tried to! However, I could only fathom the discourse of its nurture to a certain extent. In this review, I go deeper into the intricacies of empowerment, fantasy and the performances the film encompasses.
By Hridya Sharma10 months ago in Critique
Chapter II: The Optics of the Soul
The gallery smelled of varnish and dust, a kind of hideout for creative things. Ivan Nikolayevich stood still in front of the Magritte painting, *The False Mirror*. He felt like his fingers had been unwittingly strumming some invisible instrument. The eye in the painting was huge and never blinked. The swirling blue iris seemed like the sky overhead filled with clouds and completely unsure about answering questions. Encapsulated in the glass was Ivan's whirling stream of consciousness; he couldn't help but wonder if this eye was a portal, or if just the opposite was true, another trap entangling him in another dubious reality. He cycled through the question- is it more advantageous to know a real sheeple world, or to wish it to be something else entirely? Did it really even matter? He could see his own tired, bloodshot eyes in the glass and questioned what person he was in relation to the artwork engulfed in both separate mirrors. There lay two Ivans, one searching for dream awareness and another person desperate to meet the day, the absolute vacant spirit.
By LUCCIAN LAYTH10 months ago in Critique
The Self-Editing Epiphany That Transformed My Writing
For the longest time, I believed that writing was all about inspiration. A spark of an idea would come to me, I’d put it down on paper, and the story would be born. Simple, right? But no matter how much I wrote, something always felt off. My prose felt clunky, my pacing inconsistent, and my dialogue unnatural. I couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong, but I knew deep down that my writing was missing something.
By GoldenSpeech11 months ago in Critique
Review: In the Heart of the Sea
In my opinion next to Steven Spielberg, probably the best director of this generation would have to be Ron Howard. The man has proven himself over and over again, with compelling story lines and excellent film craft, “Apollo 13,” “Backdraft,” “A Beautiful Mind,” and others in this top notch portfolio of successes.
By Larry hart11 months ago in Critique
Self-Editing Epiphany: A Creative Odyssey
Writing is a tightrope stretched over a chasm of doubt—every word a step, every edit a glance backward to see if you’ve fallen. It’s a solitary act of courage, where the writer spills their soul onto the page, then turns a ruthless eye on the mess they’ve made.
By Ramesh Mahato 11 months ago in Critique
False Nobles Through Fake Papers: María Gloria de Valenzuela Cossío & María de las Mercedes de Sancristoval y de Valenzuela
News in Spain: The title of María Gloria de Valenzuela Cossío and María de las Mercedes de Sancristóbal y de Valenzuela was obtained through fraud and deceit, supported by falsified documents from their grandparents. The most outrageous part is that, even knowing this, they continue to dispute it! More impostors, shamelessly clinging to something that does not rightfully belong to them.
By Ryan Webster11 months ago in Critique
What goes through the mind of an empty envelope?
Humans! Aah, the notorious ones gospelled with the prowess of pouring their hearts onto the folds of power, of unleashing the confinement of unsaid pain through the enigmatic flair of woven syllables through the crevices of their glistening minds.
By Hridya Sharma11 months ago in Critique
beginning-endings. Runner-Up in Self-Editing Epiphany Challenge. Top Story - March 2025.
The following is an excerpt of a draft of the opening of a novel which I hope to someday write. This piece is being submitted for Vocal's "Self-Editing Epiphany" Challenge, and will therefore include my analysis and reflections following the conclusion of the excerpt. Cheers, friends!
By Gabriel Huizenga11 months ago in Critique
Are Ukrainians prepared for concessions and a ceasefire? What the polls say is as follows:
The idea of a negotiated end to the three-year war has been put on the agenda and in the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin thanks to an agreement between the United States and Ukraine on a ceasefire proposal. However, the parties' positions are pretty clear even before Moscow responds.
By Md Mirajul Islam11 months ago in Critique
Trump’s Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum Go Into Effect
President Trump’s sweeping tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum went into effect on Wednesday, escalating America’s trade spats with global competitors, including close allies already reeling from his on-and-off approach to trade penalties.
By Md Mirajul Islam11 months ago in Critique
Canada’s most consequential election is on the horizon
The contest that resulted in Mark Carney becoming the leader of the Liberal Party and the next prime minister of Canada has turned out to be a dull fait accompli. Chrystia Freeland, the once-reliable confidante and trusted deputy prime minister of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, played the role of Judas in the drama that appeared to inevitably result in Carney's persuasive coronation on Sunday evening.
By Md Mirajul Islam11 months ago in Critique
