Author: L. Stevens

Let It Be

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Set in the tumultuous 1960s, Across the Universe is a surreal look at love, loss, and self discovery centered around the music of the Beatles. Although many of the musical sequences are dizzying dreamlike fantasies, the film is grounded with sobering moments of reality, including one standout scene set to Let It Be. Director Julie Taylor deftly cuts between scenes from the 1967 Detroit riot and a family receiving news of a soldiers death to illustrate the simultaneous devastating effects of the Vietnam War and civil unrest. The song itself is a tribute to the simple vocals of the original recording and the soaring gospel version recorded by Aretha Franklin. The first clip is an inspiring behind the scenes look at the filming process and Carol Woods’s original audition, the second is the actual sequence in the movie

Salt by Tracy Lynne Oliver

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Originally posted on Jellyfish Review:
Salt While salting my eggs this morning, I had one of those moments where you ponder an everyday thing and how it came to be as such. A thing long taken for granted. In this case, it was the very salt I was shaking. I wondered about its origin. Who was that pioneer who took these tiny, white crystals and thought to put them over food? We all know how salt is made now — of course — but who was the first to find it, to use it? What type of man? For salt is no easy encounter. We know the delicate balance needed. We know the sequence of things that must occur. How then, was it ever revealed? What were the circumstances? Who was the man who first drew salt? Was he a seeker or simply a man who stumbled accidentally? How far he must’ve walked into a mountainous forest before he saw the tell-tale shining light. Who was the man that looked upon the red-gray beam peeking…

Indoor Gardening

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Usually when the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens hosts a special exhibit, visitors can expect to find something extra peaking out from all the greenery, like the Chinese Latern show I attended in 2017. But on my most recent visit I found myself in a small events room, surrounded by small folding tables. Lined up on each one were delicate, twisting bonsai trees cultivated by local gardeners. Each one came with a small card showing the type of tree, and how long it’s been “trained” by it’s owner. Training is the process of shaping the bonsai tree, primarily by pruning and then wrapping the branches in wire until they set in the desired shape. If you look closely, you can see wire wrapping some of the trees in my photo’s below. Some of the trees (like the one shown above) have been painstakingly cultivated for 30 years.  I’m sure any writer with their own WIP can relate to the dedication and patience that would require! Hades Cypress, 20 years old, trained 15 years Crepe Murtle, 4 years old, trained one month   …

Blazing Beams

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I’m used to pale amber rays tinting my morning Today they were a bold tangerine staining the world Some would squint at the blazing beams shining down Or lament the light leaving shimmering in the rear view But I soaked in those brief brilliant rays as they pushed me forward

Lunch Break Playlist

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This summer I’ve been locked in a battle of epic proportions with my building’s management company over the air conditioning. Despite the fact that everyone in the office is walking around and sweaters, I can’t get them to raise the temp above 69 degrees. It may not sound very cold, but it feels frigid after sitting at a desk for eight hours! Consequently, I prefer eating my lunch outside on the patio, headphones on, catching up on blogs I follow while I enjoy some fresh air and thaw out. This week I’ve been listing to a witchy playlist inspired by Netflix’s The Chilling Adventure’s of Sabrina, which I’ve been catching up on in the mornings before work. It’s definitely making me pine for fall and Halloween! Check out my playlist, and comment below if you have a witchy song you would add!   Witchy Playlist A Little Wicked, Valerie Broussard I Put a Spell on You, Brigitte Wickens Teeth, Lady Gaga Suspiria, Goblin Cry Little Sister, Marilyn Manson Circles Out of Salt, Snow Ghosts Black Magic Woman, VCTRYS The Way That I Feel, Danielle Parente Empire, Shakira Bad Things, Jace …