A Sweet and Spicy Memory: Biscochitos in New Mexico Culture

I am very pleased and proud to share this article I was asked to write on the cultural significance of biscochitos in New Mexican culture. It is the first (but hopefully not last!) article for which I got paid, and so I feel like a real, true writer now. 🙂 I hope you enjoy reading … Continue reading A Sweet and Spicy Memory: Biscochitos in New Mexico Culture

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

We're kicking off the high holy spooky season, and in honor of the month, I am starting off with Stephen King. Today we are talking about one of the darkest books I’ve ever read, and I’ve read some bleak stuff, but this book has the distinct advantage of not only scaring the hell out of … Continue reading Pet Sematary by Stephen King

The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice

Being the horror aficionado that I am, and having read so much horror literature in my life (good and bad), I feel pretty comfortable in my own literary criticism and analysis of the horror genre. Any horror writer worth his or her salt is going to prove their worth when they take on the typical … Continue reading The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice

Circe by Madeline Miller

Western culture is by definition patriarchal. You see it in our art, our music, our religion, our family genealogy, our rituals, our language, and of course, in our literature. Much of our culture is predicated on what we learned from ancient cultures such as the Hebrews, the Romans, the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons; and particularly, the … Continue reading Circe by Madeline Miller

Food in Films – Moonstruck

I grew up watching the film Moonstruck over and over and over again. The sense of romance, of the adventure of being set in New York City - a city which has fascinated me since I was a very small girl - the hilariousness of the characters and that overall sense of family all combined … Continue reading Food in Films – Moonstruck

The Master’s Apprentice by Oliver Pötzsch

We are all familiar with the age-old concept of selling your soul to the Devil, right? I think all of us, at one time or another have had that secret desire to wish for and get our soul's deepest desire and even considered to what lengths we would go to have our heart's greatest wish. … Continue reading The Master’s Apprentice by Oliver Pötzsch

Zia Summer by Rudolfo Anaya

Those of you who have followed my blog since its inception know of my great and abiding love for the works, and for he himself, the late, great Chicano author Rudolfo Anaya, and particularly, today's literary choice of Zia Summer. Rudy, as he was affectionately known, was not only someone I admired greatly, he was … Continue reading Zia Summer by Rudolfo Anaya

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo? Well, it's Valentine's Day so really, what other tale of star-crossed love, murder and suicide could I possibly blog about on this day of hearts and romance than Romeo and Juliet? Seriously though, during my recent move, I finally found my huge book of Shakespeare's plays which had been … Continue reading Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

I will probably get a barrage of hate mail when I say this, but I kinda thought Wicked by Gregory Maguire sucked. I can't really say why, other than I've never really thought of The Wizard of Oz as a fairy tale. It was, I don't know, too American somehow? For me, the trappings of … Continue reading Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

Johannes Cabal The Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard

It's rare for me to find a book that I love on as many levels as I do Johannes Cabal The Necromancer. It's got a hero who sold his soul to Satan in order to gain knowledge of the occult and how to bring people back from the dead. It's got an evil, yet hilarious, … Continue reading Johannes Cabal The Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard