Meet the Authors: Gabriel Ojeda-Sagué

_{This interview was conducted by Advanced Workshop students and JFR Editors Samuel McFerron, Lauren Lotarski, Alyssa Khuffash, and Jovaughn Williams in the Spring of 2024.}

Hello, readers! Welcome back to the second series installment of “Meet the Authors,” a series highlighting the visiting authors that grace Lewis University with their presence. On Thursday, April 11th, the University welcomed Gabriel Ojeda-Sagué and Naoko Fujimoto to the Art Gallery where both authors read poetry and gave a Q & A afterward. For this “Meet the Authors” post, we will be focusing on Gabriel Ojeda-Sagué and his wonderful poetry. Now for a brief introduction to Gabriel Ojeda-Sagué and an exploration of his work and the thought behind it.

Meet the Authors: Naoko Fujimoto

_{This interview was conducted by Advanced Workshop students and JFR Editors Samuel McFerron, Lauren Lotarski, Alyssa Khuffash, and Jovaughn Williams in the Spring of 2024.}

Hello, readers! Welcome to the second series installment of “Meet the Authors,” a series highlighting the visiting authors that grace Lewis University with their presence. On Thursday, April 11th, the University welcomed Gabriel Ojeda-Sagué and Naoko Fujimoto to the Art Gallery where both authors read poetry and gave a Q & A afterward. For this “Meet the Authors” post, we will be focusing on Naoko Fujimoto and her wonderful poetry (stay tuned for our post about Gabriel Ojeda-Sagué and his amazing work as well!) Now for a brief introduction to Naoko Fujimoto and an exploration of her work and her thoughts behind it.

Lauren’s Etude to Eden: Broadchurch and “Orange Juice”

https://bit.ly/3xNF3BV

Hello and welcome back to Etude to Eden! Today’s update concerns a show I always have the urge to rewatch: Broadchurch. Besides my drive to watch programs that are British in origin and also happen to include David Tennant, Broadchurch cements itself as a favorite show of mine due to its ability to display the complexities of tragedy and trauma as it affects individuals, families, and an entire community thrown off its axis. The show follows the lives of people in a small town in the wake of the murder of a young child, Danny Latimer, and the extensive investigation to find who killed him. The challenges of the investigation slowly make the people of the town turn against each other, families develop significant internal conflicts, and secrets of the past come to light for many. For this blog, I will go into detail of the results and plot twists of the first two seasons of the show, so if you want to watch this show for the first time and witness the mystery unfold, go watch it first–it is definitely worth it. WARNING: This post includes major spoilers for the TV show Broadchurch.

Nick’s Horror Flick Picks: Cure (1997)

https://bit.ly/3xrAe18

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 1997 flick, Cure, is just an absolute mindbend of a journey throughout its entire 1 hour and 51 minute runtime. If you thought Silence Of The Lambs or Saw screwed with your brain, then I can promise you’ve seen absolutely nothing. The primary murderer (who I won’t name to avoid spoilers) is arguably the most bone-chilling and ruthless I have ever witnessed in any horror film by a country mile. As a viewer, you will be left feeling absolutely helpless as you gaze upon a master male manipulator gradually breaking down multiple characters’ consciousness into borderline insanity. I also must warn you that if you consume this film, you will end up spending hours on YouTube and Reddit afterwards scrolling through the countless explanations of the film like I am right as we speak. Buckle up folks, as this one is a rollercoaster ride like no other in cinema history. WARNING: This post includes major spoilers for the 1997 film Cure.

Harper’s Character Selection Screen – Ghost in the Shell: Major Kusanagi and Ownership of One’s Body

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Hello everyone! Last semester, I focused a lot of my efforts into covering horror film character’s because I was interested in how they developed. Given that horror films are much more focused on the horror occurring to the characters rather than how a complex character reacts to atrocities beyond their comprehension, a change was needed. I wanted to shift my work this semester to broaden my horizons outside of horror, starting with Ghost in the Shell (1995), an animated science fiction film concerned with relinquishing the physical and mental self to keep the peace (by force.) The original animated film Ghost in the Shell was released in 1995 and was directed by Mamoru Oshii. The film is an adaptation of the manga that goes by the same name, though their similarities aren’t extensive and won’t be covered here. Ghost in the Shell follows Sergeant Major Motoko Kusanagi through a world full of cybernetic enhancements and political strife. The major herself is part of a specialized police task force that takes on various threats, though in the film we see the task force assassinating a foreign politician in their introduction to the story. Their involvement in this assassination causes them to encounter “The Puppet Master.” This character analysis contains spoilers for the film Ghost in the Shell (1995) and (2019.)

Complexities with Khuffash: The Yellow Wallpaper

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Welcome back to Complexities with Khuffash! Last time we discussed Alina Starkov’s story in the trilogy Shadow and Bone, and how her’s is reminiscent of the trope of women and entrapment. Today we will be looking at the more physical attributes of entrapment for women, and how interestingly enough madness can be the key to freedom. Taking it a little ways back, the woman that we will be discussing today is The Narrator from the short story written in 1892, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. This blog post will contain spoilers for the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper.”

English Alum in the Spotlight: Madeline Brzeczek

This week, we’ve decided to feature a 2021 Lewis University English major and Jet Fuel Review Alum for their wonderful artwork. Please welcome Madeline Brzeczek!

“Forged through years of trial and error, my digital art uses a semi-lineless style to emphasize flat shapes and vibrant colors, allowing for the freedom of simplicity and abstraction without being bogged down by linework and dimension. I use limited color palettes of usually five to six colors as both a challenge to myself and to create cohesion throughout a piece. I mainly illustrate figures and fashion through portraits, symbolic scenes, and conceptual art. My inspiration comes from art nouveau and art deco style posters as well as whatever video game I am playing at the time. My art also focuses on portraying LGBT+ characters and themes, especially depicting the beauty and validity of transgender bodies.”

Meet The Editors: Nicole Kaminski

Finishing up our meet the editor’s series this semester is Nicole Kaminski! Nicole is a sophomore transfer student from Luther College. She is majoring in English with a concentration in writing. If she’s not working, she spends her free time reading web-novels, listening to music, playing video games, getting bullied by her cat, and reading manhwa. Her major goal is to become a video game writer and spread creativity through her beloved medium. Some of her favorite authors include Rick Riordan, MXTX, and Gwon Gyeoeul.

Nick’s Horror Flick Picks: The Phantom Carriage

bit.ly/49HbOis

Happy March fellow film-admirers! To kick off the eventful month that is looming, I decided to watch an intriguing Swedish silent horror film by the name of The Phantom Carriage (TPC.) TPC was directed in 1921 by Victor Sjöström, a man who appears to be an extremely potent figure in the Swedish film-making scene of the past and present. He is especially known for working with and influencing Ingmar Bergman, a renowned director who headlined films such as Wild Strawberries and The Seventh Seal. Similarly to Curse of the Demon, Sjöström’s film does not have an astounding amount of internet attention, as it currently only has 14k audience ratings on IMDB and about 1-2k audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it seems that the vast majority of this sample of reviewers adored The Phantom Carriage, as it has an 8/10 average rating on IMDB and a 100% critics rating/89% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I have also overheard online that TPC not only has an argument for being the first horror film ever invented, but also has immensely influenced horror blockbusters we all adore to this day. After overseeing all of these eye-opening claims made online by critics and fans, I was elated to give this 1 hr and 47 min film the time of my night for consumption! WARNING: This post includes spoilers for the 1921 film The Phantom Carriage.

Goranson’s Greenlight: Past Lives

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Hello, and welcome back to my blog about films directed by women. This week, I will be focusing on Past Lives by director Celine Song. I finally watched this film on a free day I had earlier this semester. I have been hearing about how amazing Past Lives is since it was released, so I decided to watch it when it was nominated for Best Picture. Every year, I try to watch all the films nominated for this category at the Oscars, and I never end up watching all of them. For this year, I have seen Barbie, Oppenheimer, The Holdovers, and Past Lives. I doubt I will make it through the other six by March 10th. Anyway, Past Lives stuck out to me because I was expecting to be inconsolable and crying by the end of it, but I was okay. This blog post contains spoilers for Past Lives.