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Evil Plants in Pop Culture
Whether the “brightening spores” in Jeff VanderMeer’s mind-bending sci-fi novel Annihilation are actually evil (or plants at all) is open to interpretation, but all readers can agree that they’re definitely not benign. In honor of the film adaptation hitting theaters, we’re taking a look at a few other nefarious plants that have crept their way onto movie screens in years past.
Posted by Lauren Thoman
The Literary Roles of Emily Blunt
Photo by Pietro Jeng from Pexels
Emily Blunt is an author’s dream, disappearing into every character she plays. Whether she’s portraying an impossibly perfect personal assistant from Lauren Weisberger’s imagination or an alcoholic protagonist in a Paula Hawkins thriller, Emily Blunt always brings her A game. To celebrate her birthday, we’re talking about our favorite roles in her literary cannon – and one we’ll be looking forward to all year.
Posted by Danielle Mohlman
Frankenstein’s Support Group for Misunderstood Monsters: Chapter 9
Last time: Dracula makes a friend.
Next time: Dracula may have a solution..that does not involve biting.
New to the group? Meet the monsters.
Posted by Jadzia Axelrod
Who Says Pet Owners Have to be Human?
Have you ever sat down and really pondered just how strange it is that humans own pets? Whether it’s a dog or a cat or a gerbil or a parakeet, the basic principle is always the same: a person decides to invite one or more members of a completely different species into their home to live, henceforth, as a member of the family. And that’s only the beginning.
We talk to our pets, invite them to cuddle with us on the couch or sleep in our beds. We project personalities onto them and give them cutesy names and pretend to read their minds in silly voices. We pick up their poop with our hands, blot the occasional urine or vomit stain out of our carpets with paper towels without batting an eye, and go to work with clothing covered in their hair, because no lint roller can fully account for it.
Seriously, this is a very weird thing that humans do. But we do it happily, because let’s face it, pets are the best.
Today, we’re looking at a few pairings from pop culture that take the bizarre interspecies adoption ritual that is pet ownership one step further – not only are most of these pets pretty unorthodox, but the owners aren’t even human.
Posted by Lauren Thoman
Hamilton Figure Skating Routines that will Make Your Inner Lin-Manuel Miranda Sing
There’s geeking out, and then there’s Lin-Manuel Miranda level joy. When Lin-Manuel Miranda loves something, he goes full heart-eyes emoji, tweeting from dawn until dusk and genuinely enjoying every moment. It’s a love many aspire to, but few receive. So, when Lin tweeted back in 2015 that he’s eagerly awaiting Hamilton figure skating programs, figure skating fans everywhere were determined to deliver. And after meticulously pouring over the Hamilton figure skating programs available on the internet, we’re proud to present the definitive guide to Hamilton figure skating programs. We hope Lin-Manuel Miranda would agree.
Posted by Danielle Mohlman
The Literary Roles of Molly Ringwald
There’s no doubt about it, Molly Ringwald is best known for her work as a young actress in John Hughes films like Pretty In Pink, Sixteen Candles, and The Breakfast Club. Despite a steady acting career since, Ringwald will always be best known for the films she starred in during the mid-’80s. Of course, this doesn’t seem to bother the actress too much, and she’s even branched out into other areas, writing both a non-fiction book about finding "the pretty" (Getting The Pretty Back), and a book of short stories (When It Happens To You). Still an icon, Ringwald has done her fair share of literary adaptations as well, from comics and horror to YA adaptations in the works. And we’ve got the best of them here for you.
Posted by Rose Moore