Tag: genna rivieccio

Essay

Sally Rooney, Palestine Action and What Writers Are Supposed to Do (Particularly the Errant Few Rich Ones)

Something is rotten in the state of Britain. Well, many things actually. But the thing that’s taken center stage of late is the ongoing arrests of hundreds of people—mostly over sixty—for their support of the recently proscribed organization known as Palestine Action, founded in the apocalyptic year of 2020. Then again, every year since has felt pretty apocalyptic, with ‘25 being no exception. This year, … Continue reading Sally Rooney, Palestine Action and What Writers Are Supposed to Do (Particularly the Errant Few Rich Ones)

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Book Review

Daniel M. Lavery’s Women’s Hotel Isn’t Just an Ode to a Certain Time, But to the Cast-Offs and Misfits of Society Always Trying to Find a Loophole to Get By

While a famed, glamorous women’s hotel like the Barbizon might allow the romantic mythology of “hotel residence living” in the mid-twentieth century to endure, Daniel M. Lavery’s Women’s Hotel paints such a unique setup and period in history as more Girl, Interrupted than, shall we say, Gossip Girl. The “women’s hotel” of Lavery’s imagination is called the Biedermeier, and it knows that it’s “beta” at … Continue reading Daniel M. Lavery’s Women’s Hotel Isn’t Just an Ode to a Certain Time, But to the Cast-Offs and Misfits of Society Always Trying to Find a Loophole to Get By

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Essay

Sigrid Nunez Brings Up a Valid Point in The Friend About Technology’s (Lack of) Use in Literature

Most people still clinging to the notion of being a writer (or at least a “pure of heart” one) are likely classifiable, at this juncture, in the “old soul” category. As such, they tend to romanticize the era when everything wasn’t dominated by technology. More specifically, smartphones and the internet. And among the many hard truths/pearls of wisdom that Sigrid Nunez offers in The Friend … Continue reading Sigrid Nunez Brings Up a Valid Point in The Friend About Technology’s (Lack of) Use in Literature

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Essay

How the March Hare and the White Rabbit Are Framed Differently Based on Perceptions of “Being Busy”

Perhaps, like the March Hare (a.k.a. Haigha) of Lewis Carroll’s beloved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, we should all be wearing straw on our heads these days. For, during the Victorian times when these stories were originally published (1865 and 1871, respectively), this was a primary way of portraying a character’s madness. And, in case you hadn’t noticed lately, “We’re all mad … Continue reading How the March Hare and the White Rabbit Are Framed Differently Based on Perceptions of “Being Busy”

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Essay

Whether They Knew It or Not, Michelle Trachtenberg Subliminally Influenced Many a Millennial Writer, Or: Harriet the Spy and Writing

Although Harriet the Spy was once classifiable as a piece of “baby boomer history,” the adaptation of Louise Fitzhugh’s 1964 novel into a Nickelodeon movie released in 1996 re-rendered it into an instant classic of millennial childhood. And yes, it was typical of the generation that, in order for a book to be “received,” it had to be a film (e.g., Matilda, Jumanji, The Iron … Continue reading Whether They Knew It or Not, Michelle Trachtenberg Subliminally Influenced Many a Millennial Writer, Or: Harriet the Spy and Writing

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Book Review, Criticism

The Uptown Local, Or: Listening to On the 6 Might Be a Better Experience

In 1999, Jennifer Lopez released her first record, On the 6—a title that alluded to her commute from the Bronx to Manhattan while working her early jobs as a dancer. Perhaps Cory Leadbeater thought better of titling his memoir the same, opting instead for The Uptown Local, which says as little about Joan Didion as the book itself…but “at least” readers know he had to … Continue reading The Uptown Local, Or: Listening to On the 6 Might Be a Better Experience

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Essay

The Most Gut-Wrenching Acknowledgements Page of All Time Is Hiding in the Pages of a Mystery Novel Called The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco

Michelle Chouinard might not have intended to write a tear-jerker with her new mystery novel, The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, but that’s what she ended up doing via the final page in the book: the Acknowledgements. While many readers foolishly choose to skip over this part of a novel, some of the best “tidbits” and nuances can be found within these few (or … Continue reading The Most Gut-Wrenching Acknowledgements Page of All Time Is Hiding in the Pages of a Mystery Novel Called The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco

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Essay

Giorni della Merla: An Italian Legend That Not Only Offers a More Folkloric Take on Groundhog Day, But Also Proves January is a Cunt

No one likes January. And if they do, they’re probably a masochist who engages in Albert Fish-esque activities like sticking a thorny rose up their urethra or they’re a person with money who can stay inside and not have to be subjected to the full weight of the cold. At best, they’re someone who lives in a tropical climate or select parts of California. But, … Continue reading Giorni della Merla: An Italian Legend That Not Only Offers a More Folkloric Take on Groundhog Day, But Also Proves January is a Cunt

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Interview

Anonymous Office Workers of the World Unite!: An Interview

In the following interview, The Opiate’s Anton Bonnici (AB) poses a few questions to Genna Rivieccio (GR) about her latest book (a.k.a. massive tome), Diary of an Anonymous Midtown Office Worker in the 2010s. The context of the book is presented as a diary that’s been found many years in the future by a team of archaeologists who no longer have any idea what this … Continue reading Anonymous Office Workers of the World Unite!: An Interview

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Book Review, Criticism

Bad Blood: Intermezzo Explores the Complexities of Brotherly Bonds, Broken or Otherwise

Sally Rooney is no stranger to exploring the complexities of the (monogamous) romantic relationship, but with her fourth novel, Intermezzo, the author challenges herself to explore the even more particular emotional intricacies of the sibling dynamic. Namely, among two brothers, Ivan (the youngest at twenty-two) and Peter (the eldest at thirty-two). The Koubek brothers, if you will. Although normally “estranged” (for all intents and purposes), … Continue reading Bad Blood: Intermezzo Explores the Complexities of Brotherly Bonds, Broken or Otherwise

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