Essays

Lauren Bacall said that New York teaches you that the world doesn’t owe you a damn thing. All big cities hold the same lesson.

Oct 13, 2024 • William J. Barker

Playing Cards in High School

We cannot plan away reality’s talent for sprouting dragons’ heads that burn our plans to ash.

Apr 21, 2024 • William J. Barker

The Zombie Word Apocalypse

Now, when I edit my short stories, film reviews, and essays to weed out any passivity that’s crept in there, I just ask, “Could a zombie do what’s being…

Apr 7, 2024 • William J. Barker

How to make a Happy Meal from a Kalashnikov

The Art of Banksy exhibition was as incongruous as seeing Ho Chi Minh selling selfie sticks on the street.

Mar 24, 2024 • William J. Barker

By the Light of the LED Moon

The text is the nude and artifice are the clothes.

Mar 24, 2024 • William J. Barker

Fantasy Matters

Only cultural appropriation is as unpopular as escapism in film and literature today.

Feb 18, 2024 • William J. Barker

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