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In the Midnight Hour
Billy raced down Augusta Avenue. He ducked under storefront awnings as small droplets of water began to fall from the sky. A large puff of smoke drifted in the air outside Bunner’s Bakeshop, cannabis and tobacco interlaced with the lingering scent of sugary baked goods. At the end of the block was a poetry jazz cafe called The Midnight Hour, easily identified by the large mural painted next to the entryway. The painting depicted a strange man who held one finger to his lips as though he was hushing onlookers. Billy stared into the eyes of the mural’s familiar face and winked. He pulled his baseball cap further down so…
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Algorithms in Daily Life
Language and stories are integral to our understanding of the world around us. However, the ways we share stories have expanded significantly over time. Fewer and fewer dedicated readers regularly turn to print copies of books, instead opting for a more convenient option, such as online audiobook and podcast services. These new possibilities are not only limited to traditional fiction and non-fiction books. With the emergence of new streaming platforms for music, movies, live video, algorithms now offer the same convenience and wide array of options. Platforms such as these make household chores infinitely more interesting and engaging. Moreover, listeners need not feel overwhelmed by the substantial database of choices…
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Becoming a Global Citizen
Throughout my childhood I was never a person who liked to take risks, preferring to stay within my comfort zone. Two years ago I had never left the country without my parents. However, despite the unfamiliarity, I decided to embark upon a journey to a foreign place where I did not speak the language and knew almost nothing of the culture. I was apprehensive about visiting a strange place, but decided to open myself up to the experience of visiting a new country. During my school trip to Cuba I visited local schools, where our class shared musical performances and donated school supplies. At one of the schools we had…
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The Restorative Powers of Interactive Storytelling
Source: Photo by: Edwin Hooper on Unsplash. In these strange times, when social interaction outside of our small social bubble is limited to virtual and socially-distanced spaces, creators of media are driven to experiment with more creative approaches. At the beginning of the pandemic, as we were sequestered inside our individual dwellings, a trend of interactive, choose-your-own-adventure media and storytelling technology skyrocketed. This new form of escapism opened a whole new world of possibilities during a time when many of us felt as though our worlds were rapidly becoming smaller and smaller. This new emergence, or in some cases re-emergence, of interactive stories has been particularly beneficial for teenagers during…
