Stephen Nothum
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Art is a Poison
Art is a poison. It will slash your heart And make it bleed For strange people you’ve never met. —— Art is a poison. It will gouge your eyes Until they can see nothing But suffering, heartache, And longing of souls you share Nearly nothing in common with. —– Art is a poison. It will…
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In Praise of School Shootings
I wrote this earlier this year in September after a tragic school shooting whose details I’ve already forgotten. I sent it to various magazines and papers, but nobody wanted it. So it sat in a folder on my computer for nearly four months. After yesterday’s events as well as the recent events surrounding the killing…
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Welcome to the Bubblegum Dystopia Era
Everything you want and nothing you need… America is no stranger to the dystopian genre, but a certain sub-genre permeates so much of today’s popular culture, literature, music, and film that it now has its own name: Bubblegum Dystopia. While the term was first used by production designer David Warner to describe the candy colored…
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The American Achievement System
I’ve been to a lot of staff meetings over the course of my career as a public school teacher. In nearly every meeting, there are two words that fall regularly off the lips of school leadership: achievement and on-track. What do these words mean in the context of education and how might they be detrimental…
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The Allegory of the Passenger
A passenger purchases a ticket to travel by plane. After passing through security, they arrive at the service desk near their terminal. “Hello, I purchased a ticket to fly on this plane. I understand this airplane is a new model, and this is the first week it is being used commercially. I would like to…
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The Myth of Virtue Signaling
Virtue signaling. If you are on any social media platform or have ventured into the abyss of cable news talk shows then you’ve probably heard this term thrown around. Well, I am here to tell you that this insidious practice that is allegedly undermining universities, college athletics, professional sports, the film industry, your trip to…
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“None of Your Business”: Why 2020 Is the Perfect Year to Read A Christmas Carol
In 1842, England’s Royal Commission of Inquiry into Children’s Employment released its first report on child labor. The document, comprising data and interview transcripts that were gathered from investigators who visited labor facilities across England, shed a light on the horrendous treatment of child laborers and the systemic problems that perpetuated abuse among children as…
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We Used to Be Americans
I was born into a black and white reality. Democrats were stupid for thinking what they thought. Republicans were logical for thinking what they thought. Al Gore was an idiot. George W. Bush was a hero. The Beatles were great until they started making depressing drug music. It was very easy to see things that…
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Why Everyone Is Mad about Everything: Anger and Rhetoric in the Age of Limitless Information
I was taught from a young age that anger is wrong. Let me rephrase that. I was told from a young age that answer is wrong…
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What Makes a Writer?
When can you say you are a writer? Is it once you’ve published something? Is it when you decide to seriously pursue the art of words? Is it when someone reads something you’ve written and tells you it’s good? Is it when someone else calls you a writer? I can’t definitively say what makes or…
Stephen Nothum 