Fiction
A Letter to the One
The chair under the canvas awning of the little taverna was always mine, reserved by habit or by hope. I brought books I never finished and letters I never sent, watching the island life swirl and stall. Today, Nisyros shone in that syrupy Greek light, the kind that makes stone shimmer and even the old bicycles look romantic. A breeze stirred the napkin on my table, teasing at the promise of a new beginning.
By Diane Foster6 months ago in Critique
If Great Dead Writers Were on Facebook - 5
When we think of great dead writers, we cannot of course leave out the great classical poets. I am not a poet myself and always struggle with writing poetry even in free verse. Well, I did get the haiku down, and there's a lot of various haiku on my profile here. Sometimes, I also get washed over by true inspiration or grief to churn out something reminiscent of poetry and even rhymed. But again, I am not a poet.
By Lana V Lynx6 months ago in Critique
Mark Twain: The Father of American Literature
When people talk about the greatest writers in American history, the name Mark Twain always comes up. Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who was born in 1835 in Missouri, USA. He became famous as a writer, humorist, and lecturer. Many readers around the world love his books because they are both funny and meaningful. He is often called the “Father of American Literature” because his writing shaped the future of storytelling in America.
By aadam khan7 months ago in Critique
If Great Dead Writers Were on Facebook - 4
I have sent out small tips to everyone who submitted a story to my unofficial challenge from the third installment of these series. If you didn't get your tip (I'd wait a little to see for it to show up, though) please let me know. The challenge was announced here:
By Lana V Lynx7 months ago in Critique
If Great Dead Writers Were on Facebook - 3. Top Story - August 2025.
I have started these series with the Russian writers and then thought why should I have all the fun alone (thanks to Raymond G. Taylor for the idea to turn this into an unofficial challenge!). So I'm opening it up for others who would like to see if they can bring dead writers into the modernity through their imagined Facebook or other social media posts.
By Lana V Lynx7 months ago in Critique
Retro, Risqué, and Remarkably Relevant: Netflix’s "Aema" Makes History Sizzle
Netflix threw us a curveball this summer. On August 22, 2025, the streamer dropped a gem... a historical comedy-drama rooted in one of Korea’s most controversial pop-culture relics: Madame Aema. For the uninitiated, Madame Aema was a wildly popular and scandalous series of erotic films that exploded in 1980s Korea, sparking debates on censorship, morality, and who gets to control women’s stories.
By Sara Yahia7 months ago in Critique
If Great Dead Writers Were on Facebook - 2
In my first story of these series, I've tackled five Russian writers. Since there are a lot more, some of whom might be less known to the English-language readers, I wanted to do another installment. As a reminder, the Facebook art here is generated by MAIK (My AI Kompanion, as I call it) showing off its improved capacities as ChatGPT-5. So, here's some more Russian writers' imaginary posts on Facebook, with an explanatory setup:
By Lana V Lynx8 months ago in Critique
Vanessa Kirby Breaks Bad in "Night Always Comes"
In a cinematic moment where thrillers are often dressed in glossy action tropes, Night Always Comes strikes a rawer note, placing Vanessa Kirby at the heart of a story as much about America’s crumbling safety nets as about a woman’s descent into crime.
By Sara Yahia8 months ago in Critique
If Great Dead Writers Were on Facebook - 1. Top Story - August 2025.
I've had a great (in my humble opinion) idea today: What if the great writers from all over the world before the Internet's time had Facebook accounts? What would they write about? Would they probe or crowdsource ideas for their novels, short stories, and plays? Witness events that could give them food for thoughts and plots? Boast about their new books just published?
By Lana V Lynx8 months ago in Critique
