Just Hilly

 The Most Anticlimactic of Escapades “Disappointment forever lurked just beyond the edges of her joy, ready to spring like a ravenous cougar.”     - Kathleen Rice Adams, Prodigal Gun  In “An Adventure in Paris” by Guy de Maupassant the subject of the story is a woman dissatisfied with her life. The narrator refers to her as a “little person from the provinces” suggesting she is not of a lavish lifestyle. She is a wife, mother and homemaker; exactly what a woman should be yet she yearned for more. Sexual exploration and being a participant in group sex was her main fantasy, those thoughts being her escape from the everyday boredom she experienced. Even while next to her sleeping husband, those thoughts ran through her mind. The lives of the wealthy appealed to her, “ she was continuously thinking of Paris and read the fashionable papers eagerly.” She was naive, adventurous and ready to change her life. Once she got the nerve to go, there was no stopping her; her ...

One of the greatest and most impactful inventions of mankind, arguably up there with the wheel, the internet and the MMR vaccine- the automobile created one of the great permanent shifts in the course of human history. After spreading throughout the globe and transforming the way people could travel, motor vehicles also obtained the status as an important tool to be handled with care- a tool for men. In this day and age, 2024, the belief that women are bad drivers, dangerous on the road, unaware of how to handle their vehicles etc. has remained as a globally shared stereotype in global societies by long held misogynistic views perpetuated by the patriarchy. To first understand the origins of this stereotype, why it continues to persist over the years and the deconstruction of it, one must first understand patriarchy as an institution that often dictates the overarching views of civilizations. Institutions in general, serve as a guide for participating members of society by providing th...

There is a general respect for the arts among Long Islanders, and there are quite a few spaces in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. In my town, or hamlet really, Bay Shore has been renowned as the place to go for things like festivals, parades and free outdoor activities for the community. The Westfield Mall, roughly a mile or two from main street, serves one of the main commercial hubs in the community. The Islip Arts Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to the showcasing of work by Long Island artists and authors, is located in this commercial hub right next to the Dick’s Sporting Goods.  The IAC focuses on hosting exhibits to uplift different communities within the LI greater community as well as offering a myriad of art classes year round.(Dekoning, par. 5) Like most places, the IAC suffered a huge hit during the height of the covid pandemic- their former residence closed down; the manager of the Westfield Mall in Bay Shore invited them to relocate to an open space avai...