Good news for every single one of us. After three years of stress and insecurity, brought upon us by Uranus and Pluto’s unfavourable position, the stars will be more propitious from the start of the new year. Although we might still be dealing with the rumpus of the last few years during the first fewContinue reading “A Literary Dispatch from the Stars”
Author Archives: Writer's Block
Ode to the mixtape: a review of Eleanor & Park
It starts with a bus ride and a begrudgingly shared seat. Eleanor is the new kid, slightly overweight with unruly red curls who wears hand-me-down clothes, and who is therefore an easy target for bullying. She comes from a family of poverty and a home with an abusive stepfather. Park is the complete opposite. HeContinue reading “Ode to the mixtape: a review of Eleanor & Park”
Books between the bicycles – Special bookstores of Amsterdam
Inspired by Tessel’s article on Ghent’s best bookstores, I planned on writing a similar guide on Berlin’s most scrumptious book deli’s after a recent weekend trip to the German capital. Turns out all the bookstores I wanted to visit were located exactly on the other side of Berlin than the neighbourhood I was staying inContinue reading “Books between the bicycles – Special bookstores of Amsterdam”
Passionately Curious: Coffee O’Clock
I, like most University students, and in fact most people, enjoy a good cup of coffee. When it’s been a long night, and that lecture just can’t quite seem to keep your attention, one dose of the ol’ midnight brew will get you pepped up, alert and awake. Most of us just take it forContinue reading “Passionately Curious: Coffee O’Clock”
Restricted Area: Derogatory Words
N.B.: racial slurs and homo-/transphobic slurs are used for demonstration and explanation in this article. As children and teenagers we hear often enough that words do not just have meaning: they can also hurt, although some songs and stories may claim the opposite. If you’re lucky, you’ll experience little of the negative power that wordsContinue reading “Restricted Area: Derogatory Words”
Less Is More
We have all felt the initial pang of sadness when we discover one of our favorite shows’ lifespan is shortened to less seasons than you might have liked to watch. I had such an experience with the two shows Freaks and Geeks and Firefly. Each of these was only given one season—and for both ofContinue reading “Less Is More”
Humanities: Rethink, Redefine, Reform
It’s a tough world out there as a humanities scholar. Facing virtuous doctors, renowned mathematicians, and heroic physicists, we are more than often advised to celebrate the wondrous worlds of Raphael’s Stanze, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, whilst occasionally throwing around a Judith Butler text, alone, without claiming their utility. Studying humanities is a wayContinue reading “Humanities: Rethink, Redefine, Reform”
Chance Amazement
Oftentimes I go to concerts to be surprised. I primarily go for the headliner, but the supporting act is always a surprise. When I attended a great show by Opeth in the Heineken Music Hall at the beginning of November, that surprise turned out to be astonishing. That evening, the show was opened by theContinue reading “Chance Amazement”
Writer’s Block Happenings – To Christmas and Beyond!
The weather outside is frightful, but that doesn’t mean there are not awesome things to do out there! This is your final dose of WB-approved activities happening in and around Amsterdam for the year, but we hope these will tide you over to 2015. Enjoy, and we’ll see you next year! December 8, 4-6 pmContinue reading “Writer’s Block Happenings – To Christmas and Beyond!”
Job Vacancy – General Editor – CLOSED
Writer’s Block is looking for someone cool to join our editorial board! From February on, you’ll be editing poetry, prose, essays and other stuff with the aim of making each issue of Writer’s Block one worth reading. Have we gotten you interested? These is who we’re looking for: You are a student; You have masteredContinue reading “Job Vacancy – General Editor – CLOSED”