Writer's Block Magazine

Eulogy for the Humanities

October 17, 2024

Among many students, it is a deeply held belief that scientists are somehow superior. We envy the engineering boy, who just graduated and will earn the highest salary in the country; and the gifted medicine girl, straight A’s, will try and discover a cure for cancer. They are not just better, they are smarter. After…

To Strive, To Seek, To Find, and Not to Yield

October 10, 2024

by Suzanne Koolmeijer

At 28, I’m just a year away from completing my bachelor’s degree, something that, not too long ago, felt distant and out of reach. My path here wasn’t straightforward, and at times, I’ve wondered if I was even on the right track. But as I look back, I realize this journey has shaped me, helping…

Police Media in Limbo: The Faith and Future of a Sinful Genre

October 3, 2024

by Arthur Mulder

Synoptic Table of Physiognomic Traits: Eyes, Alphonse Bertillon The current distrust of police is the culmination of a long history rather than a new development. Black Lives Matter has its roots in American civil rights and the abolition movement before it. The 1992 LA riots were a response to boundless oppression and generational trauma as…

The Paradox of Boredom: From Despair to Inspiration

September 26, 2024

by Aleksandra Szcześniak

(Photo of the painting Indian Summer by Józef Chełmoński) “Is life not a thousand times too short for us to bore ourselves?” asks the famous philosopher Nietzsche. This rhetorical question underlines the most prevalent assumption in society towards boredom as a detrimental state of being. However, there is a substantial difference between boredom that is…

Be a Part of Our Story: From Pause to Print

September 22, 2024

by Uncategorized

For over 15 years, Writer’s Block has been a creative platform for emerging writers, run by UvA students. From humble beginnings in 2007, the magazine has grown into a beloved publication showcasing English-language prose, poetry and essays. But, running the magazine has not been without its difficulties. The impact of the pandemic and other challenges…