Mythical creatures have dominated the Young Adult section in bookstores for the past few years, and 50 Shades of Grey is the only book adults seem to be reading these days, so it was only a matter of time before an author combined the two elements. Kimberly Olsen delivers a salacious supernatural tale in Accalia, but gets caught in common literary traps that even a strong wolf cannot escape.
Concert Revue by Stephanie Taylor – Photography by Dean Rogers
She was rocking a blonde buzz cut and bangs before Miley, flying over the audience before Beyoncé, and using punctuation in her name before Ke$ha. IT’S P!NK, people, and if you didn’t know she was a big deal before Sunday’s concert at Verizon Center, now you know.
As summer draws to a close, the mania surrounding action-packed blockbusters mellows from a fiery fever pitch to a cool interest in what the fall has to bring to theaters. Someone needs to tell that to Jeff Wadlow, who takes the reins from the first film’s director Matthew Vaughn for Kick-Ass 2. Judging from the sequel’s graphic violence, colorful language, and bold plot risks, it’s the freakin’ Fourth of July. Unfortunately, the fireworks in this film are likely to inspire more terror than wonder.
“He-eeeyyy Ms. Carta…”
Beyonce wants her audience to greet her in this familiar fashion after 2 film shorts that portray her as royalty, about 3 costume changes on her enviable (and definitely NOT pregnant) body, and 5 songs where her voice somehow magically projects over her 10-girl band and the shrieks of the crowd. And we do so. Why? Well, because pretty much everyone in the room is spellbound by her aura and would probably do or say anything she tells us to and more impressively, because this unstoppable force of a woman is supremely adept at taking off her crown for a moment to convince you that she’s simply a good friend of yours.
“Marriage is not supposed to make you happy, it’s supposed to make you holy.”
One of my former roommates from college imparted this truth to me after marrying a man she finally realized was perfect for her (I and others had known for a while) because of the common beliefs, practices, and goals they shared. But not everyone is fortunate enough to get married to a suitable partner, and still others have plenty of trouble with staying married. For people with a traditional view of marriage, How to Stay Married for at Least 100 Years (by Maryland deacon Darren Smith) is an excellent reminder that putting God before everything else is the best way to avoid divorce and have a successful marital relationship.
One day when the light is glowing
I’ll be in my castle golden
But until the gates are open
I just want to feel this moment
The song “Feel This Moment” by Pitbull featuring Christina Aguilera is not from the highly anticipated blockbuster The Great Gatsby, but it perfectly captures the spirit of a gorgeous film that breathes fresh air into F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel about life’s evanescence and the folly of trying to force fantasies of the past into reality.
I had no idea how adored an artist can be until Friday evening when Gladys Knight tentatively stepped onto the stage at Strathmore Music Hall. The crowd erupted into wild cheers and gave her a standing ovation BEFORE SHE SANG ONE NOTE. Gladys, an award-winning and record-setting living legend, put her hands up to her mouth and her cheeks just like Taylor Swift after winning her third County Music Award of the evening. She was as touched by the outpour of love as I was bewildered. I knew the woman could sing beautifully, and absolutely love her chicken & waffles restaurant in Atlanta, but I was not ready to stand up and cheer before the show even started.
Life seemed much simpler in the early 90s and that is most evident in the media. Instead of fighting and tweeting, teen pop icons made appearances on sitcoms (what are those?!), further increasing their likability. That is how I was introduced to Tevin Campbell. I was watching Fresh Prince of Bel-Air when he surprised Ashley Banks with a beautiful rendition of “Happy Birthday” and her first date, and I was forever mesmerized by his voice. I saw him again at the Howard Theatre, and it’s good to see that my fascination is still there and still justified.
There’s a brisk chill in the air that almost penetrates the warmth of your sweatshirt. The smell of the concession stands mingles with numerous colognes and perfumes of other spectators, and the excitement of the crowd is palpable. What overwhelms your senses the most, however, are the sights and sounds of the marching band. The instruments polished to a gleaming shine, the deafening drums, the sparkles of the dancers’ fringed outfits, and the clear blares of scores of horns across the many rows of seats almost makes you forget that you’re sitting in a concert hall far from a football field.
Almost.
It is all coming to an end…the sacrifices for eternal love, the bloodless battles, and the ridiculous amount of awards showered on the cast for no reason. Since Stephenie Meyer does not mature her characters in The Twilight Saga like say, a J.K. Rowling, many of us tired of the tales right before Eclipse. Even though the major source of my excitement initially was the fact hat the saga was ending, I was totally won over by Breaking Dawn – Part 2.
