The Magic Barrel

Bless Me, Ultima is a beautifully written novel that connects the audience to the characters and paints a wonderful picture, immersing readers into the story. This story is set in the desert plains town of Las Pasturas, New Mexico during the 1940s, around World War II. The main character, Antonio, lives with his mother, father, and two sisters, Deborah and Theresa, in a house in the llano, the open plain. When Antonio is almost seven years old, his mother and father send for the curandera,…

Mass hysteria is the common term used to describe a situation in which various people all suffer from similar hysterical symptoms – either from a phantom illness or an inexplicable event. The Salem Witch Trials and The Holocaust are both similar because they both are mass hysterias that have killed many innocent people. The Salem Witch Trials occurred in the 1600’s, more than two hundred people were accused of practicing witchcraft and dealing with the devil (The Crucible). This all started…

According to Theory number 1, Ergot fungus contaminated the crops harvested by the people of Salem, Massachusetts which developed the hallucinations of the citizens and started the Salem Witch Trials. In 1692, they harvested a great deal of wheat, rye and cereal grasses. Ergot, or ergot poisoning, is a fungus that attacks the central nervous system and causes muscle contractions, confusion, impaired speech, crawling sensations on the skin and hallucinations. The girls in Salem had feelings of…

Once upon a time, there were three human sisters. Their names were Maia, Phoebe, and Megan. They lived in a great swirling forest, in a tiny cottage with only two rooms. Those two rooms were all they needed, for they only needed tools for when they were out, books and such, and a place to sleep. Phoebe was some few weeks past her thirteenth birthday, and animals loved her, as she loved them. She took her spare time to paint lustrous landscapes and fantastical storybook imagery. Her hope was…

Over the years many even senteries vampires have taken all kinds of different faces . they have changed from the terrifying examples of dracula or nosferatu. The have gone from bad to good or from bad to worse . but mostly bad to good . there are many examples of vampires throughout history. And a large part of our fears come from them. I will start by describing the early vampires. Back in the day they were terrifying and they were meant to be away from normal humans. They would terrorize…

Movie Night at Torr Neverwhon It was movie night in Dr. Aeon's tower sanctum of Torr Neverwhon, or, more accurately, it was Sturdiman Serial night. Sunset Aeon had long since finished her housekeeping chores; simple specialized magical cantrips long-since perfected for mundane tasks. Her Sanctum was neat as a pin, she had available ample refreshments such as popcorn and adult beverages. Most importantly, her magical Sturdiman Movie Maker simulacrum had finished generating tonight's exciting…

What I found to be particularly interesting in the chapter They Hang Horses, Don’t They? was that animals were persecuted in a court of law. That animals were given the same sentences for committing murder as human beings, which was death if they were found to be guilty. In addition, animals received some of the same rights as their human counterparts as they were provided with defense attorneys during their trial. One of the arguments that lawyers presented in court was Genesis 9:7 a verse…

I. Discuss the supernatural tradition in explaining abnormal behavior The supernatural tradition of abnormal behavior is a model existing since prehistoric times. This model consists of attributing the causes of abnormal behavior, or unusual behavior to be caused by forces, demons, and evil spirits. For instance, this evil spirits would be thought to inhabit the person, and cause them to behave awkwardly. Furthermore, this model refers to the high superstition of people for hundreds of…

Writing and reading fanfiction isn't just something you do; it's a way of thinking critically about the media you consume, of being aware of all the implicit assumptions that a canonical work carries with it, and of considering the possibility that those assumptions might not be the only way things have to be. . . . Fanfiction is about exercising this choice. In doing this, fanfiction is breaking new ground, but it's also trying to retake ground that was lost centuries ago. (Jamison and…

Wait, what happened? Why are they talking about a dog? Why are they calling me a dog? Why am I so small? Oh No! I’m a dog! Wait! How did this happen? Was it that witch I saw last night? Was it the wizard? Maybe it was the sorcerer! They don’t know it’s me. They’re taking me to the pound? All because somehow, I managed to turn into a dog. If I don’t figure a way to tell them it’s me, they’ll ship me off! I will just prove that’s it’s me inside a dog’s body! I know! I’ll get my favorite soft,…