• Analysis - Blog - Literature - Opinion

    The Last Unicorn: Why This Fantasy Classic Still Matters

    “The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone. She was very old, though she did not know it, and she was no longer the careless color of sea foam but rather the color of snow falling on a moonlit night. But her eyes were still clear and unwearied, and she still moved like a shadow on the sea.” Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn There are stories that entertain, stories that thrill, and then there are those rare few that burrow into the soul, leaving marks that never fade. The Last Unicorn is such a story…

  • Blog - Opinion

    The Legacy of Dragons: Myth, Meaning, and Magic

    There are creatures of legend, and then there are dragons. The beasts of fire and sky, the lords of ancient hoards and prophecy. To speak their names is to summon something old, something primal, a force woven into the marrow of our collective mythos. I have always loved dragons, though I cannot say whether I long to ride one or to be one. There is power in them, a terrible, breathtaking majesty that sets them apart from all other creatures. They are fire and shadow, sky and fury, their wings vast enough to eclipse the sun, their eyes old as…

  • Analysis - Blog - Literature

    Washington Irving Stories: How Legend Becomes Truth

    There are stories, and then there are the stories behind them. A tale well-told lingers long after the last word is read, but a tale wrapped in uncertainty and deception—now, that is a story that lives on. Washington Irving knew this well. He did not simply write “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”; he conjured them into existence, cloaking them in the guise of lost manuscripts and half-remembered folklore, so that even now, centuries later, we wonder: where does the truth end, and where does the legend begin? I first encountered these stories in my youth, though,…

  • Analysis - Blog - Opinion

    The Fascinating Allure of Dragons

    Dragons have captivated the human imagination across various cultures, each interpreting these creatures in uniquely fascinating ways. In Europe, legends of dragons are immortalized in stories such as Saint George’s heroic conquests or the cunning dragon Smaug in J.R.R. Tolkien’s revered The Hobbit. Journeying to the East, one finds a strikingly different visage of the dragon: here, they are revered as wise and benevolent spirits intertwined with nature and the cosmos, symbols of prosperity, and bearers of good fortune. The mysterious allure of dragons bridges our worlds and weaves together the diverse fabric of human stories. What is it about…