Notes from the Underground

            Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) was a German-American writer and poet known for depicting the harsh reality of American life. His writing is abrasive and blunt, yet often humorous, and even endearing, at times. "The Crunch" , a poem written by Bukowski, perfectly displays each of these characteristics. One of my favorites, the poem, like many of Bukowski’s poems, has been reworked and republished several different times in several different collections.  “The Crunch” is a beautiful depiction of loneliness and despair, with a touch of humor and a sliver of hope.             “Too much / too little / or not enough”, the opening words of the poem, have always caught my attention. There is something attractive in them, though I do not know what it is, that begs you to keep reading. As you continue, Bukowski brutally describes scenes of war, of isolation, and of sorrow. He writes, “there are people so tired / so strafed / so mutilated by love or no / love / that buying a b

            Parallels and Interactions between Videogames and Literature: Analyzing Harlan Ellison’s I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream is the rather lengthy title of the analytical article written by one Georgios Vasilikaris, of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. The article was published under the Journal of Anglophone Literature, Culture and Media in 2019. The article focuses on the comparison of Harlan Ellison’s 1967 short story I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream and its 1995 video game adaptation of the same name, and the use of video games as a storytelling medium. The article is a very well-constructed analysis, though wordy at times.             The article, which is separated into two parts, begins by introducing video games as a concept, and how they can be used as an avenue for storytelling, or even as educational devices. Vasilikaris highlights the rather dismissive attitude many people have towards video games as anything more than a childish pastime, while be