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The Science Behind Reading

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Dear Reader, Today, we'll be delving into the scientific aspect that makes reading so unique and utterly beneficial to not just our soul, but our noggin too. Simple, clear, concise - so let's get to it, shall we? *** The brain is one of the most complex enigmas in the known universe. With its intricate wirings and high-end abilities, it allows humans to empirically grasp its mysteries through the acquisition of knowledge by reading. The synergy between the brain and the ability to read highlights key elements such as neurotransmitters, the hippocampus, and brain plasticity. Figure 1  The way the human brain functions once exposed to words on a page, is a highly technical process.  First, the eyes capture images of the individual words, which are then converted into electrical signals and transferred to the back of the brain. There, these signals are processed and stored for future recognition in the “letterbox” .  (Figure 1). Then, the frontal and temporal lobes tell us ...
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'The Expiry Date' by Pearl Z. Armeni ~ A poem

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Dear Reader,    After some excessive debate I believe that it would not be fair to dally in the creative works of others without sharing my own.     Today, I'd like to share with you one of my most favourite works that although took quite a bit of time, believe it to capture the essence of what it means to be a human in today's world: Common, forgotten and oh so fragile. This poem was drawn from the depths of my mortal heart and I sincerely hope you enjoy. So, here it goes...     It's not meant to be pretty and it surely isn't supposed to be perfect though I believe that through it maybe just maybe I managed to pass on something to you dear reader - whether that be feeling, truth or I honestly have no idea what. I hope you take it with you and cherish it, for your perception, your universal truth that allowed you to comprehend this, that makes you,  you . I shall not be further explaining the meaning, theme or other literary aspect, for a poe...
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Storytelling through Song & Scriptwriting ~ Only Murders In the Building

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 Dear Reader,     Murder. Treachery. Hidden secrets and... song?     In today's article we'll be diving deep into a rather new aspect of storytelling. That can be done not through the bleeding droplets of ink on simple parchment but through song and television.     So, without further ado: lights, camera, action! What is Only Murders In the Building?     A thrilling whirlwind of comedy and murder, Only Murders In the  Building  does one of the most wondrous of jobs when it comes to storytelling, incorporating not just dashes of panache in its script and character dialogue but also through its score and music. The series follows Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) & Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin) solving cold murder cases via their podcast, within their block of apartments known as the Arconia . With the first two seasons being your regular yet exciting comedy-thriller show, the third seaso...
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Culinary delights and literary magic ~ Two Summer Recipes from "Anne of Green Gables" & "Little Women"

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 Dear Reader,     Now that summer is upon us it's very possible for you to find me sitting down at the beach with a good book, toes in sand and sunglasses shining. However, I'm sure that although this idyllic state sounds appealing to most of us, we still are simultaneously forced to abide by the treacherous tendrils of the dreaded summer heat.    But not to worry! In today's article, I'll be sharing two literary recipes from two of my favourite classic novels: 'Anne of Green Gables' by L.M. Montgomery and 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott. With these two delights you'll be sure to fight against the solstice sun in full bibliophilic-style! So let's get to it, shall we? Marilla Cuthbert's Raspberry Cordial “Now, please help yourself, Diana,” she said politely. “I don’t believe I’ll have any just now. I don’t feel as if I wanted any after all those apples.” Diana poured herself out a tumblerful, looked at its bright-red hue admiringly, and th...
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I think it's time we discussed the elephant in the room...

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   Dear Reader,     Okay. This may seem rather confusing, maybe even a little bit ridiculous but I'm sure there is that one thing you may pretend isn't there in your life. That one thing that is there, is large, gargantuan, a problem perhaps, but you ignore it. You ignore it and maybe even place rose-tinted glasses on so you do not see the elephant... in your own life. It could be a small elephant, Dumbo-sized, maybe even Tantor-sized who knows, all I know is that I am aware of that elephant in the room known as your life. After all, everyone has one. You may call your elephant Anxiety, Depression, maybe even Mr. Elephant of Gerascophobia - the fear of growing up, but all in all even if you aren't even aware of it, everyone has their own elephant.      But why an elephant? Why do we call our problems elephants ?    You'd probably stop me right here and say we call them elephants because of their size. That our problems are large and conspicu...
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An interview with the Maltese author Roberta Bajada

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   Dear Reader,     One of my most favourite Maltese authors out there is the spectacular Roberta Bajada. She is author of Termini u kundizzjonijiet japplikaw  (Terms and conditions apply), a Maltese novel which follows the main character, Gonsalvo, on his quest of finding his murderer beyond the grave, with the help of a young boy named Miki.    In this post you can find a snippet of the interview I had with her where I ask about not just her novel but also her writing techniques, recommendations and overall expertise! INTERVIEW P: Thank you very much for accepting this interview it's so nice to meet you. RB: No problem, [smiles] , it's nice to meet you too. P: I wanted to start by asking you why you decided to mainly write for children and adolescents instead of adults. What was your main reason behind this decision?  RB: Well I'm actually trying to write novels for adults too. Currently, I'm writing two novels, one for adults and one for ado...
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Tales from Other Times ~ Three Tales etched in stone and colour

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 Dear Reader, “Painting does to the illiterate what writing does to those who can read.” --- Pope Gregory the Great    When it comes to art, our minds flit from paintings and churches which scream grandeur with their gargantuan rose windows and their intricate etched fusion of colours. However, in my eyes, art can be anything, whether it be the bird's song we hear or the bleeding ink on paper which we bind ourselves to and call novels. We hold these treasures, rubies of our world, close and dear to our tragic human hearts as we yearn for things art in all its idealistic beauty depicts. We decorate our cities, embellish our own homes, and use each piece of painted or carved art as gateways to a life we desire, as deep down we know that our human touch is catalytic at best.    Despite this, I like to think this is our own kind of beauty. Our own brokenness is a portal for passion we can use as our muse to paint our own lives and write them as we wish. Afterall, ...
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