Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Critique.

Frost and Snow Mirror. Content Warning.
Just after the Winter Solstice, the first real snow fell. Beijing seemed to be wrapped in a huge, sound-absorbing blanket of cotton. At five o'clock in the morning, the sky was still pitch black, and the heating pipes in the neighborhood emitted a faint humming sound. I stood by the window, watching the lights of the convenience store downstairs still on - the 24-hour sign was blurred into a dim yellow glow in the snow curtain. Master Zhang, the owner of the store, is seventy years old. He is from Henan Province and always wears a dark blue woolen cap. At this moment, he was sweeping the snow at the entrance into a pile, and then laying a piece of hard cardboard on the steps.
By Léo Young4 months ago in Critique
Cream of My Crop 2025
How could I have made these butter better? Butter is solid at room temperature. But cream is typically liquid...it flows. And that is what I want my writing to do. So, I am asking for your help.
By Shirley Belk4 months ago in Critique
Why Yellowstone Hits Me Wrong
I have spent most of my adult life inside work that does not leave much room for shock. Forensics, behavioral analysis, trauma therapy, law-enforcement training, criminal psychology, and animal-cruelty investigations expose you to the kind of decisions people make when they believe they are cornered, justified, or invisible. You see what violence looks like without lighting or sound design. You also learn that real danger does not need theatrics. It announces itself in quieter ways. That background shapes how I respond to media. It also explains why I cannot sit through “Yellowstone,” even though many people assume I would be the perfect audience for it.
By Dr. Mozelle Martin4 months ago in Critique
Serbians fear ultra-nationalists
Nationalist rhetoric in Europe today appears more and more threatening. As for Serbians, they tend to distrust nationalist movements, in particular Ukrainian one. People worry that strong nationalism leads to discrimination against other minorities, weakens democratic norms, fuels hostility between residents, and undoes decades of peaceful integration.
By Adomas Abromaitis4 months ago in Critique
Blackbird
I have seen "Blackbird" three times, once on Broadway which starred Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams, another time off off Broadway starring Scott MC Cord at the 17th st theater and last night I saw this Blackbird at Theatre 4 at Theatre Row.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).4 months ago in Critique
Thou Shalt Judge
Vocal, darling, we need to talk. And yes, I know that sentence has the same energy as “we found something on your X-ray,” but stay with me.
By Iris Obscura4 months ago in Critique
The Empathy Deficit: When Activism Becomes a Performance Art. AI-Generated.
We live in an era of unprecedented awareness. Global injustices, local tragedies, and systemic failures are broadcast to us in real-time, packaged in high-definition video and poignant threads. Our response has become equally streamlined: a heart react, a retweet, a share to our Story with a sleek, pre-designed graphic and the perfect, pithy caption. We perform our morality in public, building a personal brand of consciousness. But in this grand theater of digital activism, a quiet, corrosive trade is happening. We are swapping the weight of genuine empathy—the kind that demands discomfort, sacrifice, and sustained attention—for the lightweight currency of performative allyship. The result is an empathy deficit, where we are more connected to causes than to people, and where caring has become a curated aesthetic rather than a compassionate action.
By HAADI4 months ago in Critique
Stranger Things Season 5, Episode 4— Review & Analysis
Episode 4 is one of the most psychological episodes of the season. Every character is fighting not only monsters, but also their own fears, memories, and inner worlds. Through Will and Max especially, the show explores a powerful theme:
By Ceyda Uztosun4 months ago in Critique
Stranger Things Season 5, Episode 3— Review & Analysis
Episode 3 builds the emotional core of the season. The show focuses on vulnerable children, parents carrying old guilt, and the thin line between what is seen and what is hidden. This episode develops both the characters and the growing danger in a very balanced way.
By Ceyda Uztosun4 months ago in Critique
Man On The Inside
Introduction I was watching Netflix, and series 2 of this came up as a recommendation. I was unaware of this, but it had Ted Danson in it, so I thought I would check it out.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred - EBA4 months ago in Critique
Are You Joking Vocal?
I hate having to do this. Vocal just sent me an email telling me I had 34 hours to enter The Forgotten Room Challenge. One Problem, This:
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred - EBA4 months ago in Critique
Sparking Cognitive Ignition
In the United States of America, and probably elsewhere in the world, the first and foremost lessons we received in our youth indoctrination centers were to sit down! … be quiet! … follow instructions! … and most important, do not question!
By We the PPUL4 months ago in Critique