Cosmic Vertigo on the Isle of Lost

by Barry Vackeron Lost

The terror was so crazy, so real, and I knew I had to deal with it.

–Jack

Lost Amidst the Seas or Stars?

The show is about lost people on a lost island.

–J. J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof (co-creators of Lost)

So, here we are, humanity having survived six years beyond the three zeros of the new millennium, six years beyond 2000. Are we lost?

Is being lost the condition symbolized by Jack’s compass-like tattoo at the top of his left arm, a tattoo which is on vivid display in the first minutes of the pilot episode of Lost? The tattoo is not a complete compass, only a partial compass, perhaps suggesting a compass broken or rendered inoperable. Such meaning seems likely, especially considering the tattoo of spirals and flaming stars, which lie almost completely hidden, tucked on the inside of Jack’s left bicep and elbow? Shirtless, Jack may be … read more»

Recent Free Essays (Still Available!)

Available Until
Mon 1/27

Identity Crisis

by Tee Morrison Battlestar Galactica

Just from the title, you may be thinking “What the frak?!” And I don’t blame you one iota for thinking that. This is exactly my own thought every time I sit down in front of my television and watch Battlestar Galactica, every episode bringing a tightness to my throat as … read more»

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Fri 1/24

Ender Wiggin, USMC

by John F. Schmitton Ender's Game

I knew Ender Wiggin very well. We were infantry captains together back in the day, stationed at the Marine Corps Warfighting Center during the Quantico Renaissance of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Of course, that’s not true, the Quantico part anyway, although it might just as well have been.

I … read more»

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Thu 1/23

Lies and Consequences

by Delia Shermanon the Uglies series

This tape consists of selections from Professor Hayde’s lectures for Lies and Consequences: Propaganda in the Prettytime (Room 46, Level 16). Weeks skipped consisted of class discussions, role-playing exercises, and field trips to the Rusty Museum. Professor Hayde had eighteen students: six ordinary pretties, eight with extreme skin and body … read more»

Available Until
Wed 1/22

A View From the Bench

by Judge John Tatroon Crank and Glass

I’ve been a judge for fourteen years and I’ve presided over both civil and criminal cases. Since I started, I have seen the number of methamphetamine-related criminal cases rise dramatically. In the beginning, I would see one or two cases a month. Now, there isn’t a day that goes by when I’m not dealing with … read more»