Morgan Library Exhibit ‘It’s Alive’ Showcases Frankenstein’s Author
By Alexis Martinez
A 1931 Carl Laemmle poster. Photo by Alexis Martinez.
Frankenreads, an international exhibit celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein,” gave Lehman students further insight into the cult classic and aspects of Shelley’s life. The exhibit opened up at the Morgan Library Museum on 225 Madison Ave. Lehman English professor, Olivia Moy, assigned a student visit on Nov. 16, 2018. Her goal was for students to become more invested in the novel and its author. Isha Serrano, a Lehman English major, said, “I managed to get up close and personal with Mary Shelley’s muse for making “Frankenstein”.
The exhibit showcased different editions of the book, as well as reinterpretations of the cult classic from spinoffs, mashups, parodies, and tributes. In addition, it entailed the history of Shelley’s life and memorabilia. Her artwork embodied elements typically conveyed in romantic literature such as life, death, vivid scenery, and intensified passion. “Nightmare” was one of the many gothic paintings on display, featuring a goblin with yellow cat eyes perched on top of a woman’s chest. The class also viewed different animated renditions of the book and artifacts of tools used to amputate limbs for the formation of Frankenstein, who is also known as “the Monster”, “the Creature”, and “the Wretch”.
Elements of Shelley’s past that influenced her novel were also on display. Shelley was born to celebrity parents Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. She lost her mother two weeks after she was born, which frayed her relationship with her father. As a result, she had an isolated and rebellious childhood. At 16, Shelley ran off with her father’s married friend Percy Shelley. Shortly after, she suffered a stillborn birth and was widowed after the death of her husband. The themes isolation, loss, lack of love, and rebellion are all conveyed throughout the novel, “Frankenstein”.
“I thought that the ‘Frankenstein’ exhibit was great and very informative about Mary Shelley and her family and her life journey,” said Jose Miranda, a Lehman English major.
‘Widows’ Wows Audiences with Empowering Message for Women
By Brittany Aufiero
Film poster for ‘Widows.’ Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
In a long tradition of Hollywood heist thrillers dominated by male actors, “Widows” holds its own, breaking the mold with its female-led cast directed by Steve McQueen.
“Widows” earned the box office an impressive $53.6 million worldwide, $33.5 of which were from ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada alone. Released Nov. 16, the film was co-written by McQueen and Gillian Flynn. Flynn is best known as the writer of “Gone Girl,” a novel published in 2012, about a woman seeking revenge on her adulterous husband. Flynn’s flair for gritty, female-driven stories is exceptionally portrayed in “Widows.”
Viola Davis stars as the thick-skinned Veronica Rawlings. She plays a woman whose life is left in shambles following the death of her husband, Harry, played by Liam Neeson, after a heist that went wrong. In the midst of her grief, she is visited by Jamal Manning and Daniel Kaluuya, who play a crime lord and politician looking for the $2 million that Harry stole.
Manning wants his money and expects Veronica to pay up. Veronica enlists the help of the widows of her dead husband’s heist team, Alice Gunner, played by Elizabeth Debicki and Linda Parelli, played by actress Michelle Rodriguez. It is an attempt to pull off one last robbery in order to pay off the debt and start a new life.
“Widows” is an emotionally compelling and violent story of survival. Through Veronica, the audience can understand the complex role race can play in a marriage. When their unarmed son is pulled over by police and shot, Harry grows to resent his wife for her black skin. In the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter Movement, Veronica’s story feels particularly relevant to the racial struggles that many people endure in the modern day justice system.
Meanwhile, Alice becomes an escort so that she can make ends meet following the death of her abusive husband. She enters into an exclusive sexual arrangement with a wealthy real estate executive, David, but feels uncomfortable with the power imbalance.
While Veronica and Alice easily comply with the demands of the heist, Linda struggles to find a sitter for her children. Veronica begins to doubt her commitment to the heist, but Linda stands her ground and argues that she’ll do it for her children. Ultimately, they prove that women don’t have to be amazing fighters or gun aficionados in order to belong in an action movie.
Queens resident, Suzie Diep said, “Viola Davis’s performance was amazing.” She added that she felt that the movie did a good job dealing with classism and racism.
Lehman professor of political science, Dr. Jason Schulman, 45, said, “It’s a film with real depth. It transcends genre conventions, and refreshingly, puts female characters at the center of a drama. The men are just there to move the plot along.”
“Widows” is extremely powerful in ways that are both figurative and literal. It is insightful and explores the powerful minds of women who have reached their breaking point. This is definitely a must-see.
Smashing Pumpkins’ New Album Brings Back Classic Sound
By J. Manuel Rivera Cortes
“Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol 1” album cover. Photo by Jonathan Rivera.
“Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol 1” is The Smashing Pumpkins first album in over four years and takes fans back to their classic sound.
Their latest album commemorates the return of founding guitarist, James Iha, after his two-decade hiatus from lead singer Billy Corgan, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and Jeff Schroeder on guitar and keyboard. With Iha back, the classic balance of this alternative rock mega-group has been reestablished.
The first song “Knights of Malta” is a pseudo-emo anthem that is reminiscent of “1979” a hit song from their “Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness” album. “You’ll just rise on forever…When doldrums age in platinum,” it croons.
“Solara,” the album’s most memorable, offers the listener classic Pumpkins’ sound with a neoclassic twist. “Tear down the sun. Bring down the sun,” it exhorts.
While well known for their hit albums “Siamese Dream” and “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” the band suffered a series of unsuccessful album releases over the span of the 30-year span of their music career. Their album “Adore” was one of the most anticipated albums of 1998 but fell short of fans expectations, selling only 174,000. Their previous album sold 246,500 in its first week.
Iha’s departure from the Pumpkins created a new sound from the band, with “Machina,” their first album without Iha, ushering in a new era of Pumpkins music of further declining album sales. “Machina” sold only 583,000, making it the second lowest selling album released by the group.
Iha’s return brings back the classic sound that die-hard fans will appreciate, especially in “Silvery Sometimes,” where the steady guitar rhythm reflects Iha as a master musician and recalls “Tonight, Tonight,” one of the time-honored favorites of Smashing Pumpkins’ fans. Lehman junior and English major Albert Gonzalez said, “I’m glad that Iha came back for this album. He is the driving force of the band’s rhythm in their songs.”
Lehman Community Mourns the Loss of New York Native Stan Lee
By Teresa Fanzo
Stan Lee at Phoenix Comicon, pictured in 2011. Photo courtesy of Flickr.
“I will miss seeing his cameos in every Marvel movie,” said Peter Watson, a Lehman freshman.
Stan Lee, the comic book writer known for the creation of many Marvel characters such as Spider-Man and the Hulk, died at the age of 95 on November 12, 2018. His death came as a shock to the comic world and the pop culture industry.
Born Stanley Martin Lieber in Manhattan, Lee moved to the Bronx when he was a teenager. Growing up he was inspired by books and movies and admired heroic figures like Robin Hood. Stan Lee went to Clinton High School, less than a mile away from Lehman College.
According to biography.com, Lee became an assistant in the Timely Comic division of Pulp Magazine, an inexpensive nonfiction magazine, in 1939. By the 1960s, Timely evolved into Marvel Comics when the company launched the Fantastic Four. He made his debut in May of 1941 with writing filler, plots that do not actually progress the story, for “Captain America Foils the Traitor’s Revenge.” He used a pen name, Stan Lee, which he would later adopt as his legal name.
By the end of the 1950s, he considered leaving his job. He was dissatisfied and he was not given the opportunity to write the stories he wanted. During this time, Lee was on the verge of quitting, but with his wife’s advice, he began writing the kind of stories he enjoyed.
“I mourn Stan not just as an innovator and storyteller but as a New Yorker and a Bronxite.”
- Lehman Senior and film and television studies major Juan Vasquez
The DC comics editor, Julius Schwartz, first introduced the public to the concept of the super-team with the Justice League of America. To combat this, Lee was tasked with the assignment to create their company’s own super-team.
Lee and his partner, Jack Kirby, created the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and arguably Marvel’s most successful character, Spider-Man. These characters were grouped into Marvel’s super-team, The Avengers.
Stan Lee created a world of relatable characters and intriguing storylines. In 2008, the comic studio ventured into the film industry, and since 2008, Lee has had a cameo feature in every single Marvel film.
Lee was an icon who revolutionized the comic industry and inspired many Lehman students. Junior and film and television studies major Julia Brennan said, “I grew up reading Marvel comics. Spider-Man is the first movie I remember seeing in theaters as a kid, so I hold a great sense of gratitude towards Stan Lee.”
Senior and Lehman film and television studies major Juan Vasquez said, “The sorrow that was his passing transcended the comics world. I mourn Stan not just as an innovator and storyteller but as a New Yorker and a Bronxite.”