Author: James Keenan

I am a young Irish-American writer, telling stories by day and waxing philosophical by night. This blog is meant to be a collection of public musings, anecdotes, and writing exercises open to criticism and discussion among fellow readers and writers.
I Want You to Want Me (But Maybe from a Distance): Struggling with Social Anxiety and Belonging
Mental Health

I Want You to Want Me (But Maybe from a Distance): Struggling with Social Anxiety and Belonging

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Do I need to be liked? Absolutely not. I like to be liked. I enjoy being liked. I have to be liked. Michael Scott What would life be without paradox and irony? I am an introvert - that means that social interaction drains my energy rather than increases it. I have social anxiety - I worry about… Continue reading I Want You to Want Me (But Maybe from a Distance): Struggling with Social Anxiety and Belonging

The Fates of Twitter and Celtic Riverside Are Inexorably Linked
Uncategorized

The Fates of Twitter and Celtic Riverside Are Inexorably Linked

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A simple but painful truth rarely acknowledged is that I do not have a voice. My Twitter following is small. Celtic Riverside has a very limited readership. Even in my personal and professional lives, much of what I say falls on deaf ears. It's such a true statement that my youngest brother treats it as… Continue reading The Fates of Twitter and Celtic Riverside Are Inexorably Linked

She-Hulk: Is Marvel Failing Feminism?
Critical Thought · Social Contract

She-Hulk: Is Marvel Failing Feminism?

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I won't name her, but YouTube decided to hit me with a video the other day about how woke superhero Hollywood was failing women. It begins with an article supporting She-Hulk that drove the talking head into a froth because it included comments from the show creators about how the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has… Continue reading She-Hulk: Is Marvel Failing Feminism?

The Ambages – How a Fictional Family Became the Cornerstone of My Mind
Anxiety · Critical Thought · OCPD · Personal · Writing

The Ambages – How a Fictional Family Became the Cornerstone of My Mind

James KeenanLeave a comment

Ambage: noun - an archaic term for intentional ambiguity or indirect ways or proceedings (usually presented as the plural "ambages"; Middle English via French and Latin) Intentional ambiguity is not a literary device that most writers would seek to employ, but if we're going to talk about the secondary definition regarding "indirect ways" then it… Continue reading The Ambages – How a Fictional Family Became the Cornerstone of My Mind

In Which One is Critical of Gender Critical Gender
#HeForShe · Critical Thought

In Which One is Critical of Gender Critical Gender

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I saw a Twitter post the other day asking why the recent Jon Stewart piece was doing everything with respect to women rather than men. It seemed like an odd question to me because while, yes, men are the privileged group and women the disadvantaged, the discussion always seems to be with respect to women.… Continue reading In Which One is Critical of Gender Critical Gender

PINK (Simple Admiration for a Complex Colour)
Critical Thought

PINK (Simple Admiration for a Complex Colour)

James Keenan1 Comment

I grew up in a world where pink was very much a girl colour. It appeared almost as though a warning to boys, the way cautionary signage indicates a hazard of fire, electrical shock, or poison. If something was pink, that meant that it was for girls and boys should stay away. Nothing about it… Continue reading PINK (Simple Admiration for a Complex Colour)