Pixar’s SOUL is the Perfect Movie for a World Weary of Living
There’s a scene in Pixar’s latest movie Soul where Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a struggling middle school music teacher, steps out of a jazz club after one of the most triumphant moments…
Author: danielwivvy
The Mouth of Sauron: A Meditation on the Year Past and the Year to Come
In my opinion, a scene cut from The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King is one of the greatest scenes in what is arguably the world’s greatest-ever…
Why Batman Is a Terrible Superhero (Or, Why Our Present Social Crises Demand a Different Class of Hero)
Published in Tor.com on September 28th, 2020. I’m a huge fan of the Dark Knight, so I was ready to throw hands a few weeks ago when someone told me…
Betraying “America”: Sufjan Stevens Asks Us to Kiss the Country We Know Goodbye
A day before our nation marked its independence from Great Britain for the 244th time, indie folk/rock artist Sufjan Stevens released “America,” the first single off his upcoming album, The Ascension.…
Now is Not the Time for Creators to Cancel Their Work: Why Art is Essential to Social Justice
The delay of artistic expression buys into the notion that everything will go back to “normal” — which is not what we want. Way back in March 2020, I was…
Three Things White People Can Learn from Dan Cathy and ‘The Babylon Bee’
White people who engage in crass, public, performative acts make themselves look foolish — and it’s not what black people want Two weekends ago, I was browsing Facebook — terrible…
The Church Failed Jon Steingard, and It’s Failing Your Kids Too
Last month, Jon Steingard, lead vocalist for the Christian rock band Hawk Nelson, revealed that he no longer believes in God. His revelation is the latest in a long line…
Does the Commentary Class Know that Multiple Things Can Be True at the Same Time?
On the strange “either/or”-ism in the wake of George Floyd’s murder It’s been over a week since George Floyd was senselessly killed by (now former) Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.…
The Enduring Legacy of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Published in Speculative Faith on May 20, 2020. It’s almost a miracle that Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is returning for a seventh season on May 27. A little over a year…
“I Might Do This Forever”
I was listening to Trip Lee’s song “Forever” recently, and it got me thinking… What will we be doing in Heaven? In the New Earth? Most of us probably have…