The Wildelings by Lisa Harding was on a ‘dark academia’ reading list I came across. I don’t know if it fits into that category. Still, it takes place at a fictional Dublin university (named after Oscar Wilde) and deals with some dark elements of human nature, so sure. The story…
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The Q Review | Girl in a Band | Kim Gordon
Kim Gordon is arguably and objectively one of the coolest people to have ever walked the planet. Full stop. An artist’s artist. An L.A. girl who made good in New York City. A woman who sought to define her style and relationship to her art, even as part of a…
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The Q Review | The Pilgrimage | John Broderick
I’m going to start this review by saying: READ THIS BOOK. The Pilgrimage by John Broderick is a riveting soap opera of a story about a wealthy couple living in a midcentury Irish town. The story is told from the perspective of the wife, Julia, who begins the novel having…
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The Q Review | Will and Testament | Vigdis Hjorth
Will & Testament by Vigdis Hjorth deals with the painful topics of incest and family dysfunction. The book is (at least partially) taken from events in the author’s own life, which means she writes in great detail about these dynamics, aptly capturing the pain and frustration of dealing with a…
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The Q Review | The KLF | John Higgs
My only knowledge of The KLF before reading this book is a faint memory of hearing their song “3AM Eternal” on the radio in my senior year of high school, thinking, “What is this?” The music I was into at the time – mainly of the new wave and alternative…
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The Q Review | Admiring Silence | Abdulrazak Gurnah
There is very little that happens in this Nobel Prize-winning novel, and yet, it’s one of the most impactful books I’ve read this year. I’m married to an immigrant who came to the West, seeking opportunity and security. I’ve witnessed firsthand the emotional and psychological challenges that befall anyone who…
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I’m an IDCL Texas Storyscapes Community Fellow!
Super, SUPER stoked to be part of this program for the next year! The Institute for Diversity and Civic Life is a nonprofit organization dedicated to telling stories and documenting experiences of the endlessly diverse people living in Texas. I’m joining a group of multimedia storytellers, each of us working…
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Live Music Review | The Bright Light Social Hour & Friends @ The Mohawk | 6.21.25
Read my review of The Bright Light Social Hour’s epic summer solstice show on June 21, 2025 on The Cosmic Clash…
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TQL Podcast | S3E20 | Virginia Hernandez
Support The Qreative Life podcast through my Patreon, or via Paypal or Venmo (@AmandaQ555). In this episode, Q talks with her friend and former co-worker, photographer Virginia Hernandez. They discuss Virginia’s new venture, striking out as a full-time working creative, her latest creative partnership, the value of a creative community, and the importance…
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The Q Review | The Pisces | Melissa Broder
Now this is a story! I’d reserved a copy of Melissa Broder’s book The Pisces at the library, but since it wasn’t immediately available, I opted to start with her most recent release, Death Valley. I wasn’t impressed, but The Pisces came so highly recommended that I was still looking…