I forget myself in the melancholy of times,

where the arrows are like scissors

This Modern Struggle Magazine had the honour of speaking with artist and writer Irina Tall and sharing her unique artwork.

She shares her artistic journey, her creative process, the powerful meanings behind her work and the way that art can inspire and influence.

Thank you so much to Irina for taking the time to share her creativity and insights with us.

It was at the tender age of 12 that my mom showed me her favorite movies, mostly old thrillers. My first was Rear Window, which of course we followed with North by Northwest, Charade, To Catch a Thief, Wait Until Dark, among others. Some were better than others, some aged poorly, but none were as good as Rear Window, which is a favorite to this day.

If I am honest, though, the Golden Age of Hollywood doesn’t do much for me anymore. The women are so pretty, so classically feminine. The men are strong, rough, and indistinguishable from each other. I will always love Rear Window, even as I see how far from Grace Kelly and James Stewart, and realize it doesn’t love me back.

If you have watched any of the classic horror films, such as Halloween, Scream, Friday the 13th, or Nightmare on Elm Street, you will recognise the Final Girl trope. One woman will be the lone survivor of the slasher, beating the killer and becoming the last one standing.

This premise seems progressive, however, the trope was usually that the Final Girl was seen as the most ‘moral’ girl. If you are having sex in a horror film, drinking too much, or doing drugs, you are going to be one of the first to get killed. If you are the more innocent, kind, or virginal girl, you will always be the one who survives. This perspective goes hand in hand with women being objectified in horror films, with their bodies being used for sex and dismemberment, often being found in compromising positions, shown with their breasts exposed, or sexually assaulted on screen.

Following the successful launch of her third published poetry book, Sins & Sunflowers: Second Edition, we were thrilled to speak with poet and author Emma-Jane Barlow about her poetry inspiration, writing process, advice for up-and-coming poets, and how poetry has helped her express her emotions and speak up to help others with autism.

Exposing her vulnerability as she pens the tempestuous journey of loss and love, Emma-Jane explores the vicissitude of overcoming her first heartbreak, dating, and falling in love with someone new. Through the symbolism of a sunflower with canary wings, she writes about learning to love herself as she navigates new beginnings and finds her voice again. In this second and more visceral edition of Sins & Sunflowers, she digs even deeper into the trauma and tribulations of the healing journey and how believing in your own light can truly set a spirit free.

“And you’re listening to that song, and that drive with the people who you love most in this world. And in this moment, I swear, we are infinite.”

- Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I have always loved that one scene in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. You know, the one with the back of the car, Sam and “Heroes” by David Bowie. Or, if you remember, the one with the back of the car, Charlie and “Heroes” by David Bowie. Actually, I like the second one better, because you know at this point in the movie how much the character has gone through. You know how much he has grown, and that the freedom he feels is hard fought. It’s that one that makes me cry, that gives me hope, that makes me a little sad.

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is a feminist fever dream of pink, plastic, and patriarchy.

The opening of the film, in a homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey, shows a group of miserable little girls in the desert. Wearing greys and beige, they resolutely play with baby dolls, cook and do the ironing. These are the toys young girls are given to play with, practising for the future, indoctrinating this sense of wives and motherhood from a young age.

But then Barbie is introduced.

When Whitney Adebayo and Lochan Nowacki made it to the last two couples alongside Jess Harding and Sammy Root in Love Island’s season 10 finale on Monday night, fans were convinced this would be the day that we would see a dark-skinned black woman win the series.

But then, this is the UK after all, so maybe we should have seen it coming…

The struggle is real… when you’re the sad girl whose dad died

Season 4 of Mindy Kaling’s hit Netflix teen comedy Never Have I Ever hit our screens today, for the final time. Over the last four seasons we have watched high schooler Devi navigate crushes, hookups, friendships and studies as she makes her way towards graduation and the ending of the show. Never Have I Ever is funny, outlandish, and oozes with Kaling’s notorious wit and charm.

But as a 29-year-old, the thing that resonates with me most about the show is the unbelievably accurate depiction of what it’s like to lose a parent when you’re a teenager.

Growing up with Disney’s 1989 animated version of The Little Mermaid, I instantly fell in love with the enchanting world under the sea, the magic of mermaids, and the fairy-tale love story of a couple who fight against the odds to be together.

But as I’ve gotten older, I realised the really poor message this film sends - a teenage girl gives up her voice, family and sense of self for a man she has only seen once, and this is supposed to be her happy ending?

Love Island returns to our screens tonight for another sizzling summer, for the second time in under six months.

Yet with dwindling viewership, calls out for toxic behaviour and a constant drove of identical influencers being manufactured, will this be a long hot summer of loyalty or lost viewership?