Under the Wing of a Creature of the Night

Magnificent in its sheer power and beauty, this owl wing has a wingspan of 18 inches and measures 10 inches from the shoulder bone to the secondary feathers. Wings such as the one displayed play a vital role in the lifestyle of owls and other hunting birds who fulfill their dietary requirements through stealthy foraging in the dark of the night. Being predatory animals, an owl depends upon its wings as a weapon, equipping it with an arsenal worthy of any hunter. Because of their composition of downy feathers, soft fringes, and comb-like primary feathers, these light appendages create less audible sound waves through air, giving an owl the advantage of nearly silent flight. [excerpt

Rocky Horror: A Study in Shadows and Flight

“Rocky Horror: A Study in Shadows and Flight” is a creative nonfiction piece that analyzes the infamous legacy left by the cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As a first-year in college, the speaker strings together a series of vignettes from different encounters with the film in her life, from her first midnight showing to her first performance as Columbia in a live production. In a few pages, this piece examines the meaning of identity and freedom as the speaker works through repulsion, rebellion, and all things Rocky