Yazz James

On Eating Your Anger, Until It Eats You

“If you’ve trusted love this far, trust it all the way”
Introduction
Barry Jenkins is often celebrated for his brilliance of capturing intimacy, depicting moments of authentic sensitivity and rehumanising Black people — the historic “Other”. The filmmaker’s most recent cinematic release If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) — also referred to as Beale Street — is an adaptation of the 1974 James Baldwin novel of the same name. Jenkins uses the film to illustrate the complexities of love and hate e...

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Whether you’ve read Nick Hornby’s novel, seen the noughties film starring John Cusack, or were one of the few to catch it on stage, High Fidelity is a story many of us are familiar with. The tale gives audiences a peek inside the mind of a pop-culture enthusiast, music snob, and recent dumpee to offer a tour of their failed – and continually failing – love life.

Content warning: this paper contains mentions of abuse and sexual violence

Modernity has presented women as passive consumers of mass culture, incapable of critical thought and lacking the potential to be artists, leading to their marginalisation in the music industry. They are given lower-paid positions, denied access to technical roles, and sexualised as performers. Women have been expected to be devoted fans as opposed to musicians. Whilst it is not unusual for women to be sin...

I’ve watched all twelve episodes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s ‘Fleabag’ at least three times now. Although I could probably recite half of the teleplay from memory, the line “I sometimes worry that I wouldn’t be such a feminist if I had bigger tits” usually replays in my head for a while. First I like it because it’s a hilarious line. Then I like it because of its somewhat sad and deeper meaning. Personally, I’m satisfied with my boobs, they’re alright (for me at least), but I am conscious of th...

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Everything feels so romantic when it’s just outside of your reach, the particulars of clubbing especially. That unnerving feeling of your shoe clinging to the sticky, beery floor. Gobs of 3 AM shawarma and warm bread jabbing at the sides of your throat because you forgot how to chew. The boozy exchange of compliments and I-love-yous between strangers over a bathroom sink that feel more sincere than sober ones. I want it all back.
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Collaborative piece for Lithium Magazine.

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As I write this, I’m listening to Julia Jacklin’s album; in fact, this entire piece – including the artwork – has been drawn out of me thanks to her twenty-nineteen release. Initially intrigued by the vibrant cover art, I was out when I first saw Crushing advertised and told myself I’d give it a listen later on, but, admittedly, I forgot. The first time I did listen to it, however, was after speaking to a close friend. I’d just moved back home and was feeling a little lost, when she called me...

We’re in incredibly tricky, stressful and somewhat colourless times. With no university and currently being unemployed, I’m not too sure what to with myself. In my (very privileged) case, this pandemic has forced my return to the UK. Everything happened pretty fast which means I could only come back with hand luggage. Therefore, my hi-fi, favourite records and cassettes are in another country and so I’ve been moping about, feeling like I’ve abandoned my own children.
What I have found this pe...