iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Counter Arts

@counterarts.bsky.social

16 followers 24 following 90 posts

The (Counter)Cultural One-Stop for Nonfiction on Medium… incorporating categories for: ‘Art’, ‘Culture’, ‘Equality’, ‘Photography’, ‘Film’, ‘Mental Health’, ‘Music’ and ‘Literature’.

Posts Replies Media

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

From Septimus Carr: medium.com/counterarts/...

The Mounting Cost of Staying in Douglas Stuart’s Booker Shortlisted ‘John of John’

Everyone says it’s harder to leave, but it’s much harder to stay

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

From Ryan Frawley: medium.com/counterarts/...

The Devil in Montpellier: How To Have a Soul Worth Selling

We all end up at the crossroads eventually

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

From Cynthia Friedlob: medium.com/counterarts/...

From Bloomers to Blue Jeans

What a long, strange trip it’s been

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

From Alejandro Orradre: medium.com/counterarts/...

5 Novels by Eva Baltasar

The literary career of one of the most important Catalan writers of the 21st century offers a comprehensive exploration of the female…

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

From LGWare: medium.com/counterarts/...

Internalized Hatred: Doja Cat Admits She Hated Her Blackness

White damage and Black resistance

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

From our Film Section Editor, Reece Beckett: medium.com/counterarts/...

Review: ‘Peter Hujar’s Day’ — An Uninspired Study of Everyday Artistry

Ira Sachs’ newest film is an interesting experiment but struggles to find meaning

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

"I'm so in love with folklore, myth & fairytales right now. There are some incredible work of fiction out there using these stories as influence, or retelling them. This is the first piece hosted on Counter Arts for this writer - definitely a good start!" medium.com/counterarts/...

Boys Went on Adventures, Girls Endured: From Grimm to Disney

I think no one would object if I claimed that fairy tales played a huge role in Disney’s success

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

From Brian Rosta: medium.com/counterarts/...

We Forgot How to Read Morally Flawed Characters

Art does not need your moral approval

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Jason Craige Harris opens our eyes to just how much artists and creators really add to our lives:" medium.com/counterarts/...

Turning the World at a Tilt

On Art, Imagination, and the Work of Remaking the World

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "The Booker Prize shortlist has been announced! Personal favourites for me have to be Douglas Stuart's 'John of John' and Marlon James' 'The Disappearers' - anyone else got any thoughts?" www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/b...

Booker Prize 2026: Six Novels Make Shortlist

If James wins for “The Disappearers” or Stuart for “John of John,” it would be a rare second win for an author in the history of the prestigious literary award.

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Food for thought from writer James Geuzebroek - tradwives and horror films, more alike than you might imagine:" medium.com/counterarts/...

What the Horror Movie ‘Obsession’ Taught Me About Tradwives

Submission is not love. Why are some men attracted to it?

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "This writer's combination of personal essay, poetry/art, and lit crit/review is spot on." medium.com/counterarts/...

My Father, My Children, and Richard Wright’s Haiku

Poetry as a fence and as a bridge

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Counter Arts - Medium's Film section editor (Reece Beckett) takes a look at toxic masculinity and internalised homophobia in 'Half Man', Ricard Gadd's latest miniseries:" medium.com/counterarts/...

The Best of British Cinema: ‘Half Man’ (2026)

Richard Gadd’s latest miniseries luxuriates in exceptionally well defined characters and drama

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Terry Barr's music prompted musings and recollections always unearth and highlight some truly insightful and interesting essays." medium.com/counterarts/...

Betrayal of Love and Friendship

With a touch of Linda Ronstadt

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "A tender remembrance of young souls lost in a tragic shooting; woven amidst this writer's stock in trade - a close look at the architecture of the location, including his own sketches of this place of worship:" medium.com/counterarts/...

Wherever We Are

A sad anniversary of who was lost (and what has been found) at Minneapolis’ Church of the Annunciation

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Another from the pen/keyboard of Counter Arts' Film editor, Reece Beckett: medium.com/counterarts/...

Review: ‘The Van’ — When Wholesome Comedy Turns Poignant

Stephen Frears’ 1996 film questions how work and power corrupts relationships

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

medium.com/counterarts/...

“Wild Inside”: The Story of Flaco, the Central Park Owl

A new documentary explores his extraordinary life and what we can learn from it

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

"An appreciation of a truly great comedic actor, in line with the release of a new boxset of his work" from Counter Arts - Medium Film section editor, Reece Beckett: medium.com/counterarts/...

The Chameleonic Nature of Peter Sellers

An appreciation of a truly great comedic actor, in line with the release of a new boxset of his work

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

"This week's Featured essay at Counter Arts was also Boosted! A rarity these days, now the process is solely in the hands of Staff Curators, so congratulations to writer, Elizabeth Mazzola, on a truly insightful and beautifully crafted piece of work:" medium.com/counterarts/...

Washing, Folding, and (Un)weaving the Shroud

‘The Odyssey’ celebrates male achievement, but it’s the female characters in Homer’s epic who take apart history, stop the clock, and…

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

On CPTSD, by Charles J. Wolf: medium.com/counterarts/...

The Real-World DIY Scaffolds for CPTSD: The Everyday Lifelines People Build Alongside Healing

Behind the curtain of lived experience: from everyday coping hacks to established clinical tools in trauma healing

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Featured on Counter Arts: medium.com/counterarts/...

My Country Is Making A Movie On ‘Ramayana’, And I Am Not Proud Of It

Oh, and the budget is double that of ‘The Odyssey’.

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Another piece by Sheng-mei Ma: medium.com/counterarts/...

Can Asian Immigrants Speak?

White, Asian American, and Immigrant Trio in Fiction and Film

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "A new writer for Counter Arts, who is treating us to some fabulous comparative essays on fantastic works of literature:" medium.com/counterarts/...

A Tale Told by an “Idiot”, Full of “Theory & Practice” — What Does it Signify?

Michelle de Kretser looks for new forms but Elif Batuman has already been there

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Another recommendation from our Film section editor, Reece: medium.com/counterarts/...

A Star is Born: 1970’s women and the myth of choice — can ‘Young Hearts Run Free’?

Keaton, Dunaway, Duvall, Spacek, Streisand, Jackson

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Our Film Editor recommends: medium.com/counterarts/...

A Film That Will Become the Face of an Era

The Odyssey (2026, dir. Christopher Nolan)

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Amazing story of a resilient woman and her beautiful artwork. Can't recommend reading this highly enough." medium.com/counterarts/...

Sonabai: Another Way of Seeing

Sonabai’s house was likened to the Sistine Chapel, not in its artistic style or form, but in its overwhelming beauty and otherworldly…

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Meanwhile, in the UK.... It's also well worth your time to read this writer's Transphobia Action Pack (linked at the end)." medium.com/counterarts/...

How We Fight Back on the EHRC (2026) Anti-Trans Guidance

Wondering what to do? I have some answers for you, and your friends, and your family.

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "David Lauter is an American surgeon who works on the frontline of Ebola outbreaks in Africa with Medicine Sans Frontier (Doctors Without Borders). So he's a man who knows a thing or two about the topic:" medium.com/counterarts/...

Why Does America Care So Much About Ebola?

And why are American tax dollars paying for the cure?

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Incredible photographer, Bill Crandall, has returned after a long absence, with another set of black and white photos from Niarobi:" medium.com/counterarts/...

One of the most dynamic cities in Africa has a major urban design dilemma.

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Staying with Literature, let's move on to an essay about 'Madame Bovary' (Gustave Flaubert):" medium.com/counterarts/...

The entanglement of sex, satisfaction and things in ‘Madame Bovary’

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Seroxcat Says: "More literary exploration, this time comparison of the works of Ishiguro and Murakami:" medium.com/counterarts/...

Ishiguro & Murakami Float Ideas on the River of Metaphor

Analyzing ‘An Artist of the Floating of the Floating World’ on Haruki Murakami’s terms and ‘Killing Commendatore’ on Kazuo Ishiguro’s terms

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Seroxcat Says: "An Argentinian poet and journalist's essay about a Cuban artist who's work is rooted in African oral legend:" medium.com/counterarts/...

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Counter Arts is proudly building a truly global array of writers. Here we have an essay concerning Igbo naming traditions:" medium.com/counterarts/...

Why No Gen Z Igbo Parent Will Name Their Child “Ogbonnaya”

The interplay between sound and meaning in choosing Igbo names

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Seroxcat Says: "The normalisation of one of India's worst cultural and legal practices, via Bollywood 'love' story, is the subject of this thought-provoking film review essay:" medium.com/counterarts/...

The Girl Who Married Her Rapist

And fell in love with him

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Seroxcat Says: "At Counter Arts we cover all kinds of Art - and this exhibit sounds fascinating!" medium.com/counterarts/...

Come to NYC, Do the Dishes

Clinamen (v.11) at the Park Avenue Armory asks you to sit still and listen

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Professor Sheng-mei Ma writes utterly fascinating, immersive deep-dives into a combination of cultures. His own perspective as a Chinese-Taiwanese-American Professor of English is unique, academic but accessible, and enthralling." medium.com/counterarts/...

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Seroxcat Says: "David works with Medicine Sans Frontiers (MSF - otherwise known as Doctors Without Borders) in some of the most high risk areas of the world." medium.com/counterarts/...

In the Midst of Ebola

Humanitarian, adrenaline junkie or death wish…why I am here

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Counter Arts - Medium writer, Martine Nyx, can always be relied on to tackle the contoversial:" medium.com/counterarts/...

Katy Perry is a Perfect Example of the Moral Cannibalism of Pop Culture

A study of pop culture’s voracious and ruthless treatment of female pop stars

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

One writer's take on what went wrong with the 'Dr. Who' reboot: medium.com/counterarts/...

‘Doctor Who’: Killed Off by Retcons (Not Wokeness)

When you change the core elements of an established hero, you change the appeal of the story and alienate new audiences at the same time

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Seroxcat says: "Insightful, balanced, self-reflective and incredibly well-written - everything I have come to expect from Andrew Jazproze Hill, a phenomenal journalist and top-tier writer at Counter Arts." medium.com/counterarts/...

A Shameless Act of Spitting on Another’s Culture?

Some Greek writers got upset over my ‘Black Helen’ essay. They say Nolan’s film fails to honor their heritage. But whose story is it…

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Vincent Halles on "The Future Unveiled" medium.com/counterarts/...

You Don’t Get to Sexualize Her

She’s naked, she was never nude

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Stephen Huyler, on the birth and process of his book "Daughters of India: Art and Identity": medium.com/counterarts/...

Daughters of India

The creativity expressed by Indian women

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

From our film section editor, Reece Beckett: medium.com/counterarts/...

Review: ‘All the Pretty Horses’ Portrays the Meeting Points Between Passion and Violence

Billy Bob Thornton’s translation of Cormac McCarthy’s 1992 novel is well acted and poignant

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

"This piece is about hope and surviving your worst nightmare." medium.com/counterarts/...

The Wonder of Bookstores

[Trigger warning: Birth is usually a wonderful and safe part of life. What happened to us is extremely rare.]

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

This week's featured piece at Counter Arts, by Jackie Olsen: medium.com/counterarts/...

I Intone SANITIZED FOR YOUR PROTECTION Into The Canyon

There’s more to every story

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Gary Angel writes here on 'Tom's Crossing', by Mark. Z Danielewski: medium.com/counterarts/...

Getting to ‘Tom’s Crossing’

Two horses, a parade of ghosts, and a thoroughgoing villain take you for an epic ride

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Alejandro Orradre writes wonderfully educational pieces on Art History. I've been thoroughly enjoying his personal choice of study, and truly appreciate that he has shared so much with us at Counter Arts!" medium.com/counterarts/...

‘Ariadne Abandoned by Theseus’ — Angelica Kauffmann

Exploring an underrepresented passage of Greek myth

000

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Seroxcat Says: "Toxic masculinity is a real problem at this point. Reading this essay might give you a couple of pointers on how to do better - or guide someone else, like young sons, to be better." medium.com/counterarts/...

Ode to the Cowardly Warrior

Usopp, Stark, and what it means to be brave

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Seroxcat Says: Superb essay, so well considered, researched and written - it really feeds my mind and its loves of diving deep into rabbit holes. Wonderful piece of work, so pleased to host it at Counter Arts, this is the kind of writing I'm looking for! medium.com/counterarts/...

Three Fish, One Head: Amitav Ghosh, Allen Ginsberg, and the Price of Portable Bengal

On ‘Ghost-Eye’, a disputed Ginsberg emblem, and what gets lost when culture travels without the worlds that made it intelligible

Counter Arts @counterarts.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Dr. Cheryl Fogle-Hatch, a blind person herself who has built a career as an "accessibility consultant designing the tactile and audio components that transform traditional museum exhibits into inclusive, multi-sensory experiences..." Fascinating essay! medium.com/counterarts/...

Research shows that multisensory experiences foster deeper conceptual understanding

000