Christmas Ever After: A Crippling Disappointment

Image: On a snowy background with pine trees in white lights, the words "24/7 holiday movies all season long" are in small, red letters across the top. Underneath, the word "Christmas" is in gold with "Ever After" under that in red. On the left-hand side of the image, a white woman with blonde hair sits in a wheelchair holding the hands of a kneeling white man with dark hair. 

Izzi is a writer on a deadline who has a severe case of writer's block. When she goes to her normal vacation spot for Christmas, she meets a guy who looks exactly like the love interest in her novels. 

I wanted to absolutely love this movie. It's the first romantic Christmas movie I've seen with a disabled heroine! Unfortunately, this film missed the mark in so many ways.

Izzi is an inconsistent main character. When the movie first starts, she seems erratic. Her personality then shifts about a third of the way through the film and becomes just bubbly and upbeat. Watching her in the beginning was bizarre, and the change didn't help the incongruity of it all. I like the way the movie showed her navigating through life as a wheelchair-user, but it really felt like they glossed over a lot to do with disability in general; I understand not wanting to make a big production out of the fact that she's not a typical protagonist, but not addressing it in any way in regards to a romantic relationship struck me as disingenuous.

The love interest was bland, though they tried to give him a backstory. Of course, his past would have been incomplete without a dead wife... a cliche I'm tired of. His daughter was cute and his father was kind and boisterous, but the other side characters were mostly cardboard.

The score was not memorable in the slightest, and the cinematography wasn't the best. I acknowledge the way it was shot may have been due to the pandemic.

What temporarily splits the couple is beyond ridiculous. At first the viewer thinks it may be a misunderstanding trope, but it seems like Izzi's real issue is insecurity. I understand insecurity is a big thing during new relationships, but the way it occurred and was resolved just seemed like it was a non-issue.

There is a twist in the movie many viewers won't find a revelation at all. Since it is a supposed selling point, it was a major letdown.

It was still awesome to see a disabled woman in a film like this, and I have a lot of respect for Ali Stroker, but this was a disappointment. We deserve better than just a bargain-bin plot with stale characterization. This was a roll in the right direction, but it fell horribly short of being something I'd watch again.

End note: Izzi doesn't ever have accessibility issues... even in a small town. It might've cracked my disbelief meter.

Nude Model Drawings by Su Zi (Visual Art)

Artist's statement on the work: The drawings are from when I used to stop in at a community art center in Marigny Street—long gone now—Paint and Pallet, run by Toby and his wife: gallery and art supplies, with life drawing upstairs once a weekly evening. The models were professionals hired for us to draw: utterly traditional.

Image one: A nude man sits on a backwards chair. His figure is done in red and purple lines, with grey shading. The chair is done in purple and grey lines. His expression is solemn. His legs are extended away from the chair slightly.

Image two: A nude man is lying on his stomach with one arm draped over the side of the bed. His face is turned towards the viewer and his eyes are closed. His other arm is near his head, and his legs are bent at the knees... feet pointing skyward. The whole piece is drawn in blue lines.

Image three: A nude man (the one from image two) sits on a stool with his back to the viewer. He is looking over to the right. One hand is on his left knee, his other hand is flat by his side. You can see his left leg clearly but not his right. The drawing is done in pink lines.

~*~
Su Zi is a poet/writer and artist/printmaker and edits, designs and constructs the eco-feminist poetry chapbook series Red Mare. 

Publications include poetry, essays, stories and reviews that date back to pre-cyber publishing, including when Exquisite Corpse was a vertical print publication, and a few editions of New American Writing. More recent publications include Red Fez, Alien Buddha and Thrice. A resident of the Ocala National Forest, with a dedicated commitment to providing a safe feeding respite for wild birds, and for a haphazard gardening practice that serves as a life model for all aspects of her work.

Giveaway: Through the Kaleidoscope by Carey Link (Autographed)

We are giving away an autographed copy of Through the Kaleidoscope by Carey Link! The giveaway starts December 11th and ends February 4th. The winner will be notified on February 5th via the method they used to enter the contest. Read our review here!

Rules: 

1. Open worldwide.

2. People may enter by leaving a comment on this post, via email (handyuncappedpen@gmail.com), or on Twitter @HandUnPen. Please mention the contest when contacting us.

3. Only one entry per person.

4. If you win, please be sure to contact us with your mailing address in a timely manner. We will do our best to get the book to you.

5. Void where prohibited.

Through the Kaleidoscope by Carey Link (Poetry Book Review)

Image: A collage of different kaleidoscope patterns in muted tones of purple, red, green, blue, grey, brown, and black compose the cover of the collection. Across the top in white letters is the title. The poet's name is near the bottom in black capital letters.

Notes:

1. I received this for free to review.
2. Carey is a mentor for our program.
~*~

When I write a poem,
I listen to the colors of a whisper
that rides on the shadows
of my dreams
-From "Poetry"

Through the Kaleidoscope is a chapbook with held, concrete images and ephemeral leaps. Readers can be in the surreal state of watching the narrator pass through an hourglass and brought back by the hands of loved ones. Dreams are as close as reality. Colors are used as lovely effects.

I search for answers
in opaque blue veins
and rose-colored valleys.
-From "Chain of Beads"

Circular things are mentioned throughout: Wheels, time, rings, beads, and holes are a few. I saw it as a way to remind readers of interconnectivity, but I might be wrong. It's definitely one strand joining these pieces together.

Another thing quite noticeable in these poems is movement. The narrator/subject is rarely still, but the momentum is gentle. Readers are often in a slightly different place by the time a poem ends, but the landing is never jarring.

Born twelve weeks premature
at almost three pounds,
I survived near death.
-From "My First Cradle"

While there are a few mentions of disability, the collection isn't about it as a whole. There is a poem about cancer (I loved the ending of it because it felt complicated and unvarnished).

All of the poems in this collection are fairly short. One of my favorites ("Infinity") is only twelve words long. Carey Link is excellent at using each word to her advantage with no fluff.

This collection is definitely worth the time.

~*~

Biography: Carey Link is from Huntsville, Alabama.  In 2017, she retired from a 16 year civil service career. Carey is currently in graduate school pursuing a degree in counseling.  After she completes her studies, Carey wants to work with clients living with life-altering illnesses and conditions.

Carey has been writing poetry since she was a teenager.  She has published two poetry collections, Awakening to Holes in the Arc of Sun (Mule on a Ferris Wheel) and What it Means to Climb a Tree (Finishing Line Press).  Her poetic sequence, I Walk a Tightrope Without a Safety Net was a finalist in the 2019 Blue Light Press Chapbook Contest.  Carey's poems have appeared in Poem, The Birmingham Arts Journal, Birmingham Poetry Review, WLRH Sundial Writers Corner, Hospital Drive, and elsewhere.

Card Making with Spazzy Crafter

Today, I will be talking about some of the different types of cards I have made. Also, some of the supplies I find that work (for me) the best.

Card kits

I like these because most of the supplies that you need are included... even an unfinished card. Most of them come with double-sided sticky squares (one side sticks to the card, and the other side sticks to the embellishment). Sometimes, there are embellishments that have a sticky back to them so you just peel off the paper. One of the best things about these kits is that they come with instructions so you can see an approximation of what the card will look like when it’s done, but you don’t always have to follow exactly. It’s your choice, so it becomes your design.

Now, one thing I don’t like is that the kits don’t come with glue, and you need that to put the first layer on the card. So I use glue sticks instead of glue from the bottle because it’s easier for me to hold a glue stick than a bottle of glue.

Image: A cream and gold card with ornaments topped with red bows. Near the bottom of the card is a tag that says "Merry Christmas".

Freehand cards

Some of the supplies that work well for my freehand card creations are ink stamps and gel pens. Decorative punches don't work well for me because of the force required to operate them. I have yet to experiment with stencils.

Other types of cards

Diamond paintings kits include: Plastic diamonds which are little rhinestone-type beads, pink wax that you use to pick up the diamonds, and an unfinished card.

Image: On a blue background with white-dot snow, is a reindeer bust with blue eyes. He's wearing a Santa hat with decorations on his antlers and a red and white striped scarf on his neck. His nose is red. Below him in large, red capital letters is "Merry Christmas" with an exclamation mark on the end. 

In my next post, I will be reviewing The Cricut. I use it for making cards, and it can aid in other crafting projects as well.

Image: A light pink card with dark foil cut-outs. The central image is a silhouette of a cat with bats above its head. The corners of the card are also the foil. At the top of the card is a foil crescent moon with the words "trick or treat" in thin, black capital letters.

Does anyone else know of any other types of card-making supplies or techniques I should try?

condition: by Su Zi (a Poem)

convinced of colitis
the accusing finger under the ribs
the worm tantalizing the fish
and with a pain more jointed than any insect,
this is digging fingernails into the arches of your feet
bruising cheekbones with your knees,
that is your position of supplication.
you dream of movies made outside of
    Nonexistent banklike architecture
of neon, Mardi Gras masks,
an illicit silkiness from which
    no one is exempt.
fading is the curry chicken, or the
barbeque ribs spicier than reggae
fading are your speeches not lit with sudden moans
and bloated goes your waist, inflamed inflamed
bloated you go, a dead fish.

~*~

End Note:  This poem is from Su Zi's new collection Chicago Poems. Click here to check it out.

~*~
Su Zi is a poet/writer and artist/printmaker and edits, designs and constructs the eco-feminist poetry chapbook series Red Mare. 

Publications include poetry, essays, stories and reviews that date back to pre-cyber publishing, including when Exquisite Corpse was a vertical print publication, and a few editions of New American Writing. More recent publications include Red Fez, Alien Buddha and Thrice. A resident of the Ocala National Forest, with a dedicated commitment to providing a safe feeding respite for wild birds, and for a haphazard gardening practice that serves as a life model for all aspects of her work.

The Cripendy Contest

The Cripendy Contest will be open for submissions of poetry, short stories, essays, visual art, and performance videos by disabled/neurodivergent people from November 20th to April 30th. Entries do not have to connect to disability/neurodivergence (unlike regular submissions).

All work must include a statement to accompany the submission (up to 250 words) in the body of the email. The statement doesn't have to be an official artist statement, but it should pertain to the work

itself. Please submit all written components in English.

Winners will be announced May 10th on the blog.

First prize is $20, second is $15, and third is $10. Payment will be sent via Paypal, check, or gift card. All winning entries (with artist statements) will be published on the blog.

General guidelines:

1. Only two pieces of work will be considered per creator.

2. Subject line should read "Contest Submission" with your last name.

3. Please include your name, contact information, biography,

statement, and work in one email.

4. Send to handyuncappedpen[at]gmail.com.

5. Written work must be pasted into the email itself unless the format

is unusual (docx if you need to send an attachment).

6. Visual art must be sent as jpegs.

7. Performance videos must link to YouTube or some other trusted service.

8. Length limit: Please keep performance videos under six minutes and written submissions under 2,000 words.

We will not open anything we don't recognize.

Miscellaneous:

In the event the contest has below ten entrants, we reserve the right to not award all (or any) prizes. We want a variety of incredible work to choose from.

No friends or family of The Handy, Uncapped Pen's curator may submit. Sorry, pals.

We will try to email you about your entry's safe arrival to our inbox within 48 hours.

We are hoping this will be an annual contest, but we can't promise anything. We have to see how this one goes.