Tag: writing

#ReadingAfrica: A Celebration of African Literature

Join #ReadingAfrica for a celebration of African literature. Into graphic novels or gothic horror?

If you’re looking for something to read, join #ReadingAfrica for a celebration of African literature. Into graphic novels or gothic horror?

Lauren Beukes’ Zoo City and Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor are some of the books that made the selection of five articles covering unique, notable African works.

Read the full posts below.

Satire Novels, or Why Africa Can Be Funny Too
https://www.maverickindependentreview.com/post/satire-novels-or-why-africa-can-be-funny-too

African Graphic Novels: Gods and Superheroes
https://www.maverickindependentreview.com/post/african-graphic-novels-gods-and-superheroes

Dragons and Ogun and Things That Go Bump: Unique African Fantasy
https://www.maverickindependentreview.com/post/dragons-and-ogun-and-things-that-go-bump-unique-african-fantasy

Stories of Ghosts, Gods and Ghouls: The Best of African Gothic Novels
https://www.maverickindependentreview.com/post/stories-of-ghosts-gods-and-ghouls-the-best-of-african-gothic-novels

From Womb City to Zoo City: Exploring Afrofuturistic and Science-Fiction Stories
https://www.maverickindependentreview.com/post/from-womb-city-to-zoo-city-exploring-afrofuturistic-and-science-fiction-stories

A Selection of Great Bridge Links!

Bridge is a 13-card, trick-taking game that draws its origins from the earlier game of whist. If you’re looking for something to read, here are some articles about the game from Great Bridge Links!

Bridge is a 13-card, trick-taking game that draws its origins from the earlier game of whist. If you’re looking for something to read, here are some articles about the game from Great Bridge Links!

Great Bridge Links

Click around the site for more about the rules of bridge, bridge strategies and where to find active face-to-face or online games.

Bridge, Banter, and Behind-the-Scenes with “Sorry Partner”

“Sorry, Partner” invites listeners into the engaging world of bridge, featuring conversations with expert players, heartfelt stories from the table, and a behind-the-scenes look at the game’s global community. Click here to read more.

Bridge Unleashed: Where Spock Plays Bridge

What happens when Spock from Star Trek picks up a 13-card bridge hand? Bridge Unleashed brings fictional icons to the bridge table with humour, strategy, and cultural flair in their standout series Mind Meld. Click here to read more.

The Devil and the Playing Card Deck

Playing cards have long been linked to superstition, the occult, and even the devil himself. Beyond folklore, playing cards also had real dangers – Victorian-era decks contained arsenic-based pigments that posed a health risk to collectors. Click here to read more.

Important Real-Life Bridge Questions We Asked RealBridge

Online bridge is alive with possibility, with the game getting fresh players and spectators on a daily basis. This interview dates back to the start of the RealBridge online platform, which has certainly grown since then! Click here to read more.

Book Review: ‘Baphomet: History, Ritual & Magic’

Baphomet: History, Ritual & Magic of the World’s Most Famous Occult Icon by Michael Osiris Snuffin is a comprehensive analysis of the historic and modern Baphomet figure.

Baphomet: History, Ritual & Magic of the World’s Most Famous Occult Icon by Michael Osiris Snuffin is a comprehensive analysis of the historic and modern Baphomet figure. The figure of Baphomet has often been misunderstood and misinterpreted—and historically, this book sets the record straight. The author’s tone is unpretentious and gets to the point, and there’s a lot of information in the book without it feeling academically heavy or purely occult.

The book is split up into three sections: history, ritual, and magic. The first two sections focus on the origin and evolution of the famous (or infamous) Baphomet figure. Snuffin discusses the contributions of Eliphas Lévi, Aleister Crowley, and Peter Carroll—but also expands on this with modern information that you aren’t going to find elsewhere. While it does discuss the Baphomet of the Church of Satan and The Satanic Temple, Baphomet isn’t overtly geared towards Satanism (either theistic or atheistic).

The third part is focused purely on occultism and ritual, including information on magickal workings and useful correspondence tables. Snuffin recommends a practical, minimalist approach to ritual using what works for the individual, and practitioners are encouraged to visualize and connect with Baphomet on a personal level.

“DJ of the universe” is used as a reference to Baphomet in the book’s third section, and might be one of the best lines I’ve come across in any modern invocation. Certainly, the book will remix the art, aesthetic and ritual surrounding a complex figure.

If you’re looking for an updated perspective on Baphomet, this is the ideal book for your reading list. Recommended!

April: Languages, Libraries, and Podcasts

Some of Alex J. Coyne’s bylines for April, 2025.

April was a month for writing about languages, libraries, and podcasts. Here’s what you might’ve missed—and thanks for stopping by!

The Evolution of Libraries

Voertaal

“How are libraries coping in the age of instant information access, and what is there still to discover at your nearest library? Libraries are far from following the same path as Blockbuster.”

Are Podcasters Resurrecting the Satanic Panic?

The Wild Hunt

“Podcasts contain interesting and useful, sometimes first-hand information about various topics. Podcasts can also contain inaccuracies and falsehoods, or outright false news that gets picked up and widely syndicated.”

The Crossroads in South Africa’s Language Gap

Voertaal

“Whichever language you choose to learn, you’ll find similar teachers and programmes for all 12 languages. If learning from shows and movies is your choice instead, head to a streaming platform for local series, or download subtitles for movies from websites like OpenSubtitles.com.”

February: Maskandi, Mescaline, and Cape Town

Maskandi, Digital Mescaline, and Cape Town—read three recently published articles for Voertaal.

Maskandi, Digital Mescaline, and Cape Town aren’t things you’d imagine reading about in the same paragraph—but all three are recently published article topics for Voertaal.

Is Maskandi South Africa’s answer to the Delta blues?

Can AI be fed weird prompts like digital mescaline for hallucinations, inaccuracies, or lies?

How large is the divide between the world’s famous number one cities like Cape Town and everywhere else?

Follow the links to find out where the rabbit hole goes.

Maskandi: Southern Africa’s Delta Blues

Voertaal

“Maskandi has been around since the 1920s and 1930s, arising during a time when southern Africa was just as affected by the Great Depression as the rest of the world.”

Digital Mescaline: Exploring AI Hallucinations

Voertaal

“AI does not yet seem to have the ability to flag possible inaccuracies. Humans using AI without checking the answers generated by it, may end up spreading more falsehoods, allowing AI to create even more false answers.”

Number One Cities and Everywhere Else

Voertaal

“How large is the divide between cities? What all is being swept under the carpet while famous world cities are grabbing most of the attention?”

2024 in Writing

Here are some of last year’s headlines, including gonzo journalism, gothic South African films, and freelancing advice.

Welcome to 2025—a new year for writing, co-writing, and more developing projects! Here are some of last year’s headlines, including gonzo journalism, gothic South African films, and freelancing advice.

Gonzo Journalism in Southern Africa

Voertaal

“Gonzo journalism is the immersive, often chaotic writing style made famous by Hunter S Thompson. However, this type of writing isn’t restricted to fit only Kentucky and Las Vegas.”

From New Journalism to Modern Gonzo

Literary Ladies Guide

“Gonzo journalism is a writing style strongly associated with Tom Wolfe and Hunter S. Thompson. However, others have contributed their voice to immersive journalism since the genre’s earliest roots in New Journalism.”

(Southern) African Gothic: Exploring the Horror Film Genre

LitNet

“Horror has long been an underappreciated genre in southern Africa, perhaps owing some of its early obscurity to apartheid’s strict censorship laws.”

How Persistence Pays Off as a Freelancer

Funds for Writers

“Asking, pitching, and adapting is key to being a career writer. Here’s how to turn negatives into positives as you turn rejections into successful article sales.”

The Untold Stories of Township Animals

Voertaal

“The dogs have taken me on many impromptu walks with their tails wagging. They have also shown me with incredible enthusiasm how to uncover rat nests and anthills.”

On the Sharp Corroded Edge of Township Living

Voertaal

“There are good and bad sides to every neighbourhood, and a tale of two cities isn’t as simple as it seems. Here’s a look behind the curtain of living in a rural South African township.”