Old is New

For our Rewind set, I am turning to this 2007 essay about the Gnarls Barkley album St. Elsewhere. A couple of reasons: I continue to adore this record, and the specifics of this essay still, I think, reflect my thoughts. And, the lead singer is enjoying another well-deserved moment in the pop music sun, so this seemed like a good time to return to some of his earlier jams.

So anyway, hopefully you enjoy. Excuse the slightly academic tone; this was, indeed, written for a class...

...Just Like Me

We pay psychiatrists hundreds of dollars an hour. We shovel-feed our children anti-depressant drugs by the mouthful. Mental problems sit at the forefront of our minds (no pun intended). Gnarls Barkley’s 2006 album St. Elsewhere dives into the depths of our thought process, emerging with a striking look at how our minds work and the up-and-down nature of our personalities. The album’s ever-changing mood and sound remind us that our consciousness is in a constant state of flux, while the album’s lyrics explore a broad range of mental issues. A catchy beat may have made the second song, “Crazy,” one of the most popular songs of the year, but when one scratches the surface a bit he finds more than a made-for-radio album.

The Happy-Go-Lucky Flirt

After exploring his college computer, Matt finally rediscovers an old essay worth publishing on the Proofread. It is about flirting. Or more precisely, how he justifies his obliviousness to flirting. It was written four years ago, but besides who he was dating at the time, not too much has changed.

Check it out here

Enjoy.

Proofread Throwback

I was rummaging through my old essays on my college computer when I happened to find the old logo from the past incarnation of The Proofread. And then instead of actually finding an essay, I decided to update our look. It is kind of like Mountain Dew Throwback, except without sugar and less references to hillbillies.

A new Rewind essay will be up later this week.

Enjoy.

P.S. Comments and suggestions about the new layout are appreciated.

Zombie revival

Zombies. First they were slow (Night of the Living Dead (1968)). Then they were fast (28 Days Later (2002)). And now they like to party.

This week Tara brings us her firsthand account of a (mostly) real night of the living dead.

Eat it up.

The Rewind begins.

The Proofread digs up a literary past that most of you have not witnessed.

Allison starts off our theme with an essay about a courtroom drama. It's from her college days, but old man time hasn't dulled these words.

Enjoy.

New Theme: Rewind

If you could, would you go back in time to a particularly great experience you had just to live it again? Holla, of course you would! And we, your Proofreaders, will be doing just that during August, when our theme is “Rewind.” That’s right, we’ll be kickin’ it old school and bringing back some of our favorite already-written essays from class, workshops, that time we holed up in a tree house for two weeks on a creative-writing binge, etc. "Rewind" launches on Monday, August 2nd, so check back then. It’ll free you from constantly thinking in 140-character Twitter mode.