5 minute read
The Fest: An Annual Homecoming
Novel Nostalgia: Five Books That Will Remind You of Your Roots
Story and Photos by Olivia deMontmorency
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It’s novels like "Nancy Drew," "Harry Potter" and "Where the Red Fern Grows" that bring reminders of home. That nostalgia makes readers warm and longing to be back in memories from years past. Each book here has connections to family, lost love and childhood.
"Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Detailing the life of a Nigerian woman immigrating to the United States, "Americanah" follows Ifemelu. While moving to the U.S. to pursue a university degree, she experiences her Blackness and the weight it holds for the first time. The sense of comfort and familiarity she has each time she visits Nigeria contrasts with the alienation she experiences in the United States to give a small insight into the perspective of a Black woman immigrating into this country. This book connects social justice topics with the meaning of family, first loves and connection to one’s roots.
"Normal People" is a novel that encapsulates the famous phrase, “If you love something, let it go.” Connell and Marianne grew up in very different households and social circles, yet for years their love and friendship remain a constant. While life-altering factors attempt to separate them, they seem to find their way back to each other every time. One can feel the shivers and butterflies a first love ignites through this book’s themes of love, mental health and realness.
"Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
"Little Women" is a tale of the March sisters and their lives in New England during the Civil War. It is a classic that could bring any reader back to their childhood. The March sisters remain bonded throughout the novel, even in times of strife, conflict in love or distance. "Little Women" reminds readers of the importance of family and brings them into the bustling March house immediately and presents themes of love, death, family and ambition.
"Call Me By Your Name" by Andre Aciman
The setting of this book alone — a small Italian city in the summer — brings nostalgic dreams to travel, fall in love and drink homemade, freshly squeezed juice. Elio is spending the summer with his parents at their home in Italy. Oliver, an American graduate student, spends six weeks with Elio’s family. The book follows Elio’s perspective of their blossoming relationship throughout the summer. This book explores the intimacy of first love, sexuality and heartbreak, with the sentimentality of a parent’s reassurance.
Lastly, "The House on Mango Street" brings a sense of familial expectations and personal longing through pain and growth. Cisneros writes from the perspective of the main character, young adult Esperanza, covering a year of her life. In this year, Esperanza experiences puberty, newfound sexuality, assault, understanding of her Mexican-American identity and loss, while attempting to leave Mango Street for a presumed better life. Cisneros writes to connect the reader with Esperanza’s experience and reminds us of the pain and excitement growing up can bring.
56 The Origins Issue The Origins Issue 57
40 Years of MTV: Where We Are Now
Story by Taylor Lockett
Photos provided by Sarah Burke
Sarah Burke, then 23, worked as a clerk at a law firm in Atlanta when she saw a flyer advertising an open-call audition for “The Real World” on MTV. Burke had watched the first season of the show when it premiered. She was 11 then, but she remained a fan for years. Her roommate accompanied her to the 2004 audition for moral support. When the staff asked her to fill out an application at the end, she knew she was on her way to fulfilling her childhood dream. After her initial audition, Burke was vetted by a series of interviews leading up to the semifinals in Los Angeles.
“I had this feeling that I was meant to be on that show,” Burke said.
MTV, which stands for Music Television, first went on air in 1981. At that time, only households in parts of New Jersey could enjoy the channel. In its early years, MTV primarily focused on showing music videos provided by record companies. Video jockeys like Julie Brown, Daisy Fuentes, Bill Bellamy and Carson Daly helped curate hit videos, conduct interviews and offer commentary. By the late 1980s and into the 2000s, shows such as “The Real World,” “The Osbournes,” “My Super Sweet 16” and “The Hills” captured the attention of teenagers and young adults across the country.
Burke filmed her season of “The Real Life: Philadelphia” in 2004. Filming took four months. The show provided the cast members with jobs where they could earn money to pay for everyday expenses. Burke and her fellow cast members worked for the Philadelphia Soul, which is an arena football league team. As part of the job, they built a playground for struggling children. “Everyone thinks that they’re paying for everything for us, but they’re not,” Burke said.
Besides working, the group often went out to restaurants, bars and clubs. They were careful not to go anywhere where a camera crew would cause a distraction. Burke informed the producers anytime she wanted to leave the house so that they could decide if the camera crew would tag along. The filming died down once the cast visited Fiji. According to Burke, all of the footage from her season of “The Real World” happened. Nothing was staged. However, things weren’t as dramatic in real life.
“The worst part of the show is when the show airs,” Burke said.
After finishing up her season of “The Real World,” Burke toured different venues and spoke at colleges. She lived in New York for a while after the show and then earned her law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Today, she works as a property insurance lawyer in Tampa.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of MTV. The video jockeys who used to rock the channel moved on to careers in radio, modeling and hosting. Paramount Plus released a reboot with the cast of the original season of "The Real Life" this year. While MTV continues to be a household name, it is no longer known for the shows and video jockeys of the past. Shows like “Catfish” and “Teen Mom” kept the channel moving into a new era. Yet, fans continue to remember the days when music videos and reality TV were first introduced into their homes.
