19 Comments
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Emma Evatt's avatar

Lovely essay!

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Mark Rico's avatar

Well written! You have a talent for this.

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Olivia Marstall's avatar

Thank you! That’s really kind.

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Jacob Riley's avatar

The washer and dryer as a hearth! I briefly lived in an apartment where it served that purpose too. Beautiful essay (again).

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Olivia Marstall's avatar

Thank you! (And yet another parallel life experience, ha.)

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Griffin Gooch's avatar

I woke up this morning wanting to read this essay again. Something about it just really put me in the feels.

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Olivia Marstall's avatar

I’m glad it resonated! When I reread it, I only see the parts I could’ve polished more, so I’m glad it doesn’t just hit people as a total mess. 😂

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Griffin Gooch's avatar

No way you seriously killed it. The prose, the message, the everything. I loved it.

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Hannah Chartier's avatar

This made me warmly nostalgic for my college days... beautiful essay!

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Olivia Marstall's avatar

I’m glad you enjoyed it! I have so many fun college memories; it was a good time writing about a few of them.

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Amelia McKee's avatar

Great essay! Kidslowski’s Blue is such a beautiful film. The whole series is wonderful. I think Red may be my favorite though.

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Olivia Marstall's avatar

I've only seen Blue! My roommate and I have been talking about watching Red + White since we saw the first one, and it hasn't happened yet. Have you seen the Dekalog?

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Amelia McKee's avatar

I have seen about half of the Dekalog…it takes some stamina to get through lol

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Fleur Forsyth-Smith's avatar

There is so much that I could say here….you write beautifully and I was very much encouraged by this piece. I look forward to seeing where you go with your writing.

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Olivia Marstall's avatar

Thank you 💛 I’m glad it was encouraging!

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Valerie Maddox's avatar

Pondering this thought still - gentleness has a fierceness all its own. Enjoyed this read - thank you!

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Olivia Marstall's avatar

I'm still pondering it myself. :) I'm so glad you enjoyed! Thank you for reading.

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veronicæ's avatar

o, Olivia, your writing is so beutiful! ..pensive in your experiences against a backdrop of culture. I remember Blue, thank you for taking me back again, I look forward to more!

❤️

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Zach Rudolph's avatar

"In reality, I am not so rebellious, nor so wise to the world, nor so unbreakable—quick to cry for others, prone to heartbreak, easily surprised by malice, easily shaped by praise and hurt by criticism. It felt safer, then, to adopt a posture that deflected opinions than allow myself to be gentle." I felt that.

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