In a stunning collage of metaphor and medicine, seemingly unrelated vignettes of consultations, treatments, and surgeries are woven together to create conclusions that reflect upon human nature and the state of medicine. Atul Gawande’s breathtaking sophomore work, Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance, is infused with countless insightful lessons on improvement, shaped by his personal […]

As exams have finally ended and students have a week off to unwind, The Woodstocker discovered 10 spooky recommendations for the best books and movies to get into the Halloween spirit.  Movies recommended: It  It, a 2017 supernatural horror, is a movie about a group of seven friends (The Loser’s Club) who are tormented by […]

Everybody’s gotta learn sometime… There hasn’t been a film where the feeling of letting someone go was so painful and sad as in the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Directed by Michel Gondry, the story follows the quiet introverted Joel Barish, played by Jim Carrey, who falls in love with a woman […]

“If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you’ll never learn.”  A few years ago we had a new English teacher in the school and for introductions, she asked us to tell her our names and our favorite books. Some people named really good YA books, while others named childhood favorites. But […]

Yoko Ogawa has been recognized worldwide for her vivid writing, which manages to naturally depict everyday life while also confronting more omnipresent social issues so effortlessly that it almost feels unintentional. Her most recent book to be translated into English, The Memory Police, was originally released in Japanese almost 30 years ago and resonates with […]

“Our stand can be against someone or with someone.” As we grow up, our life changes in profound ways. Some of us make new friends, some of us change schools. Some might even go through bigger, deeper changes that have traumatic impacts on our lives. So, how do we move through these changes? “Stand by […]

Shutter Island is a murder mystery film made in 2010 that is sure to keep you entertained. Shutter Island is the name of an eerie island located off Boston, where a civil war fort has been converted into a prison for the mentally insane who have committed crimes such as killing their own family members. This […]

Raymond Chirwa is the cartoonist for The Woodstocker.