Stories by Madison Thompson

Music

Songs of a Lost World: The Cure’s Comeback Album Sounds Like They Never Left

After a subpar jaunt into alternative rock and a sixteen year hiatus, The Cure’s final album proves the wait was worth it.

by Madison Thompson  •  Nov 18, 2024
Features

Waukee High School Book Club: Read, Reflect, Discuss

Join the Waukee Book Club for a journey of discovery and endless conversations, where every story is a path worth taking!

by Madison Thompson  •  Oct 31, 2024
Art

Waukee Theatre and Speech: Kicking Off the School Year

Calling all aspiring actors, techies, and public speakers! Join the Theatre and Speech teams for a year of unforgettable performances and exciting competitions.

by Madison Thompson  •  Sep 13, 2024
Art

 The Poison Drips Through: Succession and the Consequences of Child Abuse.

How HBO’s best series grapples with trauma, family, and mental health themes.

by Madison Thompson  •  May 13, 2024
Culture

Looking Back on the Failure of Netflix: An Inevitable Death.

As people across America rapidly unsubscribe from streaming services post-COVID, companies are reverting to the cable model they had previously built their businesses on rejecting. But for younger generations who have not grown up with cable, this return to form only drives modern audiences away.

by Madison Thompson  •  Apr 23, 2024
Review

In Pachinko, Min Jin Lee intertwines the personal and political.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is an intimate and poignant ode to all the sacrifices immigrants make to find their place in a xenophobic world.

by Madison Thompson  •  Mar 21, 2024
Features

Volcano Girls: A Career Deep Dive into Veruca Salt

For over thirty years, Veruca Salt has remained the indie scene's best-kept secret. However, their influence on women in rock is extensive, and a career retrospective on this grungy girl group is long overdue.

by Madison Thompson  •  Mar 5, 2024
Culture

True Crime: An Unethical Phenomenon

With the ever-increasing popularity of true crime media, we’ve become more aware of what crime can do to innocent people. But we’ve yet to decide: Is the way we consume these stories palatable or privileged?

by Madison Thompson  •  Feb 15, 2024
Art

How Much of These Hills Is Gold deconstructs the mythos of the Old West

How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C. Pam Zhang explores American history through new eyes

by Madison Thompson  •  Feb 6, 2024
Culture

Land of Milk and Honey is the culinary climate change novel you didn’t know you needed.

Land of Milk and Honey by C. Pam Zhang combines eco-dystopia with haute cuisine in a novel that will leave the reader disturbed, dazzled, and very, very hungry.

by Madison Thompson  •  Nov 30, 2023