Interpreting Society, Geography, and Characters of the Hunger Games
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD for Sunrise on the Reaping If any character in Sunrise is going to steal the show, as they say, Maysilee is a likely contender. Part of Haymitch’s purpose in this story, it seems, is to help unfold Maysilee’s own backstory and… Continue Reading “The Mysterious Maysilee Donner: Unexpected Skills, Covey Connections, and that Orange Paint”
Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Sunrise on the Reaping As early as page 5 in Sunrise, we learn that Collins seems to maintain some kind of fascination with geese. Haymitch’s “girl,” Lenore Dove, treats about a dozen of them (lots of “dozens” show up in… Continue Reading “The Goose and the Common: An Unexpected nod to (New) England in Sunrise on the Reaping”
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD (and above) For Sunrise on the Reaping With the release of Sunrise in March 2025, those of us hoping to fill in some gaps to Katniss’ family tree were treated to incredible new information. At the same time, it is arguably… Continue Reading “A District 12 (and Mockingjay Pin) Family Tree: What We Learn from Sunrise on the Reaping”
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR Sunrise on the Reaping. For those of us hoping to learn more about the Covey, it is safe to say that we got much more than many of us expected in Collins’ latest Sunrise prequel. As Haymitch’s true love, we… Continue Reading “Who is Lenore Dove’s Mother? Unlocking some Important “Grave” Clues in Sunrise”
I’m thrilled to announce my second book interpreting the Hunger Games saga, this one focused especially on the “Ballad” film and its connections to the prequel and original series! Titled Behind the Ballads: A Tribute to the People, Places, and Music of Songbirds and… Continue Reading “Announcing a New Book on All Things “Ballad!””
(SPOILER ALERT for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) Perhaps one of the more light-hearted debates among fans has been whether we have indeed met one of Katniss’ ancestors within the prequel. After reading a variety of perspectives on this issue, I began to… Continue Reading “The Case for Maude Ivory as a Future Grandmother”
(NOTE: Spoiler Alert for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) (Feature Image: An old crank-type butter churn. Source: Creative Commons, the Mallala Museum.) There are admittedly some compelling arguments as to why Suzanne Collins’ Prequel may be her last in the series. Indicators include… Continue Reading “The Butter Enigma: Why Future Books May Be Coming”
(Note: Spoiler Alert for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) (Author’s Note: This is a draft excerpt from my future book focusing on the culture of District 12, still taking shape as of this writing.) One of the southern Appalachian region’s most distinctive cultural… Continue Reading “The Covey’s Mountain Music and the “High, Lonesome Sound””
(NOTE: Spoiler Alert for the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) A considerable amount of discussion is occurring right now about the whereabouts of Lucy Gray Baird near the end of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (BSAS). In typical form for Suzanne Collins, this… Continue Reading “What Happened to Lucy Gray?”