Joyce Lee

Journalist, writer, culture vulture

Medium •

Chick Lit: The Dilemma of Gendering Literature

What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘chick lit’? Romance, fashion, and sparkly book covers dominate the popular image of chick lit, casting it as a genre that is distinct from ‘serious’ literature. As a genre of fiction targeted at young women, the term has been claimed, contested, and criticised. While some defend chick lit as a valuable representation of women’s experiences, others have rejected the term for its potentially sexist implications....
Medium •

Hedda Gabler | Drama Review

A Domestic Drama by Henrik Ibsen, or: what happens when the doll stays in her Doll House. Hedda Gabler is a 1891 play by Henrik Ibsen about a woman stuck in the mediocrity and ennui of her middle class marriage. Hedda, the titular heroine, is as beautiful as she is heartless. Despising her loving husband, Jorgen Tesman, she dreams of the power and passion absent from her sheltered life. Instead of breaking out of her gilded cage, she makes frantic circles in it, culminating in a tragic end.
Medium •

Book Review: Now and at the Hour of Our Death

‘A good death’ — is one possible? Death, the great unknown, is often viewed with dread. Yet, we all have to face it. Now and at the Hour of Our Death is a book that tackles the difficult topic of end-of-life care with sensitivity, tapping on the lived experiences of patients in rural Portugal. The author, Susana Moreira Marques, spent four months in 2011 travelling with a home palliative care team to record their stories.
City And Public Culture •

Branding the Singapore River: Raffles and Restaurants

This reflective essay highlights how the Raffles statue has evolved from a colonial figure to a 'founder' image used to brand the Singapore River, presenting it as part of an imaginary conflict-free cityscape free from exploitation past and present.

It draws parallels between the third world to first narrative inscribed beneath the Raffles statue and the unrealistic themes of urban utopia criticised in Miriam Greenberg’s paper, "Branding Cities: A Social History of the Urban Lifestyle Magazine".
Sevenov •

The Brontë Sisters | Sevenov

Over 150 years have passed since the deaths of the Brontë sisters, yet their works remain as beloved as ever, finding their way into films, music, television, and the classroom. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne were bold writers who pushed boundaries and won lasting recognition despite their society's prejudice against women authors. From the bleak isolation of their Yorkshire home, these three daughters of a humble clergyman would change English literature forever.
Sevenov •

Constantin Heger – Charlotte Brontë’s Muse and Mentor | Biography | Sevenov

Charlotte Brontë, the literary legend of Jane Eyre fame, was once an obscure young woman stifled in her role as a governess. In February 1842, she left the comfort of her family’s Haworth home and set out for the faraway city of Brussels with her sister Emily. Their goal was to study languages at the Pensionnat Heger, in preparation for opening a school of their own. There, she met Constantin Heger, a charismatic, irascible, and sharp-minded French literature professor who would profoundly influence her work.
Raffles Press •

The New Faces: 38th Students’ Council Feature

Managing a 1200-strong student population with a team of 60 is no easy task — especially with the additional burden of academics, and for some, a second CCA. In spite of all this, our newly-inaugurated student Councillors strive to overcome these tribulations to bring a little something into the lives of Rafflesians. To get to know our new Councillors better, Raffles Press presents part two of our feature on the 38th Student Council.
Raffles Press •

Spotlight on the Control Room: Behind the Scenes with AVU

This is a feature piece on the audio visual club (AVU), which plays an indispensable role managing sound and lighting for school performances. It was written for my high school paper, Raffles Press. As part of the coverage, my co-reporter and I got to sit in the AVU's control room during a live concert by the high school's jazz club. We spoke to AVU members and peeked behind the scenes to find out what it takes to make a concert run smoothly.
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