Jamil Ragland

I Wrote a Book Last Year-Kinda

Last year was my first year working full-time as a writer. I worked freelance for CT News Junkie and for the New Haven Independent, so I did alot of writing. But how much is “alot”? Fortunately, I’ve had to maintain a spreadsheet of all the articles I wrote for News Junkie. According to that tally,…

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Some Thoughts About Chris Brown

Later today I’m going to a Chris Brown concert for the first time. Just speaking musically for a moment, I think Chris Brown is fine. I don’t like or dislike his music; he has a couple of singles that I enjoy, but for the most part I listen to songs where he’s a feature, not…

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Some Thoughts on Tears of the Kingdom, Part I: This Game is Boring

I was in Puerto Rico last year when I met the living legend Rita Moreno. I had just started a new job as an arts reviewer, and I told her my philosophy behind reviewing things. “I try to always be positive, because I know how hard it is to create something and how easy it…

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Goodbye, Dragon Ball Super

I like to complain because it’s fun. There’s nothing quite like whipping myself into a righteous fury and listing all the reasons why something is terrible. I did that a few weeks ago, when I went on a voice rant in my friends and I’s group chat about how Bardock has been changed for the…

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I Know

It’s hard for me to hear you Because I talk I talk Talk And I expect you to do the same I want you to do the same But When I grip the phone under my pillow as I fall asleep, awaiting the buzz of your next text When you hold me while I weep…

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16?!

Gabriel Jamil Ragland turns 16 years old today. I can’t believe that this child is almost a man. Somehow I’ve managed to keep him alive long enough to where he’s almost ready to do it for himself. I’m so proud of my son, and he hasn’t even done anything. But he doesn’t have to do…

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Openness

For the first maybe ever, I was able to fully relax. I mean fully relax- no lingering concerns, no anxiety about upcoming events, nothing. It was just me and my completely empty thoughts, experiencing existence without judgment or presumption. It only lasted for about ten minutes. It wasn’t long before a thought entered my head….

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I’m Afraid Tears of the Kingdom Will be a Bad Game

Let’s get this out of the way at the top: I think Breath of the Wild is a good game; maybe even a great game depending on what day you ask me. But I don’t think it’s a good Zelda game. At times, BotW feels like an open-world game with a coating of Zelda slathered…

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Bleeding

Most quotes from famous people about writing describe it as a grueling, joyless experience. I don’t like those quotes because I fear that they discourage people from trying to write themselves. I also find them somewhat annoying- if writing is so awful, why are these people doing it? There is one that does speak to…

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New Year’s Resolutions 2023

Happy New Year! 2022 was a mixed bag, but I suppose that all years are. I’m still processing what I want to say about all of this, but for now, a quick resolutions post. In 2023, I resolve to: 1) Be a better support to all of my friends, family and loved ones, and 2)…

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