by Don Hall

2021 was an odd year for everyone, globally speaking.

The pandemic wained then surged then wained then introduced Omegatron. Following an insurrectionist storming of the Capitol, Biden had an incredible year (rolled out a historic vaccine, passed two massive financial bills that assisted millions of Americans during economic lockdowns plus a boost to the infrastructure of the country) but mostly got shitty press. From the Right, he was a Socialist monster who stole the election, from the Left he was a Centrist who ignores the plight of the eight-percent. 

Climate Disaster became more obvious and the country became more divided (aided by a corporatized media machine designed to inflame emotions and social media algorithms doing the same). Suicides among teenage girls rose 51% and drug overdoses eclipsed COVID as the biggest killer of Americans seen in generations.

While the news told us that the police were racist monsters creating and epidemic of murdering unarmed black Americans, the numbers didn't agree: the odds of an unarmed black citizen being killed by a police officer were about in one in 1.7 million, similar to the chances of being struck by lightning, and lower than the chances of winning $50,000 in Powerball. Unfortunately, the blowback from the Summer of Floyd resulted in police budgets being cut, police backing away from the job and many resigning, and crime rates skyrocketing.

All the while, the Literate Ape continued to publish excellent words for your cost-free enjoyment.

The most popular pieces of the year included:

The Entire 'Problematic Movies of the 80's' once again collectively inspired the most reading. It did not, however, result in more sales of the book compilation of the same.

JL Thurston's 'Roses of Aphrodite' was right behind that series.

David Himmel's 'Requiem for a Bartender' was well received.

Wrapping up the top numbers comes a piece from 2017—'Monkey's Paw Wishes and the Consequences of Want.'

Some of our favorite pieces for the year included:

Harrison Nuzzo's poem 'Las Vegas Tour Company' and Jarret Keene's poem 'I Was a Teenage Space Billionaire.'

More poetry that really rocked us included 'Ghost Women In Another Vegas - A Poem,' and 'Flowers from the Faucet at Midnight - A Poem' by Dana Jerman as well as Elizabeth Harper's 'Alternatives to and variations on the slogan “Defund the Police,” because, let’s face it, it could use some improving, or at least some explanation and elaboration.'

In pop culture essay territory, we loved 'How ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ Revolutionized Horror Films' by Brett Dworski, Matt Markman's 'We Killed Jason Todd,' and 'They Learned it from the Wolverines.'

Both Himmel and Hall held court this year with articles like 'Why Keep Giving Facebook My Business?,' 'Revisiting the Notes on the Columbine Shooting,' and 'On the Nature of Heroes and Victims.'

In the Fiction Section there was 'He Served' by Paul Teodo and Tom Myers, 'Innocence Ends in Avondale - A Chicago Story' by Dana Jerman, and 'The First Call' by Wayne Lerner.

It was a weird year but a solid year for us at the Ape.

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Have a solid close to 2021 and let's hope 2022 isn't quite the shitshow we've become accustomed to these past couple.