eleancrvances1

[eleancrvances1]

low quality newscaster balladeers 👍 (chichester festival theater 2023!)

thank youuuu! i hope more of this production pops out soon, they look amazing

[eleancrvances1]

ocean vuong - “on earth we’re briefly gorgeous” // vincent van gogh to his brother theo // the fall (2006) // sherlock s4e2 // neil hillborn // molly templeton  // starry the musical - “the red vineyard”  // atonement (2007) // wisława szymborska - “the joy of writing” // hamilton the musical - “who lives, who dies, who tells your story”

#*mine

[eleancrvances1]

my masterpost | my studygram | ask me anything

[click images for high quality]

[transcript under the cut]

Other advice posts that may be of interest:

How To Study When You Really Don’t Want To

Active Revision Techniques

How To Do Uni Readings

How to Revise BIG Subjects

Common Study Mistakes

Keep reading

#tips

[eleancrvances1]

Essays

Here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of essays I like/find interesting/are food for thought; I’ve tried to sort them as much as possible. The starred (*) ones are those I especially love

also quick note: some of these links, especially the ones that are from books/anthologies redirect you to libgen or scihub, and if that doesn’t work for you, do message me; I’d be happy to send them across!

Literature + Writing

Godot Comes to Sarajevo - Susan Sontag

The Strangeness of Grief - V. S. Naipaul*

Memories of V. S. Naipaul - Paul Theroux*

A Rainy Day with Ruskin Bond - Mayank Austen Soofi

How Albert Camus Faced History - Adam Gopnik

Listen, Bro - Jo Livingstone

Rachel Cusk Gut-Renovates the Novel - Judith Thurman

Lost in Translation: What the First Line of “The Stranger” Should Be - Ryan Bloom

The Duke in His Domain - Truman Capote*

The Cult of Donna Tartt: Themes and Strategies in The Secret History - Ana Rita Catalão Guedes

Never Do That to a Book - Anne Fadiman*

Affecting Anger: Ideologies of Community Mobilisation in Early Hindi Novel - Rohan Chauhan*

Why I Write - George Orwell*

Rimbaud and Patti Smith: Style as Social Deviance - Carrie Jaurès Noland*

Art + Photography (+ Aesthetics)

Looking at War - Susan Sontag*

Love, sex, art, and death - Nan Goldin, David Wojnarowicz

Lyons, Szarkowski, and the Perception of Photography - Anne Wilkes Tucker

The Feminist Critique of Art History - Thalia Gouma-Peterson, Patricia Mathews

In Plato’s Cave - Susan Sontag*

On reproduction of art (Chapter 1, Ways of Seeing) - John Berger*

On nudity and women in art (Chapter 3, Ways of Seeing) - John Berger*

Kalighat Paintings  - Sharmishtha Chaudhuri

Daydreams and Fragments: On How We Retrieve Images From the Past -  Maël Renouard

Arthur Rimbaud: the Aesthetics of Intoxication - Enid Rhodes Peschel

Cities

Tragic Fable of Mumbai Mills - Gyan Prakash

Whose Bandra is it? - Dustin Silgardo*

Timur’s Registan: noblest public square in the world? - Srinath Perur

The first Starbucks coffee shop, Seattle - Colin Marshall*

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai’s iconic railway station - Srinath Perur

From London to Mumbai and Back Again: Gentrification and Public Policy in Comparative Perspective -  Andrew Harris

The Limits of “White Town” in Colonial Calcutta - Swati Chattopadhyay

The Metropolis and Mental Life - Georg Simmel

Colonial Policy and the Culture of Immigration: Citing the Social History of Varanasi - Vinod Kumar, Shiv Narayan

A Caribbean Creole Capital: Kingston, Jamaica - Coln G. Clarke (from Colonial Cities by Robert Ross, Gerard J. Telkamp

The Colonial City and the Post-Colonial World - G. A. de Bruijne

The Nowhere City - Amos Elon*

The Vertical Flâneur: Narratorial Tradecraft in the Colonial Metropolis - Paul K. Saint-Amour

Philosophy

The trolley problem problem - James Wilson

A Brief History of Death - Nir Baram

Justice as Fairness: Political not Metaphysical - John Rawls*

Should Marxists be Interested in Exploitation? - John E. Roemer

The Discomfort You’re Feeling is Grief - Scott Berinato*

The Pandemic and the Crisis of Faith - Makarand Paranjape

If God Is Dead, Your Time is Everything - James Wood

Giving Up on God - Ronald Inglehart

The Limits of Consensual Decision - Douglas Rae*

The Science of “Muddling Through” - Charles Lindblom*

History

The Gruesome History of Eating Corpses as Medicine - Maria Dolan

The History of Loneliness - Jill Lepore*

From Tuskegee to Togo: the Problem of Freedom in the Empire of Cotton - Sven Beckert*

Time, Work-Discipline, and Industrial Capitalism - E. P. Thompson*

All By Myself - Martha Bailey*

The Geographical Pivot of History - H. J. Mackinder

The sea/ocean

Rim of Life - Manu Pillai

Exploring the Indian Ocean as a rich archive of history – above and below the water line - Isabel Hofmeyr, Charne Lavery

‘Piracy’, connectivity and seaborne power in the Middle Ages - Nikolas Jaspert (from The Sea in History)*

The Vikings and their age - Nils Blomkvist (from The Sea in History)*

Mercantile Networks, Port Cities, and “Pirate” States - Roxani Eleni Margariti

Phantom Peril in the Arctic - Robert David English, Morgan Grant Gardner*

Assorted ones on India

A departure from history: Kashmiri Pandits, 1990-2001 - Alexander Evans *

Writing Post-Orientalist Histories of the Third World - Gyan Prakash

Empire: How Colonial India Made Modern Britain - Aditya Mukherjee

Feminism and Nationalism in India, 1917-1947 - Aparna Basu

The Epic Riddle of Dating Ramayana, Mahabharata - Sunaina Kumar*

Caste and Politics: Identity Over System - Dipankar Gupta

Our worldview is Delhi based*

Sports (you’ll have to excuse the fact that it’s only cricket but what can i say, i’m indian)

‘Massa Day Done:’ Cricket as a Catalyst for West Indian Independence: 1950-1962 - John Newman*

Playing for power? rugby, Afrikaner nationalism and masculinity in South Africa, c.1900–70 - Albert Grundlingh

When Cricket Was a Symbol, Not Just a Sport - Baz Dreisinger

Cricket, caste, community, colonialism: the politics of a great game - Ramachandra Guha*

Cricket and Politics in Colonial India - Ramchandra Guha

MS Dhoni: A quiet radical who did it his way*

Music

Brega: Music and Conflict in Urban Brazil - Samuel M. Araújo

Color, Music and Conflict: A Study of Aggression in Trinidad with Reference to the Role of Traditional Music - J. D. Elder

The 1975 - ‘Notes On a Conditional Form’ review - Dan Stubbs*

Life Without Live - Rob Sheffield*

How Britney Spears Changed Pop - Rob Sheffield

Concert for Bangladesh

From “Help!” to “Helping out a Friend”: Imagining South Asia through the Beatles and the Concert for Bangladesh - Samantha Christiansen 

Gender

Clothing Behaviour as Non-verbal Resistance - Diana Crane

The Normalisation of Queer Theory - David M. Halperin

Menstruation and the Holocaust - Jo-Ann Owusu*

Women’s Suffrage the Democratic Peace - Allan Dafoe

Pink and Blue: Coloring Inside the Lines of Gender - Catherine Zuckerman*

Women’s health concerns are dismissed more, studied less - Zoanne Clack

Food

How Food-Obsessed Millennials Shape the Future of Food - Rachel A. Becker (as a non-food obsessed somewhat-millennial, this was interesting)

Colonialism’s effect on how and what we eat - Coral Lee

Tracing Europe’s influence on India’s culinary heritage - Ruth Dsouza Prabhu

Chicken Kiev: the world’s most contested ready-meal*

From Russia with mayo: the story of a Soviet super-salad*

The Politics of Pancakes - Taylor Aucoin*

How Doughnuts Fuelled the American Dream*

Pav from the Nau

A Short History of the Vada Pav - Saira Menezes

Fantasy (mostly just harry potter and lord of the rings)

Purebloods and Mudbloods: Race, Species, and Power (from The Politics of Harry Potter)

Azkaban: Discipline, Punishment, and Human Rights (from The Politics of Harry Potter)*

Good and Evil in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lengendarium - Jyrki Korpua

The Fairy Story: J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis - Colin Duriez (from Tree of Tales)*

Tolkien’s Augustinian Understanding of Good and Evil: Why The Lord of the Rings Is Not Manichean - Ralph Wood (from Tree of Tales)*

Travel

The Hidden Cost of Wildlife Tourism

Chronicles of a Writer’s 1950s Road Trip Across France - Kathleen Phelan

On the Early Women Pioneers of Trail Hiking - Gwenyth Loose

On the Mythologies of the Himalaya Mountains - Ed Douglas*

More random assorted ones

The cosmos from the wheelchair (The Economist obituaries)*

In El Salvador - Joan Didion

Scientists are unravelling the mystery of pain - Yudhijit Banerjee

Notes on Nationalism - George Orwell

Politics and the English Language - George Orwell*

What Do the Humanities Do in a Crisis? - Agnes Callard*

The Politics of Joker - Kyle Smith

Sushant Singh Rajput: The outsider - Uday Bhatia*

Credibility and Mystery - John Berger

happy reading :)

#tips

[eleancrvances1]

the longer I’m parenting-aged the more I realize how disciplinary oriented parenting styles are significantly more deranged than initially assumed

#important #words

[eleancrvances1]

it’s the 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century.

you can only reblog this today.

#words

[eleancrvances1]

surround yourself with people who bring out the best version of you. who lift your spirits, hype you up, give you energy instead of taking it from you. people you desperately want to tell good news to, who will celebrate your successes and push you to new heights. who share your enthusiasm, and motivate you even further. it’ll change your life.

#tips

[eleancrvances1]

mental health tips i wish i’d been given before starting university

trying is much more important than succeeding

10 minutes of studying > not studying at all

being a college student is more than academics. it’s also learning how to enjoy your own company, learning and occasionally screwing up meals, wandering outside campus like a tourist, questioning your ideals and presuppositions, discovering new talents and skills for the hell of it, and SO much more. if you feel burnt out in one dimension of college life, that’s a sign to spend some time relishing in another dimension.

if you need more time, take a deep breath and shoot that email to your professor/TA asking for an extension. at worst, they say no. and don’t stress over properly explaining yourself/your situation. hell, just email them: “Hi, Professor. I need your help. Sincerely, y/n.” all it takes is that one initial reach out and the rest will follow.

failure does not reflect character. read that again. remind yourself as often as you see fit because at one point or another, you will feel like you’ve failed. it’s growing pains. once you’ve accepted that, learn to view any setbacks as a hint that you need to try a new method/approach. didn’t do well on that math quiz? don’t beat yourself up over it–instead, regroup with yourself and see which metaphorical gear got stuck in your personal learning process machine. for instance, maybe you used flash cards and that wasn’t really your style. act like a detective, not a bully.

THERE IS NO NORMAL TIMELINE FOR YOUR COLLEGE CAREER(!!!!!!). a lot of people need more than 4 years, a lot of people need 4 years, and a lot of people need less than 4 years. and every single one of those timelines are valid. the worst thing you could do is squeeze the living hell out of yourself into some rigid schedule that is incompatible with who you are and how you learn. trust me when i say u will find yourself doing the best work when u do it at YOUR pace.

#tips

[eleancrvances1]

What is a date?

A set of numbers

A step forward

A tick of the clock

What is a child?

A belly laugh

A breath-taking run

A dreams filled sleep

What is an adult?

Coffee in the morning

Tea in the evening

The same day repeating?

Tick tock

goes the clock

The question goes unanswered

but time does not wait

Too young to think of death

Old enough to think of life

To join the dance

I must make up the tune

Perhaps we're all alone

Perhaps we need to be afraid

Perhaps this is a plank we're walking on

Black water is our doom

But perhaps this is a love story

Perhaps this is a ghost story

(fair and foul, we hear their steps behind us)

Perhaps everything's an unfinished poem

Perhaps it's one boat we're sailing in

Perhaps the fire we feel inside

Exists to warm us, not burn us

I'm asked to say "Who am I?"

Like there's one answer

Like there has to be

I think of my warm home

And of my friends' laugh

Of the sun, of my love-filled heart

I am

I am

I am

#wrote this down #or vomited this out #on the eve of my 18th birthday #i dunno i just #felt it #poetry #*mine #spilled poem #spilled words #words #writing #poem #coming of age #18th birthday #time

[eleancrvances1]

just a thought but i wish we weren’t so caught up in ourselves. why can’t we study out of curiosity? why does it have to define our personal worth? i know this is the way the education system is, but for real. why can’t we get lost in listening to someone’s day without wondering if we’re looking focused enough or trying to come up with the best way to respond? why can’t we just let ourselves be, dive deep in life and let us grow and evolve without even noticing? that’s my intention for this year and all the years to come. i just want to do stuff and be in them. do my research out of love of my thesis topic. write essays out of interest for the subject. respond to conversations and films and songs because that’s how they make me feel, not because it’s how i’m expected to respond. lie on the floor and feel myself breathe because it feels good to be in my skin, not thinking i should be productive instead. idk i’m just sick of all these restrictions and codes and boxes

#YES #words #important

[eleancrvances1]

Tips for morning mindfulness

When you wake up, be mindful of how beautiful the weather is outside of your window. Try and admire it regardless of the season - there’s a different beauty in them all.

When you step of out of bed, be aware of how good it actually feels to stretch your body again. Take in a deep breath and feel the air fill your lungs - notice how energising it really is. Repeat as many times as you like.

When you’re washing your face or taking a shower, focus on how calming the water feels against your skin. Notice how clean your skin now feels after cleansing it. Rub your favourite moisturiser or oil into your skin notice how silky smooth your skin is becoming.

Allow yourself to enjoy making your breakfast. Notice how enjoyable it is to put your ingredients together, no matter how many or few you use - creating any meal is an art. Appreciate how it looks and appreciate how it smells. As you take each bite, pay attention to the flavours and textures.

Before you leave the house, have a personal conversation with yourself. Think of at least three things you are grateful for this morning. Allow yourself to feel a warmth inside of you as you focus on each thing you are grateful for.

— Growth Getters (IG)

#tips

[eleancrvances1]

#words

[eleancrvances1]

the inherent shame of beginning… dont look at me while i learn

#important #and so true #tips #motivation

[eleancrvances1]

Yes, finally

#me

[eleancrvances1]

27 THINGS PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE YOU’RE DOING BECAUSE YOU’RE A HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON

Being a highly sensitive person (HSP) is like having your internal dial turned up just a little more than other people’s dials. You notice subtle details that others don’t notice, and certain situations impact you more than they impact non-HSPs. Your sensitivity is your greatest strength — it makes you a perceptive, compassionate, creative person — but it can also be your greatest challenge. Often, you do things to protect your sensitive system, and other people don’t realize the real root of your actions.

Here are 27 things that people don’t realize you’re doing because you’re an HSP. These things may not be true of every HSP (we’re individuals, after all), but I believe this list is generally true; it draws on research by Dr. Elaine N. Aron, author of The Highly Sensitive Person.

When you’re in a loud, busy place — like a bar, restaurant, or party — and you shut down because you’re overwhelmed by so much sensory input.

When a commercial that shows abused animals comes on TV and you have to change the channel, because seeing such cruelty nearly makes you burst into tears. Likewise, you cover your eyes during a gory fight scene in a movie because the blood and violence make you feel sick to your stomach.

When you have a particular bedtime or morning routine because doing things the same way each day brings you comfort. Chaos, change, and the unknown can be quite stressful and overwhelming for you.

If your roommate or significant other walks up behind you without making noise, you jump sky-high like a frightened cat when you do notice them. Because of your sensitive nervous system, you tend to startle easily.

When a friend, coworker, or partner raises their voice slightly at you and you immediately become anxious. Dealing with conflict — even minor disagreements — can quickly become overstimulating. Likewise, when there is ongoing tension in a close relationship, such as with your spouse or a family member, you might feel physically unwell and have trouble sleeping.

Even when people who are complete strangers are fighting (like a couple at a nearby table in a restaurant), you get uncomfortable.

In school, when the teacher scolded another student for something, you became anxious, even though you had nothing to do with the situatoin.

When you have to finish an assignment or a task by a deadline and you become increasingly stressed out to the point where you can only think about that one task — HSPs tend to be quite sensitive to time pressure.

When you fall in love, you fall hard. It feels like your whole world is changing. This can be exhilarating, but so exhilarating that it’s almost overwhelming. You’re happy about this exciting change, but regardless, it’s still a change, and that can make you feel overstimulated.

Being a sponge that constantly absorbs the moods of the people around you. Sometimes this gets to be so overwhelming that you want to be by yourself, just so you can feel only your own feelings.

When you feel so exhausted after a busy day at work that you head straight home and lie down in a darkened, quiet room to calm your overactive senses.

When someone who is wearing very strong perfume walks into a room and you have to move away from them because the smell is overpowering to your ramped-up senses.

When you refuse to eat certain foods, like seafood or berries that are very tart, because the smells/tastes cause a very strong reaction in you.

When you get so hungry that you can’t concentrate on what you’re doing — HSPs tend to be especially sensitive to dips and spikes in blood sugar.

You don’t drink coffee because caffeine has a strong effect on you. Likewise, alcohol affects you very strongly, more so than most other people.

When you can pinpoint exactly what makes a room physically uncomfortable or unwelcoming — bright florescent lights, chairs with hard backs, or the way the furniture is arranged.

When you have a very strong reaction to art, music, or other beautiful things. No one else seems to be as moved as you are; beautiful sounds or sights can put you into a near trance-like state.

Because you have a vivid inner world, your daydreams and nightmares are intense. Similarly, you tend to be a creative, artistic, and imaginative person.

When you’re in pain — like a headache or an injury — you really feel it. HSPs tend to have a lower pain tolerance than non-HSPs.

When you tell your friends that you can’t hang out tonight because you feel so overstimulated already — from a busy work day, a busy weekend, or stress in your life.

You avoid going to stores when you know there will be a lot of people there; it’s too much noise and activity for your sensitive system.

When you’re sensitive to the volume of music or other things. You’re always trying to move the controls by a millimeter or two to get the level just right.

When you notice little things in your surroundings, like how your friend’s mood subtlety changed when you brought up a certain topic. When you point this out, your friend is surprised that you picked up on that detail.

When you don’t get enough sleep so everything feels literally awful the next day.

At work, you end up doing a worse-than-normal job when your boss is watching and evaluating you. For HSPs, the mere presence of a person who is watching them can be overstimulating.

When you feel things very strongly — sadness, anger, and joy.

You seek meaning in everything you do, from the career you chose to the relationships you maintain to the conversations you partake in. As an HSP, you want to engage with the deeper aspects of life.

BY JENN GRANNEMAN, Introvert Dear

#me

[eleancrvances1]

When someone says these days sexism and misogyny don’t exist anymore show them this.

#important

[eleancrvances1]

Doing rest-related things to become more productive does two things: It changes rest time into time designed to increase your productivity, which turns rest into work and 2. it does not allow for a limit to productivity because doing things that promise to make you more productive imply that productivity doesn‘t cap out somewhere and that graph goes straight up. It doesn’t. Not even for machines.

Be idle, and be idle for idleness sake.