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laiqualaurelote · 10 months

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Some people have said they'd like to hear about the meta behind all the men and women merely players and I was like "oh god are you sure" because there's a lot of it, but here goes:

The Shakespeare

Each chapter of this fic takes its framework from a different Shakespeare play, which is signalled by the title of the chapter and the opening epigraph. In some chapters (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V) the influence is marginal; in others (Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing) it heavily informs the plot, motifs and atmosphere of the chapter. My model for this has been the Brexit seasonal quartet by Ali Smith, the four novels of which are each subtly patterned after a Shakespeare play (Autumn - The Tempest; Winter - Cymbeline; Spring - Pericles; Summer - The Winter's Tale). The way I went about it was to use the Shakespeare play as a scaffolding and let the story in that chapter grow up and around it like a climbing vine.

While each chapter has its own play, there are three plays that underpin the structure of the entire fic: As You Like It, Hamlet and The Tempest. They're all highly meta-theatrical and contain bad fathers (they are also my three favourite Shakespeare plays). As You Like It lays the ground in the way that Ted Lasso S1 did - it's a charming, relentlessly optimistic look at a form of exile and creates an idyllic bubble where any sense of wrongness is consistently subverted. Hamlet is the dark forest of S2, where nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so and everyone does too much bad thinking. The Tempest is S3, or what I had hoped S3 would be - a sea-change, in which the characters undergo a process of transmutation and have certain lost things restored to them or find things anew. They are respectively (to borrow the language of the magic trick) the pledge, the turn and the prestige of this fic.

If there is anything fantastic about this AU it is that everyone somehow seems to know Shakespeare by heart; that said, I think most people actually know more Shakespeare than they realise.

Station Eleven and Station Eleven

This AU draws very heavily on both Station Eleven the novel by Emily St John Mandel and Station Eleven the HBO TV adaptation. In terms of writing style and formal experimentation, I sought to be as Mandellian as possible, most notably in the CRIMM/LASSO interview sequence in Chapter 2, the "problem with the Richmond Players" run-on paragraph in Chapter 4 and the deserted theatres of London section in Chapter 8. Spoilers for Station Eleven ahead!

What I find most interesting about Station Eleven the TV show is that it is very consciously not a straightforward adaptation of the book; in fact, "adaptation" is one of the themes of the show, both in the sense that survival in the post-pandemic world requires adaptation, and in that it questions how adaptation occurs when a story is retold, restaged, reproduced or otherwise passed on. This fic is an adaptation of an adaptation of a novel which in its own way adapts old plays for a brave new world.

Another theme of the show is "connection/coincidence", and one such connection/coincidence is at the heart of the show's adaptation: the Kirsten & Jeevan storyline. In the book Kirsten and Jeevan pass each other like ships in the night. The show connects them, however, and their relationship and eventual separation forms the emotional core of the story - if they hadn't met by chance, if Jeevan had not taken Kirsten home with him, she would almost certainly have died that night. Trent and Miranda's relationship in the fic is based on Jeevan and Kirsten's - what could have been if they'd been able to stay together. ("You walked her home.")

Coincidental connections power Station Eleven. Miranda's graphic novel connects Kirsten and Tyler years before they meet, and each of them adapts it in their own way into a belief system, with drastic impacts on their lives and those around them. Miranda herself is a connector extraordinaire - she works in shipping and so her job is figuring out how to get a thing from point A to point B. She is on her way to safety when Clark's call about Arthur's death derails her; because of this, however, she makes the connection with the pilot of the Gitchegumee and convinces him not to let the infected passengers off the plane. Miranda would have lived if not for this coincidence, but she dies; everyone in the airport, including Clark, Elizabeth and Tyler, would have died, but they are saved because of Miranda.

It is no coincidence that Shakespeare relies heavily on coincidences in most of his plays. Funny thing, coincidences. Sometimes they just happen.

What I knew from the start

one of the very first scenes I wrote was the last scene where Miranda meets Henry on the beach. I knew from the beginning that this would be the endpoint, it was just a question of getting there

Rebecca had murdered Rupert to save Higgins and Bex

Nate was always going to be Hamlet

Nate's family, Roy's sister and Trent's father were dead. Jamie's mother's death came later

Rebecca would be reunited with Sassy and Nora at the Museum of Civilisation (where and what the Museum was was a different question which I only solved later)

What came later

my initial plan for this fic had petered out after the Much Ado About Nothing chapter - I did not know how we were going to get from there to the Museum of Civilisation, or what the Museum of Civilisation was (in earlier drafts it was an airport, a train station and even at one point an actual museum). Ted Lasso S3, for its many flaws, resolved this for me by, among other things, giving me a whole Dutch pilot and also Jade

this fic was not meant to be Roy/Keeley/Jamie, only Roy/Keeley. By S3 however the OT3 vibes were too compelling to be ignored; it also solved the problem of what to do with Jamie, whom I had left wandering the wilderness for way too many chapters

Roy's Sutton Hoo backstory, which came about entirely because one day I was at the British Museum looking at Anglo-Saxon stuff and thought "lol Sutton Hoo wouldn't it be great if somebody made a terrible movie franchise with that name". This has since become an unexpectedly popular headcanon

The Richmond Players

Plays the Richmond Players have actually performed include:

Hamlet (full cast list here)

As You Like It (starring Keeley as Rosalind, Jamie/Sam as Orlando. Bex as Celia, Zoreaux as Oliver, Roy as Jaques, Isaac as Charles the Wrestler)

Romeo & Juliet (starring Jamie as Romeo, Keeley as Juliet, Colin as Mercutio, Sam as Benvolio, Isaac as Tybalt, Sharon as the Nurse, Beard as the Friar)

Macbeth (starring Roy as Macbeth, Rebecca as Lady Macbeth, Beard as Duncan, O'Brien as Banquo, Isaac as Macduff, Bex as Lady Macduff, Diane as Baby Macduff)

Henry IV Part I (starring Jamie as Prince Hal, Roy as Hotspur, Keeley as Lady Percy, Beard as Falstaff, Sharon as Henry IV)

Coriolanus (starring Roy as Coriolanus and Isaac as Aufidius. I don't actually know who would have played Volumnia here - probably Rebecca or Sharon, but it'd have been weird as they're close in age to Roy)

Othello (starring Sharon as Othello, Dani as Desdemona, Rebecca as Iago, Bex as Cassio, Colin as Emilia and Richard as Bianca)

A Midsummer Night's Dream (starring Rebecca as Hippolyta/Titania, Roy as Oberon, Dani as Puck, Isaac as Bottom, Keeley as Hermia, Bex as Helena, Sam as Lysander, Bumbercatch as Demetrius)

The Tempest (starring Ted as Prospero, Miranda as Ariel, Jelka as Miranda, Colin as Caliban, Roy as Sebastian, Jan as Antonio, Beard as Alonso, Higgins as Gonzalo, Dani as Trinculo, Isaac as Stephano)

Pre-pandemic roles: Rebecca has played Katharine in The Taming Of The Shrew, Viola in Twelfth Night and Rosalind in As You Like It; Sassy has played Celia in As You Like It; Roy has played Hamlet; Bex has played Cordelia in King Lear; Colin has played Viola in Twelfth Night.

Dates

This fic begins on April 23, 2016 (Shakespeare's 400th birthday) and ends on April 24, 2028. Most of the fic takes place in 2021: Trent meets Ted again on April 23 and they reach Arden-by-the-sea somewhere in July, i.e. right about now! (Twelve years is the length of time that Prospero and Miranda spend in exile on the island in The Tempest.)

Geography

Everyone starts from London (Richmond, specifically, in Ted and Rebecca's case) but Trent meets Ted again at Mae's settlement around Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace) and they progress north through Warwick (Jamie has diverted to Manchester by this point) and then towards the coast. Arden-by-the-sea is near Liverpool.

Music

The playlist for this fic is one of my favourites I've ever made - I'm especially proud of the In The House, In A Heartbeat/We'll Meet Again/Hopeless Wanderer transition.

Bob Dylan features a lot - I would be listening to him a great deal in the apocalypse, I reckon - both original tracks and covers, because Adaptation. Most notable of these is the Girl From The North Country version of Like A Rolling Stone, which I had envisioned Rebecca singing in the karaoke scene from quite early on, and which also contains a snippet of To Make You Feel My Love, which appears in Keeley's flashback later on.

Some songs come from other apocalypse media - Don't Think Twice, It's Alright is from Station Eleven and In The House, In A Heartbeat is from 28 Days Later.

At the time I put Hopeless Wanderer on the list, I actually had no idea that Jason Sudeikis had appeared in Mumford & Sons' music video, and that it was totally bonkers.

At least 10 of the songs were subsequently added during S3, including Spiegel im Spiegel, Everybody Knows (the Elizabeth and the Catapults cover), Bandits by Midlake, Strangers (the Feist cover - where the original by The Kinks goes "I see many people coming after me", Feist sings "I see many people looking out for me", which I think is more reflective of this AU) and of course Islands In The Stream, probably the most jarring song choice on the list, but we could not do without the Queen of Country and the Gambling Man.

If you've read all the way to the end of this ramble, I am amazed and thankful! please feel free to drop into my ask box with more questions about this fic, I will be very happy to answer them.

#ted lasso #ted lasso fic #station eleven #shakespeare #long post

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ariel-seagull-wings · 7 months

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@faintingheroine

@themousefromfantasyland @princesssarisa @the-blue-fairie @tamisdava2 @softlytowardthesun @grimoireoffolkloreandfairytales

@angelixgutz

@adarkrainbow

""Grandma, who invented people’s color?"

I asked this because I had learned that some are yellow, others white and others red. She said:

"I'll only answer if you tell me who invented the names of people's colors.""

(Histórias da Preta, Heloisa Pires Lima, 1998)

So, I read your text saying that casting a brown skinned latina diaspora actress to play a character named Snow White can be a shot on the foot because it can bring colorist implications, and I get the well meaning intention, but I will say that actually the question of naming someone after colors and racialization is way more complex outside of places like France and the US, to the point that this question of the Snow White name and casting becomes really not a big deal.

Here is turkish actress Zeynep Değirmencioğlu playing Snow White in a 1970 unauthorized turkish TV movie adaptation of the 1937 Disney Movie. Bear in mind that in Turkey, ethnic conflicts and discrimination manifest due to nationality/ethnic ancestry, but skin colour is not really a big deal in that problem.

Here is a character from a 1990 brazilian telenovela called Vamp, who was named Branca, played by black brazilian actress Aída Leiner

Two black Biancas from a 1990 and 1995 production of Othello, played by Marsha Hunt and Indra Ové

An episode of the 1995 HBO animated anthology series Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales For Every Child, about retelling european tales set in non european culture, where the Grimm's Snow White was retold with native american characters from the Southwest of the US, naming the main heroine White Snow and taking inspiration from some native systems that call the child after the first thing the parents sees in nature when they are born.

The voice actors were also Native American actors.

The main female character from a 2000s brazilian TV Show called Pedro e Bianca, about two teenager twin siblings called Pedro, who was white, and Bianca (played by Heslaine Vieira), who was black.

The FX TV Series Pose, from 2020, set between in the 80s and 90s ballroom culture of the trans comunity, where a group of trans woman of collor presented the Once Upon a Time Category, and a brown dominican character was named Blanca (played by M J Rodriguez) and was who walked the ballroom as Snow White.

You can see that people in latin american cultures have been naming brown and black women with Bianca, Branca or Blanca (all meaning white) as no big deal.

And Shakespeare plays have started a long tradition of color blind casting that have been critically aclaimed.

And when it comes to variants of the tale and how they treat beauty patterns regarding racialization... the Grimm's Snow White is surprisingly one of the least racialized variants there is. The main princess is only named Snow White, and praised as beautiful, but there is no dark skinned character to be mocked as ugly in contrast to her, or mentions of an ethnic minority that is put down as uglier while Snow White can be presented as "an example of anglo saxon, aryan beauty."

If you mean to specifically search for Brothers Grimm where race is a deal, The Jew Among Thorns is right there for your suffering read.

In case of other fairy tales that talk about "white skin = good and beauty, while dark/black/brown skin = evil", you can choose several variants of The Love of Three Oranges.

As for specificaly variants of Snow White with the weight of racial prejudices included in their narrative, you can read Marigo and the 40 Dragons, The World's Beautiful Woman, Romana, The Little Sister of the Giants, The Maiden with a Rose in her Forehead and Udea and Her Seven Brothers.

So the Disney Company is least likely to get in controversy over colorism for casting a mixed latina diaspora actress into the role of a princess named Snow White who is considered the fairest of them all.

They can get in controvery over other things (mainly bad marketing choices), but not over this.

Resuming:

Sometimes colors are just the name we give to them;

Not every racial conflict in the world emphasizes skin colour discrimination, in fact this can be considered a recent adition to pre existing problems of racism in certain countries, specially in the west;

Culturally, black and brown women received names like Blanca, Branca and Bianca as a common name in Latin American cultures;

There are other international variants of Snow White where racialized beauty standards play an important role, but the Grimm's fairy tale is not really one of them;

Disney can get trouble for their Snow White remake being a cash grab with bad marketing, but casting a latina actress for a character named Snow White will not really be a big deal for panic over colorism.

In fact, HBO's Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child experimented in 1995 with keeping the name while portraying the character as a brown native american woman, and it worked with great aclaim that makes the series a cult classic to this day.

#snow white #snow white and the seven dwarfs #fairy tales #folklore #race and representation

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 2 years

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PHOTO OF THE DAY 3-2-22

Now that I am home, and have access to all of my images, I wondered if I had any blue and yellow images to add to the visual chorus of peace loving people around the world in a show of support for the people of Ukraine. Today, in my Facebook Memories, this peaceful image appeared and reminding me how we all share the same moon and the same beautiful world.

— in Santa Cruz, California.

Jerry Downs

* * * * *

This is a story I heard being told by George Steiner, the essayist and philosopher, in an interview for a Dutch TV series called “Of Beauty and Consolation”, in which they discuss the importance of memory. I thought it was a story that deserved to be retold.

“We are what we remember”

+ “It was 1937, the soviet writers congress. It was the worst year. One of the worst years. People disappeared like flies everyday. They told Pasternak “If you speak they arrest you, and if you don’t speak they arrest you — for ironic insubordination." There are 2000 people at the event. It is a three day event. Just off stage stands Zjdanov, the Stalinist killer, police killer. It was a three day meeting and every speech was thanks to brother Stalin, thanks to Father Stalin, thanks to the Leninist-Stalinist new model of truth, and not a word from Pasternak.

On the third day his friends said: “Look, they are going to arrest you anyway, maybe you should say something for the rest of us to carry with us.” (…) and when Pasternak got up, everyone knew. He got up and I’m told you could hear the silence still Vladivostok. And he gave a number. A number, and two thousand people stood up. Thirty. It was the number of a certain Shakespeare sonnet — of which Pasternak had done a translation which the Russians say, with Pushkin, is one of their greatest texts, so Shakespeare: “When I summon up remembrance of things past”.

A sonnet of Shakespeare on memory. And they recited it by heart, the 2000 people, the Pasternak translation. It said everything. It said: you can’t touch us; you can’t destroy Shakespeare; you can’t destroy Russian language; you can’t destroy the fact that we know by heart what Pasternak has given us. And they didn’t arrest him.

(…) Well, even if the sons of bitches do arrest you, it’s too late. The people already have your treasure with them.”

William Shakespeare "Remembrance of things past" – Sonnet 30 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought I summon up remembrance of things past, I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought, And with old woes new wail my dear time’s waste. Then can I drown an eye, unus’d to flow, For precious friends hid in death’s dateless night, And weep afresh love’s long since cancell’d woe, And moan th’ expense of many a vanish’d sight. Then can I grieve at grievances foregone, And heavily from woe to woe tell o’er The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan, Which I new pay as if not paid before. But if the while I think on thee, dear friend, All losses are restor’d, and sorrows end.

[Another similar story]

#quotes #stories #protest #resistance #Pasternak #Stalin #William Shakespeare #remembrance of thing past #30 #Ukraine #Russia #Putin's war #George Steiner

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noshitshakespeare · 4 years

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One reason we know Shakespeare wrote his plays and nobody else did is that they're rather poorly researched and full of basic facial errors. Shakespeare was clearly and poorly educated idiot, and well-educated people like Francis Bacon were significantly smarter than him. In fact, Shakespeare wasn't even smart enough to come up with original ideas for most of his plays. So why is his work so popular and not anyone else's from the same time period?

I’m not really sure what to say to this. Though I don't think it ultimately matters who wrote the plays, Shakespeare was the author of his plays because there’s no convincing evidence or lack of evidence to think the contrary.

As to the rest... I am a Shakespeare scholar. I dedicate a significant part of my life to studying and teaching Shakespeare. You can probably tell from this that it’s very unlikely I’d agree with you. Of course, you’re free to think what you like, but I would like to point out that your assumptions are based on a number of misconceptions.

The first is the assumption that factual errors and poor research means bad writing. This might be more or less the case for modern writing, where one expects writing to be as realistic as possible, but in a time where realism is not being expected in plays or literature, it’s less relevant. Even in more recent times, a good book or play or TV script need not be accurate for it to be thought-provoking or worthwhile. Who cares if Bohemia has no coast? Does that fact negate what’s interesting about The Winter’s Tale and its story of jealousy, madness, rejuvenation and forgiveness? Plays explore themes, tell stories and provide entertainment, and there might be something wrong in looking for fact and accuracy in fiction if it’s to the detriment of good storytelling. Other dramatists can equally be accused of misunderstandings and ‘errors’ if you put it that way.

The second is that poor education makes one an idiot. Education gives people opportunities to learn, but intelligence isn’t the same as educatedness. One can be extremely well-educated but stupid, and one can be extremely intelligent with no education. I think Shakespeare is one of the most brilliant minds I’ve encountered in writing. I’m always blown away by his ability to see what he sees and to put it into words and action the way he does with such imaginative empathy. Francis Bacon has a different kind of intelligence, but comparing intelligence is a futile and possibly even pointless task.

The third is the assumption that Shakespeare was ill-educated. He didn’t go to university, but a grammar school education in a town like Stratford would have provided a pretty robust education in the arts especially. In fact, it’s very likely that Shakespeare had a better classical education than most people receive now (there are lots of other subjects to learn now, like science). Part of such education would have been in rhetoric, debate, Latin and classical theatre, all skills Shakespeare puts to use. Besides which, the key thing with education is what one does with it, not how much one has.

The final point is about originality. Originality wasn’t always a valued part of writing. In fact, concepts such as genius and originality are much later, largely eighteenth-century ideas. In Shakespeare’s time, people appreciated the ability to copy masters of rhetoric (the university-educated humanists were very interested in mimicking great classical rhetoricians, for instance), and were more interested in hearing a well-known story being retold masterfully than to see something original. The key thing is how well one tells a known story, and this is the case not just for Shakespeare but for other (even aristocratic and educated) writers of the time. To take your example of Francis Bacon, for instance, his New Atlantis is a self-conscious copy of the style of More’s Utopia and Plato’s Republic. Poets like Wyatt or Spenser copied, sometimes even directly ‘plagiarised’ or loosely translated the works of writers like Petrarch and Chaucer. This wasn’t looked down on, but seen as a mark of skill and intelligence. Other dramatists like (the university-educated) Marlowe based their works on known stories like Doctor Faustus or Tamburlaine. In fact, you’ll find most early modern plays are based on direct sources or are variations of a marriage comedy featuring stock characters commedia dell’arte style (the city comedies are like this). To take some non-dramatic examples, Sidney’s Arcadia is full of retellings, and Milton’s Paradise Lost? What even to say? You can’t accuse Milton of being ill-educated, stupid or lacking in skill, but that’s hardly ‘original’. Original works like Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream or The Tempest are extremely rare.

There’s no straightforward answer to why his works are more popular than others from the period. It’s not that the others aren’t popular, but it is true that Shakespeare is more popular by far. Part of it is no doubt reputation. Shakespeare is popular and draws in audiences, so he stays popular. I personally think it’s because his plays are not entirely period-specific and still have a lot that speaks to many people. It’s fine if they don’t speak to you; I make no claims about universal appeal. Still, whatever the reason, I’m certain that lack of accuracy, intelligence, education and originality are not acceptable reasons to disparage his work.

#anon anon sir!#asks #Shakespeare #originality #plagiarism #authorship #Francis Bacon #early modern writers

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singinprincess · 2 years

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Top 5 TV and movie ships

Ohhh this is hard...

TV Ships:

Denna/Dennee (Legend of the Seeker)

Alex Danvers/Astra (Supergirl)

Richard Castle/Kate Beckett (Castle)

Regina Mills/Emma Swan (Once Upon a Time)

Maddie Buckley/Chimney Han (9-1-1)

+ my actual favourite is a crossover ship... Olivia Benson/Regina Mills

Movie Ships:

Alex/Kate (The Lake House)

Juhi/SRK (all their bollywood movies!)

Danny/Sandy (Grease)

Beatrice/Benedict (Shakespeare Retold: Much Ado About Nothing)

Chase/Elizabeth (Losing Chase)

#ask #meme #about me #fionaleeray #I'm really bad about movies... I really struggled to come up with 5 lol

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lizziestudieshistory · 4 years

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Books of 2020 - April

April was a strange reading month for me, on the one hand I read 10 books which is double my average 5-6 books a month! On the other I completely failed to read my OWLs Magical Readathon tbr... I did manage to read books that worked for the prompts but they weren’t the books I meant to read. Oops!

(Once again I haven’t proof read this and I’ll just apologise in advance for any mistakes, I’m lazy...)

OWLS Magical Reathon: Hogwarts Professor (what subject I specialise in will depend on the NEWTS...)

Wyrd Sisters - Terry Pratchett (Discworld #6, Witches #1)

OWLS: History of Magic

I loved reading Wyrd Sisters, it was so much fun! Pratchett retold Shakespeare’s Macbeth from the witches view point, but with his usual satirical twist. Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick shine through the narrative, offering a no nonsense, ridiculous, and lovable take on witchcraft (or headology) as worked to protect Lancre from Duke and Duchess Felmet after they assassinated King Verence.

The Shakespeare references, puns, and reworkings in this book was sublime! I had a great time picking them out and watching as the acting company performed the most ridiculous versions of Shakespeare’s greatest works. I adored the witches - which was a bit surprising. I’d gone into this thinking I’d dislike the Witches sub-series after reading Equal Rites a couple of years ago (to this day it is my least favourite Discworld book...) However, Granny Weatherwax is a very different character here and the story is so separate from the narrative in Equal Rites that I refuse to see this book as the second installment in the Wtiches sub-series. I’d highly recommed reading Wyrd Sisters, and it would be a fantastic place to start with Pratchett if you like retellings and/or Shakespeare!

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Anon, trans. by J.R.R. Tolkien

OWLS: Potions

I enjoyed this translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Tolkien’s style and tone suits this style of poetry (would you call it epic? It’s more of a romance...) Tolkien brought the story in Sir Gawain to life for me, in a way I’ve never experienced in other versions I’ve read. I fell in love with this simple tale from Arthurian Legend, which I’ve never done before... It’s beautiful, simple, and captivating. I would highly recommend reading this edition if you’re interested in Sir Gawain.

The Last Hero - Terry Pratchett (Discworld #27, Rincewind and the Wizards #7)

OWLs: Astronomy

This is a book of two halves for me. The story itself is a bit too simple for my tastes... We see Cohen the Barbarian (the only Discworld character I actually hate) heading towards the Hub to return fire to the gods, however, Ankh-Morpork sends a party afte him to prevent him from destroying the Disc. This party was hilarious: Rincewind, the Librarian, Leonard of Quirrm, and Captain Carrot Ironfounderson all confined to a tiny ‘spaceship’... This was not a combination of characters I ever expected to see and their personalities, particularly Carrot and Rincewind, created several spectacularly ridiculous moments I loved! But the plot itself wasn’t great, I was expecting a bit more from Pratchett at this stage in in the Discworld.

However, the artwork in this book was stunning! It worked so well to elevate the story, I couldn’t help but love it... If the artwork hadn’t been included this book would have been a lot weaker... It’s hard to rate the book because of this, but I did really enjoy it (and hopefully this will be the last time I have to read about Cohen the Barbarian and the Silver Horde.) Also, look up Rincewind as The Scream, it’s brilliant!

We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

OWLs: Arithmancy

I usually don’t read essays for pleasure, nonfiction has been relegated to academic pursuits for the last 5ish years... Yet, this classic (I’m calling it a classic, everyone should read it) essay from Adichie was incredibly powerful. It emphasised the importance of feminism to non-western/European women and highlighted how important and beneficial feminism is for everyone. It’s a really important piece for people to read and I’d highly recommend finding the audiobook, or a reading, done by Adichie as her passion for the subject shines through her words.

Beren and Luthien - J.R.R. Tolkien (Middle Earth)

OWLs: Transfiguration

I ADORED Beren and Luthien, it was the best book I’ve read all month. I was expecting to dislike this book because of it’s formatting. It’s told through several fragmentary versions of Beren’ and Luthien’s romance that at Tolkien wrote throughout his life. Christopher Tolkien edited together 5 or 6 (maybe?) manuscripts along with his own commentary, introduction, and parts of the Earendil story to give us a fleshed out picture of Tolkien’s greatest romance. Unlike The Fall of Gondolin, which I read earlier this year, the format worked beautifully for Beren and Luthien, probably because the different versions that have survived were incredibly different and more complete.

I was feeling a bit so-so about this collection until we started seeing the Lay of Leithian (sp?) woven in between a few prose versions of the tale. The verse in the Lay of Leithian was gorgeous, it was beautiful, etherial, and passionate. I actually cried reading a few sections from it, such as the end of Felagund’s part in the tale. It was such a shame Tolkien never finished the Lay as it probably would have been his best work within the Middle Earth legend. It was captivating and the poetry suited the tone and style of Beren and Luthien’s story. The verse would have made the final acts of Luthien in the Halls of Mados exquisite, poignant, and heartbreakingly tragic.

I cannot love this book more - it might be my favourite in Middle Earth, knocking The Silmarillion off the top spot... But, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book for everyone. If you’re a Tolkien fanatic then I’d consider this a must read, it contains Tolkien’s most beautiful writing along with his most tragic romance! If you’re only mildly interested in Middle Earth then I don’t think you’re going to enjoy it.

The Children of Earth and Sky - Guy Gavriel Kay

OWLs: Charms

The Children of Earth and Sky was an incredibly read, it’s a powerful but understated historical fantasy set in a world based on (I presume) renaissance Italy and the Ottoman Empire at its height. There’s not a vast amount of story here, however, the character work, world building, and thematic discussion around history, religion, the ability of an individual to change the fate of nations, corruption of power, and so much more, was stunning. It was a beautiful study of characters and cultures, which was complimented by Kay’s sumptuous writing style. This was a gorgeous read!

My biggest criticism is for the romances, Kay had 4 main characters - two men and two women - and rather predictably they ended up in relationships by the end of the novel... The relationship between Danica and Marin did make more sense to me by the end of the book than the relationship between Leonora and Pero. However, both were a bit instalove-y and could have done with more development.

Nevertheless, I’d highly recommend this book! It would be an excellent read for people who aren’t fantasy fans as the fantastical elements are minor. The focus is on the historical influences, themes, and character development. It’s an excellent standalone fantasy book and I’m excited to read more of Kay’s work in the future.

The Merchant of Venice - William Shakespeare

OWLs: Divination

Most of what I could say about The Merchant of Venice has already been said before. Shakespeare’s portrayal of Shylock is incredibly problematic (I haven’t got the time or energy to go into why, but there are literally thousands of books, essays and blogposts about this, go forth and read if you want more details), the relationship between Portia and Bassanio makes NO sense, and I cannot believe that ending means anyone is going to be happy...

However, this play has a certain charm that I loved. I couldn’t help but like the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio, Portia and Nerissa are darlings, and I had fun reading the wacky plotline and (yet more) crossdressing shenanigans going on in here! I think most of my enjoyment came from the RSC version I watch alongside the play (currently availbale on Marquee TV). Either way, I’m happy to have read the play AT LAST and be one play closer to my goal of reading every Shakespeare play!

Assassin’s Apprentice - Robin Hobb (Farseer #1, Realm of the Elderlings #1)

OWLs: Defence Against the Dark Arts

We all know how I feel about Robin Hobb and the Realm of the Elderlings. I adore this world, Fitz and the Fool are (probably) the best written characters in fantasy and two of my all time favourites! I reread this for the Elderlingalong (that I somehow missed...), which gave me the perfect excuse to pick up the new 25th Anniversary edition with the GORGEOUS illustrations from Magali Villeneuve. I had a wonderful time rereading this and if you’re a fan of Hobb and you haven’t seen the work this book already you MUST get your hands on it ASAP.

Non-OWLs books

The Gathering Storm - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Wheel of Time #12)

I wrote WAY to much to include it on this long list of books... I’ll post my thoughts on The Gathering Storm separately.

Conclusion of my ramblings: I really liked it, there were flaws in Sanderson’s writing and treatment of some characters (Mat in particular), however, it was a really good installment in the series! Sanderson really impressed me and I’m slightly nervous and very excited to read the last two books in the series!

The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings #1)

I’ve already put up a lot of my thoughts on my latest read of The Fellowship of the Ring here. I really loved rereading this book (as I always do), I had a lot of new thoughts, and I gained a new appreciation of Boromir and Tolkien’s poetry. My annotation reread will continue in the near future with The Two Towers - I just need to clear a few urgent reads off my shelves first!

Currently Reading

Nevermore: The Trials of Morrigan Crow - Jessica Townsend

Buddy read book! I’ve actually finished this at time of posting but I’m trying to give an accurate view of my April reading!

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet - Becky Chambers

I was supposed to read this for Arithmancy, but I didn’t get round to it... I’ve also finished this one early this month.

Words of Radiance - Brandon Sanderson

Another buddy read with @towerofleeza! We’re not the best at reading this at the same time (sorry dear!) but I think we’re both loving it, I certainly am!

Witches Abroad - Terry Pratchett

I couldn’t help myself I needed more of the Witches! I’ve also finished this one at time of posting this and enjoyed it.

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aion-rsa · 5 years

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Why Batman Still Matters: DC on 80 Years of the Dark Knight

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Detective Comics hits #1000 as Batman turns 80. We talked to Kevin Conroy, Bruce Timm, Scott Snyder, and more about the hero's legacy!

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John Saavedra

Batman

Mar 27, 2019

DC Entertainment

Scott Snyder

Kevin Conroy

Bruce Timm

This Batman article contains spoilers for Detective Comics #1000.

It all began with two shots in the dark, pearls spilling onto the blood-soaked cement. No, it all started when the bat crashed through the window. Actually, it was when the boy fell into the cave. Maybe it was that hostile takeover at Apex Chemicals? Dozens of stories have shaped the legend of the Batman over his 80-year history, tales that have made the Caped Crusader arguably the most iconic character in comic book history, rivaled only by Superman.

When Bill Finger and Bob Kane put pen and pencils to paper for 1939's Detective Comics #27, they had no way of knowing that they were creating a new American myth that would captivate readers and movie audiences for decades to come. They certainly didn't expect their first Batman adventure, "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate," to spawn 973 more issues of Detective Comics, let alone become a blockbuster franchise of movies, TV series, video games, and McDonald's Happy Meals.

But here we are: this week sees the release of Detective Comics #1000, written and drawn by some of the best creators in the business. The giant-sized, 96-page issue features stories by legends such as Dennis O'Neil, Neal Adams, Steve Epting, Christopher Priest, Jim Lee, Kelley Jones, Paul Dini, Brian Michael Bendis, Warren Ellis, and Geoff Johns as well as the current custodians of the Bat-mythos -- Tom King, Tony S. Daniel, Peter J. Tomasi, Doug Mahnke, Joelle Jones, Scott Snyder, and Greg Capullo. And that's not even including the excellent covers by Jim Steranko, Bernie Wrightson, Bruce Timm, Frank Miller, Jock, Tim Sale, and more.

Batman is only the second DC A-list superhero to reach such a massive milestone, the other being the Man of Steel, who celebrated his own 80th last year with the release of Action Comics #1000, and the company is celebrating every era of the character in this Bat-themed anniversary issue, from one of his very first (and longest) cases as a young vigilante to his very last on the eve of a lonely birthday.

In one story, we see Bruce struggling with a fateful decision that will change his young ward Dick Grayson's life forever, while in another, Batman's extended family of heroes gets together for a hilarious reunion on a rooftop. There's also Bruce getting some much-needed guidance from Leslie Thompkins as well as a story about the worst henchmen in Batman's rogues gallery that perfectly recreates the tone of Batman: The Animated Series. The issue's most poignant tale is about Bruce's search for the gun that killed his mother and father in a ghastly scene that's been retold through every generation of the character. All of these excellent stories are meant to explore both Batman's growth, from pulpy masked vigilante to modern symbol of hope (Zack Snyder movies notwithstanding), as well as the nature of the legend itself.

What is it about this story of a boy who suffers a terrible tragedy and grows up to avenge the death of his parents night after night that has kept it at the forefront of our pop culture? Batman has been able to outlive or overshadow many of the characters that inspired his own creation -- Zorro, The Shadow, Doc Savage, Sherlock Holmes, The Phantom Detective, Dracula, among others -- but what makes him so special?

I was fortunate enough to speak to Batman writers Scott Snyder and Peter J. Tomasi, artists Bruce Timm and Jock, and the Caped Crusader himself, Batman: The Animated Series' Kevin Conroy, about why Batman still matters after all this time. Their answers showcase different aspects of the Dark Knight, from his flexibility as a character to just how damn good he looks in that costume.

But according to Conroy, who I spoke to at New York Comic Con in 2017 and 2018, Batman's continued popularity goes back to something way more primal than form and function. To the classically-trained actor who was immortalized as THE voice of Batman in the '90s cartoon, the Caped Crusader is a modern retelling of myths and stories humans have been passing down for thousands of years.

"He's such a theatrical character," Conroy says, speaking of his initial hesitance to audition for the role. At the time, he was a theater actor who'd never done an animated role. But when he began reading the script, the character clicked. Conroy recognized this story. "They were absolutely right to cast a theater actor, especially one with a classical background, because this is Shakespeare. They're doing high drama. Batman is Achilles. He's Orestes. He's Hamlet."

The tragic Greek character Orestes is particularly on Conroy's mind when playing Batman. He's performed several plays as Orestes, a son who avenges his father's murder and goes mad because of it. By the end of the story cycle, Orestes has gone through hell and back because of his thirst for vengeance. Naturally, Conroy brought that familiarity with Orestes to his portrayal of Batman.

"He's a Homeric hero," Conroy says of the Caped Crusader. "I think of it often when I'm doing Batman because Orestes is haunted by the Furies. He descends into hell. He comes back. He's resurrected at the end. And I think so often, this is a very Orestial-like journey that Bruce Wayne goes on. His Furies are the memory of his parents' murder. It haunts him through his life. It's transformed him."

Conroy calls Batman a "classic character." Like Orestes before him, Batman has become the protagonist of our very own mythology, according to the actor.

"He's come out of such a fire and instead of letting life crush him, he turns that metamorphosis into something even greater than himself. He overcomes the tragedy that is his childhood to help heal the world...They've been telling that story for thousands of years, in different cultures and this is our culture's way of telling those stories, and I think they're just as valid."

"I think what makes him deeply enduring is that it's a really primal folk tale," Snyder, who's been writing Batman stories since 2011, says on the phone. "It's a story about a boy who loses everything and turns that loss into fuel to make sure that what happened to him never happens to anybody else."

While most of us aren't billionaire playboys with the resources to fight crime on a global (and sometimes cosmic) level, we understand pain, both emotional and physical, and a need to rise above it, even if we can't always do that. And we sympathize with Bruce's biggest regret -- if only he hadn't made his parents take him to see that Zorro movie, if only he hadn't been scared at the opera, if only he'd been braver and faster as the thug pulled the trigger, things might have been different. For Bruce, his crusade to stop evildoers comes down to replaying that single fateful moment over and over again. If only he'd done something...

Yet, Batman perseveres despite all of this pain, which is why people flock to the character, according to Snyder.

"It's a story of triumph over your worst fears, worst tragedy, and about taking your loss and turning it into a win," the writer says. "There's just this kind of power to him that speaks to our own potential, the human potential, even when we're challenged by things that seem insurmountably horrible."

Snyder has spent the better part of a decade showcasing Batman as a symbol of hope for the citizens of Gotham, putting him through the ringer, reopening old wounds while also making new ones -- the writer even killed the hero off at one point -- just so that he can pick himself up again and keep fighting.

But the character isn't all tragedy, death, and knightmares. Who could hang with a downer like that for 80 years?

"There are the fun elements, of course, that are similar to James Bond, like the gadgets, and the cars, and the planes, and just the cool factor of his costume."

Timm, who co-created Batman: The Animated Series and designed the show's iconic Art Deco aesthetic, is unsurprisingly most taken by Batman's look.

"I just think Batman looks great," Timm says during our chat at NYCC in 2018. "He's got the best costume motif in comics. Nothing comes close. He's dark and sexy and broody. It's really intoxicating and compelling in a way that almost no other in comics can come close to it."

He also admires the durability of the character through the different eras of comics, from the Golden Age, to the sillier '50s and '60s stories of the Comics Code era, to the darker takes we're more accustomed to today.

"It is amazing to me how flexible he is as a character. That you could have something as silly as the Adam West show or the old '50s comics, and then you have stuff like Neal Adams and Frank Miller and what we did. And you know, even more extreme, [Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's graphic novel] Arkham Asylum and things like that. And yet their all kind of the same character. It's like that character can encompass all of those different things. He can do space aliens and serial killers, you know? Yet, it kind of works."

This flexibility has allowed plenty of writers and artists to experiment with the Dark Knight, creating different versions of the character over the years. There really isn't a definitive take on Batman. Undoubtedly, one of the big reasons he's still so popular and speaks to so many people is that there's a Bat story for everybody. You can love the Batusi, Bat-Mite, or Mr. Freeze's cool party and still be right on the money about the Caped Crusader. You'd be remiss to call the character stale. The guy has done it all.

"It's almost like he's a force of nature, in which stories can happen around him, and there's something primordial, maybe, about the character and the way he looks, as well," veteran Batman artist Jock, who is currently working on a six-part miniseries with Snyder called The Batman Who Laughs, says on the phone. "You could put Batman in a new pose, and he'd still flourish, and I think those kinds of characters are very rare."

Tomasi, who has the huge responsibility of ushering in Detective Comics #1000 as the current writer on the series, puts it best in our email exchange:

"He's a character who can work across all genres. Somehow, someway, he can simply fit into every story, be it a war story, a western, a love story, a comedic angle, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, you name it, and of course any detective story you can possibly imagine."

Detective Comics #1000 closes with a prologue to Tomasi's next arc on the series, which will be drawn by Brad Walker (The Demon: Hell Is Earth) and introduce the Arkham Knight character from the recent Batman video game to DC continuity. While Tomasi can't say much about the story, especially when it comes to who is underneath the imposing Arkham Knight armor, he did share that the villain "looks at Batman as a curse on Gotham City and will do whatever it takes to destroy Batman and bring light to a city drowning in darkness."

Tomasi previously wrote the Batman: Arkham Knight tie-in series that acted as a prequel to the game, so he knows this rogue better than anyone. It's very fitting that he's using a new villain to begin Detective's run to another 1000 issues and a new era of Batman.

Will we still be talking about Batman in another 80 years? Sure, superhero stories are enjoying a second golden age, but tastes change and trends eventually end. Superheroes won't always be at the top of our pop culture food chain. It's inevitable that many of the characters we love today will fade with future generations, just as the Shadow, Doc Savage, and the Scarlet Pimpernel did. We may eventually embrace new forms of familiar myths, becoming obsessed with new idols. But only a fool would bet against a character who's survived as long as Batman has. Remember, the Batman always wins.

John Saavedra is an associate editor at Den of Geek. Read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @johnsjr9.

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fuckyeahatwell · 6 years

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When “Agent Carter” was canceled in May 2016, Hayley Atwell was fine. No shade intended, but she was ready to say goodbye to Peggy Carter and Marvel Studios when the TV show’s pink slip arrived.

“That was just a job to me,” Atwell told me during an afternoon at a New York City bar last month. “I put as much into her as I have into ‘Black Mirror’ or any kind of my stage work. It just happens to become special because, when you’re in a franchise like that, it has more commercial interest.”

The 36-year-old British-American actor, who got hooked on theater growing up in inner-city London, knows she’s more recognized for playing Peggy, the love interest to Captain America, than, say, for her recent, critically acclaimed performance on the BBC One-Starz collaboration “Howards End.”

“It was press attention and public attention I never had before,” she said of her Marvel experience, which crossed from TV into film. When I asked whether she might return to the cinematic universe ― in light of that shocking “Avengers: Infinity War” ending ― Atwell laughed and admitted she hasn’t seen the $2 billion worldwide box-office smash.

“Really,” she muttered when I told her about the multiple deaths and timeline tricks that could allow her character, Agent Carter, to come back.

“To get a call now would be like, ‘Oh, God!’” she said. “I’m sure anything could happen, but it’s this genre world that’s so multifaceted it’s like, will it ever die?”

Not that she’d want it to. “I really like them, and I love the way ... they made me feel safe and also empowered,” she said of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and his associates. “That’s the best thing to come out of it. It’s not this kind of ― from my experience ― scary, patriarchal, dominant, body-shaming Hollywood sphere machine. It was just really nerdy guys who love what they’re doing.”

Ultimately, Atwell, a self-professed “loner” kid, would rather talk about her historical rom-dram miniseries, which wrapped its arc on Starz at the end of April. “Howards End” follows 20th century Englishwoman Margaret Schlegel and her two siblings Helen (Philippa Coulthard) and Tibby (Alex Lawther), characters originally developed by beloved novelist E.M. Forster, as they navigate the social conventions of their time. To Atwell, portraying the dauntless, self-sufficient woman (crafted by Oscar-winning writer Kenneth Lonergan for the screen) was a thrill all its own.

In a time in the entertainment industry when actresses are expecting to play more fully developed characters than former eras afforded them, books of the past, like the socially driven adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale, can provide a compelling template, she said.

“There’s something to be learned from them.”

“Howards End” focuses on Margaret’s love affair with widower Henry Wilcox (Matthew Macfadyen), a powerful businessman whose morals don’t quite align with those of Margaret’s family. In Atwell’s eyes, their situation is relatable, reflective of “the constant roaring between opposing sides” happening today.

“It’s easy with the world that we live in to be righteous in your opinion or headlines or soundbites or memes of the extreme left or the extreme right,” she said. In “Howards End,” “you have opposing sides not using their differences against one another but using them to create interesting conversation, to exchange ideas and hone one’s own or be willing to be challenged and change or be changed. That is, I think, more human, more evolved and much more living in the gray area.”

“These are not characters who, within the limitations of being women at a time that they live in, are aggressively fighting anything. They’re seeking to understand and change the system from within.”

Atwell is not the first actress to bring Margaret’s character to life. Emma Thompson played the iconic role in the 1992 film version of “Howards End.” Following in her footsteps was surely intimidating, but when asked about it, Atwell was steadfast: Portraying someone like Margaret Schlegel, she said, or Jo March or Lady Macbeth should always be an option for actresses.

“I was speaking to Emma Thompson about it, that question of, ‘Do you feel scared?’” she said. “Just because Judi Dench played a great Macbeth in the ’70s with Sir Ian McKellen doesn’t mean now no one else should. Those stories should be retold because they’re dealing with very human ideas. As an actor, you want to feel the challenge of having to say those words and bring them to life and be enriched by them. That’s the exciting thing, being able to fully inhabit someone who asks you to not reduce her to who you are.”

On the heels of “Howards End,” Atwell has packed up one character and is on to the next. She’s set to appear in a gender-swapping version of Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” in London’s West End this fall, which will see her and “Dunkirk” star Jack Lowden alternate the male and female roles of the Puritan Lord Angelo and Isabella in the tale set in a corrupt Vienna. She’ll also play Christopher Robin’s wife, Evelyn, alongside Ewan McGregor in a Winnie-the-Pooh live-action movie hitting theaters in August.

For Atwell, she took on both projects with the same goal in mind.

“What I’ve discovered is I’m searching for a connection, for a relationship between telling a story and experiencing that story and having the response of someone witnessing it in whatever capacity that is. I know what Marvel is and where it sits for people, and I equally know where some plays sit for people .... There’s space for everything to coexist and have its place.”

#hayley atwell #agent carter #howards end #christopher robin #news

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thebadtimewolf · 2 years

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billie as hero 15

#bw: munedits #a: billie piper #billiepiperedit #bw: long post #c: hero #tv: shakespeare retold #ep: s01e01 much ado about nothing (2005)#{im uploading icons here. sorry for the billie tsunami of long posts}

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hamletdressedinblack-blog · 6 years

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oh man i've been into shakespeare forever, when i was younger i had a set of books that were the comedies retold for grade school kids and i LOVED them. i was actually lucky enough to see my first live performance at the globe theatre in london (it was much ado, we were visiting my aunt and she treated us to tickets) and i'm really grateful that i've had that exposure! i also totally agree with you on the 2015 stratford hamlet - it was fantastic and i bought the filmed version on dvd haha

How incredibly lucky are you to have liked Shakespeare at such a young age! I don't think I've met many Shakespeeps so far who liked him since childhood.Also, that's really neat you got to see Much Ado at The Globe! (And what a nice thing for your aunt to do!) Like I said before in previous posts, one of my dreams is to go to The Globe, but as someone who lives across the pond westward and has minimal funds because college student, that dream will have to wait.And I am SO glad you saw the 2015 Stratford Festival production of Hamlet via DVD! I stan Jonathan Goad so hard. Like, I get so excited when people hear of this production because it is such a treat! I legitimately squeal when I see Jonathan Goad when I rewatch his Hamlet and when I see him in other productions and TV shows. He's such a talented actor and I hear he's a lovely person in real life. (And when I was in Stratford in 2015, I bought one of their festival posters and lo and behold, he was on the poster, with Yorick. It's proudly on my bedroom wall.)Thank you for the ask, and for all of you who have seen the 2015 Stratford Festival production of Hamlet, message me if you want because I need more people to talk to about this.

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inhalingwords · 7 years

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Book Discussion Challenge || Jan 3 || Adaptation

I love literary adaptations. I’m absolutely fascinated by everything concerning the tradition of story-telling; how stories are told and retold in different ways and forms.

My favourite adaptations are probably modernisations of classics because I love seeing how the creators have chosen to transfer the story and its themes to a different era. However, with newer books, I like it if the adaptation is pretty faithful to the original version and its themes (taking into account the fact that there obviously needs to be some changes when adapting a story to a different medium).

Under the cut, I’m going to list some literary adaptations -- my favourites, ones I’m excited for, and ones I’d love to see.

My Favourite Literary Adaptations:

Carmilla (2014), a Canadian web series and a modern, lesbian adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu’s Gothic novella Carmilla (nothing can beat this)

everything by The Candle Wasters from New Zealand -- so far they’ve created the following web series: Nothing Much to Do (a modernisation of Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing), Lovely Little Losers (a modernisation of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost), and Bright Summer Night (a modernisation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) (they just keep getting queerer and queerer BLESS)

10 Things I Hate about You (1999), an American romantic comedy movie and a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew (feminist undertones, ridiculous, i love it)

Romeo + Juliet (1996), an American romantic drama movie adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (i will defend this movie to the ends of the earth)

Clueless (1995), an American coming-of-age comedy movie and a loose adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Emma (iconic. cher horowitz is fab)

The Princess Bride (1987), and American romantic fantasy adventure comedy movie adaptation of William Goldman’s novel The Princess Bride (lmao)

Merlin (2008), a British fantasy-adventure TV series loosely based on the Arthurian legends (;_____;)

Pride and Prejudice (1995), a British TV mini-series based on Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice (i know everyone -- me included -- always raves about the 2005 movie but COME ON)

Literary Adaptations I’m Excited to See in the Future:

아가씨 / The Handmaiden (2016), a South Korean erotic psychological thriller movie based on Sarah Waters’s novel Fingersmith (this one has come out already but I want to read the book before I watch it!)

Before I Fall (2017), an American drama film based on Lauren Oliver’s novel Before I Fall (it’s been a while since i read the book but i remember really liking the message so i’m excited to see how the movie version measures up)

The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2017), an American-British drama movie based on Emily M. Danforth’s novel The Miseducation of Cameron Post (asdfghjhgfd i cannot believe this is becoming a movie!!!)

Call Me by Your Name (2017), an English-language internationally co-produced movie based on André Aciman’s novel Call Me by Your Name (still feeling quite ehhhh because of the age difference in the story)

13 Reasons Why (2017), an American drama series based on Jay Asher’s novel Thirteen Reasons Why (this novel was super important to me circa 2009/10, can’t wait to see it as a series)

Les Misérables (?), a BBC mini-series based on Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables (!!!!!)

Los Miserables (2014), a Mexican/American modern-day semi-adaptation telenovela of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables with a female “Jean Valjean” (asdfhkjhgfdsasdfg i just found out about this now while making this post holy shit brb gonna go watch)

Literary Adaptations That I Wish Were Real:

William Shakespeare’s sonnets as a TV series about a love triangle / polyamorous relationship between a poet, a fair young man, and a black woman (honestly!!! i’d!!! die!!! for!!! this!!!)

Hal Duncan’s The Book of All Hours duology as a TV series (with all the confusion over jumping in time and space because yes. the book is all about story-telling and how stories/histories/myths are told and retold and i love it)

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series as a (very faithful to canon) TV series (the movies are shit, i’m bitter, pls make a tv series already)

Väinö Linna’s Täällä Pohjantähden alla (Under the North Star) trilogy as a fantastic Finnish three-season TV series (why is this not a thing already?? wtf is wrong with us finns?? these books deserve a proper TV series!!)

Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables as a modernised French TV series (modern adaptation or bust!!!)

Julianna Baggott’s Pure trilogy as a movie series (with all the dystopian movies that came out after THG, why not this one???!! such a tragedy)

Becky Chambers’s The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet as a movie (i dare you to say it wouldn’t be absolutely wonderful!!)

What are your favourite literary adaptations? What literary adaptations are you waiting to come out, or what do you wish would come out? What literary adaptations would you recommend to me?

#book discussion challenge #booklr #bookblr #literary adaptations

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alexandratilden-blog · 5 years

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550 Post #2

I was very interested in the ways in which we looked at some of the "meta" aspects of Richard III today, as this is something I've focused on in earlier classes when discussing film or television. Increasingly, I've noticed that literature degrees and courses are not complete without discussing both play/performance and screen in some way. Last summer, for example, in my very first graduate class I took a course entirely dedicated to Frankenstein: both the novel and its 200 years of resulting "culture text." For my final paper, I was not allowed to do any sort of literary analysis; instead, I had to discuss some piece of art - I chose two movies - that came about as a result of the original source. Last semester, also, I wrote a final paper not on a book but on a television series that had adopted an established literary genre. Television and films and literature seem to be fusing together in an interesting way in academia. I have a sneaking suspicion that much in the same way plays, in Shakespeare's time, were considered more "lowbrow" or cheap art but are now far more elevated, television programs will be receiving more serious and critical consideration in another generation.

Performance, voyeurism, viewership, complicity - we talked about these today, and these are all terms I've used and seen before when handling critical analysis of TV shows. And there is something extremely meta about watching a play or show that is dealing with themes of performance. What does it mean that when we enact a retelling of events, we are in turn creating a new past reality? At a play, everyone in the room is performing - the actors, the characters they're portraying, the studied viewer who has come to this show for a reason. It may be less obvious, but it's the same with television. Even alone in your room at night, you might not be performing as much as when you dress up and go to a play, but you are partaking. You're playing witness.

We are all complicit in which events and which people we choose to commemorate (or damn) in retellings. How do the these choices say something greater about a period and it's people? And it seems as though we've increasingly used this medium to level the playing field, or to demystify. Consider, for example, a show like The Crown. Suddenly, a whole generation of people are empathizing with a person who was meant to be essentially one degree of separation away from the Christian god, who was remote as any living person could be. So, retellings can elevate. But they can also equalize, in perhaps shocking, at least unexpected ways. So when we ask what is Shakespeare, the answer is easy - as we saw today, he's who we want him to be. It's worth mentioning that plays and television shows have an extreme and defining difference - one can more easily be rewatched, relived, and revisited - the other cannot. So it is interesting to me when we read something like the Walsh excerpt from today - yes, I agree with him that traditional theater does lend itself to stories of the past because, as we discussed, the past only comes into existence when we discuss, perform, or remember it (or of course, when we see a ghost). A concept so ephemeral as "the past" needs a medium like theater to capture its fleetingness. But then there is the television show, and isn't there something even more baffling about the fact that we can rewatch a show or film, but that we can never do so exactly the same way twice? Even though we should be able to, because the piece itself hasn't changed? Isn't it like how you can't recall a memory exactly the same way more than once? So then isn't TV even more like memory, like the past, because we think we can recreate it, but there is always something different about either it or us every time we do? To return to all of this being "meta," I'll be conventional and quote Hamilton. History has its eyes on you. How the hell is that possible? Because all of this - this era - will eventually be retold, be reexamined. And not, of course, by us.

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fashiontrendin-blog · 6 years

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Hayley Atwell Left The Marvel Universe And Isn't Looking Back

http://fashion-trendin.com/hayley-atwell-left-the-marvel-universe-and-isnt-looking-back/

Hayley Atwell Left The Marvel Universe And Isn't Looking Back

NEW YORK CITY ― When “Agent Carter” was canceled in May 2016, Hayley Atwell was fine. No shade intended, but she was ready to say goodbye to Peggy Carter and Marvel Studios when the TV show’s pink slip arrived.

“Really,” she muttered when I told her about the multiple deaths and timeline tricks that could allow her character, Agent Carter, to come back.

“To get a call now would be like, ‘Oh, God!’” she said. “I’m sure anything could happen, but it’s this genre world that’s so multifaceted it’s like, will it ever die?”

Not that she’d want it to. “I really like them, and I love the way … they made me feel safe and also empowered,” she said of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and his associates. “That’s the best thing to come out of it. It’s not this kind of ― from my experience ― scary, patriarchal, dominant, body-shaming Hollywood sphere machine. It was just really nerdy guys who love what they’re doing.”

“There’s something to be learned from them.”

For Atwell, she took on both projects with the same goal in mind.

“What I’ve discovered is I’m searching for a connection, for a relationship between telling a story and experiencing that story and having the response of someone witnessing it in whatever capacity that is. I know what Marvel is and where it sits for people, and I equally know where some plays sit for people …. There’s space for everything to coexist and have its place.”

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amylanchester · 7 years

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PitchWars #PimpMyBio

Hi, I’m Amy.

This is my first ever PitchWars, and I’m hyped af.

About My Manuscript

Title: More Fierce Than Fire (title comes from here)

Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy

Word Count: 75,000

Comps: The Young Elites by Marie Lu, The Story of Owen by E. K. Johnston

Sixteen-year-old Abigail Hunter, the best healer in Grady Hospital’s Magical Trauma Ward, has a secret. Ten years ago, Abby wished her mother dead on the worst possible day—the day dragons awoke and brought magical powers to everyone in the world. Abby's angry wish became the powerful spell that ended her mother's life.

Abby has devoted her life to healing magic to atone for the sins of her past. Though she’s still afraid of losing control, she has become increasingly aware of the threat the dragons pose and frustrated that she is helpless to do anything about it. Hoping to develop the skills required to protect others, she joins a new United Nations-sponsored program which promises to give her the chance to work directly with the dragons and their victims. Training with some of the best young mages in the world, she prepares for the war to come.

And the war is coming. When a group of unregistered mages leads the dragons in a deadly attack on American cities, Abby must decide if she’s ready to join the fight against them, or if she’ll be stuck reliving the mistakes of her past forever.

A Note About Diversity

Diversity is extremely important to me in my writing. Most of the characters in my book other than my MC are POC and/or LGBTQ. I did not feel that I had the skill or experience to write a first-person perspective for a POC/LGBTQ character, so I didn’t. However, I have been fortunate to grow up in an extremely diverse place, so I’ve included a number of POC/LGBTQ characters (loosely) based on real people. I feel that authentic, thoughtful representation is important in all forms of media and am hoping to find a mentor who feels the same.

MS Pinterest Board

Novel Aesthetic (Quotes & More on My Instagram)

About Me

Let’s start this the way you did back in pre-school. My name is Amy Lanchester, and I’m twenty-eight years old. My favorite color is pink (and has been since long before millennial pink became a thing #ILikedItBeforeItWasCool). More Fierce Than Fire is my first novel.

I’m “from Atlanta” in the way that most people who say they are “from Atlanta” are “from Atlanta,” in that I actually grew up about thirty minutes away and only moved to the city as an adult. I set my book here because I feel that entirely too many books are set in NYC, London, or Chicago.

I’ve been funemployed for the past year.

I started my first “real job” before I’d even finished my master’s degree, and after working there for three years, I decided I wanted to do a few things before I’m too old/settled. So I’ve traveled Europe:

ALL

OVER

EUROPE

and the western United States:

ALL

OVER

THE

WILD

WEST

and I finally achieved a life goal in writing this book. I highly recommend taking a “gap year” to anyone who is able.

I live with my boyfriend and our beautiful asshole of a cat, Bret. We found him about two years ago at a local McDonald’s hanging out near the drive-thru. We went back the next day and lured him out with bits of hamburger, and he’s been our lovable jerk of a pet ever since.

Why You Should Mentor Me

- I am really, really serious about this. I’ve devoted an insane amount of time, energy, and research on this project in the past year and fully intend to see it through all the way. I love and believe in my work.

- I am crazy meticulous. I come from a STEM background, and I use the tools I learned there in my work. I’m a firm believer in spreadsheets, outlines, automation, and using technology to the fullest. I am a grammar nut who googles everything she isn’t sure about and spends hours nerding out reading style guides and grammar blogs.

- I take criticism well. I’m a fairly self-critical person who is realistic about her flaws and shortcomings. Though I love my work, I know it is far from perfect, and I am greatly looking forward to receiving a thoughtful critique. You won’t hurt my feelings. I want my work to be the best it can be, and I know that takes knowledge and experience I don’t have.

Writing History

I had the idea for my MS in May 2016. It was inspired by this tumblr post which made its way to reddit (a site I love and hate and spend entirely too much time on):

I decided I could write that book, and so I did. I wrote a prologue that I cut and part of the first chapter on a train from Warsaw to Berlin in September. I made an outline when I got back home in October, and I wrote the rest of the book during NaNoWriMo 2016. I did finish my 50,000 words in November, but the book wasn’t done. I had a completed (terrible) first draft of about 55,000 words by the first week of December.

My first draft was mostly just dialogue and action. I discovered that I hate writing description as much as I hate reading it. So my next several drafts mostly involved adding description to scenes, and it took forever. I cut several scenes and characters entirely during this process and added a few more scenes and characters, bringing my final word count to 75,000 words. My current draft contains very little from the original NaNoWriMo draft, and believe me, that’s for the best.

Writing Style

I am definitely a planner. I would have gotten nowhere without my outline or character spreadsheet. However, most of my character’s personalities came out through writing their dialogue. I used dialogue (that I went back and cut because it was boring and redundant) to solve plot problems and work out motivations in scenes. If I ever got stuck, I just started writing a conversation between my characters, and it solved basically all of my problems.

How I Write

I started writing in Scrivener, a program I’d gotten for free when I worked at the Apple Store back in 2010. It helped me a lot with organizing scenes and research. I transitioned to Google Docs after a save file got corrupted and I spent an evening panicking that I’d lost everything (I hadn’t, thank God). Google Docs sucks for long documents, but it saves to the cloud every few seconds, so I suffered through it.

I write at night almost exclusively. My best creative work comes after midnight, and usually once I’m already in bed.

I dread having to get back on a normal schedule because the night owl life is best for my writing.

Favorite Writing Resources

- Excel/Google Sheets

- Grammar Girl

- Chicago Manual of Style (I’m too poor to actually own this, but I use their FAQs and this hyphenation table all the time.)

- Hemingway Editor

- Grammarly

- ProWritingAid

Upcoming Projects Preview

I have so many ideas. I think of new project ideas every day, and I constantly struggle not to get distracted by my newest, shiniest concept. Here are a couple of things I’ve started planning:

- Shakespeare’s plays retold in a combined setting like into the Woods or Marissa Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles. A central, overarching series plot with individual volumes devoted to some of the plots of the original plays. I’ll be combining side characters from one show with main characters from another.

- A space opera/sci-fi series centered on a girl who rescues an alien from a hostile species at war with Earth’s space empires. The aliens have superior technology and are annihilating the space colonies, but we can’t communicate with them. My MC and her android nanny devise a method for rudimentary communication and are captured by government forces who have ulterior motives.

Stuff I Like

Books

- Harry Potter, obviously. Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite. I spent years convincing myself I was a Gryffindor like Hermione, my hero, but I’m really a Ravenclaw.

- The Young Elites by Marie Lu

- Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E. K. Johnston

- A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

- Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

- Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

- 1984 by George Orwell

- Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

TV Shows

I freaking love TV.

I’m convinced that if Ray Bradbury had lived in the Golden Age of Television that we’re living through, he would never have written Fahrenheit 451.

A short list of shows I love: Futurama, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Parks and Recreation, BoJack Horseman, Game of Thrones, The Handmaid’s Tale, Breaking Bad, The Wire, Jessica Jones, Broadchurch, Steven Universe, Stranger Things, You’re the Worst, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Musicals

I love Broadway so much.

I’ve been in (school productions of) Once on This Island, Les Miserables, Into the Woods, and Dreamgirls. Other shows I love include Hamilton, The Book of Mormon, The Last Five Years, Aida, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, and West Side Story.

Cosplay

I picked up cosplay a few years back. I didn’t own a sewing machine, didn’t know how to sew, and had limited crafting experience. I taught myself using books, online tutorials, and YouTube videos. Some of my projects:

Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones