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tixersdotcom · 1 year

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Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's 1920 short story, "The Doom That Came to Sarnath," this new animated Batman film takes fans back to a Prohibition Era Gotham steeped in horror and decadence. It is an adaptation of a parallel-earth storyline introduced by DC Comics' three-issue "Elseworlds" miniseries "Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham" (2000–2001), written by Richard Pace and Mike Magnola and illustrated by Dennis Janke and Troy Nixey. At the beginning of the movie, Bruce Wayne is shown to be on an expedition to find Prof. Oswald Cobblepot and his crew in Antarctica with his three underlings, Kai Li Cain, Sanjay Tawde, and Dick Grayson. They discover that the crew was shipwrecked and that most of the crew members were dead. Amid the frozen desert, Bruce locates Cobblepot and follows him to a cave, where he finds one of Cobblepot's crew members, August Grendon, a disfigured and creepy-looking figure hard at work trying to chisel out a cosmic deity from the icy cave. At this moment, Bruce catches a glimpse of the cosmic being's true form and collapses in agony. Several mutated penguin-like figures attack Bruce inside the cave, but he is able to fend them off and capture Grendon. The party sets off on a course back to Gotham after a twenty-year odyssey, as proclaimed by Bruce, with Grendon as a captive, but a terrible misfortune follows them on their homeward journey. The film features a star-studded roster of some of the most iconic Batman villains of all time; all mashed together in a classic Lovecraftian horror-mystery narrative. Spoilers Ahead The Penguin (Prof. Oswald Cobblepot) The Penguin appears as Prof. Oswald Cobblepot in the film, a man who has been driven to insanity amid the cold, frozen desert of Antarctica after he and his crew suffered a shipwreck there. One of the oldest adversaries of Batman, The Penguin, first appeared in "Detective Comics" issue #58 and is well-remembered for his signature top hat and monocled look and for carrying a weaponized umbrella, and in the Gotham universe, the Penguin is a master criminal, famously known for being an advisor to the city's underworld. In this film, the character has been used as a sort of catalyst for the exposition of the main narrative. Bruce finds Cobblepot's journal among the ruins of his ship, which contains several secrets and documentation of his adventures and is essential to the plot. Mr. Freeze (August Grendon) In "The Doom That Came to Gotham," Mr. Freeze is alluded to through the character of August Grendon. Grendon is a part of Prof. Cobblepot's crew that gets shipwrecked in Antarctica, after which he becomes an agent of the "cosmic deity' (Iog-Sotha). He is discovered inside a cave by Bruce as he is searching for Cobblepot and is brought back to Gotham. He is responsible for the deaths of two of Bruce's most trusted apprentices: Sanjay Tawde (whom he freezes to death) and Dick Grayson (killed while trying to stop Killer Croc from breaking him out of his confinement). The film features a different version of Mr. Freeze from the original (Victor Fries) version of the main Batman comic book continuity, which has a different backstory and personality. Iog- Sotha The Cthulhuesque-cosmic entity, teased at the beginning of the film, is portrayed as the root of all evil in the film. Its figure bears a striking resemblance to the Lovecraftian imagination of an all-powerful and all-devouring cosmic being that is ruthless in its approach. It is the entity that Ra's al Ghul worships and claims had created life itself millions of years ago. It is seen as an indefinitely large, amorphous being with tentacles whose true form cannot be perceived by human senses. Two-Face (Harvey Dent) When it comes to Batman villains, Two-Face needs no introduction. The character of Harvey Dent, like all the other characters, is given a unique backstory in this film. He was a good friend of Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen and was on his way to becoming the Mayor of Gotham.

And in doing so, he becomes the target of Ra's al Ghul, who wishes to use him as a tool to open a gateway to Iog-Sotha, his master. He is poisoned by poison ivy and consequently becomes two-faced because of the deformity that the poison has caused. Created by Bob Kane, the character of Harvey Dent first appeared in Issue #66 of "Detective Comics" in 1942 and has since then been one of the most enduring antagonists of the Batman universe. Talia Al Ghul Talia al Ghul is the daughter of Ra's al Ghul and is instrumental in executing his plan to unleash Iog-Sotha on the world. She is the only surviving member of her father's centuries-old cult, 'The Cult of Ghul,' and has command over demons and other creatures of the dark. She traps Etrigan after he saves Bruce from Daitya, a demon summoned by her, and resurrects her father to bring forth the destruction that he had promised millennia ago. First appearing in "Detective Comics'' #411, created by Bob Brown and Dennis O'Neil, Talia al Ghul is a recurring character in the Batman universe, alternating between the roles of a supervillain and an anti-hero. In the main comic book continuity, she is even portrayed as a lover of Batman and the mother of Damian Wayne. She is also known as a member of the 'League of Assassins,' headed by her father and heir to the throne of his terrorist organization. Ra’s al Ghul (Cthulhu) Ra's al Ghul is the film's chief antagonist and the leader of the 'Cult of Ghul.' He was resurrected by Talia so he could fulfill his desire to summon Iog-Sotha on Earth. He births Poison Ivy from the inner essence of Grendon to poison Harvey Dent and create a gateway to the cosmic deity using his physical form. In the final battle against Batman, he reveals his true form as the monster Cthulhu and almost succeeds in bringing Iog-Sotha through the gateway to Earth but is finally stopped by Batman and Etrigan. When it comes to the Batman Universe, Ra's al Ghul is definitely one of the most iconic villains of all time, a title spot contested by perhaps only a few others. Created by Dennis O'Neil, Julius Schwartz, and Neal Adams, the character was first introduced in Issue #232 of "Batman," "Daughter of the Demon," in 1971. Killer Croc Killer Croc is introduced as a minor character in the film and is forever at the beck and call of Talia al Ghul. He is tasked by her to free Grendon from Bruce's ship at Boston Harbor and is responsible for the death of Dick Grayson, who tries to stop them. He brutally attacks Batman twice in the course of the film, on the say-so of Talia, and is killed in the second encounter. In the original comic continuity, Killer Croc, or Waylon Jones, was a wrestler who suffered from a genetic disorder that gave him a crocodilian appearance but with superpowers. He turned to a life of crime after being driven insane by the irreversibility of his condition. Poison Ivy In the film, Poison Ivy is born from the essence of Iog-Sotha residing inside Grendon for one chief purpose: to poison Harvey Dent, which she fulfills with ease. She takes on a demonic form while battling Oliver Queen and is killed by him in a final act of self-sacrifice. Poison Ivy made her first appearance in "Batman" Issue #181 in 1966 and was created by Carmine Infantino and Robert Kanigher. She is a recurring supervillain in the Batman universe and has been featured in several "Batman" issues over the years.

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wallacepolsom · 4 years

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Wallace Polsom, Amid the Ruins of Troy (2020), paper collage, 18.6 x 29.3 cm.

#wallace polsom #amid the ruins of troy #paper collage #collage #collage art #art #artists on tumblr #analog collage #contemporary art #handmade collage #handcut collage #21st century #wallacepolsom2020 #surreal #surrealism #helen of troy #stolen cow #last one standing

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bibliosophist · 3 years

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Asmodeus with a mc who is insecure. They thinks they are not good enough for him and think he'd rather be with someone prettier. He find out and go's to comfort mc.

Tonight is the night. Panacea Skincare is having a launch party to celebrate their new line of products, and Asmodeus is the face of the campaign. He’s talked about nothing else but this party for a fortnight, and now it’s here.

The first thing you see when you enter the hall is a screen displaying a thirty foot tall photo of your boyfriend. In it Asmo is sprawled across a white marble bench set amid a lush, verdant garden. One of his milky white arms rests above his head, the other lays across his bare stomach. Only a swath of silky white fabric covers his hips. He’s lithe and lean, with both the indentations of his ribs and the toned planes of his stomach on display. Letters forming the words Panacea Skincare scrawl themselves across the bottom of the screen.

He squeals as he runs across the room towards his own likeness, pulling you along behind him.

“I can’t believe it! (Y/N), look, it’s me!”

“It’s you. You look incredible. I mean, you always look incredible, but you’re practically glowing.”

He giggles. “I know, right? They didn’t even alter the photograph at all. That’s one of their principles- no retouching. Panacea wants everyone to know that they’re honest and authentic. But,” he grins, leaning in to whisper in your ear, “why not stack the deck in your favour, right? That’s why they came to me. Who else has skin this close to flawless?”

You smile and squeeze his hand. “Nobody.”

“Exactly! Darling, would you mind taking a picture of me with me?” he asks, striking a pose next to the photo. He leans forward slightly, one hand braced on his thigh while the other throws a peace sign. He winks at the camera.

You snap a half dozen photos of him from different angles. You know what Asmo means when he says “take a picture.”

A high pitched squeal breaks your impromptu photoshoot. When you whip your head around to the source of the noise, you find a beautiful young demon standing stock still, pointing at Asmo. “It’s him! It’s Asmodeus!”

In a matter of seconds, Asmo is engulfed in a swarm of admirers. Some hang off his arms, others clutch at his hands. One particularly enamored demon drapes themself over Asmo’s shoulders. Camera flashes sting your eyes- it seems that the entire room is desperate for a selfie with your boyfriend. You can just barely see Asmo’s amid the crowd. A perfect smile lights up his face- he’s absolutely in his element.

As the mass of demons around him continues to grow, you’re shunted to the edge of the room. You don’t really mind; it’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last. Being with Asmo means having to be okay with sharing his attention, and you've accepted that. Still, you can’t say that it doesn’t make your stomach twist when you see the gorgeous demon with their head on Asmo’s shoulder whisper something in his ear that makes the Avatar of Lust giggle.

You’re so preoccupied with watching the encounter that it takes you a moment to notice the two demons standing a few feet away from you, heads bent together over their drinks. It isn’t until you hear your name that your ears perk up.

“(Y/N)... Yes, that sounds right. (Y/N).” says one of the demons. They both have sleek, bottle glass green hair down to their waists and skin the colour of sun bleached canvas. Sirens, you think.

Beside them, their similarly striking friend snorts. “Even their name is common. I can’t believe Asmodeus, of all demons, has settled for that.”

“Maybe they’re more than meets the eye. You’ve met the other human, Solomon, right? They say he’s the most powerful sorcerer to have ever lived.”

“Unlikely,” says the other one. They make no attempt to hide the way their eyes rove over you, or the way their lip curls before they continue. “If they had any kind of magical power, they’d spruce themselves up a bit. Would you be caught dead looking like that if you could help it?”

“No, I suppose not,” says the first, sipping at their drink.

You feel the blood rise to your face. It’s not like you haven’t thought the same thing yourself a thousand times since you started dating Asmo, but to hear it said out loud...

Ducking your head to hide the tears pricking your eyes, you make your way across the hall to the washrooms. Thank whoever designed this building, they’re single occupant. You lock the door behind you and, closing the lid of the toilet, sink down onto it.

They’re right. You know they’re right. You see the way eyes linger on you when you’re together. You went to high school, you know that look. The “what’s he doing with them” look. What did Asmo see in you? He could have his choice of lovers from any of the three realms. Even among humans, you’re... average. What does the most beautiful creature in existence want with average?

You feel the telltale sting of tears rising to your eyes just as a knock echoes through the small room. “There’s someone in here,” you say, trying your best to keep your voice steady.

“(Y/N), it’s me.” Asmodeus.

“I- I’m in here.”

“Hon, open the door. Please.”

With a monumental effort, you push back the tears. Smoothing down the outfit you’d so carefully chosen for his big event, you cross the room and unlatch the door. As soon as the lock clicks open, he’s pushing his way into the bathroom and relocking the door behind him.

“What’s the matter?” he asks, reaching for your hand. Instinctually you pull back. If he touches you now, you know you won’t be able to hold the tears in. He looks crushed. “(Y/N)? Did I do something?”

Well, crap. The very last thing you wanted to do was ruin this night for him. He’d been so excited. You couldn’t have him thinking that this was in any way his fault.

“No, no, of course not. I just- just have a headache, that’s all.”

“(Y/N)-”

“Really,” you say, turning away from him as the tears threaten to reappear. “Just go back out there, I’ll be fine in a few min-”

A warm hand on your waist spins you around. “I thought we promised never to lie to each other. Please, tell me what’s wrong.”

The look in his eyes as they try to catch yours pushes you over the edge, and before you know it you’re sobbing. He pulls you to him, rubbing his hand over your back in slow circles. You pull away, knowing that your tears will leave ugly marks on his beautiful shirt. When you try to say as much he shushes you, pulling you against him even tighter. “To hell with the shirt. What happened?”

Knowing there’s no way you’ll be able to brush this off now you relay what you overheard the Sirens saying. “And the worst thing Asmo, the very worst thing is that I know they’re right. I know it. And I know that someday you’ll leave me, and-”

“Is that really what you think of me?”

“W-what?”

“Do you really think I’m so shallow?”

“No, I didn’t mean- it’s just that you’re so beautiful. You could have anyone- absolutely anyone. Why would you settle for someone that isn’t your equal? Or as close to your equal as anyone could get, because I mean-”

“Stop,” Asmo says, cutting you off. “Listen to me. Normally I’d love nothing more than to listen to you babble about how beautiful I am, but not while you’re being so ridiculous.” He sighs. “I’ve had a lot of lovers, (Y/N). I’ve been with beautiful creatures- Demons, humans, even angels. But,” he runs his hands down your arms, slipping his hands into yours, “None of them were you.”

“So what, you’ve had your fill and now you’re ready to slum it?” You know you’re being belligerent, but you can’t help it.

“I absolutely did not say that, and you know it. I do think you’re beautiful, (Y/N). Of course I do. But that’s not why I love you. I love you for you. Do you only love me because I’m beautiful?”

“No,” you mumble, “but it’s a nice perk.”

The vibrations of his chuckle tickle your cheek. “Darling, in my long, long life I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. Helen of Troy didn’t make my heart stutter like you do.”

“You dated Helen of Troy?”

“‘Dated’ Is a strong word, and that’s a story for another time. Please believe me when I say you’re the one I want to be with.”

You sniffle one final time, squeezing his fingers in yours. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. And, once I’ve taught those Sirens how to accessorize with their own intestines, I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of the night with you on my arm. What do you say?”

#obey me #shall we date: obey me #shall we date #prompt #prompt request #anon asks #asmodeus #asmo #om! asmo #om! asmodeus #asmo x reader #asmo x you #minor angst #insecurity

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whereflowersbloom · 3 years

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Helen of Troy, creature of destructive beauty, queen of ruin and envy. Surrounded by shimmering gold and shining jewels, mortal kings and gods alike shedding innocent blood in bitter fights for her hand. With unearthly charm effortlessly had the world at her feet. Paris, the boy who carried the sea, gentle and young, his naivety left an indelible imprint, whispering dreams against her skin, thus Helen found herself lovesick, seduced by a cowardly prince. Compassionate Hector carved soothing words into her soul with a siren song. Hector, the forbidden fruit she wanted but couldn’t reach. A stone in appearance, fighting for honor and glory, softened by wind and rain. Her own garden of hope amid the agony of being seen as a prize passed around as men please. Her eyes shone with undisguised worship as she gazed at him. Hector, the lover that could never be hers but only in fleeting visions of a future that would not become reality. Oh Helen, cities were burned in your name when you only wished for warmth and tender touch. Helen, who never wanted the title of queen. Nether Sparta nor Troy.

A. M.

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thecollegefootballguy · 3 years

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The Real 2020 Season: Week 2

Hello everyone, welcome to Week 2 of The Real 2020 Season! We’re imagining how things would have gone in the 2020 football season if COVID hadn’t ruined everything.

Week 1 featured a few big games amid a sea of tune-up matches without much excitement. Nothing too earth-shattering, but we’ve got some real good matchups this week.

If you want to start from the beginning here is Week 0.

The Rankings

Week 2 AP Poll

1. Clemson 1-0 (1-0) 2. Alabama 1-0 (0-0) 3. Ohio State 1-0 (0-0) 4. Georgia 1-0 (0-0) 5. Oklahoma 1-0 (0-0) 6. LSU 1-0 (0-0) 7. Penn State 1-0 (0-0) 8. Florida 1-0 (0-0) 9. Oregon 1-0 (0-0) 10. Notre Dame 1-0 11. Auburn 1-0 (0-0) 12. Texas A&M 1-0 (0-0) 13. Texas 1-0 (0-0) 14. Oklahoma State 1-0 (0-0) 15. Washington 1-0 (0-0) 16. UCF 1-0 (0-0) 17. Minnesota 1-0 (0-0) 18. Utah 1-0 (0-0) 19. Indiana 1-0 (1-0) 20. USC 0-1 (0-0) 21. Cincinnati 1-0 (0-0) 22. Iowa State 1-0 (0-0) 23. Iowa 1-0 (0-0) 24. Tennessee 1-0 (0-0) 25. Michigan 0-1 (0-0)

The Narrative

The Big Ten took one on the chin in Week 1 as Michigan fell to Washington and the Wisconsin was upset at home by Indiana. Two of the league’s better programs already have their Playoff hopes on life support after one week. It’s not a good look for the conference. The ACC similarly had a disappointment after North Carolina fell at UCF, leaving Clemson the only team in that conference in the polls.

The SEC and Big 12 didn’t have many marquee games so not much changed for them. Besides USC’s scheduled loss to Alabama in Dallas, the PAC-12 actually had a pretty good week thanks to the Huskies’ win combined with Utah’s victory over BYU. Oregon also didn’t get upset by North Dakota State which should count for something.

UCF’s win over the Tar Heels is another big win for the G5 and the American specifically. The Knights are once again charging for the NY6 spot. I’d say they’re gunning for the Playoff but we know that the committee probably won’t let them in unless something very weird happens.

The Games

Week 2 still has a high number of bodybag games, but we’re still going to see some high profile out of conference matchups.

Winning teams are highlighted in bold.

Ohio at Boston College Louisville at #1 Clemson Samford at Florida State Mississippi State at NC State Syracuse at Rutgers Appalachian State at Wake Forest Elon at Duke Gardner-Webb at Georgia Tech Wagner at Miami FL #11 Auburn vs North Carolina (Atlanta, GA) Pittsburgh at Marshall VMI at Virginia #7 Penn State at Virginia Tech Kansas at Baylor #22 Iowa State at #23 Iowa North Dakota at Kansas State #24 Tennessee at #5 Oklahoma Tulsa at #14 Oklahoma State Prairie View A&M at TCU #13 Texas at #6 LSU Alabama State at Texas Tech Eastern Kentucky at West Virginia Western Kentucky at #19 Indiana Northern Illinois at Maryland Ball State at #25 Michigan Michigan State at BYU #3 Ohio State at #9 Oregon Connecticut at Illinois Tennessee Tech at #17 Minnesota Central Michigan at Nebraska Tulane at Northwestern Memphis at Purdue Southern Illinois at Wisconsin Norfolk State at Charlotte FIU at #16 UCF Indiana State at Middle Tennessee Hampton at Old Dominion Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss North Texas at #12 Texas A&M Army at Rice Alabama A&M at UAB UTEP at Nevada Akron at New Mexico State Robert Morris at Bowling Green Saint Francis at Buffalo Kennesaw State at Kent State Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Miami OH Coastal Carolina at Eastern Michigan San Diego State at Toledo Western Michigan at #21 Cincinnati Boise State at Air Force Colorado State at Oregon State New Mexico at #20 USC Southern Utah at Utah State Wyoming at Louisiana Fresno State at Colorado Fordham at Hawaii UC Davis at San Jose State Arizona State at UNLV Cal Poly at California Stanford at Arizona Sacramento State at #15 Washington Houston at Washington State Montana State at #18 Utah Kentucky at #8 Florida East Tennessee State at #4 Georgia Vanderbilt at Missouri East Carolina at South Carolina Georgia State at #2 Alabama Arkansas at #10 Notre Dame Southeast Missouri State at Ole Miss Campbell at Georgia Southern Troy at Massachusetts Howard at Arkansas State North Carolina A&T at Liberty

Now that’s more like it. Week 2 produced some incredible games and huge upsets that shook up the Playoff picture. Three top ten teams fall as #9 Oregon held off #3 Ohio State in Eugene to give the Buckeyes a horrific blow to their Playoff candidacy. Meanwhile, #13 Texas came to Baton Rouge and managed to beat the defending champions. In the biggest upset of them all, #7 Penn State was downed by a Virginia Tech team that was supposedly reeling from a loss to Liberty in Week 1. The rest of the usual suspects did just fine but the top 5 is going to look different.

To further the embarrassment for the Big Ten, #25 Michigan was upset by Ball State of all teams, completely humiliating the 0-2 Wolverines. Perhaps less surprisingly, Nebraska and Purdue were upset by Central Michigan and Memphis respectively. It was a blood-letting of a week that could very well keep the Big Ten out of the Playoff entirely. The only silver lining was #23 Iowa’s close victory over rival #22 Iowa State.

The other ranked vs ranked matchup saw #5 Oklahoma shake off a slow start to beat #24 Tennessee in Norman. The third Chick-fil-A Kickoff game in two weeks saw #11 Auburn beat UNC. If the Tar Heels hadn’t lost to UCF in Week 1 it would have been a ranked vs ranked affair but oh well.

The G5 had a very good week overall. UCF and Cincinnati continue to roll as the spearhead of the AAC. Marshall beat Pittsburgh at home to announce their candidacy for the NY6 bowl. The MAC is on fire, following up Buffalo’s Week 1 upset over Kansas State, meanwhile Ball State and Central Michigan recorded upsets. Toledo beat San Diego State as well, likely knocking one of the Mountain West’s more consistent programs out of the NY6 race. Appalachian State, the usual torch bearer for the Sun Belt, lost to Wake Forest.

Outside of perhaps two dozen interesting matchups the rest of the games aren’t worth talking about. Week 2 still means that plenty of teams were playing snore inducing tune-up games.

The Standings

We’re still mostly in non-conference play so the standings won’t change too much yet, but here they are if you’re curious. Each league is already having a storyline develop.

The Big Picture

By far the biggest story of the young 2020 season is the apparent complete collapse of the Big Ten. For over five years, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, and Wisconsin dominated the league and each had squads capable of making the Playoff if they weren’t beating up on each other. In just two weeks, all four of these teams have lost a game they were favored to win and it looks like the Playoff chances for the entire league are on life support already. Michigan’s loss to Ball State is extra embarrassing, and starting out 0-2 is not good for Jim Harbaugh’s job prospects.

The other huge event is the home loss of the defending champions. LSU lost a ton of talent from their 2019 team and struggled to keep up with a Texas team that gave them trouble the year before. On the flip-side, it finally looks like the Longhorns might be back. It definitely is one of UT’s best true road wins in a long time. Time will tell if the Big Ten will rebound and if the Horns can capitalize on their victory.

At the G5 level, the MAC is making a big push for the NY6. Long considered one of the weaker G5 conferences, the MAC already has three P5 scalps only two weeks in. Gotta love that MACtion. On the other side, the Mountain West, usually the #2 G5 league, only has one unbeaten team left in Boise State. The Broncos are of course the favorites to win the conference, but it still hurts the league’s image. The American is still the top dog with 4 unbeaten teams led by UCF and Cincinnati.

The New Rankings

Week 3 AP Poll

1. Clemson 2-0 (2-0) 2. Alabama 2-0 (0-0) 3. Georgia 2-0 (0-0) 4. Oklahoma 2-0 (0-0) 5. Oregon 2-0 (0-0) 6. Florida 2-0 (1-0) 7. Texas 2-0 (0-0) 8. Notre Dame 2-0 9. Auburn 2-0 (0-0) 10. Texas A&M 2-0 (0-0) 11. Ohio State 1-1 (0-0) 12. Oklahoma State 2-0 (0-0) 13. Washington 2-0 (0-0) 14. LSU 1-1 (0-0) 15. UCF 2-0 (0-0) 16. Minnesota 2-0 (0-0) 17. Utah 2-0 (0-0) 18. Iowa 2-0 (0-0) 19. Indiana 2-0 (1-0) 20. USC 1-1 (0-0) 21. Cincinnati 2-0 (0-0) 22. Penn State 1-1 (0-0) 23. Missouri 2-0 (1-0) 24. Liberty 2-0 25. Memphis 2-0 (0-0)

Polls usually change wildly following such a bloody week. Ohio State is knocked out of the top ten, but only just. Oregon now replaces the Buckeyes as the fifth real Playoff contender outside of the usual suspects. Even with LSU and Tennessee’s losses, the SEC still dominates the polls. Five of the top ten come from the SEC and Missouri jumped into the top 25 to replace the fallen Vols. The Big Ten is completely outside of the top ten which is a staggering sight to see. With Iowa State’s loss to Iowa it looks like the Big 12 is going to be fought over by Oklahoma and Texas, just like the old days, unless Oklahoma State has anything to say about it. The Big 12 has 3 teams in the top 15 so they have a great case to be the #2 conference in the nation following the SEC at this point, though even the PAC-12 can start making noise with Oregon and perhaps even Washington in the mix.

The American is still the only G5 league represented in the polls, but they now have three teams in the top 25 with Memphis joining the party. UCF has even cracked the top 15, this early in the season it might give a bit of hope for G5 fans that they could even make the Playoff if, say, the Big Ten and one more P5 conference can’t fill the slots. Liberty joins the AP poll for the first time ever thanks to their week 1 win over Virginia Tech and the Hokies’ upset of Penn State. How high can the Flames fly?

So that’s Week 2 of the Real 2020 season. Things are just heating up, so tune in next time for another exciting installment!

#college football #Clemson Tigers #Alabama Crimson Tide #Georgia Bulldogs #Oklahoma Sooners #Oregon Ducks #Florida Gators #Texas Longhorns #Notre Dame Fighting Irish #Auburn Tigers #Texas A&M Aggies #Iowa Hawkeyes #Virginia Tech Hokies #Ball State Cardinals

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timespanner · 4 years

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“The Great Khan owns an atlas where all the cities of the empire and the neighbouring realms are drawn, building by building and street by street, with walls, rivers, bridges, harbours, cliffs. He realizes that from Marco Polo's tales it is pointless to expect news of those places, which for that matter he knows well: how at Kambalu, capital of China, three square cities stand one within the other, each with four temples and four gates that are opened according to the seasons; how on the island of Java the rhinoceros rages, charging, with his murderous horn; how pearls are gathered on the ocean bed off the coasts of Malabar.

Kublai asks Marco, 'When you return to the West, will you repeat to your people the same tales you tell me?'

'I speak and speak,' Marco says, 'but the listener retains only the words he is expecting. The description of the world to which you lend a benevolent ear is one thing; the description that will go the rounds of the groups of stevedores and gondoliers on the street outside my house the day of my return is another; and yet another, that which I might dictate late in life, if I were taken prisoner by Genoese pirates and put in irons in the same cell with a writer of adventure stories. It is not the voice that commands the story: it is the ear.'

At times I feel your voice is reaching me from far away, while I am prisoner of a gaudy and unlivable present, where all forms of human society have reached an extreme of their cycle and there is no imagining what new forms they may assume. And I hear, from your voice, the invisible reasons which make cities live, through which perhaps, once dead, they will come to life again.'

The Great Khan owns an atlas whose drawings depict the terrestrial globe all at once and continent by continent, the borders of the most distant realms, the ships' routes, the coastlines, the maps of the most illustrious metropolises and of the most opulent ports. He leafs through the maps before Marco Polo's eyes to put his knowledge to the test. The traveller recognizes Constantinople in the city which from three shores dominates a long strait, a narrow gulf, and an enclosed sea; he remembers that Jerusalem is set on two hills, of unequal height, facing each other; he has no hesitation in pointing to Samarkand and its gardens.

For other cities he falls back on descriptions handed down by word of mouth, or he guesses on the basis of scant indications: and so Granada, the streaked pearl of the caliphs; Lubeck, the neat, boreal port; Timbuktu, black with ebony and white with ivory; Paris where millions of men come home every day grasping a wand of bread. In coloured miniatures the atlas depicts inhabited places of unusual form: an oasis hidden in a fold of the desert from which only palm crests peer out is surely Nefta; a castle amid quicksands and cows grazing in meadows salted by the tides can only suggest Mont-Saint-Michel; and a palace that instead of rising within a city's walls contains within its own walls a city can only be Urbino.

The atlas depicts cities which neither Marco nor the geographers know exist or where they are, though they cannot be missing among the forms of possible cities: a Cuzco on a radial and multipartite plan which reflects the perfect order of its trade, a verdant Mexico on the lake dominated by Montezuma's palace, a Novgorod with bulb-shaped domes, a Lhasa whose white roofs rise over the cloudy roof of the world. For these, too, Marco says a name, no matter which, and suggests a route to reach them. It is known that names of places change as many times as there are foreign languages; and that every place can be reached from other places, by the most various roads and routes, by those who ride, or drive, or row, or fly.

'I think you recognize cities better on the atlas that when you visit them in person,' the emperor says to Marco snapping the volume shut.

And Polo answers, 'Travelling, you realize that differences are lost: each city takes to resembling all cities, places exchange their form, order, distances, a shapeless dust cloud invades the continents. Your atlas preserves the differences intact: that assortment of qualities which are like the letters in a name.' The Great Khan owns an atlas in which are gathered the maps of all the cities: those whose walls rest on solid foundations, those which fell in ruins and were swallowed up by the sand, those that will exist one day and in whose place now only hares' holes gape.

Marco Polo leafs through the pages; he recognizes Jericho, Ur, Carthage, he points to the landing at the mouth of the Scamander where the Achaean ships waited for ten years to take the besiegers back on board, until the horse nailed together by Ulysses was dragged by windlasses through the Scaean gates. But speaking of Troy, he happened to give the city the form of Constantinople and foresee the siege which Mohammed would lay for long months until, astute as Ulysses, he had his ships drawn at night up the streams from the Bosporus to the Golden Horn, skirting Pera and Galata. And from the mixture of those two cities a third emerged, which might be called San Francisco and which spans the Golden Gate and the bay with long, light bridges and sends open trams climbing its steep streets, and which might blossom as capital of the Pacific a millennium hence, after the long siege of three hundred years that would lead the races of the yellow and the black and the red to fuse with the surviving descendants of the whites in an empire more vast than the Great Khan's.

The atlas has these qualities: it reveals the form of cities that do not yet have a form or a name. There is the city in the shape of Amsterdam, a semicircle facing north, with concentric canals--the princes', the emperor's, the nobles'; there is the city in the shape of York, set among the high moors, walled, bristling with towers; there is the city in the shape of New Amsterdam known also as New York, crammed with towers of glass and steel on an oblong island between two rivers, with streets like deep canals, all of them straight, except Broadway.

The catalogue of forms is endless: until every shape has found its city, new cities will continue be born. When the forms exhaust their variety and come apart, the end of cities begins. In the last pages of the atlas there is an outpouring of networks without beginning or end, cities in the shape of Los Angeles, in the shape of Kyoto-Osaka, without shape.”

– Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities

#Invisible Cities #Italo Calvino #maps #long post #it is not the voice that commands the story: it is the ear

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themoonlightarchive · 5 years

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Welcome to this week’s Tuesday TBR! Every week, I’ll be selecting a few books I recently added to my tbr pile (or maybe even some that have been on it for a while) and making a quick post about them. Read below the cut for more details on the books I chose this week!

Teeth In The Mist (Dawn Kurtagich) goodreads | book depository | amazon

Goodreads synopsis: "Before the birth of time, a monk uncovers the Devil's Tongue and dares to speak it. The repercussions will be felt for generations... Sixteen-year-old photography enthusiast Zoey has been fascinated by the haunted, burnt-out ruins of Medwyn Mill House for as long as she can remember--so she and her best friend, Poulton, run away from home to explore them. But are they really alone in the house? And who will know if something goes wrong? In 1851, seventeen-year-old Roan arrives at the Mill House as a ward--one of three, all with something to hide from their new guardian. When Roan learns that she is connected to an ancient secret, she must escape the house before she is trapped forever. 1583. Hermione, a new young bride, accompanies her husband to the wilds of North Wales where he plans to build the largest water mill and mansion in the area. But rumors of unholy rituals lead to a tragic occurrence and she will need all her strength to defeat it. Three women, centuries apart, drawn together by one Unholy Pact. A pact made by a man who, more than a thousand years later, may still be watching... "

The Merciful Crow (Margaret Owen) goodreads | book depository | amazon

Goodreads synopsis: "Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime. When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns. Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own?"

We Hunt the Flame (Hafsah Faizal) goodreads | book depository | amazon

Goodreads synopsis: "Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be. War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine. Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands."

These Witches Don't Burn (Isabel Sterling) goodreads | book depository | amazon

Goodreads synopsis: "Hannah's a witch, but not the kind you're thinking of. She's the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she's ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans. But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah's concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannah's sure it's the work of a deadly Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica. While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she's going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem's witches become deadlier by the day."

The Silence of the Girls (Pat Barker) goodreads | book depository | amazon

Goodreads synopsis: "The ancient city of Troy has withstood a decade under siege of the powerful Greek army, which continues to wage bloody war over a stolen woman: Helen. In the Greek camp, another woman watches and waits for the war's outcome: Briseis. She was queen of one of Troy's neighboring kingdoms until Achilles, Greece's greatest warrior, sacked her city and murdered her husband and brothers. Briseis becomes Achilles's concubine, a prize of battle, and must adjust quickly in order to survive a radically different life, as one of the many conquered women who serve the Greek army. When Agamemnon, the brutal political leader of the Greek forces, demands Briseis for himself, she finds herself caught between the two most powerful of the Greeks. Achilles refuses to fight in protest, and the Greeks begin to lose ground to their Trojan opponents. Keenly observant and coolly unflinching about the daily horrors of war, Briseis finds herself in an unprecedented position to observe the two men driving the Greek forces in what will become their final confrontation, deciding the fate, not only of Briseis's people, but also of the ancient world at large. Briseis is just one among thousands of women living behind the scenes in this war--the slaves and prostitutes, the nurses, the women who lay out the dead--all of them erased by history. With breathtaking historical detail and luminous prose, Pat Barker brings the teeming world of the Greek camp to vivid life. She offers nuanced, complex portraits of characters and stories familiar from mythology, which, seen from Briseis's perspective, are rife with newfound revelations. Barker's latest builds on her decades-long study of war and its impact on individual lives--and it is nothing short of magnificent. "

Out of these five books, I think I’m most looking forward to These Witches Don’t Burn. It’s mostly because I’m a big fan of witches. I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

#booklr #bookblr #book blog #book tumblr #tuesday tbr #tbr tuesday #tuesday to be read #*

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stupidsexyseguin · 6 years

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AND THE NOMINEES ARE...

okay guys! this is going to be a really long post, so here are the links for voting, and a full list of authors and works will be under the read more with links to go and read the nominated works or peruse all works of nominated authors.

this poll will be open all of the rest of january, with voting closing at 11pm AEST on the 31st, with the results going up as soon as i can put them together after that. congrats to everyone nominated! thanks everyone who sent in nominations!

Best Hockey RPF Author 2017

Best Hockey RPF Work/Series (Sid/Geno)

Best Hockey RPF Work/Series (Nicky/Ovi)

Best Hockey RPF Work/Series (Mitch/Auston)

Best Hockey RPF Work/Series (Other)

Author Nominees:

angularmomentum

sevenfists

theundiagnosable

LottieAnna

pukeandcry

crispierchip

itsacoup

stevenstamkos

Work Nominations:

(Further sorted into pairings) (if a work has no attached link i have not been given permission by the author to link it directly, but it can likely be found using the ao3 search function) (if you can’t find a work that you nominated in this list it is likely because it didn’t meet nomination guidelines)

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF INDIVIDUAL WORK WARNINGS AND TAGS AND USE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT WHEN DECIDING TO READ THEM.

Sid/Geno

Shelter by 71tenseventeen

Sidney was five the first time he met Troy. Well, that he remembers, anyhow.

Thalassophile by Anonymous

Thalassophile- (n.) a lover of the sea, someone who loves the sea, ocean

Adventures with Vanya (series) by bumblybee

“I’d like to introduce our guest for today, Evgeni Malkin, author of Hockey with Vanya.” Sidney nails the pronunciation, and Malkin even glances up at him with a little smile. “Mr. Malkin is going to read us his book, and then you’ll all have the opportunity to talk to him. How does that sound?”

Sonatina by CoffeeStars

It had started at a promotional event for the Pens at a sporting goods store. A little boy with bright eyes had handed his new skates over to be autographed and said, very politely, “Will you please sign it? It’ll be super lucky if you do, and I can skate really fast and score a bunch of goals like you.”

Of Two Seas by itsacoup

“You are lucky, little sailor,” the man says once Evgeni has looked his fill, and his voice is melodious, with a high edge to it but also an odd, gravelly way of speaking. “Lucky and strong. Strong enough to be my champion.” He drops his arm as he speaks the last word, turning towards Evgeni with a half-smile.

Telemachy by itsacoup

Sidney steps back to survey his work; his eyes glisten as he looks at Zhenya, and from the moisture springs forth revelation: cold-hands blurring-vision gasping-for-air-that-isn’t-there. “Return to us an Oracle, or leave your life upon the mountain,” Sidney declares. His voice trembles, and it’s more a plea than a command. He grabs the back of Zhenya’s neck, tugging until he can reach Zhenya’s face and push an insistent kiss against Zhenya’s brow. Sidney pulls back to stare at Zhenya for a long moment, the soft hazel of his eyes gone dark with indescribable worry. Zhenya’s heart thumps as his entire body roils with sensation, burning cold and freezing heat and fear and exhilaration and confusion, and he cannot break Sidney’s gaze.

Catch a Glimpse of Gold Through His Skin by reginalds

The poster reads, from the top:

Times When it is Okay to Interrupt Mr. Malkin:

1.) Hitler invades Russia

2.) Fire

3.) German U-boat spotted in the Allegheny

4.) Sidney Crosby walks in the room

Motherland by sevenfists

The first Zhenya heard about it was an email from Sidney in the middle of August.

The Best-Looking Boys by sevenfists

He was just a kid, just like Sidney, and far away from home. When Sidney didn’t look away, Evgeni mimed swinging a baseball bat, and Gonch was right; it was clear he had no idea what he was doing.

That was the first time Sidney thought they could maybe be friends.

The Real Thing by sevenfists

Sitting at the table was Sid: Sid as Zhenya had first known him, almost a decade before: dorky, long-haired Sid, his cheeks round with baby fat. He couldn’t have been older than twenty, and even that was generous.

“Wow,” baby Sid said. “Are you Evgeni Malkin?”

All the Way Through by sevenfists

“I hope you’re going to tell me that you’re in a loving, committed, long-term relationship,” Jen said.

“Well. No,” Sidney said. “We’re—it’s a casual thing.”

“Not anymore,” Jen said. “Congratulations, you’re in love.”

The Biblical Sense by sevenfists

“Sid, I’m so—I’m sorry,” Geno said. “My stupid—I’m ruin everything, I—”

“Shut up, Geno,” Sidney said, already intensely weary of listening to Geno’s self-recrimination. “You’ve barely even done anything.”

Geno’s voice dropped what sounded like an entire octave. “But I want to.”

My Fingers Laced to Crown by Squidbittles

It’s been ten years since Canada’s Crown Prince Sidney Crosby married Prince Evgeni Malkin, and they’ve found a love they never expected. Despite their best efforts, however, they remain heirless.

Amid mounting frustration and pressure from the public, they escape to the north for a much-needed delayed honeymoon in the hopes of finding a solution to the problem of succession.

Nicky/Ovi

love on a deposit of frozen pleistocene carbon by angularmomentum

Sasha is the only person to have lasted more than a year at Wrest Island Arctic Research Station, except, of course, for Dr. Bäckström.

Or: Sasha’s head over heels, in a slightly more than figurative sense.

running from the weather by angularmomentum

Alex starts playing for Dynamo at sixteen.

kith by angularmomentum

Sasha makes prefect in his second to last year. It’s earlier than anyone but him expected, but right on track for his two year plan, which is: be head boy, get a contract to play Quidditch professionally, and beat Bäckström off in the baths.

Goldenrod by Ferritin4

“You’ve gotta be crazy to fly one of those things,” Dima says, looking up at the icy arcing contrails of the Swedish jets as they rocket overhead. You have to be crazy to fly, Sasha thinks, and you have to be good.

A More Fascinating Name by pukeandcry

Although Sasha had never made the younger Mr. Backstrom’s acquaintance, he was at least familiar enough with his reputation to know that chief amongst his qualities was the quite publicly known fact that Mr. Backstrom was as notoriously uninterested in achieving an advantageous marriage as Sasha himself.

Something, then, must have upset the order of things. What that was he could not say, but Lord Backstrom was now, it would seem, in active search of a husband for his son.

the washington royals by screamlet

Sasha doesn’t remember the very first time he met Nicky, but Michael Nylander is kind enough to remind them when he arrives to meet the team, carrying an honest to fuck laminated newspaper clipping of the first time Prince Alexander visited Sweden to meet his future husband, Prince Nicklas.

Wolfborn by waspabi

A wolfborn on an airplane was either unbearably reckless or a hockey player. Most of the time, both.

Mitch/Auston

the dreams i’ll dream instead by afterthefair

“So, when do you want to bond?” Marner asks without any preamble as soon as they’re within three feet of each other.

Auston hears Chucky’s whispered, “What the fuck?”

Strome cracks up. “Jesus, Marns, can you say hi before you ask someone to fuck you?“

Marner laughs. “Sorry. Hi, Auston. I’m Mitch. We’re gonna play together forever.”

as long as it’s about me by Anonymous

It takes about the length of their first practice for Toronto media to decide that him and Mitch are best friends. And, like, Auston’s been warned about the press in the city a million times, so he gets it. They want a story. He’d be fine with it, honestly, except for the small issue that Mitch Marner is the most annoying person on the entire planet.

They used to shout my name, now they whisper it by CheapLemonIceLolly

Being a star athlete changes you.

think we’re overthinking it by LottieAnna

The first time Mitch picks up a guy, Auston’s convinced he’s hallucinating.

(Or: Auston and Mitch eventually talk about their feelings, even if they keep putting it off. Whatever.)

turn the world gold by LottieAnna

Mitch: hey ill be in az 2morrow, what r u doing?

we belong to you and me by LottieAnna and theundiagnosable

“You’re not allowed to take the high ground while proposing we defraud your government, Marns.”

“Not with that attitude,” Mitch says. “Look, I’m not proposing we defraud anyone, I’m just-”

“Proposing?” Auston finishes, wry.

Three Loves by MycroftexMachina

Mitch Marner: secret genius.

torch this place we know by theundiagnosable

Sportsnet @sportsnet

BREAKING: LEAFS’ MITCH MARNER TRADED TO PITTSBURGH PENGUINS sportsnt.ca/news/2kT45f9Q …

bring it to the top by theundiagnosable

“What’s going on, Matts?”

“Maybe I just want to do something fun, I don’t know.” Auston says, defensive. “Maybe I’m being nice.”

“Okay,” Mitch says. He doesn’t sound convinced. “And…”

“And,” Auston winces, already regretting every decision he’s ever made, “I sort of need you to pretend to date me so I can win a bet with my sister.”

Other Pairings

take a sip of my secret potion by bluejayys (gallagher/galchenyuk)

Brendan’s gonna get to know Alex– maybe even work up the courage to ask him out on a date.

put it in the rearview mirror by thedeadparrot (gallagher/galchenyuk)

At the end of the season, the Gallys go on a road trip from Montreal to Florida. There are a lot of feelings involved.

and i’ve just let these little things slip out of my mouth by crispierchip (skjei/vesey)

Jimmy comes out to Brady in November.

Underneath the Charging Sky by pukeandcry (d. strome/latta)

Dylan hadn’t expected to be in Tucson this year. He hadn’t expected to still be so fucked up about Connor. He hadn’t expected a lot of shit, and Latts was definitely on that list.

we let our battles choose us by electrumqueen (gen-ish)

Auston straddles a lot of lines. He’s the sunbelt kid, you know? The trailblazer.

beginner’s guide to sex (and love) by viennajones (mcdavid/draisaitl)

“Uh, so when you said you could help me, did you mean…” Connor thinks that he understood Leon alright, but making sure is probably a good idea.

Leon looks a little sheepish. “Not to sound super cocky or whatever, but I’ve been told I’m pretty good in bed. I could show you a thing or two. If you want.”

I Lie Only For You by leyley09 (wilson/latta)

“So, instead of telling his mom the truth, Tom wants you to pretend to be his boyfriend. And you said yes to pretending, even though you want to be boyfriends for real.”

“When you say it out loud, it sounds stupid.”

“It is stupid.”

if this is the stars by theundiagnosable (marner/w nylander/matthews)

“Babe,” Mitch says, collapsing onto the couch. “Matts, I just got hit on by the hottest barista I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“Nice.” Auston high fives him.

through the woods we ran by stevenstamkos (hischier/patrick)

“Tell me about your faeries.”

Nico does not want to talk about faeries, not in the comfort of his bed with Nolan stretched out next to him, but he knows that Nolan is only trying to learn as much as he can about Nico. Nolan has asked him about everything, his likes and dislikes, his home in Naters and his family, his history. And now his faeries.

let’s just see what tomorrow brings by capebretons (hischier/patrick)

The first time Nolan sees Nico, it snows.

It’s the first snow of the winter, late November, cold enough to make Nolan’s cheeks pink, and his ears, and the tip of his nose. It’s the cold, that’s all. It’s got nothing to do with Hischier.

and dreams paled by antoineroussel (rinne/saros)

A young man sits up, facing away from Pekka, and rubs his eyes furiously. His skin is golden, left shoulder scarred lightly, and he wraps one of the red furs around his waist, apparently not wearing much else. Pekka, startled, makes a choked noise, and the man turns around. He gets to his feet with a boyish smile, and sits himself down on the chair opposite to Pekka.

triple the fun by allfleshisgrass (benn/seguin)

Tyler finds a three-headed dog, adopts it and tries to be the best doggy daddy in Dallas.

A Different Kind (series) by Nuanta (benn/seguin)

Set in a world where scents hold powerful magic, omegas are marginalized and despised, and are treated as slaves. Born into the noble Seguin family, Tyler was sold off to a life of captivity once he presented. Now, the defiant omega finds himself under the supervision of a soft-spoken Knight-Captain, alpha Jamie Benn, who doesn’t let any of his junior knights take advantage of omegas. Not only that, but Jamie seems to care about Tyler’s opinions, wants to change the world…if the system would only let him. When the world turns on its head, though, Tyler will do whatever it takes to prove he deserves his life and his freedom, and maybe a little more.

place your hand in mine, i’ll leave when i wanna (series) by jolt (benn/seguin, mcdavid/d strome, marner/matthews)

Tyler knows he looks like the kind of douchebag who listens to rap or, like, ska bands from the early 2000s, but he actually has a secret affinity for happy pop songs and, unabashedly, Blink-182 and Fall Out Boy and stuff. The music a lot of people pretend to have grown out of or be too cool for.

Tyler thinks Jamie looks like the kind of guy who loves songs about trucks, but mainly because he thinks he’s built like one.

Home at Last by crispierchip (barrie/landeskog)

This would be Tyson’s luck.

Have sex with the guy you’ve been hopelessly drooling over for the past year only to wake up bonded to him. Perfect.

(stronger than a) Bourbon Street Hand Grenade by dexsnursey (barrie/landeskog)

Nate grins and ducks his head, and Tyson is considering giving him a hug and maybe a big smooch too, when Gabe speaks up, because of course he does. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Oh no,” Nate groans, and really, that should have been his warning.

Instead, Tyson finds himself raising his eyebrows, puffing up his chest and declaring, “Oh it’s on like Donkey Kong, Gabriel.”

Nate sighs, this loud, chest deep thing, and Tyson really needs to learn when to keep his mouth shut.

10,000 Weight in Gold by oflights (barrie/landeskog)

“What’re some of your biggest pet peeves? Wanna know what mine is?”

“Uh, what’s yours?”

“When people say Tyson, and they’re talking to you instead of me.”

tell me if you love me or not by underwaternow (barrie/landeskog)

It starts in Sweden.

Stop Making Sense by Vidriana (w nylander/kapanen)

“Well, here’s how I see it,” Kappy starts. “You have two options.” He holds up a finger. “One: You just tell them the truth.” He shrugs.

“What’s option two?” Willy asks.

Kappy raises a second finger. “Option two: You get a fake boyfriend,” he says, with much more gravitas than this ridiculous statement could possibly warrant.

should have said (say it) by theundiagnosable (w nylander/hyman)

“Okay,” Zach says, slow. “You said- no food, isn’t the wedding in-”

“Five days,” Auston finishes, “yeah.” He sounds even more calm than usual, a little monotone, actually, which is how Zach knows he’s internally losing his shit.

#hockey rpf #hockey rpf poll #best hockey rpf of 2017 #bennguin #nicky/ovi #sidgeno #marnsthews #marnsthew #vote!#rec list #hockey rpf fic recs #fic recs

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icephas · 3 years

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Covenant Faith - Lesson 12, June 12-18

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Gal. 6:14; Rom. 6:23; I John 5:11, 13; Rom. 4:1-7; Lev. 7:18; Lev. 17:1-4; Rom. 5:1.

Memory Verse: “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11).

About seven centuries before Christ, the poet Homer wrote the Odyssey, the story of Odysseus the great warrior who — after sacking the city of Troy in the Trojan war — began a ten-year voyage to try to return to his native Ithaca. The voyage, too, took so long because he faced shipwrecks, mutinies, storms, monsters, and other obstacles that kept him from reaching his goal. Finally, after deciding that Odysseus had suffered enough, the gods agreed to allow the weary warrior to return to his home and family. His trials were, they agreed, enough atonement for his mistakes.

In one sense, we are like Odysseus, on a long journey home. The crucial difference, however, is that, unlike Odysseus, we can never “suffer enough” to earn our way back. The distance between heaven and earth is too great for us to atone for our mistakes. If we get home, it would have to be only by the grace of God.

The Week at a Glance: Why must salvation be a gift? Why could only Someone equal with God ransom our souls? What makes Abraham such a good representative of faith? What does it mean that righteousness is “imputed” or “credited” to us? How can we make the promises and hope found in the Cross our own?

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 19.

Sunday, June 13

Reflections of Calvary

The Old Testament way of salvation under the Mosaic covenant is no different from the New Testament way of salvation under the new covenant. Whether in the Old or New Testament, old or new covenant, salvation is by faith alone. If it was by anything else, such as works, salvation would be something that was owed us, something the Creator was obligated to give us. Only those who do not understand the seriousness of sin could believe that God was under some obligation to save us. On the contrary, if anything, there was only one obligation, and that was what we owed to the violated law. We, of course, could not meet that obligation; fortunately, Jesus met it for us.

“When men and women can more fully comprehend the magnitude of the great sacrifice which was made by the Majesty of heaven in dying in man’s stead, then will the plan of salvation be magnified, and reflections of Calvary will awaken tender, sacred, and lively emotions in the Christian’s heart. Praises to God and the Lamb will be in their hearts and upon their lips. Pride and self-esteem cannot flourish in the hearts that keep fresh in memory the scenes of Calvary … All the riches of the world are not of sufficient value to redeem one perishing soul. Who can measure the love Christ felt for a lost world as He hung upon the cross, suffering for the sins of guilty men? This love was immeasurable, infinite.

Christ has shown that His love was stronger than death. He was accomplishing man’s salvation; and although He had the most fearful conflict with the powers of darkness, yet, amid it all, His love grew stronger and stronger. He endured the hiding of His Father’s countenance, until He was led to exclaim in the bitterness of His soul: ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’ His arm brought salvation. The price was paid to purchase the redemption of man, when, in the last soul struggle, the blessed words were uttered which seemed to resound through creation: ‘It is finished.’

The scenes of Calvary call for the deepest emotion. Upon this subject you will be excusable if you manifest enthusiasm. That Christ, so excellent, so innocent, should suffer such a painful death, bearing the weight of the sins of the world, our thoughts and imaginations can never fully comprehend. The length, the breadth, the height, the depth, of such amazing love we cannot fathom. The contemplation of the matchless depths of a Saviour’s love should fill the mind, touch and melt the soul, refine and elevate the affections, and completely transform the whole character.” — Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, pp. 212, 213.

Pray over what Ellen G. White wrote here. Keeping these lines in mind, read Galatians 6:14 and then ask yourself, in what ways can I glory in the Cross of Christ?

Monday, June 14

The Covenant and the Sacrifice

“You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet. 1:18-19, RSV).

What does Peter mean here when he says that we were ransomed?

When Peter speaks about Christ’s atoning death on the cross, the “ransom” or price idea to which he refers brings to mind the ancient practice of a slave being freed from his bondage after a price had been paid (often by a relative). In contrast, Christ ransomed us from the slavery of sin and its final fruit, which is death, but He did it with His “precious blood,” His substitutionary and voluntary death on Calvary. Again, this is the foundation of all the covenants: without it, the covenant becomes null and void, because God could not have justly fulfilled His end of the deal, which is the gift of eternal life bestowed upon all who believe.

Look up the following verses: Rom. 6:23, 1 John 5:11, 13. What message do all of them share in common?

We have this promise of eternal life, because Jesus alone could repair that breach that first caused us to lose that eternal life. How? Because the righteousness and infinite value of the Creator alone could cancel the debt we owed to the broken law — that is how wide the breach caused by sin was. After all, what would it say about the seriousness of God’s eternal moral law if some finite, temporal, and created being could pay the penalty for violating it? Only Someone who is equal to God Himself, in whom life existed unborrowed and underived and eternal, could have paid the ransom required to free us from the debt owed to the law. This is how all the covenant promises are fulfilled; this is how we have the promise of eternal life, even now; this is how we have been ransomed from sin and death.

Imagine that someone’s child, in an art museum, throws a balloon filled with ink on a Rembrandt painting and ruins it completely. The painting is worth millions; the parents, even if they sold everything they owned, could not come close to paying the debt owed. In what sense does this image help us understand just how serious a breach sin has caused, how helpless we are to fix it, and why only the Lord Himself could pay the debt?

Tuesday, June 15

The Faith of Abraham: Part 1

“He believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:6).

This verse remains one of the most profound statements in all Scripture. It helps establish the crucial truth of biblical religion, that of justification by faith alone, and it does this long centuries before Paul wrote about it in Romans. All of which helps prove the point that from Eden onward, salvation always came the same way.

The immediate context of the verse helps us understand just how great Abram’s faith was, believing in God’s promise of a son despite all the physical evidence that would seem to make that promise impossible. It is the kind of faith that realizes its own utter helplessness, the kind of faith that demands a complete surrender of self, the kind of faith that requires a total submission to the Lord, the kind of faith that results in obedience. This was the faith of Abram, and it was counted to him “as righteousness.”

Why does the Bible say that it was “counted to” him or “credited to” him as righteousness? Was Abram himself “righteous” in the sense of God’s righteousness? What did he do, not long after God declared him righteous, that helps us understand why this righteousness was credited to him, as opposed to what he himself actually was?

However much Abram’s life was a life of faith and obedience, it was not a life of perfect faith and perfect obedience. At times he displayed weakness in both areas. (Does that sound like anyone you know?) All of which leads to the crucial point, and that is: the righteousness that saves us is a righteousness that is credited to us, a righteousness that is (to use a fancy theological term) imputed to us. This means that we are declared righteous in the sight of God, despite our faults; it means that the God of heaven views us as righteous even if we are not. This is what He did with Abram, and this is what He will do to all who come to Him in “the faith of Abraham” (Rom. 4:16).

Read Romans 4:1-7. Look at the context in which Paul uses Genesis 15:6. Pray over those verses and write out in your own words what you believe they are saying to you.

Wednesday, June 16

The Faith of Abraham: Part 2

Looking again at Genesis 15:6, we can see that various translations have rendered the term counted (Hebrew, chashab) or “reckoned” or “credited” (RSV, NIV) or “accounted.” (NKJV)

The same term is employed in other texts in the books of Moses. A person or a thing is “reckoned” or “regarded" as something that person or thing is not. For instance, in Genesis 31:15, Rachel and Leah affirm that their father “reckons” (“regards” or “counts”) them as strangers, although they are his daughters. The tithe of the Levite is “reckoned” (“regarded” or “counted”) as though it were the corn of the threshing floor, although it is obviously not the corn (Num. 18:27, 30, NIV).

How is the idea of reckoning expressed in the context of sacrifices? (Lev. 7:18, Lev. 17:1-4).

The King James Version uses the word imputed to translate chashab. If a particular sacrifice (“peace offering”) is not eaten by the third day, its value is lost, and it shall not be “reckoned” (Lev. 7:18, NASB; Hebrew, chashab) to the benefit of the offerer. Leviticus 7:18 speaks of a situation in which a sacrifice is “reckoned” to the benefit of the sinner (compare Lev. 17:1-4, NASB) who then stands before God in righteousness. God is accounting the sinner as righteous, although the individual is actually unrighteous.

Take some time to dwell on this wonderful truth that we, despite our faults, can be accounted, or credited, as righteous in the sight of God. Write out in your own words your understanding of what this means.

The great truth, that of being declared righteous, not because of any act that we can do but only because of faith in what Christ has done for us, this is the essence of the phrase “righteousness by faith.” Yet, it is not that our faith itself makes us righteous; rather, faith is the vehicle by which we obtain the gift of righteousness. This, in essence, is the beauty, the mystery, and the glory of Christianity. All that we believe as Christians, as followers of Christ, finds an important root in this wonderful concept. Through faith, we are accounted righteous in the sight of God. All else that follows; obedience, sanctification, holiness, character development, love, should stem from this crucial truth.

How do you respond to someone who seeks to be a Christian yet says, “But I don’t feel righteous”?

Thursday, June 17

Resting on the Promises

There is a story told about the famous Cardinal Bellarmine, the great Catholic apologist who all his life fought the message of justification by an imputed righteousness alone. As he lay dying, he was brought the crucifixes and the merits of the saints to help give him assurance before death. But Bellarmine said, “Take it away. I think it’s safer to trust in the merits of Christ.”

For many people as they near the end of their lives, they look back and see how vain, how futile, how useless their deeds and their works are for earning salvation with a holy God, and thus how much they need the righteousness of Christ.

Yet the good news is that we don’t have to wait for the approach of death to have security in the Lord now. The whole covenant is based on the secure promises of God now, promises for us now, promises that can make our life better now.

Look up the following verses and answer the question asked with each one in the context of developing, keeping, and strengthening your covenant relationship with God:

Ps. 34:8 (How can you taste God’s goodness?)

Matt. 11:30 (What is it about what Christ has done for us that makes this yoke easy?)

Rom 5:1 (What does justification have to do with peace?)

Phil. 2:7-8 (What have you gained from Christ’s experience?)

Prayerfully examine your life and ask yourself, what things am I doing that are strengthening my relationship with God, and what things are hurting it? What changes do I need to make?

Friday, June 18

Further Thought:

“The only way in which he [the sinner] can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner’s account. Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man’s failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness.” — Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 367.

“When through repentance and faith we accept Christ as our Savior, the Lord pardons our sins, and remits the penalty prescribed for the transgression of the law. The sinner then stands before God as a just person; he is taken into favor with Heaven and through the Spirit has fellowship with the Father and the Son.

Then there is yet another work to be accomplished, and this is of a progressive nature. The soul is to be sanctified through the truth. And this also is accomplished through faith. For it is only by the grace of Christ, which we receive through faith, that the character can be transformed.” — Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 3, p. 191.

Discussion Questions:

1. What distinction is made between a living and a dead faith? (James 2:17-18). How does Paul describe a living faith? (Rom. 16:26). What is the key word that helps reveal what faith entails?

2. How do you respond to the argument (which comes with a certain logical consistency) that if we are saved only by a credited righteousness, not a righteousness that exists within us, then it does not matter what we do or how we act?

3. “Our acceptance with God is sure only through His beloved Son, and good works are but the result of the working of His sin-pardoning love. They are no credit to us, and we have nothing accorded to us for our good works by which we may claim a part in the salvation of our souls … He [the believer] cannot present his good works as a plea for the salvation of his soul.” — Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 3, p. 199. Keeping this statement by Ellen G. White in mind, why, then, are good works such a crucial part of the Christian experience?

Summary: Old Covenant, new covenant: Jesus paid the debt owed by the law, so that we can stand righteous in the sight of God.

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dweemeister · 5 years

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Best Live Action Short Film Nominees for the 91st Academy Awards (2019, listed in order of appearance in the shorts package)

At the Academy Awards, Best Documentary Short Film and Live Action Short Film usually trade off for being the most depressing of the three short film categories. This year (and I understand this is being posted later than usual), there was no let-up in Live Action Short Film. There typically is at least one comedic short in this category, but one suspects the animation and short film branch of the Academy (which votes to nominate this category) was in no laughing mood this year. Here are the nominees:

Madre (2017, Spain)

Shortly before working on his Goya Award-winning film The Realm, Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen pieced together Madre (“mother” in English) – which he is hoping to adapt into a feature film soon. The film is any parent’s nightmare. Marta (Marta Nieto) is the mother to six-year-old Iván (voiced by Álvaro Balas). Just after entering her apartment with her own mother (Blanca Apilánez), she receives a phone call from Iván – who has been spending a vacation with Marta’s ex-husband somewhere in southern France. Iván sounds panicked; his father is nowhere to be found and he is one a beach with no one in sight. Marta tells Iván – who does not know whether he is in France or Spain – to remain calm as her mother calls the police.

Madre begins innocuously, building into Marta’s fully justified panic as the situation intensifies, the battery on Iván’s phone drains, and certain unknown elements are never answered. Sorogoyen’s film begins and ends with an ambiguous pan across a shoreline at dusk – between the bookending shots is an uncut take of at least fifteen minutes showing Marta and her mother pacing about her apartment squabbling amongst each other, later experiencing absolute terror for Iván. The camerawork and lack of cuts is impressive, but Sorogoyen does not use the apartment setting well, as it seems the camera too often is unsure where to drift next during the action. That Madre remains engaging once the audience learns something is amiss is an incredible achievement, but the poor framing and awkward transition in the final moments dilute the impact.

My rating: 7.5/10

Fauve (2018, Canada)

Shot near Thetford Mines in Québec, Jérémy Comte’s Fauve won the Special Jury Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and an Honorable Mention for Best Canadian Short Film from the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Here,Tyler (Félix Grenier) and Benjamin (Alexandre Perreault) are spending one overcast afternoon playing in places far off from home. They are keeping score on how many times they have misled the other – physically, psychologically, and especially verbally. Their play brings them to a mine that is not quite abandoned, as they descend into what appears to be an asbestos pit. One of the misleading pranks goes horribly wrong – a day that began innocently turns to tragedy.

Superb child performances cannot save Fauve’s screenplay (by Comte) from saying much of anything. The film captures the recklessness of boyhood that sprouts – for other boys to see, for everyone else to find for themselves later – just before one’s teenage years. Amid an expanse of grays, we see how damaging the one-upmanship can be when left unsupervised, without the guidance and wisdom of adults or older children who know better. The film’s most visible plot device – which, ostensibly, appears twice in the film (the first time is off-screen) – is employed with zero nuance the second instance it is invoked. Tyler and Benjamin’s story comes to fruition because of their shared fatal flaws. But Fauve never deepens our understanding beyond those flaws – severing a sterling opportunity to empathize with the boys even after their litany of terrible decisions.

My rating: 7/10

Marguerite (2017, Canada)

Director Marianne Farley is primarily an actor in Canadian films and television and she directs her second short film in Marguerite. The film, which has made the film festival rounds in North America and Europe, centers on the elderly Marguerite (Béatrice Picard, who will be ninety years old in July) and her days in which she is being tended to by in-home nurse Rachel (Sandrine Bisson). Marguerite has trouble moving around the house, speaks of no friends or family. Her interactions with Rachel are the only moments of lightness and sociability she displays. If Marguerite has shared little of herself in the past, it would be no surprise. For it is Rachel’s presence – and who she is – that helps Marguerite to open up about something she has held secret for all her life. Marguerite, in her youth, was attracted to women at a time when being out as queer would have ruined her wellbeing.

Marguerite never overplays its hand – it does not shamelessly aim for the tear ducts, nor does it make Marguerite’s sexuality the only interesting thing about her. Picard plays Marguerite as a woman nearing the twilight of her time on Earth, often wearing a distant gaze, as if reaching into a lifetime of memories and lessons learned. Bisson, as Rachel, intuits what suffering this older woman has gone through and how the heartbreak of never living as oneself has been processed over decades of self-denial and silence. The warm colors of Marguerite’s residence make her home feel lived in – an effect that desaturation or a drab, white- and gray-dominated household would have prevented. Farley’s second film is economical and deeply sensitive. It makes its statements about being oneself with quiet grace.

My rating: 8.5/10

Detainment (2018)

From Ireland comes a short film singed by the hot coals of controversy. Vincent Lambe’s Detainment is based on the interview transcripts of the two 10-year-old Liverpudlian children who murdered two-year-old James Bulger in February 1993 (several transcripts were never released to the jury, as they were deemed too distressing). Denise Fergus, Bulger’s mother, has denounced the film for not consulting with her or the family. Lambe was not required to attain the family’s permission, but the film carries with it the baggage of potential exploitation. That controversy aside, Detainment feels exploitative. Jon Venables (Ely Sloan) and Robert Thompson (Leon Hughes), having been arrested on suspicion for murdering Bulger, are in separate interrogation rooms with their parents (and, the movie never makes this clear, hopefully their lawyers) taking questions. A prisoner’s dilemma takes root, as narrative inconsistencies during the two interviews are picked apart, revealing how dark childhood cruelty can be.

But Detainment does little outside of that. Sloan and Hughes’ respective performances never change gears – denial and blame-shifting, defensive and utterly fearful. The poor performances hinder a fascinating concept, turning intrigue into ghastly manipulation. Slow-motion flashbacks to showcase the crime wreck the film’s pacing; the hand-held camera throughout displays little variation in framing. An abhorrent moment has inspired a poor film, with questions lingering over whether this film should have been made at all.

My rating: 5/10

Skin (2018)

Not to be confused with Guy Nattiv’s feature-length film of the same name (and also released in 2018), Nattiv’s short film Skin is a shocking commentary on racial relations that – in a year where Green Book won the Academy Award for Best Picture – also approaches white-black relations from its white characters, caricaturing some of the black characters found within. A young child named Troy (Jackson Robert Scott, whose character of Georgie was killed in the opening minutes of 2017′s It) is the son of skinheads. Father Jeffrey (Jonathan Tucker) and mother Christa (Danielle Macdonald) regularly listen to skinhead metal and shoot firearms with their fellow skinhead friends. One day at the grocery store, a black man namd Jaydee (Ashley Thomas) mimes a toy superhero’s movements for Troy at the checkout line. Jeffrey believes Jaydee has been, “fucking with [his] kid”, and proceeds – along with his skinhead friends – to spew racial epithets and assault Jaydee right in front of his awaiting family.

But a faceless black gang will capture Jeffrey and give him his comeuppance. Skin attempts to argue how acts of hatred influence the children that witness them. But treating its black characters as an “other” – especially how the gang is depicted – undermine the message. Yes, Skin is adopting a child’s point of view. The problem with that argument is that Troy’s racial attitudes have not been solidified yet; Nattiv and co-screenwriter Sharon Maymon impose the parental perspective onto Troy. There is a tonal, developmental, and ideological disconnect that plagues the movie from that moment Troy and his friends bloody Jaydee in the grocery store’s parking lot. A promising premise is weakened by imposing the adults’ lens on a child not even close to finalizing what he will be and what he believes.

My rating: 7/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

From previous years: 85th Academy Awards (2013), 87th (2015), 88th (2016), 89th (2017), and 90th (2018).

#Madre #Fauve #Marguerite #Detainment #Skin #Rodrigo Sorogoyen #Jeremy Comte #Marianne Farley #Vincent Lambe #Guy Nattiv #My Movie Odyssey

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ucflibrary · 7 years

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The national celebration of African American History was started by Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard-trained historian and the founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, and first celebrated as a weeklong event in February of 1926. After a half century of overwhelming popularity, the event was expanded to a full month in 1976 by President Gerald Ford.

Here at the UCF library we are passionate about celebrating African American culture and history (no seriously, I got a massive amount of emails with suggestions). We are proud to present our top 22 favorite books by, and/or about, African Americans, plus two streaming films.

Click the keep reading link for full descriptions and catalog links.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Framed as a letter to the author’s teenage son, this chronicle of race in America works as memoir, meditation, and call to action. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

Blood at the root : a racial cleansing in America by Patrick Phillips Forsyth County, Georgia, at the turn of the twentieth century was home to a large African American community that included ministers and teachers, farmers and field hands, tradesmen, servants, and children. Many black residents were poor sharecroppers, but others owned their own farms and the land on which they'd founded the county's thriving black churches. But then in September of 1912, three young black laborers were accused of raping and murdering a white girl. Soon bands of white 'night riders' launched a coordinated campaign of arson and terror, driving all 1,098 black citizens out of the county. In the wake of the expulsions, whites harvested the crops and took over the livestock of their former neighbors, and quietly laid claim to 'abandoned' land. The charred ruins of homes and churches disappeared into the weeds, until the people and places of black Forsyth were forgotten, as locals kept Forsyth 'all white' well into the 1990s. Blood at the Root is a sweeping American tale that spans the Cherokee removals of the 1830s, the hope and promise of Reconstruction, and the crushing injustice of Forsyth's racial cleansing. With bold storytelling and lyrical prose, Phillips breaks a century-long silence and uncovers a history of racial terrorism that continues to shape America in the twenty-first century Suggested by Mary Page, Administration

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child's soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson's poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become. Suggested by Min Tong, Regional Librarian

Dreaming Me: An African-American Woman's Buddhist Journey by Janice Dean Willis In the fall of 1969, in the wake of a widening racial divide in the United States, Jan Willis began what would become a life-changing sojourn. By the time Willis left her home in an Alabama mining camp for undergraduate studies at Cornell University, the harsh reality of life in the segregated South of the 1950s and 1960s had left an indelible stain on her consciousness. Confronted then with the decision to either arm herself in the struggle for human rights at home or search for the possibility of a more humane existence abroad, Willis ultimately chose peace among the burgundy and saffron robes of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery over the black berets of the Black Panther Party. What she discovered, living in a narrow temple amid sixty Tibetan monks, was the healing place she had sought but not found in her Southern Baptist town of Docena. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Subject Librarian

Dust Tracks on the Road by Zora Neal Hurston First published in 1942 at the height of her popularity, Dust Tracks on a Road is Zora Neale Hurston's autobiography, an account of her rise from childhood poverty in the rural South to a prominent place among the leading artists and intellectuals of the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston's personal literary self-portrait offers a revealing, often audacious glimpse into the life -- public and private -- of an artist, anthropologist, chronicler, and champion of the black experience in America. Suggested by Susan MacDuffee, Acquisitions & Collections

Evicted: poverty and profit in the American city by Matthew Desmond In this brilliant, heartbreaking book, Matthew Desmond takes us into the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee to tell the story of eight families on the edge. Arleen is a single mother trying to raise her two sons on the 20 dollars a month she has left after paying for their rundown apartment. Scott is a gentle nurse consumed by a heroin addiction. Lamar, a man with no legs and a neighborhood full of boys to look after, tries to work his way out of debt. Vanetta participates in a botched stickup after her hours are cut. All are spending almost everything they have on rent, and all have fallen behind. The fates of these families are in the hands of two landlords: Sherrena Tarver, a former schoolteacher turned inner-city entrepreneur, and Tobin Charney, who runs one of the worst trailer parks in Milwaukee. They loathe some of their tenants and are fond of others, but as Sherrena puts it, "Love don't pay the bills." She moves to evict Arleen and her boys a few days before Christmas. Even in the most desolate areas of American cities, evictions used to be rare. But today, most poor renting families are spending more than half of their income on housing, and eviction has become ordinary, especially for single mothers. In vivid, intimate prose, Desmond provides a ground-level view of one of the most urgent issues facing America today. As we see families forced into shelters, squalid apartments, or more dangerous neighborhoods, we bear witness to the human cost of America's vast inequality ; and to people's determination and intelligence in the face of hardship. Suggested by Mary Page, Administration

Eyes on the Prize: America's civil rights years, 1954-1965 by Juan Williams This compelling oral history of the first ten years of the Civil Rights movement is a tribute to the men and women, both black and white, who took part in the fight for justice and kept their eyes on the prize of freedom. Companion to the highly acclaimed PBS television series. Suggested by Rebecca Hammond, Special Collections & University Archives

Fences by August Wilson From legendary playwright August Wilson, the powerful, stunning dramatic work that won him critical acclaim, including the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize. Troy Maxson is a strong man, a hard man. He has had to be to survive. Troy Maxson has gone through life in an America where to be proud and black is to face pressures that could crush a man, body and soul. But the 1950s are yielding to the new spirit of liberation in the 1960s, a spirit that is changing the world Troy Maxson has learned to deal with the only way he can, a spirit that is making him a stranger, angry and afraid, in a world he never knew and to a wife and son he understands less and less. Suggested by Mary Page, Administration

Freedom Seekers: Stories From The Western Underground Railroad by Gary Jenkins, filmmaker Freedom Seekers brings an understanding of the regional issues relating to antebellum slavery and the antislavery movement that helped shape the western Underground Railroad. Slaves, with the help of stationmasters and conductors, had to dodge professional slave catchers, federal marshals, and slaveholders on a grueling thousand-mile journey to freedom. Viewers will learn how the Kansas/Missouri political conditions created the opportunity for the perhaps less known escape route along the western frontier. This film uses primary source documents, historians, interviews with slave descendants, moving readings and dramatic depictions to tell exciting stories of Underground Railroad activities. (online streaming video through Kanopy) Suggested by Mary Page, Administration

Hidden figures: the American dream and the untold story of the Black women mathematicians who helped win the space race by Margot Lee Shetterly Before John Glenn orbited the earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as "human computers" used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. Among these problem-solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation. Originally relegated to teaching math in the South's segregated public schools, they were called into service during the labor shortages of World War II, when America's aeronautics industry was in dire need of anyone who had the right stuff. Suddenly, these overlooked math whizzes had a shot at jobs worthy of their skills, and they answered Uncle Sam's call, moving to Hampton, Virginia, and the fascinating, high-energy world of the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. Even as Virginia's Jim Crow laws required them to be segregated from their white counterparts, the women of Langley's all-black "West Computing" group helped America achieve one of the things it desired most: a decisive victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War, and complete domination of the heavens. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable This biography of Malcolm X draws on new research to trace his life from his troubled youth through his involvement in the Nation of Islam, his activism in the world of Black Nationalism, and his assassination. Years in the making, it is a definitive biography of the legendary black activist. Of the great figures in twentieth-century American history perhaps none is more complex and controversial than Malcolm X. Constantly rewriting his own story, he became a criminal, a minister, a leader, and an icon, all before being felled by assassins' bullets at age thirty-nine. Through his tireless work and countless speeches, he empowered hundreds of thousands of black Americans to create better lives and stronger communities while establishing the template for the self-actualized, independent African American man. In death he became a broad symbol of both resistance and reconciliation for millions around the world. Filled with new information and shocking revelations that go beyond the Autobiography of Malcolm X, this work unfolds a story of race and class in America, from the rise of Marcus Garvey and the Ku Klux Klan to the struggles of the civil rights movement in the fifties and sixties. Reaching into Malcolm's troubled youth, it traces a path from his parents' activism through his own engagement with the Nation of Islam, charting his astronomical rise in the world of Black Nationalism and culminating in the never-before-told true story of his assassination. This work captures the story of one of the most singular forces for social change, a man who constantly strove, in the great American tradition, to remake himself anew. Suggested by Larry Cooperman, Research & Information Services

March. Book One. by John Lewis This graphic novel is Congressman John Lewis' first-hand account of his lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis' personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement. Book One spans Lewis' youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., the birth of the Nashville Student Movement, and their battle to tear down segregation through nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins, building to a climax on the steps of City Hall. His commitment to justice and nonviolence has taken him from an Alabama sharecropper's farm to the halls of Congress, from a segregated schoolroom to the 1963 March on Washington D.C., and from receiving beatings from state troopers, to receiving the Medal of Freedom awarded to him by Barack Obama, the first African-American president. (Book Two and Book Three are also available at the UCF Curriculum Materials Center in the Education complex) Suggested by Cindy Dancel, Research & Information Services

Native Son by Richard Wright The novel tells the story of 20-year old Bigger Thomas, an African American living in poverty in Chicago’s South Side ghettos during the 1930s. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

Negroland: a memoir by Margo Jefferson At once incendiary and icy, mischievous, and provocative, celebratory and elegiac, a deeply felt meditation on race, sex, and American culture through the prism of the author's rarefied upbringing and education among a black elite concerned to distance itself from whites and the black generality, while tirelessly measuring itself against both. Born in 1947 in upper-crust black Chicago--her father was for years head of pediatrics at Provident, at the time the nation's oldest black hospital; her mother was a socialite--Margo Jefferson has spent most of her life among (call them what you will) the colored aristocracy, the colored elite, the blue-vein society. Since the nineteenth century they have stood apart, these inhabitants of Negroland, "a small region of Negro America where residents were sheltered by a certain amount of privilege and plenty." Reckoning with the strictures and demands of Negroland at crucial historical moments--the civil rights movement, the dawn of feminism, the fallacy of post-racial America--Jefferson brilliantly charts the twists and turns of a life informed by psychological and moral contradictions. Aware as it is of heart-wrenching despair and depression, this book is a triumphant paean to the grace of perseverance. (With 8 pages of black-and-white illustrations.) Suggested by Richard Harrison, Subject Librarian

Roots: The saga of an American family by Alex Haley This poignant and powerful narrative tells the dramatic story of Kunta Kinte, snatched from freedom in Africa and brought by ship to America and slavery, and his descendants. Drawing on the oral traditions handed down in his family for generations, the author traces his origins back to the seventeen-year-old Kunta Kinte, who was abducted from his home in Gambia and transported as a slave to colonial America. In this account Haley provides an imaginative rendering of the lives of seven generations of black men and women. Suggested by Peggy Nuhn, Regional Librarian

The Black Seminoles : history of a freedom-seeking people by Kenneth W. Porter This is the story of a remarkable people, the Black Seminoles, and their charismatic leader, Chief John Horse, chronicles their heroic struggle for freedom. Beginning with the early 1800s, small groups of fugitive slaves living in Florida joined the Seminole Indians (an association that thrived for decades on reciprocal respect and affection). Kenneth Porter traces their fortunes and exploits as they moved across the country and attempted to live first beyond the law, then as loyal servants of it. He examines the Black Seminole role in the bloody Second Seminole War, when John Horse and his men distinguished themselves as fierce warriors, and their forced removal to the Oklahoma Indian Territory in the 1840s, where John's leadership ability emerged. The account includes the Black Seminole exodus in the 1850s to Mexico, their service as border troops for the Mexican government, and their return to Texas in the 1870s, where many of the men scouted for the U.S. Army. A powerful and stirring story, The Black Seminoles will appeal especially to readers interested in black history, Indian history, Florida history, and U.S. military history. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

The Block by Langston Hughes A collection of thirteen of Langston Hughes poems on African American themes. For both Langston Hughes and Romare Bearden, the New York City neighborhood of Harlem was a source of inspiration, and its sights and sounds are reflected in the art that each created. Now 13 of Hughes's most beloved poems are paired with Bearden's painting, "The Block", in a dazzling celebration of city life. Suggested by Susan MacDuffee, Acquisitions & Collections

The half has never been told: slavery and the making of American capitalism by Edward E. Baptist As historian Edward Baptist reveals in The Half Has Never Been Told, the expansion of slavery in the first eight decades after American independence drove the evolution and modernization of the United States. In the span of a single lifetime, the South grew from a narrow coastal strip of worn-out tobacco plantations to a continental cotton empire, and the United States grew into a modern, industrial, and capitalist economy. Until the Civil War, Baptist explains, the most important American economic innovations were ways to make slavery ever more profitable. Through forced migration and torture, slave owners extracted continual increases in efficiency from enslaved African Americans. Thus the United States seized control of the world market for cotton, the key raw material of the Industrial Revolution, and became a wealthy nation with global influence. Told through intimate slave narratives, plantation records, newspapers, and the words of politicians, entrepreneurs, and escaped slaves, The Half Has Never Been Told offers a radical new interpretation of American history. It forces readers to reckon with the violence at the root of American supremacy, but also with the survival and resistance that brought about slavery's end—and created a culture that sustains America's deepest dreams of freedom. Suggested by Peggy Nuhn, Regional Librarian

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. Henrietta's cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can't afford health insurance. This phenomenal New York Times bestseller tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew. Suggested by Megan Haught, Teaching & Engagement/Research & Information Services

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae In the bestselling tradition of Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, a collection of humorous essays on what it's like to be unabashedly awkward in a world that regards introverts as hapless misfits, and Black as cool. My name is 'J' and I'm awkward--and Black. Someone once told me those were the two worst things anyone could be. That someone was right. Where do I start? Being an introvert in a world that glorifies cool isn't easy. But when Issa Rae, the creator of the Shorty Award-winning hit series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, is that introvert--whether she's navigating love, work, friendships, or 'rapping'--it sure is entertaining. Now, in this debut collection of essays written in her witty and self-deprecating voice, Rae covers everything from cybersexing in the early days of the Internet to deflecting unsolicited comments on weight gain, from navigating the perils of eating out alone and public displays of affection to learning to accept yourself--natural hair and all. Suggested by Martha Cloutier, Circulation

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood—where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned—Cora kills a young white boy who tries to capture her. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted. In Whitehead’s ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor—engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora and Caesar’s first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But the city’s placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom. Suggested by Mary Page, Administration

The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor Gloria Naylor weaves together the stories of seven women living in Brewster Place, a bleak inner-city sanctuary, creating a powerful, moving portrait of the strengths, struggles, and hopes of black women in America. Vulnerable and resilient, openhanded and open-hearted, these women forge their lives in a place that in turn threatens and protects—a common prison and a shared home. Naylor renders both loving and painful human experiences with simple eloquence and uncommon intuition. Her remarkable sense of community and history makes The Women of Brewster Place a contemporary classic—and a touching and unforgettable read. Suggested by Rebecca Hammond, Special Collections & University Archives

We are not Afraid: the story of Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney, and the civil rights campaign for Mississippi by Seth Cagin and Philip Dray The infamous murder of three civil rights workers by a Ku Klux Klan mob and Mississippi law-enforcement officers in 1964 takes on the dimensions of a personal, political and national tragedy in this riveting account. The drama of the triocollege students Michael Schwerner and Andy Goodman, both white Northerners, and James Chaney, a young black activist from Mississippipits their faith in nonviolence against a murderous rage fueled by racism. Cagin and Dray, who coauthored Hollywood Films of the Seventies, have done their homework: interviews, news reports, FBI documents and trial transcripts undergird their brilliant re-creation of the incident, interwoven with a full-scale history of the civil rights movement. The search for the bodies turned up many black corpses, purported victims of police/Klan violence; the Klan conspirators were paroled before serving their full sentences; in the aftermath, Lyndon Johnson questionably maneuvered to defuse the situation. Suggested by Rebecca Hammond, Special Collections & University Archives

Whispers of Angels: A Story of the Underground Railroad by Sharon Kelly Baker, filmmaker Defiant, brave and free, the great abolitionists Thomas Garrett, William Still and Harriet Tubman, along with hundreds of lesser known and nameless opponents of slavery, formed a Corridor of Courage stretching from Maryland's eastern shore through the length of Delaware to Philadelphia and beyond -- making the Underground Railroad a real route to freedom for enslaved Americans before the Civil War. Long-format interviews with prominent historians blend with dramatic reenactment to create a powerful story about the fight to end slavery. Actors Edward Asner and Blair Underwood portray the two most prominent abolitionists on the eastern line of the Underground Railroad, Thomas Garrett and William Still. Bearing a remarkable resemblance to Thomas Garrett, Asner reenacts the famous courtroom scene in 1848 in which Garrett foreshadows the Civil War and firmly declares to redouble his efforts in fighting for true freedom in America. In spite of the court's imposition of a crippling financial punishment, Garrett's ideals were not altered; his clandestine activities continued for many years even during the War. Reading documented text in the form of letters exchanged by Thomas Garrett and William Still (a free black abolitionist in Philadelphia), Asner and Underwood bring to life the fascinating working relationship between the two men and those they helped. Underwood, as William Still, meets in secret with the frightened fugitives who pass through his Anti-Slavery Society Offices in Philadelphia on their dangerous journeys to the north. (online streaming film through Kanopy) Suggested by Mary Page, Administration

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