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daresplaining · 2 years

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I recently read a post on how Peter Parker can be interpreted as jewish, which got me thinking: when did Matt's catholicism become important to his characterization? Was it always part of his background?

To be flip: Catholicism became important to Matt's characterization when Chip Zdarsky sat down at his computer to write the first issue of the current Daredevil run.

Obviously, I'm being a little reductive. This is a concept that has existed for years...but it's tough to pin down when it started, where it came from, or why the heck it is so pervasive, because the actual comics material to back it up is (or was, prior to the past few years) minimal-to-nonexistent. My initial answer would have been that it has never been important to his characterization and was only tangentially implied to be part of his background until recently, but I know people will disagree with that assessment, so I am going to elaborate.

This is something that has always baffled me as a Daredevil fan, obsessive completist, and someone who feels like they have a decent grasp of Matt Murdock's character. Every time I hear someone claim that religious faith is an important DD ingredient, I wonder if I've stumbled into an alternate universe containing a completely different set of Daredevil comics. It's a little old now, but The Other Murdock Papers wrote a great essay on this phenomenon, which also addresses some other popular DD misconceptions (like the idea that Matt is sexually promiscuous). I want to single out one point she makes in particular, because it addresses a possible source of misinterpretation: "There has been plenty of religious imagery in Daredevil, particularly in stories like Born Again. Religious imagery doesn’t make the main character a regular church-goer, however."

As she mentions, the idea of a devoutly Catholic Matt Murdock mostly seems to exist because some key creators with big platforms like to think it does and have put it out into the zeitgeist, essentially making it a thing through word-of-mouth. She points out Kevin Smith and Joe Quesada in particular, whose actual run on the comic doesn't support this characterization, in my opinion (the whole point of "Guardian Devil" is that Matt has been poisoned with a neurotoxin that makes him think and behave irrationally, so that when someone tells him a baby is demonic, he believes them). However, Kevin Smith also had ties to the 2003 movie (he was even in it!), which does lean into the idea of a religious Matt. I have heard Charles Soule talk bafflingly in interviews about the importance of faith in Matt's life, without elaborating on how he reached that conclusion. And of course, the Netflix show heavily utilized this characterization-- though, I will emphasize, with a clearly-delineated in-universe excuse: Netflix Matt was orphaned as a child and raised in a church-affiliated orphanage, by nuns. 616 Matt was not (and hell, even Netflix Matt was presented as being pretty much non-practicing as an adult). Despite this blatant multiversal distinction, the further validation of this characterization by the show-- putting the idea of devoutly Catholic Matt Murdock into mainstream media and birthing a crowd of new fans unfamiliar with the comics, for whom this is a key part of his character-- seems to have prompted the recent batch of DD writers to aggressively integrate it into their runs. Soule did it first, and now Zdarsky seems to have made it his main reference point for writing the character (when in doubt, have Matt think about "doing God's will" or have Foggy joke about so-called "Catholic guilt"!). Thus, what was essentially just a fan theory with powerful fans, based on a few panels here and there, has circled around and made its way more fully into the source material...at least for the moment. The most Catholic Matt in all of Daredevil comics, by a wide margin, is the one who exists right now in the Zdarsky/Checchetto run.

All of that being said, I do not have a religious background myself, and so my ability to identify subtle signs of faith in fictional characters is probably not the best. But being a nerd who has obsessively read and re-read every issue of Daredevil, I feel I can at least make some concrete overall claims about the on-panel contents of the past 58 years-worth of DD comics:

Matt Murdock does not go to church.

We don't really ever see him pray.

He isn't concerned about things like "sinning" in a religious context, and breaks legal and moral laws all the time. (For example, as touched upon by The Other Murdock Papers, he has happily slept with most (if not all) of his romantic partners and has only married one of them. It's my understanding that practicing Catholics have a rule about that).

He has, famously, had many, many, many experiences with pain, grief, fear, and hopelessness, and in 99.5% of cases (see below for exceptions), God has not come up in his thoughts and reactions.

If I can go on a slight tangent, this gets into something that I've always found compelling about long-form media like Big Two superhero comics, which is how much of the character interpretation and even the sense of "canon"/continuity comes down to the reader's personal preferences, both conscious and subconscious. There is so much material, and so many opportunities for varying interpretations of that material, that two fans can love the same character for completely different, even mutually exclusive, reasons. I've thought about this a lot when it comes to the question of Matt and religion in particular, since it is such a muddled and contested subject. I do my best to treat this topic objectively, but I am nevertheless biased (as is The Other Murdock Papers, and as are Kevin Smith, Joe Quesada, Charles Soule, and Chip Zdarsky) in part because my preferences have impacted what I actually remember from my DD reading/re-reading. As a fan who does not connect to this characterization, find it interesting, or-- to be honest-- particularly like it, my tendency is that when I come across one of the few scattered panels that hints toward it, I either diminish it as an out-of-character quirk of that particular writer/run or just forget about it completely. However, a Daredevil fan who does enjoy and identify with this characterization will see those same few scattered panels and grant them huge importance. If you asked that fan this same question, you would likely get a completely different answer, and possibly examples that I've forgotten about because I subconsciously didn't assign them any significance. They might even have a completely different answer for when this characterization originated. Maybe Matt makes an offhand religious reference somewhere in the Stan Lee/Gene Colan run that I wouldn't even think to go back and include. It's all subjective, even something as seemingly irrefutable as panels (or lack thereof) on a page. On top of everything else already mentioned, I think this is a key reason for the huge discrepancies surrounding this question. The people who like devoutly religious Matt really like him, and the people who don't really don't, and there are so few pieces of actual evidence that it really does come down to personal preference.

But anyway, none of this is what you asked! Regarding an on-the-page origin, the earliest place I remember noting some indication of Matt at least possibly having some kind of religious background is in Daredevil volume 1 #169 from 1981, when he and Detective Nick Manolis are discussing whether Daredevil should have killed Bullseye:

Matt: "Nick, men like Bullseye would rule the world-- were it not for a structure of laws that society has created to keep such men in check. The moment one man takes another man's life in his own hands, he is rejecting the law-- and working to destroy that structure. If Bullseye is a menace to society, it is society that must make him pay the price. Not you. And not me. I-- I wanted him to die, Nick. I detest what he does...what he is. But I'm not God-- I'm not the law-- and I'm not a murderer." Daredevil vol. 1 #169 by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, Glynis Wein, and Joe Rosen

I don't think you have to be religious to say something like that last line, but it can easily and reasonably be read that way. However, I would not call Miller's run the origin of this characterization.

Another formative example that comes to mind is from O'Neil's run, also from the early 80s. One issue (#194) presents a self-contained story of Matt encountering a Christian-based cult of sorts, in which Matt demonstrates a familiarity with the Bible:

Matt: "Okay, I'll go. But what about Jeremiah?" Nahum: "He is smitten. He has been judged. The Book says--" Matt: "I'll tell you! The Book says, 'Wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself.' You'll find it somewhere in St. Paul." Daredevil vol. 1 #194 by Denny O'Neil, Klaus Janson, Glynis Wein, and Joe Rosen

These are, as stated, scattered panels in otherwise non-religious runs, though (as mentioned) the Miller/Mazzucchelli era does make thematic use of Judeo-Christian religious imagery.

Personally, I would designate Ann Nocenti's run as the true origin of this characterization-- and in fact, Zdarsky has named her run as a key source of his inspiration. Nocenti leaned into Christian themes and imagery as well-- which, again, does not inherently make the characters Christians-- but there are also a few memorable moments that suggest Catholicism has/had more than a passing presence in Matt's life. He actually does Confession at one point, for instance, when his life has been destroyed and he is feeling lost and regretful-- though we also learn that this is not habitual for him; that he hasn't done this sort of thing in "many, many years":

Matt (thinking): "Rustling. Stiff, starched cloth. One humble heartbeat. He's in there. Smells of incense, of piety. Holier than thou. Holy water? No. Plain old tap water. Crumbled host, spilled wine on his robes. Plain flour and water. Store bought, inexpensive wine. His body. His blood." Matt: "Father... Forgive me Father...for I have sinned. It has been...many, many years since my last confession. I have...over the years, used my fists to get what I want. I have beaten many men." Daredevil vol. 1 #267 by Ann Nocenti, John Romita Jr., Al Williamson, Gregory Wright, and Joe Rosen

Matt also gets pulled into Hell in this run (which is an established setting in the Marvel Universe) and yells at Mephisto, giving us this line:

Matt: "But there is another watching you-- and he forgives you, and I forgive you, and we all do for all time--" Daredevil vol. 1 #282 by Ann Nocenti, John Romita Jr., Al Williamson, Gregory Wright, and Rick Parker

With Nocenti's run as the foundation, we then have DeMatteis' run. If Ann Nocenti originated the concept, J.M. DeMatteis leaned in hard (well...harder, anyway). One issue includes a spread showing, blatantly, a sequence of Matt kneeling in church at various points in his life. Later, in the wake of a huge mental breakdown after a repressed memory emerges of a murder he might have committed, Matt has a moment with his mother, Sister Maggie, in which he asks for forgiveness, which she tells him that only God can give (a pretty cold way for Maggie to treat him, but that's a conversation for another post). He then jumps off a building with the intention of committing suicide, before giving us this narration:

Caption: "No! He's many things-- but he's not a coward. And this is surely a coward's death. Maggie's right, he realizes. I've got to find my own way. My own penance. My own road to redemption. And that's between me...and God." Daredevil vol. 1 #348 by J.M. DeMatteis, Cary Nord, Bill Reinhold, Christie Scheele, and Michael Higgins

There are a few other moments here and there, but if we're talking about origins, I would, in summary, point to Nocenti in the 80s as an instrumental starting point, to DeMatteis in the 90s as her primary successor, and then to Soule and Zdarsky, who have solidified the concept in a major way during the past few years, taking any implied religiousness in Matt's backstory and bringing it into his present characterization.

#Daredevil #Matt Murdock #Asks #Commentary #Adventures in Continuity #ID in alt text

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clonerightsagenda · 8 months

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In honor of my nth W359 relisten, here is the breakdown of how I accidentally independently headcanoned most of the characters as Catholic:

Eiffel: He was born in Boston, where Catholics are the largest religious population. I've been told the Lord's Prayer he mumbles is the Protestant version, but that prayer is used a lot in Alcoholics Anonymous, which is probably where he's remembering it from. Perhaps his issues with authority stem in part from having to go to Catholic school.

Minkowski: Her father's surname is Jewish, while her mother is French, where the dominant religion is Catholicism. I envision her as growing up in a mixed household (which I believe is also the case for her VA) but she leans harder into celebrating Christian holidays on the station as part of her attempt to assimilate into white bread apple pie Americanism. After the events of the show I like to think she reconnects more with her Jewish heritage, especially as she could relate to the theme of so many holidays being 'they tried to kill us, they failed, let's eat'.

Hera: Hera quotes St. Augustine, quotes the Bible to Maxwell in Memoria, and says "amen" during the funeral despite never being exposed to religious services. Conclusion? She had Catholicism installed in her to nerf her. Why? Because Pryce is also Catholic. More on that later.

Lovelace: I hc Lovelace as having a Puerto Rican mom. Puerto Rico is heavily Catholic. (Her dad is probably Protestant, but when it came to parents from different denominations choosing which to raise their kid(s) in, my mom won for us, so I shall assume her mom won as well. It's possible she also went to a private Catholic school. She may not have considered herself very religious at the start of her mission, but I think about her leaning on hopes of an afterlife when her crewmates start dying as a scrap of comfort.... only to be forced to contemplate the state of her soul later.

Cutter: It was at this point that I realized I was hcing a whole bunch of the characters as Catholic and decided to lean into it. Luckily for me, he's from Carmel-by-the-sea, which is in fact fairly Catholic due to the presence of a historic Catholic mission. (Did I know this because of a probably Buffy-inspired YA paranormal series I read in high school? Maybe.)

Pryce: Again, was leaning into it at this point, but also it makes sense. She was raised in an orphanage, and a lot of those institutions were run by religious organizations. How many of her problems can be traced back to being raised by nuns. She quotes the Bible to position herself as divine. Why Catholicism specifically? The cannibalism. It's all coming together.

Non-Catholics (Hilbert + the Midwestern Corporate Hit Squad):

Hilbert: Grew up in the USSR. Likely not religious.

Maxwell: Her father was a pastor in Montana, where the biggest Christian denomination is Evangelical. Likely ex-Evangelical. Sorry that happened to you Alana.

Jacobi: His name is Jewish, which is supported by his disdain for office holiday parties and ordering Chinese food on Christmas. Catholics are the dominant religious group in Milwaukee though so he gets to the station and goes ah not this shit again.

Kepler: I do not care about him and thus have not spent much time thinking about him, but probably not religious. When he is trying to turn everyone against Lovelace, he doesn't appeal to religious language while dehumanizing her. There are quite a lot of Catholics in Chicago though so he is also used to them.

What's funny about this is I'm not even Catholic. I did not start out doing this on purpose. Somehow Wolf 359 is a more Catholic podcast than Greater Boston, set in Boston, where the character who talks about religion the most is a Protestant.

#for personal context I grew up Episcopalian but do not identify as religious now #wolf 359

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probablyasocialecologist · 1 year

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In any event, I found no calls for murdering Jews just because they were Jews in either the propaganda or the educational material aimed at Palestinians and Arab fighters in 1948. Judging by the documents I collected for my latest book, the claims about an Arab plan to “throw the Jews into the sea” are actually rooted in official Zionist propaganda. This propaganda began during the war, perhaps to encourage Jewish fighters to leave as few Palestinians as possible in the areas that would become part of Israel. (Incidentally, a comparison of Arab and Jewish propaganda in 1948 reveals that the propaganda of the Israel Defense Forces and its precursor, the Haganah, was much more violent.)

[...]

By my estimate, tens of thousands of pages of Arabic documents that haven’t yet been made available to the public can be found in the Israel State Archives, the Israel Defense Forces Archive, the Mossad archive and the Shin Bet security service's archive. The latter, according to one person’s account, burned some of this material back in the 1960s.

[...]

When the Israel State Archives refuses to release material looted from the Palestinians on the pretext that this would “undermine national security,” it’s clear that this is cover for a completely different fear. There are not and cannot be any state secrets in Arabic documents written by Palestinians, such as their plans for an independent Palestinian state or documents from an orphanage in Jaffa.

The biggest secret is the very existence of these documents, which are a memorial to a destroyed Palestinian civilization. This “secret,” the state officials responsible for declassifying the documents fear, might undermine the Israeli Zionist narrative and raise doubts among people willing to examine history with a critical eye.

#israel #palestine #nakba #archives #zionism

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phoneybeatlemania · 2 years

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A Man Of Wealth And Taste: John Lennon and the personality of Klein

All Good Children series: the personality of Klein

Allen Kleins reputation as a business man, and as well the exasperated financial conditions apple corps was in throughout 1968/69, no doubt impacted John Lennon’s first-impression of Klein, and made him a viable figure for for next manager. Whilst I wouldn’t want to downplay the importance financial-insecurity had in influencing John’s decision to advocate Klein as being the next manager for the Beatles, I would argue as well that the personality of Klein—who he was as an individual, his social and economic background, his contrast to Lee Eastman—indeed affected too his appeal for John. Today I’d like to look at and evaluate a few quotes on Klein, and discuss how this personality became a factor which rapidly drew John towards him—but as well, Id like to explore why this factor even mattered to John.

When I read Ken McNabs book And In The End: the last days of the Beatles last year, there was a quote which immediately piqued my interest. McNab described the first meeting between Klein, Lennon and Ono* on January 27th 1969, and what stood out to me were the rather unorthodox business tactics used by Klein in attracting Lennon. He writes:

“[Klein] emphasised the uncanny ways in which his own rough childhood has parallels with Johns.

Klein never knew his mother, who died when he was young. Lennon's mother Julia had died in a road traffic accident when he was seventeen. Klein's father, a Jewish-Hungarian immigrant, worked in a butcher's shop, and since he couldn't afford to raise four children on his own, had placed the infant Allen in an orphanage, where he remained until he was at least nine (some sources say older). Eventually he was placed in the custody of an aunt (just like Lennon had been). (pg. 25)

[*Note: Lennon had actually encountered Klein in December of 1968 at the rock and roll circus concert show, but to the extent of my knowledge, it seems this brief meeting didn’t have much impact on John. Hence why I refer to the business meeting in January as being their first actual meeting.]

McNab rarely cites sources in his book, but I managed to trace this claim back to Peter Browns The Love You Make: an insiders story of the Beatles (potentially other sources corroborating this exist, but Im yet to locate them):

“They spent the night talking over a long dinner of macrobiotic rice that Klein had thoughtfully arranged to be served by the hotel. Over the course of the evening, Klein’s fascinating story unfolded. Like John, he was an orphan who had lived with an aunt, but Klein's story was even more dramatically tragic. The son of a Hungarian butcher from New Jersey, Klein's mother had died when he was only a few months old, and his distraught father had put him in an orthodox Jewish orphanage in Newark, where he lived until he was fifteen, when an aunt took him in. He worked his way through accounting school at night, a profession for which he had perfect affinity.” (pg. 294)

Peter Brown it should be noted, is a tricky source, as Im sure many of us already know*. So really, with no further evidence (again, that Im aware of) to support the claim that Klein detailed his childhood to Lennon and Ono upon their first meeting, it's up to you to decide how much validity you feel the extract holds. I for one feel that this likely did occur during their first meeting, but whether it did or did not crop up throughout their talk on January 27th, it’s still a relevant part of Klein and Johns relationship, considering John made a sympathetic note of it in his 1971 interview with Peter McCabe and Robert Schonfield**:

LENNON: And [Klein is] so insecure. He was an orphan. How insecure can you get, with nothing to hang on to?

ONO: Can you imagine? He has to be a genius to make money. He was a penniless orphan.

The appeal I feel Kleins disadvantaged and often difficult childhood had for John, is that it humanised him in a way I assume is rare amongst businessmen. Where someone like Eastman was difficult for John to relate to, Klein was able to introduce himself as just a mate; a friend; one of the lads. He wasn’t a business-associate or a ‘suit’—instead, he was someone John believed was down-to-earth, and sincere in their motivations (someone over thirty who, to the dismay of all hippies, could be trusted!). Where Eastman was east egg (old money), Klein was west (new money), and it seems it was this rejection of traditionalist values that in part appealed to John.

John continued to characterise him as such throughout the same interview and Lennon, Remembers***, making note that he felt “understood” by Klein:

LENNON: Well, Allen's human, whereas Eastman and all them other people are automatons. Sure you can hurt Eastman's feelings, or anybody's feelings, but you can tickle Allen, and I can't imagine tickling Eastman.

ONO: No sense of humour, Eastmans lot.

LENNON: And when Allen's not doing his bit, he’s one of the lads, you know. I would go on holiday with Allen, because he's a lad, he pisses about. When him and his crew go on tour, they piss about like school kids, pretending to be deaf and dumb, whatever kind of crazy thing. He's always having fun, trying to go into hotels with the wrong clothes, wearing crazy clothes. Just games like that. So he's good fun to be around, you know.

[…]

LENNON: And like I say, he likes having a laugh with the lads, that sort of thing, whereas you can't imagine them others doing anything but playing golf or crushing Beatles. And one of the early things that impressed me about Allen and obviously it was a kind of flattery as well—he went through all the old songs we'd written, and he really knew which stuff I'd written. Not many people knew which was my song and which was Paul's, but he'd say, “Well, McCartney didn't write that line, did he?” And I'd say, “Right,” you know, and that’s what really got me interested (in him), because he knew what our contributions were to the group. Most people thought it was all Paul, or all George Martin. And he knew all my lyrics, and he understood them, not that there's much to understand, but he was into it, and he dug lyrics. So I thought, “Well, anybody who knows me this well, just by listening to records, is pretty perceptive.”

(Interview w/ McCabe/Schonfield, 1971, pg. 41–43)

‘He not only knew my work, and the lyrics that I had written but he also understood them, and from way back. That was it. If he knew what I was saying and followed my work, then that was pretty damn good, because it’s hard to see me, John Lennon, amongst that. He talked sense about what had happened. He just said what was going on, and I just knew.

He is a very intelligent guy; he told me what was happening with the Beatles, and my relationship with Paul and George and Ringo. He knew every damn thing about us, the same as he knows everything about the Stones. He’s a fuckin’ sharp man.

There are things he doesn’t know, but when it comes to that kind of business, he knows. And anybody that knew me that well—without having met me—had to be a guy I could let look after me.’

(Interview w/ Jann Wenner, 1970)****

Theres various reasons why John would have been dissuaded from partnering with Lee Eastman (and Id like to explore this reasoning in more depth in future essays), but from his own commentary, part of it was just the who Lee Eastman was as a person. He describes Eastman as being an “automaton”, perceiving as a passionless person. Further to this, he often made remarks in which he took offence to Eastmans classism (“Allen was sitting there, taking it, you know, just takin’ it. Eastman was abusing him with class snobbery.”). On the other hand, Klein understood his artistry and was able to engage with Lennon on a more intimate level. In retrospect, we might argue Klein had studied Lennon's past works only as a business-tactic in order to manoeuvre his way into gaining Johns trust (consider that John would later express frustration around Kleins lack of interest in the creative processes involved in art, during his McCabe/Schonfield interview: “He’s not avant-garde or anything like that […] And it irritates me sometimes when I try and sing him a song before recording and he cant hear it until its a finished record.”)—but its important to keep in mind that what were looking at today is not so much Kleins real motivations, but rather what John would have perceived these motivations as being.

It seems this interest and engagement with his work mattered to John, because it distinguished Klein as someone real and in-artificial: driven by a love of art and the artist, rather than financial gain. Relatability amongst his business-associates built trust for him—after all, he discussed in Lennon, Remembers a weariness and nervousness about businessmen and meetings, characterising himself as someone out of their depth in these dealings:

“We [were] both very nervous. He was nervous as shit, and I was nervous as shit, and Yoko was nervous. We met at the Dorchester, we went up to his room, and we just went in you know.

He was sitting there all nervous. He was all alone, he didn’t have any of his helpers around, because he didn’t want to do anything like that. But he was very nervous, you could see it in his face. When I saw that I felt better. We talked to him a few hours, and we decided that night, he was it!”

For him to have met a business man who seemed palpable lightened this nervousness. Where the Eastmans—Linda being an exception here—were people John felt he had nothing in common with (whether this be because of generational, class, personality etc. differences), Klein could engage with John as a friend, attaining his trust by presenting himself as someone who wouldn’t take advantage of him, for he understood who John was as a person (“And anybody that knew me that well—without having met me—had to be a guy I could let look after me”).

John himself said in Lennon, Remembers:

“I liked Allen but I would have taken Eastman if he would have turned out something other than what he was.”

There are many avenues one could explore with this quote, and different contexts might shape our understandings of Johns meaning here—but one angle to look at it from is perhaps its simplest: that Lee Eastman just wasn’t someone who resonated with John.

Furthermore, it’s arguable that the immediate appeal for John towards making Klein business manager contained an element of egotism. In the McCabe/Schonfield interview, he notes the importance of Klein coming to him first rather than Paul, stating, “[Klein] knew to come to me and not go to Paul, whereas someone like Lew Grade or Eastman would have gone to Paul.” (pg. 43). How much the role of the leader in actual fact mattered to John is subject to debate, but if he had been struggling with insecurities surrounding feelings of inadequacy around this time, then having someone take an interest in him specifically—and not Paul—I can imagine would have an inspired a positive response from him. In the same interview, John brings up a dichotomy, be it real or imagined, between how others perceived of Paul (“wonderful Paul”) as opposed to their perceptions him (“crazy John”)****. If John was experiencing an inferiority complex from contrasting himself with Paul, then having someone assume he was in a more important and powerful position to Paul could have felt like a victory—a victory exasperated by ongoing feelings of irrelevance.

John mentions in Lennon Remembers that for a period of time he was even prepared to sign the Eastmans over as manager of the band. However, he makes it clear that this was an unenthused choice, and again touches upon those feelings of having nothing to offer:

“…we almost signed ourselves over to the Eastmans at one time, because when Paul presented me with John Eastman, I thought well . . . when you’re not presented with a real alternative, you take whatever is going. I would say “yes”, like I said “Yes, let’s do Let It Be. I have nothing to produce so I will go along,” and we almost went away with Eastman. But then Eastman made the mistake of sending his son over and not coming over himself, to look after the Beatles, playing it a bit cool.”

What this quote illustrates is that before Klein, John was stuck in a rut. He felt himself lacking any initiative, going along with other peoples choices, not quite enthusiastic about them, but too disimpassioned to object either. Upon meeting Klein though, and finding inspiration and empowerment through him, John had gained an incentive. For better or for worse, when it came to Klein he wasn’t passive.

Conclusion:

Overall, while Im sure financial insecurity and Pauls relationship to the Eastmans, amongst other things, both informed Johns decision in advocating Klein as the next manager, I feel that the personality of Klein was also a major factor at play. Conceivably, if Lee and Jon Eastman had been able to relate to John better, John might have had more enthusiasm about the prospect of employing them (regardless of the wider Paul/Linda-contexts). But if there was little he could engage with them with, its understandable why have fallen for a businessman like Klein, who was socially more in tune with him.

None of this is to say Klein was a better choice then Eastman, or that Klein in actual fact understood and cared for John and his lifes works. Its only an attempt to understand the appeal of Klein for John, and why he became so rapidly hooked by the prospect of employing him.

[*Note: For further discussion about Peter Brown being a dubious source, perhaps check out Erin Torkelson Webbers article, And In The End: Book Review: Peter Brown’s “The Love You Make”]

[**Source: John Lennon: For The Record interview w/ Peter McCabe and Robert Schonfield c. 1971, published c. 1984]

[***Source: Lennon, Remembers interview w/ Jann Wenner, Dec. 8 1970, published c. 1971]

[****Note: “[Klein] told me what was happening with the Beatles, and my relationship with Paul and George and Ringo”—given that we know Klein had some input in the lyrics to How Do You Sleep?, one has to when he began commentating negatively about Paul to John. Based on this quote, its arguable Klein instigated this as early as his first meeting with John.]

[*****Full quote: “Its the same as the myth about Paul. Wonderful Paul, and crazy John.” (pg. 91)]

#alright luvs. here's an essay :)#its not as comprehensive as id like it to be and just The Writing through a lot of it I really dislike #but im have a slow evening and will be on holiday in 2 days so I won't have time to work or post much (if at all) until I get back #so I wanna put Something out there #idk. if you like it then Wop Bop A Lula if you dont then....I still think theres some good sources here #so go start your own discussion lol #anyway I dont think ive explained my self particularly well here #but if you wanna chat and get me to explain go ahead lol #allen klein #all good children series #klein eastman #john lennon #beatles #johns psyche #analysis

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thevindicativevordan · 2 years

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It's honestly almost nostalgic to see an unapologetic Snyder Superman disliker nowadays. The fact I still don't really like Cavill's Supes honestly makes me feel uncool and out of touch at this point. You know, I think the fact that he himself is such a cipher that the world constantly shits on is actually key of the appeal to a number of people. He's Superman as Jesus, and not the kind who does miracles, the kind who gets put on cross to make you all feel bad such a nice guy is suffering.

The Jesus shit is so dumb. Only way it works is if you ignore all of the specifics of Superman as character and just keep to the general "icon", because if you actually read Superman comics you will quickly realize they are very different people.

"Oh Superman is just like Jesus, sent here on a mission by his heavenly father to suffer and die for us before rising from the dead!"

Ok except his "heavenly father" is just an alien scientist (and where does his mother fit in with that?), the "mission" Kal was sent on was "I hope you survive getting shot off in a rocket to a world of primitives", his death comes about after he gets beaten to death by a monster with bone spikes, and he doesn't rise from the dead via his own divine power but because his robots stick him in an artificial womb and regenerate him. Superman goes around using violence to fight crime whereas Jesus was a pacifist who didn't even resist his own death. There's also a pretty major difference between the two: Superman didn't want to be worshipped and Jesus did. Jesus' purpose, if you're a believer, was to found a religion that outlined a code of beliefs, morals, and practices meant to be spread to every person on Earth, and one of those beliefs was that He was God and deserved to be worshipped. Any time people start worshipping Superman as divine, he shuts that down immediately. Superman's purpose is kick the crap out of bad guys and save people from dying horribly in Lex Luthor's latest scheme, and that purpose is not and should not be a divine mandate from heaven, but a character realization that he likes helping people and wants to keep doing it. Clark would certainly approve if people got along more, but his example is of the general "do good unto others and any man can be a Superman." unlike Jesus' "Amen, Amen I say to you, unless you eat My Flesh and drink My Blood you will not have life within you." which comes with specific rules for rituals you must complete in order to earn salvation.

Yes there are similarities between the two - if you only gesture at the vague pop culture version of Supes - but to say as some have that Superman was always intended to be a Christ figure is bafflingly ignorant. I'm sure the two Jews who created him would be surprised to hear that considering they were pretty open about the four major inspirations for Superman: Moses, Samson, Doc Savage, and John Carter:

Moses - Child survivor of a genocide who grows up as a member of a different culture, rediscovers his heritage and becomes a moral leader

Samson - Hero known for incredible strength, has a very specific weakness

Doc Savage - Strong and intelligent, fights crime, nicknamed the "Man of Bronze", operates out of a "Fortress of Solitude"

John Carter - Travels to another planet and gets superpowers because of the environment of that planet, use superpowers to be a hero

Read the comics up to Post-Crisis and you aren't going to find a Superman who really fits the Messiah mold. Pre-Crisis Superman is downright childish and immature, needy for public approval and affection, short-tempered and quick to violence, sometimes even outright cruel in the way he treats others - as seen with how he pawns Kara off on an orphanage to raise, or how he plays pranks on Lois and Jimmy to teach them lessons - certainly not conduct becoming of a would-be Second Messiah. At his heart Superman is Jewish mythology mixed in with pulp science fiction, not a religious savior. That's not an idea that originated within the comics themselves, but an artificial creation meant to make Superman seem "deeper".

Donner is to blame for the origin of SuperJesus, he was the one who really pushed that aspect hard and made it stick in the collective consciousness of the general public.

Inspirational and uplifting as that quote may be, it's actually been bad for Superman in the long run. Making Superman's mission to help people be something Jor-El orders Superman to do is one of the worst changes made in adapting Superman to film. For one it robs Clark of all agency, becoming Superman isn't a choice he makes to enact an idea he thought up, it's him obeying the will of his father. For another it inevitably leads to Superman rebelling against his father and going "But I don't WANT to save people, I want to be normal!", resulting in Superman himself arguing that the idea of Superman sucks! Also makes him seem whiney and selfish in a way that does not engender sympathy from the audience.

Drawing a connection between the two also handicaps Superman's characterization. Whether you personally agree with the perception or not, the shorthand cultural perception of Jesus in the West is "perfect person". Being compared to Jesus therefore doesn't leave Supes much room for growth or character flaws, so it's only a handicap, not an asset to have the "Space Jesus" reputation cling to his image. Unfortunately the people WB keeps putting in charge of his adaptions in film can't seem to get that through their skulls considering both Singer and Snyder doubled down on the comparison. Really hope whatever form the next film showing of Superman takes, it's a take that leans more on the Jewish myth and pulp scifi rather than hollow Chrisitan imagery.

Ironically there is a Leaguer who fits the Jesus analogy better: Wonder Woman. But that's a post for another day.

#superman #jesus

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kultofathena · 2 years

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Pre-Owned – Legacy Arms Brookhart Hospitaller Sword

Blade Condition: Good with a medium amount of cosmetic blemishing present

Hilt Condition: Good condition with a medium amount of cosmetic blemishing present

Grip: Very good condition Construction Condition: Sword is still durably constructed and components are still tightly fitted.

Scabbard: Good overall with a large amount of cosmetic blemishing. Scabbard still fits the blade well.

Designed by Bruce Brookhart, the Legacy Arms Hospitaller Sword has a blade forged from 5160 high carbon steel. The crossguard and pommel are blackened steel and the blade is durably mounted into the hilt with a peen over the pommel. The wood grip is wrapped in tight black leather. Included with the sword is a wooden scabbard which is finished in a wrap of black leather and a blackened steel chape.

There is a matching dagger for this sword which is available separately.

Although the manufacturer considers these as battle ready weapons. We have found that the blade temper is too soft for us to list them as such on some of the longer bladed swords.

In popular media depiction and analysis it is the Knights Templar who hold the imaginative sway the archetypal Crusader. Too often forgotten is the Knights Hospitaller who possessed a presence in the Crusader Kingdoms to rival that of the Templars; the military arm of the Hospitaller Order had a power base in the Crusader Kingdom of Antioch and held the great fortress Krak des Chevaliers. Their knights and men at arms were a common sight among the garrisons and armed caravans of the Crusader Kingdoms and were certainly a significant force many of the the major battles.

Originally founded to provide for the housing and medical care of pilgrims to the Holy Land, the Hospitallers were known to operate a large hospital (hence the origin of their name) in Jerusalem with accommodation for 2,000 patients. Though their focus was on providing for Christian pilgrims their mandate eventually extended to providing care for other faiths, including Jewish patients who were provided with kosher food. An orphanage was also attached to this hospital and the children raised there were often inducted into the Order.

Despite having an origin rooted in providing a roof, food and care for pilgrims, the nature of the region and the ever-present conflict with Islam caused the Hospitallers to expand their mission to providing armed escort for pilgrim caravans – from this grew the military arm of the Order which would, in time, become the primary focus of the Hospitallers – that of a Crusading force for holding territory in the Levant.

When the Crusader Kingdoms crumbled and Crusading zeal waned in Europe, the Hospitallers would find themselves unable to operate in the Levant. Faced with no longer having a purpose or mission, they would entrench themselves in Cyprus and Rhodes and from there would police the Mediterranean from Barbary and Ottoman pirates and holding the islands for Christendom against encroaching Ottoman dominion. Their holding on Rhodes would be ended after the Ottoman 1522 Siege of Rhodes; It concluded with the Knights Hospitaller being graciously allowed to leave Rhodes by Ottoman Emperor Suleiman the Magnificent after a spirited defense of Rhodes from their large fortress.

Afterwards, the Knights would be granted a new base in Malta by Charles I of Spain and they would continue their anti-piracy mission (though they sometimes engaged in piracy themselves against Muslim shipping to shore up their coffers). Malta would fall when Napoleon invaded Malta in 1798 as part of his Egyptian Expedition. After fierce fighting the Knightly Order surrendered to the irrepressible Napoleon. Though the order would cling to existence its military and historical significance ended with the loss of Malta.

The Hospitallers were typically distinguished from the Templars and other Knightly Orders by bearing shields and surcoats of black with white crosses. Though they possessed a substantial force of knights and skilled men-at-arms that could rival the Templars, the Hospitallers would always have a significant investment in hospitals and way-stations under the patronage of their Order. Like the Templars, the ideal Hospitaller was a warrior monk wholly dedicated to martial skill and religious perfection. Unlike the Templars who were purposefully destroyed and dissolved in 1312, the Hospitallers would go on to have a far longer history.

Although the manufacturer considers these as battle ready weapons. We have found that the blade temper is too soft for us to list them as such on some of the longer bladed swords.

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revivcls · 2 years

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𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵 , 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵 , 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘴 , 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘵-𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 .

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀 . . .

name ( s ) : harley jack isaacs , a . k . a . jack harley . d . o . b . november 8 , 1988 . in : cairo , egypt . he holds duel citizenship in egypt and the united kingdom . he speaks : english , arabic , french . religious beliefs : born to a jewish mother , agnostic father and raised by an atheist . educational achievements : anthropological undergraduate degree , university of cairo and other / fabricated . current occupation : law student . eye colour : blue-green . hair colour : light brown . height : 6′3″ . distinguishing characteristic : a scar by his left cheek .

beverage of choice : coffee , at least two cups daily . preferred holiday : an italian summer . reading choice : anything apart from law books as of late . exercise preference : swimming , yoga . watching : local news , football ( soccer ) matches . sports teams : real madrid in club . designers : dior , armani — paid for by miss villain . accessory : watches , with a collection to showcase . prized possession : one watch in particular that only holds sentimental value otherwise worthless . random : bad habit of late night purchases .

inspo ; 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘮 : 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘰 , 𝘫𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘣𝘺 , 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘰'𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘭 : 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘺 , 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘰 : 𝘢𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴 , 𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵 : 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘣 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 2001 , 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘦 : 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 . . .

𝘵𝘸 : 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 , 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 ( 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 ) ⧽ harley isaacs was born in 1988 in cairo , egypt ; his mother passed away during childbirth and his father was studying there with long-time friend , professor sebastian west. it’s where he met harley’s mother and where harley stayed until the age of seven. ⧽ in '93 his father died during a tragic accident at the archaeological dig site. the excavation was overseen by professor west. harley was placed in an orphanage in cairo for about a month before sebastian west had fudged the paperwork that placed the child in his care and forever more became “ uncle ” to harley — a mixture of guilt for the death of his father and a replacement one day for the job harley’s father used to do.

⧽ time was split between england, where the professor was from, the states here he partnered with a university in new york and cairo whenever funding for a new expedition broke way

⧽ harley obtained an undergrad in archeology at cairo university by '10 , age 22 , but that was as far as his higher education got, unbeknownst to most , including the half of year at a university in england

⧽ in '14 , age 26 , professor sebastian west placed the burden of his legacy onto harley as the professor had developed a lung cancer from constant exposure to the dust and other elements over the years. while he knew more than most did about sebastian west’s field through years with the father-figure , on paper , harley isaacs wasn’t worthy of professor west’s title. basically, the professor wanted harley to prove he’d be able to take on the task and required him to obtain funding for the next excavation by himself with his own credentials.

⧽ no one said he had to do it legally. funding for any excavation was difficult so this is when he fudged a few things. he paid off a certified translator to " fix " what his credentials stated. the first was his name harley jack isaacs was now jack harley, a purposeful error that might dismiss some others. he arrived to new york with the facade of professor

⧽ in ‘17 he attempted to obtain funding under a lie , the contributor from a wealthy family found out , miss villain , and this is where his story in new york really began . . .

⧽ what sebastian west had failed to tell harley was that whatever he’d generously leave to him was based upon his ability to live up to west’s standard , the chance he’d be left with nothing more than years spent obtaining very little in the way of success was a very real one

⧽ three years ago , ‘19 , that funding was secured sort of , also around the time he got into a relationship with miss villain , a very wealthy woman in her forties who has been married three times before and had a few stipulations to help out jack harley namely one:

i. an archaeologist future wasn’t an occupation that she found suitable ; too much travel , not enough pay off. law school was in his future , all expenses paid for

⧽ that was the problem , all expenses were always paid for. he found the lifestyle she lived a little too comfortable and within two years , in ‘21 , proposed. they aren’t the best match , she likes to control certain things , neither is always honest and maybe he fell in love with the lifestyle more than anything

⧽ the plan was to get married after law school , a few years away and engaged for a year now . . . there might have been a few hiccups along the way

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐀 . . .

⧽ miss villain had a business history with the buchanan family , thus why jack was on the guest list , he was a plus one but tries desperately hard to not seem like one , but those armani suits can only do so much

#privilegehq.intro #maybe i'll fix this later — but probs not

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scentedchildnacho · 2 months

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Bhaskar Sunkara | The Socialist Manifesto

youtube

I found his name in a Jacobin uhm...I can't articulate my experience of being an alternative femme raised with German professional adopters that told me pretty strictly they emigrated here about world war two and they don't like systems that creep people out....if not playboy no one can go....this society creeps people out...to go home I have to choose my friends off being a really vain jerk?....anyway the Jacobin articulation...helps hold its society without contempt so

Henri Lefebvre.....those models do want to give you something much better then material competition....

Natchez Mississippi....if it's the protestant orphanage given by a 19th century German Jewish affluence that I may go into of Jewish temples.....so I think my conscience is more Vietnam conscriptive

To southerners if it's Jewish it's of German

Im homeless and may do something terroristic so there are people who do benefit from polluting the planet that's the executive advise I may have about Scorpio rising leave a lot of it alone and only go at prey....

#Youtube

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mothergooseberry · 4 months

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[there's something weird about Murkoff putting a jewish woman (like the last name + the way her dad speaks implies she's canon jewish, right?) in charge of a fake catholic orphanage but I don't have full meta to write on it

I think it's definitely reflective of how christianity was treated as the default in 1930's-1950's (not specifically these years, but that's when she grew up and when she currently lives) america and how she was sort of viewed as an outsider growing up because of it

So either Murkoff just literally didn't think about it because they were viewing everything through a christian lens by default, or they were doing it intentionally to further fuck with her

Side note, I don't think she's particularly religious as an adult. She was raised religious but she doesn't currently believe in a god and tends to look down on organized religion.]

#headcanons;

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readingforsanity · 6 months

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The Widwife of Berlin | Anna Stuart | Published 2023 | *SPOILERS*

Auschwitz, 1943: I stroke my beautiful baby's hair. It's a miracle it's blonde because it will keep her alive, it will keep her safe. Soon they will come and take Pippa out of Auschwitz-Birkenau - and out of my arms. But while there's life, there's hope I might find my daughter again...

An incredible story of one woman's courage and determination to reunite her family in the aftermath of surviving Auschwitzx.

1945, Ester Pasternak walked out of the gates of Auschwitz barely alive. She survived against devastating odds, but her heartbreaking journey is only just beginning. In the camp, Ester gave birth to a tiny fair-haired infant, only for her previous baby to be snatched from her and taken to a German family. Now the war is over, Ester longs to find her little girl.

But Europe is in chaos, Jewish families have been torn apart and everyone is desperately searching for their loved ones. In every orphanage and hospital she visits, Ester searches the faces of tear-stained toddlers; each mop of blonde hair and pair of blue eyes she sees sets her heart racing...

But as the months and the years tick by, the possibility of finding her daughter shrinks smaller and smaller. And Ester starts to wonder if little Pippa is even safe, or whether the miracle that saved her has now put her in even more danger?

Will Ester ever be able to find the child whose tattoo matches her own? Or is she already too late...

A completely gripping and emotional WW2 novel of one woman's bravery and determination to hold on to hope in a world torn apart by war. Perfect of fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Nightingale.

We return back to Germany, where our previous heroine, Ester, has returned to live in Berlin after she was liberated from a KZ during WWII. After losing her biological child at birth after 4 days, Ester and Filip found another child born of Auschwitz named Oliwia...though they decided to change her name from the traditional Polish spelling to the traditional German spelling.

Olivia and Ester's biological child, Pippa, now known as Kirsten, do not know of each other. Ester had hoped to wait until her daughter was 18 years of age to tell her, but circumstances began to change, and Olivia becomes aware of the sister that was never returned...her mother's biological daughter.

Despite knowing that her parents love her, and have raised her as their own child, Olivia feels a bit saddened by the fact that there is a girl out there with blood ties to her parents that she doesn't have. And Kirsten learns that the mother and father she thought she had known all of her life were not her parents, and with that, that her brother wasn't truly her brother.

The two girls lead seemingly different lives: Olivia is a born athlete, being invited to study and compete at the East Berlin school called Dynamo throwing the javelin. It is a rigorous competitive school, with trainings and vitamin regimes that quickly builds up Olivia's muscle mass. Kirsten is a lowly waitress in a cafe serving coffee and hoping to find a young man to love.

When Kirsten meets Dieter, she thinks that he could be the one. But, they are vastly different and Dieter is much older than she is, though the two of them get on quite well.

Olivia begins the quest to find Pippa, though the East doesn't make it easy to find someone who had been born in Auschwitz and then forcibly removed from her rightful birth mother. On the other hand, Kirsten also begins looking for her biological family, and finds it much easier by asking for the records in the archive. Luckily, Ester's name is included in the list, and eventually, Kirsten finds Olivia and decides to find her.

The two of them are briefly reunited, and after spending a short time together, agree to meet that Sunday for Ester and Filip to finally meet the daughter that was torn from them 4 days after Christmas. However, the Berlin wall is erected through the night from Saturday into Sunday, and Kirsten is once again ripped from the family that she wants to meet.

Kirsten attempts to get into the East, but because Olivia is on a watch list as a subversive, they have denied her request. But, through Astrid, who Kirsten looks enough alike that they can pass as each other, gives her her pass and on the 4th of October in 1961, Kirsten is finally reunited with her birth parents.

Unfortunately, this is also short-lived, but Kirsten is allowed to return to the East without question, and she quickly begins making plans with Dieter to get Olivia and her fiance, Hans, out of the East and into the West. The plans go awry, as secret passageways they'd been using had been found out, but eventually, Dieter is successfully in getting both Olivia and Hans out, with the help of the house mother at Dynamo. Unfortunately, as they're passing through the wire fence, the woman who was meant to go through to the West with them had told the authorities, and Dieter is fatally shot in the process.

Olivia and Hans meet Kirsten's adopted family, and they are accepted into their home without question.

Unfortunately, the Berlin Wall remained standing until 1989, therefore Olivia and Kirsten were away from their parents for almost 30 years. Now wives with children of their own, with Ester, they return to the birth place that has been turned into a museum, along with Kirsten's 18-year-old daughter, Pippa, given the name that she should have had all her life. The two blended families get along wonderfully, and Ester describes the horrors of her time in the German KZ, showing her daughters what she had endured, and what they were lucky to escape from.

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warningsine · 7 months

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"Black Earth Rising" is a fictional thriller about the modern repercussions of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. It debuts on Netflix today, but it was a co-production with BBC Two and aired on British TV last year. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says the series offers a compelling look at an atrocity many Americans may never have fully understood.

ERIC DEGGANS, BYLINE: If you know British actress Michaela Coel mostly for her charming, off-the-wall performance in the sitcom "Chewing Gum," you're in for a jarring, impressive surprise. Coel has transformed herself from an awkward, wisecracking comic into a hardened, damaged trauma survivor for "Black Earth Rising." She plays Kate Ashby, a black woman rescued from an orphanage in Rwanda as a child after her family was killed. She was raised to adulthood in London by a white woman. Kate still carries the scars from her childhood, emotionally and physically, as she reminds her adoptive mother Eve during an argument.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "BLACK EARTH RISING")

MICHAELA COEL: (As Kate Ashby) This is what they did to me. I don't remember my family or my country - nothing. I don't know my own name. The only thing I know is that it happened to nearly a million people, and I will never forget it. And neither should anyone else.

DEGGANS: "Black Earth Rising" sets this drama before a complicated backdrop - the consequences of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where up to 1 million members of the Tutsi community were killed by Hutu extremists. Kate's angry because her mother Eve is a respected prosecutor about to try an African general for war crimes in international court. But the general's not a member of the Hutu militias who committed the genocide in Rwanda. He was part of the force that stopped the killing but committed war crimes afterwards.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "BLACK EARTH RISING")

COEL: (As Kate Ashby) I mean, to me, what you're doing - it's like the Second World War is over, and we're Jewish. And suddenly, you've decided to prosecute General Eisenhower because he tried to stop Hitler.

HARRIET WALTER: (As Eve Ashby) Well, if Eisenhower had committed war crimes, he would've been prosecuted.

COEL: (As Kate Ashby) Yes, but not by you - not you, my mother - because for me, it's like the SS is still out there. And all you're trying to do is prosecute one of the few men who tried to stop them.

DEGGANS: Writer-director Hugo Blick gives some characters illnesses that also seem like physical expressions of their guilt and trauma. One key character has seizures. Kate grapples with mental issues. And "Roseanne" alum John Goodman plays Eve's boss, a lawyer struggling with prostate cancer. He's also a confidante of Eve's, helping her keep a secret from her daughter.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "BLACK EARTH RISING")

JOHN GOODMAN: (As Michael Ennis) You rescued a child, and you gave her a life.

WALTER: (As Eve Ashby) But not her past.

GOODMAN: (As Michael Ennis) And you're about to do that, too.

WALTER: (As Eve Ashby) Well, what if I was right in the first place, and what if she's still not ready?

DEGGANS: That's a question asked many times about Kate and the people of Rwanda. Can they handle the truth? Blick does a masterful job of unwinding a complex plot that touches on the arrogance of European nations imposing their justice on Africans and the brutal nature of political arrangements that are often made to keep the peace while enriching those in power. Just when you think you're seeing one type of story, Blick changes the narrative often by killing a key character unexpectedly. He does have some odd obsessions as a director, including a love for showing close-ups of doorknobs and a habit of showing characters regurgitating. It's a tough story, but it's also a thrilling, entertaining show with a unique storytelling style. "Black Earth Rising" is a political thriller, social issues drama and legal yarn all at once, centered on a world-shaking calamity which should be in every student's history book but too often isn't. I'm Eric Deggans.

#black earth rising

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byneddiedingo · 1 year

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Agata Trzebuchowska in Ida (Pawel Pawlikowski, 2013)

Cast: Agata Kulezsa, Agata Trzebuchowska, Dawid Ogrodnik, Adam Szyszkowski, Jerzy Trela, Joanna Kulig. Screenplay: Pawel Pawlikowski, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Cinematography: Ryszard Lenczewski, Lukasz Zal. Production design: Marcel Slawinski, Katarzyna Sobanska. Film editing: Jaroslaw Kaminski. Music: Kristian Eidnes Andersen.

A successful film needs the correct balance of story and style, and when the story is as straightforward as Ida's, there's a great risk of overwhelming it with stylistic tricks. A novice called Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) is about to take her vows to become a nun when she learns that she has an aunt, Wanda Gruz (Agata Kulesza), who wants to meet her. It is the 1960s, and Wanda is a judge in the courts of the communist government with a reputation for having for having presided brutally over the show trials of the 1950s that solidified communist power. She tells Anna, who was raised in an orphanage, that she was born to Jewish parents, one of whom was Wanda's sister, and that her birth name was Ida Lebenstein. Anna goes with Wanda in search of the graves of her parents and the son whom Wanda left with them when she joined the resistance during the war. Along the way, the tough, hard-drinking, sexually liberated Wanda, determined to provoke Anna out of her ascetic, devout ways, picks up a handsome young hitchhiker named Lis (Dawid Ogrodnik), a jazz saxophonist on his way to a gig. The story that director Pawel Pawlikowski and co-screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz develop from this situation is told in an austerely beautiful manner. Two cinematographers are credited: Lukasz Zal took over as director of photography after Ryszard Lenczewski became ill during filming; both were deservedly nominated for cinematography Oscars. Pawlikowski chose to film in black-and-white to evoke the Polish films of the 1960s, the era of the young Roman Polanski, Jerzy Skolimowski, and Andrzej Wajda, although it's more accurate to refer to the cinematography as monochrome because the use of the many shades of gray and the emphasis on the textures of walls and skies and landscapes is extraordinary. The images are also strikingly framed: Characters rarely appear in the direct center of the screen, but are shifted toward the bottom or the corner of images. (Remarkably, the film also sometimes moves the subtitles from the bottom to the top of the frame to accommodate this placement.) Such manipulations could be seen as mannered, but I think it works to suggest that the lives of the characters themselves have been placed somewhere slightly off-center.

#Ida #Pawel Pawlikowski.#Agata Trzebuchowska

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michellealsopbook · 2 years

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(PDF) Oleander City: A Novel Based on a True Story - Matt Bondurant

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Based on a true storyThe hurricane of 1900, America's worst natural disaster, left the island city of Galveston in ruins. Thousands perished, including all ninety-three children at the Sisters of the Incarnate Word orphanage--except six-year-old Hester, who miraculously survived. Oleander City is the tale of this little girl and the volatile collision between the American Red Cross, the Ku Klux Klan, and one of the most famous boxing matches in American history. The bout, organized to raise money for the recovery effort, featured the enigmatic veteran Chrysanthemum Joe Choyinski, the most successful Jewish boxer in America, and Jack Johnson, a young hometown hero known as the Galveston Giant. The storied battle forged a bond between the two legendary fighters and put Johnson on the path to become the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.Meanwhile, Clara Barton and the Red Cross minister to the sick and hungry as mounted vigilantes use the chaotic situation to settle old scores.

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celticbarb · 2 years

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BOOK📖REVIEW

Book: The Librarian Spy

Author: Madeline Martin

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

Print Length: 401

File Size:1522 KB

Overall Rating: 5 STARS ( it deserves a bazillion stars)

Blog Rating: 5 Saltire flags

I dedicate this review to my American father Captain Julian Batlan, a man who fought bravely in France in WWII. He now resides in a veteran’s cemetery with my mom in NJ. I know he would have been proud of me reading this book.

1943-1945

Set mainly in Portugal and France.

This book is divided between two women one is an orphaned American librarian, Ava Harper. She tragically had lost both of her parents to a plane crash, due to this devastation she develops a big fear of flying. This happened five years prior, where her brother Danny then raised her and even sent her to college. Now Ava has the perfect job in her home town of Washington DC, at the Rare Book Room in the Library of Congress as a librarian. Her brother Danny ironically is with the Parachute Infantry Regiment in The Airborne Division. She and Danny were total opposites when it came to planes. Her boss gives her a wonderful opportunity to serve her country. Furthermore, how could she turn it down when her brother was jumping out of airplanes every day in this ugly war, plus he had made so many sacrifices raising her after their parents death. However due to her knowing the French and German language and previous experience with microfilm she was going to Lisbon, Portugal gathering information from newspapers and texts in neutral areas to help get intelligence on the murdering Nazis! Of course she had to face her biggest fear: conquering the Atlantic with her enormous fear of flying!

Hélène Bélanger felt a need to do something after reading about all horrors the Nazi’s were doing day after day. The rations were minimal and everyone was hungry in France. Her husband Joseph wanted her safe and did not want her to join the resistance where she could be caught, tortured or killed. Although they argued over that she thought he was a pacifist but soon finds out he is very much a hero. Yet unfortunate events follow Hélène’s family and in her husband’s absence she does join the resistance. As much as Joseph was against Hélène joining the resistance only to keep her safe she think he would of been proud of her and the work she ended up doing. They all knew the risks but these are men and women who put their lives on the line to save the innocent people of France.

Many were Jews who were being taken to work camps putting their children in orphanages for protection, though many were discovered by the Nazi monsters and also put the Jewish children to work, starved and murdered at these concentration camps. Or they just died from horrible deceases living in these caged inhumane conditions similar to Anne Frank. As the Nazis used public humiliation tactics to degrade their victims and to reinforce Nazi racial ideology for the Jews. However the brutal Nazis would torture and murder anyone attempting to hide, protect and help the Jews escape France and get them to America or England where they would be safe.

It was a horrible time in the world. Helene had given her ID to a Jewish woman but was given a new identity now known as Elaine Rousseau, she also found out her husband was not the man she thought he was. He was a hero to many and saved many lives. Now Elaine Rousseau will be with small group of people where she will find out the truth about her husband and she is officially with the resistance and eventually learned how to run a printing press. This way they put out secret messages for their allie’s to see through underground newspapers. Saving hundreds of lives these men and women were heroes and heroines and knew the risks.

This book shows both in their new positions and how both Ava and Hélène (Elaine’s) help and actions helped others no matter the cost. They also form new friendships, their losses and the humanity of their allies during such a horrible time in the world and history. It also shows how both women fought blood, sweat and tears to try to help this one Jewish family to sneak out of France and bring to America. Except she keeps getting rejected where her and her husband have already been separated for years. This is how I am ending this review as I don’t want to spoil this phenomenal read for anyone. An action packed emotional book readers definitely don’t want to miss!

On a personal note: How people followed this madman Adolph Hitler, the biggest racist in history is beyond me! This book was also personal for me with a father who was an 18 year old American Captain who fought in France and in the Battle of the Bulge. He also watched all his boyhood friends die in WWII. My father didn’t even talk about the war to my mother for the first twenty years of their marriage. I don’t usually get personal in my reviews but I felt I had to for this special novel.

This book is not only extraordinary and an absolute masterpiece but one the best books I ever read! It took me over a week to write this review. I haven’t even been able to read another book as this book really stayed with me. I think I went through two boxes of tissues, so it’s definitely emotional at least it was for me.

This is a book that readers don’t want to miss! So grab a copy and your favorite beverage and your favorite reading area and enjoy! I can’t recommend this book enough it’s absolutely incredible!

I absolutely and unequivocally highly recommend this masterpiece. A book that will stay with you long after you have read it! I can’t recommend “The Librarian Spy enough! I can’t wait to see what this brilliant author releases next!

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader’s copy from Hanover Square Press. I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Librarian-Spy-Novel-World-War-ebook/dp/B09CMRX8C6/r

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-librarian-spy?utm_source=google_action

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?pcampaignid=books_read_action&id=mI89EAAAQBAJ

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-librarian-spy-madeline-martin/1140465639

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-librarian-spy/id1581263995

https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9780369720207_the-librarian-spy.html

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dontgiveupukraine · 2 years

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Thursday evening: Ukrainian Literature as a Passion - Alena Muravska & Tobias Wals

Date: Thursday May 26

Time: 19:30-20:30 (20:30-21:30 UAT)

YouTube Live: watch the conversation live here

Info: [email protected]

Tonight we continue our conversation on Ukrainian literature which which we started last week with Iryna Starovoyt. With our guests Alena Muravska and Tobias Wals we focus on the question if Ukrainian literature has a recognizable voice and face which deserves to be heard outside Ukraine. This is closely connected with another question. Until recently Ukrainian literature didn't attract very much attention. Russian literature from Alexander Pushkin to Joseph Brodsky dominated the scene. Who paid attention to Ukrainian poets and writers form Taras Shevchenko to Serhiy Zhadan? Definitely this picture is changing today, and rightly so. In the slipstream this raises the question what image of Ukraine slipped in our social imagination. Especially as, according to critics, Russian literature, even in all its greatness, gives voice to Russian's imperial and colonial dreams, dehumanizing and demonizing Ukraine and the Ukrainians. In sum: translating and reading Ukrainian literature is also part of a cultural war, making room for Russia's suppressed Other. This leads us to the third question of translation and fiction writing on Ukraine. Excellent examples are Tobias Wals' novel Kiev op de bodem van een glas (Kyiv at the bottom of a glass) and his translations of novels of Serhiy Zhadan and the biography of Volodymyr Zelensky.

We discuss these questions with Alena Muravska and Tobias Wals. Alena Muravska, born and raised in Ukraine, has been living in the Nethelands for 20 years. Alena is of mixed Ukrainian-Tatar descent. She consciously experienced the aftermath of the Soviet regime and the first years of Ukrainian independence. In 2014, Alena initiated an Ukrainian literary club, where discussions and meetings with Ukrainian writers take place. Since Februari 2022, Alena has been speaking about Ukraine, Ukrainian culture and relations with Russia on various discussion platforms in the Netherlands (De Rode Hoed, de Balie), stimulating a direct dialogue between the Netherlands and Ukraine. Tobias Wals studied Russian and Eastern European Studies in Amsterdam and Slavonics in Leuven. He learned Ukrainian in nine months in Kyiv, where he accidentally ended up on his way to Russia. He made his debut in Tirade in early 2016, published several opinion pieces and works as a writer and translator. Het published Kiev op de bodem van een glas (2017) and recently translated with others Serhiy Rudenko's biography of Zelensky and Vorosjylovrad of Sergiy Zhadan. His Dutch translation of Zhadan's The Orphanage will be published soon. Currently Tobias is working on his PhD at the Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History. His research concerns the German occupation of the Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr and the mass murder of its Jewish inhabitants.

#dontgiveupukraine #ukrainian literature #Muravska #Wals

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