#beyond time series biography
Text
Xenofiction (& similar) Media Masterpost
PS. This list is for keeping track only. This is not a recommendation list and I won't be advocating for any Work, Author or Company listed. There will be footnotes about a work/author for undesirable behaviour or themes if necessary.
This is a WIP and will be updated whenever I have the time to. Feel free to recommend works or inform me about an author so I can update the post. Be Aware works on this list might have been cancelled or on indifinitive Hiatus and not all works are available on English.
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Literature
A
Age of Fire - E. E. Knight
Adventure Lit their Star - Kenneth Allsop
Alien in a Small Town - Jim Cleaveland
Alien Chronicles (Literature) - Deborah Chester
Animal Farm - George Orwell
Animorphs - K. A. Applegate
Am an Owl - Martin Hocke
At Winters End - Robert Silverberg
Avonoa - H.R.B. Collotzi
Astrid and Cerulean: A Parrot Fantasy - Parasol Marshall-Crowley
A Wolf for a Spell - Karah Sutton
The African Painted Wolf Novels - Alexander Kendziorski
The Alchemist's Cat - Robin Jarvis
The Amazing Maurice and his educated rodents - Terry Pratchet
The Amity Incident - C. M. Weller
The Ancient Solitary Reign - Martin Hocke
The Animals of Farthing Wood series - Colin Dann
The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein
The Author of Acacia Seeds and Other Extracts from the Journal of Therolinguistics - Ursula K. Le Guin
A Magical Cat Named Kayla: Whiskers of Enchantment -Carlos Juárez [AI Cover]*
The Animal Story Book - Various Authors [Editor: Andrew Lang]
Abenteuer im Korallenriff - Antonia Michaelis [DE]
B
Bambi: A life in the forest & Bambi Children - Felix Salten
Bamboo Kingdom series - Erin Hunter
Bazil Broketail - Christopher Rowley
Beak of the Moon & Dark of the Moon - Philip Temple
Bears of the Ice series - Kathryn Lasky
Beasts of New York - Jon Evans
Beautiful Joe - Margaret Marshall Saunders
Beyond Acacia Ridge - Amy Clare Fontaine
Birddom - Clive Woodall
Black Beauty - Anna Sewell
Blitzcat - Robert Westall
Blizzard Winds - Paul Koch
Books of the Raksura - Martha Wells
Bravelands series- Erin Hunter
Broken Fang - Rutherford Montgomery
Bunnicula series - Deborah Howe & James Howe
Burning Stars - Rurik Redwolf
A Black Fox Running - Brian Carter
A Blue So Loud - Tuesday
The Ballard of The Belstone Fox - David Rook
The Bear - James Curwood
The Bees - Laline Paull
The Biography of a Silver Fox - Ernest Thompson Seton
The Blue Cat of Castle Town - Catherine Cate Coblentz
The Book Of Chameleons - José Eduardo Agualusa
The Book of the Dun Cow - Walter Wangerin Jr.
The Book of Night with Moon - Diane Duane
The Books of the Named series - Clare Bell
The Bug Wars - Robert Asprin
C
Call of the wild - Jack London
Callanish - William Horwood
Catwings - Ursula K. Le Guin
Cat Diaries: Secret Writings of the MEOW Society - Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey & Laurie Myers
Cat House - Michael Peak
Cat Pack - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Cats in the city of Plague - A.L Marlow
Celestial Heir series - Chester Young
Charlotte's Web - E. B. White
Chet and Bernie mysteries - Spencer Quinn
Chia The Wildcat - Joyce stranger
Child of the Wolves - Elizabeth Hall
Clarice the Brave - Lisa McMann
Cry of the Wild - Charles Foster
Coyote's Wild Home - Barbara Kingsolver; Lily Kingsolver & Paul Mirocha
Crocuta - Katelyn Rushe
Cujo - Steven King
The Calatians Series - Tim Susman
The Cats of Roxville station - Jean Craighead Georde
The Chanur Novels - C. J. Cherryh
The Cold Moons - Aeron Clement
The Color of Distance || Through Alien Eyes - Amy Thomson
The Conquerors - Timothy Zahn
The Council of Cats - R. J. F.
The Cricket in Times Square - George Selden
The Crimson Torch - Angela Holder
The Crossbreed - Allan Eckert
The Crucible of Time - John Brunner
D
Darkeye series - Lydia West
Deadlands: The Hunted - Skye Melki-Wegner
Demon of Undoing - Andrea I. Alton
Desert Dog - Jim Kjelgaard
Dinotopia - James Gurney, Alan Dean Foster
Doglands - Tim Willocks
Dimwood Forest series - Avi
A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray - Ann M. Martin
A Dog's Porpoise Duology - M. C. Ross
Dogs of the Drowned City - Dayna Lorentz
A Dog's Purpose series - W. Bruce Cameron
Dolphin Way: Rise of the Guardians - Mark Caney
Domino - Kia Heavey
DragonFire series - Lewis Jones Davies
Dragon Fires Rising - Marc Secchia
Dragon Hoard and Other Tales of Faerie - Cathleen Townsend
Dragons and Skylines series - Rowan Silver
Dragon Prayers - M.J. McPike
Dragons of Mother Stone series - Melissa McShane
Dragon Girls Series - Maddy Mara
The Deptford Mice series - Robin Jarvis
The Dogs of the Spires series - Ethan Summers
The Dragons of Solunas series - H. Leighton Dickson
The Duncton Chronicles - William Horwood
The Destiny of Dragons - J.F.R. Coates
The Diary Of A House Cat - Ileana Dorobantu
Dogtown - Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko
Die schwarze Tigerin - Peer Martin [DE]
Die weiße Wölfin - Vanessa Walder [DE]
Die Wilden Hunde Von Pompeii - Helmut Krausser [DE]
Das wilde Mäh - Vanessa Walder [DE]
E
The Eyes and the Impossible - Dave Eggers
Eclosión - Arturo Balseiro [ES]
Ein Seehund findet nach Hause - Antonia Michaelis [DE]
F
Fantastic Mr. Fox - Roald Dahl
Faithful Ruslan - Georgi Vladimov
Feather and Bone: The Crow Chronicles - Clem Martini
Feathers & Flames series - John Bailey
Felidae series (1) - Akif Pirinçci
Fifteen Rabbits - Felix Salten
Fire, Bed & Bone - Henrietta Branford
Fire of the Phoenix - Azariah Jade
Fluke - James Herbert
Firefall series - Peter Watts
Firebringer - David Clement-Davies
Flush: A Biography Book - Virginia Woolf
Fox - Glyn Frewer
Foxcraft series - Inbali Iserles
Frightful’s Mountain - Jeanie Craighead George
Frost dancers: A story of hares - Garry Kilworth
The Familiars series - Adam Jay Epstein
The Fifth - Saylor Ferguson
The Firebringer series - Meredith Ann Pierce
The Fox and The Hound - Daniel P. Mannix
Freundschaft im Regenwald - Peer Martin [DE]
(1) Felidae's Author - Akif Pirinçci - is known to be a Xenophobic, Anti-muslim, Anti-Lgbt and Extreme Right-Wing guy (A N4zi by his on words). Won't be going onto details just know he has a non-fiction work called "Germany Gone Mad: The Crazy Cult around Women, Homosexuals and Immigrants." His works has been out of print ever since.
G
Guardian Cats and the lost books of Alexandria - Rahma Krambo
Guardians of Ga'Hoole series - Kathryn Lasky
Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Griffin Quest - Sophie Torro
Gryphon Insurrection series - K. Vale Nagle
The Ghost and It's Shadow - Shaun Hick
The Golden Eagle - Robert Murphy
The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker
The Good Dog - Newbery Medalist
The Guardian Herd series - Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
The Goodbye Cat - Hiro Arikawa
H
Haunt Fox - Jim Kjelgaard
Haven: A Small Cat's Big Adventure - Megan Wagner Lloyd
Heavenly Horse series - Mary Stanton
Hive - Ischade Bradean
Horses of Dawn series - Kathryn Lasky
House of Tribes - Garry Kilworth
Hunter's Moon/Foxes of First dark - Garry Kilworth
Hunters Universe series - Abigail Hilton
A Hare at Dark Hollow - Joyce Stranger
The Hundred and One Dalmatians & The Starlight Barking - Dodie Smith
The Hunt for Elsewhere - Beatrice Vine
Hollow Kingdom Duology - Kira Jane Buxton
I
I am a Cat - Natsume Sōseki
I, Scheherezade: Memoirs of a Siamese Cat - Douglass Parhirst
In the Long Dark - Brian Carter
The Incredible Journey - Sheila Burnford
Im Reich der Geparde - Kira Gembri [DE]
J
Joe Grey series - Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach & Russell Munson
Julie of the Wolves - Jeanie Craighead George
The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling
Journey to the West - Wu Cheng'en
K
Kävik the Wolf Dog - Walt Morey
Kazan duology - James Curwood
Kine - Alan Lloyd
Kona's Song - Louise Searl
The Killers - Daniel P. Mannix
Kindred of the Wild - Charles G.D Roberts
König der Bären - Vanessa Walder [DE]
L
Lassie Come-Home - Eric Knight
Last of the Curlews - Fred Bodsworth
Lazy Scales - D.M. Gilmore
Legends of Blood series - Ethan Summers
A Legend of Wolf Song - George Stone
Luna the Lone Wolf - Forest Wells
Lupus Rex - John Carter Cash
Lutapolii: White Dragon of the South - Deryn Pittar
The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle
The Labrador Pact & The Last Family in England - Matt Haig
The Last Dogs - Christopher Holt
The Last Eagle - Daniel P. Mannix
The Last Great Auk - Allan Eckert
The Last Monster on Earth - L.J. Davies
The Life Story of a Fox - J. C. Tregarthen
The Lost Rainforest series - Eliot Schrefer & Emilia Dziubak
The Lost Domain - Martin Hocke
The Last Whales: A Novel - Lloyd Abbey
M
Mammoth Trilogy - Stephen Baxter
Manxmouse: The Mouse Who Knew No Fear - Paul Gallico
Marney the Fox - Scott Goodall & John Stokes
Mattie: The story of a hedgehog - Norman Adams, & G.D. Griffiths
Matriarch: Elephant vs. T-Rex - Roz Gibson
Migon - P.C. Keeler
Monkey Wars - Richard Kurti
The Mistmantle chronicles - M.I. McAllister
The Mountain Lion - Robert Murphy
The Mouse Butcher - Dick King-Smith
The Mouse Protectors Series - Olly Barrett
Maru - Die Reise der Elefanten - Kira Gembri [DE]
N
New Springtime series - Robert Silverberg
Nightshade Chronicles - Hilary Wagner
Nugly - M. C. Ross
Nuru und Lela - Das Wunder der Wildnis - Kira Gembri [DE]
O
Old One-Toe - Michel-Aimé Baudouy
Of Birds and Branches - Frances Pauli
Outlaw Red - Jim Kjelgaard
The Old Stag - Henry Williamson
The One and Only Ivan - Katherine Applegate
P
Painted Flowers - Caitlin Grizzle
Pax & Pax: Journey Home - Sara Pennypacker
Petrichor - C.E. Wright
The Plague Dogs - Richard Adams
The Pit - Elaine Ramsay
Pride Wars - Matt Laney
A Pup Called Trouble - Bobbie Pyron
The Peregryne Falcon - Robert Murphy
Pork and Others - Cris Freddi
Q
Queen in the Mud - Maari
Quill and Claw series - Kathryn Brown
R
Rak: The story of an Urban Fox - Jonathon Guy
Rats of Nimh series - Robert C. O'Brien
Raven Quest - Sharon Stewart
Raptor Red - Robert T. Bakker
Red Fox - Charles G. D. Roberts
Redwall series - Brian Jacques
Rose in a Storm - Jon Katz
Rufus - Rutherford Montgomery
Run With the Wind series - Tom McCaughren
Runt - Marion Dane Baeur
Rustle in the Grass - Robin Hawdon
Rusty - Joyce Stranger
The Remembered War series - Robert Vane
The Rescuers series - Margery Sharp
The Red Stranger - David Stephen
The River Singers & The Rising - Tom Moorhouse
The Road Not Taken - Harry Turtledove,
The Running Foxes - Joyce Stranger
Revier der Raben - Vanessa Walder [DE]
S
Salar the Salmon - Henry Williamson
Scary Stories for Young Foxes Duology - Christian McKay Heidicker
Scaleshifter series - Shelby Hailstone Law
Scream of the White Bears - David Clement-Davies
Seekers saga - Erin Hunter
Serpentia Series - Frances Pauli
Shadows in the Sky - Pete Cross
Shark Wars Series - EJ Altbacker
Silverwing series - Kenneth Oppel
Silver Brumby series - Elyne Mitchell
Sirius - Olaf Stapledon
Solo's Journey - Joy Aiken Smith
Sky Hawk - Gill Lewis
Snow Dog - Jim Kjelgaard
Song of the River - Soinbhe Lally
Spirit of the West series - Kathleen Duey
Survivors series - Erin Hunter
Stray - A.N Wilson
String Lug the Fox - David Stephen
Swashbuckling Cats: Nine Lives on the Seven Seas - Rhonda Parrish & Co.
Swordbird series - Nancy Yi Fan
The Sheep-Pig - Dick King-Smith
The Sight & Fell - David Clement-Davies
The Silent Sky - Allan Eckert
The Silver Claw - Garry Kilworth
The Stoner Eagles - William Horwood
The Stink Files - Jennifer L. Holm & Jonathan Hamel
The Snowcat Prince - Dina Norlund
The Story Of A Seagull And The Cat Who Taught Her To Fly - Luis Sepúlveda
The Story of a Snail Who Discovered the Importance of Being Slow - Luis Sepúlveda
The Story of a dog called Leal - Luis Sepúlveda
The Story of a Red Deer - John Fortescue
The Summer King Chronicles - Jess E. Owen
Schogul, Rächer der Tiere - Birgit Laqua [DE]
Stadt der Füchse - Vanessa Walder [DE]
T
Tailchaser's Song - Tad Williams
Tarka the Otter - Henry Williamson
Three Bags Full - Leonnie Swann
Thy Servant a Dog - Rudyard Kipling
Tomorrow's Sphinx - Clare Bell
Torn Ear - Geoffrey Malone
Thor - Wayne Smith
Trickster - Tom Moorhouse
Two Dogs and a Horse - Jim Kjelgaard
The Travelling Cat Chronicles - Hiro Arikawa
The Trilogy of the Ants - Bernard Werber
The Trumpet of the Swan - E. B. White
The Tusk That Did the Damage - Tania James
The Tygrine cat - Inbali Iserles
U
Ultimate Dragon Saga - Graham Edwards
Under the Skin - Michel Faber
V
Varjak Paw duology - S.F Said
Vainqueur the Dragon series - Maxime J. Durand
W
War Bunny series - Christopher St. Jhon
War Horse - Michael Morpurgo
War Queen - Illthylian
Warrior Cats series - Erin Hunter
Watership Down/Tales of Watership Down - Richard Adams
Ways of Wood Folk - William J. Long
Welkin Weasels series - Garry Kilworth
West of Eden - Harry Harrison
Whalesong Trilogy - Robert Siegel
Whale - Jeremy Lucas
Whispers in the Forest - Barbara Coultry
White Wolf - Henrietta Branford
White Fang - Jack London
White Fox Series - Jiatong Chen
Wild Lone - Denys Watkins-Pitchford
Wild Animals I Have Known - Ernest Thompson Seton
Willow Tree Wood Series - J. S. Betts
Wings of Fire series - Tui T. Sutherland
Winterset Hollow - Jonathan Edward Durham
Wolf: The Journey Home | Hungry for Home: A Wolf Odyssey - Asta Bowen
Wolf Brother series - Michelle Paver
Wolf Chronicles - Dorothy Hearst
Wolves of the Beyond series - Kathryn Lasky
Woodstock Saga - Michael Tod
A Whale of the Wild - Rosanne Parry
A Wolf Called Wander - Rosanne Parry
The Waters of Nyra - Kelly Michelle Baker
The Wolves of Elementa series - Sophie Torro
The Wolves of Time - William Horwood
The Wolf Chronicles Series - Teng Rong
The Way of Kings - Louise Searl
The White Bone - Barbara Gowdy
The White Fox/Singing Tree - Brian Parvin
The White Puma - Ronald Lawrence
The Wild Road & The Golden Cat - Gabriel King
The Wildings & The Thousand names of darkness - Nilanjana Roy
The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
The Wind Protect You - Pat Murphy
The Wolves of Paris - Daniel P. Mannix
Y
Yellow eyes - Rutherford Montgomery
The Year Of The Dinosaur - Edwin H. Colbert
Z
Zones of Thought series - Vernor Vinge
Z-Verse series by R.H
Comic Books/Graphic Novels
Animosity - Marguerite Bennett
Age of Reptiles - Ricardo Delgado
Legend - Samuel Sattin Koehler
Mouse Guard - David Petersen
Pride of Baghdad - Brian K. Vaughan & Niko Henrichon
Rover Red Charlie - Garth Ennis & Michael Dipascale
Stray Dogs - Tony Fleecs & Trish Forstner
We3 - Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely
Beasts of Burden - Evan Dorkin & Jill Thompson
LOBO: Canine Crusader of the Metal Wasteland - Macs-World-Ent
The Sandman: Dream of a Thousand Cats - Neil Gaiman
Animal Castle - Xavier Dorison & Felix Delep
Blacksad Series - Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido
Scurry - Mac Smith
The Snowcat Prince - Dina Norlund
Rankless - Maggie Lightheart
Animal Pound - Tom King & Peter Gross
Animal Castle - Xavier Dorison & Felix Delep
BlackSad - Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido
Picture Books
Steve the Dung Beetle: On a Roll - Susan R. Stoltz & Melissa Bailey
Hot Dog - Doug Salati
The Rock from the Sky - Jon Klassen
Whoever Heard of a Flying Bird? - David Cunliffe & Ivan Barrera
A Cat Named Whiskers - Shana Gorian
Ocean Tales Children's Books Series - Sarah Cullen & Zuzana Sbodová
Jake the Growling Dog - Samantha Shannon
Indie Written Works
Fins Above Series - MIROYMON
Journey of Atlas - Journey of Atlas
Webcomics
A
Africa - Arven92
After Honour - genstaelens
Awka - Nothofagus-obliqua
Arax - Azany
Amarith - Eredhys
The Apple's Echo - Helianthanas
Alone - Magpeyes
B
The Blackblood Alliance - KayFedewa
The Betrothed - Kibisca
Black Tyrant - Zapp-BEAST
Blue - HunterBeingHunted
Beast Tags - TheRoomPet
Spy - Utahraptor93
Be Reflected in my Eyes - Aquene-lupetta
C
Carry your voice - TacoBella
Caelum Sky - ALRadeck
Crescent Wing - Mikaley
Crescent Moonlight - AnimalCrispy
City of Trees - SanjanaIndica
Corpse - doeprince/ratt
D
Darbi - Sherard Jackson
The Devils Demons - Therbis
Doe of Deadwood - Songdogx
Dyten - Therbis
Desperation - PracticelImagination
E
Equus Siderae - Dalgeor
Empyrean - Leonine-Skies
Enchantment - FeralWolf1234
F
Fox Fires - Pipilia
Forget me Not - Nitteh
Fjeld - Dachiia
Felinia - Rainy-bleu
G
Golden Shrike - doeprince/ratt
Ghost of the Gulag - David Derrick Jr.
H
Horse Age - BUGHS-22
Hiraeth - AFlameThatNeverDies
Half-Blood - majkaria
Horns of Light - ThatMoonySky
I
I Hope So - Detective Calico
The Ivory Walk - TacoBella
I'm not Ready - Wolfkingdom372
J
Jet and Harley - doeprince
K
Kestrel Island - Silverphoenix
Kin - Fienduredraws
KuroMonody - IrisBdz
Krystal - Nitteh
The King of Eyes - CloverTailedFox09
L
Legend of Murk - Azany
LouptaOmbra - Loupta Ombra (OngakuK, MlleNugget & joeypony)
Leopards bring rain - Kyriuar
M
Mazes of Filth - petitecanine
Minimal All You Are - mike-princeofstars
N
Nine Riders - SpiriMuse
No Man's Land - TacoBella
Never seen the Day - R3dk3y
Norra - shadowmirku
O
Obsidian Fire - SolinaBright
Oren's Forge - teagangavet
Off-White - Akreon
Out Of Time - IndiWolf
R
Rabbit on the Moon - Songdogx & Nitteh
The Rabbit Hole - Detrah
RunningWolf Mirari - Mirella Menciassi
Raptor - ElenPanter
Redriver - FireTheWolf777
Repeat - Songdogx
The Rabbit's Foot - riri_arts
S
Scurry - Mac Smith
Simbol - Zoba22
Spirit Lock - Animal Crispy
The Sylcoe - Denece-the-sylcoe
Sunder - Aurosoul
T
Tainted Hearts - Therbis
Taxicat - owlburrow
That's Freedom Guyra - Nothofagus-obliqua
Three Corners: A Kitten's Story - Lara Frizzell
Tofauti Sawa - TheCynicalHound
Two of a Kind - ProjectNao
To Catch a Star - SleepySundae
U
Under the Ash Tree - ChevreLune
Uninvited - Nothofagus-obliqua
W
Water Wolves - LuckyStarhun
What Lurks Beneath - ArualMeow
Water Wolves - LuckyStarhun
Wild Wolves - Lombarsi
White Tail - SleepySundae
What's your damage? - FrostedCanid
The Wolves of Chena - Yamis-Art
Waves Always Crash - Hellhunde
The Whale's Heart - Possumteeeth [Warriors Fancomic]
Manga
A Centaur's Life - Murayama Kei
Beastars - Paru Itagaki
Chi's Sweet Home - Kanata Konami
Ginga Series [Silverfang] - Yoshihiro Takahashi
Gon - Masashi Tanaka
Houseki no Kuni | Land of the Lustrous - Haruko Ichikawa
Inugami-Kai - Masaya Hokazono
The Jungle Emperor - Osamu Tezuka
My roommate is a cat - Minatsuki & Asu Futatsuya
Crimsons – The Scarlet Navigators of the Ocean - Kanno Takanori
Rooster Fighter - Shū Sakuratani
Simoun - Shō Aikawa
The Fox & Little Tanuki - Mi Tagawa
Yuria 100 Shiki - Nobuto Hagio
Massugu ni Ikou - Kira
Cat Soup
The Amazing 3
Cat + Gamer - Wataru Nadatani
Animated Series
#
101 Dalmatians: The series & 101 Dalmatian Street
A
A Polar Bear in Love
B
Baja no Studio
Bagi: Monster of Mighty Nature
Bannertail: The Story of Gray Squirrel
Bluey
C
Centaurworld (2021)
Chirin's Bell
Chironup no Kitsune
D
Dokkun Dokkun
E
F
G
Gamba no Bouken
H
Hazbin Hotel
I
Invader ZIM
Inu to Neko Docchi mo Katteru to Mainichi Tanoshii
J
K
King Fang
Koisuru Shirokuma
Kemushi no Boro
Kewang Lantian
Konglong Baobei: Shiluo De Wenming
L
Little Polar Bear
M
Manxmouse's Great Activity
Mitsubachi Maya no Bouken
Mikan Enikki
Massugu ni Ikou -
My Life as a Teenage Robot
Mikan Enikki
N
O
Ore, Tsushima
Okashi na Sabaku no Suna to Manu
P
Primal
Polar Bear Cafe
Q
R
Robotboy (2005)
S
Seton Doubutsuki: Risu no Banner
Simoun
T
The Amazing 3
Tottoko Hamtarou
The Adventure of Qiqi and Keke
Tama & Friends: Third Street Story
U
V
W
Watership Down (2018) & Watership Down (1999)
What's Michael?
Wolf's Rain
Wonder Pets
X
Y
Live-Action/Hybrid show
Fantasy High
A Crown of Candy
Burrow's End
Good Omens
Webseries
Dinosauria - Dead Sound
My Pride - tribbleofdoom
Whitefall - Chylk
The Stolen Hope - Galemtido
Dragon's Blood - FluffyGinger
Helluva Boss -
Murder Drones -
Short Films
A
Alone a wolf's winter
B
Baja's Studio
Beautiful Name
Burrow
C
Cat Piano
Cat Soup
Chicken Little
D
E
F
Far From the Tree
Ferdinand the Bull
Frypan Jiisan
G
Genji Fantasy: The Cat Fell in Love With Hikaru Genji
Gaitou to Neko
H
Hao Mao Mimi
Houzi Dian Bianpao
I
J
Je T'aime
K
Kitbull
L
Lava
Lambert the sheepish lion
Laoshu Jia Nu
M
Mahoutsukai no Melody
Monmon the Water Spider
Mushroom - Nakagawa Sawako
N
O
Of Mice and Clockworks
Osaru no Tairyou
P
Piper
Q
R
Robin Robin
Rusuban
S
Sauria - Dead Sound
Smash and Grab
Street of Crocodiles
She and Her Cat
Space Neko Theater
Shiroi Zou | White Elephant
Shi | Food
Sugar, With a Story
Straw-saurus NEO
T
The Chair
The Blue Umbrella
The Shell Shocked Egg
The Dog Door
The Dog In The Alley
That's Why They Were Made
U
Ushigaeru
V
W
With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun
X
Y
Z
Zhui Shu
Animated Films
#
101 Dalmatians duology
A
A Monkey's Tale (1999)
All Dogs go to Heaven
The Adventures of Lolo the Penguin
Alpha and Omega saga
An American Tail
The Aristocats
Antz
Animals United
Annabelle's Wish (1997)
Alakazam the great (1960)
B
Back Outback
Balto
Bambi / Bambi II
Bolt
Brother Bear / Brother Bear II
A Bug's Life
The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales
Bee Movie
The Brave Little Toaster
Birds of a Feather
Back to the Forest
C
Cars
Chance
Chicken Run
D
Dinosaur
Speckles: The Tarbosaurus || Dino King: Journey to Fire Mountain
Dumbo
DC League of Super-Pets
E
Elemental
F
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fantastic Planet
Felidae
The Fox and the Hound
Finding Nemo/Finding Dory
Free Birds
The Fearless Four
G
The Good Dinosaur
Ghost in the Shell
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
H
Happy Feet/Happy Feet Two
Help! I'm a Fish
Home on the Range
Hoero! Bun Bun Movie
Hokkyoku no Muushika Miishika
I
Ice Age Franchise
Isle of Dogs
I Am T-Rex
J
Jungledyret Hugo
K
Koati
The King of Tibetan Antelope
Kuma no Gakkou trilogy
L
Lady and the Tramp
The Land Before time Franchise
The Last Unicorn
Leafy, A Hen in the wild
Little Big Panda
The Lion King Franchise
Lucky and Zorba
Lilo & Stitch
Luca
Last Day of the Dinosaurs
M
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Marona's Fantastic Tale
Millionaire Dogs
My Friend Tyranno
Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants || Minuscule - Mandibles from Far Away
Mouse and His Child
N
Nezumi Monogatari: George to Gerald no Bouken
O
Oliver & Company
One Stormy Night
Over the Edge
P
Padak
The Plague Dogs
Pompoko
Pinocchio by Guillermo del Toro
Pipi Tobenai Hotaru
R
Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure
Rango
Ratatouille
Raven the Little Rascal
Reynard the Fox (1989)
Rio
Robots
Rock a Doodle
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1998)
The Rabbi’s Cat
S
Samson and Sally
Sahara
The Secret of Nihm
The Secret Life of Pets/The Secret Life of Pets II
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Sheep & Wolves
The Seventh Brother
A Stork's Journey
Stowaways on the Ark
T
A Turtle's Tale
The One and Only Ivan
Toy Story
Twilight of the Cockroaches (1987)
The Trumpet of the Swan
The Enchanted Journey
U
Unico
Underdog
V
Vuk the Little Fox
W
WALL·E
Watership Down (1978)
White Fang
Wizards
The Wild
Wolf Children
Wolfwalkers
X
Y
You Are Umasou
Z
Zootopia
Live Action/CGI Assisted Movies
Au Hasard Balthazar
Beverly Hills Chihuahua franchise
Cats & Dogs franchise
Charlotte's Web
EO
Fluke (1995) - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Homeward Bound duology (1963 & 1996) - Disney
The Legend of Lobo (1962) - Disney
Strays (2023) - Universal Pictures
Pride (2024) - BBC
101 Dalmatians duology (1996 & 2000)
Documentary
March of the Penguins
Meerkat Manor
Lemur Street
Gangs of Lemur Island
Orangutan Island
Prairie Dog Dynasty
Chimp Empire
Monkey Thieves
Monkey Kingdom
Theather
Cats
Videogames
Animalia Survival - High Brazil Studio
Cattails - Falcon Development
Endling: Extinction is Forever
Gibbon: Beyond the trees - Broken Rules
The Lonesome Fog - Might and Delight
Meadow - Might and Delight
Niche - Stray Fawn Studio
Shelter / Shelter 2/ Shelter 3 - Might and Delight
Paws - Might and Delight
Stray - BlueTwelve Studio
The WILDS - Gluten Free Games
Wolf Quest - eduweb
Golden Treasure: The Great Green - Dreaming Door Studios
Spirit of the North - Infuse Studio
Ōkami - Clover Studio
Rain World - Videocult
Feather - Samurai Punk
Eagle Flight - Ubisoft Montreal Studio
Copoka - Inaccurate Interactive
Untitled Goose Game - House House
PaRappa - NanaOn-Sha
Night in the Woods - Infinite Fall & Secret Lab
Monster Prom - Beautiful Glitch
Them's Fightin' Herds - Mane6
Toontown
E.V.O.: Search for Eden - Givro Corporation
(Pretty much most of Might and Delight games)
Online Browser Games
Lioden
Wolvden
Flight Rising
Lorwolf
Table Top Games
Bunnies & Burrows
Chronicles of Darkness
Wanderhome
Mage: The Awakening
Werewolf: The Apocalypse
Pugmire
Three Raccoons in a Trench Coat
World Tree (RPG)
Pawpocalypse
Heckin' Good Doggos
Humblewood
Dungeons & Dragons (Depends on the GM)
Music
In My Eyes You're a Giant - Sonata Arctica
It Won't Fade - Unia
The Cage - Winterheart's Guild
Other Online Projects
Youtubers
Cardinal West
Xenofiction Reviews
Gen. Videos
Trope Talk: Small Mammal on a Big Adventure by Overly Sarcastic Productions
youtube
Worlds
Mirolapye - Varverine
Franchises
Sonic the Hedgehog
My little pony
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Hamtaro
Pokemon
Digimon
Kirby
Monter High
Tom & Jerry
Baldur’s Gate
Maya the Bee
The Little Polar Bear
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On May 29th, 1977, Elvis played the Baltimore Civic Center to an audience of just under 13 000. Like many shows from around this period, the truth has been somewhat obscured by slanted press reviews which have been uncritically rehashed in subsequent biographies. This show has earned some notoriety owing to Elvis leaving the stage for possibly as long as 30 minutes mid-show, leaving poor Charlie Hodge to lead the band through a series of introductions and solos in the face of increasing audience impatience.
Accounts vary as to what followed. One report suggested Elvis returned to the stage and completed the show in a 'desultory fashion', while another reported that 'he came back on like gangbusters'.
Interestingly, the unscheduled intermission didn't even rate a mention in the Baltimore Sun review, which offered the headline 'Presley Has the Old Magic Still', and described the show as 'intelligent and well-paced'.
"...Of course, by this time Elvis is virtually impervious to all criticism. The media have to buy tickets if they want to review him or take his picture, he doesn't need them (The Sun's photographer, who didn't have a ticket, was not allowed in the Civic Center.) He doesn't even have to sing. People come just to see him as they would visit a national monument...To the thousands who cheered him last night, he is a symbol of innocence tinged with just the right combination of sex, show business and country music. They don't know why exactly, but they still love him..."
The performance was preserved in an audience-recorded bootleg, and seems to be a generally solid show. Elvis tried his best to make amends following his absence, taking requests and making a big effort. Had he given the audience an extra 15 or 20 minutes beyond his usual stage time, he might just have got away with it.
(Review transcript thanks to Francesc Lopez at elvisconcerts.com)
#elvis history#elvis presley#elvis in the 70s#rock history#elvis fans#elvis#elvis 1970s#musicians#live music#elvis aaron presley
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Have you read Mary Renault's Alexander series/if you have, do you have thoughts? I've only read the persian boy so far and just started Fire from heaven but I've always heard amazing things about how she wrote them
Hello lovely anon!
I'm going to start off with an apology in advance, because whoops! You've asked me something that's set off my inner ramblings quite happily here (in a good way). So I'm going to roll up my sleeves behind the 'read more' and get overexcited about this.
But just in case, the tl;dr is: yes, I have. And yes, I love the series (with a few caveats):
Let's start when young!Lady was a small, wide-eyed thing, all of 17, who had just lied on her Oxford application form, and said she'd read Arrian's Campaigns of Alexander. Then she got called for interview and thought 'Oh shit, I'd better actually read it'. So she did. And she loved it. And she kind of... ended up developing a little obsession with this bloke called Alexander.
Now, around the same time as this deceit was taking place, Robin Lane Fox's biography on Alexander was fairly accessible in most book stores. Possibly because it's really quite a readable biography, and thus had become quite popular. And so young!Lady snaffled that too, and read it. And Lane Fox's name kept coming up in conjunction with Mary Renault's (perhaps because - personally speaking - I think they have a fairly similar approach in their views on Alexander), and so young!Lady thought 'Hey! Let's read those books too!'
All of which, is a very long-winded way of saying: I read them, and I loved them at the time. (To be fair, I still love them. Hephaistion my beloved.) Renault's style of writing is gorgeous. I know for some people it can be off-putting, and a little difficult to parse (she's not what I call a 'light read' in that sense), but I genuinely love the way she constructs her prose.
She was also, I think, one of the first fictional writers to actively and openly tackle an explicit romantic relationship between Alexander and Hephaistion (most prominent in Fire from Heaven, but it's definitely still there in The Persian Boy), and although Hephaistion-as-a-concept had been kicking around before then, I think Renault made the relationship (and Hephaistion) more... mainstream, if I can put it like that?
Renault's historical research is also good. She does give a really interesting flavour of what it must have felt like to live in a Macedonian court, filled with intrigue and the kind of political machinations that resulted in heads rolling. She captures that dangerous, desperate element very well, and she makes Macedonian life accessible to a reader in a way I very much enjoy.
I think as I've got older, where my love for Renault's version has become a little tarnished is in my own inability to put aside my mental nitpickings (and this is no fault of Renault's writing!). Her Alexander trilogy writes about Alexander-the-Legend, not Alexander-the-Man. For me, there is very little balance to be had from her, and although this was a stylistic choice, I do find myself missing the nuance of an Alexander who is not, well, pretty much a perfect example of a living god. He's almost Achillean in the way Renault portrays him - far beyond us brief mortals! - and in some ways that makes his fictional character feel more inaccessible to me. Her Alexander is untouchable. Unknowable. Godlike in his abilities and driven by ambitions far beyond anything a non-heroic mortal can comprehend.
I also feel that Renault's portrayal (understandably) is a bit wrapped up in W.W. Tarn's vision of Alexander as some kind of benevolent conqueror (he wasn't), whose life's exploits were geared towards the betterment of mankind (they weren't). I need to add: this isn't a criticism of Renault! Tarn's scholarship and ideology was very prevalent for quite a while (see: Robin Lane Fox, who sort of subscribed to a viewpoint of Alexander along vaguely similar lines, I think).
My other gentle nitpick, is that very often Renault's women are stereotypes. Or caricatures. Olympias comes across as a vengeful harpy (interestingly, I think there is a lot or Renault's Olympias in Oliver Stone's film version). Again, I think it's fair to defend Renault with the fact that she's working with historical sources that can have the same biases - but even so, for me it's not particularly satisfying.
In the same vein...
Hephiastion my beloved. He does suffer from this too, I think. He's very much in the style of an 'Alexander-can-do-no-wrong' kind of character, and although that does fit the narrative purpose, it simultaneously makes me a little sad that we don't particularly get to see an active, competent Hephaistion in the way I personally feel he likely was. He's not completely reduced to the role of 'the boyfriend', but he is completely defined by Alexander - his behaviour, his impulses, his career are all attributed more to being 'philalexandros', than to any genuinely displayed individualistic motives. Again, it's not a bad thing, but for my Hephaistion-loving gremlin heart it can be dissatisfying if I don't turn off that portion of my brain a bit.
All of which is my very rambling way of saying: yes, I've read Renault's Alexandriad, and yes I genuinely do love those books - for what they represent, for what they do and just for the sheer joy of reading them. But I do have some slight quibbles. None of which are enough to put me off of them, only to say that I think as a reader I have to temper my expectations and meet the books where they are (for what they are). They are beautifully written, and I do think they do something rather unique for the Alexander mythos.
One other book I'd recommend - purely for the sheer delight of it - is Aubrey Menen's A Conspiracy of Women. Written around the same time, it's very different and deals primarily with a moment in time during Alexander's campaigns. It is a satire (not particularly historically motivated), and it pokes fun at quite literally everyone. Whilst not at all romantic in (either sense of the word) the way Renault's writing is, I do love the fact it takes aim at Alexander, and the Alexander mythos (along with a more generally satirical approach to the concept of empire building).
I also love Menen's Hephaistion, who is possibly the driest, wittiest takes-no-nonsense-from Alexander character:
Few men could face an angry Alexander and remain in control of themselves. But one of these was Hephaestion. He glanced at his friend the King, smiled and then said, "Alexander, if you continue to glare that way, the poor man will die of fright. Bathyllus," he said, "for the moment only His Majesty may wear Persian robes. Maybe one day we shall all do so. But His Majesty has not yet made up his mind on the subject."
This being the exact truth, it made Alexander angrier than ever, as Hephaestion knew it would, but with him and not with the unfortunate Bathyllus. Alexander turned his back on Hephaestion. "See that he is brought to my tent," he said, and strode away.
"See that you bring yourself to His Majesty's tent," said Hephaestion to Bathyllus. "I am in no mood for his imperial tantrums this evening..." (pg.19)
Or:
"Hephaestion," he said, "am I really as vain as you say?"
"Did I say you were vain?"
"You said I was in love with myself. Just now. When I boxed your ears."
"Ah," said Hephaestion. "Yes. You are."
"You must tell me when I get vain."
"I do," said Hephaestion.
"Yes, you do," said Alexander. "And I am grateful."
"You are usually remarkably cross," said Hephaestion. "But I shall go on telling you."
"It's strange," said Alexander. "We have conquered a world together, but our friendship is as strong as ever."
Hephaestion made no answer.
"You must find me very hard to bear sometimes, Hephaestion."
"Sometimes," agreed Hephaestion.
"When?" asked Alexander.
"When, for instance, you say things like 'We have conquered a world together, but our friendship is as strong as ever'." Hephaestion echoed exactly the touch of pomposity that Alexander had put into his voice.
Alexander smiled. He reached out and put a hand on Hephaestion's shoulder as they rode together." (pg. 101)
Hephaistion my beloved.
#lady replies#perils of a classicist in modern life#sometimes Lady is a Classicist#this reply could be ten times longer#I have a lot to say about Alexander in fiction#and it shows#alas I do not have the time to do a deep dive into all the things I'd love to reflect on at the moment
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Uh-oh Ze's Writing A Kids in the Hall Essay for Fun Again
aka i wanted to infodump but i didn't know who to send the infodump to specifically so i'm making it a post
basically i was thinking about the iconic man-in-a-towel "character" that's become ubiquitous in kids in the hall projects and how that's an example of how queer culture is such an integral part of kids in the hall even in basic ways people might miss. not just bc paul bellini has been openly gay for just as long as scott has, but also because the towel thing itself is literally a reference to queer culture
(side note when i was watching kids in the hall for the very first time i had no idea bellini was gay, and now after diving into mouth congress and every other piece of kids in the hall related media i could get my hands on, plus becoming close friends with bellini himself, i'm just sitting here like "how was there ever a time when i didn't know he was gay???")
like, here's the explanation of the source of the "man in a towel" aspect of the bellini contest from Paul Myers' Kids in the Hall biography "One Dumb Guy":
i just find it so fascinating that the towel thing specifically came from the idea of this "character" being in a bathhouse, and how watching the series in 2023 without that context may lead to that aspect being lost on viewers entirely because that's not something that's as in the public consciousness when it comes to queer culture anymore. you see a guy walking around in a towel in a piece of media in 2023 and your first thought is of a gym locker room or something like that. and this lack of context doesn't take away from the joke at all, the surreal humor of this random guy wearing a towel being the prize for the kids in the hall viewer contest and appearing in the background of numerous sketches works regardless of why he's in the towel in the first place, but as someone who loves kids in the hall in large part because of its attitude towards queerness refusing to play along with respectability politics, the way gay sex is a part of this seemingly-unrelated gag is incredible. like, it's almost framed as though the world is his bathhouse, and he's just wandering around waiting for something to happen. like a more zen version of the "running faggot" character. and even in the above section, when he's like "i knew it would make me famous, and maybe that would help me get laid." that idea is so normalized when it comes to straight guys wanting to get laid, but it still feels so revolutionary to be like "yeah, this can be a part of it as well."
but beyond that, the way bathhouses in particular come up in kids in the hall related works is always going to be fascinating to me, because i feel like they're a part of queer culture and queer history that is so often either forgotten or treated as shameful. like, prior to getting into kids in the hall, the only times i ever heard about bathhouses were when people talked about the AIDS epidemic, and even when people were trying to sound queer-positive there was always this implication that bathhouses were just a place where disease was spread and they all ceased to exist after the 1980s. kids in the hall on the other hand? any time bathhouses are brought up, it's treated in a similar way to just going to a bar. some people like to get drunk, some people like to get high, some people like to have casual sex with men. there's comedy to be found in any of these environments but there's nothing inherently morally wrong with any of them
in most other western media, bathhouses are forced to carry this stigma, but in the works of kids in the hall (especially scott thompson) the carefree attitude towards sex is almost enviable. a STEPS sketch where the trio are in conflict ends with the group setting aside their differences to head to the bathhouse. the scenes in buddy babylon (the fictional autobiography of buddy cole, written by scott thompson and paul bellini) depicting a bathhouse encounter are surprisingly un-sensationalized. it's just a casual fun night out and a way to meet new people, and even the sex scenes in that book aren't typically framed as spectacle. (this goes along with buddy babylon's unique tone as the most down-to-earth buddy cole media, but that's a whole other essay). even scott thompson's standup set "the human urinal," which revolves around a particularly embarrassing bathhouse encounter, thrives on its observational humor and self deprecation. most strikingly, the human urinal story is a recent example, and in this set scott even acknowledges the reputation bathhouses have as this shameful relic of the past. i actually highly recommend the human urinal standup set, though it's absolutely a "dead dove do not eat" for exactly what it says in the title.
youtube
and, of course, on this topic i was thinking about the way gay sex is portrayed in kids in the hall season six (aka the revival season for amazon prime). in it, we have two main sketches that center this particular theme. the first is sole buddy cole sketch of the season, "the last gloryhole" (featuring paul bellini as the voice of the gloryhole, fun fact). this sketch highlights the exact theme this essay has been getting at, directly calling out the way respectability politics has erased the more "nsfw" history of the queer community through the surrealist premise of buddy cole getting the last remaining gloryhole in the city declared a national landmark by the late queen elizabeth. the only other sketch to center around gay sex happens as a 70s flashback, and even that one is actually moreso focused on the idea of the partners in this gay relationship getting jealous of each other for sleeping with a woman (honestly i don't have much deep analysis for this one because tbh i didn't like the sketch that much).
the most striking thing about these two examples is the weird paradox kids in the hall season six finds itself in when it comes to censorship, or lack thereof. now, censorship and kids in the hall season six is a loaded topic that could spawn its own essay, but this isn't about direct censorship (i.e. someone explicitly saying "you can't show that"), but instead about cultural ideas of censorship, what is and isn't normal to show on television. ask any kids in the hall fan who's seen all six seasons and the most jarring difference between the revival and the original show is the amount of nudity. amazon let them show dicks, so they're gonna show dicks, and also dave foley has fake tits in the latter of the sketches mentioned above (though they were technically also able to show dave with tits in the original show too). however, even though visually seeing nudity gives the implication that this is a fully uncensored production, there's still this hesitancy towards some of the gay topics that were freely explored in the original series that's definitely a product of respectability politics. gay male sexual desire is de-centralized in a way it never has been. the reason the above sketches feel out of place is not because they're not typical of the kids in the hall, but because the rest of the show is not matching the tone in the same way.
anyway, thank you for listening to this infodump. gay male sexual desire has always been integral to the kids in the hall and the fact that the show's queer creators refused to conform to respectability politics allowed them to treat this topic with far more respect than anyone has since.
#kids in the hall#scott thompson#kith#queer#paul bellini#buddy cole#mouth congress#blorbo from my shows#gay#youtube#sketch comedy#essay#Youtube
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[ skeet ulrich — 53 — he/him ] Introducing HEATH JAMES MORGAN . Word on the street is they are a RETIRED F1 DRIVER / CAPTAIN and member of THE BROTHERHOOD for the past TEN YEARS . Though they are DEMANDING and BRUTAL , they can also be INCISIVE and AUTHORITARIAN . In the chaos of New York City, they’re sure to fit right in.
— BASICS.
Name: Heathcliff James Morgan
Nickname: Heath
Age / D.O.B.: 53 / March 22, 1970
Gender, Pronouns: Cisman. He/Him
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Occupation: Retired F1 driver / Captain
Affiliation: The Brotherhood
Languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French
Relationship Status: Single
Children: One
— APPEARANCE.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Height: 6 ft
— STATS.
Personality Type: ENTP
Moral Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Positive Traits: Indomitable, Eloquent, Assertive, Cunning, Dominant, Ambitious, Bold, Decisive, Resourceful, Self Disciplined, Confident, Perceptive
Negative Traits: Brutal, Volatile, Manipulative, Cynical, Rough, Competitive, Vengeful, Malicious
Mental Health: (Undiagnosed) NPD
Narcotics of use: Cocaine
— FAMILY .
Parents: Clark Morgan, Midge Davis
Siblings: TBD Morgan
Cousins: TBD
Children: Willa Morgan ( NPC )
— BIOGRAPHY .
Heath was born in Dallas. His mother was a burlesque dancer and his dad a mechanic. His mother was an alcoholic and abusive, she also struggled with drug addiction and would constantly disappear from home for weeks at a time. His father got tired of this and moved with his children to a trailer park, where he raised them as a single dad.
His father was part of a motorcycle gang, mostly former by getaway drivers with criminal ties, the kids spent much of their time under their protection, they considered them family and that was where Heath developed his passion for cars.
He started driving karts, the first step in the craft of racing, learning from control to adapting to the race track for speed. He entered karting competitions, was skilled and started to attract attention from sponsors. Different local and national competitions, getting a few good wins under his belt.
His father was killed in a confrontation between the group and the police, which made Heath responsible for his younger sibling. Due to family connections, they find their way to NYC. Necessity made him join the criminal world for a quick way out, doing the unimaginable to guarantee their survival since they no longer had protection.
He built for himself a small group of criminals that he had met along the way, they lived in the shadows. Started with small thefts and riots, until they evolved into kidnapping, blackmailing, extortion - and murder. yes, they knew it would reach extreme measures as soon as attacks on government buildings and high ranking individuals started to happen. It was a common fact among the powerful, they always had the fire lit faster when someone was about to die. And he wanted that kind of attention.
As the years went by he could see the improvement, they were far from being rich but now they had their own small house and were comfortable for the first time. Decided to return to amateur kart competitions and attended different educational programs pursuing technical and mechanical backgrounds knowledge. Sponsorship and funding allowed him to get his full competition license, building a career.
After getting a FIA international grade A license, he began competing in the lower-tier series, getting the right kind of networking and catching the attention of team owners, opening doors to opportunities in high levels of F1.
Heath was superior to the majority. Amidst the clamor, the chaos, the endless hours of practice, he remained unbroken, untouched. His power hunger surpassed that of his peers, a relentless drive to go beyond, delve deeper, and endure farther. While many found themselves in a competition for attention - he simply prevailed, unequivocally. And he deserved it. He deserved to be seen and be heard, eat the rich as they devour everything around them.
Everyone who crossed his path tried brutally to tame him, breaking him into a thousand pieces, tirelessly seeking to reshape into different individuals. His essence could never be affected, you cannot corrupt something that has been rotten for a long time. He could feel all that poison in his blood, every step he took was like the tick tock of a time bomb about to burst - all those vile urges were devouring him from the inside out.
After winning F1 world championship for the eighth time ( six times consecutively) at forty, he decided to retire. He got bored. Not just of his career, but everything else. Contacts with shady sponsors allowed him to achieve even more exclusive cycles, and consequently even more skeletons in his closet.
Do you remember the small group of criminals from his teenage years? Now with more available resources, he joined a bigger version of it, even more lethal. The Brotherhod. Meticulously chosen individuals, whose every weakness could be exploited and shaped into a weapon.
The common enemy remained the same: government, with no prospect that that target would ever change. New adversaries appeared on the way, more organizations than they could count, but nothing that couldn't be turned into a vile public message of what would happen to anyone who got in their way.
— F1 TIMELINE .
1988 : got his FIA international grade A license. he was 18
1991 : started competing for ferrari. he was 21 years old
1992 - 1999 : won six world titles consecutively
2000 : signed with mclaren.
2007 : won his seventh world title
2009 : won his eighth and last world title
2010 : retired. 40 years old
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[BYEON WOO SEOK, 30, CIS MALE, HE/HIM ] Welcome to Antioch, RYU SEO-JUN! Local sources report that you’ve been in town for 10 years and are known to be KIND yet TRUSTWORTHY. Others have dredged up rumors that you’re involved in MYSTERY SERIES as SOUND ENGINEER, but most know you for your work as a/n ACTOR. We’ll see you around town soon
Character Name: Seojun Ryu
Nickname (s): Jun
Face Claim: Byeon Woo Seok
Birthday: June 28th
Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
Sexuality: bisexual, biromanitc
Zodiac: Cancer
MBTI: ISFJ
Moral Alignment: lawful good
Occupation: Actor
Place of work: n/a
Subplot affiliation: Mystery Series
3 positive traits: Kind, wholesome, caring
3 negative traits: trustworthy, gullible, blunt
Languages: English, korean, chinese, japanese
Love language: Physical Contact, acts of service
Biography (optional):
TW: parental death, accident
The world around him seemed to always be straight out of a fairytale, his imagination and the ability to be creative in his thoughts. The sky was the limit, as a child he was full of life. he saw the world through eyes of innocence, to naturally care, and help others. The child that came a long time after the firstborn. A bond that formed between the first and the last. The beauty of his lineage, the line of his family. Born to parents who were famous actors and singers, their talent was kind that was written or made into a documentary. Truly he believed that love could conquer all. His parents met on the set of a movie film known in his country. If that wasn't a prime example of how two people can meet and get together, he didn't know what else was.
His family was wealthy, however, he wanted to make a name for himself away from his parents' success. He didn't want to have doors open for him just because of his name. He was also blessed with good looks, one that had women swooning over him. Seo-jun radiated a warmth, that could capture hearts of those around him. At the time that his parents were becoming big in Korea, tragedy also struck. whether it was anti-fans, or people that hated on his family, someone had broken into his parents home and murdered them. He was away at the time, and only fifteen. Just like that his world came crashing down.
For a time he reverted to being a hermit, only leaving his home if needed, and he ended up staying with his older brother who was a college student. at that time it was hard for him to build connections, and relationships because he felt utterly alone. It was his brother who suggested a career in acting, it would become a safe outlet to pretend to be other people if it meant ignoring his own emotions. so for the next 5 years, he finished school and attended a University with his major in acting. At 20 he began his acting career and moved to the states. Landing him at Oregon on a movie set, though now it's been ten years, he wanted to shift careers into something else. when he joined the mystery series, he began to lean in towards solving cases.
Since arriving to Antioch:
He joined the mystery series as a sound engineer, even though his career is acting. he was a bit of a nerd in school. he often shows this dorky side to his fellow group.
A big movie fan, and often visits the theater, he also loves plants and animals. so he may stop by Secret Garden to look at the lovely display of flowers.
innocent in all ways, boyfriend? girlfriend? never had them. intimate relationship? doesn't know them. he's dated and kissed but nothing beyond that.
He has acted in TV shows and American movies, so some people may have seen him. He also doesn't mind if no one recognizes him either, that actually makes him more comfortable.
Has a fear of closed spaces and has anxiety, mostly because of anti-fans, it reminds him of how his parents died, and he wonders if he will meet that same fate.
Personality
One thing he notices is that everyone is captivated by him only because of his looks. so at times, he doesn't like that, because he believes people are only attracted to his good looks and not the person he is. He can be oblivious to flirtation or compliments and oftentimes does not realize that he also possesses a sexy sultry look. He can be a bit of a ditzy but will cheer you on. He is a supportive friend and golden retriever energy. once he falls, he falls like a poor puppy chasing.
Wanted Connection #1: older brother - he is the person that seo-jun cares about the most in this world. if it wasn't for his brother, he would have been truly lost. this is the person he goes to when he needs to talk. His brother also became his agent, and oversees his acting movies and choices.
Wanted Connection #2: JAE WALSH - a ride or die, this person sees him for who he is. they are as thick as thieves. their friendship is the kind that when they first met they connected. very platonic, people would think that they've dated or currently together but their connections is very special and unique. --who knows it could turn into something more.
Wanted Connection #3: a rival/enemy - someone who wants to see him crack. they may not like his whole sunshine energy and want to see him lose himself. give into the darkness, after all, no one can be that happy and positive all the time right?
#chronicletask#bio#intro#seojun bio#tw parental death#tw accident#tw mentions of claustrophobia and anxiety
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I am loving these book recs for the OUAT characters. My to-read list is growing. Can i get Zelena, Tinkerbell, Mulan, Ruby & Dorothy Recs too?
Also out of the characters you did so far, who’s reading preferences closest match yours would you say? Or are you just a belle type, since belle seems to enjoy just about anything. 💕
I am having so much fun with these asks! Thank you, Nonnie!
Zelena Mills
Like her sister, Zelena likes her books with a glass of wine - but her glass contains rosé. Zelena likes a story with a strong female lead, especially if they take a kingdom from a corrupt leader - maybe they find love along the way? I think she would have enjoyed Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford.
Ruby
Ruby listens to celebrity memoirs and biographies. She is currently halfway through Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton. She usually prefers the ones by female comedians, they have a way of expressing things that she feels but could never quite describe as cleverly.
She has a lot of reference books around for drawing and illustrating graphic novels. She reads and writes graphic novels and is currently reading the Sandman comics.
Dorothy
Dorothy likes a good hometown, closed-door romance and the classics, she is carrying around her much-loved copy of Pride and Prejudice as she finishes her annual summer reread of it. It is fraying, has tabs sticking out, highlighted pages, and her thoughts scribbled in the margins; but, she can't bear to replace it.
Mulan
I think Mulan has a stack of what my mum would term 'serious' books. She has Forces of Nature by Professor Brian Cox, she has a pile of philosophy books and a stack of books on the art of silence and meditation. But, she has a beautifully illustrated edition of her favourite fairy tales from her childhood stashed in her nightstand that she reads on those days when the world feels a bit too much.
Lady Bell
Lady Bell is an avid Nora Roberts / JD Robb reader. Her favourite is, of course, the In Death series because Eve Dallas and Roarke feel like her close friends and she has the new ones (which Nora does like twice a year, which is insane and impressive) preordered. Every time one is released, Tink rereads the whole 50+ book series over again.
My TBR pile is a bit ridiculous at this point. It has gotten worse lately since I have paused reading books to focus on writing my CSSNS fic and making sure that I don't fall too far behind on my CS fic TBR list. (To my great shame, I haven't finished a book since returning from France earlier this year. This is the longest break in reading that I can recall ever having taken, but those CS fics are so good! So, so good!)
ANYWHOOSIES... I hope you find some in these recs that you enjoy. I am a sucker for a story. I would say the way I described Killian's reading habits most matches mine. I read by mood, which is directed by the weather, the time of year, my head space, my workload, my the kind of attention energy that I have, etc. I tend to read YA Fantasy/Romance, Fantasy/Romance, Paranormal Romance, Grimdark, Dark Romance, Rom-Coms, gothic horror... it is all over the place.
Reading Shades of Magic by the incredible VE Schwab always feels like coming home. (I was going to give you a favourites list but it got a bit out of control... even for me.)
#book rec list#ouat headcanons#headcanons by Jas#ouat#the Lady Bell#zelena mills#ouat ruby#ouat dorothy#ouat mulan
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Second Chance Proposal
Second Chances (Part 5): Second Chance Proposal
Summary: Marcus has questions to ask both Missy and Elena - Marcus POV
Pairing: Marcus Moreno x OFC!Elena
Rating: 18+ series, 13+ rated chapter
Warnings: Fluffy fluff fluff
Word Count: 2,045
Author’s Note: We all know Missy’s the boss here but at least she’s a sweet one. I hope everyone who reads likes this one. I kinda had a rough go here.
xxx
Series Masterlist
xxx
He’d been thinking about it for a while, a couple months before he bought the delicate diamond ring hidden in his sock drawer and another month since then. Marcus had been dating Elena for almost ten months and he wanted more. He wanted to commit to her in the most official way he could. To put it simply, he wanted to marry her, and he was pretty sure if he asked she would say yes. He knew what it felt like to be loved like that (and wasn’t he lucky to experience it twice?).
The only reason he hesitated was because of Missy. Getting engaged to Elena and asking her to move into the house wouldn’t just be an adjustment for him, it would also, arguably, be an even bigger adjustment for Missy. Missy and Elena adored each other but hanging out a few times a week was different than living with each other. The implications behind Elena becoming her stepmother were not trifle either.
So Marcus had sat on the ring and the big question for a while. But as Elena’s birthday neared, he got more conscious of it, like it was burning a hole in his drawer. Proposing to her on her thirty-third birthday would be too good of an opportunity for his romantic heart to pass up. But he knew the only way he’d get the courage to do it was if he talked to Missy about it first.
It was on the first of August, ten days before Elena’s birthday, after a Taco Tuesday supper, that Marcus sat down at the kitchen table beside Missy, who was busy reading a biography her English teacher had forced upon her class over the summer, and tried to figure out how best to start up the conversation.
Missy was bothered by his looming presence long before he could. She peered up from the book and raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“I have something…hypothetical to ask you,” he told her, letting the fingers of his right hand tap on the tabletop.
“Shoot.”
“Hypothetically, if I got married to Elena, would you be okay with that?” he inquired.
Missy’s eyes lit up. “You’re thinking of proposing to Miss Elena?”
Marcus was surprised by her excitement. “Yeah, I am. But I wanted to make sure you’d be okay with it.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked, beaming. “She’s great, and that’s an understatement.”
“I just thought,” Marcus paused, hesitated, “I just thought you’d feel like I was trying to replace your mom, and that’s not my intention.”
Missy rolled her eyes. “I’m not a little kid anymore Dad. I’m thirteen years old. And I’m the one who encouraged you to date her, remember? It’s cool. If I’m going to have a stepmother, she’d be my first choice.”
Marcus relaxed into his seat. He should have known Missy would be mature about this. She was wise beyond her years.
“I just have one condition,” Missy decided after a moment of contemplation.
Marcus arched both his brows. “Oh?” He had no idea what to expect.
“That I’m there,” she said, pointing to herself. “I’ve had a hand in this from the beginning after all.”
He chuckled, glad the condition wasn’t too serious, and lifted his hands up, feigning defeat. “Alright. Alright. I can work with that. Have you got any ideas how I should go about it?”
She sighed heavily and stared at him. “Do I have to do everything for you?”
He laughed harder. “I have some ideas!” he protested. “I just want to hear yours too.”
“Well then,” Missy mused, “I’ll finish this chapter and then we can talk. Deal?”
“Deal.”
They shook hands and he smiled at her as she returned to her assignment. He was lucky in so many ways.
X
Everything was perfect, or as perfect as it could get. Marcus had reserved a table at a semiformal rooftop restaurant in the center of the city and planned with Missy what he would wear (tan slacks with a button-down navy blue shirt) and what he’d do leading up to the big question. She’d suggested a vase of Elena’s favorite flowers (African Violets) for on top of the table and the restaurant owner had been more than willing to set it up for him after finding out his plans. They’d made other accommodations he hadn’t expected as well, one being that their table was in a more secluded spot, away from prying eyes, since he knew Elena wasn’t the type for big public announcements. She preferred inmate things. It had been easy for the restaurant staff to set it up with Elena’s birthday being on a Wednesday. The restaurant wouldn’t be jam packed like it was on the weekend.
Elena by coincidence matched Marcus that night, wearing a recently bought navy blue summer dress with white floral designs to the restaurant, while Missy had picked out a cute little white dress with laced edges, despite her declaration that she was NOT a lacy dress girl (she was making an exception for the occasion). Anita might have had something to do with that. Actually, Marcus was pretty sure she did. No one could say no to his mother.
The weather had been the most unpredictable thing in the entire plan, but that was why he’d picked a restaurant that still had an overhang to cover the outdoor dining area. He needn’t have worried though, the sky that night was clear, and as they finished their meals of steak, chicken, and salad, they were witnesses to the start of a beautiful sunset, several shades of orange light streaking through a few fluffy white clouds over the hills that surrounded the city to the west.
“Sometimes I forget how beautiful this city can be,” Elena had murmured, eyes staring into the distance in an almost dream like manner as they waited for dessert.
With her distracted, Marcus decided it was the perfect moment, and he signaled for Missy to excuse herself from the table to go get their unknowing accomplice to his staged proposal (Missy’s idea).
She quickly returned with a petite red long coated Chihuahua in her arms, grinning widely. “Look who I found.”
Elena twisted around to face her and lit up with surprise. “Ginger! How’d you get her in here?”
“The restaurant owner was nice enough to give us special permission,” Marcus explained. “And your neighbor Jamie was beyond willing to bring her over when I asked her to.”
He was pretty sure Jamie had a crush on him, even though she knew he and Elena were dating. When he’d shown up at her door she’d recognized him right away, because of his occasional speeches that were broadcasted on the news channels and the picture on the shelf in Elena’s living room. She had babbled a bit about how great he and the rest of the Heroics were before agreeing to drop Ginger off at the restaurant at eight o’clock, no questions asked. He got the sense she’d probably guessed what he was planning by the way he was acting (nervous), but luckily didn’t seem to care. When you were famous, whether you be an actor or a singer or a heroic, most fans thankfully tended to be that way.
Missy handed Ginger over to Elena and the dog licked her owner on the neck, exposing her own and revealing the black box that was taped to her green collar.
“What’s this?” Elena frowned, peeling the tape off and cradling the tiny black box in the palm of her hand.
“Open it!” Missy exclaimed, not being able to contain herself.
Marcus wasn’t sure if Elena had her suspicions at that point or not, but she still looked shocked enough when she snapped the lid open and the diamond engagement ring sparkled at her.
She covered her mouth with one hand and stared over at Marcus with wide eyes. He was already sliding down onto one knee in front of her.
“Will you marry me, Elena?” he inquired, his breath a little shaky. He’d done this before, and he was pretty sure he’d get another yes, but that didn’t make him a confident man. Not when it came to moments where he had to put his heart on the line.
Elena’s eyes were glistening a bit when she nodded. “Of course I will Marcus!”
He felt all his tension disappear at the words and he grinned at her, warmth flooding his chest. At the sight of his joy, she placed the open box with the ring still inside on the table and let Ginger down gently on the floor before throwing her hands around his neck gleefully. When she pulled away slightly it was to cup one hand on the back of his head and pull him in for a long, sweet kiss. She didn’t let him go until Missy cleared her throat.
“Sorry,” Elena said, blushing as she glanced up at her.
“Don’t mind me,” Missy told her. “I just have something for you too.”
Marcus grinned again, remembering what Missy had picked out last week at the jewelry store five minutes from their house.
“Oh?” Elena pushed herself back onto her feet and Marcus followed suit.
Missy dug into a sneaky little pocket in her dress (Marcus hadn’t known dresses with pockets existed until she had shown him it) and handed a black box - slightly bigger than the first - to Elena, who was surprised for a second time that night.
“Now what’s this?” she asked, a smile playing on her lips.
“You have to look for yourself to find out,” Missy declared, gesturing for her to do so.
Elena lifted the lid up and plucked a silver bracelet out of it, examining it. “This looks like your bracelet,” she observed.
Missy gave her a curt nod and raised her arm to show off hers. “That’s because it is an identical one. I figured if you were going to marry my dad you should have one too. That way we can all communicate quickly if there is ever an emergency.”
Elena looked touched by Missy’s consideration for her. “You came up with that all by yourself?”
“She did,” Marcus confirmed. He was proud of his daughter for coming up with it first. He’d only bought Missy her bracelet after Reina had died, and he regretted not getting it before. It had been useful more than once, especially during times when carrying a phone around wasn’t convenient.
“Can I hug you Missy?” Elena inquired quietly, eyes brimming with tears.
“Sure,” she answered, flashing her a smile.
Elena leaned down and they embraced, Missy tucking her face into her hair and squeezing her tight. “I’m glad you said yes.”
Elena pulled away to look her at her face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Missy parroted, a glint in her eyes. “You’re too nice to become an evil stepmother.”
Elena snorted. “We’ll see how you feel about me a year from now.”
Missy appeared a bit horrified by the suggestion, mind probably wondering about what Elena could have planned, but she relaxed again as soon as she saw her lips quirk upward. “Ha. Ha. Good one.”
Elena winked at her and dropped down to sweep Ginger back into her arms, kissing her on the top of her head. “They even included you in this conspiracy, huh?”
Marcus laughed. “Missy’s idea.”
“Of course,” Elena said. “She probably agreed to this for Ginger.”
“She is a benefit,” Missy agreed. “So, when are you moving in with us?”
Judging by her face it was clear Elena hadn’t considered that part of the equation yet, but she didn’t look the least bit hesitant or concerned about it. “Anytime, really. Are you two ready for me to move in?”
Marcus and Missy both nodded at once and she beamed at them. “Alright then. I’ll start packing and moving things over this weekend. It’ll take a month to get out of my contract with my landlord, but that doesn’t mean I can’t move in sooner, as long as you’re good with that.” She met Missy’s eyes again.
“It is,” Missy promised her.
Marcus felt his mouth pull upward at that, grateful as ever that Missy was who she was. He wouldn’t have had this second chance without her.
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Name: Catherine Bisset
Age: 40
Town Occupation: Hunter
Previous Occupation: Scavenger
Redwood Resident Length: Newly Arrived
Faceclaim: Sofia Boutella
Bullet Points:
She's never apologized for her so-called crimes - for doing what the adults in the Family were too weak to do. For being strong.
Brother Sparrow didn't believe in therapy, and was far more concerned about what the girl may have said to authorities after away from his indoctrination for so long. Catherine's brief return to her parents was near round-the-clock effort to reprogram her and arrange an appropriate marriage for the teen as quickly as possible.
Cat earned a GED and studied college level courses while imprisoned. Never chased a career with any of it, however.
The Bisset family desperately wanted Harmony in their lives as some last echo of Nora. They were miserably disappointed in the weird, angry young woman they found, instead.
@fleetsummers was in the movie based on her life.
Quiet by nature, Cat needs time to warm up to real conversation. Mostly she sticks to as few words as possible, and feels perfectly content coexisting near someone in silence.
Catherine didn't befriend any of the other Reavers, unimpressed by their political games when it was beyond pointless. Everyone was screwed, it was just a matter of degree.
From a practicality standpoint she understood why they wanted her gone the day the Farm was invaded.
Still doesn't quite understand all the letters she'd been sent over the years. Why people felt she should be the receptacle for their stories and traumas - let alone the marriage proposals.
Vacillates between feeling misanthropic about society and desperately, instinctively longing to be accepted by it.
Much of her misanthropy is informed by cult indoctrination, which inclined her to interpret things in an antisocial way. She's never put sincere effort into combating that thinking.
Biography:
~Before the Virus~
If you paid attention to the news 25 years ago, you may remember the story of brave little Harmony Sparrow. After going missing for 8 years, Harmony emerged, having escaped her abductor. Unfortunately, the reward for her escape was to be sent back to a family more in line with Koresh than Brady.
The press went absolutely mad for her second escape the following year.
She got her siblings out and ensured Brother Sparrow wouldn't hurt anyone ever again - the prison time supremely worth such results. Having been tried as an adult, her sentence spanned years, losing all siblings to the foster care system. But strangers often visited - for various reasons - from curiosity to adoration. Harmony was sent books to read, money for the inmate commissary, cards and gifts at the holidays. And letters - so many letters.
After several visits from her maternal grandparents, Catherine Bisset was born in some lingering hope for normalcy. Unfortunately, she brought all of Harmony's anger, brainwashing and trauma with her.
Many urged Catherine to turn her story into an empowering (and profitable) tale. The world was crazy for true crime stories, for "heroic survivor" tales. Catherine played along for a time; taking interviews, giving motivational speeches, and seeing more of the world than she ever thought possible. For better and worse.
The movie was barely based on a true story, but Jenny Ortega did an alright job.
People kept telling her the world was a good place, that she'd see that in time, but Catherine never did. She only saw the meat grinder named Capitalism. Even her horrors had been turned into profit. Humanity was a series of cruelties running down an inevitable clock.
Since the people in power were only looking out for themselves, Cat learned to do the same. All the while alienating the many people who'd expected her to be a sweet and repentant survivor who had killed out of desperation. A palatable broken girl seeking the light of redemption. Nobody liked the real Catherine. Which was fine; she didn't like them, either.
~After the Virus~
The clock ran down, the virus broke out. Zombies were an absolutely fantastic outlet for Catherine - who knew? It was therapy of the most physical variety. What combat skills she'd learned were suddenly very handy - so-called paranoia paying off.
The Reavers were stumbled on entirely by accident in those early days. They didn't play coy. They took people in unpredictable blitz attacks - to join or to serve - without pretense of some noble mission to rebuild society. They reinforced her feelings about humankind, sure, but it also helped to have someone watching Catherine's back when she was able to sleep.
By the time Isaac joined, Catherine had truly come to see the Reavers as representative of all society. The weak were used and discarded, the strong petty and scheming. Something seemed so familiar about Isaac's behavior, however - familiar enough to make Catherine nervous for the first time in years.
She kept an eye on him, circling like a skittish cat. He kept talking to her, trying to engage and not giving up in the wake of her silence. Her first attempts at conversing were closer to blurted interrogations, but it was a start.
By the time they decided to invade the farm, Catherine was unwilling to let him go without her. For the first time in her life, someone appeared to enjoy her macabre company; appreciating her without demands for conformity.
When he turned against the Reavers in 2040, Catherine had chosen her side. Isaac believed in Redwood, and she believed in Isaac. The Reavers, alas, didn't believe in either of them. The day of the invasion, Catherine was ambushed and taken deep into the mountains by a few particularly resentful Reavers.
It took a while to escape this time, but Catherine had survived worse.
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Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?
We know of the warm tones of her skin, how her hair flows like silk cascading over her
shoulders as she sits and looks beyond the four corners of her frame with an enigmatic
expression.
The known masterpiece that captures the essence of femininty and grace: The Mona
Lisa.
But why is the Mona Lisa so famous?
It was as dawn broke over Paris on the 21st of August in 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia hoisted a painting off the wall and slipped down the back stairs of the Louvre. He was close to freedom, the exit just before him when he encountered a two pronged problem — the door was locked and footsteps were approaching.
Tucked under Peruggia’s arm was Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.”
It's arguably the world's most famous painting today. But how did it achieve its status?
Leonardo is thought to have started the portrait in 1503 at the request of a Florentine businessman who wanted a portrait of his wife, Lisa Gherardini.
He continued working on the painting for more than 10 years, but it was un?nished by the time he died.
Over his lifetime, Leonardo conducted groundbreaking studies on human optics, which led him to pioneer certain artistic techniques.
Some can be seen in the “Mona Lisa.”
Using “atmospheric perspective,” he made images at greater distances hazier, producing the illusion of profound depth. And with “sfumato,” he created subtle gradations between colors that softened the edges of the forms he depicted. He used many other elevated techniques which is discussed in this in depth analysis done by the channel Great Art Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElWG0_kjy_Y
youtube
All of this is striking, but is it enough to make the “Mona Lisa” the world’s most famous painting?
Many scholars consider it an outstanding Renaissance portrait—but one among plenty.
And history is full of great paintings.
Indeed, the “Mona Lisa’s” rise to worldwide fame depended largely on factors beyond the canvas.
King François the First of France purchased the painting and began displaying it after Leonardo’s death. Then, in 1550, Italian scholar Giorgio Vasari published a popular biography of Italian Renaissance artists, Leonardo included. The book was translated and distributed widely, and it contained a gushing description of the “Mona Lisa” as a hypnotic imitation of life.
Over the years, the “Mona Lisa” became one of the most enviable pieces in the French Royal Collection.
It hung in Napoleon’s bedroom and eventually went on public display in the Louvre Museum.
There, visitors ?ocked to see the once-private treasures of the deposed aristocracy. During the 1800s, a series of European scholars further hyped the “Mona Lisa” up, ?xating to a conspicuous degree on the subject's allure.
In 1854, Alfred Dumesnil said that Mona Lisa’s smile imparted a “treacherous attraction.”A year later, Théophile Gautier wrote of her “mocking lips” and “gaze promising unknown pleasures.”
And in 1869, Walter Pater described Mona Lisa as the embodiment of timeless feminine beauty.
By the 20th century, the portrait was an iconic piece in one of the world’s most famous museums.
But the “Mona Lisa” wasn’t yet a household name.
It was Peruggia’s 1911 heist that helped it skyrocket to unprecedented fame. Having been contracted to make protective cases for the Louvre, it wasn’t totally inconceivable for Peruggia to be locked inside the museum.
And, lucky for him, when a workman encountered him in the stairwell, he simply helped Peruggia open the door and let him walk out into the morning.
The theft made international headlines.
People gathered to see the blank space where the “Mona Lisa” once hung. The police interviewed Peruggia because he had worked at the Louvre, but they never considered him a suspect.
Meanwhile, they interrogated Pablo Picasso because of his connection to a previous Louvre theft, but eventually let him go.
For two years, Peruggia kept the painting in a false-bottom suitcase, then smuggled the “Mona Lisa” to Italy and arranged to sell it to a Florentine art dealer. He saw himself as an Italian patriot returning an old master’s work. But instead of being celebrated as such, he was immediately arrested.
With the mystery solved, the “Mona Lisa” went back on display to large crowds, and newspapers took the story for a victory lap.
In the following decades, conceptual artist Marcel Duchamp mocked it; Nazi art thieves pursued it; Nat King Cole sang about it; and museumgoers wielding stones, paint, acid, and teacups attacked it.
More than 500 years after its creation— eyebrows and eyelashes long since faded— the “Mona Lisa” is protected by a bulletproof, earthquake-safe case.
Now, it stands perhaps less as an exemplary Renaissance portrait and more as a testament to how we create and maintain celebrity.
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THE LIGHT SIDE OF THE MOON: SCARLETT TAYLOR'S VEIL
All Photo Credits to Helen Elizondo. Essay by Tejas Desai.
The New Wei is proud to introduce a feature series on bold, dynamic artists who push the boundaries of what's possible and deliver a unique life vision.
Our first ever feature is musician Scarlett Taylor. The 23 year old phenom (it's her birthday today, btw!) is a groundbreaking auteur who today 2/1/24 released her second album HALLOWS, a live remastered version of her spectacular debut demo album Veil. She is also playing a show tonight at the renowned NYC music venue Pianos at 7pm:
The following essay examines her music, motivations, and milieu, from her beginnings in quiet but dynamic Lancaster, Pennsylvania to her breakout releases over the past year, when she has come into her own in the greatest city on Earth. You won't find musical biography or criticism this in-depth in any publication outside of possibly Rolling Stone.
So keep it right here on The New Wei, people!
While Olivia Rodrigo croons about relationship revenge and Billie Eilish belts movie soundtracks, another young singer is creating a different path altogether. Her name is Scarlett Taylor, she’s about to turn 23 and she is churning out a more thematically complex oeuvre than her contemporaries.
The 13 songs of her debut demo album Veil are rich in sound and meaning, from the abstract “Love Where the Soul’s At,” dedicated to the decapitated descriptions of Aphrodite in Greek art, to “The Night Beast,” where Taylor evokes “howling at the moon,” to the electronic-heavy “Déjà vu” and the doppelganger-themed “Shadow Talking.” The themes include her own concepts like the veil, silhouette and perfect timing, along with timeless ones like loneliness, fate and loss.
These tracks were released biweekly from her 22nd birthday on February 1, 2023, to the album’s official release date on August 1, 2023. 8 remastered versions will be available on her 23rd birthday, February 1st, 2024, on a live album called HALLOWS.
Before starting this steady output, Ms. Taylor was not performing or creating music regularly—previously she had only released one song called “Clementine,” which she has since disowned and taken off Spotify, claiming it “was not her own” because someone else produced it.
By contrast, Ms. Taylor has controlled every aspect of Veil’s creation and marketing. She makes her own merch, which includes sewing shirts, drawing posters, and creating pins. She performs regularly and creates art daily. This output, apparently, has been personal and artistic therapy for Ms. Taylor, who described the process of creating and releasing as “transformative like the cycles of the moon.” In fact, the biweekly releases are timed to coincide with the full moon and new moon, important symbols for her complex life philosophy.
I first officially met Scarlett Taylor at The Purgatory in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where she was scheduled to open for another up-and-coming singer, Taylor Mecca. Upon arriving, I spotted Ms. Taylor, a tall blonde wearing a trench coat with a guitar strung around her shoulder. I introduced myself. She was so excited I had come to see her play that she gifted me a button-down t-shirt she had sewn from scratch that exemplified the themes of her album: the veil and the silhouette.
On the other side of a flower pattern, the t-shirt stated: “Slipping into the Silhouette of this Veil.” According to Ms. Taylor, the veil represents the parts of us that others cannot see or that we hide, whereas the silhouette symbolizes those that are inevitably public. It seems that in her construction the truth behind the complexity of any human is a balance between those two elements, and perhaps her music tries to capture the space between that divide. Yet the meaning of her work goes well beyond this dichotomy because she describes her songs as “Witch Music,” which is also a title of one of the tracks.
To understand Ms. Taylor’s thinking and aesthetic intent more fully, it might make sense to delve into her background. Her father is Chad Taylor, long-time guitarist of the alternative rock band Live, which released 9 albums over 25 years and experienced some commercial success in the 1990s. Her mother is a yoga teacher. She was born and grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a distinct mixture of extremely progressive and conservative lifestyles. Ms. Taylor says she was raised in a loving home, where her parents cultivated both her musical and spiritual development. She attended private schools, including Montessori. She has two sisters, both of whom are artists of various types, though neither are musicians.
From the beginning, her parents had an enormous influence on her life path. When her father was home from tours, music would fill the house, and like her mother, she was trained in yoga, becoming a teacher herself. When it was time to consider colleges, she decided to apply to only one school, the Clive Davis School of Music at NYU, which she has attended for the past three years and from which she graduated early in December 2023. If she had not gained acceptance, she says she would have continued to live at her parents’ home in Lancaster, teaching yoga, perhaps working a day job, and creating her music.
In Lancaster, witches, mediums, and doulas filled her social life, and she says that she is fortunate to have been surrounded by so many spiritual women, who taught her to read tarot cards, to release and manifest, to understand the meaning behind the intersection of stars and moons. This is why she celebrates witches, who she says are light workers who inform people how to live a more joyful and loving life through rituals and serving magical elements.
It seems Ms. Taylor’s music is a means of performing this work within herself. Her life has changed immeasurably for the better since she started releasing her music. She is far more spiritually and emotionally positive, and it has unfurled an enormous social life in New York City for her that revolves around music and art.
I categorized my first meeting with Ms. Taylor as “official” because I had encountered her once before. Earlier that summer, I had attended a concert at a converted garage in Bushwick called The Shop. I was there to see another rising star, model-cum-rocker Bec Lauder, who had described it on Instagram as a “secret little show.” I needed to click on a link, enter a password (that I gleaned from another spotlighted band’s post) and pay $8 via Venmo or cash at the door. Being old school and middle-aged, I think I was the only one to pay cash, and Ale, one of the organizers who lived upstairs, needed to go to his apartment to get change for me.
I had come half an hour late, fashionably, but I still needed to wait another hour to see the first band play. During that time, I drank a Bud, included in the price, and met some of The Wedding Planners, the group that organized the event. Jacob Geoffrey and Ale, of the band Ale’s Love Letters, are both musicians themselves, while Maddie, one of several non-musicians, is a philosophy PhD. student, part-time painter, and editor of A Zine.
Several copies of this publication were stacked up in the corner of the garage, and their content, a mixture of poetry, grotesque drawings, and trauma-based prose, seemed to correspond to the shadow work of Ms. Taylor’s musical imaginings. She was there as well—we exchanged a smile—but I never actually met her that night.
The space was filled with art. It was one of a series of monthly concerts that focused on different themes. That evening it was “Magic Night”—participants were urged by email to “dress magically” and there was a magician on-site doing tricks—whereas other themes included “Beach Night,” “Art Night,” and “Alien Night.”
The crowd consisted of young 20 somethings, mostly seniors in college or recent graduates. The initial attendees seemed to know each other, and I was treated with a mixture of fear and wonder.
According to Ms. Taylor, the Wedding Planners formed from a text thread created by Mr. Geoffrey, a recent NYU grad himself. There’s no individual photography allowed at Wedding Planner events (there usually is a designated photographer, however), meaning it’s one of the rare contemporary concerts where a million iPhones aren’t held up to a performer’s face. Ms. Taylor says this radiates a different energy, and it’s meant to form a safe space with no judgment for performers and participants alike.
Concerts are essentially ceremonies, according to Ms. Taylor, and one of the most intriguing aspects of the Wedding Planners concerts is that they perform mock weddings during the night. After their set, the first act throws a bouquet into the crowd. Whoever catches it must propose to someone by the end of the night—it could be a stranger, their friend, a crush, whoever. One of the Wedding Planners officiates, and sometimes this is Ms. Taylor. Otherwise, the night has a few acts, and a DJ takes care of the rest.
Among this friend’s group are an endless number of young musicians, some of whom are Wedding Planners, others not. A vastly truncated list includes Jacob, Ale and Bec, Stevie Bill and Juliet Ivy, Ty Lorenzo, Khaliko and Vanessa Camacho. But for me, Ms. Taylor’s music stands out as worth exploring in depth.
Throughout Veil, there’s a tension between opposing forces—the veil and silhouette, nature and man, love and sex, spirit and body, beast and machine. The narrator struggles within herself to understand the tensions between these elements, and ultimately, concludes that a greater force might be at work in the orientations of her life.
The first quarter of Veil focuses on the individual’s relationship with the cosmos in a mechanized world, beginning with its title track, which will be renamed “Perfect Timing” on the live HALLOWS album. Immediately the singer slips into the silhouette of this veil, and the progression of the song suggests confusion and transformation. In “Internet,” or “The Machine” on HALLOWS, the singer laments a mechanized world where “machines talk to robots” and regrets “growing up online.” “Illusion” finds the narrator defiant that she “won’t quit howling at the moon,” or give up trying to understand the universe despite our man-made reality.
Then we are thrust into a dream and dance sequence of rock rhythms and electronic beats. “New Year’s Day,” a cryptic diatribe, flows into “Déjà vu,” where a dreamy, naive girl meets her lover in the cosmos, and concludes with a desperate wish for reciprocation. “Witch Music,” defining the album’s core vision, serves as its pivot, interrupting its pensiveness with a clubby dance anthem.
The third quarter of Veil explores decadent nights, stormy relationships and insecure feelings. “Tooth Decay” evokes the image of a cigarette on an ashtray and transitions to foreplay and one-night stands. “Love’s Where the Soul’s At” explores the tension between body and spirit, as a woman wonders why she’s loved, and whether her lover is placing her on a pedestal for the wrong reasons. “I don’t want to be like a god to you,” she insists. “I wish my body was gone.” But she keeps repeating to herself, “sex means more” than love, perhaps trying to convince herself that it does.
“The Labyrinth is Bored” uses the metaphor of a bullfight to explore the power dynamics of entanglements and break ups. “Deep grief, time thief. I’m forever mad at the matador. Wrap my skin in red, the victory is yours,” she says, apparently giving into her lover’s worship, whereas in “Night Beast,” the narrator feels guilt “in hindsight” for her previous behavior. “I’ve been the night beast, howling at the moon. A lover to you, destined and doomed.”
The album’s final quarter brings us back to the individual’s battle within herself—the tension between her internal confusion and external savvy. “Slide Down the Wall” evokes the familiar feeling of finally having a relationship you’ve always wanted but now feel you don’t deserve: “You told me you’d be by my side. You are what I’ve been looking for. Loving you feels so easy. Loving you feels like changing seasons. Loving a fool. Loving a fool.” Despite having what she wants, the narrator is still dissatisfied, and wonders if a human relationship is enough to satisfy her need for personal evolution.
The next song, “Where the Shadow’s Play,” references a tempered moon and evokes a lover’s gloom about loneliness and loss. “Meet me where the shadow’s play. My darling’s gone in the afternoon. Sun’s pouring into my moon.” Here the narrator confronts her doppelganger and ponders light and darkness as she considers her true path.
In the final song, “Shadow Talking,” the narrator wakes up on a Monday morning, and considers her relationship-free reality. “My life is scary at night,” she laments. “Lately I’ve been running from my shadows.” Her doctor, in lieu of her lover, doesn’t talk to her and only prescribes her pills. “I’ll wait for the dawn, for that’s the only thing to do,” she concludes. Having struggled with nature and man, love and sex, and now alone to battle within herself yet again, she appears to be at an uneasy truce with the fact that things will unfurl as they will—and perhaps according to a greater ordinance.
The moon themes and investigation of individual identity and mental health, along with the essential conflicts of the time in our “civilized” era, call to mind The Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon, released exactly 50 years earlier in 1973. Ms. Taylor claims this is mostly coincidental (although, she continuously notes, “there are no coincidences”). However, she has listened to it, as it was grandfather’s favorite album and her singing teacher at NYU, Machan Taylor, is the voice on The Dark Side of the Moon. So, she says there is a lot of “collision” with the album. but she hasn’t spent an exorbitant amount of time with it.
But it’s difficult to completely divorce this album from its predecessor. Like The Dark Side of the Moon, Veil is both a studio album and a concept album. It experiments with sound and is creative in the musical and recording process. In Ms. Taylor’s case, she uses stock logic plugins to alter her voice on certain songs. Just as Pink Floyd’s album was mixed at the famed Abbey Road, the tracks on Veil were mixed in the same studio as where Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger was recorded. The Beastie Boys donated this studio to NYU, and band Phoenix provided its EQ.
Veil is more electronic than rock and it has a decidedly female spin. But like The Dark Side of the Moon, its songs blend into each other in a way that add progressive meaning. While Pink Floyd often wrote their songs as they were touring, in Ms. Taylor’s case, the songs were released as she was creating them.
Yet, she insists, her major influences are more modern, including Maggie Rogers, Grammy-nominated alternative singer who graduated from Clive, got her master’s at Harvard, and shares some of Ms. Taylor’s academic interests; Taylor Swift; Phoebe Bridgers; Bjork; and Mitski. Her father, of course, was a musician with Live, and she was able to go to rock concerts at a very young age, a privilege most aspiring musicians don’t have.
Ms. Taylor’s singing in Veil has a raw and caustic quality, so I was a bit surprised when she informed me that she has been trained professionally from a young age. Her crooning as a toddler led her parents to send her to singing lessons. She quickly graduated to musical theater, then opera, and competed in all-girls choir competitions in middle school.
While in high school, she always assumed she would take a more classical route, since he had always sung Soprano 1 opera music at her local college with their Artist-in-Residence who was a Metropolitan Opera singer. Yet this training, she says, prepared her well for rock music, which tends to be verbose, what she called an “Evanescence vibe.”
Why she now exclusively creates rock and electronic music, rather than continuing with opera, has to do with personal vision and control. With opera, she was a hired hand, but with rock, she can create what she wants. She can write her own lyrics and experiment with sounds. While the live album, HALLOWS, was not recorded by her, she did control all aspects of Veil, making it a true auteur work.
Yet, her auteur vision is matched by a strong fatalistic quality. In Ms. Taylor’s life philosophy, there is a sense that the future has already been written, even understood by those who have studied it for centuries, and she even says that we, as individuals, know more about the future than we let on, because we already plan for it on a daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly basis.
This duality is present in yet another concept of hers, “Perfect Timing.” In fact, she read an essay about this phenomenon at Lincoln Center a week before our first interview at an event called Truth to Power Café. In the essay she describes her sister’s metaphor of the lemon tree. Because it is a perennial plant, it continues to bloom without water or resources, and it can take between 15-70 years to grow a lemon even after planting the seed. You can either wait for the lemon to bloom with joy or fear, because either way the blooming is predestined, but you do not know it’s timing. Therefore, it’s the attitude of the bearer of fruit that is essential—everything else is prewritten without necessary knowledge.
Ms. Taylor takes this joyful and positive attitude wherever she goes: to her volunteer tutoring, to her classes, to her paid internship at a major record label, where she conducts research and writes reviews on which artists the label should sign, and reads tarot cards to anyone who is interested; and at her part-time job, where she studies the intersection of the stars and moons when not folding jeans.
She intends to stay in New York City, bolstered by her large, and ever growing, circle of friends in the burgeoning indie music scene here. Her goal is to create 2 albums per year for the next five years. When I asked her where she sees herself in that time, she was unequivocal that she would be able to make a living from her songs by then. “I believe it, so it will happen,” she proclaimed, despite the reality that she has only earned a few cents on Spotify for her songs so far.
But she is also practical. At this point, she does not plan to pursue advanced education, so she knows she will need a day job in the interim, and she is trying to gain positions at the record label or in the fashion industry, believing that her NYU degree will give her a leg up in this quest. But her music and art will always come first for Ms. Taylor.
About the Author:
Tejas Desai is an Amazon #1 Bestselling, multiple award-winning author of two dynamic book series: The Brotherhood Chronicle international crime trilogy (The Brotherhood, The Run and Hide, The Dance Towards Death) and The Human Tragedy literary series (Good Americans, the unpublished Bad Americans). He is the founder of The New Wei Literary Arts Movement and runs its associated Salons. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University, attended the University of Oxford, holds two Masters degrees from CUNY-Queens College. While he travels frequently, he works as a Supervising Librarian at one of the busiest public libraries in New York City, where he was born, raised, and of course, still lives.
#contemporary music#indie music#musician#Scarlett Taylor#the new wei#music#electronic music#pink floyd#the dark side of the moon#veil#hallows#witches#tejas desai#auteur#maggie rogers#phoebe bridgers#mitski#Taylor swift#lancaster#bushwick#brooklyn#photography#artists on tumblr#female artists#artists#women artists#authors#shadow work#therapy#light worker
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However, there is also a deep mystery to the Trump presidency. This mystery becomes apparent whenever its major scandals are even trivially examined. RussiaGate and most of the other scandals of the administration were not hoaxes. However, ultimate understanding of them will likely remain elusive. Why? Consider the following description of Arnold “Big Bankroll” Rothstein, one of the key figures behind the fixing of the 1919 World Series:
Yet most of the book’s new claims and speculations about the fixing of the World Series are not well documented, unlike the rest of the biography, which includes over 60 pages of endnotes and a bibliography. This is not to criticize Pietrusza for dereliction of duty. The point, rather, is that some of the truth is beyond us, lost forever in the shadows of the past. We will never know, for example, to what extent Abe Attell, a colorful, duplicitous small-time gambler and former prizefighter known as “the Little Champ,” worked on his own to fix the Series and to what extent he was working for Rothstein. The fact that Rothstein “spent a lot of time and money shielding Attell from prosecution” does not prove that he was buying Attell’s silence about Rothstein’s own involvement in the fix, whatever it was. There could have been other reasons. Rothstein’s intentions were almost always self-interested but were rarely transparent.
The broad parameters of the administration’s scandals reveal them to be far more Thomas Pynchon than Robert Ludlum thriller, a collection of strange semi-related but never quite intersecting schemes that never cohere into anything resembling a master plan. Due to their ambiguous, sub-rosa nature and their population by Rothstein-like and Attell-like figures, investigating them and summarizing them is inherently difficult if not impossible. After all, if we still cannot tell the full story of something like the 1919 World Series fixing even a century later, what hope do we have of bringing to light far messier, bizarre, and perverse political scandals?
[...]
The strangest aspect about the Trump presidency therefore precisely lies in its combination of publicity and opacity. Trump lacks even minimal self-restraint, rarely if ever leaving a crude opinion unvocalized (or untweeted). His motives are almost comically faithless and malign. Yet there is always something uncertain or mysterious about the circumstances in which Trumpian phenomena plays out. Despite the way in which, at surface level, no such mystery ought to exist!
Trump has been in the public eye for decades. He is not a eloquent Shakespeare villain, he is a vulgar and cruel would-be dictator. And yet, if it was so easy to explain, predict, and control his behavior, American politics from 2015-2020 would look much, much different. Trump’s tweeting, by nature, forces the analyst to theorize about observed inputs and outputs without understanding about his inner workings or the underlying reliability of any singular interpretation of his behavior.
Like many similar historical figures, Trump’s intentions are clearly self-interested in theory but never so transparent as to make them trivial to interpret in practice. Thus, inner understanding of how Trump behaves is remarkably elusive in spite of his crude and instinctual behavior. And this precise lack of inner understanding seems to generate paralysis by analysis.
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"We, the people. It's a very eloquent beginning. But when that document was completed on the seventeenth of September in 1787, I was not included in that 'We, the people.' I felt somehow for many years that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake. But through the process of amendment, interpretation, and court decision, I have finally been included in We, the people. Today I am an inquisitor. An hyperbole would not be fictional and would not overstate the solemnness that I feel right now. My faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total. And I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction, of the Constitution."
--from Barbara Jordan's opening remarks to the House Judiciary Committee on July 24, 1974, regarding the impeachment of Richard Nixon
Today, June 1, kicks off Pride Month (and also incidentally marks the third anniversary of the start of this series), and I thought it appropriate to examine the amazing accomplishments of Texas civil rights leader, attorney, and Congresswoman Barbara Charline Jordan.
Born in a poor Houston neighborhood in 1936, Jordan discovered an early aptitude for languages and oration, and also debate. She graduated from Texas Southern University in 1956, then obtained her LL.B. from Boston University School of Law in 1959. She was admitted to both the Massachusetts and Texas bars in 1960, then began practicing law in Houston --at the time only the third African American woman to be so licensed. An outspoken supporter of John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign, she herself entered politics and unsuccessfully ran for state representative in 1962 and again in 1964. Two years later her fortunes changed, however, and in 1966 she became the first African American elected to the Texas Senate in 1966.
Jordan's standing as a fellow Texan Democrat endeared her to then-President Lyndon Johnson and in many respects she became LBJ's protégée. In 1972 Jordan ran for Congress for Texas's 18th District, and unseated the incumbent Republican, becoming the first woman --of any race-- elected to Congress from that state.
Jordan's political career accomplishments extend far beyond this biography's available space, but among the high points include her aggressive sponsorship of the Voting Rights Act of 1975 (an extension of the more famous 1965 measure), and the Equal Rights Amendment in 1977. Also significantly she served on the House Judiciary Committee during the Nixon impeachment hearings, and her speech at the 1976 Democratic National Convention is widely regarded as one of the best keynote speeches in modern history; her presence in many ways even eclipsing that of the party's nominee, Jimmy Carter. (She would return as a keynote speaker for the 1992 Democratic National Convention.)
Jordan retired from politics in 1978 and became a professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. In 1993 Jordan was the first recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights. A year later she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Bill Clinton for her trailblazing work. That same year Jordan was also named the chair of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform. Jordan died from complications from pneumonia in January of 1996, and is buried at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin --significantly breaking barriers even in death as the first-ever black woman to be interred there. While Jordan never explicitly acknowledged her personal sexual orientation in public, she was open about her life partner of nearly 30 years, educational psychologist Nancy Earl.
Her legacy continues through the Jordan Rustin Coalition (named for her and for Civil Rights organizer Bayard Rustin --see Lesson #05 in this series): a non-profit advocacy group working to empower Black same-gender loving, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and families; and to promote equal marriage rights and to advocate for fair treatment of everyone without regard to race, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
Full text of Jordan's July 24, 1974 remarks: https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/impeachment/my-faith-constitution-whole-it-complete-it-total
A truly absorbing 1976 article about Jordan's life and career by William Broyles, indexed at: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-making-of-barbara-jordan-2/
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"The name of his regiment, read by the genious of war"
Since this blog has been receiving some attention by the Napoleonic side of Tumblr lately I decided to share an anecdote that it's probably not too known around here, which involves everyone's most/least favorite self-made emperor, and Argentina's greatest national hero. Just a heads up, the anecdote is also probably fake, but hey, it's still kinda funny.
But first a super brief biography so you know who I'm talking about. José de San Martín was born in 1778 in Misiones, current day Argentina, to Spanish parents. When he was five years old the family sailed back to Spain, where José joined the army at the ripe old age of eleven. He fought against the French during their occupation of Spain, yet in 1812 he deserted and went back to his home country to join the on-going revolution against the Spanish rule (another domino effect of Napoleon going "actually fuck these Bourbon guys my brother is king of Spain now"). There he was made general, took command of the revolutionary troops, and lead a series of succesful military campaigns that drove out the Spanish royalist forces from current day Argentina, Chile and Perú. After he passed the command to Simón Bolívar, and tired of the political divisions in Argentina, he left with his only daughter for Europe, where he lived quietly in different countries until he settled in France, where he died at the age of 72 in 1850. San Martín's role in the emancipation of South America from Spain is considered vital, and it gained him the name of "Father of the Nation" and "The Liberator" in Argentinian history.
That being said, let's go to the actual anecdote. The first mention of this story can be found in a footnote of San Martín's first biography, written by Bartolomé Mitre in 1869 and published in 1887. This allegedly happened in May 1798 when Napoleon was about to embark to his campaign in Egypt:
San Martín himself used to tell in his last years, that on one ocassion, finding himself confused in a group of Spanish officers in the presence of Napoleon, he fixed his deep gaze on him, walked up to him abruptly, and taking the button of his lieutenant's coat (that was white and light blue) he read out loud "MURCIA!" That was the name of his regiment, read by the genious of war.
San Martín, then 20-years-old, was at that time lieutenent colonel in the Regiment of Murcia but had temporarily joined to the Frigate Santa Dorotea (Spain had trouble fillling up the ranks of their navy and had resorted to recluiting army officers); that's why Mitre points out the color of his uniform, which was visibly different from the dark blue of the navy officers' uniforms.
Mitre gives no source for this story beyond "San Martín used to tell", but it may have come from San Martín's son-in-law, who send Mitre the family documents from Europe so he could write the biography. Since then it has been repeated in almost every book about the Liberator.
Personally, I think that had San Martín actually met Napoleon, even just for a few minutes, he would have mentioned this to someone during his lifetime? That the story only appears after his death (in a biography that is considered pretty outdated too, since Mitre was more preoccupied with creating a national identity for Argentina rather than making an accurate study of his subject), is pretty suspicious at least. However, to give it the benefit of the doubt, we do know for a fact that San Martín actually was in Toulon during the month of May 1798. So perhaps he at least did saw Napoleon, since they were both on the same city at the same time for some days.
I don't know enough about Napoleon to say if randomly walking up to someone and grabbing them by the coat is something that he would do, but the image of a young San Martín minding his own bussiness and suddenly this French guy (soon to be emperor) just grabs you and yells Murcia to your face is really funny to me, so as we say here, I choose to believe that it did happened.
#also if it happened i love the implication of san martín just never talking about this during the years napoleon was alive and relevant#and then forty years later in the middle of a family dinner being all like ''hey did i ever told you that napoleon yelled at me once''#btw there isn't any image of san martín in his 20s so I'm using that portrait of him instead - it's his most '''canon'' picture#general josé de san martín#napoleon i
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Ranking the Books I read in 2022
I feel really good about my bottom two and top four, but some of the middle ones may be more smushed. Also if my Goodreads stars don't always seem to line up with my rankings, it's because I reserve the right to change my mind at any time.
26. The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay.
Date reviewed: Jan. 25, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 3 (apparently i averaged it bc i thought the writing was good, though now i can't remember why)
1-sentence review: Every time I read a thriller, I'm like Jason Bateman pulling the bag labelled dead dove out the freezer, looking at it, and going, "I don't know what I expected."
25. Royal Diaries: Isabel: Jewel of Castilla by Carolyn Meyer
Date reviewed: Jan. 11, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 3, but 2.5 were for Beatriz de Bombadilla
1-sentence reivew: Isabel is insufferable and I want a biography about Beatriz de Bombadilla.
24. Love, Hate, and Clickbait by Liz Bowery
Date reviewed: Nov. 9, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 3
1-sentence review: The characters are terrible but it's still a good way to pass election night.
23. A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
Date reviewed: June 2, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 3
1-sentence review: Main couple great, sex scnes are steamy, plot reasonably creative, but overall moves slowly and most of the side characters are terrible.
22. Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton
Date reviewed: Nov. 8, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 3
1-sentence review: Hollywood is TOXIC and I hope Tom's living his best life in England with his brothers and his dog.
21: The Woman Who Would Be King by Kara Cooney
Date reviewed: March 1, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 3
1-sentence review: Hatshepsut was a boss, but Cooney's writing style could be livelier.
20. Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero by Michael Hingson
Date reviewed: Sept. 27, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 (was probably generous)
1-sentence review: Super interesting memoir that taught me way more about blindness and guide dogs than about 9/11 (which is fine).
19. Husband Material by Alexis Hall
Date reviewed: Aug. 16, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 3
1-sentence review: Same hilarity, more emotional maturity, but Luc and Oliver didn't seem happy with each other's friends and somewhat traitorously (because I know this is the exact OPPOSITE of the point of the book) I kind of wish they'd gotten married.
18. Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
Date reviewed: April 20, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 3
1-sentence review: We stan one leading lady. (Dude was ... fine I guess.)
17. Graphic Classics Romeo and Julie by Gareth Hinds
Date reviewed: Oct. 25, 2022
Goodread stars I gave it: 4
1-sentence review: Turns out graphic novels are a good way to read Shakespeare plays.
16: Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone
Date reviewed: March 15, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 3
1-sentence review: Goldstone's historical writing is great as always, but she should have written about French queen Blanche of Castile instead.
15. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
Date reviewed: April 25, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 4
1-sentence review: Here's to the book that made me silent-laugh so hard in a restaurant that I had to put my mask back on to keep the other customers from staring at me.
14. If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy
Date reviewed: April 22, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 4
1-sentence review: Adored everything except the love interest, who seemed to have misplaced his personality.
13. To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters (audio book)
Date reviewed: May 5, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 4
1-sentence review: My favorite so far of the Regency Vows series and I didn't even get embarassed listening to an actor read the sex scenes aloud. (admittedly i was alone in my car, but still)
12. Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Date reviewed: June 21, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 4
1-sentence review: A lovely little w/w romance with great supporting characters and a fantastic sister-subplot that was arguably as engaging as the love story.
11. Lore Olympus Volume 1 by Rachel Smythe
Date reviewed: Jan. 24, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 3
1-sentence review: Greek mythology and breathtaking artwork -- what's not to love?
10. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Date reviewed: Aug. 10, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 4
1-sentence reivew: If you're like me and you love dark, eerie fairy tales, then this is the book for you.
9. The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
Date reviewed: July 27, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 3
1-sentence reivew: I liked Wilbur and corgi-breeding stalker better than I liked Robby, which I think is what God and Katherine Center intended.
8. I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
Date reviewed: Sept. 16, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 4
1-sentence review: What starts out as a seeming scathing take-down of certain John Green novels with shades of gay Mean Girls thrown in turns into something completely unexpected and wonderful and warm and welcoming.
7. Royal Diaries: Cleopatra: Daughter of the Nile by Kristiana Gregory
Date reviewed: Jan. 19, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 4
1-sentence review: Yes, I am being indulgent ranking this so high, but she has a pet leopard and insults Roman officials in their own language.
6. Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
Date reviewed: Sept. 23, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 4
1-sentence review: A thoughtful and engaging take on how language shapes cultures within communities, with sometimes insidious intent.
5. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Date reviewed: July 23, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 4
1-sentence review: Hallmark villains in love with NYC to the point of delusion make the best protagonists.
4. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Date reviewed: Sept. 23, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 4
1-sentence review: Reading this is like walking into a sunlit room on a Sunday morning.
(Note: I actually switched this to rank above Book Lovers, which is a VERY big deal for me because I love Emily Henry.)
3. Signal Moon by Kate Quinn
Date reviewed: Aug. 20, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 4
1-sentence review: Combining World War II AND time travel (sort of) is like hitting all my tragic romance buttons at once.
2. The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
Date reviewed: June 16, 2022 (I don't think GR has this right -- I got an advanced copy and reviewed it not long after reading it. I posted a review on Facebook on Feb. 28, 2022)
Goodreads stars I gave it: 5
1-sentence review: Amazing writing, a bombshell of a heroine, and a story that makes me see, smell and hear the Eastern front -- I'm not kidding when I say this is Quinn's best book so far.
(Note: I wrote that line when I hadn't read No. 1 on the list yet.)
and finally....
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Date reviewed: July 4, 2022
Goodreads stars I gave it: 5
Entire review because I have no self-control:
Earlier this year, I said I thought The Diamond Eye may be Kate Quinn's best book. I am revising my opinion. THIS may be Kate Quinn's best book. I read it in one day, basically didn't put it down except to do work. I think the last time I did something like that, I was reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince the day it came out. And I was 13.
The Rose Code has all the usual Kate Quinn Hallmarks -- great heroines, wartime stakes, swoonworthy love interests, engaging side characters, and cameos from real life historical figures (in this case folks like Alan Turing and Winston Churchill, plus a snide reference about Ian Fleming's womanizing) -- while also having a tighter story (unlike in, say, The Huntress, Quinn isn't having to juggle multiple flashbacks in this book) and what I felt was a slightly less over-the-top climax though ... it was still pretty over-the-top. I think by the time I got to it I was just in a jubilant state.
Anyway, just read this book.
Also, for a spoiler that will make you happy (but is a spoiler nonetheless) ... yes, Beth reunites with the dog.
#iz blogs about books#kate quinn#the very secret society of irregular witches#book lovers#the diamond eye#the rose code#signal moon#sangu mandanna#emily henry#i'm only tagging the top 5 books and their authors to keep these tags from being out of control#those are the ones you need to read anyway#although all but the bottom two are at least servicable#2022 was a pretty good year for books i thought
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Four Must-Read Books Based on “Alice in Wonderland”
I know I just finished my “Artists in Wonderland” event, but I’m still in an Alice mood, and especially in regards to literature. So I decided to cover another topic in terms of Wonderland in writing: different books based on the “Alice” stories.
Of course, movies, video games, and TV shows have given us countless reinterpretations of the “Alice” stories and characters, but there have been just as many - and probably more - in writing. From stories based on the real-life events behind the scenes, to sequels, reimaginings, and prequels of the Carrollian classics, literature has provided an abundance of different takes on Wonderland. What’s interesting is that - beyond children’s picture books and such other things - many of these reinterpretations take a darker and more adult stance with the story, creating unique lore and diving into the characters in a way Carroll’s stories do not do. This is nothing new, of course, but literature can do this in a way that most screen-based versions either cannot or do not.
Now, there are numerous books based on Wonderland, like I said, and I’ve read my fair share. Today, however, I wanted to provide a short “must read” list with four key books that I feel anyone interested in “Alice” should take a look at. Again, there are a LOT more than four. Some books I enjoy that I won’t be mentioning here are The Splintered Trilogy, The Alice Chronicles, The Queen of Hearts Saga, Still She Haunts Me, After Alice, and Grin: The Unauthorized Biography of a Cheshire Cat. These are just to name a few that aren’t included here: all of them have their own unique merits and are worth looking up if you have time. These are just four books that I would classify as the cream of the crop.
I should add that I won’t be including non-fiction books on the list, such as biographies, analytical or informational texts, etc. I’m specifically looking at works of fiction inspired by the stories. With that said, here are Four Must-Read Books for Alice in Wonderland Fans.
4. Alice I Have Been.
I’m starting this off with the most unique and arguably the most fascinating of the whole bunch. “Alice I Have Been,” written by Melanie Benjamin, is NOT an “Alice in Wonderland” story. It isn’t about the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, or any of the characters in the books. Instead, this is a piece of historical fiction that effectively tells the life story of Alice Hargreaves (nee Liddell), the young lady who inspired Charles Dodgson (a.k.a. Lewis Carroll) to write the Wonderland books to begin with. The novel focuses on Alice’s relationship with Carroll, of course, but also just on her life in general, as she squares off her own desires and simple humanity with the fact that she is seen as someone she isn’t. In a way, the book is a lot like the movie “Dreamchild,” but while that film occasionally brings people into the fantasy of Wonderland and mostly focuses on Alice as an old woman, “Alice I Have Been” sticks entirely to the real world, and traces her life pretty much from birth to death. It’s not a biography, as it IS written in the form of a novel, and does take some liberties here and there based on the writer’s presumptions and the themes and ideas they want to play with. However, it does paint a very sincere and true-to-life portrait of the young woman, whose life story so many people never really paid attention to. If you’re more interested in reading about the actual Wonderland characters and world, then the other three books on this list are going to be more to your taste, but I felt I simply could not leave Melanie Benjamin’s gorgeous story out of the running.
3. Unbirthday.
This book is part of a series by Liz Braswell, called “Twisted Tales.” The series is published by Disney, and in each novel, a question is asked about a particular Disney movie. The novel then riffs on that question, usually by presenting a sort of AU or “What If?” scenario, but sometimes by creating a new story, a prequel or sequel, to provide a new spin on the world and characters. The latter is the case with “Unbirthday.” Admittedly, Unbirthday’s premise is not the most inspired: a grown-up Alice returns to Wonderland, and finds it has become a darker and more dangerous place than ever before. She thus joins forces with a group of freedom fighters to battle the Queen of Hearts and save Wonderland. This exact premise, in those two sentences, can sum up a LOT of different “Alice” works. And I mean A LOT: most of the more prominent darker reinterpretations of Wonderland follow that basic formula. This book isn’t the first, and it isn’t the last. So, what makes it special? One simple little thing: all other darker Wonderlands with this premise are essentially their own invention. They aren’t based on any specific pre-existing version of the stories, they’re really their own thing, with their own special spin on the setting and characters. “Unbirthday” is interesting because it’s actually based on a very particular version of Wonderland, the Disney one. This makes the story unique, because we aren’t simply seeing newer, darker takes on the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, and other characters. We’re seeing the Disney ones - the ones so many of us know best and are familiar with from childhood, beyond all the rest - being corrupted and twisted in various ways. Similarly, we aren’t simply seeing a grown-up Alice, we’re seeing the Disney Alice all grown up. It’s a bit like watching “Spider-Man: No Way Home” versus “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” Both are films with similar concepts at play, but they take very different approaches, and a big part of this is that one uses versions of the characters we’ve seen before and have a pre-established connection with, while the other is totally original. The best part is that Braswell’s writing is so meticulously handled, the characters really DO feel like those Disney versions, from the way they speak to the way they are described as generally behaving. If you’re a fan of dark Wonderlands, a fan of the Disney film, or both, check this one out.
2. Heartless.
This book by Marissa Meyer is a rare example of a prequel to the “Alice” stories. This is something that actually isn’t as common as you would think. Sequels to Wonderland and reimaginings of the story are pretty easy to come by, but prequels - stories that detail the world before Alice - are quite rare. I think this is mostly because, in the books, Wonderland is supposedly just a dream Alice had. And in many strict adaptations, it’s left ambiguous, at best, how much of Wonderland was a dream and how much of it was real. So what’s the point in creating a backstory and lore to a world that doesn’t exist? Well, of course, these works base themselves on the idea it DOES exist, and while they are not common, they are out there. In my opinion, “Heartless” is the single best Wonderland prequel I’ve ever come across. The story ostensibly tells the tale of how the Queen of Hearts - here named Catherine - became the fat, pompous, bad-tempered old tyrant we all know and love to hate. In other words, it’s essentially “Wicked” (the novel, not the play), but for the Queen of Hearts. And much like “Wicked,” it not only gives us the skinny on the main villainess, but also involves multiple other characters from the books, most notably the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Duchess, and the King of Hearts, although other characters show up here and there, too. The primary reason I think Meyer’s book tops other prequels to the stories is simply this: with other prequels I’ve encountered, there’s always this sort of inconclusive feeling. Like, it’s hard to imagine these characters becoming the ones in the Carroll stories. That ISN’T the case with “Heartless”: not only is Catherine’s petulant, furious, rage-filled personality perfectly understandable, giving a once comically cruel and violently nasty villain a sympathetic and complex persona, but other characters feel very natural in their progression from where they start off to where we next see them. They’re written in such a way that they really do feel like those Victorian caricatures of madness we all care about so much, while still existing in their own unique space. This, above all else, makes Heartless one of my favorite Wonderland-based books. Check it out if you ever wanted to know what life was like before Alice’s fall.
1. The Looking-Glass Wars.
Frank Beddor’s “The Looking-Glass Wars” Trilogy is, without a doubt, my favorite book based on the “Alice” stories. It’s another dark reimagining of Wonderland that, on the surface, has the same basic formula “Unbirthday” and so many other stories have, but the way it interprets the world and the characters is totally its own, and wonderfully creative. The premise of “The Looking-Glass Wars” is that the story we all know and love so well is a boldfaced lie: the tale begins when Alyss Heart - the Princess of Wonderland, rightful heir to the throne - has her parents killed and kingdom usurped by her evil Aunt Redd. With the aid of Hatter Madigan, her loyal bodyguard, Alyss escapes through the Pool of Tears to our world…but because of some problems in-transit, Hatter is thrown all the way into France, while Alyss ends up in a slum in England. She is eventually taken in by the Liddell family, and meets Charles Dodgson, who writes a story inspired by the “wild fantasies” she tells him about. This story, of course, becomes the “Alice in Wonderland” we all know and love today. As time goes on, Alice forgets her old life and world entirely…until she’s finally rediscovered by her people, and brought back (along with Hatter M.) to Wonderland, to join the resistance and take back the crown from her traitorous aunt. In essence, the first book is “The Lion King” but with a Wonderland motif…but that’s only where the story starts, as the book would have two sequels, and not one, but TWO spin-off comic book series. I love the imagination and unique perspective Beddor’s books have, and the way it reinterprets classic characters. Some of them - like Aunt Redd, Bibwit Harte, and Blue the Caterpillar - feel very much like the Wonderlandian characters we all know and love, just a bit darker than usual. Others - like The Cat, Hatter Madigan, and Dodge Anders (Alice’s love interest, based on the Dodo, of all characters) - are radically different from the ones we know and love, but that’s kind of the point. The way the books mesh fantasy and history, tradition and new ideas, and so on really is one-of-a-kind, and it’s by far one of my favorite takes on “Alice” in general, and one that I wish more people knew about. I would love to see these books adapted to TV or cinema, or even to video games. Until that day, the stories stand on their own well enough. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of the comic book spinoffs I mentioned, but the original novels are truly fantastic. Read this trilogy as soon as you can.
#recommended reading#literature#list#countdown#best#favorites#top 4#must-read#books#alice in wonderland#lewis carroll#alice i have been#melanie benjamin#unbirthday#twisted tale#liz braswell#heartless#marissa meyer#the looking-glass wars#lgw#frank beddor
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