#this is seriously one of my favorite poems in the entire world

[inkskinned]

no, actually, where is the whimsy?

my ex had a best friend named larry who asked me once: what do you think comes after irony?

we were at the bar where larry worked. it was a quiet night, and he'd hopped over to sit with us on the patron side. i swirled the lemon around my limoncello martini.

earnest positivity, i said, while my ex said, art self-destructs.

i stared at my ex. he stared at me.

his argument was the cinemasins argument: look how bad media is becoming! look at the loopholes and the dumb shit!

it was roughly 2011. galaxy print was still in. at the time, i had a favorite shirt that was a wolf howling at the moon. it got ripped in half in the wash and i honestly still mourn it. i dressed like effie stonem, because everyone did. and irony was the name of the thing. men liked MLP "ironically." the internet liked the kind of crass, "anti-mainstream" vibes of things like fuck romance, touch my butt and buy me pizza. we put cats in sunglasses everywhere, which was because we only liked things in irony.

and media had the same vibe in it: anti-hero white men would be "hard to love" and then storm off the scene. nobody was just earnestly trying to save the world: they were jaded, angry, unoriginal. mad you even asked them to try to help.

my ex ends up not being wrong. cinemasins becomes super popular. a lot of people start viewing media with this lens that is the cruelest, most jaded depiction. it's wrong for your character to have unexplained powers, even if the entire movie is about how strange it is she has unexplained powers - that is still considered a "loophole." characters make thoughtless, panicked choices? loophole. characters are actually kind people, despite hardship? loophole. features a woman doing literally anything without assistance? loophole. movies become hyper-aware of scrutiny, and now irony rules the media.

which means you go to a movie, and the character has to turn to the screen and say "beats me!!" or one of the side characters has to have some kind of quip like "are you seriously telling me that you think this is normal?" because nothing can happen in earnest. like a sitcom laugh track, we now anticipate the fourth-wall break: the moment that the media acknowledges it is telling a story. the media has to apologize for itself, or else someone like my ex rolls their eyes.

but here's the thing: i wasn't wrong either.

the difference might be that i am (and always have been) so soft-hearted that any crack in the light of this world will spear me into the ground. and i was the poet in the relationship. (he thought that was the same thing as being naïve and stupid). i was making things daily. i knew how all of us artists are driven by some strange desire to evolve. he notably liked to critique art, not to create it.

so yes, i've made things that are bitter and angry and even ironic. i've made long, sharp poems with all capital letters, and i've made poems about how the silence stretches out like a song. someone wrote once that we will spend our whole lives just circling the place we grew up. i think it's more that we spend our whole lives trying to remake a home. i think it's that as we age, it becomes less exciting to build the castle on the beach - we become aware of erosion, of windforce. we realize what we really want is to come home to our dog, castle or not.

and while art in the foreground is mired in white male violence and irony, and aggression, and not taking anything seriously - i don't think that's true of all art. i think more and more artists are leaning in to the things we love. the world has changed so much. they have taken so many things from us. the only thing we have left is love. at the bottom of the moving box - all we get is the faint sense that we have to appreciate what little we've got. i can't enjoy this stuff ironically anymore: what room do i have for irony? if it makes me happy, that is an amazing thing. there are so few happy places left for me. i want to be happy because of how leaves shiver beside each other like nestling birds. i want to be happy because of the color pink, and how magenta doesn't exist. i have spent so much of this life suffering, i have earned my right to a gentle ending. if nothing matters, i get to assign meaning to the nothing. i get to create meaning. i am an artist first and foremost, which means creation is my thing.

where is the whimsy? wherever i fucking put it. because if this is my last fucking chance to do any good in this world - i want to do it earnestly. i want to write things that make you happy. that make people feel heard and seen. what comes after irony has to be positivity.

it was close to my 21st birthday. in 7 years, i would end up writing a book about this relationship, which is hopefully coming out somewhere around May 2024. i come back to this bar scene in my memories a lot. i keep thinking of how pale my ex was. the look that crossed his face. how i looked back at him. how for a moment, both of us couldn't recognize the other person. like the gulf between us was a suddenly wide and cavernous thing. like we were alien to each other. he never took my opinion seriously, and he always seemed surprised whenever his manic-pixie-dream-girl ever broke free of the plot. like in the whole time we were together, i wasn't human enough.

this knowledge: where he said nothing comes after, my only instinct was what comes after is love.

#spilled ink #writeblr #this is a real story lol #looking back i liked larry as a person SO much more than my ex hollyyyyy shitttt #compulsory heterosexuality will do you DIRTY #edit to correct effies name my apologies to effie and effies family

[respectthepetty]

Be My Favorite, I have something important to tell you.

Seriously. Was it episode four that did it? Episode two? EPISODE ONE?! Or was it even earlier than that? I thought about you daily for a year and a half before you even premiered, so have I loved you all along? I DIDN'T EVEN MUTE THE SINGING! I knew as soon as Kawi was looking for a talent what the outcome would be BUT I DIDN'T PUSH MUTE!

I'm in too deep. I can't stop these feelings now. Not when you gave me this scene at the beginning of the episode where Pisaeng tells Kawi he will be honest about his feelings, and Kawi, looking so small, knows exactly what he is talking about.

Or when you gave me this ENTIRE journey of Pisaeng seeing two men kiss with the multi-colored lighting, and the multi-colored neon sign asking him to evaluate his emotions, and the safe space he lands in front of!

Only to have Pisaeng run away, but return in BROWN. I have a theory that Pear is peach/pink, Pisaeng is black, and Kawi is brown, so Pisaeng going back in the color of the boy who awakened these feelings in him . . . *opens up pint of ice cream and bottle of wine*

Then the fear Pisaeng had running into Max while the song in the background sang, "I'm not afraid to love"

But Piseang showing up the next day (with the closed sign sooooo appropriately placed on his body)

Because Max is the perfect friend even when he doesn't want to be. He told Kawi that everyone treats Kawi with kindness while he is kind of a dick to people, and even though he snapped at Pisaeng for thinking the world revolves around him and his issues, he course-corrected and offered a kind ear to him.

Max presents this character who is visibly queer, and to tell a straight-passing privileged boy that queerness is not a destination or a place, but an answer within ourselves is powerful. Max doesn't have to be kind to Pisaeng, but he is gentle because he realizes the struggle of being judged by appearances.

Max states that he was wrong to judge Pisaeng by his cover, and we got several books in this episode which all showed depths to the characters:

Pear had Behind the Painting - Siburapha's famous work about an arranged marriage, forbidden love, social injustice, and inequality.

Pear also has Ujjeni's book of poems The Golden Horizon, which many of the poems encourage people to keep faith against injustices and to live with an open heart.

Not of all people wrote a book that deals with love.

Kawi has 1984, a story about a society who is constantly monitored by an oppressive government and the way the protagonist actively contributes to its control by rewriting the past.

And I think Max is reading a book about gardening or cooking, but I'm unsure.

But this all leads to the overall point of this episode - Kawi's evolution. Magic won't help him find the answer. He won't find his answer in a destination or a place. The answer to how to improve his life is within him and has always been. Kawi is quick to judge everyone else, yet thinks he was unfairly judged, but the more he matures, the more he will realize HE contributed to his current situation.

Pisaeng was bothered by Not laughing when Kawi sang (he looked over at Not several times). Pisaeng invited Kawi out after their freshmen interviews, but Kawi dismissed him.

Kawi hasn't been kind. Period. He hasn't been kind to himself nor to others. Pisaeng rejected Pear with kindness. Pear rejected Kawi with kindness. But Kawi avoided Max in the past and Pisaeng because of . . . their queerness? What that would imply about him? There are several answers, but he never treated them with kindness. Not is slowly learning this lesson as well. Everyone hates his book, but the second he is shown kindness, he sends it Kawi's way.

Because the point of all of this is that magic doesn't heal people.

Kindness does.

Random sidenotes because I can't be crying in the club: I'm obsessed with this woman and her big black eyes.

And Be My Favorite hasn't faked us out once so far with these previews, so . . .

*pushes play on Fluke Gawin's OST "Unable" while I think about Kawi looking at Pisaeng at practice as he sings about the other person unexpectedly changing his life because I'm UNABLE TO STOP LOVING THIS FUCKING SHOW NOW!*

#I'm in deep #this is going to be a top for me if it keeps this up #Be My Favorite #It is my favorite! #be my favorite the series #episode 5 #pisaeng x kawi #How can I love this show so much?! #When did it start? #Have I loved it forever? #This is like my bisexual awakening all over again! #I knew the feelings were there but now that they are out I can't go back

[emzi-148]

How Do I Say I Love You?

Fandom: Ninjago (AU)

Pairing: Bruise (one-sided)

Word count: 459

Rating: General

A/N: So... semi-vent(?) with the song “If I Could Tell Her” from Dear Evan Hansen. And this is for the @choicesprompts's Song Rewrite Challenge 2024

❈❈❈❈

Jay sighed, recounting the strained relationship with Morro, his cousin, “I swear, Morro acts like I'm his least favorite person on this entire world.”

Cole leaned in, trying to ease Jay's concerns, “You know, Morro just has a peculiar way of showing affection. Deep down, he thinks you're pretty cool. He just keeps it under wraps.”

Jay raised an eyebrow, “Really? Morro, thinking I'm cool? That's hard to believe.”

Cole chuckled nervously, “I'm serious, Bluebell. Want some proof?”

Jay, very intrigued by this, said “Hit me.”

Cole stumbled over his words, his attempt to conceal his true feelings turning into an awkward dance. “I mean, like, the way you light up when you talk about your comics or those train models. Morro might not say it, but he sees it. It's just his own way of acknowledging.”

Jay scratched his head, a puzzled expression on his face, “Morro, into comics and models? That's hard to picture.”

“Yeah, well, people surprise you,” Cole replied, secretly admiring Jay's passion for the things that made him unique.

The conversation shifted to Jay's love for poetry and cooking. “Morro thinks your poems are deep, you know,” Cole said with a sly smile.

Jay scoffed, “Morro, a poetry enthusiast? Now you're pulling my leg.”

Cole chuckled, “Seriously, he does. And those culinary creations of yours? He's probably just too shy to admit he's impressed.”

Jay grinned, seemingly comforted by the notion that his cousin might secretly appreciate his hobbies. “Maybe I've misjudged Morro.”

Unbeknownst to him, Cole stood right there, absorbing every detail, the unsaid words hovering in the air.

As the dialogue between them reached its peak, Cole couldn't shake the weight of his own hidden emotions. “How do you say 'I love you' when you're standing a million worlds apart?” he mused internally.

The great divide between them, an unspoken chasm, echoed with the truth that Cole dared not voice. And so, the conversation continued, each shared interest and comforting word serving as a bittersweet reminder of the love that lingered unspoken in Cole's heart.

Finally, Jay turned to Cole, “You've been quiet. What are you thinking?”

Cole's heart raced as he searched for words, “I just think people are more complex than we give them credit for. Maybe there's more to Morro than meets the eye.”

Jay nodded, “Yeah, you might be right.”

As their conversation peaked, Cole grappled with concealed emotions. The unspoken truth lingered. A silent acknowledgment that Cole admired Jay from a distance.

He noticed, cared, and yearned to reveal everything to Jay. Yet, the vast distance between them felt insurmountable. The fear of shattering their delicate friendship prevented Cole from voicing the feelings on the edge of his thoughts.

If I could tell him, if I could…

#ninjago #ninjago jay #jay walker #jay gordon #ninjago morro #morro wu #ninjago cole #cole brookstone #ninjago au #ninjago fanfiction #ninjago fanfic #one sided bruiseshipping #bruiseshipping #choicesprompts #songrewrites #song rewrites

[louderfade]

due to ease of access, i read a lot of highlights magazine growing up. my favorite parts were the poems and the goofus and gallant mini comic strip. i think the predictability of it appealed to me, plus i have always appreciated extremes. so i recently revisited goofus and gallant for perhaps the first time as an adult, and though amusing, i was surprised bc the offending behavior on the part of goofus spans such a range. it's a mix of entirely harmless acts, like failing to wash his hands before reading a book or drinking from the faucet, to totally normal kid stuff like touching fruit in the supermarket or playing noisily, all the way to straight up animal cruelty and genuine meanness. there's one where he's torturing a frog for fun and one where the squirrels are afraid of him (what has he done to the squirrels). and he smashes a kid's snowman and laughs like a cartoon villain and he straight up says "i wish i didn't have a little brother" while standing right beside the little brother in question. and this is seemingly equated on some level to say, spreading things out on your desk or expressing dislike for spinach. but let's be real if i had to live with gallant's obnoxious ass i'd prolly be acting even worse than poor goofus. seriously wtf is going on in that household to produce these behavioral extremes bc neither boy acts like a well-adjusted elementary schooler. there is some kind of twisted backstory there that would make a great premise for a terrible television movie. or a potentially excellent piece of experimental theatre. personally i think the world needs both.

#ignore me #text

[shittystartrekheadcanons]

Here are my next gen book club headcanons:

When Data gets to choose a book for the group to read, he takes it very seriously. He takes into account the tastes of people who frequent the group and tries to pick a book that will be liked by a majority. He also looks for books that would be thought provoking and encourage discussion amongst the group. That said, he is a big fan of the "no plot, just vibes" genre. His latest pick was In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan.

Deanna Troi is also a big fan of "no plot, just vibes" because of the emotional aspect of it. It can be easy for her to get caught up in all the emotions of the books, so she does try to arrange her current reads so that they won't exacerbate any negative emotions she might be feeling at the time. The first books to come to mind for her are Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler, or The Pisces by Melissa Broder.

William Riker's taste in literature is all red flags. He is not a red flag, and his taste in books doesn't necessarily make him a red flag when you view it in the context of the rest of him, but if it was viewed independently it would be concerning. Absolutely the kind of person to suggest Fight Club to the book club and then use it as a chance to discuss the toxicity of men. He definitely reads Murakami, Palahniuk (I think his favorite of Palahniuk's novels would be Diary, which I might be saying because it's my favorite, but that's not important), Catcher in the Rye, Clockwork Orange, but *also* Ottessa Moshfegh, which is a holdover from when he was dating Deanna and would read books with her. He would not read bukowski because he's actually a decent man.

Where do I even start with Picard? He reads everything. He prefers more serious works, he likes screenplays, he loves a good classic, but he will read anything, especially if a friend has recommended it (especially if that friend is Data). He would show up to the book club meeting where he gets to pick a book and excitedly tell the other members that his choice is the complete works of Emily Dickinson, or The Importance of Being Earnest, or a work of Shakespeare's. He has a soft spot for Hamlet as the actor who portrayed him in a show he saw when he was young was his bi awakening.

I've said it before and I will say it again, Geordi reads poetry. He prefers longer form, free verse poetry but will read anything, and finds it especially interesting to read the poems containing political commentary from centuries gone by. He very much enjoyed Picard's suggestion of Shakespeare's sonnets. His most recent choice was Helium by Rudy Francisco.

Worf is a man who reads books about world war two. Not the twenty fourth century equivalent of that. Specifically world war two. His adopted father was probably the same way and they bonded over a shared enjoyment of these books. He can branch out from that genre if pushed, and also enjoys the work of Erik Larson. Also, unlike Odo, he's not the kind of man who reads exclusively non fiction. His world war two books can be real or imagined and he loves them the same. He is not a fan of "no plot, just vibes."

Q has all the time in the universe to read whatever he wants, but he likes trashy, quickly written novels the best. Think, the kind of thing you could get as a mass market paperback at a grocery store, or something that was hurriedly made into a made for TV movie. He attends every book club meeting, much to Picard's disdain, and has insisted that, as one of the most dedicated members, he gets to choose books sometimes. He's working on making the crew read through the entire pretty little liars series and he's very proud of his work thus far. He delights in seeing Picard point out all the flaws and Chekhov's guns in the texts. The crew is unsure of whether Q genuinely likes the books or just revels in the suffering of the rest of them. The answer is yes. He also likes to bring up controversial discussions such as separating the art from the artist, but each time he bases his opinion on the matter on what the most people will disagree with, or what the loudest people will disagree with. He compares each of Picard's choices to Twilight and has surprisingly valid points.

Wesley reads the Warrior Cats series. I will not elaborate further.

Beverly doesn't do a lot of reading, and, when she does read, they tend to be best sellers that have a lot of hype surrounding them. It's not that she doesn't like to read, it's just that she doesn't have a lot of free time and tends to prioritize other things.

#this is so much later than i promised it but i did it #please request book headcanons for star trek characters #i love writing these #i will give you a full book recommendation list for a character of your choosing if you just ask in a way that is slightly kind #star trek #star trek headcanon #star trek next gen #star trek next generation #star trek the next generation #next gen headcanon

[lelanida]

Happy 1st anniversary to my favorite sad grown-ups of all the time!

To celebrate such date I decided to redraw one of my first sky fanarts I ever made. The fanart that literally breathed live into this blog. But this time I used all headcanons I made about them and my human Rose design.

Do you wanna see my headcanons.

Of course you do :) (Long post under the cut)

🌹 Rose

You have already seen how a man beaten by life takes care of an innocent child dynamically. But are you ready for the fact that a child will take care of six men beaten by life?

So basically all the human Rose lore is: "The Rose appeared as a human in the Starlight Desert because the Little Prince treated her like a human."

She has a difficult character. Once she argued with Narcissist for so long that it ended in both of them being hoarse.

Has problems with her new body. Especially with walking. That’s why, Soldier usually carries her on his shoulders

Likes to write small poems in her free time.

💡 Lamplighter

Lamplighter used to be a very popular profession. There were a lot of lanterns and a lot of lamplighters around. But with the beginning of the storm, their number began to decrease.

It's safe to say that our Lamplighter is like a unicorn. The last of its kind.

He was the last thing left of the old Golden Wasteland. People saw him as a light of hope. He was under a lot of pressure.

He didn't fell. He jumped.

In the Starlight Desert, he still feels the importance of his work. But he is not quite sure why.

🏏 Gloat

Becoming a Valley champion was their childhood dream.

Even if they say they’re fond of more elegant activities, like skating or performing they’re a genius hockey player

Seriously, when this mx gets on ice they’re ready to KILL

Narci is really competitive.

Unlike any other champion in Valley Narci lived really far from colosseum. It was hard for him to get on trainings.

✨Star collector

Timid Bookworm’s cousin. But they aren’t really close. The only thing that united them was summer vacation at the Sanctuary Islands.

His business was really successful! Collector traveled across entire sky world selling stars to people.

Considers himself as №1 enemy of Forgotten Ark.

🍵Soldier

I think @ slink-a-dink already told us everything we need to know about this man.

🕊 Ruler

First one to get to the Starlight Desert. Owns reputation of everyone’s grandpa.

All living things like him for some reason. Even desert’s space manta likes to rest under his island.

Atheistic. GOD CANNOT BE A BIRD.

Ah yes. He has a favorite bird. Their name is Hamlet. Don’t tell the others.

📖Geographer

Has an ADHD. That’s the reason why it was extremely hard for him to concentrate on his work in the Vault.

Easily gains new interests and hobbies.

Daydreams about traveling across the sky world A LOT.

Keeper of all table games the gang plays.

#sky children of the light #thatskygame #sky cotl #season of the little prince #tlp season beloved

[ren-c-leyn]

Who's your top 5-10 writeblrs that you would recommend following/reading their content? - @dusk-written

*inhales deeply to prepare for intense fangirling*

@hyba is one of my oldest mutuals whose still active. If you like - middle-eastern inspired fantasy, suspense, horror, or worlds and characters who feel like they're going to jump off the page, she's you're gal. Highly, highly detailed worlds that feel like you can step right into them, amazing tension, incredibly detailed and complex characters, and these very well thought out chains of cause and effect. I can scream about her writing forever and still not tell you everything I love about it. The Pirates of Sissa world is my favorite, and has been since she first told me about it, but she has so many in dozens of genres and they are all incredible. There isn't a single one that isn't fascinating.

@writingonesdreams is a talented fantasy writer who has very interesting and complex characters who feel very real, some really cool settings, and has recently been sharing some of her project's AUs. They are all amazing, I am always blown away by her creativity and how fluid and airy her style feels. Always an exceptional read that leaves you wanting more and more.

@writeblrfantasy does incredible queer fantasy romances, but fluffy and dark. She will play your emotions like a violin, making you smile and then heartbroken all in the same scene without breaking the flow at all. I have fallen in love with like 80% of her projects, and I have binge read all of her snippets repeatedly and never regret a moment of it. Lovely writing style, creative worlds, unforgettable characters.

@sleepyowlwrites does beautiful poetry, sometimes accidentally, and has some incredible characters. I freaken ADORE Dirt in the Doing and love her poems so much I feel like I'd explode before I even got half-way through explaining why.

@bloodlessheirbyjacques I haven't gotten a chance to sort through all of her amazing snippets that she's tagged me in (I promise I haven't forgotten about them!) but the ones I have read have left me absolutely gobsmacked. An amazing eye for detail, complex and fascinating characters, and I freaken adore her monsters and magic system for Bloodless Heir! A very cool world, a very cool writer.

@hannahactuallywrites has some very creative ideas, I'm particularly fond of The Fantastical World of Dreams and that entire world, but she does everything from fantasy, to horror, to sci-fi, to musicals, and more. She's always shuffling projects, though, so you never quite know what's going to pop up on your dash next. A very fun, very easy to digest writing style, lots of enthusiasm, and varied characters who all feel unique and leave impressions.

@vermontwrites If you want to talk about an eye for the details, go binge read everything they've ever shared. No, seriously, do it. The most incredible way of describing things I have seen on tumblr, a criminally underrated writeblr. I still randomly think about this short piece they wrote for me about a cursed librarian and their amazing dream-like library all the time. I still think about the way they described a city in one of their short pieces, like fingers reaching into a sky. I just freaken love, love, love the way they handle descriptions. Then, there's the characters. All amazing and different and memorable. Plus, they do amazing art so you can see what these characters look like ^^

I'm sure there's more peoples I could scream about, and I wish there were some who were still active here on tumblr so I could scream about them, but alas these are the lovely people who first came to mind that I know are still here. Seriously, if you get the time, check them out. Check them all out. They are incredible writers who inspire me to keep improving my own style and whose works have inspired me to go completely wild with my self-indulgent worlds.

[ablatheringblatherskite]

4, 10, 20, 135? :)

AAAAAHHH YAYY, thank you so much for the ask, Teaspoon (can I call u that?? Or do u have a better nickname suggestion!)!! So sorry it took a bit, I was trying to PERFECT this answer LOL (the book recc part especially took me a bit HAHA)

4. A poetry book that reads like a story

I think I'm gonna have to say When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne!! I absolutely adore those poem books aaaaaaaa, I left them in our other home and I miss it so muchhh. I'm not sure if the question means all poems are connected or each poem feels like a story on its own, to me they really feel like the latter. They're so cute and beautiful and charming and nostalgic and agghhhhh

here's some of my favorites, just to name two of many:

and

Wind On The Hill

No one can tell me, Nobody knows, Where the wind comes from, Where the wind goes.

It’s flying from somewhere As fast as it can, I couldn’t keep up with it, Not if I ran.

But if I stopped holding The string of my kite, It would blow with the wind For a day and a night.

And then when I found it, Wherever it blew, I should know that the wind, Had been going there too.

So then I could tell them Where the wind goes… But where the wind comes from Nobody knows.

10. A book that got you through something

Okay this is a toughie, but only because I can't remember any specific times. BUT BOOKS HAVE ALWAYS AND FOREVER WILL HELP ME GET THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFICULT THINGS!

BUT one book that I am sure has helped me through SOME difficult things is Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. That's honestly one of my main comfort books ever since I was like, ten years old. Some people consider it to be slow but I think that's why I love it 🥺. It really takes time to depict the more mundane, realistic moments in between the high-stakes, perilous ones in their adventure. It's really about the ENTIRE journey, and I really love that

20. A book that got you out of a reading slump

I think one book that ripped me FIERCELY out of a reading slump was Wings of Fire, book 6: Moon Rising. I absolutely LOVE the Wings of Fire series (it's no surprise that it's about dragons LOL. I... love dragons...), and I'll be honest after finishing the first quartet I was skeptical about continuing to the next part of the series just because it ended so well, but I was NOT DISAPPOINTED. Disclaimer: I have yet to find a copy of book seven... BUT CAN'T WAIT FOR WHEN I FINALLY DO 😭

135. Recommend any book you like!

oh GOSH THERE'S SO MANY TO CHOOSE FROM. UMMM. Alright I have two!

Okay so there's Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, a REALLY underrated book imo that I love so much, that I think you'd like if you like fantasy and adventure that takes place in the real world. I don't know if COZY is the right word for it but it'd really cozy to me even if they characters are often in danger lol, but I think the biggest reason I love it so much is because it's a real love letter to books and reading (and even writing as well!). It's about a book binder and his daughter, and the book binder has the ability to read characters from books to life. I read it when I was ten and have loved it ever since.

Then there's the Wings of Fire quartet by Tui T. Sutherland, which I ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO THIS DAY. If you love dragons and fantasy, then you'd probably like this!!! Yeah it's a children's book but who CARES. This book series is about five dragonets who have been told all their life that they are destined to stop the Sandwing queen war, and their journey as they try to do exactly that. The world-building is so cool, with the different type of dragons, and I love the five main characters so much and their relationship with each otherrrrr. Seriously one of my favorite series ever.

ANYWAY IM SORRY AGAIN FOR THE LATE RESPONSE!! I've been thinking about this ask for days I swear thank you so much for asking it 🥹

If you wanna ask me more book-related asks, fire away!!

#asks #offendedteaspoon #books

[golbrocklovely]

since fob just came out with a new album, i figured i would give you my reaction to it

does anyone care? probably not lol

feel free to read and if not, whatever haha

Love From the Other Side

10/10 love this song, loved it since it came out. this is EXACTLY what i have needed.

Favorite Lyric: I'd never go, I just want to be invited

2. Heartbreak Feels So Good

i know this song came out before the album, but i never got around to listening to it. so this is my first time hearing it.

it was pretty good song for the most part. the lyrics are a little meh, but i do like the "heartbreak feels so GOOD" part. vocals on point as usual. kinda zoned out at one point lol

Favorite Lyric: We'll cry later or cry now, but baby / Heartbreak feels so good

3. Hold Me Like a Grudge

omg… i love this??? so fucking much????????

it has such a good bassline, such a good song to groove to. i think patrick's vocals get a little bit lost in the music, but it still sounds really good. i love the lyrics. i wasn't sure what to expect with this song but i genuinely loved it the entire time i listened to it.

Favorite Lyric: Part-time soulmate, full-time problem / Hold me like a grudge

4. Fake Out

heard the first chords of this song and i was like 'oh, this is gonna be a sad one' and i was right.

the lyrics are such a gut punch. if you're someone like me who kinda lives in fantasy and daydreams to get by, this song hurts a lot. this song reminds me of a lot of a paramore's song - super upbeat but lyrically melancoly. i love it and it almost made me cry.

correction, i was looking over the lyrics for one i liked the most, and i started crying. so… thanks fob.

Favorite Lyric: We did it for futures that never came / And for pasts that we're never gonna change (but honestly there are so many in this song i could have picked any of them)

5. Heaven, Iowa

in the first half of the song, i was like ehh, idk. it was reading like a phil collins song or just like pure 80s, and i was kinda on the fence about it.

but the chorus. omg the chorus. patrick…. THEM VOCALS. seriously he is so good.

i like the lyrics a lot. the ending was fantasic.

Favorite Lyric: Talking to the mirror say, "Save your breath / Half your life you've been hooked on death"

6. So Good Right Now

love the general vibe of this song - upbeat but everything crashing and burning around me. that's me everyday lol

i think the lyrics are so personal in this song. i think we can all relate to changing ourselves for someone else, especially when we love them and want to be with them as long as possible.

song was super fast, kinda wish it never ended lol

Favorite Lyric: I got this doom and gloom in my mind / I got this doom and gloom but I feel all right

7.The Pink Seashell

not really a song, but it was very pretty.

idk where this monologue is from, but… ouch.

8. I Am My Own Muse

very dramatic, reminds me so much of folie.

love the heavy as guitars and all the orchestral instruments too. they had such a dark touch to the whole song.

totally didn't start tearing up at my favorite lyric…. who told you that??

Favorite Lyric: I'm just trying to keep it together / But it gets a little harder when it never gets better

9. Flu Game

fob is really coming for my neck rn dear lord.

as i've kinda mentioned on here before, my ex best friend of 10 years decided to randomly end our friendship and subsequently i lost all of our friends in common, and it's been a bit of roller coaster emotionally. and these lyrics…. fuck me, they are just connecting with me so much.

Favorite Lyric: Oh God, kinda please would you kill me now? or Last night I dreamt I still knew you, you / I carved out a place in this world for two / But it's empty without you

10. Baby Annihilation

first off love that the previous song blended into this one. always a fave of mine when songs on albums do that.

interesting, another poem/monologue on the album. love when pete does his whole speech at the end of a song, but making this it's own is fun.

11. The Kintsugi Kid (Ten Years)

again, they're trying to make me hurt, that's all i will accept at this point.

this feels like such a nostaligic song, too. god. didn't think this would be the third song on fob's album i would be crying to, but here i am.

Favorite Lyric: I felt you at the beginning / But needed you at the end

12. What a Time to Be Alive

never thought i would full on CACKLE at a fob, but oh my god???!?!??!?!?!?!

i love this. no other words. 1000+/10

Favorite Lyric: 'Cause everything is lit except my serotonin or When, when, when I said, "Leave me alone" / This isn't quite what I meant

13. So Much (for) Stardust

this reminded me so much of marianas trench and how they will make the final song on their albums an accomulation of all the other songs on the album. and i really love that for fob.

this song is such a sad ending, but also not?? like it just feels like almost admitting you were upset all this time, and now you're left with what to do with finally telling everyone how you felt.

seriously so good. vocally, i mean… cmon.

Favorite Lyric: I used to be a real go-getter / I used to think it'd all get better

OVERALL: this is seriously one of fob's best albums to date. it isn't the same as anything else they've released, and it's so much more mature than previous album. musically, it has a lot of similarities to past projects, but i think it takes on a life of it's own and is unique amongst all of their other works. a lot more groovy than i ever expected them to sound like. lyrically, gut punching. thanks for making me cry three times. wish i could see you guys in concert but yall REFUSE to come to philly. and coming to camden does not count !!

i'm gonna go listen to this for another week and half, see yall on the other side lol

RANKING OF THE SONGS

What a Time to Be Alive

Love From the Other Side

Hold Me Like a Grudge

Fake Out

The Kintsugi Kid (Ten Years)

So Good Right Now

Flu Game

Heaven, Iowa

I Am My Own Muse

So Much (for) Stardust

Heartbreak Feels So Good

The Pink Seashell

Baby Annihilation

#personal #text #fall out boy

[twelve-kinds-of-trouble]

Uh. Hi. I don’t know why I can’t choose a single thing for an ask game but this one was particularly bad so I. Just.

I chose six. Don’t be mad. Hope it’s okay.

So. 2, 8, 14, 22, 35, 38 for the writing ask game…?

MaD?? I’m over the MOON. I LOVE talking about my writing!!

2. If you had to give up your keyboard and write your stories exclusively by hand, could you do it? If you already write everything by hand, a) are you a wizard and b) pen or pencil?

Oh my god fuck no. I’d run out of paper, and I’d have doodles all over Everything, and I’d jump from chapter to chapter. My brain does not like to be patient or linear, so any paper document I’ve handwritten on is,,,,, a bomb site.

8. If you had to write an entire story without either action or dialogue, which would you choose and how would it go?

Literally allll of my WIPs rely on Those Two Things. And as much as I love Love LOVE dialogue, I think there’s something very intimate in silence, especially in scenarios where speech seems fundamental. I could do that, but it wouldn’t be a very long story, nor would it be much good!! bUt. Things written as just dialogue, like… the fuckin… End Poem in Minecraft. They hit. They just? When done right, they’re beautiful. I am.. undecided.

14. Do you lend your books to people? Are people scared to borrow books from you? Do you know exactly where all your “lost” books are and which specific friend from school you haven’t seen in twelve years still possesses them? Will you ever get them back?

Oh my fucking god. I lent my friend a book once. Actually, I lent her THREE books. That was THREE years ago. I got them back in January of THIS. YEAR. Never again. I’m keeping them right here with me. My friends are Terrified to borrow books from me because I’ll eat them alive if they damage them. I’ve seen how they treat their paperbacks, I don’t need mine to get the same treatment.

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

I write on Google Docs, but I am Notes app’s biggest fan. I love you, Notes app!!!! I also plan a Lot of fics and stories in random notebooks I have lying around. When I put my mind to it, I can usually create a good list to summarise chapters, and that’s about as organised as it gets, I’m afraid.

35. What’s your favorite writing rule to smash into smithereens?

‘dOn’T uSe lOts oF cOmmAs’, bitch?! Dickens did it, and so can I.

‘dOn’t sWiTch pOvS’, no!!! No. Say it with me: different points of view develop the world, the story, and other characters infinitely better than one POV!!!

‘dOn’t uSe toO maNy wOrds’— my WIP, my rules <3

38. What is something about your writing process YOU think is Really Weird? If you are comfortable, please share. If you’re not comfortable, what do you think cats say about us?

Whenever I have little dialogues I want to check make sense, I act them out. Very professionally, mind you, I take this seriously. Either that, or I run through scenes in my head like they’re movies!! 

thank you. sOOO much. I am smiling and screaming and all that.

#asks #i LOVR YOU

[christomopherz-reviews]

Media I believe everyone should consume at least once in their life (this list will grow over time)

This isn't going to be like "omg you should read 1984", you could find that shit on r/books where they circlejerk over required high school reading. This is mainly going to be semi-niche things (some things are going to be mainstream, but I will still put them on the list because I really really really think they are worth consuming), and a lot of them are going to be related to science because I am a huge STEM and sci-fi fanatic. Here we go:

The End of Imagination by Arundhati Roy - From the author of the infamous God of Small Things, an essay protesting India's creation of their first nuclear bomb. Man, the words "it could end in an afternoon"... I read this piece a couple of years ago, and I still think about those words every few weeks.

Story of Your Life (the short story, but the whole book is also really good) by Ted Chiang - This science fiction story has permanently changed the way I viewed the world.

Bojack Horseman - For the mentally ill :) One of my favorite shows of all time.

/mu/ board essential charts - We all hate 4chan, but their music recommendations are probably some of the best I've ever seen. Even if you aren't into the albums listed, listening to them is a great gateway to developing your own music taste.

I want(ed) to die by jreg - I got into jreg through his Centricide series back during covid, almost his entire channel is drenched in irony and humor, but this is one of his only sincere videos, and probably one of the few videos that I can say have really left an emotional impact on me. The poem at the end never fails to make me cry.

The entirety of the human behavioral biology course by Robert Sapolsky - It's free on Youtube. It's just a really well taught course, and it's very interesting even if you're not into biology at all (like me). 100% worth a watch.

Blade Runner 1982 - You can't not watch one of the best films of all time. No arguments.

Brokeback Mountain - Watch it just for the scene where Jack takes it raw with no condom, no lube, after having eaten a can of beans. Mad respect to him for doing that. Seriously.

Epic Rap Battle Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates - you blow, Jobs!

Every The Onion video with autistic reporter Michael Falk in it - I'm not explaining this one. I have an unhealthy obsession with Michael Falk.

At least 5 pieces of fan fiction that's >50k words and is the post-canon slow burn of two homoerotic characters in a queer baiting TV show - this is necessary for your own character development.

All the existing What If? books, and all the future ones if there's more - They seriously offer so much interesting and niche science knowledge, and it's just one of the best ways to pass time if you're on a train or waiting in line.

17776 - The best interactive science fiction media out there. Jump into it blind.

Charlie the Unicorn and Llamas With Hats - Shun the non believers...Carllllllll..... (I got into FilmCow through Charlie the Unicorn, then I watched Llamas With Hats after, and it actually made me cry.)

Top 50 pieces artworks in r/imsorryjon - Makes you go "What the fuck?" but in both an amazed and horrified way.

On Suicide by Sisyphus55 - What got me into philosophy.

string theory lied to us and now science communication is hard by Angela Collier - As someone who was a big string theory fan six years ago, who watched all of Brian Greene's Ted talks, read everything that Edward Witten had published, this video has perfectly summed up the string theory controversy from a not-a-scientist-but-an-avid-science-reader perspective. If you are also not a scientist, but are subscribed to shit like Scientific American, and you spend your free time watching Veritasium and 3b1b, Angela Collier is the perfect channel for you. I love the way she rants.

#recommendations #book recommendations #movie recommendation #tv show recommendations #science #sci fi #literature

[lizardrosen]

Scene Individible or Poem Unlimited

Part Four of my ongoing Viscount’s Men series, about the Bridgerton siblings performing Hamlet. This section is the second half of 2.2, Hamlet sees the Players and then has some Feelings about them :D (Part One, Part Two, Part Three)

Benedict asks Colin once if he thinks Polonius ever told his children stories about their mother and he has to admit he hasn’t thought about that one way or another. He’s been more focused on the words in front of him and the humor in the different meanings that get twisted against Polonius, and how to memorize meandering repetitive speeches where half the joke is forgetting what he was saying. Fair enough, says Benedict, but does he have an idea of how Polonius felt about his wife when she was alive?

Colin makes it up on the spot. Polonius loved her very much and always felt she could see who he really was when no one else even took him seriously. He doesn’t say that’s what he would hope for in a partner, but Benedict is shrewd and remembers everything that happened with Marina Thompson last season; he can recognize when an artist is drawing from experience.

Polonius couldn’t talk about her after her death because it hurt too much, but he saw her everywhere and especially in their children: Ophelia’s sarcastic smile and Laertes’s stubborn pride, and favorite foods and books. Sometimes he tells them a certain outing was a tradition their mother always used to love, but all he drops are breadcrumbs like that. She was a blank space for their imaginations to dance across and fill in with colors and patterns of their own.

Now Polonius announces Benedict’s entrance, not as his son, but as an entire troupe of “The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral, scene individable, or poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light. For the law of writ and the liberty, these are the only men.”

Even if Benedict weren’t literally the only actor not otherwise occupied in the Murder of Gonzago scene he would have jumped at this role for the sake of these speeches. He’s sketched studies of Priam’s death that he’s never committed to enough to make it a full painting, and he can paint the scene almost as well with his words.

He bears with him a crate of props, and all the stories Polonius keeps to himself, tales not of bawdry but of tragedy and an ominous horse and a blanket in the alarum of fear caught up. He both is and isn’t Laertes, but when Polonius yawns and declares that “This is too long!” it is Laertes’s insecurity that bristles at being scolded by his father, even if the Player is just reacting out of professional pride.

Hamlet has been totally caught up in the tale of Priam’s slaughter, even pounding the floor when “anon the dreadful thunder doth rend the region” and he’s almost as wounded by the interruption as the Player is, so he snaps, “It shall to the barber’s with your beard!” and flatters and soothes and mollifies until he comes to Hecuba. Polonius can tell well enough when he’s been chastised and takes the earliest chance to praise a good turn of phrase. It’s still an interruption, and approval for something he has no say over anyway, but the Player recognizes and appreciates the gesture.

There’s not a dry eye in the house for the disgraced queen of Troy watching as her husband’s limbs be hacked and minced. Benedict makes it sound like he’s right there watching it happen, and he invites his audience to come along to see Hecuba’s grief and bedraggled state, so when Polonius says, “Look whether he has not turned his color and has tears in’s eyes. Pray you, no more,” he’s talking about Hamlet’s red eyes as much as the Players, and perhaps his own tears too.

Hamlet has been transformed by this speech he’s heard before, and Anthony may be acting part of that feeling because he doesn’t connect to these things quite as deeply as his role does, but he can see something special here, so when he takes the Player’s shoulders and says “Tis well,” he’s also telling Benedict that he believes and supports anything he wants to do with his future and his art, and before they can get too emotional he promises, “I’ll have thee speak out the rest soon.”

This is part of why he’s so adamant that the players be well bestowed, and so frustrated with Polonius’s begrudging sigh that he will use them “according to their desert,” because they are the world in miniature. This is also personal to Hamlet because he’s painfully aware of how little he’s done to get any closer to his goal, and the cynic in him is sure no one deserves better than whipping. But it’s the mark of a gentleman to treat people better than they are owed; he doesn’t have a high opinion of Polonius’s honor and dignity, but Polonius does, so Hamlet trusts that’ll be enough for him to treat them well, now that he’s been flattered into it.

Hamlet asks the Player to perform the Murder of Gonzago the next day, hurries Rosencrantz and Guildenstern away with vague promises to dine with them later, and then he is alone with his fear and his failures and his father’s voice in his head. It felt good to have no one looking at him for about two seconds, but without the distraction of other people the pressure he’s been feeling grows even more so he just wants to scream — maybe he even does to launch himself straight into “What a rogue and peasant slave am I! Is it not monstrous…”

An actor felt more for a queen who never existed than Hamlet does for a father he’s known and loved; Hamlet was more stirred by Hecuba’s grief than by his own. He often feels like this lately, like his own life is a story he’s hearing about someone else, and the books he reads are real and honest, with characters who respond the right ways to personal tragedies. Could he drown the stage in tears if he wrote himself into the Murder of Gonzago or would he be just as he is now, and do and say nothing?

Anthony picks up the prop sword Benedict left behind and imitates his pose as he embodied the story he told of Pyrrhus poised over Priam, waiting to strike — this is also practice for Hamlet hesitating to kill Claudius in the chapel, and for Lucianus, the usurping nephew of the king — he serves as both an indictment of Claudius’s past and a vision of his future once the world is righted.

Hamlet tries to perform the words that would come naturally if he were a better son. “Bloody, bawdy villain. Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain.” Even when he uses his diaphragm to yell, “O, vengeaaaance!” for as long and loud as he can, he’s still just performing the idea of vengeance, and Hamlet and Anthony are laughing together when he cuts himself off with, “Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,” because he knows he’s being ridiculous, just a boy playing with toy swords.

It’s always been an inconsistency that Hamlet asks to add a speech to the Murder of Gonzago before his revelation that he can use it to sound Claudius, but Anthony thinks he brings it up for the same reason he asks for Pyrrhus or Hecuba, or talks about Jephthah or Niobe, all tears — these stories touch on questions that have been on his mind, and it comforts him to think of his situation as a fiction and to gain insight and direction from a distance.

Hamlet can more or less relax now that he has criteria by which to judge Claudius’s conscience: if he but blench, I know my course, while still allowing for the possibility that he’s wrong: the spirit I have made may be the devil, and the devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape. He’s willing to be damned for killing Claudius if he truly has committed fratricide, but he’s terrified of acting too hastily only to learn that he was wrong. He has to be sure.

#hamlet #bridgerton #the viscount's men #my writing #polonius #shakespeare #rogue and peasant slave time let's goooo

[themusiccornerlistening]

Hey Guys! I started writing this column in the deep darkness of the pandemic-nearly 3 years ago! I needed to connect with my community and the only thing keeping me going was the beauty of music. Writing about a musician or composer or favorite piece and celebrating the beauty brought me so much joy and I hope to share it with you too!

In celebration of Women's History Month, I will be featuring women the entire month of March. I also feature women throughout the year, but they get the whole month of March! I hope you enjoy the listening and I look forward to hearing from you-also, any suggestions you may have!

Born on November 14th, 1809; Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel felt compelled to play the piano, to compose and from a young age this is just what she did.  At the age of 14 she played all 24 Preludes from Bach’s “Well Tempered Clavier” from memory for her father’s birthday.  Her brother, Felix, 4 years her younger, followed in her footsteps and so began a lifelong love of music, performing and composition for the brother and sister pair.  While Felix was in the limelight, his sister’s gifts were no secret from the public.  Her composing was quite prolific and primarily for piano and lieder, with a piano trio and quartet, an orchestral overture, which I recently heard live at the Portland Symphony and four Cantatas; one of which “Lobgesang” (Song of Praise) composed for her son’s first birthday.  The introduction, so sweet and full of love, I find this to be one of the most peaceful moments in her music I have had the pleasure of listening to. 

Her Piano Trio in d minor, Op. 11 drives the point home; she is strong, she belongs in this world to compose, to play and nothing was going to stop her.  Coming from a well to do family, there was no need for her to seek monetary remuneration.  She never expressed a need to be recognized or published, but to be respected and taken seriously for her great talent and knowledge in the field of piano performance and composition. 

It is well known, many of her compositions were published under her brother, Felix Mendelssohn’s name, however; her reputation was so well known, it was not difficult for the distinguished peer to know they were listening to her music.  Composed in 1828, “Easter Sonata” for piano was not discovered until 1970 and attributed to her brother.  Not until 2010 was it brought to light that this was in fact her composition. 

In 1841, she composed “Das Jahr” a series of pieces for piano depicting the months of the year.  This composition was accompanied by a short poem and illustration by her husband for each month.  This is a lovely compilation and I encourage you to listen! 

The strength in her musical lines and passionate pulsating rhythms seem to deliver a message that she herself had a need to play, to compose and it didn’t matter if anyone was listening.  Music was there for her and she, in her beautiful way, shared her music with us all.  Music transcends time-her message is with us all, we just have to listen. 

If you are a history buff I encourage you to read “The Mendelssohn Family, From Letters and Journals,” written by Fanny’s only living son; Sebastian Ludwig Felix Hensel.  There we will learn more about the courage and charisma of this spectacular woman, born before her time!  If you are “tech challenged” and would like my assistance with finding our weekly listening, please email me at [email protected].  You can also find me on Facebook.  Candice Bellinger.      

#musicrocks

#musicislife

#Youtube

[addierose444]

My Favorite Podcasts in 2022

At the end of 2019, I published a blog post about podcasts for 2020. Back then, I was just getting into podcasts. Here’s an updated list of my favorite podcasts. Nowadays, I legitimately consider listening to podcasts to be one of my hobbies. What I love about podcasts is that they are informative and/or entertaining while also requiring low levels of engagement. Namely, they are a great companion for cooking, walks, and bike rides. I will, however, note that there is also great power in being left with our own thoughts. I wrote a bit more about this in an old post titled the power of reflection. My current podcast (and music) app of choice is Spotify. Speaking of music, here’s a post about some of my favorite songs. 

The Daily

This New York Times news podcast has been a part of my morning routine for my entire college career. Legitimately, after my alarm, this is the first thing I hear each morning. I’ve written about this previously in each installment of my typical week series. New episodes are released on weekday mornings and are typically a half-hour in length. I first started listening to this podcast simply to become a bit more informed about the world. Over the years I have come to actually look forward to and enjoy each new episode. It’s the news though, so there are definitely some more difficult topics. 

How I Built This with Guy Raz

This is my all-time favorite podcast. In each episode, host (and creator) Guy Raz interviews founders about their entrepreneurial journies. The stories are fascinating, but the episodes are also just so well produced. Full episodes are released on Mondays and are typically an hour in length. Nowadays, more experimental HIBT Lab! episodes are released on Thursdays. Whether or not I’d heard of the company/founder, I’ve seriously never been disappointed by an episode! Formerly an NPR podcast, this podcast is now presented by Wondery and Amazon Music. If you take nothing else away from this post, just give this podcast a listen! 

Wisdom From the Top with Guy Raz

As you may have noticed from the podcast’s name, this podcast is also with Guy Raz! To be honest, I actually resisted listening to this podcast for a while. Episodes kept showing up in my How I Built This feed and I was frankly annoyed. Eventually, a specific company/leader caught my eye and I haven’t turned back since. This podcast has many of the same elements that make How I Built This great. This podcast is still with NPR and brings in leaders (lots of former CEOs) from today’s top companies. At its core, this podcast is about leadership. New hour-long episodes are released weekly on Wednesdays. 

SciShow Tangents

This is a science podcast from Complexity and WNYC Studios. It is formatted like a game show which makes it very entertaining. Each episode kicks off with an original science poem and ends with a listener question and a butt fact. Back in high school, I subscribed to and regularly watched the SciShow YouTube channel. While still a great channel, the daily videos were a bit much. I find the half-hour weekly podcast episodes (released on Tuesdays) to be a lot more manageable and enjoyable. 

Hidden Brain

This is a psychology podcast and like How I Built This is a former NPR podcast. New hour-long episodes are released on Mondays. I first discovered this podcast two summers ago (summer 2021), but only recently became a regular listener. If you are like me and enjoy reading psychology books, definitely give this podcast a try! 

Planet Money

This is an economics podcast from NPR that really seeks to make learning about economics fun. New episodes are released on Wednesdays and Fridays and are typically 20-30 minutes in length. Compared to the other podcasts on this list, this is my least favorite. That said, it’s still a great podcast that I listen to regularly. 

#college #Smith College #podcasts #The Daily #NYT #NPR #HIBT #How I Built This with Guy Raz #Guy Raz #Wisdom From the Top with Guy Raz #Hidden Brain #Planet Money #SciShow Tangents

[peaamlipoetrydoctor]

Re-encountering William Blake ('s grave...)

A turning point moment for me during London's first lockdown was happening across William Blake's gravestone when I was out for one of my once-a-day walks.

The gravestone lies in Bunhill Fields in what I now know was a notable cemetery for Non-conformists (also there - John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe, Susannah Wesley / mother of.../). At the time it just seemed like an atmospheric overgrown graveyard that I was slightly nervous to walk through.

Strictly, I didn't actually encounter the Blakes' gravestone - as in, this one - a smallish stone, standing erect, to both William and Catherine. I am came across a larger, later carved stone, just to the memory of WB, which has been added lying embedded, horizontal to the ground, by one of the main paths through the space.

This newer stone, clearly for display, intended to be seen, paused for. So my stumbling across it and being excited to see it there was in line with expectation. Not really at all any kind of cleverness on my part. I found the old stone later, when I actually went looking for it.

This was a turning point because I suddenly felt excited about where I lived. Motivated to take the neighborhood seriously in its own right. Rational or irrational (mostly the latter), I felt a jolt of connection. Someone I'd heard of! Here! Heck, he wrote my school hymn!

What a gift of a random encounter when the social environment felt so insecure, shifting so uncertainly in those early pandemic days. What encouragement to stay open to encounter. It got me looking.

And it's a turning point to come back to, because RN I feel like I'm struggling to see.

For instance - I started to read the journals mentioned by Maureen Thorson in the NaPoWriMo daily prompts and I've jolted myself into a kind of unboundaried wandering that has felt very uncomfortable. I find that I've lost the thread of what I was trying to achieve...

Am I trying to "get" every poem in the issue mentioned? (Some I do, some I - don't, really... I feel bad about that...) Am I trying to wander through the back issues until I come across a name or names I recognise? Do I want some sort of gold star for bothering to read work that others have offered into the world? (That does feel worthwhile but also ENTIRELY overwhelming...)

This is why I love structure (??) - because it replaces endless possibility with delineated task. With a feeling of done-ness. (??)

The ethos of the pyschogeographer might be helpful here. Might. Be.

First, they do absolutely have *some* kind of container - which seems comforting, even if the container is rather loose-form, taking the shape and size of "here", wherever "here" is understood to be.

Second, the less comforting part - the stricture that trying to control the experience is to miss the experience.

Third, some comfort once again - the magic *thing* that might happen is not necessarily far away, beyond mountains (like the city glimpsed in Soria Moria). I might have a moment of magical encounter just round the corner in my own neighborhood.

It's just a case of having nothing-too-specific in mind, no timetable to adhere to (being on a schedule will almost certainly kill this), and therefore, the luxury of being able to waste - time, attention.

It's starting to creep back round towards my personal favorite statement of (anti)-nihilist intent - from Nietsche, by way of Tim Minear, writing on Angel -

IF NOTHING WE DO MATTERS, THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS WHAT WE DO.

#pyschogeography #dead poet #local

[dana-studies]

WEEKLY POETRY REC: Having a Coke with You by Frank O’Hara

is even more fun than going to San Sebastian, Irún, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona partly because in your orange shirt you look like a better happier St. Sebastian partly because of my love for you, partly because of your love for yoghurt partly because of the fluorescent orange tulips around the birches partly because of the secrecy our smiles take on before people and statuary it is hard to believe when I’m with you that there can be anything as still as solemn as unpleasantly definitive as statuary when right in front of it in the warm New York 4 o’clock light we are drifting back and forth between each other like a tree breathing through its spectacles

and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them                                                                                                              I look at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world except possibly for the Polish Rider occasionally and anyway it’s in the Frick which thank heavens you haven’t gone to yet so we can go together for the first time and the fact that you move so beautifully more or less takes care of Futurism just as at home I never think of the Nude Descending a Staircase or at a rehearsal a single drawing of Leonardo or Michelangelo that used to wow me and what good does all the research of the Impressionists do them when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank or for that matter Marino Marini when he didn’t pick the rider as carefully as the horse                               it seems they were all cheated of some marvelous experience which is not going to go wasted on me which is why I’m telling you about it

#studyspo #bookblr #studyblr #study #poetry #literature #frank o'hara #*favpoems #*mine #mine: text #this is seriously one of my favorite poems in the entire world