#+ the loveless marriages of the 1960s

[benwvatt]

i'm thinking about jacqueline bouvier kennedy onassis (known to most as jackie kennedy, JFK's wife) who got a coveted fashion magazine internship only to quit on the first day. i'm not sure why.

whose high school yearbook life goal was simply "not to become a housewife"

who read and translated french political philosophy books into english for JFK's senate campaign in massachusetts because she thought that maybe, if she proved she could be pretty AND smart, he'd finally propose (he, um, slept with marilyn monroe instead? and jackie kept dating him?)

whose beloved boss john white had a running $5 bet with her that JFK'd never marry her, and on her wedding day, john white gave her a $5 bill and he smiled and they laughed together because she was SO bubbly and happy. it was a magnificent day.

who cried when jfk routinely joked that she had "too much status and not enough quo", and she ran out of the room crying when he laughed and said, to a room full of people, "maybe the voters aren't ready for jackie in the advertisements. maybe we'll need to use subliminal messaging and embed her in, one frame at a time" because she wasn't good enough to be seen with him when he was running for president

(EVEN THOUGH A MAJOR REASON HE STARTED DATING HER WAS TO PROVE TO THE VOTERS THAT HE WAS AN ALL-AMERICAN GUY WHO COULD SETTLE DOWN INSTEAD OF BEING A PERPETUAL BACHELOR!!!!! i'm so mad about this)

who took care of him after he had major spinal surgery, and he was miserable and angry, and he still found a fucking way to cheat on her by writing international love letters to the girl he wished he'd met before he got engaged to jackie (this is gunilla von post)

who pretended not to be upset when JFK arranged vacation on yachts with friends instead of staying home with her when she was pregnant (and he probably cheated on her while on those yacht trips, too)

who refused to vote for anyone in the election after JFK died because, if she couldn't vote for her husband, she wouldn't vote for anyone. he was important. he was beloved.

(fuck him, oh my god, she was so ambitious and she was crushed by all of the sexism around her. she just wanted to be a reporter.

she was a reporter, for a little bit, and then she left that job. she became a housewife. she became every college friend she'd mocked for dropping out or not taking internships/jobs in favor of marrying a guy. she became the person she didn't want to be.)

source for all these facts: the jacqueline biography by barbara leaming. it's SO GOOD, OH MY GOD.

like, to be entirely clear, jackie was a fantastic society wife. she was smart and she was a fucking GOOD first lady, smart and well-traveled and cultured and savvy and fluent in french. and I personally believe she showed the world how well-behaved women can still be so important and valuable and kind and good.

BUT. you shouldn't have to be in a loveless marriage, and you shouldn't have to labor under the pressure of american rumors and cry and cater to the public and run away from your husband when he makes disparaging remarks about you.

I believe that fame is abuse. a gilded cage, no matter how beautiful, is still a cage.

thinking about clara bow and how her art defined that era but then married her husband who denied their marriage and then she never acted again and ariel who lost her voice after chasing the man she loved and how masie peters says in her song wendy "if i'm not careful, i'll wake up and we'll be married and i'll still flinch at the sound of the door" and "you could take me to neverland baby, we could live off of magic and maybes, but i know the girl that you want and it scares me, behind every lost boy, there's always a wendy" and "lose the world that you live in, pretend that it's what you wanted, it's a life i could have, i know" and "what about my wings? what about wendy?"

and i'm just feeling like the theme of the tortured poets department is going to be: what about my art? what about my voice? what about my wings, what about wendy?

[roscoe-me-and-this-fuckin-kid]

like two years ago i heard someone describe razzmatazz (the song) as a gay closeted 1960s tv show host having a drunken mental breakdown while trying to confront their soul-crushing depression, addiction, and loveless sexless hetero marriage and idk it resonated with me

[lostinpleasantview]

The Altos are one of the founding families of Pleasantview, and their roots in the region stretch back to when the area was previously known as Sunset Valley. Despite this, fifty years have passed since the pinnacle of their political and economic dominance.

Gone are the days of Vita Alto, matriarch of the Alto Family who served as chairwoman of the National Center Party who dominated SimNation politics for nearly sixty years; her storied political career included a forty years within SimNation's Congress, where she served as a congresswoman and senator. Her political career culminated in a stint as Ambassador of Salvadorada, where she played a decisive role in brokering a peace agreement that ended the Salvadoradan Civil War and began Salvadorada's transition to democracy. (Less discussed are Vita's political failures—her three failed primary campaigns to become the Center Party's presidential candidate in 1960, 1968, and 1972; or her financial and material support for the anti-communist Salvadoran Officer's Movement in the 1950s, which helped lead to the troubles in Salvadorada that she later "solved").

If Vita stood as a behemoth, then fewer still recall her husband Nick Alto, patriarch of the Alto family who served as head of Alto Industries—a sprawling business and industrial conglomerate founded by Vita's forebears. Nick's heading of the company allowed Vita to remain above the fray and focused on her political career—though millions in federal funds and subsidies still trickled towards Alto Industries.

Aside from their legal endeavors, there were also their illegal ones: Vita was heiress not only to a legal business empire, but an illegal one as well: the Alto Crime Family, an old-school mob racket. Vita and Nick's years were the golden era for the Alto's... yet it all floundered through the lack of an heir.

Vita and Nick had a daughter, Holly. Holly was everything that her parents were not: sensitive, artistic, and certainly with no taste, acumen, or ambition for a career in politics, business, or even heading the family's sprawling criminal enterprises. By 1980, things were slowing down: Vita's storied political career had come to an en following her tenure as ambassador, and there were rumors of federal regulators preparing to investigate Alto Industries for labor violations. Rather than allow their hard work to be squandered, Vita and Nick arranged that their daughter should marry one of the Alto Family's highest ranking Capos, a man known as Damien.

Shortly after Holly and Damien's wedding, Damien was formally recognized by Vita and Nick as the future successor of the Alto Crime Family. This recognition was finalized when Damien was added to the Alto Family Trust, which in 1980 had funds in excess to 200 Million Simoleons. With the faith placed in him, Damien immediately turned against his in-laws... or so the story goes. Both Vita and Nick died in a very suspicious car-crash in 1981, leaving Damien in control of the Alto crime syndicate. Alto Industries elected an interim CEO—who soon found himself ensnared in a series of corruption scandals and federal indictments, which wrecked the company's valuation—by 1989 Alto Industries would file for bankruptcy. Black Monday in 1989 proved a shock to the Alto's wealth, and the Alto Family Trust lost nearly 100 Million in value.

Holly, though trapped in a loveless marriage, was freed by the death of her parents. Her husband provided liberal funding for her music career, and by the late 1980s Holly Alto would be a household name in SimNation as one of the nation's most famous pop stars. Her tours earned millions; in the midst of her busy musical career, Holly gave birth to twin girls: Venice and Verona. Holly's marriage entered a rocky phase in the late 80s; rumors of divorce were squashed when Holly discovered that Damien would be able to claim a portion of the Alto Trust for himself.

Damien was assassinated in 1991 by faction of disgruntled members within the Alto Crime Family. His death tore the Alto's illicit business empire to shreds, with squabbling factions competing for turf and territory. A moderate faction looked to Holly to take the reigns of the criminal enterprise, but she resolutely refused—allowing the faction still loyal to her family name to be governed by a series of well-meaning but ultimately hapless deputies. Holly and her daughters continued to receive payouts from the family's criminal enterprises throughout the 90s, but these ceased by 2002. Holly found herself forced to sustain her lifestyle and expenses through the family trust, as well as through whatever income she could generate through her musical career, which entered a slump by the mid-2000s. By 2005, SimPop magazine declared Holly a has-been; by 2015, the online blogosphere branded Holly a flop after a poorly advised stadium tour in Salvadorada was marred by technical difficulties, poor performances, and protests.

Family troubles also carried into the next generation: Venice and Verona were complete opposites, and though they were friends in childhood, they drifted apart as teenagers. This distance became venomous when both girls attended Sim State University: both ended up placed upon Academic Probation. Though Verona succeeded in getting her grades together and graduating with decent grades, Venice ended up flunking out. Both of Holly's daughters have now returned home to the nest, Villa Alto—as Holly grapples with severe financial issues that threaten to send the family from their luxurious manse into the poorhouse.

Venice continues to shop and spend like there is there no tomorrow, and dreams of an entertainment career of her own... as an actress. Verona, meanwhile, has recently picked up a gig as a Physic Phone Pal... though a group of cadres affiliated with the Alto Crime Family who remain loyal to the family have reached out to her, clamoring for her to take her rightful spot as her father's heir.

Can Holly keep her squabbling daughters together and keep a roof over their head? Will Venice strike big and win in the fame games? And what about Verona? Will she embark on her own path, or will the tug of the past pull her in another direction?

[notchainedtotrauma]

This is a music video analysis of Why Don't You Love Me sung by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (written by Solange) and directed by Melina Matsoukas. It's exclusive to my Iced Green Tea patrons (5$) and Raspberry Lemonade patrons. Basically, it's a discussion on how the visuals play around the idea of a Black woman transmogrified as the luxurious and neurotic cinematic white woman of the 1960s, while allowing the threat of a real, actualized Black womanhood through.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, act I

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, act i

Screenshot from Lemonade

The photographs and screenshot above best visually describe the music video analysis. Here are some excerpts to whet you appetite:

 Beyoncé simultaneously inhabits and manipulates the personae of the despairing bourgeois wife, trapped in a loveless marriage, sunken into martini glasses and mascara tears. Cigarette in hand, carefully composed hairdo threatening to unravel, following a personal choreography of collapse yet high heeled, bejeweled, and even a pearly, trailing tear, can barely upturn her meticulous make up.

and

Beyoncé employs, performs, and produces a tangle of iconographies in which the Black woman, previously unvisible, penetrates and brims space, focus, and reveries. Melina Matsoukas, the director, plays around the grainy texture and the announcer's voice (read as white) of the 60s, anticipating a 60s housewives aesthetic, in which the commodified imagery of the ravished white 60s housewife would be replaced by her Black feminine counterpart.

and

Beyoncé is knowingly and theatrically acting out an alluring vision of the housewife, hot pants and kitchen playfulness, scrubbing an already clean windowpane in a one piece suit while frowning at the camera. She waters the plants with twee joy, even as interrupted by a shot of her furiously dishwashing, twirls around, sets a bucolic atmosphere, that's quickly interrupted by the vision of a dominatrix Beyoncé. The shot interrupts the fantasy, or the distorted recognition of the housewife imagings, and even the makings of the chorus girl, to exhale an undisguised, hypnotic sexuality.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

All you have to do is go fast enough and long enough.

- James Garner, Grand Prix (1966)

The cult classic Grand Prix (1966) was an ambitious journey into the soul of elite motor racing, Grand Prix even on today’s viewing manages to find the heartbeat of Formula 1 deep within the majesty of roaring machinery.

Several top drivers are in competition for the 1966 Formula 1 title. Among them is American Pete Aron (James Garner) of the BRM team (and formerly with Ferrari), who is fast but prone to mistakes. At the Monaco race, Aron's refusal to give way causes a serious collision with his teammate Englishman Scott Stoddard (Brian Bedford). Stoddard, who races in the shadow of his deceased brother, is injured and misses several races, His headstrong wife Pat (Jessica Walter) is fed-up with loving a man living on the edge and leaves him while he is still in hospital. Meanwhile, Aron is fired from the BRM team for reckless driving.

The Ferrari team are BRM's closest challengers. Veteran driver and two-time champion Frenchman Jean-Pierre Sarti (Yves Montand) is still the fastest man on most days, but he is starting to lose his motivation. Sarti is stuck in a loveless, distant marriage with businesswoman Monique (Genvieve Page), and starts a relationship with American journalist Louise (Eva Marie Saint). Sarti's team mate is young Italian Nino Barlini (Antonio Sabato), who lives the fast life on and off the track.

Aron hooks up with Pat, is hired by the fledgling Yamura team financed by tycoon Izo Yamura (Toshiro Mifune), and finally finds his winning form. Stoddard returns to racing despite the pain of his injuries, and more determined than ever, goes on a winning streak. With Sarti and Barlini also picking up victories, all four men enter the final race of the season in the hunt for the coveted championship with plenty to lose on the line.

Director John Frankenheimer creates a three hour masterpiece celebrating both the men and the machines involved in the international pinnacle of motor racing. Large segments of Grand Prix consist of action from races at the legendary Monaco street circuit, the dangerously fast and incredibly scenic Spa in Belgium, Zandvoort in Holland, Clermont Ferrand in France, Silverstone in England and the final showdown at the imposing Monza in Italy, with its intimidating steeply banked corners.

Other than playing with split-screen imagery, Frankenheimer uses no tricks, and just mounts his cameras at every possible angle on the cars, capturing the pure raw speed, incredible danger, and classic beauty of racing in the mid 1960s. This was the era of rudimentary safety protocols, with drivers facing the risk of serious crashes, injury and death at every corner. The visuals are stunning, with the cars blasting at top speed past unprotected poles, trees, spectators, and structures.

Whenever the cars are running, Grand Prix is one of the best studio efforts of the '60s. The film only stalls when it's off the track, which is where more than half of this three-hour epic takes place. Grand Prix is an exhilarating celebration of men addicted to the thrill of racing with an unknown destiny, speeding into magnificent madness.

[shipcestuous-two]

(submission)

There was quite a notable amount of incest within the Gambino crime family. The Gambino’s were one of the five families of New York, historically the second most powerful family in America behind the Genovese. Family boss Carlo Gambino is considered one of the greatest mafia bosses, and rightly so. During his tenure as boss, the Gambino crime family would become the most powerful family, overtaking that spot from the Genovese crime family, and they would keep that position until Gambino’s eventual death in 1976.

Carlo Gambino was married to his first cousin, named Caterina Castellano (the sister of future family boss Paul Castellano). Carlo’s brother, Paolo “Paul” Gambino, who would become a ‘caporegime’/'captain’ within the crime family, also married one of their first cousins, named Caterina Castellana. While I have no knowledge of how the relationship between Paolo and his wife was, I do have knowledge of Carlo and Caterina’s relationship. They seemed to be in quite a loveless marriage; in many FBI wiretaps, you can see they would bicker and get into fights very often, to the point that one time Gambino threatened to cut her tongue off if she did not shut up.

There were lots of intermarriages within the Gambino family (not the crime family); I don’t know much, but the Gambino family back in Palermo, Sicily, had many intermarriages with families they were close with, such as the Castellano’s, Inzerillo’s, and DiMaggio’s (which is one of the reasons why Gambino pressured the Sicilian Mafia to spare members of the Inzerillo mafia clan after they fled to America due to them losing the war against the Corleonesi Mafia clan); I’ve also heard that the intermarriages within them still go on to this day.

On November 4th, 1963, General Attorney Robert F. Kennedy visited the New York field office and asked them to look into the historical intermarriages within the Gambino family and—in his own words—the “resulting imbeciles and morons that have come from such close intermarriage.” Due to his request, on November 15th, 1963, in an FBI report, the FBI would create a family tree of the Gambino family, in which they would note that various mobsters from other crime families would refer to the Gambino family as “degenerates,” which the FBI believed to be because of the various intermarriages of many family members. 

In a similar vein, according to an FBI informant, in the late 1960s, Genovese crime family 'acting boss’ Thomas “Tommy Ryan” Eboli would refer to the Gambino crime family as a family “full of degenerates” after he learned that a Gambino crime family soldier was murdered for having an affair with his mother-in-law. 

Incest seemed to be a much more common occurrence in the Mafia back in Sicily, but I unfortunately don’t know as much about the Sicilian Mafia as I do about the American one. And lastly, I would like to say I am not an expert or anything on the mafia; I’ve taken everything from things I’ve read about the mafia, so please take everything I’ve said with a grain of salt. 

--

You sound like an expert to me!

Really fascinating stuff. There’s not a lot on the blog about mafia families behaving in ways that are similar to royalty or noble families like in Game of Thrones but there do seem to be some similarities, especially, as you said, in Sicily. And especially the Gambinos, it sounds like.

Thank you for sharing all of this with us!

[tayfabe75]

There are many performers in Healy's family. His mother's father, Vin Welch, was a successful drag queen, and both his parents are actors. Tim Healy, his father, was a welder before he joined a theatre company that staged productions in community halls. He met Denise Welch, who'd been onstage since her teens, at an audition in Newcastle. Matty was born in 1989, the year after they were married. His parents got TV work and became known as working-class heroes; Healy got used to holding their hands, patiently, as strangers waylaid them on the street. He found it confusing to grow up with parents who pretended to be other people for a living—he'd go to meet his mom on set and find that it was suddenly the eighteen-fifties and she was an old woman. One night, in a dark theatre, he watched his father take a punch under the stage lights, and went into a panicked spiral: his dad was getting hurt in front of everyone, but he couldn't do or even say anything about it. The year he turned eight, his mother was cast on the soap opera "Coronation Street," which has been on the air in the U.K. since 1960 and which, in the nineties, regularly attracted nearly twenty million viewers. Welch has said that she began drinking heavily to deal with the pressures of the role; her alcoholism, and her marriage, became popular subjects of tabloid scrutiny. (She and Healy's father divorced in 2012; Welch recently celebrated eleven years of sobriety.) Healy told me, "I'd be a child, and something would happen in my real life, and then I'd see that thing on a newspaper, and I'd think, That's not what happened, but that's my mum saying a version of what happened, and I know Mum's at home and she's O.K." He came to understand that a person's life was "a balance between what is real, what is said, what happens, what people believe, what people project, and what is true." "The Truman Show," in which Jim Carrey plays the unwitting, lifelong star of an always-on reality series, came out when Healy was nine, and he developed an intrusive fear that the movie was, in some way, about his own life. His parents were actors—what if everything was a loveless farce? On a vacation in Spain, in a taxi, his dad teased him about this ongoing neurosis, and Denise turned around from the front seat and told Tim to stop it. "She meant, Don't wind him up, he's obviously freaking out about this," Healy explained. "But I read that as one actor saying to another actor, 'Hush, you're going to give up the gig.' "

May 29, 2023: Author Jia Tolentino describes Matty's family, and how his parents being actors confused his sense of reality growing up. (source)

[goongiveusnothing]

oh my god, i just read your my policeman review and i feel so vindicated because i've always said that it would be a much more interesting story if harry's character accepts that he's gay while he's already married to a woman instead of just deciding to marry her for fuck all not even good reasons that make so goddamn sense, having me meet david dawson and conclusively come to that realization while already being married would make for a way more emotional and intriguing story and even character study that the book/movie is trying to be. anyway, that's all i have to say, i'll go away now lol

not only does the way they chose to do it sap all the energy out of the story because the affair no longer feels interesting or emotionally relatable or necessary and both men become odious because of how they chose to manipulate this woman, but it's such an obvious thing to avoid that i feel like they must've made the conscious choice to do it like this for a reason and i just can't understand why.

the only reason i can think for why they chose to do it because they wanted that honeymoon scene expose. but again, because both men came across incredibly deeply unsympathetic and we already knew about them, it actually made them even more fucking hateable that they would have him cheat on her on her own honeymoon.

the whole movie seemed to be about how hard it was for gay men in the 1960s and yet the only person i felt sorry for was the woman in the scenario who was emotionally manipulated into a loveless marriage for no real reason. it wasn't to save this man's life, he wasn't pressured into it, people hadn't just discovered he could be queer. he could've quietly tried to live with his boyfriend for a while. instead he forced her into a sham marriage and wanted to cheat on her even on her honeymoon.

but if he'd been married to her and had been repressing his queer feelings and THEN fell for this man and was a police officer and this guy was perhaps wanted or seen as suspect because of possible queer connections THEN we could have felt sympathy and compassion for his feelings while being married to a woman.

it would've also been interesting to see what the queer community was like back then. we saw one "gay" bar and that was it. show us more. it could've been so educational or interesting about how it really felt back then. this movie just wasted all our time and did such a disservice to the queer community.

[alphaman99]

Remember English 1  · · Dali Chouayb  ·

“Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically. The cataclysm has happened, we are among the ruins, and we start to build up new little habitats, to have new little hopes."

"Lady Chatterley's Lover" is a novel written by D.H. Lawrence, first published privately in 1928 and later released in a more widely available edition in 1960. The book is known for its explicit content and was the subject of obscenity trials in various countries due to its sexual themes.

The story revolves around Constance Chatterley, the young and aristocratic wife of Sir Clifford Chatterley, a wealthy and disabled landowner. The novel is set in England during the early 20th century, against the backdrop of social and cultural changes.

Constance's husband is paralyzed from the waist down due to a war injury, which leaves him unable to fulfill her physical and emotional needs. Feeling isolated and unfulfilled, Constance begins a passionate affair with Mellors, the estate's gamekeeper. Their relationship represents a stark contrast to the loveless, sterile marriage Constance shares with Clifford.

Lawrence uses this affair to explore themes of class, sexuality, and the conflict between the intellectual and the sensual. The novel delves into the idea of individual fulfillment and the restrictions imposed by societal norms.

"Lady Chatterley's Lover" is considered a significant work of 20th-century literature, not only for its exploration of sexuality but also for its examination of the human condition. It has sparked discussions on censorship, morality, and the freedom of artistic expression.

The book remains controversial and is still a subject of academic analysis and literary criticism. It has been adapted into various forms of media over the years, including films, stage plays, and radio dramas.

The novel may indeed be seen as a commentary on the post-World War I Western society, particularly in England.

Sir Clifford Chatterley, representing the aristocratic class, is depicted as sophisticated but also emotionally and physically sterile due to his war injury. This can be seen as a metaphor for the stagnation and emptiness that some felt characterized the upper classes in the aftermath of the war. His condition reflects the impotence and loss of vitality that Lawrence believed afflicted the ruling classes.

On the other hand, Oliver Mellors, the gamekeeper, symbolizes a more vital and earthy life force. He embodies a connection to nature, physicality, and a more primal, authentic way of living. Mellors stands for a potential renaissance or renewal, representing a counterpoint to the perceived decadence and sterility of the upper classes.

The affair between Constance and Mellors can be viewed as a manifestation of the need for a reconnection with primal instincts, the natural world, and a more authentic way of living. It's a way for Constance to break free from the constraints of her oppressive social environment and find genuine human connection.

In this sense, Lawrence uses the characters of Sir Clifford and Mellors to symbolize the broader societal shifts and challenges faced by England in the wake of the war. The novel explores the tension between the old order, represented by Clifford, and the potential for a new, more vibrant world embodied by Mellors.

Peut être une image de 1 personne et texte qui dit ’D.H. D. Lawrence LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER’

[fictionadventurer]

Between doing National Poetry Writing Month, being in a reading slump, and being distracted by being on tumblr again, I did not get much reading done at all, unfortunately.

The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis: Unfortunately had to go back to the library (vastly overdue, oops) before I could get to it.

St. Francis of Assisi by G.K. Chesterton: I took the book off the shelf! And read the first page! Unfortunately did not get any further.

A middle-grade book: I tried lots of different books. None of them really captured my attention.

A book of poetry: I read T.S. Eliot's "Four Quartets" and liked it much better than the first time. I also read The Random House Treasury of Year-Round Poems, with short poems related to each month of the year. I liked some of them a lot, but it became a bit of a slog in the middle. I got about a third of the way through a reread of Struck Dumb With Singing by LeighAnna Schesser, and was overwhelmed by all the layers and depth and beauty. Definitely going to finish, but I just ran out of time this month.

Something related to Theology of the Body: Almost completely forgot about this for most of the month, unfortunately.

A classic novel (pre-1900): I read the first two chapters of "The Moorland Cottage" by Elizabeth Gaskell. (Gorgeously-illustrated digital scan). I liked it very much, but I just wasn't in the mood for much ebook reading.

Light early-twentieth-century (pre-1960) fiction: I read Curayl by Una Silberrad and am sad and dismayed that no one else in the whole world has read it. A wandering gentleman poses as a clergyman to help out a sick friend, and accidentally preaches such a vague and compelling sermon that several people are driven to change their lives. And then he gets roped into holding onto his fake identity when a village of outcasts needs help during an epidemic. I feel like recommending this is a bit dangerous, considering that the other plotline is "married woman falls in love while trapped in a loveless marriage", but though they maybe go a bit further than is wise, they avoid having an actual affair, and anyway I just love the silver-tongued, gold-hearted hero so much that all the other flaws fade away into the background.

I also read almost all of The Sunny Side by A.A. Milne. I read it section by section--starting with the last section--and flew through it, before stalling before the opening section. (I think Milne intimidated me with his opening saying that only seasoned fans will understand those ones). I adored it and need to finish it.

Potential April Reading:

The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis

St. Francis of Assisi by G.K. Chesterton

A middle-grade book

A book of poetry

Something related to Theology of the Body

A classic novel (pre-1900)

Light early-twentieth-century (pre-1960) fiction

[streedtvreviews]

StreedTV Reviews: The Outer Limits #4 The Man With The Power (1963)

Review#4

I didn't think it possible but somehow this episode's quality was even greater than the last, this episode stars the immensely versatile and endlessly talented Donald Pleasence who plays the mild mannered meek Harold J. Finley

Harold is a man tread on by life, he feels insignificant in a world of celebrated and beloved figures, I can heavily relate to such a feeling, I have auspicious goals myself and hope to one day be remembered for my own talents

you sympathize with Harold's character and I consider him deeply tragic, his wife has no faith in him and there marriage is practically loveless and he feels like being a teacher is a demeaning profession

Harold signs up for an experimental operation which bestows an incredible and infallible power that enables him to telepathically bend objects at his will and his strong emotions to cause an electrical cloud to form and destroy anything in his path

he doesn't intend to harm anyone, in his day to day life he's a gentle man who means no harm but his thoughts are dark and the episode toys with the notion of what if our sinister machinations where made a reality? what kind of irreparable damage would this do?

the episode is also about the corruption of power and how absolute power can bring absolute chaos, back to pleasence's performance his acting is so genuinely incredible that he makes this entire so remarkable and masterful

his facial expressions convey such an unbridled rage and fury boiling beneath such a seemingly peaceful and kindred man, his icy glare is downright startling and I've never been so frightened by looking at someone's eyes

they're vacant, yet full blooming with pure unmitigated rage, I love how the music represents his strong emotions as well with the score rising when his wife Vera is shoved off the later by his electrical storm

this episode also stars Edward Platt as Dean Radcliffe who I recognized from The Twilight Zone & Gunsmoke, he does a suitable job, just thought I'd mention him because of his distinct booming voice

the episode has such a suffocating atmosphere of tension, the sets are obviously still quite picturesque as well matching the tone and atmosphere seamlessly, this episode was directed by a familiar name I recognized

László Benedek he also directed an episode of The Fugitive, Season 1 Episode 17 "Come Watch Me Die" which was a fantastic and enthralling story itself, László definitely has a profound talent for directing that i admire

the ending was heartbreaking and haunting with Harold succumbing to his everlasting power being consumed by it, he commits suicide by his own electrical force and the conclusion is semi-ambiguous

earlier an astronaut Steve Crandon was chosen to have the same operation and it's left unclear whether this hazardous operation was ever conducted or whether it will still proceed after Finley's demise..

the only thing I can criticize the episode for is the poorly aged effects which seems to be a running issue in the series but what can you expect it was indeed the 1960s, the electrical cloud effect was poorly composited and the bolder being lifted was clearly held on strings which admittedly gave me a chuckle

Over all this was a powerful gripping entry examining what ultimate power can do to a man and how it can strip him of his humanity, it's a character study about a man overcome by his subconscious hatred for his place in life, unforgettable episode, couldn't recommend it more

Rating: 10/10

[mrsdawg4908]

Loretta Lynn

April 14, 1932 - October 4, 2022

Lynn was born Loretta Webb in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. She is the eldest daughter and second child born to Clara Marie "Clary" (Ramey; May 5, 1912 – November 24, 1981) and Melvin Theodore "Ted" Webb (June 6, 1906 – February 22, 1959). Ted was a coal miner and subsistence farmer. Lynn and her siblings are of Irish and Cherokee descent, although she is not enrolled with any Native tribe. She was named after the film star Loretta Young.

Loretta's father died at the age of 52 of black lung disease a few years after he relocated to Wabash, Indiana, with his wife and younger children.

Through her matriline, Lynn is distant cousins with country singer Patty Loveless (née Ramey). The former Miss America, Venus Ramey, who died in 2017, was also her distant cousin.

On January 10, 1948, 15-year-old Loretta Webb married Oliver Vanetta "Doolittle" Lynn (August 27, 1926 – August 22, 1996), better known as "Doolittle", "Doo", or "Mooney". They had met only a month earlier. The Lynns left Kentucky and moved to the logging community of Custer, Washington, when Loretta was seven months pregnant with the first of their six children. The happiness and heartache of her early years of marriage would help to inspire Lynn's songwriting.

Loretta and Oliver Lynn had six children together:

Betty Sue Lynn (November 26, 1948 – July 29, 2013)

Jack Benny Lynn, (December 7, 1949 – July 22, 1984)

Ernest Ray "Ernie" Lynn (born May 27, 1951)

Clara Marie "Cissie" Lynn (born April 7, 1952)

Peggy Jean and Patsy Eileen Lynn (born August 6, 1964; twin daughters named for Lynn's sister, Peggy Sue Wright, and her friend, Patsy Cline.)

Lynn's son, Jack Benny Lynn, died at age 34 on July 22, 1984, while trying to cross the Duck River at the family's ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. In 2013, Loretta's daughter, Betty Sue, died at age 64 of emphysema near Loretta's ranch in Hurricane Mills.

In 1953, Doolittle bought her a $17 Harmony guitar. She taught herself to play the instrument, and over the following three years, she worked to improve her guitar playing.

Lynn began singing in local clubs in the late 1950s. She later formed her own band, the Trailblazers, which included her brother Jay Lee Webb. Lynn won a wristwatch in a televised talent contest in Tacoma, Washington, hosted by Buck Owens. Lynn's performance was seen by Canadian Norm Burley of Zero Records, who co-founded the record company after hearing Loretta sing.

Zero Records president, Canadian Don Grashey, arranged a recording session in Hollywood, where four of Lynn's compositions were recorded, including "I'm A Honky Tonk Girl", "Whispering Sea", "Heartache Meet Mister Blues", and "New Rainbow". Her first release featured "Whispering Sea" and "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl". Lynn signed her first contract on February 2, 1960, with Zero. Her album was recorded at United Western Recorders in Hollywood, engineered by Don Blake and produced by Grashey. Musicians who played on the songs were steel guitar player Speedy West, fiddler Harold Hensely, guitarist Roy Lanham, Al Williams on bass, and Muddy Berry on drums. Lynn commented on the different sound of her first record: "Well, there is a West Coast sound that is definitely not the same as the Nashville sound. It was a shuffle with a West Coast beat".

The Lynns toured the country to promote the release to country stations, while Grashey and Del Roy took the music to KFOX in Long Beach, California. When the Lynns reached Nashville, the song was a hit, climbing to No. 14 on Billboard's Country and Western chart, and Lynn began cutting demo records for the Wilburn Brothers Publishing Company. Through the Wilburns, she secured a contract with Decca Records. The first Loretta Lynn Fan Club formed in November 1960. By the end of the year, Billboard magazine listed Lynn as the No. 4 Most Promising Country Female Artist.

Lynn's relationship with the Wilburn Brothers and her appearances on the Grand Ole Opry, beginning in 1960, helped Lynn become the No. 1 female recording artist in country music. Her contract with the Wilburn Brothers gave them the publishing rights to her material. She unsuccessfully fought the Wilburn Brothers for 30 years to regain the publishing rights to her songs after ending her business relationship with them. Lynn stopped writing music in the 1970s because of the contracts. Lynn joined the Grand Ole Opry on September 25, 1962.

Lynn credited Patsy Cline as her mentor and best friend during her early years in music. In 2010, when interviewed for Jimmy McDonough's biography of Tammy Wynette, Tammy Wynette: Tragic Country Queen, Lynn said of having best friends in Patsy and Tammy during different times: "Best friends are like husbands. You only need one at a time."

Lynn released her first Decca single, "Success", in 1962, and it went straight to No. 6, beginning a string of top 10 singles that would run throughout the 1970s. Lynn's music began to regularly hit the Top 10 after 1964 with songs such as "Before I'm Over You", which peaked at No. 4, followed by "Wine, Women and Song", which peaked at No. 3. In late 1964, she recorded a duet album with Ernest Tubb. Their lead single, "Mr. and Mrs. Used to Be", peaked within the Top 15. The pair recorded two more albums, Singin' Again (1967) and If We Put Our Heads Together (1969). In 1965, her solo career continued with three major hits, "Happy Birthday", "Blue Kentucky Girl" (later recorded and made a Top 10 hit in the 1970s by Emmylou Harris), and "The Home You're Tearing Down". Lynn's label issued two albums that year, Songs from My Heart and Blue Kentucky Girl.

Lynn's first self-penned song to crack the Top 10, 1966's "Dear Uncle Sam", was among the first recordings to recount the human costs of the Vietnam War. Her 1966 hit "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)" made Lynn the first country female recording artist to write a No. 1 hit.

In 1967, Lynn reached No. 1 with "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)", which became one of the first albums by a female country artist to reach sales of 500,000 copies.

Lynn's next album, Fist City, was released in 1968. The title track became Lynn's second No. 1 hit, as a single earlier that year, and the other single from the album, "What Kind of a Girl (Do You Think I Am)", peaked within the top 10. In 1968, her next studio album, Your Squaw Is on the Warpath, spawned two Top 5 Country hits, including the title track and "You've Just Stepped In (From Stepping Out on Me)". In 1969, her next single, "Woman of the World (Leave My World Alone)", was Lynn's third chart-topper, followed by a subsequent Top 10, "To Make a Man (Feel Like a Man)". Her song "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)", was an instant hit and became one of Lynn's all-time most popular. Her career continued to be successful into the 1970s, especially following the success of her autobiographical hit "Coal Miner's Daughter", which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1970. The song became her first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 83. She had a series of singles that charted low on the Hot 100 between 1970 and 1975. The song "Coal Miner's Daughter" later served as the impetus for the bestselling autobiography (1976) and the Oscar-winning biopic, both of which share the song's title.

In 1971, Lynn began a professional partnership with Conway Twitty. As a duo, Lynn and Twitty had five consecutive No. 1 hits between 1971 and 1975, including "After the Fire Is Gone" (1971), which won them a Grammy award, "Lead Me On" (1971), "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" (1973), "As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone" (1974), and "Feelins'" (1974). For four consecutive years, 1972–1975, Lynn and Twitty were named the "Vocal Duo of the Year" by the Country Music Association. The Academy of Country Music named them the "Best Vocal Duet" in 1971, 1974, 1975 and 1976. The American Music awards selected them as the "Favorite Country Duo" in 1975, 1976 and 1977. The fan-voted Music City News readers voted them the No. 1 duet every year between 1971 and 1981, inclusive. In addition to their five No. 1 singles, they had seven other Top 10 hits between 1976 and 1981.

As a solo artist, Lynn continued her success in 1971, achieving her fifth No. 1 solo hit, "One's on the Way", written by poet and songwriter Shel Silverstein. She also charted with "I Wanna Be Free", "You're Lookin' at Country" and 1972's "Here I Am Again", all released on separate albums. The next year, she became the first country star on the cover of Newsweek. In 1972, Lynn was the first woman to be nominated and win Entertainer of the Year at the CMA awards. She won the Female Vocalist of the Year and Duo of the Year with Conway Twitty, beating out George Jones and Tammy Wynette and Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton.

In 1973, "Rated "X"" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart and was considered one of Lynn's most controversial hits. The following year, her next single, "Love Is the Foundation", also became a No. 1 country hit from her album of the same name. The second and last single from that album, "Hey Loretta", became a Top 5 hit. Lynn continued to reach the Top 10 until the end of the decade, including 1975's "The Pill", one of the first songs to discuss birth control. Many of Lynn's songs were autobiographical, and as a songwriter, Lynn felt no topic was off limits, as long as it was relatable to women. In 1976, she released her autobiography, Coal Miner's Daughter, with the help of writer George Vecsey. It became a No. 1 bestseller, making Lynn the first country music artist to make The New York Times Best Seller list.

In 1977, Lynn recorded I Remember Patsy, an album dedicated to her friend, singer Patsy Cline, who died in a plane crash in 1963. The album covered some of Cline's biggest hits. The two singles Lynn released from the album, "She's Got You" and "Why Can't He Be You", became hits. "She's Got You", which went to No. 1 by Cline in 1962 went to No. 1 again that year by Lynn. "Why Can't He Be You" peaked at No. 7. Lynn had her last No. 1 hit in 1978 with "Out of My Head and Back in My Bed".

In 1979, Lynn had two Top 5 hits, "I Can't Feel You Anymore" and "I've Got a Picture of Us on My Mind", from separate albums.

Devoted to her fans, Lynn told the editor of Salisbury, Maryland's newspaper the reason she signed hundreds of autographs: "These people are my fans... I'll stay here until the very last one wants my autograph. Without these people, I am nobody. I love these people." In 1979, she became the spokesperson for Procter & Gamble's Crisco Oil. Because of her dominant hold on the 1970s, Lynn was named the "Artist of the Decade" by the Academy of Country Music. She is the only woman to win this honor.

On March 5, 1980, the film Coal Miner's Daughter debuted in Nashville and soon became the No. 1 box office hit in the United States. The film starred Sissy Spacek as Loretta and Tommy Lee Jones as her husband, Doolittle "Mooney" Lynn. The film received seven Academy Award nominations, winning the Best Actress Oscar for Spacek, a gold album for the soundtrack album, a Grammy nomination for Spacek, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards, and several Golden Globe awards. The 1980s featured more hits, including "Pregnant Again", "Naked in the Rain", and "Somebody Led Me Away". Lynn's last Top 10 record as a soloist was 1982's "I Lie", but her releases continued to chart until the end of the decade.

One of her last solo releases was "Heart Don't Do This to Me" (1985), which reached No. 19, her last Top 20 hit. Her 1985 album Just a Woman spawned a Top 40 hit. In 1987, Lynn lent her voice to a song on k.d. lang's album Shadowland with country stars Kitty Wells and Brenda Lee, "Honky Tonk Angels Medley". The album was certified gold and was Grammy nominated for the four women. Lynn's 1988 album Who Was That Stranger would be her last solo album for MCA, which she parted ways with in 1989. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988.

Lynn returned to the public eye in 1993 with a hit CD, the trio album Honky Tonk Angels, recorded with Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette. The CD peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Country charts and No. 42 on the Billboard Pop charts and charted a single with "Silver Threads and Golden Needles". The album sold more than 800,000 copies and was certified gold in the United States and Canada. The trio was nominated for Grammy and Country Music Association awards. Lynn released a three-CD boxed set chronicling her career on MCA Records. In 1995, she taped a seven-week series on the Nashville Network (TNN), Loretta Lynn & Friends.

In 1995, Loretta was presented with the Pioneer Award at the 30th Academy of Country Music Awards. In 1996, Lynn's husband, Oliver Vanetta "Doolittle" Lynn, died five days short of his 70th birthday. In 2000, Lynn released her first album in several years, Still Country, in which she included "I Can't Hear the Music", a tribute song to her late husband. She released her first new single in more than 10 years from the album, "Country in My Genes". The single charted on the Billboard Country singles chart and made Lynn the first woman in country music to chart singles in five decades. In 2002, Lynn published her second autobiography, Still Woman Enough, and it became her second New York Times Best Seller, peaking in the top 10. In 2004, she published a cookbook, You're Cookin' It Country.

In 2004, Lynn released Van Lear Rose, the second album on which Lynn either wrote or co-wrote every song. The album was produced by Jack White of The White Stripes, and featured guitar work and backup vocals by White. Her collaboration with White garnered Lynn high praise in magazines that specialize in mainstream and alternative rock music, such as Spin and Blender. Rolling Stone voted the album the second best of 2004. It won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album of the Year.

Late in 2010, Sony Music released a new album, titled Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn, featuring stars like Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, Paramore, and Carrie Underwood performing Loretta's classic hits spanning 50 years. The CD produced a Top 10 music video hit on GAC of the single, "Coal Miner's Daughter", that Lynn recorded with Miranda Lambert and Sheryl Crow. The single cracked the Billboard singles chart, making Lynn the only female country artist to chart in six decades. Lynn performed at the Nelsonville Music Festival in Nelsonville, Ohio in May 2010. Lynn also performed at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on June 11, 2011. In 2012, Lynn published her third autobiography, Honky Tonk Girl: My Life in Lyrics. She contributed "Take Your Gun and Go, John" to Divided & United: Songs of the Civil War, released on November 5, 2013.

In November 2015, Lynn announced a March 2016 release: Full Circle, featuring Willie Nelson and Elvis Costello. The recording became Lynn's 40th album to make the Top 10 on Billboard's best selling country list and her album debuted at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 200. The recording is combination of new songs and classics, and includes duets with Elvis Costello and Willie Nelson. Lynn's Christmas album White Christmas Blue was released in October 2016. In December of the same year, Full Circle was nominated for Country Album of the Year for the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.

Lynn's album Wouldn't It Be Great, the third album of her five-album deal with Legacy Recordings, was released in September 2018 after being delayed by health issues. Her health prompted Lynn to cancel all 2017 scheduled tour dates. Lynn was named Artist of a Lifetime by CMT in 2018. On October 19, 2019, Lifetime aired the highly anticipated movie Patsy & Loretta which highlighted the friendship of Lynn and Patsy Cline. Lynn attended the Nashville release of the film.

On March 19, 2021, Lynn released her 50th studio album Still Woman Enough, the fourth album of her deal with Legacy (and to come from the cash cabin recording sessions). It features Carrie Underwood and Reba McEntire on the title track alongside original tracks and duets with Tanya Tucker and Margo Price on re-recordings of "You Ain't Woman Enough" and "One's on the Way" respectively.

Lynn owned a ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, known as Loretta Lynn's Ranch. Billed as "the Seventh Largest Attraction in Tennessee", it features a recording studio, museums, lodging, restaurants and western stores. Traditionally, three holiday concerts are hosted annually at the ranch, Memorial Day Weekend, Fourth of July Weekend, and Labor Day Weekend.

Since 1982, the ranch has hosted Loretta Lynn's Amateur Championship motocross race, the largest amateur motocross race of its kind. The ranch also hosts GNCC Racing events. The centerpiece of the ranch is its large plantation home which Lynn once resided in with her husband and children. She hasn't lived in the antebellum mansion in more than 30 years. Lynn regularly greeted fans who were touring the plantation house. Also featured on the property is a replica of the cabin in which Lynn grew up in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky.

Loretta died peacefully in her sleep on October 4, 2022.

[ao3feed-larry]

The Causality of Labyrinthian Men

by ExiledQueenCatalog

Harry Styles lives on an Italian island in 1994, when his ex-boyfriend Louis reappears. The two have not seen each other since 1961, when Louis got stuck on the other side of the Berlin Wall. Can Harry overcome the pain of the past and embrace the love of his life? (ft. Niall as the golf-playing Irish-fighter-pilot-best friend, Lilo as freedom fighters, Gemma as the best older sister stuck in loveless marriage.)

or

The historical fic, where Harry, a West-Berlin prosecutor-in-training, and Louis, a East-German-Socialist, fall in love at first sight during the times of political unrest in a divided Germany.

Words: 15863, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English

Fandoms: One Direction (Band), Little Mix (Band)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall, The Styles Family, Original Characters

Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles/Original Character(s)

Additional Tags: Angst, Fluff and Smut, Married Life, Cheating, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia (kind of), Dancing, Harry is married to a woman, Alternate Universe - Historical, 1960s, 1990s, Exes to Lovers, Berlin Wall, Seperation, Italian solitude, Flashbacks, Post WW2, harry has kids, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Harry's POV

via AO3 works tagged 'Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson' https://ift.tt/3py3DAP

[jacaranda-bloom]

Monthly fic rec showcasing some of the fics I’ve read this month, and let me tell, you there have been a lot -  partly because I’m reprioritising my reading again and partly because we are being inundated with an avalanche of amazing fics at the moment. So yeah, be prepared for a fairly sizeable list under the cut.

In this instalment, there are fics from @sunflowrsix @kiddleau @metal-eye @flamboyantommo @icanhazzalou @sadaveniren @crinkle-eyed-boo @lululawrence @beau-soleil-louis​ @homosociallyyours @kingsofeverything @crazyupsetter @laynefaire and @allwaswell16.

Thank you to all the writers for sharing their wonderful talent with us. Please don’t forget to leave kudos and a comment if you enjoy their work. 💜

💜 an entire desert in our hourglass by tofiveohfive

@sunflowrsix Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 19k

# Pre-apocalypse, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, post break-up, getting back together, anal sex, alcohol.

The world is ending. Harry comes over.

💜 bloodsport by tofiveohfive 

@sunflowrsix

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 40k

# Friday Night Lights AU, angst, post break-up, getting back together, underage drinking, anal sex, American football.

“You know how our next game is against the Cardinals, right? You remember how vicious those guys can get. I wanted us to come up with some plays, maybe work on a block from the left—”

Louis stops when he hears a chuckle.

He doesn’t think he’s said anything particularly funny, so he turns to Harry, waiting for an explanation.

“‘S funny, ‘s all.” Harry throws his finished bottle somewhere near the other discarded ones. “This is the first time you’re talking to me in eight months, and it’s still about football.”

💜 Half A Million Strong by kiddle

@kiddleau Part 1 of the Woodstock Series

Harry/Louis | Mature | 51k

# Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Famous Harry, Non-Famous Louis, Historical, 1960′s, Woodstock, Coming of Age, Recreational Drug use.

Louis Tomlinson is a young writer for a relatively new-on-the-scene rock magazine called Rolling Stone. His assignment is to fly across the country to cover the highly anticipated Woodstock Music and Art Festival. Armed with a notebook, audio recorder, and a camera, Louis just needs one big interview.

Harry Styles. A new name in rock music and a future name in rock history. His first album sold tens of thousands and his interviews attract audiences across the country. He has the poetry of Jim Morrison and the stage presence of Mick Jagger. And after seeing him perform at the festival, Louis is willing to jump through hoops to put Harry on the cover of Rolling Stone.

�� Gather No Moss by kiddle

@kiddleau Part 2 of the Woodstock Series

Harry/Louis | Mature | 50k 

# Friends to Lovers, Famous Harry, Non-Famous Louis, Historical, 1960′s, Pining Tour bus, Coming of Age, Recreational Drug use.

Music journalist Louis Tomlinson will do just about anything to get a story he’s passionate about. Including spending a week on tour with the hard-to-manage rockstar-in-the-making Harry Styles. In the late 60s, every long-haired kid thinks they can make it in music, and Louis’ job is to figure out what exactly makes Harry so special. That is if he can get him to put down the bottles and guitars to answer a question truthfully.

💜 Caught By The Sun by metal_eye

@metal-eye Tumblr Fic Post Part 1 of the Caught By The Sun series

Harry/Louis | Mature | 19k

# Cabin AU, Summer Romance, Young Love, Skinny Dipping, First Time, Idiots In Love, Symbolic Thunderstorms, Bonfires.

He came every summer. It wasn’t even a question. Harry and his parents—one step, one real—picked up their lives, packed it into a car, and drove long enough to land at the ends of the earth.

The cabin had been in his family for a hundred years. There was no TV, no phone, no computer, no radio. There were decks of cards and plastic deer and marbles. There were skis and leaves and a treehouse.

And then there was Louis.

Or, Harry and Louis meet every summer at the lake.

💜 Somewhere Where You’re There by metal_eye

@metal-eye Part 2 of the Caught By The Sun series

Harry/Louis | Mature | 4k

# Cabin AU, Timestamp, Nostalgia, Blow Jobs, Boat Sex, Lake Sex.

The greatest luxury, in this new part of their lives, should have been time. It stretched at varied intervals with no attention to what the real world might find convenient. Hours yawned like horses’ mouths, stretching backwards in the effort of seconds. Except that Harry couldn’t help feeling like he’d missed out, somehow. That he needed to hurry. They’d been denied their formative horny years. Something had to give.

A Caught by the Sun timestamp in which they are both lazy and horny, and some things get resolved.

💜 Members Only by kikikryslee

@flamboyantommo Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Mature | 14k

# Gyms, Boxing, Awkward Flirting, Mutual Pining. Locker Room, Semi-Public Sex, Smut.

“Well, I’m gonna go work out now, so…” Harry said, his voice trailing off. Louis nodded. “Yeah, yeah, go ahead. Go get, uh, you know, strong and buff.” What? Louis wanted to die. “Um, thanks?” Harry said. “Um…” Without another word, Harry walked away from the desk. Louis pinched his thigh – hard – hoping that was some terrible, awkward nightmare that he might soon wake up from. Or, the one where Louis works at Harry's new gym and neither one of them knows how to hold a coherent conversation with the other.

💜 I’d Still Dance With You by kikikryslee

@flamboyantommo Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Mature | 57k

# Age Difference, Louis is 28, Harry is 21, Mutual Pining, Angst, Student Harry, Ad Exec Louis, Slow Burn, Smut, Bottom Harry, Top Louis.

“Well, I’m gonna go work out now, so…” Harry said, his voice trailing off. Louis nodded. “Yeah, yeah, go ahead. Go get, uh, you know, strong and buff.” What? Louis wanted to die. “Um, thanks?” Harry said. “Um…” Without another word, Harry walked away from the desk. Louis pinched his thigh – hard – hoping that was some terrible, awkward nightmare that he might soon wake up from. Or, the one where Louis works at Harry's new gym and neither one of them knows how to hold a coherent conversation with the other.

💜 Naked and Proud by kiwikero

@icanhazzalou Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 19k

# Farmer Harry, Songwriter Louis, Small Town, Organic Food, Summer Romance, Lust At First Sight, Pining, Smut.

The town itself is tiny, as evidenced by the ten minutes it’s taken Louis to drive the entire thing. There’s not a single recognisable brand in sight—no Tesco or McDonald’s or even a bloody Starbucks. Lining the streets instead are mom and pop stores with names like ‘Jerry’s Burgers’ and ‘The Market Basket’ and…

“'Naked & Proud?'” Louis almost slams on the brakes at the outlandish sign, the name written in a seemingly innocent font, words curved around a large cartoon peach. He can’t help turning into the carpark, easing the car into a spot next to a beat up truck.

He isn’t sure what to make of it. Surely it isn’t a strip joint or sex shop, not with the families and little old ladies going in and out of the establishment. Some kind of nudist hangout, perhaps?

And, oh, God. Did Louis’ mother accidentally send him to live in a nudist colony?

In which Harry runs an organic store, not a nudist colony, and Louis doesn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

💜 Paint The Sky With Stars by kiwikero

@icanhazzalou Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Mature | 63k

# Titanic AU, Strangers to Lovers, Happy Ending.

On 10 April 1912, Harry Styles boards the finest ship the world has ever seen. Still grieving the death of their mother, he and his sister are being sent to America to live with a callous uncle who cares more about his business connections than family. Harry prepares himself for a long, disappointing voyage alone in his stateroom.

Louis Tomlinson has borrowed and saved, and finally has enough to purchase a Third Class ticket to America. With all of his belongings in a single ruck sack, he boards the Titanic filled with hope for a brighter future. Never one to sit still, he can’t resist exploring the massive ship, and soon goes sneaking into First Class in a stolen steward’s uniform.

By a twist of fate, Louis finds himself in Harry’s stateroom, entranced by the most attractive man he’s ever laid eyes on. He keeps returning day after day, even if he doesn’t understand what it is about Harry that continues pulling him in. That’s all right; Louis has a week to figure it out, and Harry is plenty willing to help.

Except they don’t have a week. They have four days. Because on 15 April, their entire world will be turned upside down.

Or, the historically accurate Titanic AU with a happy ending.

💜 Just For Tonight (I can be yours) by SadaVeniren

@sadaveniren Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 43k

# ABO, Alpha Louis, Omega Harry, Prince Harry Styles, Secret Relationship, Arranged Marriage, Mpreg Harry, Smut.

Harry, prince of Cestrescir, has been betrothed to Ludvic, prince of Yorvik, since birth. He'd accepted a loveless marriage as his duty to his country, until an accident threw him in the path of a gentle alpha.

💜 Live A Thousand Lifetimes by Layne Faire (HisDarlin)

@laynefaire Tumblr Fic Post

Liam/Zayn | Explicit | 58k

# Exes to Lovers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Farm Setting, Vineyard, B&B, Horses, Smut, (check full tags).

It’s 2025.

After secretly writing and producing their first album in ten years, One Direction is weeks away from releasing their first new single and announcing a world tour.

With the whirlwind about to begin again, Liam re-evaluates the last ten years - the fame, the money, the people who changed his life forever - and the person who walked away.

💜 Mine Would Be You by crinkle-eyed-boo

@crinkle-eyed-boo Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 115k

#  Exes to Lovers, Artist Harry, Writer Louis, Angst with a Happy Ending, Time Jumps, Smut.

Louis blinks his eyes open, his eyelids fluttering as the room swims around him. He takes several gulps of beer once he confirms that he’s definitely not hallucinating, that the very first portrait Harry Styles ever painted of him is hanging on that wall.

Louis stares at the wall, his heart jackrabbiting in his chest as he realizes that there’s not just one painting of him, there’s five, the portraits lined up like they’re some sort of storyboard depicting the rise and fall of his deepest love. His greatest heartache. A pain that cut him so deep that he left the fucking country, severing all ties with his life in New York, now suddenly surrounding him as if he’d never left.

Fucking shit motherfucker fuck.

Louis returns to New York City five years after he left it – and the love of his life – behind. He didn't intend to see Harry again, but fate has a funny way of pulling them together, whether they like it or not. After making a begrudging truce, they both start to wonder: Would it be so bad if history repeated itself?

💜 Own The Scars by crinkle-eyed-boo

@crinkle-eyed-boo Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 115k

#  Friends to Lovers, Drug Addiction, Coma, Rehab, Intervention, Recovery, Therapy, Tomlinshaw (Larry Endgame), Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Smut, (check full tags).

“But I don’t belong here,” Louis insists. “Why do you say that?” James asks. “These people are all drug addicts and alcoholics,” Louis shrugs. Something sparks in James’ eyes. “And you’re not?”

Louis has never felt like he was good enough: for his stepdad, for his life-long best friend, for the life he's supposed to want. After an accident that nearly costs him his life, Louis' parents send him to rehab where he’s forced to face his demons. On the long and difficult road to recovery, Louis must confront the truths he’s been avoiding about his future, his relationships, and his sense of self-worth. Because before he can love anyone else, he’s got to learn how to love himself first.

💜 Fiction Romance by orphan account

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 18k

#  Strangers to Lovers, Blind Date, Punk Louis, Student Harry, Smut.

Harry has a type.

He likes older, sophisticated, mature men. Well-educated men. Men with life experience and passion for arts and social causes. Men who are established in their careers, who've sorted their lives out.

Niall knows this.

And so Harry can't understand why he's sat here opposite Louis Tomlinson.

💜 If Only We Wish Hard Enough by lululawrence

@lululawrence Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Not Rated | 5k

# Peter Pan Fusion, Louis is Peter, Harry is Tinkerbelle (except he’s the same size as Louis), Friends to Lovers (no smut), Flirting, Pining, Fluff.

Before Harry let Louis know he was there, he gave himself a moment to just admire him. Truly take him in.

Today, Louis was wearing one of his soft, simple green dresses that in many ways resembled the ones fairies often wore. Harry loved when Louis wore dresses. They showed off Louis’ waist and thighs more than any of his other outfits, and Harry loved that about them.

“You know I can hear your wings fluttering so you aren’t fooling anyone,” Louis said before turning and looking over his shoulder.

Or the five times fic where Louis is Peter Pan, Harry is his best friend Tinkerbelle, and it takes them awhile but they figure things out.

💜 I Can’t Do This Alone (Sometimes I just need a light) by Only_angel_28

@beau-soleil-louis Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Not Rated | 8k

# Strangers to Lovers (no smut), Meet Cute, Doctor Harry, Tattoo Artist Louis, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Loneliness, Touch-Starved Harry, Flirting, Fluff, Hopeful Ending, (check full tags).

“Harry,” he says after another contemplative moment, “can I hug you?”

It’s been...well, Harry doesn’t actually know how long it’s been. Less than an hour, probably, but already Louis says his name like it’s safe in his mouth, and now he’s opening his arms like Harry could be safe there too.

“Please,” Harry nearly sobs, and sinks into him the way butter melts on toast. It’s an apt metaphor, really, because what Louis is giving him is as essential and sustaining as a loaf of bread to a starving man. His basic need for physical affection is as vital as his need for sustenance, for sleep, and he can’t believe he’s allowed himself to ignore it for so long.

Or: Harry is having a rough time. Louis is the kind stranger who makes him smile again.

💜 You Make Lovin’ Fun by homosociallyyours

@homosociallyyours  Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 110k

# Girl Direction, Strangers to Lovers, Polyamory, Cruise Ships, Silver Fox Louis, Daddy Kink, Age Difference, Smut.

Harry is a 28 year old travel writer at a gay magazine who gets the assignment to go a lesbian cruise. She figures it's a nice chance to have some fun in the sun, but she's not expecting much else-- even if her partner and best friend are both encouraging her to hook up with someone while she's there.

When she locks eyes with a gorgeous silver fox from across the room, she starts to think she could've been wrong. There are lots of things standing in the way of anything real happening with her and Louis, but that doesn't stop them from falling for one another. True love isn't always easy, but they do make lovin' fun.

💜 As Deep As The Sky by swallowsmateforlife

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 12k

# ABO, Strangers to Lovers, Alpha Harry, Omega Louis, Smut.

A passed-out omega on the bathroom floor isn't exactly what Harry had in mind when he thought about taking a cute boy home. The idea of leaving Louis there, vulnerable and unresponsive, weighs guiltily at Harry's conscience. Turns out it's the best decision he'll ever make.

💜 Someone To Fly Home To by kingsofeverything

@kingsofeverything Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 35k

# Exes to Lovers, Divorce, Older Harry/Louis (in their 50s), Pilot Louis, Teacher Harry, Smut.

Louis. 55 year old pilot who wants someone to fly home to. Harry swipes right.

💜 Ghost Note Symphony by whoknows

@crazyupsetter

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 96k

# Proximity Curse, Blood and Gore, Supernatural Elements, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Smut, (check full tags).

Louis is on tour when he first hears about it. It’s all over the news – Harry Styles Attacked By Fan runs in headlines for days. It’s not even just the gossip rags, either. Actual journalists are covering the story. It would have been impossible to avoid hearing about it. Technically, Oli is the one who tells Louis about it, but it’s not exactly being covered up. Harry doesn’t answer Louis’ text asking if he’s alright, but that’s not really surprising. They haven’t spoken for months, and it’s been a lot longer than that since they’ve had a real conversation. The sting of the text going unanswered is still there, less painful than it might have been a few years ago.

It’s not that it’s easy to forget about, exactly. Louis has a whole life outside of One Direction now, though. So Louis goes on with his life, figuring that if Harry was seriously hurt he would have heard about it by now. He might currently be in the same country as Harry, but being on opposite sides of it puts enough distance between them that putting it in the back of his mind is easy. There’s nothing Louis could do, even if he thought Harry might want him to.

That’s why everything that happens next comes as a complete shock to him.

💜 Soaked In The Blood Of Angels by whoknows

@crazyupsetter

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 41k

# Creatures AU, Vampires, Incubus, Dubious Consent, Blood and Violence, Smut, (check full tags).

The boy looks drugged, caught between a man who’s almost twice his size and a girl who looks like she wouldn’t even break a sweat snapping him in half despite her small stature, eyes closed and mouth open as he pants, arching up between them almost as if he’s trying to escape.

Normally, Harry would ignore it and continue on his search for someone to drink from, someone who wouldn’t mind his sharp teeth and rough hands. He’s seen plenty of boys like this one, ones who picked the wrong playmates, and if he stopped to rescue every single one of them he would have died from thirst a long time ago.

This one, though. There’s something about this one, the sheen of his bright blue eyes as he blinks slowly, looks around as though he doesn’t know where he is, the weakness of his hands as he tries to push the girl off of him and make his escape.

💜 Say Something by kingsofeverything

@kingsofeverything Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 105k

# ABO, Alpha Louis, Omega Harry, Age Difference, 50 Year Old Harry, 28 Year Old Louis, Insecure Harry, Unplanned Pregnancy, Lawyer Harry, Theatre Manager/Actor Louis, Hurt/Comfort, Smut, (check full tags).

At fifty years old and recently divorced, Omega Harry Styles isn't interested in dating. When his doctor suggests a heat and rut matching service, he signs up out of necessity. It’s the only use he has for an Alpha in his life.

Twenty-eight-year-old Alpha Louis Tomlinson aims to change that.

💜 Until by allwaswell16

@allwaswell16 Tumblr Fic Post

Harry/Louis | Explicit | 38k

# Strangers to Enemies to Lovers, Famous Harry, Non-Famous Louis, Actor Harry, Songwriter Louis, Cowboy Harry, Farm Setting, Smut.

Rural Eagle County, Colorado wasn’t the type of place to find a famous musician or actor. At least not until songwriter Louis Tomlinson showed up with pop star Niall Horan to visit his uncle’s horse ranch, and they just happened to find themselves next door to a reclusive former movie star.

[cineclub-chaplin]

CATÁLOGO DE PELÍCULAS

ROY ANDERSSON 

• Songs from the Second Floor (2000) 

MICHELANGELO ANTONIONI 

• The Incomunication Trilogy: 

o L’avventura (1960)  o La Notte (1961) o L’eclisse (1962) 

• Il Deserto Rosso (1964) 

• Blow-Up (1966) 

• Professione, Reporter (1975)

DARIO ARGENTO 

• Profondo Rosso (1975) 

• Suspiria (1977) 

RALPH BAKSHI 

• Fritz The Cat (1972) 

• Heavy Traffic (1973) 

• Coonskin (1975) 

• The Lord Of The Rings (1978) 

• Wizards (1977) 

INGMAR BERGMAN 

• Wild Strawberries (1957) 

• God’s Silence Trilogy: 

o Through a Glass Darkly (1961)  o The Silence (1963)  o Winter Light (1963) 

• All These Women (1964) 

• Persona (1966) 

• Hour Of The Wolf (1968) 

• Shame (1968) 

• En Passion (1969) 

• Cries And Whispers (1972) 

• Scenes From a Marriage [serie, todos los capítulos] (1973) 

• Autumn Sonata (1978) 

• Fanny And Alexander (1982) 

• Saraband (2003) 

BERTRAND BLIER 

• Too Beautiful For You (1989) 

ROBERT BRESSON 

• Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) 

• Mouchette (1967) 

• L’Argent (1983) 

LUIS BUÑUEL 

• Viridiana (1961) 

• El Ángel Exterminador (1962) 

• The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) 

LEÓS CARAX 

• Holy Motors (2012) 

ALEX DE LA IGLESIA 

• El Día de la Bestia (1995) 

CARL THEODOR DREYER 

• Ordet (1955) 

• Gertrud (1964) 

ROBERT EGGERS 

• The Lighthouse (2019) 

VÍCTOR ERICE 

• El Espíritu de la Colmena (1973) 

• El Sur (1983) 

• El Sol del Membrilo (1992) 

FEDERICO FELLINI 

• La Strada (1954) 

• La Dolce Vita (1960) 

• 8 ½ (1963) 

• Satyricon (1969) 

• Roma (1972) 

TODD FIELD 

• Little Children (2006) 

TERRY GILLIAM 

• Brazil (1985) 

• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) 

JEAN-LUC GODARD 

• About the Suffle (1960) 

• Une Femme Est Une Femme (1961) 

• Vivire Sa Vie (1962) 

LUCA GUADAGNINO 

• Call Me By Your Name (2017) 

• Suspiria (2018) 

WERNER HERZOG 

• Aguirre: La Ira de Dios (1972) 

ALFRED HITCHCOCK 

• Notorious (1946) 

ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ IÑÁRRITU 

• The Revenant (2015) 

ALAIN JESSUA 

• La Vie a L'envers (1964) 

JEAN-PIERRE JEUNET 

• Delicatessen (1991) 

ALEJANDRO JODOROWSKY 

• The Holy Mountain (1973) 

• El Topo (1991) 

• La Danza de la Realidad (2013) 

• Endless Poetry (2016) 

BONG JOON-HO 

• Parasite (2019) 

WONG KAR-WAI 

• Days Of Being Wild (1990) 

• Chungking Express (1994) 

• Fallen Angels (1995) 

• In The Mood Of Love (2000) 

• 2046 – Los Secretos del Amor (2004) 

KENJI MIZOGUCHI 

• Sansho Dayu (1954) 

• The Life of Oharu (1952)

KRZYSZTOF KIEŚLOWSKI 

• No End (1985) 

• Blind Chance (1987) 

• A Short Film About Killing (1988) 

• A Short Film About Love (1988) 

• Dekalog [serie de películas, completa] (1989) 

• The Double Life of Véronique (1991) 

• Three Colours Trilogy: 

o Blue (1993)  o Red (1994)  o White (1994) 

ELEM KLÍMOV 

• Come and See (1985) 

STANLEY KUBRICK 

• Barry Lyndon (1975) 

• Full Metal Jacket (1987) 

AKIRA KUROSAWA 

• Dreams (1990) 

EMIR KUSTURICA 

• Time of the Gypsies (1988) 

• Underground (1995) 

JOHN LANDIS 

• The Blues Brothers (1980) 

CLAUDE LELOUCH 

• Un Homme et Une Femme (1966) 

DAVID LYNCH 

• Eraserhead (1977) 

• Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992) 

• Lost Highway (1997) 

• Mulholland Drive (2001) 

TERRENCE MALICK 

• The New World (2005) 

GASPAR NOÉ 

• Enter The Void (2009) 

NOBUHIKO OBAYASHI 

• Hausu (1977) 

PIER PAOLO PASOLINI 

• Teorema (1968) 

PAWEŁ PAWLIKOWSKI 

• Ida (2013) 

• Cold War (2018) 

ELIO PETRI 

• The Assassination of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) 

• The Working Class Goes to Heaven (1971) 

CHRISTIAN PETZOLD 

• Barbara (2012) 

• Transit (2018) 

ROMAN POLANSKI 

• Repulsion (1965) 

ROB REINER 

• Stand By Me (1986) 

NICOLAS ROEG 

• The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) 

JULIAN SCHNABEL 

• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) 

• At Eternity´s Gate (2018) 

LARISA SHEPITKO 

• The Ascent (1977) 

WHIT STILLMAN 

• Metropolitan (1990) 

ANDRÉI TARKOVSKY 

• Ivan's Childhood (1962) 

• Andrei Rublev (1966)

• The mirror (1975) 

• Stalker (1979) 

• Nostalghia (1983) 

• The sacrifice (1986) 

BELA TARR 

• Almanac of Fall (1984) 

• Damnation (1987) 

• Sátántangó (1994) 

• Werckmeister Harmóniák (2000) 

• The Man from London (2007) 

• The Turin Horse (2011) 

JACQUES TATI 

• Playtime (1967) 

LUCHINO VISCONTI 

• La Tierra Tiembla (1948) 

• Noches Blancas (1957) 

• Rocco y sus Hermanos (1960) 

• Il Gatopardo (1963) 

• La Caída de los Dioses (1969) 

• Muerte en Venecia (1971) 

• Ludwig II (1973) 

ORSON WELLES 

• Citizen Kane (1941)

YASUJIRO OZU 

• Tokyo Story (1953) 

• Early Spring (1956)

ANDREY ZVYAGINTSEV 

• The Return (2003) 

• The Banishment (2007) 

• Elena (2011) 

• Leviathan (2014)  

 • Loveless (2017)

[lovingsylvia]

93 years ago today, on 15 May 1927, Assia Esther Gutmann was born in Berlin, Germany to her Jewish father Lew (Lonya) Gutmann from Latvia (with roots in the Ukraine) and to her  Lutheran German mother Elizabetha (Lisa) Bertha Margarete (née Gaedecke). Her siter Celia was born on 22 September 1929.

At the time of Assia’s birth, her parents were living in Berlin Charlottenburg in Germany and Celia later remembered that “We were brought up like any German girl, without a trace of Jewishness. The house rules and manners were German, but the backbone was Russian”.

After Hitler was appointed chancellor on 30 January 1933 and living in Germany became too dangerous, her parents decided to leave Germany for Pisa, Italy and to subsequently move to Tel-Aviv in the British-mandated territory of Palestine.

In 1943, Assia met the British soldier John Steele, whom she followed to England in September 1946 and they married on 17 May 1947. As her biographers Yehuda Koren and Eilat Negev wrote in an article in The Telegraph in 2006 "she had entered an essentially loveless marriage with an Englishman at the age of 20 – largely to enable her family to emigrate to England." In April 1948, the couple emigrated to Vancouver, Canada and divorced one year later. In the meantime, her family also moved to Canada and they were all living together again.

Assia enrolled at the University of British Columbia where she studied art. She met her second husband Richard Lipsey on 21 October 1952 and moved to London, England with him one year later and back to Canada in 1956.

In the same year, Assia met the Canadian poet Davil Wevill whom she instantly began an affair with. In 1959, Assia and Richard Lipsey decided to separate and Assia went with David to Burma, now Myanmar. When the divorce was through in early 1960, Assia and David married on 16 May 1960 in Rangoon (Yangon), Burma.

After coming back in London the same year, they were apartment hunting in the summer of 1961, when they came across the apartment ad for 3 Chalcot Square, near Primrose Hill; the apartment Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes wanted to sublet. Sylvia and Ted immediately liked the couple and became friends with Assia and David. In May 1962, they invited to visit them at Court Green in Devon. Numerous sources and Hughes’ own poem “Dreamers”, published in Birthday Letters in 1998, claim that it was during the visit that Ted fell under Assia’s spell. A few weeks later, they started an affair.

After Sylvia Plath’s death, Assia moved to Court Green where she lived with Ted and his children Frieda and Nicholas. On 3 March 1965, she gave birth to her daughter Alexandra Tatiana Elise, nicknamed Shura, while still being married to David. 

However, she was not happy in Devon; she felt haunted by Sylvia’s memory and her relationship with Ted began to crumble because he refused to commit to her and was having various affairs. In 1968, Assia moved with Shura to London. In February 1969, her divorce from David was finalized. And just one month later, she killed herself and her daughter on 23 March 1969 in the same manner Sylvia Plath committed suicide.

Source: “Lover of Unreason. Assia Wevill, Sylvia Plath’s Rival and Ted Hughes’ Doomed Love” by Yehuda Koren and Eilat Negev, 2006