#''why does a consultant / sensitivity reader even exist??''

[scienc5life]

Everyone is distorting the sweet baby inc thing so much it's unreal. I'm genuinely pissed people are trying to use a gaming consulting company to scapegoat for multi billion industry titans putting micro transactions in their games, and shitting all over the mere concept of equity while they're at it.

It's fucking sensitivity reading, they don't come in and write a new plot and design assets. Like let's all be real here, you look at what people are saying and it's not really about the employee on Twitter, people are bashing the premise of DEI and it touching video game development whatsoever.

I don't use Twitter so I don't know how the "discussion" is going down over there, but christ everywhere I look I see the same shit?? Piss on the poor reading comprehension of talks / interviews.

To put on my Gamer Hat for a second:

What's been fucking sucking with AAA games and any other "big" game has been how tame and samey it is and loaded with micro transactions. It's become a thing with profit over fun, and the games have suffered for it. New ideas get shot down because it's seen as a risky investment vs ones that have worked in the past and fit the mold. How is that the fault of DEI.

[cripplecharacters]

Not sure if that would be overstepping as someone who is able-bodied:

Would it be okay to draw art of a character who canonically has scars over their face and their body, but is in canon just absolutely horrendous "representation", mask and shame and villain tropes and all, actually being happy and okay with their scars and smiling as a lover artfully highlights them with makeup?

Also not sure if this character even is salvageable like this or if it would be the more compassionate to not remind the community of this characters existence?

Hi!

I think it's doable, but a lot of the details will depend on your intent with this. If you want to write/draw/present an AU where all... this... isn't present and leave it at that, that's fine to do whenever, in my opinion. People do AUs for everything!

Now, if you want to do some sort of commentary or Educational Subversion, that's trickier but also completely doable - a lot of people with FDs do that in their own work. There is a lot of very influential works with disfiguremisic themes, plots, and motifs, and we as a community do enjoy reworking these. As an example, one of my mutuals (who is an actor) was recently really excited about the idea of playing Bond when the copyright expires. Why? Because the Bond movies are the staple of what we complain about in the community, right next to The Phantom of the Opera. They're awful and that's why we like getting our hands on these. We are aware of all these characters either way, if a fanart won't remind us then someone on the street or comment section will, it's kinda inescapable. With that said, to do commentary you need to know how to do it, and I think going with a sensitivity reader/consultant/[insert the equivalent for visual art] with experience in this would be the way to go.

Basically, I think it's better to rework it then pretend it doesn't exist. In the grand scheme of things, the character is still out there, and their portrayal in the original media still sucks. If the character isn't included in the fanfiction/fanart about the source material, that could mean basically anything (mostly absolutely nothing lol). However, having the character represented in a more thoughtful, kind way does make the reader/art perceiver think - "oh, maybe there is a reason behind this change". If you can make someone think that maybe people with facial differences are normal people with emotions and not just tropes on some sort of Evil Trait checklist, you will do us more good than all the major fictional works that have been released since Dirty God circa 2019. Either way, good luck :-)

mod Sasza

[baeddel]

art about transgressive subjects having three kinds. the first is the Walk on the Wild Side with Lou Reed, or, worse, Mark Knopfler’s Les Boys, both of which could be given the subtitle Transsexuals I Have Met. there can be many reasons to walk on the wild side. it can elicit our sympathy as in empathy games (Depression Quest, Dys4ia), it can shock and titilate us as in the confessional (William Burroughs Junky, first titled Confessions of an Unredeemed Drug Addict), and in those days when bohemianism was fashionable it was thought that it could provide literary inspiration (Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer interests us to the extent that it fails to walk on the wild side, a writer who doesn’t manage to find the romance in being homeless in Paris that symbolist literature promised him, who cannot even enjoy Debussy for his empty stomach, and who visits sex workers with a little reluctance in order to write some miserable verses about it). when walking on the wild side the reader is a tourist enjoying a private immersion in an alien social world.

the second is what we tend to call ‘representation,’ but what do we mean when we say it? it is not so much the doubling of an object in a new media which always occurs; we don’t worry about the representation of lamps, green fields and marigolds. it’s a representation of a subject which takes on the force of a categorical representation of a categorical subject. Angela from Sleepaway Camp, “nude and blood-covered, growling like an animal,” invites us to recognize the deranged psychology which animates all trans women. these days if you don’t know how to make the substitution of category for character you will be reading very differently from your peers. but we are always at risk of becoming one of Langstone Hughes’ black critics who “wanted to put their best foot forward, their politely polished and cultural foot—and only that foot” and called him a sewer-dwelling “disgrace to the race” (Hughes, the Big Sea: an Autobiography), who could see nothing in any text but a categorical substitution. in order to avoid categorical blunders writers and directors hire sensitivity consultants who can provide a risk-benefit analysis of every line of text. when viewing representations the reader is a statistical public, a suggestible subject the author must handle carefully.

[Major Nier spoilers follow!]

what is this third depiction, which doesn’t make its reader a tourist, and doesn’t reduce its characters to categories? Yoko Taro does not always succeed, but he usually succeeds. in several of his games we first acquire the viewpoint of a set of characters who we later learn are complete outcasts. instead of making us tourists to transgression we experience the world primarily by transgressing its boundaries. the more we transgress the social world we’re given the more we come to recognize its illusory nature. we realize that it’s a self-deluding society that dreams up its own nightmares, makes its own outcasts. this is demonstrated most dramatically in Nier when he is asked to leave Kaine and Emil outside of town which, on the second playthrough, we learn echoes their already existing social exclusions. Yet the more we learn this, the more we find ourselves with a perspective different from our characters. We begin to see that, though outcasts, they have more in common with their tormentors than real differences. They share the same illusions and don’t know how to escape the same traps. It’s ultimately these outcast characters which the game criticizes. What they take for granted they remain complicit in. It tells us: delinquents, your delinquincy isn’t enough. Go further!

Yet despite the social critique we cannot easily substitute his characters for categories. Not only is Kaine too bold and unique to stand in for any of us, but who she would stand in for is ambiguous. On the first playthrough she is merely a woman who lives by her own means and wears lingerie, a trope which we recognize but which is so out of place in the world of Nier that it amuses. It’s as though she attempts to stand in for a bunch of stock characters and anime tropes that are completely inadequate to her. It is only on the second playthrough, in the added dialogue and cutscenes, that we learn that she is an outcast because of her ‘monstrous’ nature. But there is still an ambiguity. It makes her monstrous in two ways: a physical monstrosity, her possession by Tyrann, and her social monstrosity, her unacceptable genitals, so far referenced only indirectly in a line which reads: “we know what you really are.” Most lines about this are double entendres which are as true of one monstrosity as the other. It isn’t until you encounter the secondary material, the short stories and the audio CD, that you finally have enough material to categorize her unambiguously. But we still can’t quite do it; is she transgender or intersex? Neither fit perfectly, both leave a little space for the other. In the final moment Kaine represents no one—and that’s why trans women like her. It’s not her lack of categories but our failure to categorize her, a failure in which the attempt is preserved, which teaches us how to be ourselves.

Yoko Taro never allows the reader to be a mere tourist in his games. The stakes are too serious, the characters too articulate, the context so enormous. And the player is never some general player, a suggestible public which the director should manage. While his games are persuasive, they contain critiques, the critiques depend upon coordinates that both author and reader share. The reader must be familiar with the tropes and conventions that it deploys in order to grasp the arguments. The reader of Yoko Taro is always an intimately familiar one who the game invites to conversation, gently in the first round, aggressively in the second. While the first two types frame transgression as a play of you and them, Yoko Taro’s games are a we which, like the word we, is both univocal and equivocal.

[nomattertheoceans]

I feel like I picked up on most of the racist tropes in Maas’ books but I’d love to hear your thoughts on the homophobia in them

Hi Non!! Thanks for the ask :) 

Just an fyi if people didn’t see it, Anon is referring to my tags on this post about death of the author and the importance of criticizing media without taking into account the creator’s intent.

So yeah, regarding Maas. There’s a lot of ways in which I find her writing homophobic, I’ll divide them in different categories to try and make it clearer because my mind works in twisted ways x)

You should also know that I haven’t read Crescent City past the first few chapters so I can’t talk about this book (what I heard isn’t great regarding this issue but I haven’t read it so I won’t comment on it)

(this got long so I’m gonna use a read more)

worldbuilding

I think her worldbuilding tends to reflect a homophobia that she might not be aware of. Her entire world is built on heteronormative ... norms (lmao sorry I don’t have a better word I haven’t slept in more than 20 hours) that don’t leave any space for queer people to thrive in.

Throne of Glass actually got the less awful bit on this one, we’re shown that Hasar’s girlfriend Renia would become Empress if Hasar was crowned, and Aelin’s uncle was openly gay, so I guess compared to ACOTAR it’s better.

ACOTAR gets the worst of this: The fae society is painfully mysoginistic and by extend, homophobic. Mor is basically sold into marriage at sixteen, to a man, without regards of how she feels about it, because women are considered a breeding stock. The Illyrian women are viewed in the same light. Even Feyre is expected to be making heirs when she’s about to marry Tamlin. Yes, all these examples are painted as bad things in the books, but it doesn’t take away the fact that there are also considered normal within the society we are presented with. When the entire world is built around cishet dynamics (whether good or bad), it shows us that queer relationships are not the norm here, they’re outsiders from their own society (btw considering women as ‘baby makers’ is also transphobic but I’m not gonna open that can of worms).

The mating bond in itself is the biggest heteronormative concept in her books. As Rhys explains it in ACOMAF, it is literally intended for couples to make the strongest babies. It doesn’t care about love between partners, its primary goal is to perpetuate the species. It’s a natural instinct that we’re shown is basically impossible (or at least very difficult) to fight against. We’re shown that the woman has to make the man a meal to “seal the deal”, we’re shown that men become extremely violent towards other men they consider a threat when they’re influenced by the bond (by the way that’s toxic masculinity but it’s not what this post is about).

I believe that Maas didn’t intend for the mating bond to be a possibility between mlm or wlw couples, but that she retconned it in ACOWAR. Which in a sense is good, I’m all for queer soulmates! But the concept she invented here doesn’t have much room for non heteronormative relationships, and it becomes painfully obvious when you try to apply the mating bond logic to wlw/mlm couples. It brings many questions to mind: if it’s intended to make babies, does it mean that the mated mlm couple has one of the men be a trans man? If that’s the case, why didn’t she tell us? Why didn’t she spend more time on telling us their story? If they’re both cis men, then why would they have a mating bond, something specifically designed to help with species continuity by making babies? To me, it’s proof that she didn’t think it through, she thought it was cute to have two men be mates just like our main couple was, and didn’t stop to consider how the mating bond didn’t allow for this to happen organically because it exists in a vaccum of cishet privilege where she didn’t think about the consequences of including it in her books without elaborating on it. 

We can also see that queer people aren’t expected to be the norm in that society. Feyre is genuinely surprised when Mor tells her that she likes women, as if it was this groundbreaking thing she never even considered. I’m not going to get into details as to why I hate Mor’s coming out (I love Mor being a wlw but really, really, hate that scene), but the fact that she hasn’t felt comfortable enough to come out in five centuries is very telling of how unaccepting the fae society is of queer people. So yeah, there’s a queer bar where she hangs out but like... that doesn’t mean it’s accepted. One of the main reasons why queer bars started existing in the first place was to become a safe space for people to be themselves, so you know, I kinda take it as another proof of how unopen-minded the fae society actually is.

lack of queer characters

Overall, we don’t have a lot of confirmed queer characters. Off the top of my head, I can think about (of course I might forget some so that might not be 100% accurate, I haven’t read the books in a long while):

TOG: Hasar and Renia, Aedion, Orlon and Darrow

ACOTAR: Mor, Helion, Thesan, Andromache, Nephelle

Note that I’m not counting unnamed characters. I don’t consider “x’s lover” as a developped enough character to count as representation, come on.

Out of all these characters, only two of them are in the main cast of their respective series (Aedion and Mor). The others go from “mentioned” to “secondary character” at best. I’m not saying that all of her characters have to be queer, but out of such a big cast of mains, one in each series seems very little.

construction of these characters

On top of not having many characters that aren’t cishet, the characters we do have aren’t very well handled by the story.

Hasar is repeatedly described as being ugly, despite most of the other characters being described over and over as breathtakingly beautiful.

Aedion compares bisexuality to forced prostitution.

Helion is basically shown as sleeping around with everybody.

Mor’s sexuality is kept so ambiguous that there’s debate as to whether she’s actually bi, or rather a closeted lesbian.

Renia barely talks, Darrow is a jerk. Orlon, Andromache and Nephelle are figures of the past that we never meet

This is a problem mainly because of how small in numbers the queer characters are. The more diverse cast you create, the easiest it gets to avoid hurtful tropes. I wouldn’t mind Helion being a bi man sleeping around all the time if he wasn’t the only bi man in ACOTAR. Nor would I mind Mor’s tragic backstory if we had other wlw characters. By reducing her cast to such little numbers, she’s creating problems in her writing. She’s telling us that bi men sleep around and never settle down, she’s telling us that sapphic women will only get tragic stories and never find love again.

In the end, the combination of a heteronormative worldbuilding and the lack of work put into the queer characters we are given makes it impossible for me to not consider her books homophobic.

To be clear,

I don’t think Maas does this out of malice. I don’t think she’s a homophobe who hates queer people or anything. I also don’t dislike her books. They’re a fun read, and there’s a reason why ACOMAF is one of only two audiobooks I always have on my phone! Hell, I even write fanfic with her characters. But I think it’s important to be critical of her books, particularly in regards to issues such as racism, mysoginy, or homophobia.

To go back to the original post from yesterday, this is why ‘death of the author’ is an important point here. I’m not saying that Maas intended to be homophobic or that she built her world expressedly to exclude queer people. But in the end, that’s what happened, and we can’t brush off the critics of queer people and people of color just by saying “well, the author didn’t mean it that way.”

I do think that she includes queer representation only as an afterthought in her books, and it shows. Mor’s coming out was poorly handled because she didn’t consider the ramifications of it, just like the mating bond suddenly applying to queer relationships. Her societies are based on cishet white upper class America and that leaves little to no place for queer people (and people of color) to thrive in her stories. From what I see, she doesn’t seem interested in consulting with sensitivity readers over these issues, and as long as she doesn’t swallow her pride and listen to the people that are affected by it, she’s not going to get better on these points.

[muwur]

could i request an -oikawa-kuroo-suga- headcanons for a partner with autism/adhd? (autism and adhd in girls can be like, real hard to write if you dont have it or know someone who does so its 100% okay to say no wididnejfufhejrr) especially with like, being embarrassed about stimming in front of them or dealing with rejection sensitive dysphoria as a symptom 😗👉👈 thank yooooooooooou i owe u my liyef

haikyuu + s/o with autism/adhd headcanons

✧ hc’s ✧ for oikawa, kuroo, suga & tendou

❧ gn reader

✎ 1.3k words

a/n: i got u b! this is wut im here for, to help u feel a lil represented 😌 also ik u a special fren of mine so hehe here u go (happy birthday soon btw c; ily i hope you enjoy pls feel free to lmk if there’s smth youd like me to change ♡)! aLsO pLEASePLEAseplEASe anyone let me know if there is something I wrote in this that doesn’t sit well with you. as someone who does not have autism/adhd or has had much experience around people who do, i cannot portray it accurately. i do not intend to misrepresent anyone’s experiences. i love and care for you all; the last thing i want to do is hurt or offend anyone. thankfully anon + the internet were great sources for me to try to understand things better. tho that is not to say i can fully comprehend these conditions (cuz i never can unless i experience it myself)

n e ways, u r all loveli n i hope ur having an amazing day <3

just wanna preface that these bois would love anyone for who they are, and would do their best to support you in whatever ways possible <3

oikawa

✧ oikawa had been replying consistently to your messages before suddenly disappearing with no explanation,,,

✧ at first it seemed like nothing, but after several hours and follow up texts from yourself, you couldn’t help but think that maybe he just didn’t want to reply to you

✧ maybe he didn’t even like you anymore

✧ fear that every moment you shared together meant nothing settled in the pit of your stomach

✧ a while later you received a phone call from a very apologetic oikawa, who was explaining that he dropped his phone in the bowl of ramen he was eating and had to go to the store and wait for hours before finally getting a new one and--

✧ “a-are you crying? hey, what’s wrong? i’m sorry i was gone for so long. i’m here now.”

✧ will definitely come over immediately to give you reassuring cuddles

✧ “you mean the world to me. i never want to hurt you, and i never want to leave you, either.”

✧ makes sure to communicate very clearly with you to reassure you what he really means

✧ always reminding you how much he cares about you to reinforce in your head that he’s always going to be there for you

✧ does self-care days with you to destress because life is tough (*cue selfies with face masks and laying in bed for hours with each other’s comforting presence*)

✧ very quick to defend and protect you from people who hurt you. will ask, “excuse me, can i help you?” with a piercing glare that’ll get anyone to back down

✧ gives you constant reassurance about your stimming

✧ helps you interpret social cues and situations, gives you tips on how to handle your interactions with others and in under circumstances (as well as how to remain calm in your own mind)

✧ practices positive self-talk with you because he wants to help you see how great you are

✧ anyone who doesn’t see it is at a loss and is irrelevant, they don’t exist in oikawa’s book 💅

kuroo

✧ always educating himself so he knows how to be helpful

✧ unintentionally embarrassed you once by asking what you were doing when he caught you stimming once (which was when he found out about it)

✧ he was genuinely curious and meant no harm, and he apologized for bringing it up how he did

✧ however, he was glad he asked you so that he could be informed and reassure you that stimming is okay. he understands the importance of it and he’d prefer you have something to help you self-soothe. no judgment here, this is a safe space

✧ takes mental notes on all your favorite stims (verbal, visual, tactile, oral, proprioception, etc)

✧ even discovers new stims for you to try and buys you things to help with them (“here, this is a fidget spinner, y/n” or “you know they make CHEWABLE JEWLERY? they call it CHEWELRY. that’s genius. *typing on phone* what colors do you like, babe?” )

✧ encourages you to talk about your feelings and find additional coping strategies (“let’s try this neat breathing technique i learned about today!”)

✧ saves you from overwhelming situations (ie. pulling you out of a crowd, shutting down really noisy things, giving you space to clear your head and breathe)

✧ ruffles your hair as a sign of affection and calls you cute nicknames

✧ helps you study, make plans, and stay organized. tries to keep things interesting and interactive so you don’t lose interest/find it boring

✧ when you’re having an especially hard time focusing, he’ll pull you aside for a relaxing break like talking a small walk, watching an episode of y’alls favorite show, sharing a snack, playing a game, looking at memes or tik tok, chatting, etc

✧ makes sure to validate your feelings first and acknowledge your concerns before giving you his thoughts

✧ helps you view situations from a different perspective so you don’t assume rejection from others. when there is some form of rejection, he’s there to help you cope with the emotions 

✧ gives you a lot of hugs when you’re feeling dejected and lonely, reminding you he’ll never leave your side 

sugawara

✧ he’s quite perceptive, so when he noticed your unease, he asked you about it

✧ embarrassed but not wanting to lie, especially to suga, you admitted to being afraid of stimming around him and that you had been trying to hold back from it (even if it was hard)

✧ his eyes immediately soften as he tells you that there’s no reason to be embarrassed about it

✧ he just wants you to be yourself and feel comfortable

✧ learns about all of your stims. totally supports and normalizes them (however, if they’re ever self-injurous, he’ll do research and consult expert help to redirect the behavior)

✧ will absolutely take good care of you, he’s not sugamama for no reason

✧ a great listener! always hearing you out when you talk about your passions and interests

✧ wants you to express yourself however you can because he understands communication may not always be easy (reminder that communication and expression aren’t always verbal!)

✧ praises you and hypes you up all the time, going on about how there’s so much about you he loves

✧ has the most soothing voice ever. will whisper you sweet, reassuring words to calm and ease your mind

✧ will even just hum for you. lit rally anything. the suga juke box varies from lullabies to funky fresh songs

✧ very patient and will support you when you feel upset, frustrated, and/or have outbursts

✧ encourages you to talk about your feelings, but never pressures you. shares his own thoughts and feelings to help you open up, asks you thoughtful questions

✧ may be ultimate soft boi but gives anyone the look™ if they even just stare, and goes feral if someone’s ever rude to you in any way, calls them tf out and is #satisfied when he gets them to apologize

✧ also helps you study and be organized! good at creating schedules and encouraging you to stick with them

✧ constantly making sure you eat sufficient meals 😋 and get enough rest 😴 will nag you until you do

tendou

✧ MORE THAN HAPPY TO PROVIDE ALL THE STIMULATION YOU NEED, says it’s an opportunity to give each other mutual attention and bond

✧ but will also provide you an outlet for just relaxing and unwinding

✧ will talk to you for hours and hours about your favorite shows/movies/books

✧ BINGES THEM WITH YOU

✧ always treating you to your favorite snacks/flavors and discovering new things for you to try that will match your taste/texture preferences (only the best for u 😌)

✧ curious about how stims make you feel and asks you to describe those sensations to him  

✧ thinks it’s super cool when you can finish his sentences for him,,, cuz it’s like y’all on the same wavelength (you gellll)

✧ if anyone made you feel bad,,, o boy

✧ tendou would intimidate them to the point he would probably appear in their nightmares ffegjegk this is why you don’t fuck with this man or those who cares about 

✧ king of spontaneity and asks if you’re down to do the most random things

✧ “let’s buy a trampoline”

✧ *2 am* “you down for some fries and dip? and by dip i mean m i l k s h a k e s”

✧ of course he’ll never suggest things he knows you would be uncomfortable with. never puts you in a stressful situation and always makes sure you’re enjoying yourself

✧ invites you everywhere and makes sure you feel included. always by your side!

✧ squeezes your hand whenever he can tell you’re feeling anxious

✧ if you feel anxious about trying new things, he’s there to encourage you! recounts all the positive aspects 

✧ but if you’re really excited to try something, you bet he’ll match your excitement

✧ a very good listener. empathizes a lot with being misunderstood or seen as “different,” and is therefore a major source of comfort

✧ constantly showing you how to be yourself and that you shouldn’t feel ashamed about it, cuz that’s who he fell in love with

[superlinguo]

Linguistics Jobs: Interview with an Internet Linguist

If you’re a regular reader of this blog then Gretchen McCulloch will already be familiar to you as the other half of the Lingthusiasm. While the podcast is something I do alongside an academic job, Gretchen is a full-time pop linguist. She runs the blog All Things Linguistic, has a regular column with Wired and her book Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language is out on the 23rd of July. It’s particularly delightful to include Gretchen in the Linguistics Jobs interview series because I started doing these after a chat with Gretchen about how we need more stories about how people use their linguistic skills in different jobs.

What did you study at university?

I did my undergrad at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada where I got a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) with a major in linguistics and a minor in World Language Studies. I'd actually been planning on doing a minor in French and was just filling my electives with other language courses but then they rolled out the World Language Studies minor right before my final year and I already had the right credits for it, so I changed my minor on paper. I thought about this with great care at the time, but the difference has never mattered. 

I then did a Master of Arts in linguistics at McGill University in Montreal, where I still live. I started my blog, All Things Linguistic, while I was in grad school, which was how I got started writing for a general audience. The blog led to my current career more directly than the schooling did, although I couldn't have done either kind of writing without the academic background. The socialization of grad school was very useful as well: learning how to feel comfortable at an academic conference and how to self-manage on a large research/writing project. I also did a ton of public speaking as an extracurricular activity all the way through, which has been incredibly helpful, both directly for giving talks and also indirectly for media, teaching, and the podcast. 

What is your job?

I call myself an internet linguist because I analyze the language of the internet, for the people of the internet. I think linguists have an ethical responsibility to make our work useful to the communities that we serve, and for me that generally looks like producing accessible linguistics resources online and defending internet language in popular media.

When I was writing and editing the book, I had a daily to-do list with the same thing at the top every day: work on the book! But in order to make such a massive task manageable, I broke that down into both effort-based goals (checking off each pomodoro of time spent) and results-based goals (such as rewriting a particular section). Now that I'm working on multiple projects at once rather than one enormous project, I've switched to weekly to-do lists: a given week will generally contain a few things I need to do for the book, a few things for the podcast, a few things for an article I'm writing for Wired or a consulting project, some media calls or meetings, and some general admin. (I also have a weekly section called "fun" because that's an important part of a healthy lifestyle!)

When I'm home, I'm either working from my home office or from a coffeeshop, and Twitter and Slack are kind of my "virtual water cooler" for when I need a dose of social interaction. When I'm travelling, it's generally for a conference where I'm giving a talk and having conversations with people for the entire day, which is pretty much the exact opposite and then I have to make sure I get breaks away from people. I like to keep a certain travel-to-home ratio – enough to keep things exciting without being so much that I'm run off my feet.

How does your linguistics training help you in your job?

My linguistics training is crucial! It's becoming less and less common for public commentators about language to have zero linguistics background and I think this is a positive trend. I have the background to go directly into academic papers and books in any subfield of linguistics, and I have a deep network of linguists who I've seen give talks or chatted with about their projects over the years – I never know when something I vaguely heard about five years ago is going to turn out to be relevant.  

What I notice is, because I have a linguistics background, I'm comfortable claiming certain things about language on my own authority. When I quote another person in one of my articles, it's because that person has specific expertise – I don't need to find a secondary source to quote for basic background information that any linguist would know or for analyses that draw on general principles of linguistics. Indeed, I'm often a secondary source that journalists without linguistics training go to for quotes. I also see all my articles through a linguist lens, which means that I'm inspired to write about topics that linguists know are interesting but the average person doesn't even realize might exist, and that I can avoid perpetuating the same old myths and misconceptions that often show up in language media.

What was the transition from university to work like for you?

How I got started in my job is somewhat unusual, so I actually ended up writing an extended blog post series about Weird Internet Careers.

Do you have any advice do you wish someone had given to you about linguistics/careers/university?

I wish I'd known more about the breadth of writing styles that were available. The only kind of journalism that I was taught about in school was reporting, where a non-expert goes out with a notebook to interview witnesses and writes an "inverted pyramid" style article about what happened. I didn't know about the "explainer" style of article, which takes a deeper and less time-sensitive dive into why or how something works, until much later, when I was basically already writing them. It turns out that I have very little interest in reporting on current events (and let's face it, there isn't a ton of language news), but I'm always interested in the question of how and why language works, and answering it in ways that are exciting for non-specialists keeps me fired up about the big questions of our field. 

In retrospect, when I was first getting into linguistics, I was reading a lot of science communication about linguistics, but I didn't know that this was the name for the genre or that you can get a whole degree in SciComm (often a masters after doing a bachelors in a specific science). And SciComm as a field is often more focussed on subjects like physics or biology, so I've been using the word LingComm to draw attention to linguistics communication as a subset of science communication. I'd encourage anyone who might be interested in writing for a general audience to follow journalists, editors, and scicommers on twitter to get a sense of what that area can look like.

Any other thoughts or comments?

l also post linguistics job related information at allthingslinguistic.com/jobs, including some interviews and advice posts on specific aspects of explaining linguistics for the general public. In particular, I'd recommend my post Linguistics + X, about finding interesting jobs at the intersection of linguistics and your other interests, and my series on how to do LingComm.   

Previously:

Interview with a Lexicographer

Interview with a Journalist

Interview with a PR Consultant

Interview with an Agency Owner & Executive Editor

Interview with a Freelance Editor, Writer and Trainer

Check out the Linguist Jobs tag for even more interviews 

[avilalily94]

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[mrkrab30]

LANGUAGE AND MEDIA: EVALUATION ON THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDIA THROUGH ITS LANGUAGE USE

Leyte Normal University

College of Arts and Sciences

Language and Literature Unit

 EVALUATING THE LANGUAGE USE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDIA

A Concept Paper

 Submitted by:

JELEANNA IMECILLE N. BATICA

MAVEL ANGELA GOMBA

KEMUEL RABI

 Submitted to:

MR. ROGELIO TICOY, JR.

Instructor, Language and Media

 INTRODUCTION

Language is one of the most important aspects of human life. Its role is crucial in the process of communication. Language is acquired by individuals which is used every micro second. It shapes our thoughts, ideas, and reflects our own culture and society. It introduces us to reality because we use it in all aspects of our lives, be it verbally or through physical or nonverbal communication. Language is considered as an avenue for which people communicate and interact with the world; therefore, it is highly important for us to use the correct language in the different types of media that people in the contemporary world uses for education, advertising, disseminating news around the globe, entertainment, etc. The evolution of the different types of media creates for us a room full of excitement, knowledge, and exploration because through the print and visual media, we gain information that makes us more logical, be educated, and see the world and the people through pictures or photography and texts that we read and hear from the television, newspaper, etc.; electronic broadcasting media which is very convenient for people who suffers from blindness, but many people are still listening to radio broadcasts because it is where local news is being disseminated and it also a room for entertainment and relaxation by listening to old and new songs being played; outdoor and transit media which is an important content used for businesses to advertise a product, place (e.g., tourist spots, hotels), food, etc., through the use of billboards or other strategies that would catch the attention of the target market; and, digital media which is so broad and very useful especially in the modern world where most people make use of it in terms of getting different kinds of information through the use of mobile phones, laptop, and other devices—may it be educational, for entertainment purposes, finding a job, running a business, etc. Therefore, media without language is nothing, as well as language without media will not be recognized its importance and worse, there will be no unity from one country to the other because people will not be able to learn other languages without the existence of media.

   DEFINITION OF TERMS

REGISTERS- Linguistically, Registers is defined as the way a speaker uses a language differently in different circumstance. Registers are marked by a variety of specialized vocabulary and turns of phrases, colloquialisms and the use of jargon, and a difference in intonation and pace.

STYLISTICS- is the study of the devices in languages (such as rhetorical figures and syntactical patterns) that are considered to produce expressive or literary style.

GRAMMAR- is the whole system and structure of a language or of languages in general, usually taken as consisting of syntax and morphology (including inflictions) and sometimes also phonology and semantics.

SEMIOTICS-  is an investigation into how meaning is created and how meaning is communicated. Its origins lie in the academic study of how signs and symbols (visual and linguistic) create meaning.

PRAGMATICS- is a branch of linguistics concerned with the use of language in social contexts and the ways people produce and comprehend meanings through language.

EVALUATING THE LANGUAGE USE IN THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDIA

 I.             PRINT MEDIA    

 Print Media is the oldest medium of communication. Its purpose is to spread information by printing texts and images on paper with the use of printing press; selling it in cheaper value for it to be affordable among masses. Print media is composed of newspapers, magazines, books, banners, brochure, flyers, and other publications.

The following are the evaluation of the language used in Print Media:

Registers: The language used in writing news for newspapers, controversial issues for magazines, literary books and textbooks, and other publications uses a formal language that is comprehensible for any readers. In marketing also, the language used in creating an eye-catching advertisement with the use of banners, brochure, and flyers are formal in a way that people will easily get interested with the product.

Stylistics: In printed materials, it is necessary to use a formal language when writing outputs to present the facts and data thoroughly. For example, in newspapers, journalists should always include accurate facts and evidences when writing a story of a particular issue to gain the trust of their readers; therefore, for it to be understood, the language used should be in a formal style.

Grammar: Correct grammar structure and spelling is a major requirement that should be evident in all printed mediums. Books, newspapers, magazines are where people get knowledgeable information applied in their daily lives and even used for their education. Products that are being advertised using brochures and other advertising mediums should use a powerful tagline that will speak to the target market and it will only be effective if the catchphrase is grammatically correct because it will be fully apprehended.

Semiotics: Using signs, symbols, images in printed materials is important because it helps grab the attention of people to a particular product, to give readers an idea about the story or genre of a particular literary book that they would like to read, even in newspapers and magazines to let the readers know who, where, what are they reading is about.

Pragmatics: Correct use and construction of symbols, words, phrases, and sentences should always be considered especially when applied to these kinds of printed materials (as mentioned above) to avoid misinterpretations because not all people, if not mistaken, are grammatically intellect to really understand what the advertisement, the story, the news is trying to relay.

 II.            ELECTRONIC BROADCASTING MEDIA

 Electronic Broadcasting Media is a channel through which every message is communicated usually through the use of radio and television, but as technology evolves, people can now broadcast through online streaming, and with the use of internet media-like websites also. Electronic broadcasting media is where people carefully listen to local news and at the same time, being entertained and relaxed by listening to old songs. One’s business can also be advertised through commercials which is cued in short news breaks.

The following are the evaluation of the language used in Electronic Broadcasting Media:

Registers: A formal type of register is frequently used in news broadcasting, relaying facts and information about life events, announcements and certain issues circulating in local areas. In entertainments, however, uses informal register to give entertainment to the listeners but not to the point that will ruin the image of their channel.

Stylistics: In broadcasting, we will notice that the style used by news anchors or DJs when speaking to their audience has a good impact or effect which makes them sit, listen and respond positively.

Grammar: Like readers notice grammatical imperfections on what they’re reading, so does listeners sensitively hear grammatical errors when they carefully listen to news anchors reporting of recent events, that is why newscasters must always make sure that what they will be reading are grammatically correct and the information that will be heard by the people are reliable and will not be misinterpreted.

Semiotics: In broadcasting, signs and cues from the production director is important, hence, it should not be ignored. While in television, the use of signs, symbols, and images is applied for advertisements to catch the attention of the viewers.

Pragmatics: Electronic broadcasting media uses a language that is only applicable in the news field which is also comprehensible for the listeners.

III.          VISUAL MEDIA

 Visual media can be used in any subject matter especially in presenting texts through visuals such as data presented through graphs, tables, and illustrations like pie chart and projects through power point presentations. It is also used to designate things like TV movies, photography, paintings, etc. It is very important because it also caters visual learners’ needs especially to the young generations who will eventually be introduced to the world of new technology.

The following are the evaluation of the language used in Visual Media:

Registers: There are different registers used in Visual Media depending on the content presented. For example, business or marketing presentations uses a formal register in presenting the data during a board meeting. On the contrary, TV movies uses different kinds of language register depending on its genre. It may be casual, intimate, or consultative.

Stylistics: Visual Media is more attracting and interesting than the other types of media because of its vividness. It lets us interpret things deeper more than what we see and perceive its true meaning.

Grammar: This type of media uses informal grammar specifically in American movies or series wherein the characters uses slang words in their conversation depending on the situation they’re in or the story itself. However, in photography and paintings, it speaks different languages with different grammar structure. It depends on how one will perceive it and communicate with it.

Semiotics: Visual Media uses different kinds of signs and symbols depending on the content. Signage and other road signs are made to instruct people on what they should do and should not do on that particular place or in the streets; where this particular place is, etc., these leads us with just a glance because images, too, can be heard even by just looking at it. Furthermore, in paintings, people are able to interpret it because of the variety of color which has different symbolizations and emotions when applied.

Pragmatics: In movies, there are ways on how the characters deliver the message of the story effectively: they use a body language which is very important and effective to let the viewers understand the actor’s character; the use of gestures depending on his or her line to let the viewers be moved by the emotion implied by the character; and, using the correct intonation when speaking their lines to make it sound more interesting and real.

IV.          OUTDOOR MEDIA

 Outdoor media is typically consisting of any advertising seen outside and is primarily grouped into categories such as billboards, posters, etc. outdoor advertisements are the best medium to inform the moving population.

The following are the evaluation of the language used in Outdoor Media:

Registers: In advertising, the goal is to grab the attention of the people walking alongside the streets, people driving on high ways and waiting for the traffic to move; so, the language register they use to promote their product is casual to make it more attractive and effective.

Grammar: This type of media uses informal grammar because in advertising, the words used in promoting a product need not be lengthy to make sure that the target market will be able to read the words written on the billboard or posters while walking down the streets. Therefore, business marketing professionals come up with new morphemes that they think will attract everyone who belongs to different social classes.

Semiotics: Outdoor Media uses signs that lets people see straight through its meaning without having a hard time analyzing it. It uses images to make it more engaging.

Pragmatics: Using limited words in advertising, with the use of Outdoor Media, is necessary to make it more noticeable and legible. Different strategies are deeply thought to come up with new combination of words that will positively attract the target market.

V.           DIGITAL MEDIA

 The Digital Media is now a frontline of all types of media. A weather app on a smartphone, a racing game on a video game console, and an ultrasound imaging device in a hospital are all digital media products. They are successful because they are engaging, easy to use, and deliver results. The world we live today is populated by digital media products, and these products enable and deliver experiences in many industries, including industries that aren’t typically associated with digital media—such as health, government, and education (What is Digital Media, 2007).

The following are the evaluation of the language used in Digital Media:

Registers: Digital Media uses different kinds if language registers: casual, consultative, intimate, and formal register; but it still depends on the context. For example, in social media accounts (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), it uses casual register and even intimate. In email, delivered and received messages are more formal and sometimes consultative depending on the message being delivered to and received from.

Stylistics: In Digital Media, the style of writing depends on what the person wants to convey based on his or her content. For example, in social medias, people are more comfortable in conveying their message because it is not that necessary to be technical. They decide to use punctuation marks freely and not minding its correct use at all; some even construct new words just to express their feelings or what comes out from their mind.

Grammar: In Digital Media, specifically social medias, people are given the freedom to express their thoughts without attending to its correct use of grammar. Although, other social media users make sure that their grammar structure is correct before posting their thoughts online because they avoid criticisms; but some posts are for professional or academic purposes that’s why it is really necessary for the content to be grammatically correct.

Semiotics: Digital Media uses icons and graphic designs that would attract the users. They use these symbols to let the users know what the application is about or what it is exactly. The usage of images and encoding texts based on the image are also important in Digital Media for it to be more understood.

Pragmatics: Since Digital Media is virtual and it is widely used for communication nowadays, can a person really know if the person that he or she is talking to from the other line is feeling the exact same emotion as he encodes his message? This is the problem with this type of media, the language used is not as we expect it to be, that’s why it is important for the users to be more sensible and logical in communicating.

VI.          TRANSIT MEDIA

 Target marketing accurately knows product and brand market, and because your target market is not recluse nor retires in their twilight years, they move a travel within their community, city, province or region. In other words, it is imperative for them to travel anywhere they like. Because of this fundamental need, Transit Media innovatively popularize the use of these as tools of advertising-buses, taxis, jeepneys, tricycles, and school buses. With Transit Media, advertising and communicating to your target market need not be expensive. Transit Media is the welcome alternative to traditional advertising in hard times like these and more so in prosperous times.

The following are the evaluation of the language used in Transit Media:

Registers: Transit Media uses different kinds of language registers depending its content: formal, consultative, static, or casual.

Stylistics: Transit Media uses formal and informal style of writing depending on the message that it wants to convey.

Grammar: Transit Media uses informal grammar because of its rule to only use limited words to easily catch the attention of the target market and for it to be immediately read since it is posted on jeepneys and other advertising-buses.

Semiotics: Since advertising in this type of media is not steadily displayed on the streets, rather on buses or jeepneys, they do not use symbols or other signs that would make the advertising complicated to understand.

Pragmatics: Transit Media is more comprehensible than the other types of media because it should be direct to the point, but still depends on what is being advertised.

 CONCLUSION

           Media Language is the way in which the meaning of a media text is conveyed to the audience (Orlebar, 2009). Media, as a part of communication, need a language to convey its meaning; therefore, we need words and language code, verbal and nonverbal communication to reach the audience, text and writing in a specific language for making newspapers, news on magazine, TV and online media. Media and language are indeed inseparable despite its unique differences, for we will not be able to construct any interpretation if language is not used in media as well as media in language.

 REFERENCE(S):

Orlebar, J. (2009). Understanding media language. Retrieved from http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/understanding:media-language/

No Author (2007). What is digital media? Retrieved from https://thecdm.ca/prgram/digital-media

Jeremy Orlebar (2009) Understanding Media Language retrieved at 25/11/2015 from: http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/understanding-media-language/

Matthews, J. (2000). The Role of Print Media in Education. Retrieved from http://pmg-assets.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/docs/2000/appendices/000912PrintMedia.htm

Bote, K. (2013). Evolution of Print Media. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/rlp7jssriw-t/chapter-12-evaluation-of-print-media/?fallback=1

Burke, M. (2014). The Routledge Handbook of Stylistics. Retrieved from https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-of-Stylistics-1st-Edition/Burke/p/book/9781138297838

Miriam B. (2019). The Influence of Modern Electronic Media on the Usage of the English Language. Retrieved from https://m.grin.com/document/468191

Maillat, D. (2008). "Broadcast Yourself!" The Future of Broadcast English in an IT Age. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/26430877https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/register

Nordquist, R. (2019) Stylistics and Elements of Style in Literature. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/stylistics-language-studies-1692000

Veszelszki Á. (2017). Digilect.  https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110499117

[lunafeather]

How does it feel to be an actress in your 30s in Los Angeles?

Oh well this is a nice surprise ask! I’m curious why you ask? Reader beware: I go into depth below with a lot of feelings!

To be fair I am early 30′s :P Honestly, it’s hard. A lot of people outside of the industry think you have to start young to be successful as an actor, and many older people who want to act use this as a reason to not even try -- but a lot of famous (and amazing) actors started in their 30′s/40′s/50′s/60′s. I mean, obviously it helps to start as a kid or teenager, but not everyone has that opportunity.

The key thing is that most actors have this sweet spot where their age matches their look perfectly, and that’s the best time to be working -- not that you can’t otherwise, but work is easier to come by if you find that sweet spot.

I am both lucky and not lucky in that I have a very young casting for my age. I can play 20-26, which is an age range that has a lot of roles, but unfortunately also a lot of competition, especially for white women (though I am privileged in that productions favor my ethnicity).

I’m lucky because it means I will continue to look a decade younger as I age, and will have more longevity. I also have a look that will hopefully age well and thus also contribute to that longevity.

But I am also hyper aware of every single sign of aging that comes in your 30′s, because my casting won’t have those signs. Grey hairs (more and more are coming in!), wrinkles between my eyes/on my forehead/under my eyes, skin redness (though I’ve had that since I was a teenager due to eczema damaging my skin), different body parts sagging (this is more noticeable because I am losing weight) -- and not having the money to purchase high end treatments that can curb all of these.

Just general physical stuff really bothers me, though it shouldn’t. In fact, last night I was panic searching make up tutorials for hooded eyes because in a consultation with a working actor last year, she told me that I looked tired in all my self tapes. I was going through my journal and stumbled on the entry right after the meeting and it launched me down a rabbit hole. How could I make my hooded eyes -- which naturally make someone look tired or sad -- look bright and awake?? Which led me to revisiting eyelid surgery (which I will have to get in a decade or two anyway, as natural aging will cause the skin to droop until it obscures my vision), which led to me breaking out my old make up and trying out the tutorials I found, which just made me hate my eyes more, which then made me FURIOUS about why MEN get to have wrinkles and folds and hooded eyes, and it makes them dignified, but for women it makes them tired and sad?? I hate make up! I want to be bare faced and rocking it!

But then if I dye my hair pink, my casting will change -- likely to characters who DO wear make up. And I have to take that into consideration.

I also lament not going to college and getting a degree in acting solely for the relationships you form at school. I am lone shark, wading alone in this very fast and very full ocean.

ANYWAY, it’s hard, anon. It’s hard getting older, it’s hard because the industry is so competitive and harsh (especially towards women), it’s hard because I already struggle with my mental health and my self esteem. I am hyper critical of not only my acting, but also how I look (which you can’t help, with on camera work).

At the same time, I was so soft in my early/mid 20′s. Even though I’m still sensitive and vulnerable and doubtful, I’ve developed my skill for the past few years and built a hard shell around myself to the point that I haven’t given up yet -- and I might have, if I chose to seriously pursue this earlier. I’m also lucky that the last 5 years or so have ushered in more body positivity and inclusiveness in the industry (though I still fall in the dead zone of not skinny enough but not fat enough either), because that didn’t exist ten years ago.

All in all, I am so happy that 7 years ago I chose to pursue this as a career, that I got very serious about it 4 or 5 years ago, and that I finally took that step to move to Los Angeles. I am happy that I am older and more mature, that I am more settled with who I am and where I want to be, and what I want. I haven’t done nearly as much in the 2 years I’ve been here (has it been fucking two years already?!?!?), but I am taking steps to fix that. A lot of things are falling into place.

Talk to me when I’m 40, and we can have this conversation again about ageism in Hollywood re: women in the industry and how parts suddenly disappear and dry up at that milestone -- a fact which is slowly changing, and will hopefully be vastly improved by the time I get there.

Thank you for sending this by the way! I love talking about acting, about the industry, and my journey! Also I’m an actor and by trade like talking about myself lmaoooo

[popatochisssp]

Make You Mark, 6/10

Series: Undertale, Underfell Relationship(s): UF!Papyrus/Reader Chapter Warnings: Extreme Thirst

AO3 Link

In a world where soulmates exist, monsters and humans have one thing in common: the first time two soulmates touch, a mark randomly appears somewhere–anywhere– on their bodies to represent their match.

It still doesn’t make relationships easier…but maybe it does make them a little more interesting!

When that nasty, nitpicky ladder-climing bitch, Gertrude had gotten you fired, you had been incensed.

It wasn’t a great job, you weren’t heartbroken to be let go, and most of your coworkers you wouldn’t even miss—save one.

BP had been there when you were gathering up your things, not really helping but with a look on his face that so resonated with your innermost feelings of impotent, nihilist disgust at management that it felt like he was helpful, anyway.

“This sucks,” he’d muttered in solidarity, watching you angrily cram a sweater into your bag. “Probably gonna make me do your job instead of hiring somebody else…”

“Sounds right,” you’d agreed. “Such bullshit, I can’t believe they’d fire me over…!”

Feeling the burn of injustice threatening to erupt from your mouth in a stream of very loud cusswords or maybe from your eyes in actual tears, you’d forced yourself to laugh instead and even attempted a joke.

“Ha, I should sue for this… Know any good lawyers?”

You hadn’t expected BP to actually look like he was considering it, or to say at length, “…Well…actually…?”

As it turned out…he did.

Tail twitching, ears flicking nervously, BP told you in a hushed and hurried tone that he knew a real good lawyer—a monster one, of course, but if that wasn’t a problem for you, he might even be able to hook you up.

“He works pretty cheap,” BP said, “all things considered. Likes the tough cases mostly, stacked odds and hard wins… I think he’s into the challenge more than the money—he’s probably bored otherwise, y’know he used to captain the Royal Guard, Underground? When we still had one, anyway. Point is, he’s one scary prick, he’d knock something like this out of the park for you.”

You felt you could hardly be blamed for being a little incredulous.

You eyed the visibly jumpy cat beside you, whispering while pretending to walk you out and looking like he’d jump a foot in the air if he heard a manager speaking too close.

“You can get somebody like that for me?”

BP’s ears flattened, in either offense or embarrassment.

“I…! Listen, I…! His brother owes me a favor, I can…make something happen for you…pr…probably…” He shook his head. “Just…keep an eye on your email, okay? You actually did your job instead of dumping it on me like… I…owe you, or whatever.”

You hadn’t been expecting much at the time.

It was a sweet sentiment by monster standards that he was even willing to try to do something like that for you, and you appreciated it for what it was.

The look on your face was probably hilarious when you actually received an official-looking email asking if you were the human seeking a wrongful termination suit— and asking after your availability to meet in the coming week.

-

Obviously, being newly unemployed, your availability was fantastic, which is how you ended up here, nicely dressed and sat outside at a nice little sidewalk bistro, waiting for your pro bono consultation regarding your legal recourse per your recent termination.

…Or at least, that was what Captain Papyrus’ email had said.

Since you have so much time to kill these days, it’s no surprise that you’re early. The past fifteen minutes have been spent fiddling with hems and tracing idle circles around the rim of your complimentary glass of water.

Normally, you’d fool around on your phone but you’re waiting for an Important Meeting with a monster you’ve never met and the last thing you want is to get too absorbed in a game and end up making an embarrassing first impression, or miss the guy entirely.

It’s not until ten minutes to the time you’d set that you realize how silly a thought that was.

You don’t see how you could’ve missed a monster like Papyrus.

The skeleton that strides into the bistro is tall and smartly dressed, exuding such a powerful aura of confidence that you swear for a second you can actually, tangibly feel it. His cheekbones are sharp and his fangs are sharper and when the roving red lights in his eye-sockets land squarely on you, you have to hold back an instinctive shiver.

You have to admit, you’re a little mad at BP, right now.

He never told you Papyrus was hot.

You don’t have time to dwell on it, though, because he’s coming over to you and you have to seem like a normal, respectable human—instead of a thirsty one.

You stand to greet him, smiling pleasantly. “Hi! Captain Papyrus, I presume?”

“YOU PRESUME CORRECTLY.”

He asks your name, his voice surprisingly deep and more than a little sexy raspy and you nod. You absently note that he’s not wearing gloves and hasn’t extended his hand to shake, so you don’t offer yours, either.

“THANK YOU FOR BEING PUNCTUAL,” he says curtly. “I HATE HAVING TO WAIT ON PEOPLE. MY SCHEDULE IS TIGHT ENOUGH AS IT IS.”

“I understand,” you agree, wordlessly encouraging him to sit as you do the same. “You’re doing me a big favor, I really appreciate this.”

Is it your imagination, or did Papyrus’ chest puff out a little just there?

“OF COURSE YOU DO,” he says, the hint of a smile playing along his jaw. “NOW, LET’S NOT WASTE TOO MUCH TIME, WE MAY AS WELL GET RIGHT INTO IT. YOU’RE CERTAIN YOU DON’T MIND DISCUSSING HERE?”

You shake your head ‘no.’ It’s a public place, but relatively deserted at this time of day and you’re not concerned that any really sensitive information will be discussed.

“RIGHT THEN.”

Papyrus pulls a hefty stack of papers from his briefcase, carefully carding through them as if to refresh his memory.

“I’VE REVIEWED YOUR CASE,” he tells you, “AND IT’S SOLID. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY WITHIN YOUR RIGHTS TO PURSUE WRONGFUL TERMINATION AGAINST YOUR FORMER EMPLOYER.”

Your eyebrows shoot up. “I…really? I am?”

“YES. ARE YOU SURPRISED?”

“I…a little bit, yes,” you admit. “I didn’t…really think I’d be on the right side of this… ”

You’d been angry, certainly. Indignant, absolutely. Utterly railroaded by months of Gertrude’s petty hair-splitting, definitely.

But you had been in violation of the employee dress code, however technically.

You glance down at your hand, the small bit of commemorative ink you’d gotten there staring up at you.

“My tattoo really isn’t a problem…?”

Papyrus scoffs.

“IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN,” he says, “HAD YOU NOT HAD THE TATTOO FOR MORE THAN A YEAR PRIOR TO YOUR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKED WITHOUT INCIDENT UNTIL…VERY RECENTLY.”

He starts flicking through the papers again, pulling out one you recognize—an email chain you’d sent to him, displaying one of several unpleasant exchanges you’d had with Gertrude.

“YOU DID WELL TO DOCUMENT THESE COMMUNICATIONS,” Papyrus tells you. “I USUALLY TAKE ACCUSATIONS OF WORKPLACE SABOTAGE WITH A GRAIN OF SALT, BUT THESE… IT SEEMS CLEAR TO ME THAT THIS…GERTRUDE…REALLY WAS OUT TO GET YOU. AND WITH YOUR TERMINATION, SHE STOOD TO TAKE YOUR PLACE FOR PROMOTION, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY?”

Petty as it was, you’d…kept track of her on social media. You can confidently answer, “Oh, she got it, alright.”

Papyrus nods in satisfaction. “THEN THAT’S ALL THE MORE INCRIMINATING. IF YOUR EMPLOYER KNOWS WHAT’S GOOD FOR THEM, THEY’RE GOING TO WANT TO SETTLE THIS MATTER OUT OF COURT, IT’S BLATANTLY DISCRIMINATORY CONDUCT.”

Out of court? Really?!

“My case is that good?” you ask, still unable to fully process it.

“WELL, WITH CLEAR PRECEDENT ON YOUR SIDE…”

“There’s been a case like this before? That a tattooed employee actually won?”

It sounds unrealistic to you. You’d been so immersed in the rhetoric of tattoos as ‘unprofessional,’ unsuitable to be shown around customers and clients for any reason, no matter what or where they were, that the concept feels foreign to you.

“TECHNICALLY,” Papyrus says, “IT WAS A SOULMARK, NOT A TATTOO. A YOUNG LADY HAPPENED TO MEET HER MATE AND HER MARK FORMED ON HER NECK QUITE VISIBLY. SHE WAS FIRED FOR HER ‘UNPROFESSIONAL’ APPEARANCE, IN SPITE OF HER WORKPLACE’S DRESS CODE FORBIDDING THE KINDS OF COLLARS AND CHOKERS THAT MIGHT’VE CONCEALED IT. SHE SUED AND WON.”

That makes you frown a little.

“Mine isn’t… It’s just a normal tattoo,” you insist. “I got it on purpose and everything, with boring old ink and needles.”

Papyrus doesn’t seem concerned.

“A MINOR DISTINCTION,” he assures with a dismissive flap of his hand. “A MARK IS A MARK REGARDLESS OF HOW IT GOT THERE. ANY LAWYER WORTH THEIR SALT COULD ARGUE THAT YOU COULD GET A SOULMARK ACROSS THE BRIDGE OF YOUR NOSE TOMORROW AND YOUR EMPLOYER WOULD’VE BEEN WRONG TO FIRE YOU FOR IT, SO WHY WOULD SUCH A MODEST LITTLE THING LIKE THAT BE SO OBJECTIONABLE?”

You spare another glance to your ink when he gestures to it, and when you look back up, the skeleton’s expression is nothing short of boastful.

“AS A MATTER OF FACT, I COULD WIN YOUR SUIT FOR YOU IN MY SLEEP!”

A bolt of excitement strikes through your soul.

Hesitantly, hopefully, you ask, “Are…are you offering to represent me?”

Even if on a purely professional basis only, you can’t deny that you’d…really like an excuse to see Papyrus again sometime.

Not only because he’s a very handsome guy with the kind of voice that could make the dictionary sound riveting.

But as you watch, his eye-sockets go wide, his cheekbones reddening at the look on your face.

“I………NO. NO! THIS WAS—IS! JUST A CONSULTATION!” he denies. “I��M ONLY REPAYING A FAVOR INCURRED BY MY SCOUNDREL OF A BROTHER, I’M…! I’M TOO BUSY BY FAR TO TAKE ON YOUR CASE, EVEN AS OPEN AND SHUT AS IT OUGHT TO BE!!!”

……

You thought he was hot strutting over to you before with his chiseled face and his sleek suit and his squared shoulders.

…And now, you think he’s unbearably cute with his impossible blush and flustered expression.

Maybe it’s a good thing he’s not going to be your lawyer, because if he’s not going to be working for you…

You think you kinda want to ask him out.

“Alright,” you decide aloud, “I guess I’ll…start looking for another lawyer, if I decide to…pursue this. Um…in the meantime, though, maybe…maybe……… Oh, no.”

Buzzkill in the extreme, you spot the absolute last person you want to see right now walking down the street—and she’s noticed you, too.

Even worse, a smirk comes across her face and she swaggers on over to your table with a ‘delighted’ cry of your name.

“Hello, Gertrude,” you manage to grit out.

You watch as Papyrus flinches at the laugh that comes out of the woman’s mouth, feeling validated.

You always hated it, too.

“Oh, sweetie, please, I keep telling you, you can call me Gertie! Especially now that we don’t work together, haha!”

As if she wasn’t directly responsible for that.

“Right,” you say flatly. “Look, I’m…really sorry, but I’m… I’m kinda busy right now, so I—”

“Really?” The fake incredulousness of her tone makes you bristle. “I thought you’d have so much time now! You know, since you’re…ahem…job-hunting, at the moment.”

“…Yeah. L—”

“I’m actually kind of jealous,” Gertrude has the nerve to giggle. “I’m so busy since you left, with the assistant manager thing and all. I wish you were still around to help out, but…” She clucks her tongue. “I know you just weren’t a good fit there, what with your ‘lifestyle.’”

Stars above.

You’re out of patience.

“It’s one tattoo, not a ‘lifestyle,’” you snap, “and I’m in the middle of something right now, so can you please just…go?”

This was…sadly, very familiar to you.

Good ol’ Gertie was just too good at the passive-aggressive game: she was a bitch with a beaming smile and she knew just how to work people up until they got mad and then she was the victim who was only making conversation…

And you were the bad guy.

You feel your cheeks heating with instant regret, even as Gertrude gasps and puts on her ‘innocent pearl-clutcher’ act.

“So rude!” she exclaims, scowling at you. “I was just checking up on an old friend from work and you tell me to ‘get lost’?!”

You try not to squirm in your seat. “That’s not what I—”

You’re cut off, like you always are.

“You know, it’s exactly that horrible attitude that got you let go,” she says in a decidedly lecture-like tone. “You’re never a team player, you neveraccept any criticism, it’s like you don’t even care about your work! You obviously don’t care about your appearance, just look at what you did to yourself!”

Your eyes widen as Gertrude actually reaches out to you, making to grab at your tattooed hand. Shocked, you start to stand—to shove her back or scurry out of her reach, you have no idea—but you never make it up.

In one fluid movement, Papyrus is out of his chair, pressing you down with surprisingly gentle claws and moving to stand directly between you and the bane of your existence.

“MA’AM,” he says to her, and the stony chill of his voice makes any words you had die on your tongue. “I WOULDN’T.”

Suddenly, you remember what BP told you about Papyrus—that he was a soldier before he was a lawyer—and that seems abundantly clear now. His entire bearing is obviously military, ready for combat and poised to defend you from even the minor threat that was a judgmental, self-righteous jerk.

Your companion’s demeanor certainly seems to have spooked Gertrude.

She takes a step back, blinking up at Papyrus in shock.

“I… Who are you?” she demands to know.

Your hero doesn’t even flinch.

“I AM THEIR LAWYER,” he declares. “AND I WOULD SERIOUSLY ADVISE AGAINST ANY ACTION ON YOUR PART EVEN RESEMBLING HARASSMENT OF A FORMER EMPLOYEE CURRENTLY PURSUING LITIGATION. THAT WOULD LOOK CONSIDERABLY UNFAVORABLE FOR YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYER SHOULD THIS MATTER GO TO COURT, ESPECIALLY WITH MYSELF AS A WITNESS TO YOUR BEHAVIOR.”

That was a lot of big, loaded words for Gertrude to take in and for the first time in your life, you get to have the pleasure of seeing your nemesis look afraid.

Faced with the potential of actual consequences for her pettiness, all she has to say for herself is, “I…! I’m leaving!” before scurrying off down the sidewalk, tail between her legs.

And you have never been so attracted to anyone in your life as this fucking skeleton.

God damn…

Papyrus watches her retreating form until she’s out of sight and slowly retakes his seat.

“……EIGHT MONTHS?” he asks you after a moment.

The amount of time you’d had the joy of that woman as your coworker.

“Yeah,” you confirm.

“YOU’RE A SAINT.”

The deadpan delivery makes you laugh despite yourself, and the sharp grin Papyrus gives you in return makes your heart beat a little faster in your chest.

“I, uh… I couldn’t help but notice,” you slowly say, “that you…might’ve told her you were my lawyer. Did… do you mean that, or…?”

He didn’t.

It’s pretty obvious to you, especially with the way that cute blush comes back across his face—just something he said in the heat of the moment to make getting rid of Gertrude easier—but you can’t resist pushing your luck.

“I…HONOR MY COMMITMENTS,” Papyrus says, even as it looks like it’s killing him. “YES, FINE, I’LL TAKE YOUR CASE. LET’S EXCHANGE NUMBERS SO I CAN CONTACT YOU TO DISCUSS THE DETAILS.”

You have to admit, it’s not really the way you’d been hoping to get Papyrus’ number…but you’ll take it.

Maybe when everything’s said and done, you’ll have worked up the courage to ask him out for real!

…Naturally, that resolve is only strengthened when you get home and take off your nice blazer to find something that definitely didn’t get to be on your skin with ink and needles…

-

You’re half-expecting it when your phone rings later that afternoon.

What you don’t expect is to answer it to Papyrus’ bold, authoritative voice practically barking at you without a shred of the professionalism he’d spoken with earlier.

“WHAT KIND OF SOULMATE ARE YOU?!” he demands, sounding beyond indignant. “TO LEAVE SUCH A, A…MARK ON ME!!! I CANNOT BELIEVE…! I AM A RESPECTABLE SKELETON, AND NOW I CAN’T SO MUCH AS TAKE OFF MY SHIRT IN POLITE COMPANY AGAIN BECAUSE OF YOU, I HOPE YOU REALIZE THAT!”

He sounds so mad, so…unlike the controlled impression he’d given you before, and it feels strangely…

Natural.

You smile a little to think that you might actually be talking to Papyrus this time instead of just The Professional.

It was a very good mask—you wonder how many he has, and if you’ll get the chance to meet any more of them—but your focus is admittedly elsewhere.

Excited, you ask, “You got a mark, too, then? What is it? Can I see?”

“OH, OF COURSE, YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE YOUR HANDIWORK, YOU DEVIL! FINE!”

There’s the sound of shuffling and then your phone buzzes with an incoming photo. You switch Papyrus to speaker so you can properly ogle it.

The breath comes out of you in a whoosh when you get your first good look. Your skeleton soulmate just sent you the type of picture guys usually sent unsolicited, with a towel hanging low on his pelvis—obviously fresh out of a shower—and a view of his scarred spine and ribcage that could only be described as 'gratuitous'.

Not excepting, of course, the cherry on top: the colorful little heart-shape stamped right in the middle of his sternum.

“Ohhh,” you coo, “that’s so cute!”

“CUTE?!” Papyrus practically shrieks over the phone. “IT IS NOT CUTE! IT’S…IT’S LEWD! A SOUL, RIGHT THERE FOR EVERYONE TO SEE! YOU, YOU LECHEROUS HUMAN, YOU, MAKING ME LOOK LIKE I’M…SOME KIND OF DEVIANT PERVERT! HOW DARE…”

You tune him out a little, letting him keep right on ranting. You need to make sure you have the right angle and lighting for the picture you’re about to send back to him.

You know instantly when he gets it because his words trail off and there’s a noise that sounds suspiciously like his jaw clacking shut.

“What do you think?” you ask after a long moment of silence.

Personally, you’re very fond of the ruby-red rose that’s announced itself on your arm, its thorny stem curling gracefully around your bicep.

You hope he likes it, too, and you can easily imagine that he’s blushing again like he did before…maybe even darker this time.

Eventually, Papyrus speaks.

“………I…I CAN’T BE YOUR LAWYER. I’M…IT WOULD BE HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE AT…THIS… ” He pauses to clear his throat…or the skeleton equivalent. “AT THIS POINT IN TIME. IN LIGHT OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS.”

Ah, his composure is coming back. You wonder if you can’t fix that.

“Maybe you can recommend one to me,” you coyly suggest. “Over coffee, maybe. At my place…?”

“………S-SEND ME THE ADDRESS!” he snaps, and then he rudely hangs up on you.

You just laugh and hope you’ll be able to wipe the grin off your face before Papyrus shows up.

So, you lost your lawyer…

But you’ve snagged yourself a date with your soulmate and that feels like a damn good trade-off!

UT!Sans | UT!Papyrus | US!Sans | US!Papyrus | UF!Sans | SF!Sans | SF!Papyrus | HT!Sans | HT!Papyrus

[zemenipearls]

The reason I don't talk about Leoni much is that her character makes zero sense, and you can tell @lbardugo didn't consult any black women other than maybe a Google search on hair.

She's Zemeni, and Ravka is a colonizer of her native home. By all accounts so far, Novyi Zem doesn't have negative reactions to Grisha / Zowa. Even zowa means blessed. We only have Jesper's recollection and Colm's fear, which is an unreliable narrator. Why would she go to Ravka and Fjerda to fight on behalf of an oppressive regime? African people don't voluntarily go and fight for Belgium and France. Especially when the Ravkan King has *ownership* over Grisha.

Then the fact Leigh obviously throws her in there for diversity points but also HAD to make her related to Aditi somehow? Why did one black woman have to die for another to live? Can't two just exist?

Why does Leoni have Aditi's (Fjerdan) last name? Why does an African coded woman have an Indian first name and Scandinavian last name? Why wouldn't Jesper be aware of some Zowa girl running around with his mother's last name? If Leoni took Aditi's last name without the consent of the family that's either really shitty on her part, or Jesper would be fucking pissed. Names hold a lot of power.

She's a two dimensional side character that had a lot of potential that Leigh wasted, because she doesn't know how to write storylines and characters outside the white, Western experience. It doesn't improve upon a second rereading, where Nina casually plays with Leoni's life with her selfish decisions. Her background doesn't make sense and her personality is threadbare. Leoni deserves better. And black sensitivity readers.

[thesffcorner]

The Word Is Murder

I haven’t been conflicted on a book like this, in a while. The Word Is Murder is a murder-mystery novel written by Anthony Horowitz. It follows, Anthony Horowitz as he gets approached by a Detective named Hawthorne to write a book about a case he’s been called to consult on: the murder of a woman who just six hours prior, went to a funeral parlor and planned her own funeral. I read Anthony Horowitz’s previous book, The Magpie Murders, but before that I had been a massive fan of both his work for the Hercule Poirot and Midsomer Murders TV series. I had mixed feelings on The Magpie Murders; I thought the actual mystery was great, but there were many points in the book, where I felt like Horowitz used the characters as mouthpieces for his own opinions and frustrations with current politics, culture and the publishing industry, and I found I didn’t agree or like with a lot of what he said. So I’m having a real hard time discussing this book, because, unlike in Magpie Murders where you could make the argument that description is not endorsement, and that those are the opinions of the characters (even though one of the character seemed to be quite an obvious self-insert), here we are reading from the PoV of Anthony Horowitz. He has written himself into the story like John Byrne into The Trial of Galactus. It’s a literary device that creates interesting tension, because I was left wondering how much of the book was actual life, and how much was fiction. But it also created a massive problem, because it was very hard for me to distinguish between the opinions of the characters and the opinions of the author when they are literary telling me that I should view them as the same person. I am not in the habit of seeking out media that I know would piss me off. I am aware that homophobic, or racist, or xenophobic people exist, and I don’t think that authors should only be allowed to have them in their fiction as villains. But I’m just tired; tired of having to read about horrible men that I’m forced to sympathize with or excuse their behavior because they are ‘geniuses’; tired of uncritically presenting dangerous and violent ideas in fiction; tired of the unawareness of who your audience is, and alienating so many people because of callousness. Horowitz seems to really like layers in his book; there’s a lot of meta commentary in his work, not just on the genre of crime fiction, but also on the author as a person who is both responsible and part of the story. And unfortunately, to me this whole book read as one long meta on ‘problematic’ white men, and why we should just ignore their very obvious failings, and even sympathize with them because they are so good at their job. Before I go into that, let me talk about the actual plot of this book. This is a very classic, very Sherlock style murder mystery; there are many references to A Study in Scarlet, which at this point is probably the most overused and over-referenced Sherlock Holmes story. I will say that the references were relatively subtle, and the mystery was interesting enough to keep me engaged on its own level; I wanted to know who had killed Diana Cowper. I also appreciated that, like a good mystery writer, Horowitz had given us all of the clues to the case, and the misdirection came in how the characters interpreted the clues or what they considered important. I really liked the little argument between Hawthorne and Horowitz about what details are written into the book, and how mentioning or omitting the wrong thing can lead the audience into the wrong direction. The push and pull between writing something that is true and something that is compelling was very interesting, and I enjoyed the bickering between Hawthorne and Horowitz about that. Unfortunately, I have to say that I would have probably preferred this story, had Horowitz not written himself into the book. For starters, there’s a moment in the book, where he’s having a meeting with Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg, that’s such a shark jumping moment, I had to pause the book and skim it. It made me feel such a severe case of second hand embarrassment, not to mention how much I LOATHED that Horowitz allowed Hawthorne to bully him into doing what he wanted anyway, and said nothing about it. The older I get, the more I sincerely dislike when people try to modernize Sherlock and Watson’s dynamic. The early seasons of the BBC show got away with it, because early on, Sherlock wasn’t a complete prick to Watson, and what they were dealing with was on national security threat levels. Sherlock wasn’t just some random detective, he was solving an international conspiracy, and even still, I disliked how easily manipulated and spineless Watson was in a lot of scenarios. Here, it’s even worse, because this isn’t supposed to be fiction; it’s supposed to be real life, and having Horowitz blindly decide to go chase down a lead and then getting himself in mortal peril was ludicrous! Not to mention Hawthorne BLAMING Horowitz for interrupting him during an investigation and which leads to a character’s death because Hawthorne gets distracted (????) and then again blaming Horowitz, instead of just telling him not to go anywhere near the lead suspect or just simply letting him tag along to Canterbury! The other thing I really hated, were the actual characters themselves. We will get to Horowitz, but I want to talk about Hawthorne first. Hawthorne is supposed to be the Sherlock type character; I liked that he had a chameleon type personality where he would change his character based on who he was talking to; what I didn’t like was his casual xenophobia and violent homophobia. The xenophobia was quite subtle, but once you were looking for it, it was there. He treats the immigrant, queer and black characters supremely poorly, is a lot meaner to them and snappier, while being needlessly kind to the white, straight women. I also didn’t understand why Horowitz had grown to care for/like Hawthorne; Hawthorne was a dick to Horowitz the whole time, he hijacked his life, his free time, his house, ruined what was probably the most important meeting in Horowitz’s life, he almost got him killed because he refused to talk to him, and was needlessly and purposefully secretive about his life. I also hated all the little jabs he does at the expense of Horowitz’s writing; if you hate the way he writes so much, then why the fuck do you want him to write your book? Then we have the fact that Sherlock, the most famous asexual character in the literary canon, was turned into a divorced straight guy who is a raging homophobe, for no goddamn reason! Why was it necessary to give Hawthorne a wife and child? So he can act all indignant around the queer characters? So he has a justification for pushing a 60 year old man down the stairs with handcuffs? His homophobia is never properly addressed; it doesn’t influences the plot, he doesn’t grow and change, and I downright refuse to believe that Hawthorne is a real human being and any of this happened. He is entirely Horowitz’s creation, so why would you chose to write about a white homophobe, instead of someone, anyone else? What message are you sending to your readers, queer readers who like your work and stories? That we should gloss over Hawthorne foaming at the mouth because a rich man dares to be openly gay, and calling him a pervert and implying he’s a pedophile, because why… to humanize him? Implying that he must be closeted himself, because it’s 20 fucking 19, and the stereotype that all homophobes are closeted queers still won’t fucking die. Then we have Horowitz. I’m assuming making himself kind of dense and very overprotective of his writing was intentional, but even still this character just made no sense. I like that he was proactive, but why on Earth did he agree to write with Hawthorne? Why was it necessary that this was himself, and not a character? Because if I am supposed to believe that Horowitz the character, really is Horowitz the author, then I am left with the uncomfortable realization that he is someone who is willing to excuse and gloss over blatant homophobia, and xenophobia, just because Hawthorne is good at his job. Plenty of people are good at their jobs, and they don’t go around calling gay men perverts and pedophiles, or push cuffed suspects down the stairs! Even the limp anger Horowitz has when he realizes that Hawthorne is a homophobe, is not because he actually cares about those gay friends he has; how it would make them feel knowing that he’s glorifying a man who wants them dead or in a mental hospital. No, he’s worried writing about Hawthorne might ruin his career. Then he uses this as a way to lash out at the ‘media’ who supposedly took his statement that a landlord refusing to provide a service to a gay couple on religious basis, as what it actually is: homophobic. No, death threats are never called for, but you don’t get to pretend people are just sensitive, because you exposed either your ignorance or your bigotry for the press to see. Then we have the ending. Horowitz is just petty? I mean sure, he did almost die, though I wonder how he didn’t realize until that point that the woman at the signing was related to Hawthorne. The mystery was good. Horowitz’s writing is always good. But I can’t get behind any of the messages, and I do NOT want to support a series about a homophobe and his author friend. I will not be continuing the series and I don’t think I will read anything else from Horowitz again.

goodreads

[writingwithcolor]

Black Rebel Narrative in Fantasy

@werepunkk asked:

Hey there- so I’m working on a fantasy story involving god and goddess characters, and one of the MC’s is a god who takes the form of a young black man. He is considered a “rebel god” because he helped lead some of the other gods in a war against a corrupt ruling god. He is not the only rebel god, and the other rebel gods will be from different races, but he is one of the leaders. The war does end up involving humans as well, so it’s not just limited to supernatural beings. 

My concern is that having a black character leading a rebellion against a corrupt force will create parallels with real-life struggles, struggles that I am not qualified to write about. I consulted the post on “White Authors and Topics to Avoid” and it listed activist/rebellion narratives as a grey area, so I’m still unsure.

I am aiming for a completely fantasy world not based on real life or real history, but still, I don’t think it would be possible or even beneficial to avoid real-life parallels. I guess my question is: are there steps I can take/things to be aware of to avoid appropriating a story that’s not mine, while still having my rebel god character? Or should I consider taking the character and story in a different direction? (The gods in this story are totally fictional and not closely based on figures from any real culture or religion, if that makes any difference)

If going with the parallels

Hmmm, good question. I’m thinking good sensitivity readers will be necessary if you cannot avoid those parallels with real-life struggles. If it’s an option for you, you could also have those parallels exist, but to not lay the focus on them in particular. Have them be mentioned, have them be addressed, but don’t write about those experiences, if you get what I mean.

~ Mod Alice

I want to elaborate a little on what Alice said regarding going with the parallels by acknowledging without delving too deep. I do believe if you included the parallels you’d still want to do the portrayal justice. Enough notes and references that the audience “Gets it” would likely suffice. It’d be difficult to write about those experiences without having that perspective though (which is, of course, why Alice encourages avoiding that).

Either way, parallels in general could definitely get uncomfortable and old fast, such as slave rebellion references. Given it’s fantasy, there’s an opportunity to avoid typing down Black people to slavery (…again and again). Such ties can be done, but just needs to be handled respectfully and without bogging down the story. 

You seem to want to avoid real-life parallels more, though.

Avoiding parallels completely

Despite writing fantasy, your perspective is informed by the real world so sensitivity readers will still be necessary to catch any parallels you may have lining the belly of the narrative without meaning to.

It may help to fully develop a history for your Black character(s) that would create motivation for leading the rebellion. What other wars has this rebel god found in/for? How can you build up a history of his causes that don’t evoke the historical context of colonization, slavery, etc?

~Mod Colette

[friedmanjake]

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[pendragonfics]

No Light, No Light

Paring: Kylo Ren/Reader

Tags: female reader, angst, feels, fluff, Phasma is the friend everyone deserves 

Summary:  Reader is conflicted with feelings she has for her master and superior, Kylo Ren, who she attends to. Kylo Ren wakes to feel someone in deep pain -- and goes to investigate.

Word Count: 1,416

Posting Date:  2016-05-22

Current Date: 2017-05-10

HERE’S A LINK TO THE SONG SO YOU CAN LISTEN WHILE YOU READ!!

Slowly the day breaks. Your knuckles are already raw and your breath shaky. No, you cannot be. You have to be tough. You're to be the pillar for the great Kylo Ren, his attendant that he daren't harm. It had started as just a job, but now, you're in deep. You're too deep, and you can't help but hate it. You're in love with a killer. A sith.

He's yet to wake, and you're in the training room Hux's officer Phasma frequents. An attendant of a Knight of Ren must have fighting skill, but now, you're beating and breaking and berating yourself for what your stupid heart has done without consulting the head.

It's so easy to say it to a crowd. You might just shout it to the stormtroopers, before you faced Kylo Ren with your immature, inappropriate feelings. He would turn on that sabre of his, the buzzing of the bright red blade would frighten you - and you would be no more. You might just shout it to the galaxies, to the outer-rim, to the Resistance, to the whole universe. If you had made such a mistake, let them all know.

"You're going to break your hands, _______." the familiar voice of Phasma's modulated voice in her shiny mask interrupted your rant. “Stop. Why are you doing this to yourself?”

With a final blow to the model, you turn to your colleague and superior. Your entire being aches, from your toes to your soul, and it may be okay just to hurt everywhere. Isn’t that what Kylo Ren does in battle? Hurt himself to become more powerful.

“I’m stupid.”

She takes her mask off. “You’re not stupid. You’re one of the most bravest people I know.” Her plain face shows concern, shows something you haven’t seen for a while. Care. “Tell me everything.”

----

Daybreak empties its yolk over the world, over the Finalizer. It’s distant, and cold, yet its bright enough to perpetrate the being of Kylo Ren. His eyes flutter, mind dredging its way through the layers of consciousness, mouth dry from his nightmares. Kylo Ren might instil fear into the galaxy, might kill and ruin lives and break dreams, but he is a man, and a man dreams of his failures.

“Father,” he whispers.

Usually, by now, his attendant would have sensed his consciousness, and aid him to begin the day. ______  was force sensitive, but not enough to become a warrior like himself, or his uncle. No. She was a maid forced to be near him for all her days. What an existence.

Standing, Kylo Ren feels his joints pop into place, his vision blink away sleep from his face, muss his hair with a hand to rid any trace of his sleep. General Hux never slept, and when he did, it was never enough to turn the thin general into a more amicable man. With a dark chuckle, the Knight of Ren wondered if anything could make that redheaded moody man into a more amicable man.

“_______?” he called out. By now she would have him dressed into his tunic, cleaned his sabre, broke his bread for him. But the assistant was nowhere to be seen. Wherever could she be?

Was she in danger?

For a moment, Kylo Ren felt a tug inside his chest; much like when he battled the scavenger in the snow. The Force. In it, he usually felt emotions and thoughts, tugging them and assessing, them, tossing aside what wasn’t useful or exciting. But now, he feels an ache, deep in his hands and his chest, like he’s being dragged across a frozen wasteland like Hoth, bare as birth, both inside and out.

Who is feeling this way?

---

Finally off to the showers, you strip off your layers of clothes, stinking with sweat and the unbearable feeling that you’re being hunted. By now, your master would be wondering where you are, and why you are incompetent, and you know exactly what you would say.

“I’m completely and utterly, inconceivably, head over heels, toes over nose, in love with you,” you tell the shower head as it rains a calm rush over your head. Kylo Ren might be darkness, and you mightn’t be dark at all, but there was no place for a sun in the vast void.

Quickly, before the trooper monitoring the water used could complain, you complete the washing ritual, and dress in new clothes that you would be comfortable in if you weren’t serving the man you were in love with in them. It might have been a good idea for you to create a cover story for yourself – Kylo Ren is not a relenting man, a forgiving man. He killed his father to remove the light from his soul, but even you felt that there was some left in him. Whatever was tethering this tortured young man in limbo?

You’re hardly focusing, now with your aches dulling the pain of this love, your mind blearier than when you woke yourself in a sweat over the emotions. Kriff. You’re not focusing at all, and you run into the chest of a dark-clad man.

“Sir! I apologise.”

Kylo Ren’s mask is as unforgiving as usual. “______. Follow me.” He is not inviting you. He is instructing you. This you know well, and you do your best to keep up with his giant stride as he makes his way back into to the room the both of you knew started it all. His room. “Why were you absent this morning?” His voice modulator, much like Phasma, showed no signs of mercy, and deep inside, your wits left you. “You were absent when I needed your attendance. You are an attendant, are you not?”

“Yes, sir. I am an attendant, sir.”

“Your absence was err. You are pained.” He states, and lifts you arm. It aches, from all the physical exertion you applied it to, from all the skin crackled and broken over your unbound knuckles. “Is it this which pains you?”

You are silent.

“Have you lost your tongue, ______?”

“I am plagued with…feelings. Sir.” You reply. “I was not in attendance to you to work out these problems so not to bother you with their triviality.”

He drops your hand, the sudden movement paining your limb more than it should be. Before you have time to wince in pain, his mask is released from his shoulders, revealing his jagged scar. The mark mars his face, splitting it as if in two, symbolic of his struggle. The skin around it puckers, as uneven as your heartbeat.

“I’m sorry, sir,” you add, quieter. The _______ you were before, punching in the training room is gone.

Kylo Ren’s gaze softens.

---

“You want a revelation,” he asks you, watching you carefully. Walking around your still form, he watches you like a predator to prey, a tutor to a student, “Some kind of resolution, to these feelings?”

She nods. “I do. I never knew daylight could be so violent. It rips me open, sir. I am plagued with them, I can’t – I can’t function as I do usually, for you with them. Heaven help me, I need to make it right.”

He nods, but instead of agreeing, the great Kylo Ren sighs. “You can’t choose what stays and what fades away. Even if it’s feelings. Are they for an officer? The General?”

She shakes her head.

“Captain Phasma?” he adds.

She shakes her head.

“Who? Who has rendered you to a mess standing before me? Who pains you? Who makes you this?” his voice climbs in tone, and for a moment, he can see fear in her eyes at his raised voice.

“You,” she whispers.

---

You take a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, sir.” You add, quickly. “I’m to be executed, aren’t I?” She breathes. But Kylo Ren is silent, unblinking. It’s as if he’s frozen in a frame of time, and life has gone on and left him behind. Your fear jumps, heart thumping. “Tell me what you want me to say!”

But he doesn’t say a thing. He takes a step forward, and cradling your head in his great hands, your lips are on his.

---

You are the hole in my head

You are the space in my bed

You are the silence in between

What I thought and what I said

You are the night time fear

You are the morning when it's clear

When it's over you're the start

You're my head, you're my heart

[fatimakarim]

Suzanne Haneef, Islam: The Path of God, pages 7–24

To ALL OF YOU, MY READERS, WHO ARE SEEKING TO KNOW ABOUT THE FAITH OF ISLAM OR WHO ARE SEARCHING FOR A PATH OF LIFE, I DEDICATE THIS WORK, WITH A PRAYER THAT IT MAY BE USEFUL TO YOU IN YOUR QUEST.

“The little book you’re holding in your hands was written by an American woman who accepted Islam in 1965. However, when I first encountered Islam in the mid-50’s, I knew absolutely nothing about this religion or its followers. In fact, whatever I thought I knew-that Muslims believe in a pagan deity called Allah and that they worship Muhammad-couldn’t have been more incorrect and absurd.

At that time, the Muslim presence in this continent was hardly noticeable and was limited almost entirely to foreigners hailing mainly from the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. American Muslims were extreme rarities, who came into their new faith with very little support from any direction: there were very few Muslim communities and Islamic centers, a small and inadequate supply of literature and information about Islam, and a severely limited number of live role models to learn from. The critical question of how Islam could be applied by people living in the mainstream of American society without sacrificing any of its basic principles or teachings had barely been asked, much less answered.

But during the past three decades, all this has changed dramatically. The Muslim community is now firmly established in this continent; currently there are some 1500 mosques or Islamic centers in the United States, and a large number in Canada as well. Muslims are found everywhere, even in the smallest places. They are making significant contributions not only to the religious and spiritual life of North America but in many other areas as well: politics, business, teaching, technology, research, medicine, and the social sphere.

Islam is generally thought of as an Arab religion. But the fact is that Arabs comprise only one-seventh of the world’s Muslims. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, followed by Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. Some twenty or so million Muslims live in the People’s Republic of China, and triple that number in the former Soviet republics. Thus, the Muslim population in North America represents the Muslim world in miniature. While it consists primarily of Arabs and Indo-Pakistanis, there are also significant numbers of North Africans, Iranis, Afghans, Turks, Bosnians and South East Asians. And there is a steadily increasing number of American Muslims.

Still, in spite of this growing Muslim population, and the fact that Islam and Muslims are constantly in the news, many people in America know almost as little about Islam as I did a third of a century ago. We may imagine that we’re getting a lot of information on the subject from the media, but much of what comes to us is actually misinformation, which does nothing but reinforce prejudices and stereotypes.

Even now, at the end of the 1990s, I find myself constantly surprised by the unwillingness of people in the West even to consider Islam as a possible source of correct information. I’ll give you just one example of this. Christians and Jews are deeply interested in biblical history and archeology. But with very few exceptions, they approach these subjects without ever consulting Islamic sources, which would unquestionably provide a wealth of authentic information. And I keep asking myself, When are the people of the West going to realize the treasure that Islam is and avail themselves of what it has to offer?

I’m sometimes asked what attracted me to Islam. To answer this, I must give a bit of personal history.

By the time I first began to hear about Islam, I’d parted company forever with my earlier strong Christian convictions. Not finding answers to the insistent questions I was struggling with (questions which you’ll frequently encounter in this book), I stopped believing in God because the only God I knew about was unbelievable. It was simply impossible for me to come to terms with what I perceived His dealings with humankind to be.

But as time passed, I found a deep aching emptiness within myself where God had previously been. It then became clear to me that Islam offered something I desperately needed: absolute certainty and clearness of direction. As I came to understand the Islamic concept of God and His purposes for mankind, it was one that made complete sense to my mind and that I instinctively recognized as right. Islam’s emphasis on the individual’s relationship with God and its deep spirituality drew me like a magnet. And I knew I had to make it my own.

It’s been a long journey from that state of knowing less than nothing to this point. But it’s been a grand and exciting journey. It’s taken me from inner emptiness, sometimes verging on despair, into the heart of a faith which I’ve found to be like an ocean in its depth and breadth. This journey has allowed me to recapture the spirituality of my childhood, and to taste the flavor and sweetness of Islam as a way of life in some of the Muslim heartlands. Summing it up, it’s been a journey of coming to an understanding of the purpose and meaning of existence and of finding my own personal path to God.

This is a path which I feel so blessed to be a part of that I must share it with others-with you, if you’re willing. I’m offering to be the tour guide on your journey of discovery of a faith which is as dear to life itself to millions of the world’s people. The fact that some of these people may be your neighbors, friends, fellow students, co-workers, grocers, physicians, teachers or even your relatives may make this journey more real and personal for you as you try to look at things through their eyes.

Muslims are no longer “those people over there.” On the contrary, they’re over here and they’re an integral part of our communities. This fact in itself demands from us the willingness to be open-minded and to replace prejudice, speculation and stereotypes with accurate information, which hopefully in turn will lead to tolerance and respect. And in the process we may find out how much Islam and Muslims have to offer us.

My approach to the subject is simple and direct, not scholarly. I’ve emphasized the concepts and high spiritual principles of Islam rather than its rules; this is not a how-to-do book but simply an overview. May God, your Lord and my Lord, the Lord of the universe and every creature in it, bless you and guide you as you read.”

THINKING THINGS OVER

where am I going? This society? The whole human race?” These are questions which many of us today are asking urgently, deeply troubled about what we see happening in our world Our concerns may be quite personal ones, centered around our own particular life situation. They may be general ones, related to the state of things as a whole or both. For this is a strange and difficult time, a time when all the old values and traditions seem to have been cut out from under us without anything clear and definitive having been substituted for them. From every direction and every possible source, we’re being bombarded by the newfangled ideas, values and behaviors of the New Age in which we live.

The New Age is an age with many interesting features. One of these is confusion. Great numbers of us no longer seem to have a clear sense of right and wrong, good and bad. Under the impact of too much personal freedom and the flood of new ideas and values, we’re falling apart, frightened, uncertain, lost. After all, how is it possible to have certainty about anything when even the most basic, time-honored values are being called into question?

In comparison to earlier times, everything around us today seems upside-down and backwards. A great deal of what was previously considered right is now looked upon as outmoded, irrelevant or just plain dumb. At the same time, much of what used to be considered wrong is now accepted as right, normal and okay. Members of the older generation, like myself, still maintain our vision of what things were like in an earlier, simpler, less perplexing period. But when our generation goes, apart from people of strong religious faith, who will be left that still retains a clear vision of a saner, more stable society? That vision will have gone with the winds of change.

This tum-about in basic human values and morals has led to a steady unraveling of civilized standards and behavior, not only in the country but worldwide. Brutality, lust and all manner of other evils flourish around the globe; violence, vice and exploitation seem to have become the new order of the day. And fear hangs over the whole world. Those of us who are even slightly sensitive to the currents and energies around us realize that something is wrong-deeply, awfully wrong. And we carry the collective burden of humanity’s pain and turmoil deep within our hearts.

Day by day the fear and uneasiness increases. Often we sense that we’re at the edge of a terrible and dangerous abyss, surrounded by intense darkness. As the end of this millennium approaches, predictions of a worldwide Armageddon-like catastrophe haunt our minds. And how can it be otherwise when we sense deep within ourselves that things have gone so wrong that such a crisis is due? For each day, new and deeper holes appear in the social and moral fabric of mankind, and it seem obvious that when the holes become more than the fabric itself, it’s past repair.

Why? you may be asking. Why is our society, our world, so terribly disturbed? Why is there so much suffering, misery and evil on earth? Why is everything around us and inside us in such a state of upheaval?

Why are the rates of crime, violence, sexual misbehavior, family breakdown, substance abuse and suicide mounting day by day? Why are there so many problems within my family, among my friends, or in my own life? Why am I so anxious, depressed, stressed-out, uncertain, unable to find any peace of mind?

These are all-important questions. I’ve thrown them out to you, not in order to make you uneasy, but because they’re matters which we urgently need to address. Yet we seem unable (or perhaps unwilling) to put our finger on the cause. Social scientists spend years studying such issues, but even they often fail to understand the primary reason for this troubled state of affairs, much less what can be done about it. Why? One possibility is that in a secular society such as ours, the reason is one that few people want to admit or accept.

Can it be that we’re all suffering because a critical something is missing from our society and world in our time? And is it possible that because of this missing thing, a huge emptiness exists in a great many people’s hearts? Might it be that our attempts to fill this void, although without knowing what it represents, has resulted in our blind race for material solutions, material supports and material satisfactions, without taking into consideration our total human nature and its needs?

Then, we may further ask ourselves, can it be that the race to replace that vital missing element with material goals and goods has warped our spirits and, in turn, our values even more? To take this line of questioning further, is it possible that the drive for material props could be fuelled by an intense spiritual hunger, even starvation, which we try to fill in any way we can?

In my view, the essential thing we’ve lost is religious faith. Together with faith, we’ve also lost the fixed set of values and principles which guided the lives of peoples and civilizations before us, giving them stability, continuity and certainty. The prevailing materialism that’s taken the place of faith has resulted in a misplaced trust in science and technology, which are good servants but bad masters. It’s cheated us and robbed us of a sense of direction, both as individuals and as a society. On a deeper level, it’s also deprived our spirits of the deeper, truer satisfactions they require.

While earlier responsibilities and rights went handin-hand, today freedom rules. This freedom is defined as the right to do what one pleases without accountability as long as it doesn’t “harm” anyone-that is, as long as no criminal or civil codes are violated. But who’s to decide whether a word or an action is harmful to others, or to our own inner selves? Without a strong conscience, firmly grounded in universal principles of right and wrong, it’s easy for us to be cheated by the desires of our egoes, so that whatever we want to do seems all right.

Because of this loss of faith and the moral responsibility which it instills, another catastrophe has occurred: our society’s loss of its clear understanding of the family as a God-ordained institution, to be upheld and supported by every possible means. Sexual enjoyment has become an end in itself, divorced from responsibility. Better methods of”protection” are offered as the solution for the host of problems this attitude has brought upon us, rather than encouraging responsibility for the consequences of our actions.

Our children and their well-being have become the first victims of this loss. Many of us grew up in disrupted families in which we never learned any positive parenting skills. Some of us want to be good parents but are so strapped financially that it’s difficult to be. Others of us have given priority to a better lifestyle or a rewarding career. No matter what the reason, great numbers of our children are growing up without the emotional security, parental love and attention they require to be healthy. And the circle of deprivation continues from one generation to another. As a result, we’ve become increasingly a nation of emotionally crippled, dysfunctional people. Due to no fault of our own, many of us carry hollow spaces inside hearts which should have been filled with love and a sense of well-being from the moment of birth.

Another casualty of our lost sense of responsibility is the moral and spiritual training of our children. From a young age, they’re bombarded by values, morals and examples which conflict sharply with any religious belief, and even with civilized standards. But young people who’ve never been taught morals and values other than material ones have no standards for distinguishing right from wrong or beneficial from harmful. Nor do they have any effective weapons for fighting against their own powerful impulses or the pressures coming from outside.

Science, which many people believe provides answers to all questions, has played a major role in eroding religious belief and traditional values. Many people today question the very existence of God, demanding “proofs,” although strangely enough, we never hear of anyone’s demanding proofs that God does not exist. Others, although believing in His existence, do not grasp His relevance, even to their own personal lives.

Although as a society we may give lip-service to belief in God, this is far removed from having certainty that He is in complete control of all things. According to our current thinking, a vague force called “Mother Nature” (or just “Nature”) is responsible for running the natural world in an orderly, predictable fashion. But when something out of the ordinary occurs, something which we look upon as unpreventable, such as a natural disaster, it’s viewed as an “act of God”-as if God were some sort of an intruder in the smooth, orderly running of the universe.

But without firm belief in a Supreme Being who is continuously involved with His creation, we human beings are spiritually and emotionally empty and deprived. We go through life uncentered, unfixed, and a prey to every wind that blows, without clearly-defined beliefs, values or goals by which to chart our path.

If you grew up with a religion and strong faith, you’re one of the lucky ones. Many of us were never exposed to anything of the sort. Others were brought up with a religion but later outgrew it; we still believe in God but don’t subscribe to any particular faith. Some of us may have looked into various religions without finding any clear direction. Others would like to believe but don’t have any idea in who or what, or even where to look. And still others of us may feel that even if we knew what to believe, we’re beyond all hope of salvation.

Whatever your particular case may be, it is critical for you to know that you were created by an absolutely merciful, loving Lord. He created you because He desired you to come into being, and He honored you by breathing into you something of His Divine Spirit.! No matter who you are or what you may have done, that fact alone gives you worth and importance. And He, your Creator, is asking you to connect with Him.

God is always there for you. He never leaves you; there’s no way you can get rid of Him. All you need to do is reach out to Him. If He doesn’t have any place in your life but you would like Him to, initiate the relationship. Call to Him, ask Him for help and guidance, pour out your heart and your needs to Him, tell Him that you love Him. For without being firmly bonded to our Source, we’re hollow, empty creatures, easily crushed and

destroyed by the difficult conditions surrounding us. Without belief in the purposefulness of our lives, we’re likely to be in despair.

At the same time, you need a way, a path to walk upon to Him, a system for guiding your life. But, if you’re not to be misled, it must be a true and correct one.

Islam, the faith of one-fifth of the world’s people, is one among many ways claiming to be the truth. I’m talking about real Islam, of course, not the biased versions you hear about in the media or the Farrakhan variety, but the genuine, pure faith that goes back to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the early Muslim community.

Islam, meaning “surrender” or “submission”, is the original religion revealed by God from the beginning of human history. He revealed it through the first man, Adam (peace be upon him), who was also the first prophet. Later, He revealed it through Abraham (peace be upon him), the father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

“ Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a Monotheist, a Muslim. And he was not of the Polytheists.” (Quran 3:67) God says concerning him.

Still later, He revealed it through Moses (peace be upon him), and afterwards, through Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), the miraculous prophet who came to revive and purify it. And He revealed it for the last and final time through the prophet who established Islam as a world religion, Muhammad of Arabia (peace be upon him), the most perfect of all mankind. And this final revelation contains God’s unchangeable guidance for humanity up to the end of this world.

“I hear what you’re saying,” you may be thinking. “But exactly who’s making the claim that Islam is the truth, and why should I believe it any more than in the claims of any other religion?”

Good questions, which you should be asking. Islam’s answer to the first part of your question is, quite simply,

God Himself. This, and much more, is what He has to say about His final revelation:

o mankind, the truth has come to you from your Lord. Therefore, whoever is guided, is guided only/or his own soul, and whoever is in error errs only against it. (Quran 10:108)

That which is revealed to you [Muhammad] by your Lord is the truth.

(Quran 13:1)

Those who have been given knowledge see that what is revealed to you [Muhammad] from your Lord is the truth and leads to the path of the Almighty, the Praised One. (Quran 34:6)

By the Lord of the heavens and the earth, this is indeed the truth, as [much as the fact that] you are able to speak. (Quran 51:23)

But claims to being the truth are not to be taken lightly. In order to test this claim for yourself, please read on. Gather information, sift and weigh it all in your mind, and come to your own conclusion.

If you do conclude that this religion is the truth, then other conclusions follow: that in Islam’s divine Message lies hope for ourselves as individuals and for mankind as a whole-indeed, perhaps the only hope; that nothing other than this faith that can cure the deep, devastating ailments of humanity; and that, without it, there can be no lasting solutions, no safety, and no way out of the life threatening global crisis of our time.

ISLAM’s WORLD VIEW

“I bear witness that there is no deity except God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God-Ashhadu an la ilaha illa-Llah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadu Rasool-Allah.”

Muslims repeat this Declaration of Faith over and over again in their daily prayers. But what does this Declaration really mean?

This act of witnessing proclaims that I accept no one as my God except the One, Eternal, Almighty God, who alone is worthy of my worship and service, and that I accept Muhammad ( peace be upon him) as His last and final messenger to mankind. In accepting both, I’m prepared to follow the guidance which God revealed through Muhammad ( peace be upon him) as my way of life and my path to salvation.

When a person is ready to make such a commitment, he or she enters Islam by repeating the Declaration of Faith in front of witnesses. He or she is now formally a Muslim, part of the world-wide community of the millions who live by the teachings of Islam. He or she is also absolved of all sins committed before accepting Islam, as pure as a new-born baby.

1 THE AGE-OLD MESSAGE OF ISLAM

I have already pointed out that Islam is not a new religion. Rather, it is the original religion revealed by God to mankind from the dawn of human history. Thus, the first man, Adam, who was also the first prophet, was a Muslim in the sense of being surrendered to God. And after him came a series of prophets, including those we mentioned previously and many, many others, who were all Muslims or surrendered ones. And every single prophet brought the same divinely-revealed Message from his Lord.

And what is that Message? It is that there is a single, unique Being who is the Lord and Master of all creation. He alone deserves to be worshiped and obeyed, and we, mankind, are accountable to Him for all our actions. We are in this life for a brief, limited period, after which we will return to Him for judgment. We will then enter a life of eternal duration, during which we will either be in permanent happiness or in misery. And the choice of our destiny in that future life is up to us.

2 UNDERSTANDING REALITY

Now, everyone has a certain world view, an understanding of what constitutes Reality, and this view naturally differs greatly from person to person. But what’s really important about our world view is whether it’s a correct one or merely someone’s mind-product — possibly our own.

If it’s correct, well and good. However, if it’s one that we human beings have concocted out of our own or other people’s guesswork or imagination, it’s bound to be wrong. On our own, we simply don’t possess the equipment or capability to grasp what makes up this endlessly complex Reality. And since our principles follow from our world view and our actions follow from our principles, if our world view is wrong, everything we do is almost bound to be wrong as a result.

What we’ve got to figure out is this: Is Reality only what we can see, touch, taste, smell or hear with our bodily senses or grasp by means of our technology, or is there something more? Is there Someone in charge of it all who is Himself the Ultimate Reality, or are there just individual bits and pieces? Is everything in existence simply the result of randomness, coincidence or blind chance? Or, alternatively, did Someone arrange it so that all the bits and pieces are actually parts of a great, meaningful whole, an unbelievably grand, complex cosmic plan?

Then, if there is such a Someone, who and what is He? And-if you really want to take all this to its logical conclusion-isn’t it just possible that finding out about that Someone is the most important thing anyone has to do?

Let’s continue this line of questioning and get more personal. Perhaps we further need to ask: Does my own individual, personal life have any purpose and meaning, or not? Does it really matter what I do, say, think or feel? Am I just some physical being who will one day stop living, like all other living things, so that, suddenly, when the switch is turned from On to Off-fini? Is this life that I’m now in the only life, or was there something before it-and if so, what? And will there be something after it for me, some other state of existence? If not, none of these questions matter. But if there is going to be something after it, the critical question is: What is that future life of mine going to be like?

These are questions that every thinking person must ask because they form a vital part of human consciousness, questions which human beings have sought answers to since the beginning of history. The only problem is, Who has the answers?

3 ARRIVING AT ANSWERS

It’s obvious that finite beings cannot arrive at answers to questions such as these on their own, for such questions are related to Infinity. Therefore, to rely on our limited senses, technology, thought processes or personal understanding for answers is futile and may even be dangerously misleading. For, again, even if some of our answers are right and some are wrong, the end result is bound to be inaccurate.

We are therefore faced with the unescapable conclusion that no one can possibly have all the correct answers except the One who created the whole. Only when the Creator Himself supplies us with the answers are they certain to be correct ones. Otherwise, human attempts to arrive at such answers are bound to be nothing more than guesses, or, at best, bits and pieces of the truth. And in view of our limited equipment, answers arrived at on our own probably have much more likelihood of leading us astray than guiding us aright.

Islam teaches that God, the Creator, Himself communicates the answers to us. By means of revelation through His chosen representatives, the prophets, God speaks to us about Himself and His creation. He informs us that there is an ultimate Reality which is known only to Himself, its Originator, and that He is the sustainer and center of that Reality.

What we human beings are able to know and understand of this Reality by means of our limited human equipment is actually only the tiniest, most minute portion of it. God refers to this part of His creation that we’re able to know about or experience as the ‘Witnessed’ or visible, in contrast to the ‘Unseen’ or spiritual realm. And He makes it clear that belief in that unseen realm is a pre-requisite to being open to receiving His guidance, His final Message to mankind, the

holy scripture of Islam known as the Qur’an, saying,

ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُ��نَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ

This [Qur’anl is the Book in which there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are mindful of God, who believe in the Unseen. (Qur’an 2:2–3)

Anyone with a working mind is aware of the incredible complexity of the physical universe in which we live, as well as of our own selves. But it’s quite probable that the complexity of this material world is as nothing compared to the infinitely greater complexity of the unseen Reality. Its depth and complexity is so immense that even the prophets, who were intimately connected to the spiritual realm, knew only a minute part of it.

It is therefore critical that we take our answers to the questions we’ve asked about Reality and about ourselves from the One who has them, not from any other source. Otherwise, we may never fulfill our appointed destiny and may end up in some limbo which we’re not going to like. It’s our business, our obligation as thinking human beings, to know the answers to these and many more questions which relate to our ultimate destiny.

We will start by taking a look at the basic beliefs of Islam, which are a summary of the unseen realities and our own place within them.

credit: Suzanne Haneef, Islam: The Path of God, pages 7–24. (PDF)

i recommend this book to everyone!

E-book copy http://www.islamicbulletin.org/free_downloads/new_muslim/islam_the_path.pdf

read her first book: What Everyone Should Know About Islam and Muslims by Suzanne Haneef

E-book copy http://www.islamicbulletin.org/free_downloads/new_muslim/what_everyone.pdf