#( dante hayes > conversations. )

[chcoticmuses]

@dcydrecmings continued from here

''nothing is stupid leaving your mouth, y'hear?'' the words are muffled at first, but dante pulls his head from the pillow to let himself adjust so he's laying on his back-- but letting his head loll to their entwined hands. at her words though, dante visibly straightens and he positions himself so he's sitting up against the headboards. ''you can't.. as much as your mind wanders, can't let your mind go down that path.'' face scrunching into a thoughtful expression, moving his hand out of hers to cup her cheek. ''if this reassures you? yes i feel it..'' trailing off, his brows knitting together as he tries to think of a proper word for it. ''what is it? the other shoe will drop? i feel.. i feel like that and looking over my shoulder at times.. but i try to not let myself get too lost? i try to focus on what's infront of me.''

[chcoticmuses]

''you know, i'm certain there's a saying out there that's.. like.. bad for ignoring logic, but we can always circle back to that whenever you're out of this.'' logic was hit or miss with him, there were certainly moments when he'd like to think he was the logical one but.. it lasted for about a minute before all of it went out the window. face morphing into a brief deadpan expression before it settles into a blank one as he pushes some hair back from her face with a slow nod. ''.. yeah. yeah i'll sit with you. got to reward your good behavior somehow, right?''

"i don't know, personally i'm a big fan of ignoring logic, in favour of doing what you want instead of what's 'smart'." something she was fairly certain she'd proven numerous times when they were out together, especially at the start when they continued to tell themselves everything was 'just for fun' with no feelings attached. there were enough stresses in life, which in her mind meant you should grab hold of ridiculous fun wherever you could - or in the current case, do what made you feel better, even if you knew they better choice was listening to the medical staff. "i'm not going for beautiful, i'm going for drop dead gorgeous, they're different feels." tsking as though it was obvious. casting a doubtful glance over to the bed as though it was liable to erupt in flames at any second, she brought her eyes back to his, weighting the options in her mind. "will you sit with me if i do?"

[rockislandadultreads]

Black History Month: Poetry Recommendations

Golden Ax by Rio Cortez

From a visionary writer praised for her captivating work on Black history and experience, comes a poetry collection exploring personal, political, and artistic frontiers, journeying from her family's history as Afropioneers in the American West to shimmering glimpses of transcendent, liberated futures.

In poems that range from wry, tongue-in-cheek observations about contemporary life to more nuanced meditations on her ancestors - some of the earliest Black pioneers to settle in the western United States after Reconstruction - Golden Ax invites readers to re-imagine the West, Black womanhood, and the legacies that shape and sustain the pursuit of freedom.

I Am The Rage by Dr. Martina McGowan

I Am The Rage is a poetry collection that explores racial injustice from the raw, unfiltered viewpoint of a Black woman in America. Dr. Martina McGowan is a retired MD, a mother, grandmother, and a poet. Her poetry provides insights that no think piece on racism can; putting readers in the uncomfortable position of feeling, reflecting, and facing what it means to be a Black American.

This entire collection was created during 2020, many shortly after the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, to name but a few.

Best Barbarian by Roger Reeves

The poems in Best Barbarian roam across the literary and social landscape, from Beowulf’s Grendel to the jazz musician Alice Coltrane, from reckoning with immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border to thinking through the fraught beauty of the moon on a summer night after the police have killed a Black man.

Daring and formally elegant, Best Barbarian asks the reader: “Who has not been an entryway shuddering in the wind / Of another’s want, a rose nailed to some dark longing and bled?” Reeves extends his inquiry into the work of writers who have come before, conversing with - and sometimes contradicting - Walt Whitman, James Baldwin, Sappho, Dante, and Aimé Césaire, among others. Expanding the tradition of poetry to reach from Gilgamesh and the Aeneid to Drake and Beyoncé, Reeves adds his voice to a long song that seeks to address itself “only to freedom.”

And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou's poetry - lyrical and dramatic, exuberant and playful - speaks of love, longing, partings; of Saturday night partying, and the smells and sounds of Southern cities; of freedom and shattered dreams. 'The caged bird sings/ with a fearful trill/ of things unknown/ but longed for still/ and his tune is heard/ on the distant hill/ for the caged bird/ sings of freedom.'

Angles of Ascent edited by Charles Henry Rowell

This is not just another poetry anthology. It is a gathering of poems that demonstrate what happens when writers in a marginalized community collectively turn from dedicating their writing to political, social, and economic struggles, and instead devote themselves to the art of their poems and to the ideas they embody. These poets bear witness to the interior landscapes of their own individual selves or examine the private or personal worlds of invented personae and, therefore, of human beings living in our modern and postmodern worlds.

The anthology focuses on post-1960s poetry and includes such poets as Rita Dove, Ai, Nathaniel Mackey, Natasha Trethewey, Kevin Young, Terrence Hayes, Elizabeth Alexander, Major Jackson, Carl Phillips, Harryette Mullen, and Yusef Komunyakaa - artists who, using a wide range of styles and forms, are cultivating a poetry of personal voice and interiority that speaks against the backdrop of community and ancestry.

[lenniharrisonsims]

Nadia's Birthday Celebration- Behind The Scenes...

Conversation Snippets- Part II

To celebrate Her Imperial Majesty, Dowager Tsarina Nadia's birthday, the entire family flew in from their various countries and counties to gather at Hayes Park in Glimmerbrooke for the weekend.

Ygor: "So Kacie, how are the nerves for the big day?"

Kacie: "You'd think I'd be going insane with preparations and everything, but actually, Yuri has been the biggest help, taking over most of the stress because of the pregnancy."

Misha: "Aw, little grumpy Yurio has found his sweetheart."

Yuri: "If you call me Yurio one more time, I'll call you Mishy non-stop!"

Misha: "Alright, alright, haha."

Francisco: "What about Grant? Is he excited?"

Cesare: "I know I am, for a trip to Sulani! Haha!"

Yuri: "He's so excited. You know he doesn't get to see his mom all that much and as much as I don't want to see her, I do wish she'd choose to be more a part of his life. So I think he's excited to have Kacie and the new baby around because she's like a mother to him."

Kacie: "And I love him so much, he's such a darling. I just know he's going to be the best big brother."

Encarna: "So you're adopting?"

Fran: "We're looking into it. I know Mamma and Papa aren't so keen to become grandparents again-"

Addy: "Lettie and Cosimo were a surprise to all of us, let's just say, haha!"

Fran: "But Liv and I are excited to start our new family."

Olive: "We've also been looking at IVF through a donor clinic, which is what my mothers did to have me."

Maria: "Well Cara and I are obviously big fans of adoption-"

Feng Mian: "Me too!"

*Everyone Laughs*

Maria: "But you know we'll be there to support and help you through every step of the way. I mean, Yue has her own life and FM here is in Britechester for a few more years, so we can fly anywhere you need us to be."

Encarna: "And if you do choose adoption, we've got contacts with the best agency in the Empire and beyond."

Fran: "Thank you Aunt Mar, Aunt Cara, really. Liv and I can't explain how much we have appreciated your help and support with everything."

Olive: "And your Uncles Ygor and Francisco as well. The whole family really has been such a help."

Dante: "Come on, she's not gonna miss it!"

Ben: "How often do you think she comes in here anyways? It was designed to be Grandpapa's office. It makes her too sad..."

Dante: "Besides, I'm pretty sure Grandmama is more of a wine kinda gal. She won't miss the whiskey!"

Phil: "It's less of if she'll notice later and more of if we'll get caught right now! Someone could walk through that door any minute, and what if they smell it on us as we leave? Uncle Cesare especially is really perceptive-"

Ben: "Come on Philly, live a little!"

Dante: "It's just a little whiskey to get us through the big family dinner and inevitable photo shoot that will follow."

Phil: "Well, it is Grandmama's birthday, I don't think a picture is too much to ask..."

Ben: "Yeah, Dante, chill. She's been through a lot. I don't mind having a drink, but no dragging on Grandmama in her own house..."

Dante: "Geez guys, relax. I'm not hating on her. I forget how much nicer you all are to each other here."

Phil: "I'm not from here..."

Ben: "What do you mean?"

Dante: "Let's just say, the fam in Newcrest is a little different than here..."

[theseveredhead]

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[sinfulfolk]

On Writing: Becoming a Deeper Reader

A reader on the crowd-sourcing platform Quora asked a question about how to deepen their reading practices and read beyond just mere plot. Here’s a post I made in reply that provided some hints and strategies for deepening one’s reading practice and becoming more profoundly engaged with the literary world. ((Quora is top-heavy with tech-focused people, so I oriented my thoughts around technology examples.)) Here are some strategies used by English majors, as well as active readers. 

1. Journal

Write down ideas, and phrases that are meaningful to you, and try to describe how they impact your life. This will help you to understand yourself and literature on a deeper level. Writers and active readers often refer to this type of book as a “commonplace book” because it is a special name for a scrapbook or set of notations about your reading.

2. Read beyond plot.

There are many books out there that have a very thin plot, but instead focus on character development language and big ideas. Read some of these and you’ll begin to see the possibilities of literature beyond plot. Toni Morrison. Cormac McCarthy, Sylvia Plath, Ray Bradbury all use language and metaphor to make points that can’t really be represented in a straightforward plot. Read Borges. Read Kafka.

3. Re-read

Read again books that have been meaningful to you, and look for other meanings that you missed the first time around, or structural items that strike your fancy. If you are an astute reader, every time you re-read a book, you’ll notice new and different things. (For years, Hoffman would re-read Lord of the Rings for example. That book has metaphorical layers miles deep, and it’s not just a simple story about a hobbit.)

4. Read across genres.

Today, we compartmentalize books into “genre” categories: science-fiction, literary fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery and children’s books. These are publishing categories designed for effective marketing — they have nothing to do with the value or the meaning that is found between the covers. Would you let some junior marketing flunky tell you what to read? I didn’t think so. So don’t allow yourself to be constrained into one genre or type of reading. If you’re reading all science-fiction, read some romance. If you’re reading all literary fiction, read some fantasy. If you’re reading all fantasy, then go read some crime novels. If you only read romance, read a horror novel. It will be challenging to read outside your chosen genre, and you might not like it at first. That’s kind of the point. Find works that help you grow as a reader and expose you to new ways of storytelling. Again, these are arbitrary categories, and any great work will end up not categorized in the minds of readers like you.

5. Challenge yourself.

Read books that are classics, that do not fit into your typical modern marketing genres. Read a book by Dickens (I recommend A Tale of Two Cities). Read poetry by John Milton (Paradise Lost). Read Dante. Read some Chaucer. Read Rudyard Kipling (Kim is a great read). Read Plato (his work is surprisingly readable, even now!). Read Louisa May Alcott. Read George Eliot or Jane Austen. The reason to read these classic writers is that their vocabulary and perspective will open your eyes to new possibilities. Reading older works will also teach you that human beings speak to each other across centuries, and the same questions recur, time and again. I have a friend who was saved from suicide by reading a philosopher… who wrote in the 1500s. Writing always communicates, across time, across space, and across different experiences.

6. Keep challenging yourself.

Read writers that are not of your race or gender. Read Langston Hughes, Maxine Hong Kingston, Octavia Butler, and Salman Rushdie. Read Radclyffe Hall. Read Samuel R. Delaney. Read William Burroughs. Read Sandra Cisneros. Read Katie Kitamura. Read Justin Chin. Read Min Jin Lee. Read Christine Hyung-Oak Lee. Read Nicola Griffith. Read Junot Díaz. Reading these writers teaches you about the human experience, and that it might be broader, richer and deeper than your experience (or my shallow pool of recommendations). If you are in a reading rut, and are only recalling plot, you’re reading at a low level, and reading writers who challenge cultural and gender assumptions can break you out of that mindset.

7. Engage with other readers.

Find a book group or book discussion group at a bookstore or other local venue. Read a book together, and understand that other people have different perspectives on the same books that you’ve read. Their perspectives will enrich your reading.

8. Write

Try your hand at a short story or poem. Even if you’re terrible – especially if you are terrible –this activity will help you understand some of the decisions that go into crafting a piece of prose or poetry. You can begin to see the skeleton underneath the flesh of the words.

9. Read critics.

Read what other people have to say about contemporary writing. By doing this, you are entering a decades long (sometimes centuries long) conversation about a piece of writing, a book series, or the intentions of a writer.

10. Write your own thoughts down and share them.

If you are brave, you can even add your own voice to this critical conversation. Keep in mind that reading a book critic and engaging with them is to be one yourself, so your opinion should be factually supported, and should be substantive. Be willing to engage thoughtfully with people who disagree with you. Find a rationale for your ideas. Most online argumentation today is shallow raw opinion without deep thinking. Most people who write seriously about books do the opposite: they go deep and look for meaningful interactions with big ideas. Be worthy of this conversation.

A literary update from NedNote.com Readers can find my books at these bookstores:

On Writing: Becoming a Deeper Reader was originally published on Ned Hayes

[chcoticmuses]

@dcydrecmings

what? me? jealous? never. - Lilly/Dante

some part of him isn't able to help the laugh that leaves him and he has to look away from her because he'll break if he sees the expression on her face. it was a cat & mouse game, one he attempted to put an end to and.. one that had to quickly come to an end now. tsking with a shake of his head, dante takes a quick sip of the drink once its infront of him. '' 'm not even lookin' at you and i can hear it coming off of you, lils. it looked like you were having fun with whatever his name is, i'm out having my fun?'' fun was a stretch and he was certain if she caught the expression on his face, she'd be able to see right through it-- so he keeps his gaze on the glass. ''.. just.. does.. at least he's making you laugh from what i can see?''

[chcoticmuses]

@dcydrecmings

''when were you going to tell me?''

[chcoticmuses]

''you're right, good to know you think it's such a bad idea for us to be doing two seperate things. i'll watch as you're laughed out of the presentation.'' who was he kidding, this wasn't getting nowhere.. at least until there was some glimpse of hope? running his hand along his forehead in frustration, dante shakes his head. ''see, that's why on the cell phones-- they have these things called volume buttons on the side. you know, for muting purposes? i unfortunately have to hear your voice as well, what do you think i'll be doing?''

"i know which one of us would look like a dumbass." the reply almost automatic, arguing purely for the sake of arguing. if there was one part of being a princess that she consistently failed at, it was staying impartial. she'd always been far too opiniated, and ready to share said opinions, to look anything close to neutral on any subject. "i'd still have to hear you, facetime doesn't solve the issue of your breathing irritating me."

[chcoticmuses]

dante's brows knit together as he listens to the words, occupying himself with moving to take her hand into his. plus he didn't want to think too much of the subject at hand, but he wanted to humor ideas that floated around her head. ''why didn't you just lead with, hey let's get a vacation home?'' bringing her hand up to his lips to press a quick kiss to her palm, dante finds himself scooting closer and leaning his head against hers. ''the story seems believable though now that you mention it, he's.. he's the type to believe just about anything if you get 'im drunk enough. whatever that mind of yours comes up with, feel free to do it. just.. just let me know so i can record?''

"could never be me. a lack of impulse control is way more fun than patience." scrunching her face in jest as she spoke. while she loved impulsive decisions, hell they wouldn't be together if there wasn't a lot of impulsiveness on the night they met - but she could be patient when she needed. that patience tended to only kick in, while she was planning somebody's eternal misery. "well... nothing concrete. off the top of my head? we could always leak a story about moving abroad? make it seem like he has one last chance to do something to make you miserable. and you know... i'd have no trouble looking up houses somewhere else to make it look more feasible. if nothing else, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, if we got a vacation home."

[chcoticmuses]

that definitely struck something in him, almost like the briefest hint of reassurance-- that maybe she hadn't forgotten entirely about them. that some part of her would realize the mistake and they'd find their way back to eachother, but all thoughts seem to come to a pause as he stills against her neck, giving one last kiss to the spot he'd been attached to. a game with her? it.. was a risk, but he was willing to dive into a game with her. catching the smirk as he shoots a look up towards her, dante's brows raise as he straightens some-- attempting to hide the effect she had on him. ''.. a game? depends.. depends on said game. what's going through that mind of yours? ''

"what? no please?" tsking as though disappointed, before glancing back over at the man she'd left, before letting her eyes settle back on dante. "i happen to have left him, for someone much better. does that work for you?" if he'd been anyone else, she would have made fun of the request. as it was, she couldn't exactly blame him for the request, when she was taking her own sick kind of pride, in the fact he hadn't spared much thought for the woman who'd been flirting with him. closing her eyes as she watching him lean in, a curse left her as he moved back to her jaw instead. "jackass." the murmer not holding quite as much venom as she'd like, being a little too caught up in the feeling of the kisses. a shiver went through her as he whispered in her ear. "when have i ever turned down the chance to be told how special i am?" the words almost challenging before a small smirk took over her face. "but i do have one little, itty, bitty question... want to play a game?"

[chcoticmuses]

''say that part again? the 'i left him part', just.. one more time?'' almost like it had brought him some form of comfort in an all too familiar situation. grinning against her jaw for the slightest hint of a second before he's pressing a small kiss to her jaw again before moving his head back so he could properly take her in, hand moving from her hip to cup her cheek. ''it.. requires leaving the bar that's for certain. don't think i can make it out to my car, but if you want to find a corner..'' trailing off as dante finds himself leaning in again as if he'd been going in for a kiss, before diverting the last second to pepper kisses along her jaw once more, pausing abruptly in an attempt to rile her up-- but dante's moving closer so his lips are resting against her ear. ''unless you don't want the reminder?''

when she'd first approached him, she assumed the worst thing that could happen was that he told her to leave her alone - but this somehow much worse than that. it wasn't as though she could say that she wished more than anything, that it'd been him she came with. it wasn't as if she could admit she missed the moments that were forbidden for them now. she hadn't exactly stuck to staying away the way she should have, but she missed the softer parts of their relationship that they did stay away from. movie nights curled up beside each other. nights under the stars talking about everything or nothing. still, she put her usual smirk on her face. "did you fail to notice, that i left him, the second the chair beside you became empty? i'm with who i want to be with right now - and i think that's the important thing. a quiet gasp left her at the nip to her jaw, letting her eyes flutter shut. part of her wanted to call bullshit on 'the last time' - she didn't believe herself when she said it at that point either. calling bullshit on it wouldn't help however. "yeah? and what's your plan for reminding me that i'm special?"

[chcoticmuses]

''can't remember his name, but the way he was makin' you laugh.. made it wish it had been me.'' he murmurs against her skin, coming to a slow pause as the weight of the words hit him and he knows they got to stop this. there's a part of him that's pulling all the alarms, but when it came to lilly.. there was also that part of dante that was willing to do just about anything when it came to her. nipping at her jaw after hearing the words, his hands giving her hips a playful squeeze-- dante presses a kiss to the spot he nipped at. ''can say the same about you, kane.. but this is the last.. last time 'm reminding you how special you really are.''

she was aware they seemed to be attracting some looks from those around them, and lilly couldn't blame anyone for shooting glances their way. it hadn't been that long ago dante and lilly had been with two other people, seemingly jumping to another random person was going to raise some eyebrows from people who loved to gossip. not that lilly was paying them any mind. she'd had to get used to people whispering around her, and they were a hell of a lot easier to block out when she was with him. "there's no need to be jealous... not entirely sure i can even remember his name." shrugging, despite knowing she probably should care a little more. head tilting back subconsciously at the kisses to her jaw, a shot of guilt hit her at the words. "you know... know you're always going to be special to me, don't you?"

[chcoticmuses]

''i don't like it either, but one of us has to have some logic left in us.'' it was an attempt to at least lighten the mood, give her something to laugh at & focus on rather than the current predicament she'd find herself in. pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he takes a moment to savor the all too familiar feeling before he's pulling away to rest a hand at the small of her back. ''it's not so bad now, y'see?'' dante's tone softer in an attempt to reassure her, even bringing one of his hands up to rest against her cheek. ''you look.. you always look beautiful. even on your worst days, you still look amazing. now c'mon, sit.. sit down and relax some.''

"i don't like when you're logical." making no effort to hide the petulance in her voice. arguing with him was easy, they could both let their tempers fly when the mood struck. trying to argue when he was being perfectly calm and logical was a difficult task. "what if i point out i'd be more okay at home? i could relax there, and my furniture is a damn sight more comfortable than anything here." diverting her eyes, she took a few steps forward to wrap around him, mostly so that she could tuck her head under his chin to mask the expression on her face. "i don't like feeling as though i'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, and i don't even look my best right now."

[chcoticmuses]

''remember the ignoring part? was pretty good at tuning things out, even someone as hot as you.'' he murmurs with the quirk of amusement at his lips as he looks her in over in complete awe, only leaning into her touch at the feeling of her thumb. mouth opening almost immediately but he finds it shutting at the suggestion, lips pursing in thought. ''setting a limit seems too nice.. but that is something i can unfortunately abide by.'' a playful roll of his eyes but he moves his hand to the back of hear head, fingers threading through her locks again to bring her some form of comfort to ease her worries. ''that doesn't sound too bad of a plan, actually. anything that.. you know keeps 'im out. like a dog? or just.. someone ready to knock some heads loose?''

"only hot? not the hottest?" forcing a pout onto her face, shifting slightly to face him better, eyes glinting in amusement. if there was one thing she appreciated in that moment, it was his ability to at least hit pause on the demons running around her mind - and give them some respite with something silly. "you were kind of hard to get rid of. i can't say when you seemed to take up permanent residence in my mind, but can't get rid of you now." raising her hand to cup his cheek, her thumb mindlessly tracing his jaw. "problem is the garbage likes coming back." muttering the words. "can we at least... set a limit? let the cameras see how often he tries to show up, and once it hits a certain number, we can try and come up with a more permanent solution to keep him out of your life?"

[chcoticmuses]

some part of him knew he could chalk it up, getting her to admit it without really saying the words-- it should've put an end to everything there. things drifted into dangerous territory when she'd gotten on his lap and instinctively, his arms went around her to hold her close. it should've ended, his mind was getting hazy with how close she'd been but all ideas to put an end to this.. moved to the back of his mind at her words and he found himself staring up at her in awe. ''yeah? i was.. was a little jealous watching you and.. him..'' he murmurs, trailing off as his eyes fully take her in-- moving his head to rest alongside her neck, peppering slow kisses along her jaw. ''i hate what you do to me, lilly.''

"i'm not lying to myself." that at least was true. she could accept that she was jealous, that didn't mean she had to go around declaring that to everyone. perking up a little again at 'crazy for you', primarily due to the use of present tense. "we did always have fun playing games, didn't we?" the look on her face far too innocent for the meaning of her words. "if we're going around admitting things...." trailing off as she pushed herself from her seat, she took the glass out of his hand, placed it down on the bar - before moving to sit on his lap, tilting her head to whisper in his ear. "maybe... just maybe... i was the slightest bit jealous."