#4:48 psychosis

[noahsbookhoard]

📚August 2024 Book Review (Part 3/4)📚

I am so late on these posts, this is a disaster. Long weeks, lack of Internet data and a newfound interest in House M.D. will be my doom.

4:48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane

The last, short play of Sarah Kane, relating in a loose dialogue between a doctor and their patient - or maybe between the patient and herself - relating her pain and struggle, shortly before she took her own life.

I knew Sarah Kane from her Theseus play (if it doesn't speak of a tormented mind I don't know what could). But this play, has dark and desperate as it is, it was mostly sad. It felt like a cry for pain and anger and despair that came to late for anyone to hear.

I can't really find much to say because it feels wring to analyse the literary qualities or comment on the pacing of what felt so much like a scream in the void. This is raw emotions in sharp words and it's as beautiful as it is sad.

It has to be read not summarised but tread carefully if you are not in a right mental place.

The Moth Keeper by K O'Neill

Anya is her village's Moth Keeper, responsible to protect the moth that make her community thrive by making the Night Lily bloom every year. Every night, when her village awakes, she goes to shepherd the moth to safety and bring them back to the village before sunrise. But it is a lonesome job and it burdens Anya. When she leaves to see what life is like in the sun, the moths are left alone and her village in peril.

It's a story about community, responsibility but also about knowing your worth as a person and finding your place. Anya will have to learn both that you can't abandon your duty when it is vital to your community AND that it's okay to ask for help when the task becomes to much. That her worth is not defined by how much her village needs her so admitting you need a break is okay. It is done with great poetry and imagery.

It takes place is a desert with gorgeous art and earth tones color that I love so much. The characters have beautiful designs range from bipedal animals to anthropomorphic with animals traits (I especially love the owl Keeper of stories) and I liked how you can feel the presence of a long and deep culture in the cloths, the traditions, the stories...

Anya encompasses what lot of people feel in recent years, burnout, loneliness, worthlessness. The pression of performing, whether someone put it on us or we create it ourselves is getting heavier and heavier in our societies so I feel everyone needs to hear that they can share the burden, that they have a community to support them if they look for it and that it's okay not to be in work mode 24/7 to feel like you are doing enough.

A cute tale but a very important one, with beautiful art, I cannot recommend it enough for every ages. I need to read the Tea Dragon Society so much now!

Space Opera by Catherynne M Valente

After years of war, the different species of the galaxy hold every years a singing contest design to vent out competitiveness and create unity within the already competing species but also to determine if newly discovered sentient species are sentient enough to deserve a place in the alliance. Not this is Humanity's turn to prove their worth or be destroyed: Decibel Jones and the Absolutes Zeroes, a one-hit-wonder long separated band, have only one chance to dazzle the galaxy.

From the pitch I was expecting glitters, music reference and a lot of humor. Well there is definitely that, but there's is also some ruthless competition and absolutely devastating backstories for the Absolute Zeroes and I wasn't expecting this book to hit so hard in the feels.

The story comes back to how the glam rock (emphasis on glam) band was formed, the three members (Decibel Jones, Oort St. Ultraviolet and Mira Wonderful Star, you can't make this up) finding instant fame and failing to keep it. Since Mira died and Decibel blame himself for it they both moved on, Oort especially whi know has a family. They are out of practice, out of synch and they have only a few days to write a Metagalatic Grnad Prix worthy song and they are at the bottom of their self confidence. This leads to some raw emotions and longing that felt deeper by their contrast with the more absurd comedy aspects.

In terms of humor it's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with more glitter, there's some reflection on the absurduty universe as a whole ("Life is beautiful and life is stupid"), there's alien species of improbable forms with absolutely wild singing act... Unfortunately, the number of alien species was a bit overwhelming to me, I would be able only three months after to name or describe any of them.

This is not a feel-good comedy but it's really fun and I loved it nonetheless, the feelings that surprised me as much (maybe even more) than the ones I was expecting. It is extremely niche and a bit slow (I heard some say overwritten) at times but deeply enjoyable if you like glamrock and THGTTG.

Les Cinq by Mathieu Rochelle

The Five, a group of outlaws wandering the Kingdom of Irsinth meet a young girl, the only survivor of a plague that decimated her village like so many others across the land. In the meantime General Hiver is using all his resources to find those bandits that everyone think untraceable. In a neighbouring kingdom, a skilled assassin is sent to play a part on a conspiracy against Ursinth. Those people are meant to meet, but what links them and this terrible disease known as the Calamity?

I have always been a fan of medieval fantasy, this is the genre that got me hooked in reading. I however have never really read much grim dark but since the author is a friend of a friend I gave it a go!

At least I knew to expect morally grey characters, blood, and violence but what I really liked was the political aspects, the intermingling of subplots that lead every characters to meet and set begrudging alliance to defeat the real hidden threat to all the land. The characters have clashing personalities and that makes for interesting interactions. The girl, Tige, is the only one that felt a little out of characters from time to time.

The universe is nice although a little bit coventional for a medieval fantasy. It has some pacing issues around the middle and some elements kept throwing me out of the story (cigarettes in a medieval fantasy setting, a 15 year old girl drinking for the first and downing five glasses of whiskey like it's orange juice)

But overall I had a good time! It has not convinced me to read more dark fantasy but it was a nice change of pace from what I read recently.

[cassiocantdrink]

it is my unwavering belief that the morning cortisol spike is at the root of this 3-5 am nonsense.

also, on an unrelated note: fever goes down in the morning? cortisol spike.

[derangedrhythms]

And this is the rhythm of madness

Sarah Kane, ⁠Complete Plays; from ‘4.48 Psychosis’

[louderfade]

from this rad Sarah Kane website

[itsdecemberunderground]

At 4:48

(In )The happy hour

When clarity visits

Warm darkness

Which soaks my eyes

[bizarrelovesquare]

Dan posted this video that gave us a HUGE peek into Martin's notes about episodes they're working on...

Screenshots (with about 90% ID of what's visible, bless his handwriting) under the cut! Fair warning, it's long, but there's a lot going on here, and it's so much to think about!

picture 1: ????? chicken head funnier

picture 2: (first page) Reactionator

? Speakers all over town People's phones Therapist Doof & Candace

Therapist thinks she is crazy but is tactful

The shrink is delusional ? ? exercise that is the catalyst for Cand. being delusional

Candace "It's A Wonderful Life" -- After actual bust C sees everyone doing much worse she feels sad

Family - I think you discuss it Cruise Ship - P&F Van/Doof Last chance to Candace A / Perry back

(second page) Doof's DEI W/A C's Therapist

Doof same therapist

Ferb is next a speech therapist

Doof trauma-dumping on therapist

Therapist "The real self-destruct button is in your head"

Therapist does ex(?)nemesis - therapist

Therapist sees - "WAIT, I GET IT, what Candace is doing gets taken away by what HE'S DOING--"

(note going down side of page) GUEST ON DOOFENPUSS

Doof ? regular ? ? - but she can't ? this because of C ? Confidential ALL DANVILLE Doof and Vanessa on cruise ALL CHARACTERS ? Reactionator blackmail secret I ever tell you w/Lindana whose solved mysteries

picture 3: (script on the table) (our first potential season 6 title?) PHINEAS AND FERB

"VANESSAY"

Written by Martin Olson & Olivia Olson

picture 4: Vanessay

Change tennis to playground

Roger & slushy guy not zapped

Rog. - reflects ray w/ his teeth - set up teeth first Doof: strong jaw -

Agent T thumbnotes "Up the chimney is a weird visual pun" Stacy: "You know we have a front door."

C & Stacy w/ambient sounds joke sequence - cut down?

Mono - "Four seasons of this show" Why did I ? ? ?

To Liv for Vanessay Playground - see how ? ? trap sets scene - a handled window box

Stacy: "Hey ? I ? ANIMAL NOISES!" CUT TO BLACK

Stacy pushes ? out of doorway

Dimin: after "Shorty" - No prize is worth this!

picture 5: T For Teen For Liv - SC 916 Perry leaps into air & does triple flip & lands ready to fight

Pitch n buttons for each

Exec note - Thurs - T For Teens 1:48 end of C/Stacy annual ? sudden cut to end ? w "napkins"

MEAP - PT2 S&P CONCERNS

(I cannot make this bit out to save my life. Martin what in the world my dude)

picture 6: Meap pt 2 - thumbnotes

22 to Meap - "Uh-uh! An ship ? us away!" (clumsy)

Fix pronunciation "St. Lois" joke C is shushed by Meap

Tidy up - don't have everyone say "Don't forget to flush"

C pressing red button to explode ? ship sucks

Brenda joke sexist "No one tracks you through the universe more than your wife"

picture 7: 501 PT1 Exec notes - bigger intro of Doof instead of him on yearbook 10:27 Buf. throw away Constitution Irving beat #2 too quick to nerd

Deconstructing thumbatic

Instead of "psychosis" "phantasma"

607 - Isa hair - 704 OWCA shredding SC

C feels good - "? ? that every day"

12 min: Viewers see The Murder Board

Biblio Blast anim. notes Perry incompetent - smashes into Doof's roof Cut down - plants surrounding/attacking Cut down Doof/Per table start w/Doof "We have to HIT SELF DESTRUCT"

picture 8: (page 1) song by the paver the wind makes love w/each other again

around us - it all seems so real meaning confounds us - cuz nothing's revealed we're SW in love w/each other again

Middle 1: From nothing we hustle Towards each other again Our love seems to circle Without any end

V3: The cloud of unknowing has such beautiful colors But where is it all going ? towards one another? we're SW - in love w/each other again

Middle 2: We seek out each other Every time we appear Sometimes we find another Before we disappear

INSTRUMENTAL W/DANCING SKELETON

(page 2) Middle 3: The breeze says to hug her And show how we feel Slowly healing each other Every turn of the wheel

Repeat V1: So basically - We're SW Along by the river We sit on a porch and The wind makes us shiver We're SW in love w/ each other again We're SW in love w/ each other again

JOSH - The paver of

picture 9: While Dance

says to hug her how we feel healing each other turn of the wheel

Repeat V1: (So basically)

We're SW Alone by the river We sit on the ? and The wind makes us shiver We're SW In love w/each other again

picture 10: Swampy

is trapped

back build something

element

State Triangle

"It's like the Berm[uda Triangle] totally different

(Teen lounge) & P&F build

too much like

Dan wants PLANE to

Doof is the ship

Jon said we turn strong where Doof is in the clouds - there's

picture 11: It's a whole new summer Perry (reblog if u cried)

Earthquake

Mom is laughing so hard she can't look

Staring contest - Try not to laugh

Candace has to be ? at Jeremy's larping tournament but she laughs

picture 12: Perry sick, "Can you take

Candace P&F canoe race

Laughtrack-inator Start ? - reveal Doof hits them w/a Doof keeps cranking it up

Doof rises wall of ? behind at ?

Laugh-inator Cut to surgeon heart

Norm: Good mg. sir Doof: But I programmed you to

picture 13: (this is another view of the page in picture 2, but this one reveals slightly more at the bottom, nothing too noteworthy added except for this)

LINDANA 80'S COP MOVIE - GUEST ON DOOFENPUS

[mournfulroses]

Sarah Kane, from Psychosis 4:48 originally staged in June 2000

[bharv]

The Penitent Magdalen, Van Dyck; 4:48 Psychosis, Sarah Kane; Vanitas & Il Rito, Roberto Ferri; Tender Napalm, Philip Ridley.

[pinesfamilyguidetotheweird]

Gravity Falls Thoughts: Ford and Trauma™ Part 2 (Forced Insomnia)

Annnnnd here we are with Part 2 of Ford and Trauma™!

Last time, we tackled the likelihood of Ford living off of pills and coffee over the last 30 years. So, what’s the logical next part?

Perhaps one of the most popular Ford ships out there!

Ford x Sleeeeep!!!!

Or…his problems with it. Let’s go with that.

If Gravity Falls went a bit longer (like if it had 3 seasons), this could have been a running gag of sorts for Ford, his lack of sleep or at least the repercussions of said lack of sleep, such as him dozing off in weird places.

And you can blame a certain dream demon for that.

Not long after Ford learns of Bill’s true colors, Ford did anything he could to prevent Bill from having any control of the situation…that includes depriving himself of sleep due to his deal with Bill.

…Yeah…um…there is a glaring issue on that plan, I must say. And that is the fact that depriving yourself of sleep…will not be beneficial in the long run.

According to Healthline, there are 5 Sleep Deprivation Stages, each stage is determined by the many hours of no sleep.

Stage 01 is after 24 hours of no sleep. A personal fact here, y’all: I’ve done this before twice in my life, staying up for about 24 hours…it was not fun both times.

While not necessarily a cause for major problems, there will be some issues, such as decreased alertness, drowsiness, fatigue, increased risks of mistakes…

Stage 02, after 36 hours (A day and a half), and you’ll start experiencing severe cognitive impairment. Not to mention an overwhelming desire for sleep and the likelihood of having microsleeps (short bouts of sleep that lasts for about 30 secs) is possible.

Come Stage 03 (after 48 hours) and hoooo…boy, things aren’t lookin’ good at all! This is where hallucinations can start setting in. Which, in Ford’s paranoid case, is a definite cause for concern. And there’s depersonalization, anxiety, heightened stress levels, increased irritability, and extreme fatigue. Microsleeps becomes more of a guarantee. And you won't realize it.

At Stage 04 (after 72 hours), along with more frequent and longer microsleeps, the hallucinations could get more complex.

Then finally, at Stage 05 (after 96 hours and more), you’ll start to experience a little thing called sleep deprivation psychosis, when your perception of reality is severely distorted due to lack of sleep.

So…not much of a shock to see this…

And we don’t even know how long Ford had been trying to keep himself awake. Even Journal 3 (I have the regular edition) doesn’t provide the answer for this except for the mad scrawlings of CAN’T SLEEP and the hellish amount of coffee he drank.

This can also explain his insistence on preserving his journals instead of just destroying them. He’s not thinking clearly due to lack of sleep.

It is possible to recover from this, though, it will take a while.

It can take days or weeks to recover from a bout of sleep deprivation. Just 1 hour of sleep loss requires 4 days to recover. The longer you’ve been awake, the longer it will take to get back on track.

And considering that Ford got sucked into the Portal before he could have a moment for well deserved rest…kind of a similar situation to his crap diet while on the run, how often was Ford able to get a full night's rest? I mean...look how he sleeps now, in day wear with his coat, glasses, and boots on, like he has to be prepared to book it...

It’s honestly a wonder that Ford came back to our dimension without sporting some eyebags that would give Shouta Aizawa (or even Toshinori Yagi) a run for his money.

…Question: So, Bill had free reign of entering Ford’s mind when he sleeps, right? Did Bill still do that during Ford’s travels up until he got that plate installed?

...So, what should I talk about next? The bullying Ford had to endure? Father of the Year, Filbrick Pines? Possible complex PTSD? Major Guilt? Wounds and potential complications? Bill -fucking- Cipher and the abuse?

[doddsmountain]

okay! i've been wondering how harry gets back in touch with his family after the whole amnesia thing and how they all handle that. and how was harry's relationship with them before that, also? is there a sibling he gets along with the best? do any of them also have weird brain things going on (like the psychosis, talking to things, heck even pale exposure)? if the sister who works at the harbor knows titus, how does the reveal that she's related to harry go?

i may have more but that's a lot to start with for now. i might come back another time :3

Alrighty! Gonna put this under a cut to save people from my old-ass being cringy lol

First, I wanna introduce the OCs I’ve made for Harry’s family! (Ages as of events of the game, March ‘51)

Alain Du Bois, father, dead (died in ‘21), born January 27, ‘80 of previous century. Was absent most of the time, abusive when around

Margarette Du Bois (nee Barrach), 70, born August 2, ‘81 of previous century. Kind, loving mother.

Victoire ‘Victor’ Du Bois, 48, born July 17, ‘02. A bit distant, also struggles with alcohol but not to Harry’s extent (he won’t drink while working), lorry driver, emotionally shut off, rarely smiles, known for his deadpan humour and really bad puns. Has whatever the lorry driver version of Esprit du Corps is. Married and has 2 kids: 21 year old son, 18 year old daughter. Pale exposure up the wazzoo due to having to travel through it. He knows the pale driver, and Tommy Le Homme.

Madeline ‘Maddy’ Petrovski (nee Du Bois), 46, born June 1, ‘04. Very friendly like their mum, short and chubby, cosmetologist (works for the biggest theatre company in Revachol - which still doesn’t pay that well - definitely working class), has some of the same psychological things going on as Harry (the lists - she does the lists as well). Married and has 4 kids: 16 year old daughter, twin 13 year old sons, and an 8 year old daughter. Her husband has addiction issues and isn’t the greatest but he’s kind and loving regardless - life isn’t always what we expect it to be.

Harrier ‘Harry’ Du Bois, 44, born January 3, ‘07. We know about him.

Mairi Du Bois, 42, born December 20, ‘07. The only one to really escape the poverty of their childhood. Geology professor in Sur la Clef. She has the same weird empathetic skills Harry has. Lesbian, married to a fellow academic, no children.

Eloise ‘Elsie’ McTavish (nee Du Bois), 37, born February 2, ‘14. A bit standoffish, she is a nurse, and recently divorced. Has plenty of similar strange psychological traits similar to Harry’s and is distressed over it, tries to ignore it. Has four children: Twin 6 year old son and daughter, 3 year old daughter, and a year old daughter. Currently lives with their mum due to financial stress as her ex-husband is a deadbeat and can’t be found (he’s a former friend of Harry’s and Harry vows to beat the shit out of him if he ever sees him again).

Marcelline ‘Marcy’ Du Bois, 34, born January 4, ‘17. Exactly the same psychological stuff as Harry. Divorced because she had a few miscarriages (her ex-husband is a piece of shit - upper middle class weenie). Very outgoing, works in Martinaise surprisingly as a shipping container inspector (enemies to lovers type thing with Titus Hardie eventually) (also didn’t know her brother was the absolute mess of a detective doing the investigation into the Hanged Man). Has some issues with making relationships for obvious reasons. No children. Her favourite sibling is Harry. She is Harry’s favourite sibling (he got a baby sister for his 10th birthday). Because of Marcie’s proximity to the hole in the universe she also has some issues with pale exposure.

My headcanon for Harry getting back in touch with his family post-amnesia is a little wishful thinking on my behalf, I suppose.

So, as we know Harry has blanked before after some epic benders - purposefully. I figure it would only be a matter of time before he gets his memories back. 

In my postgame HC/AU/whatever you wanna call it I figure this happens roughly a month after the events in the game - and it happens fast and painfully - leaving Harry in a very very emotionally unstable place. Thankfully, Kim is there and Judit is also very understanding. Harry’s reaction to all of this suddenly happening is what gets Jean to finally believe Harry had amnesia. Throughout it all Harry still remains sober (this is again wishful thinking on my behalf due to my own history with alcoholism [grew up with it, know it’s damages]). 

Shortly after this is when the Kim is Revachol comic takes place (so mid- to late April). Kim encourages Harry to reach out to his family after learning about them. Harry is understandably terrified as the last 6 years have been strained due to his spiralling into further alcoholism and drug abuse after Dora left him. After university I HC that Harry dived into the Disco/party scene heavily, especially after meeting Dora, so alcohol and drugs have been an issue of his for a while before Dora left. I think that after he became a cop these addictions got worse as he struggled to cope with the realities of what he had to do as a cop and what he had to see. I imagine things were a bit tense after Harry met Dora, as I HC the rest of his family not really liking her all that much due to class differences (and I imagine her family didn’t like him either for the same reasons). Harry’s family does their best to make Dora feel welcome though and they get along well enough until finally she leaves and he goes off the deep end. His older brother quietly stops talking to him, his older sister tries her hardest to help but he doesn’t accept it. Mairi is on another isola so there’s not much she can do. But she makes sure to call him once a week and this doesn’t stop until the events of the game. Eloise is very vocal about her displeasure with what he’s doing but still tries to support him in small ways. Marcelline is heartbroken but refuses to give up on her brother. They get drunk together a few times over the years post-Dora/pre-game. Harry refuses to be around his mum when he’s drunk or high, but she is well aware of how rough he’s living. He builds her a gazebo one summer when he tries to sober up (I like to imagine him being good at carpentry). He gets Jean to help him.

Because family is important they all open their arms to him when he reaches out. Because all of them have some extent of Harry’s weird abilities they can tell he means it this time when he says he’s trying to be better, be the Harry they knew before he met Dora, before he let his life spiral. Harry slowly integrates into his families’ lives. Harry made sure to never be high or drunk around his nieces and nephews so he’s always been the fun uncle, and now they get to see him much more often. Harry cries so much when his oldest nephew introduces Harry to his grand-niece. The family also openly embraces Kim, Cuno and Cunoesse. And Rene in my AU. Harry’s sisters are excited to have a new brother-in-law and niblings. Victor quietly respects Kim for being able to help Harry pull through this time. He also teaches Cunoesse how to work on a lorry engine.

When Titus learns that the chubby babe Marcy is Harry’s sister he’s not all that surprised. Once he knows he can see the familiarities there. After the events of the game, I HC that Titus slows down on the partying and sleeping with younger women (the man is 39 after all). He kind of becomes a bit more reserved, especially after losing his best friend and the others. Marcy was close with Angus so she understands Titus’s pain. They grow close. Harry gets a bit put-off when he learns that they start dating. Kim is highly amused by Harry’s protective older brother attitude.

I likely have more to add but I’m losing steam lol

[inthefallofasparrow]

If you have seen more than one of these, choose the option you think is most uncommon.

[whump-help-desk]

What are the consequences for staying awake for 3-4 days on a high risk mission where you have to be constantly vigilant? What would recovery look like and would a medical professional (such as Aramis) know what was happening/how to treat it. Looking to rewrite a fic I wrote with an OC

Tolerance to sleep deprivation varies among different people. Some people tire easily and require more than the average 7-8 hours of sleep. Some can stay awake for 18-20 hours straight with little problem. If you are used to pulling off all nighters [*cries in current MB exams*] you might find yourself being able to resist sleep for longer hours more easily (my current record is 36 hours without sleep lol) (however it doesn't mean that you won't crash and sleep for 16-24 hours straight later lololol). Generally, resisting sleep is easier during the day with bright natural/artificial light and lots of noise and distraction around you than at night when it's dark and quite and your biological clock is shouting at you that IT'S TIME TO SLEEP GODAMMIT! (But if you work at a job that demands frequent night-shifts, your biological clock will adjust to have you alert at night and asleep during the day)

These are some of the effects of sleep deprivation based on studies (and some personal experiences)

24 hours without sleep: You feel drowsy, restless and irritable. Your eyes might be puffy and red, with dark circles under them. If you are actively engaged in some work, then you are probably fine and don't feel the effects too much.

36 hours hours without sleep: The above symptoms intensify. Sitting still or idle might have you unconsciously drifting off to sleep.

48 hours without sleep: A little nap sounds so sweet, so heavenly, you will honestly kill for it. You might start having a phenomenon called microsleeps, where you have an extremely brief nap lasting for a few seconds. Generally, microsleeps happen without the person being even aware of it.

This is also a point where you generally start having a phenomenon called sleep deprivation psychosis. It means that your perception of reality is severely distorted and you begin to hallucinate. You see, hear or feel things that are not there.

In addition to all of this, you are extremely stressed, irritable and angry. Your fatigue levels are off the charts. Your reaction time is sluggish and your ability to process what's happening around you is severely impaired. Your memory is foggy.

After 72 hours: Life is fucking awful. Your microsleeps are longer and more uncontrollable. Your sense of perception is severely impaired. Your hallucinations are worse and more frightening. In addition to hallucinations, you might also start having illusions (incorrect interpretation by the senses of object which exists) and delusions (incorrect belief about an external reality that is firmly held, despite strong evidence to the contrary). Even your sense of self is taking a hit, a phenomenon called depersonalization, where you feel robotic and detached from your own body. In addition, all of the above mentioned symptoms intensify.

After 96 hours: Basically, everything that I mentioned in the 72 hour mark but much, much worse. Your urge to sleep is overwhelming.

Recovery from sleep deprivation simply involves catching up on all the lost sleep. You might feel groggy even after waking up for a while but that will gradually wear off. Chronic sleep deprivation is bad and can affect your lifestyle but one-off sleep deprivations for long hours doesn't have a long term impact on health. The record for the longest period without sleep is 11 days and many subjects have gone through 8-10 days without sleep under controlled environments. They all recovered after a few days of recovery sleep and none of them suffered from any long term physical, psychological, mental or neurological health problems.

If it is a modern au and assuming Aramis has had some training as a medic, he will likely know of the possible effects. Hell, even some previous personal experiences of long hours without sleep will make him familiar with the effects, modern au or canon timeline. Canon Aramis was involved in a lot of battles pre-series, so it's entirely possible that he has experience in remaining sleep deprived and hypervigilant.

[As payment for this answer, I demand a link to the fic, if and when you publish it >:) ]

[do-you-know-this-play]

top girls by caryl churchill, some explicit polaroids by mark ravenhill, shopping and fucking by mark ravenhill, 4:48 psychosis by sarah kane, crave by sarah kane, burgerz by travis alabanza, womberang by sue townsend, ten tiny fingers nine tiny toes by sue townsend, black watch by gregory burke, thebans by liz lochhead, the james plays by rona munro, the cheviot the stag and the black black oil by john mcgrath, salt by selina thompson, hungry by chris bush, precious little talent by ella hickson, hot mess by ella hickson, the pillowman by martin mcdonagh, the beauty queen of leenane by martin mcdonagh.

just some of my faves off the top of my head! to add some contemporary british/irish writing to your repertoire hehe. this blog has made my theatre studies academic heart very happy!

thank you so much for all of these!!

[89rooms]

I know. I’m angry because I understand, not because I don’t.

Sarah Kane - 'Sarah Kane: Complete Plays;' “4:48 Psychosis”

[louderfade]

from 4:48 psychosis

[kudosmyhero]

Detective Comics Annual (vol. 1) #8: Questions Multiply the Mystery

Read Date: December 31, 2022 Cover Date: July 1995 ● Writer: Chuck Dixon ● Penciler: Kieron Dwyer ● Inker: Kieron Dwyer ● Colorist: Richmond Lewis ● Letterer: Albert DeGuzman ● Editor: Darren Vincenzo ◦ Scott Peterson ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● this is (if I remember correctly) my first time reading the Riddler in comics! ● (btw, Cory Michael Smith is fabulous as Nygma in Gotham. Aaaand, I have only two degrees of separation from him thanks to a cousin who taught some of the classes where he went to college!) ● (pg 4) wow that scowl of Riddler's is intense! ● oh, it's spelled "Nigma" here ● I like the sepia-toned flashback panels ● (pg 9) ohhh, Eddie admits to cheating. I thought he disliked being accused of that. But I only know him from non-comic book sources, so… ● (pg 10) at least the poor kid who was getting bullied before gets a bit of a break. ● Brian T. Zer = brain teaser. cute ● (pg 17) the tiny parachutes! 💙 ● "Why did the cottage go on a diet?" - hmm… I dunno ● "When's the best time to go to the dentist?" - 2:30 (tooth hurty) ● "What day do soldiers hate the most?" - uh… March fourth? ● riddle 1 - ah, to be a lighthouse (I was right on the other two) ● (pg 20) oo, nice entrance by B-man ● I love the inking and color styles; makes the art feel very noir ● I bet Bruce Wayne is missed at this fundraiser ● … how else does one pronounce "banquet"?

● Query and Echo are having so much fun. I kind of love them. ● (pg 48) Yo-Yo Ma gets a mention! (wrong instrument, though) ● (pg 52) ahhh, I wondered why they'd let him keep his clothes in Arkham! It was a delusion. ● 👏👏👏

Synopsis: The Riddler, occupying an observation room at Arkham Asylum, expresses his annoyance with the inept psychiatrists' repeated attempts to pierce his psyche, and decides to give them what they want: the story of his life, how he became a criminal, and why he repeatedly opposes Batman.

As a child, Edward was a cipher, ignored by even the playground bullies at his school. Hungry for attention (especially with ignorant, unloving parents), the young Edward began his "career" in the sixth grade by cheating at a solve-the-puzzle contest - by sneaking into the school the night before the contest, he was able to practice solving the puzzle, and easily won the contest. Edward's fame proved to be fleeting, however, and the young boy realized that to keep the attention he so craved, he had to turn to his true talent: cheating.

After graduating, Edward became a deliveryman, a job he found extremely tedious. Out of boredom and greed, he began stealing from his clients, but even this could not satisfy his ego. Eventually, he donned the alias of "the Riddler", and started sending riddles to the police foreshadowing his future crimes. The Riddler's early career was fraught with many difficulties, missteps, and a narrow escape from Batman, but nevertheless, he managed to accrue a respectable amount of loot and two loyal henchwomen named Query and Echo.

With Query and Echo, the Riddler came to the crowning caper of his early career: a raid on the Reservoir Street depository that completely misled the police and left him with two million dollars. Once again, Batman narrowly failed to capture him, giving the Riddler a more impressive reputation than ever. Now overconfident, the Riddler planned an even bigger caper: stealing a set of Stradivarius violins from both a private collector and a public opera. Unfortunately, Batman quickly put an end to this caper, handing the Riddler his first unqualified defeat.

As he recounts his humiliation at Batman's hands, the present-day Riddler begins to have a meltdown. In a fit of psychosis, he breaks the one-way glass between him and his doctors, only to realize that his doctors had left on lunch break; he had been telling his life's story to thin air all along. Orderlies rush in and subdue him, leaving the Riddler near-catatonic and muttering "no one there…" on an endless loop.

(https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Detective_Comics_Annual_Vol_1_8)

Fan Art: The Riddler by Sno2

Accompanying Podcast: ● Bat-Books for Beginners - episode 09