#I have the very vivid idea in my mind now of martin actually putting a name tag on his uniform so everybody KNOWS he's A CAPTAIN

[mjn-air]

- Martin, you're a berk. - I'm not a berk, Carolyn. I'm an airline captain.

[shadyb00ts]

How 2020 Turned Me Into A Swiftie Again

If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d have not one but two Taylor Swift albums in my year-end favorites list, I would’ve thought you were out of your mind. Then again, stranger things have happened in this hellscape of a year.

I’m really not sure where the first time I heard the phrase “Life is too short to pretend to hate Taylor Swift” was. I have no idea who originated it, but it stuck with me when I started to unpack that about a year ago, during her Lover era. By then, my perception and feelings about Taylor had been very... inconsistent, to say the least. I started out as a full-on stan, then it dwindled from there overtime until I basically became a hater, which then turned into indifference but silent respect. Now, I’m pretty much on the road to becoming a stan again. Revisiting her catalog, analyzing her lyrics, watching interviews, the works. 

I wanted to examine what it was that made my opinions about her go through so many steep rises and falls within this entire decade. Part of it was her shift in musical style that I didn’t quite mesh with, but another part was owning up to the internal biases I had when I was younger and how gullible I was in going along with whatever the media or the popular conscious was saying about her and the kind of person she is. 

I’m somebody who’s incapable of separating art from the artist. I simply don’t listen to artists when I don’t like them as people or don’t agree with their actions. Examples include but are not limited to Kim Petras, Melanie Martinez, Azealia Banks, Grimes, just to name a few. I have my own personal reasons for just not wanting to engage with any of their music, and if you still want to, that’s none of my business.

At some point in my life, I think Taylor got on that list. Looking back on it now, I find that completely ridiculous, because she never really did anything or acted in a way that warranted that reaction out of me. So I wanted to delve into how that even came about in the first place.

With that said, I want to take a trip down memory lane and go back through her eras, and go through the timeline of my strange relationship with Taylor Swift’s body of work as well as her public persona. Fair warning, it’s gonna be really cheesy and emotional at parts, but it is fully my truth. Thank you in advance if you manage to read the whole thing.

Part 1: The Country Era

It’s 2010 and I’m in eighth grade. I’m in an extremely Muslim country, the only son of an extremely Muslim family that enrolled me in an extremely Muslim school. I’m getting bullied by the boys in my class for being too feminine and being ignored by the girls for being a boy. The last close friend I had from elementary school had just moved away the year prior, and I’d never felt more alone in my life.

I was a closeted gay kid still trying to figure himself out and hating who he was. I escaped to cringey online chat sites like IMVU and catfished as a girl, because at the time I thought the only way to get boys to like me and want to be with me was to pretend to be someone else, someone I actually liked.

When I think back on this era, I mostly remember the girls in my class obsessing over these three albums and singing her songs with each other all the time. I desperately wanted to join them and fangirl with them over her music, though of course they never gave me the time of day. I remember I would memorize so many of her songs and write them all down on a special notebook I kept. When I wasn’t paying attention in classes, that’s what I would do; scribble out a collection of all the songs of hers that I knew by heart.

To me, these three albums represented a certain kind of vivid fantasy. Taylor’s songwriting has obviously grown exponentially over the past decade, but even back then she was always so damn good at storytelling and detail, painting you a very clear picture of a scene and placing you right there. For a miserable, self-hating fourteen-year-old gay boy that was always seeking escapism from a homophobic environment, this was the perfect outlet for me to live out a different kind of life, to play pretend.

I honestly can’t explain what it is about her style of songwriting but she always made me feel like I was genuinely experiencing everything she was talking about. Things like kissing in the rain, riding around in the truck of the boy of my dreams in a tiny one horse town, shedding teardrops on a guitar that I definitely didn’t own, experiencing crushing heartbreak. This was stuff that my sheltered ass couldn’t comprehend.

Taylor perfectly captured that ideal, that small town girl with big dreams and storybook romances. I was in love with her discography at the time, having memorized pretty much the entirety of Fearless because that was my favorite of three. Middle school was hell for me, but her music was definitely something that helped me pull through, because she sent my imagination into overdrive.

This was a time in my life where I didn’t really care yet about an artist’s public image or the media’s portrayal of them, It was purely about the music for me. Of course, when looking at these albums now, there were a few questionable choices she made lyrically, I have to admit. Particularly with songs like “Better Than Revenge” and “Innocent”, both having aged terribly with the former being bafflingly misogynistic and the latter being about Kanye. As of my writing this, Taylor is currently in the process of re-recording her old catalog, and I assume that she would skip these two songs in particular, as well as several others that haven’t exactly aged well.

This era really got me through some tough times and she provided much-needed relief for me within each of these three albums. I’ll always have an attachment to them because of the bittersweet memories they represent.

Part 2: Red

Red I decided to put in its own category, because this was kind of a weird era for Taylor. Even back when I was an ignorant teenager that barely had any critical thinking skills, I felt the dissonance of this album and its Max Martin produced singles. This album represented Taylor dipping her toe into pop music, which she made abundantly clear when she decided to release We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together as the lead single.

I actually remember this moment quite clearly. She premiered the single at some kind of fan event that I believe was streamed live on YouTube, and either I watched it live or I watched the full recording of it later on. At the time I remember feeling it was kind of bizarre to hear Taylor adopt this style of music, because it was so drastically different from her previous work and it took me a while to adjust. Obviously I enjoyed pop music at the time as much as I do now, but I just hadn’t been expecting it to come from Taylor. 

Fortunately it was just the three singles that were full pop, and the rest of the album still had her signature DNA and also includes some of her best work. All Too Well, for example, is I think one of the best songs she’s ever made, if not the best. I think if I were introducing Taylor to someone that’s totally unfamiliar with her, that would be my first choice, because it’s a masterwork in songwriting and emotionality.

I do think the thing that irked me the most about this album and era, even to this day, was the lack of cohesion. Of course I figured that she would eventually venture into pop music, but the way in which she did it just felt a bit too jarring to me. Perhaps if the album had a more even distribution of pop songs and country songs, it would’ve been slightly more palatable for me. It’s not even that the three pop songs were bad; they were quite good for their time. Though to be completely honest they’re the songs I barely ever return to any time I listen to Red now. They’re the kind of catchy pop songs where it’s difficult not to get sick of them at a certain point in your life. I’ve grown to really dislike the lead single, and even 22.

Her image was also starting to get much more scrutinized by the media around this time. I think this era probably marked the sharp rise of the “Taylor Swift has too many boyfriends!” argument people loved to throw around. I wish I could say I was smart enough to not buy into that shit at the time, but I wasn’t. While it didn’t bother me, it was something that I wondered about, why she dated and broke up with so many guys at such a young age. It was something that I judged her for. Obviously I didn’t yet understand that it was normal for people her age to date around. Plus it gave her some great material.

By this time, Taylor was making the gradual transition of country sweetheart to pop star, and while Red was kind of a rocky start to that, naturally she managed to pull it off. But not quite flawlessly.

Part 3: The Pop Era

Okay, I have a lot to say about these girls.

I think this era started off strong with 1989. It was a more fully realized version of Taylor’s little pop experiment, and it actually had the cohesion that I needed to be able to fully adapt to this new style she’d cultivated. She wrote yet another one of her best songs with Blank Space, which I like to think was a precursor to Reputation (and dare I say that one song did Reputation’s concept better than that album as a whole?).

However... Shake It Off. I’m sorry, I just hate that song.

WANEGBT, the first single off of Red, isn’t exactly the best song either but it made sense as to why she chose that as the first single. It was to signify her dabbling into pop. Reputation’s first single I also am not the biggest fan of, but again, made perfect sense as an introduction, but I’ll get to that later. Shake It Off, though? For the life of me, I have no idea why this song was the first single. Or to be frank, why it was even on the album at all. 

I’m sorry y’all, I just hate it. Everything about it. The verses, the chorus, the appalling rap bridge. She should’ve kept that song in the drafts and released Blank Space as a first single, and that’s a hill I’m willing to die on. Sorry Shake It Off stans, but I’m sure all three of you will get over it. ❤

That said, 1989 had some excellent songs, and I was finally starting to get used to Taylor doing pop. However, my excitement and enthusiasm for her music started to falter due to my weak mind at the time once again getting swayed by the media. 

This time, I began to see Taylor as someone that seemed to be very calculated and conniving in the way she curated her image. Something that didn’t sit well with me was the “girl squad” stuff, and how all of the women she surrounded herself with were essentially these supermodels with unattainable beauty standards, and also believing the rumors about how certain famous women were given private requests to join Taylor’s “squad”. And then of course, the Kim and Kanye thing happened. #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty trended worldwide, and that was probably my earliest exposure to an instance of a celebrity getting canceled, so I was just happy to join the bandwagon. My opinion of her shifted like that, and it’s crazy to think about it now, how I barely had the capacity to form my own opinions and was easily influenced by everything I heard.

Despite me kind of joining the Taylor hate train, I did like Reputation as a concept. I liked how she disappeared from the public eye and came back being like, “You want me to be the villain? The snake? Fine.” Look What You Made Me Do, as I mentioned before, was the perfect choice for the first single despite the song itself being sonically....not the best. The music video and the line about how the old Taylor couldn’t come to the phone was an iconic moment in pop culture, I have to admit that.

I didn’t listen to the album as a whole until later, though. I was having my own hang-ups about Taylor that I think are silly now, but at the time when I didn’t like an artist I would mostly avoid their work. When I did listen to the album, though, I thought it was... okay. There’s one standout track to me and that is Getaway Car, and it’s the only song from Reputation I can say I fully adore to pieces. The other songs on there I either just like, or I find to be meh at best. (Also I know Ready For It is objectively a bad song but I really enjoy the chorus, don’t @ me, @ god)

A few years later, Lover happened and.... Once again, horrible first single. ME! is a genuinely atrocious song, and I have no idea how esteemed, prolific songwriter Taylor Swift managed to reach a point where she had a song with the phrase “spelling is fun!” in it. I feel the exact same way about this song as I do about Shake It Off. It had no business being in the album whatsoever.

As far as Lover the album goes, this came out around the time where I was kind of feeling indifferent toward Taylor (which is hilarious if you know what the first track on it is). I was much more politically aware and had learned not to put too much faith in white women, and I was focusing on other artists so much that Lover barely even came onto my radar. I listened to it once, thought it was meh, and moved on. I revisited it earlier this year and realized I was a bit too harsh on it the first time around. Sure it was her weakest album overall, but it wasn’t bad by any means. It was perfectly alright, and there were songwriting moments within it that were still quite strong. The title track and also Miss Americana comes to mind as standouts.

She started to become more vocal politically around this time. A lot of people thought it was too little too late, which was a fair point. However to me it made sense that she stayed tight-lipped about politics when she was younger, considering she was operating within the realm of country music. Plus, upon watching her documentary, it was pretty clear she had old white men behind the scenes telling her what she should or shouldn’t say, to make sure she maintained that all-American country girl sweetheart image. Still, I do agree with the people who thought that she should’ve used her platform sooner.

Oh and for the record, I think You Need to Calm Down is a terrible song. The video was cute, and the message behind it is fine, but I just hate it sonically.

At this point my interest in Taylor was probably at an all time low. The era started off strong with 1989, but it progressively got weaker. She just wasn’t really giving me much in terms of lyricism, and her pop productions were starting to blend together to the point where a lot of them were sounding very same-y. Lover to me marked the point of stagnation in her music; it was solid enough, but it just wasn’t going anywhere. We’ve seen Pop Taylor, she was cute for a while, but what else? Where does she go from here?

Well... She went into the woods.

Part 4: The Cottagecore Sisters

When I heard about Taylor dropping a surprise album, I suppose I was intrigued. She is one of the few artists that are successful enough to be able to make a move like that and cause a lot of buzz and excitement. I didn’t think much about it though, because my 2020 at that time was still inundated with SAWAYAMA and Ungodly Hour on repeat. On a whim, though, I decided to listen to it one day, not expecting much out of it.

Earlier when I was talking about her country era, I mentioned that Taylor’s storytelling and her penchant for detailed descriptions were my favorite parts of her writing. Her innate ability to transport me into other worlds, to provide escapism when my life became too much to deal with. I feel like these aspects were missing in the several years that Taylor focused on pop music. There were flashes of it in some of her later work, sure, but very few. She was becoming a huge mega superstar and her songs started to lose that sense of relatability that had been easy for me to latch on too. These things definitely contributed to my loss of interest for her work in general.

And then Folklore managed to bring me back to that place of fantasy I described before, but heightened. Elevated. Evolved. This is why I think that Folklore is Taylor Swift’s magnum opus.

Storytelling is without a doubt her strongest skill as an artist. To be able to construct not just a narrative but an entire world through songs is not something anyone can pull off. Throughout her pop era, there was always that something missing because I knew that she was capable of more. I couldn’t explain it well back then, but despite her penmanship still being commendable during those years, it still felt oddly lackluster. I knew she could do better, but I didn’t have the proof yet.

This is it. Both Folklore and Evermore showcase exactly what I knew she was capable of. This is Taylor Swift at her most creative, at her full power.

I think in a recent interview I watched (though I can’t remember which one), even she herself acknowledged how it would’ve been a disservice to continue strictly writing autobiographical songs, and so she decided to write from the perspectives of multiple different characters while also occasionally inserting herself and her life experiences into these narratives. She essentially created her own folklore and managed to make me invested in characters that don’t even exist.

I have to talk about the love triangle trilogy: cardigan, august and betty. It’s a testament to her songwriting ability that these fictional characters feel like real people. The story of Betty, James and Augusta/Augustine is just so well done to the point where I forget that it’s Taylor Swift singing. When I listen to these songs, I am fully imagining the characters she conjured up. 

The song that I find the most profound out of the three, and also happens to be my favorite song on the album, is august. To me, it is the most heartbreaking song out of all of them. I relate so much to that girl who’s hopelessly in love with someone that just doesn’t give a shit about them and is merely using her for a summer fling. And it’s not even like I’ve experienced something similar to this in real life, Taylor just somehow made it relatable with the sheer power of her pen game. It’s even more heartbreaking considering we don’t know what happened to this girl, if she ever managed to find happiness, because in the Long Pond Sessions Taylor mentioned that Betty and James eventually got back together. They got their happy ending, but what happened to Augustine?

I can’t believe she’s got me this deep in my feelings over non-existent teenagers, I swear to god.

Just when I thought Folklore was going to be the end of this new side of her for a while, she releases Evermore in December, its sister album. While I don’t think it’s quite as strong as Folklore, it still delivered immensely in terms of lyricism, productions and vocals. Evermore’s release pretty much solidified the realization that I was basically becoming a Swiftie again, a whole decade later.

I was embarrassed by that thought at first, but honestly now I’m at a point where I don’t think there’s anything to be embarrassed about. Taylor is too skilled of a songwriter for me to consider her a guilty pleasure. I just needed something to help me come to that conclusion, and these two albums did just that. She finally gave to me what I was waiting for.

Final Thoughts

I don’t really stan artists the same way I used to now, which I mentioned previously in my review of Chromatica. I don’t deify them or hold them to an impossible moral standard they could never live up to anymore. I see them as flawed human beings that have the capacity to make great art. So when I say I’m becoming a Swiftie, I’m still fully aware that Taylor Swift is a thirty-one year old rich white woman who is bound to have shortcomings and missteps as a person. In my mind, she hasn’t done anything drastic enough or stupid enough for me to become uncomfortable in listening to her work. I had my own ideas about how she could’ve been fake, conniving, manipulative or whatever else the media was trying to convey about her, but there really is no way of knowing who she truly is as a person.

Celebrities and influencers have the power to curate their image however they want. The relationships they have with us, the audience, are entirely parasocial, so of course we base our judgments of them based on very limited knowledge, or just the surface-level view of what they’re like. I don’t know if Taylor is as down to earth and genuine as she appears to be now, and I honestly don’t need to know. If she does things I disagree with or acts a certain way that deserves criticism, of course I’d still call her out, and depending on the severity of what it was she said or did, it might end up with me not wanting to engage with her work anymore.

But the reality is, as a person, I’ve realized that she is just fine. I was holding on to a certain idea of her in my head where I think at one point I dubbed her “the Anne Hathaway of music”, meaning someone that comes across too perfect to the point where it seems calculated and disingenuous. But honestly, I just don’t feel that way about her anymore. I don’t feel particularly attached to her as a person, either. 

But I do feel an attachment to her music. At the end of the day, that’s where I’m standing now when it comes to her. I don’t have any expectations or delusions about her as a human being, and I’m not going to remain devoted to her if she does something dumb, but I believe that she is an insanely gifted artist who has written so many songs that genuinely speak to me and make me feel intensely. She lost me for a while, but now I’m right back in it.

So yeah, like I said in the beginning of the post, life’s too short to pretend to hate Taylor Swift. I’d rather just pretend to live in a mystical small town as a sad gay witch. And I’m at peace with that.

[bandtrees]

dsfdhgfnhgdsraeW GIVE ME YOUR HUMAN CENTIPEDE HOT TAKES OH MY GOD

YES!!! OKAY!!! I SAY THESE AS SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER SEEN ANY OF THESE MOVIES AND JUST ABSORBS INFORMATION VIA OSMOSIS. PLEASE TAKE NONE OF WHAT I SAY AS ANY FORM OF FACT WHATSOEVER. now let me start out by saying that the director of these movies is a pretentious ‘political correctness is ruining cinema’ ‘welcome to my dark and twisted mind’ asshole. the tag lines of these movies alone should tell you what you’re in for:

1: 100% medically accurate

2: 100% medically inaccurate

3: 100% politically incorrect

...yeah.

first movie is the best. by far. it’s not really as gross as it’s hyped up to be, nor is it all too gorey. it’s not GREAT but there’s clearly thought put into it past the shock of the premise — iv heard the cinematography is surprisingly good and also the take that it’s a world war 2 allegory, which im not educated enough to speak on but at least shows that this movie is trying to be, well, a movie. it’s not really a video nasty splatter film and if you can swallow (...heh) the concept, if you’re gonna check out any human centipede movie check out this one. it actually has artistic merit and aims to do something other than shock and gross out, even if iv heard the characters are pretty hit or miss

second movie tries to be what uninformed audiences think the human centipede is. it’s a splatter film full of shock value and gore and shit and every gross thing you can come up with and THIS TIME IT’S A TWELVE PERSON CENTIPEDE !!!! they take a really weird direction with this movie: the human centipede is a movie in-universe, and the protagonist is a guy named martin who is so obsessed with it that he wants to make his own. thing is, unlike dr heiter, (antagonist from the first movie) he’s not a surgeon! so he goes about it in the crudest and messiest ways possible. and the movie rides on that grossness — there’s SEX and SHIT and BLOOD and GUTS and a NEWBORN GETTING ITS SKULL CRUSHED IN and it basically abandons any of the subtle horror or artistic merit from the first movie in favor of ramping up the nastiness. the first movie barely showed the procedure itself, but this one goes in very vivid detail from showing sliced open tendons to broken teeth to ALLL the other bits of making a human centipede. there’s also a bit where a real live centipede is funneled into a guy’s ass and i really hope no real centipedes were harmed :[

Director Tom sixx (i hate this man so much) said about this movie that it’d make the first one look like my little pony, which honestly is all you need to know that this series is ALREADY going off the deep end

and topping off the movie centipede, there’s the third one, which i legitimately have no fucking clue how to explain. it’s become a mockery of itself, again going for a ‘last movie is an in-universe movie’ take and becoming a... weird political satire. tom sixx appears as a character in the movie, i don’t remember what he does, it takes place in a prison and from what i remember it’s kinda tame? like, shockingly so compared to the last one, but i don’t think that’s sixx returning to his roots and learning less is more as much as it’s just him realizing he can’t do anything with this concept that wasn’t done before. it’s a 300-person centipede — sorry, millipede — that’s only shown for about a scene near the end, all that jazz. my knowledge on this one is very little and i don’t really care to find out because from what i know it’s just kinda... dumb. there’s a gag where a character is eating dried clitorises out of a bag and i feel like they’re just raisins

and that brings us to the man behind the magic, tom sixx! a very self-absorbed guy who’s very very proud of his work and really likes to be NASTAYYYY. talks a lot about his eeevilll dark twisted ideas but it’s pretty clear he just likes rehashing the same one over and over.

[image description: a wikipedia screenshot reading ‘TBA: The Human Caterpillar’]

and over, and over. please GOD tom let it REST please stop the centipedes stop the centipedes pl

[intransigent-boy]

My Top Ten Films of The Decade.

10. Her

Okay, so whether you like it or not, this movie is about the present. This movie tells a very powerful story with an embarrasingly personal narrative. You feel sorry for the main character, it makes you so uncomfortable. And the reason is, because we are all in some sense are like this guy, Theodore. We have better relationships online, and with our advices, than with real people. It’s a really bizarre conception, but we should face it, and ask ourselves: Where is the limit?  The script is just brilliant, but also has very controversial scenes. Joaquin Phoenix is simply the perfect choice for a lonely man, like Theodore. Melancholy everywhere, and great visuals. Arcade Fire made the music for this, and it was pure melancholy. Very interesting film.

9. The Place Beyond The Pines

Derek Cianfrance is an exceptional director. He can wonderfully create an atmosphere with great lighting techiques, unique musics, and of course with talented actors. This movie has a linear, but quite unusual story-structure. The main theme haunts you after you watched this. Legacy! 

8. Nightcrawler

Louis Bloom is something of a loner who is unemployed and ekes out a living stealing and then reselling copper wire, fencing and most anything else he can get his hands on. When late one night he comes across an accident being filmed by independent news photographer Joe Loder, he thinks he may have found something he would be good at. He acquires an inexpensive video camera and a police scanner and is soon spending his nights racing to accidents, robberies and fire scenes. He develops a working relationship with Nina Romina, news director for a local LA TV station. As the quality of his video footage improves so does his remuneration and he hires Rick, young and unemployed, to work with him. The more successful he becomes however, the more apparent it becomes that Louis will do anything - anything - to get visuals from crime scenes. The conception is just brilliant, and screams to your face, what kind of society are we living in. I think Psychopathy is going to be one of the biggest issue in our generation asides with mental illneses. And this movie reflects perfectly. You understand the character, which is geniusly performed by Jake Gyllenhaal. 

7. Inside Llewyn Davis

The Coen brothers' exquisitely sad and funny new comedy is set in a world of music that somehow combines childlike innocence with an aged and exhausted acceptance of the world. It is a beguilingly studied period piece from America's early-60s Greenwich Village folk scene. Every frame looks like a classic album cover, or at the very least a great inner gatefold – these are screen images that look as if they should have lyrics and sleeve notes superimposed. This film was notably passed over for Oscar nominations. Perhaps there's something in its unfashionable melancholy that didn't hook the attention of Academy award voters. But it is as pungent and powerfully distinctive as a cup of hot black coffee. This movie is about sacrificing everything for your art, directionlessness  (is there such a word?) , and finding the right path. Existential theme, with surpisingly good acting from Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, and Justin Timberlake. This is an Odyssey-story from the 1960′s America. What more you could ask for? 

6. Dunkirk

Reinventing a genre is quite exceptional. And Nolan did it. The best war movies of the last 20 years, including Saving Private Ryan and Hacksaw Ridge, have also placed viewers in the centre of battle. Nolan has not reinvented that immersive approach, but he comes close to perfecting it. The story structure is-again- brilliant. There’s no main character in the movie-just like in a war-but only  scared people. They want to go home. But they can’t. We’re with them with their struggle, and fears. We’re in the air, land, or water, it’s just a haunting terror.  And the soundtrack from Hans Zimmer is really remarkable. You hear it, and you recognize the movie. That’s what I call a score. Reflects perfectly, and holds the attention throughout the whole movie.

5. Hell or High Water

Another genre-twister masterpiece. This Neo-Western is just pure art. Hell or High Water is a film about a criminal  who commits the ultimate offence of putting his gorgeous and much nicer brother in a ski mask for several minutes of this film. Okay actually it’s about a career criminal brother and his he-wasn’t-but-he-is-now criminal brother who team up to commit a series of small-scale bank robberies across Texas, with the aim, finally – after several generations – of lifting the family out of seemingly inescapable grinding poverty. The part of Texas they live in is dying on its feet so career criminal is pretty much the only career left open that doesn’t involve serving in a diner or herding the few remaining cattle. It would’ve been easy for Hell or High Water to to turn out a cliche-ridden double bromance as there are quite a few movie tropes in this love story / revenge thriller, so it’s a tribute to director David Mackenzie that it’s actually a very touching, at times funny, at times quite brutal story. With a bit of grudge-bearing thrown in at the end to stop it being too redemptive. Memorable scenes, great acting, and a deromanticized western-feeling. After this film, you want to live in Texas, where everything’s slower, but sometimes you can chase criminals. It’s nice, isn’t it? 

4. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Martin McDonagh’s fiercely written, stabbingly pleasurable tragicomedy stars a magnificent Frances McDormand; watching it is like having your funny bone struck repeatedly, expertly and very much too hard by a karate super-black-belt capable of bringing a rhino to its knees with a single punch behind the ear. He’s a scriptwriter genius, it was shocking, how perfectly the dialouges and the actions were constructed. It is a film about vengeance, violence and the acceptance of death, combining subtlety and unsubtlety, and moreover wrongfooting you as to what and whom it is centrally about. The drama happens in a town with an insidiously pessimistic name – Ebbing, Missouri, a remote and fictional community in the southern United States, where the joy of life does seem to be receding. There is a recurrent keynote of elegiac sadness established by the Irish ballad The Last Rose of Summer and Townes Van Zandt’s country hit Buckskin Stallion Blues, a musical combination which bridges the Ireland which McDonagh has written about before and the America he conjures up here, an America which has something of the Coen Brothers. The resemblance is not simply down to McDormand, though she does give her best performance since her starring role as the pregnant Minnesota police chief in the Coens’ Fargo in 1996. It was brutal, controversial, and violent. 

3. Midnight in Paris

The definitive poem in English on the subject of cultural nostalgia may be a short verse by Robert Browning called “Memorabilia.” The past seems so much more vivid, more substantial, than the present, and then it evaporates with the cold touch of reality. The good old days are so alluring because we were not around, however much we wish we were. “Midnight in Paris,” Woody Allen’s charming film, imagines what would happen if that wish came true. It is marvelously romantic, even though — or precisely because — it acknowledges the disappointment that shadows every genuine expression of romanticism. The film has the inspired silliness of some of Mr. Allen’s classic comic sketches (most obviously, “A Twenties Memory,” in which the narrator’s nose is repeatedly broken by Ernest Hemingway), spiked with the rueful fatalism that has characterized so much of his later work. Nothing here is exactly new, but why would you expect otherwise in a film so pointedly suspicious of novelty? Very little is stale, either, and Mr. Allen has gracefully evaded the trap built by his grouchy admirers and unkind critics — I’m not alone in fitting both descriptions — who complain when he repeats himself and also when he experiments. Not for the first time, but for the first time in a while, he has found a credible blend of whimsy and wisdom.

2. Beautiful Boy 

This supersensitive and tasteful movie is all but insufferable, suppressing a sob at the tragedy of drug addiction afflicting someone so young and “beautiful”. It is based on what is effectively a matching set of memoirs: Beautiful Boy, by author and journalist David Sheff, his harrowing account of trying to help his son Nic battle crystal meth addiction, and Tweak – by Nic Sheff himself, about these same experiences, the author now, thankfully, eight years clean. Steve Carell does an honest, well-meaning job in the role of David and the egregiously beautiful Timothée Chalamet is earnest in the part of Nic, David’s son from his first marriage. This is like a modern-day Basketball Diaries. Honest, and Raw. Most underrated movie of the 2010′s, with an unquestionably important topic. 

1. The Social Network

Before Sorkin wrote the screenplay, Ben Mezrich wrote the book based on Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook titled: The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal. It was published in July 2009, and most of the information came from Facebook “co-founder” Eduardo Saverin, who in the film is played by Andrew Garfield. The screenplay that Sorkin wrote was blazing, he wrote the characters like they were in a William Shakespeare play, with a story full of lies, jealousy, and betrayal. I especially love how Sorkin balanced the story between 2003, 2004, and then 2010. It goes back and forth between the past when Facebook was just an idea for Mark, and in the current day when he is being sued by Cameron & Tyler Winklevoss for, in their minds, having stolen their original idea, and by his former best friend Eduardo for having him pushed out of the company. In fact, some of the very best dialogue (and the film is full of great quotes) happens during the deposition scenes. Well-recognizable, rapid-fire dialouges, wonderful directing, with Trent Reznor’s greatest soundtrack. The movie’s probably going to outlive the Facebook itself, and that’s just great. 

[improbablecarny]

god I have so many thoughts on this series I don’t actually know where to begin. It’s so good. Like... The Magnus Archives is really goddamn good. People messaging me like “oh here’s a fun little horror series :)” I would like you to know how directly you sniped me with this one. Noscoped my ass. Play of the game.

Let’s see here,

1. The insanely intricate storytelling is just blowing my mind. Everything is so deliberate and connected and precise, buildups are intense and payoffs are gratifying and the audio found footage framework is an INCREDIBLY effective shot at non-linear storytelling. The way minor details and even apparent production quirks present in the first season end up having MASSIVE effect on the story down the line is wild. Watching Gertrude’s story unfold alongside our current-day heroes, putting the pieces together across so many different years, that kind of storytelling is SO hard to pull off but they sure managed to do it.

2. The atmosphere. The gritty quality to the recordings, the very subtle usage of music and special effects, effectively spooky and a PERFECT blend of horror and noir mood, which I’ve SPECIFICALLY been hungering for lately and pulled off eloquently. The setting is so effectively conveyed through audio, I feel like I can smell the old wooden desks and papers in the Archives, feel I’m breathing in the dust motes in their dim buttery lights. It has an incredible texture to everything that gives it so much haunting life.

3. Absolutely love the take on cosmic horror. The idea of having nothing to fear but Fear Itself is very clever and there’s a lot of meta layers to it that make me absolutely giddy/completely horrified. I’ll talk about that later probably (very tired right now and it’s a smart concept that requires smarter words).

4. Adore the characters so much. John hits so many points on the list of things that I LOVE in a protagonist, and his arc has been so compelling and heartbreaking. Martin and Daisy too, really, but everyone is fascinating to ride along with and the VA performances all deserve an award. Whether it’s the chilling, passionate deliveries in the statements themselves or the weighty, human, often funny and just as often devastating interactions between the characters, I’m completely charmed by them. The scariest part of this horror story for me at this point is truly caring about what these chronically high-INT low-WIS weirdos get into, because it never ends well for them, and at this point I desperately want it to.

5. Jonny’s writing in general is just really goddamn good. The way he strings words together is fluid and fascinating, the way he matches the tone to the personality of the subject/time period of the statement, his seamless shifting from dry-humoured observations to vivid environmental imagery to some of the most grotesque shit you’ll ever hear is just brutally wonderful. I really appreciate some of the things he (and Alex) have to say about the genre as well.

I definitely have more things to say about it but I’m sitting here with my hand in a pringles can at 11pm staring off into space so I don’t think many more smart words are happening tonight. Just needed to start singing my praises in a post slightly more formal than a meme.

[feynavaley]

Submitted by @lotuslol:

Hi Feyna, how are you? Hope you are doing great today! 😊 A tiny question! (After writing this, I realized that it wasn’t tiny at all, lol)

Sometimes, while I am reading your stories, I felt like there is a pattern you are following regarding to emotion description and I wondered if you learnt it from other books and trying it out.  To put it simply, which writers influence your writing the most?

I read the list of your favorite books and authors.(And because of you, my list of “Books to read” increased and is troubling me more!! Just joking! I just mean that you opened my horizons to other worlds I want to explore. :D )

I know that, as a reader, you will be influenced by all of them to some degree. But, which ones of them influenced you the most and in what area of writing?

Take your time in answering the question. Have a nice day!

———

Thank you so much for this question and your interest! You always flatter me so much. 💖

Now, coming to your question. I thought a lot about it… and that’s when I realized that I actually have no idea. Sorry if this is useless, but… I really have no idea of which authors have influenced my writing. When I write, I’m not truly trying to copy anybody, I’m just… fumbling around in the dark as I try to find words to express what my characters are feeling? As I’m writing this, I also realize that I really should try a lot harder with my writing. I just… in Italy, we don’t focus on creative writing. In middle school, there are some modules dedicated to how different genres work and their structure, but.. nobody actually ever teaches you how to write a story. It’s only essays and literary analysis, basically. So, I’ve always just… tried writing and put it down? I really don’t know how to explain it better, I’m sorry! Omg I should really read some writing guides… but I don’t have enough time ugh.

Okay, rambling aside. You said you saw a pattern in the way I express emotions, which I’m afraid is not a good thing, but I myself am not aware of this which is even worse. I’m only conscious of the fact I try to describe emotions through physical clues, but I think it’s pretty standard, I find it in many books… The one I took inspiration from (that I read when I was a very young kid) was _L’ultimo Elfo. _It’s not even a particularly well-written book, actually, but I used to adore it and it was the first time I noticed this way to express emotions. I thought it conveyed a vivid portrait, so I tried to do something similar. It’s probably a very clichè way of doing this, though. I’m 100% sure there are much better ways.

That book also introduced me to using the third-person limited POV of a child who only has a marginal understanding of the events happening around him. I like how this creates different layers to the narration – there is what the narrator (mis)understands and react to, and what the reader grasps through details the narrator barely paid attention to and the words of other characters the child didn’t actually understand. It’s something I’m very fond of, even though I myself am not able to replicate it. In L’ultimo Elfo, this was used to create a comedic effect, but I liked it even more in a book I read much later, To Kill a Mockingbird.  (That is leagues above a children book, clearly.)

More in general, a big influence came from another children book, The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Foster. I read this one later, when I was already in high school and generally read more ‘adult’ books. (I had to pre-vet it for a cousin of mine, haha.) This book isn’t a masterpiece, clearly. A whole different level (not only in the writing but also in the complexity of the situations, characterization…) from the classics I was reading in the meantime. Yet, it left me _content _in a way adult books never had. While books often leave me troubled or unsettled, that one left a very pleasant warm, fuzzy feeling. And I realized that it was what I wanted to do as well. Yes, real life is complex and there are no good or bad people or a happy ending – but a book isn’t real life. A book can be the way to, at least for a moment, escape from real life. And, at the cost of maybe a bit of maturity or quality, I want to make people happy, too.

Then, there are books I aim to take inspiration from but I’m nowhere close to that level, haha. I think A Song of Ice and Fire should be kept in mind for working on the characterization while using a third-person limited POV. The way Martin let you get inside his characters’ heads is incredible, I don’t think I’ve ever found something to that level anywhere else. You might hate a character with all your heart – then, you get to a chapter from his POV and everything falls into place. Maybe, you still won’t like that character, but you understand him and where he comes from. You understand every irrational and cruel decision, they seem almost justified. It’s truly something incredible.

Always talking about characterization and third-person limited POV, The Other Typist showed me how powerful an unreliable narrator can be. I probably will never write something like that and I am, once again, not even close to that level, but it’s something I always try to keep in mind.

I also like the deep introspection (even though the narrator is incredibly unreliable) in La Coscienza di Zeno, and, while I write completely different topics and at an infinitely lower quality, I try to keep a bit of introspection.

There is one last thing I could probably also mention. This is going to sound horribly entitled as nothing I write is anywhere close to that level, I shouldn’t even dare to mention that work in a sentence related to my writing, but… there was a scene in the Iliad that opened my eyes to something I had always liked but never consciously grasped: using a visual detail to convey a dramatic situation. When Patroclus dies, the narrator doesn’t describe a gruesome scene – just his helmet falling to the ground. But, it conveys the entire situation much more powerfully. Now, this might sound out of place as I do tend to describe gruesome stuff if there’s any, but I also try to give small visual clues to focus on for a more dramatic effect. It probably doesn’t work, but still.

And that’s all because I honestly have no idea of what else to say. 😅 As you mentioned, many writers must have influenced me, but it’s not a conscious process. You just made me aware of how pathetically childish my writing process still is, haha. I needed this wake-up call.

Sorry for the pathetic answer, I tried to but I really couldn’t come up with anything better. Regardless, I hope you’ll have a great day! 😘

[efortmanteau]

TMA Headcanons

I sort of spoiled myself in terms of headcanons for The Adventure Zone, so now I try to finish/get caught up on podcasts and form impressions entirely in my head before introducing visual ideas via fanart. And lately I've been focusing on The Magnus Archives SOOOO here we go:

My headcanons for The Magnus Archives. A few were originally written after listening through s2. I've added my s3 thoughts below characters or in a new section. I'm only 3 episodes in to s4 so no spoilers after the end of s3.

Jon (I only recently discovered that there's no H in his spelling, whoops) aka The Archivist - Obviously Jon doesn't really have fun ever, so the main word I think of is 'austere.' He's a pale white guy with dark hair and greyish or brownish eyes who basically always dresses formally--collared shirts, slacks, maybe even vests, usually neutral colors. He's thin, but not fit--just the type of guy who doesn't put on weight since he doesn't focus much on food. Rectangular face, maybe has facial hair… I haven't decided, but if he does, it's like a goatee/mustache scenario that's always well trimmed. In my mind, he's young to mid 30s, but could look older. When he's scared or disshevelled though, he looks a lot younger. I think he's also kind of short, maybe 5'8", so he keeps really good posture to make up for it. Ben Whishaw is almost right, but he'd have to be homelier. S3 updates: Not really any? Although apparently it's Jon without an H. I've confirmed that he looks older than he is since the spider picturebook episode (which I would love Don Hertzfeld to animate, perhaps with assistance from Jules Feiffer who is 90 gd years old… that episode is so vivid in my head). Also I forgot Jon has worm… scars? Pock-marks? Not sure how that works, but you probably don't see them much, given I can't imagine him in short sleeves or shorts, although maybe he has a few on his neck visible pretty frequently, above collars. I'm was pleased to learn he is canonically asexual, but not all that surprised. Something about the way he interacted with Georgie in her apartment had me wondering… maybe it reminds me of me and my ex (I'm the asexual one, my ex isn't, but we still get along).

Martin - I immediately imagined Marty (Terry Gross Waters-Waters SAT tutor in Gayle) when I learned more about soft, sweet lad Martin, so Matty Cardarople has always kind of been in my head. That is probably just a similar name situation, but it's kind of perfect. Since Martin said he wasn't the smallest of guys but still made it into a basement window, I imagine he's kind of tall and chubby, but doesn't seem tall, slouchy, not the most confident person. Sort of a Neville Longbottom situation (before the glow-up). I think somewhere between Matty and Nick Robinson is around the correct appearance: a little more clean shaven and formally dressed than Matty often is with shorter hair (but still flippy), but softer than Nick is. This guy wears sweaters a lot. I guess he's canonically 29 at the end of s1--I had imagined him in his mid 20s somewhere, but I guess he was pretending to be older since he claimed he had a master's degree. S3 updates: Martin is probably the one who was most easy for me to imagine. I never really thought of his fixation on Jon to be a crush, which I'm really intrigued by in terms of character development. I was parsing it more of Martin being a bit of a subservient character, that he was like that to everyone in the office, but we only saw it from Jon's POV as the primary narrator. If I do a re-listen, I'll be very interested to pick out some Martin/Jon moments now that I have a different context.

Sasha (or maybe Sascha) - I sort of had Sally Donovan from BBC's Sherlock in mind initially. I tried to stray away from that and looked up "half black actress." I picked out Zawe Ashton without even realizing that she had in fact played Sally (in one episode, so not her main actress) because of her hair and skin and the fact that her face is pleasant, but not the typical hyper-button baby doll face that some actresses have. Sasha has natural hair with light curls (sometimes straightened). I originally pictured a small afro, but I think in s2, they refer to her as having long hair, so I guess not? I'm also not clear if that was Not-Sasha imitating her, or just straight up not looking like real-Sasha at all. She's slim, pretty posh/minimalist in style--grey herringbone peacoat, umbrella, boots. I imagine she's half Russian heritage-wise, since is a common Russian diminutive for Aleksandra. I would put her in the 25-27 age range. S3 updates: I caught on to Not-Sasha (partially because I saw the name in the voice actor credits, whoops), but I think I also caught something in Lottie's flat affect that clued me in. I thought that the imposter was just good at disguise, not that people had been cursed to forget what real Sasha looked like, so Melanie's introduction and take on Sasha/Not-Sasha threw me off a bit. I don't remember if the "long hair" comment was for real- or Not-Sasha. But I don't have any headcanons about Not-Sasha… just that she looks nothing like the original.

Tim - In my head Tim is the tallest main character, maybe 6'2", and pretty fit. He's imposing at first glance, but since he's so congenial and laid back (at least in s1 before Jon totally pisses him off) everyone who knows him knows he's a nice, fun guy. He's black, with fairly dark complexion, short hair, clean shaven. He probably wears sweaters too, but like… the thinner kind. None of this bulky knit from grandma that Martin rocks. I first think of Alan from Russian Doll (Charlie Barnett), but darker, just black instead of more mixed. I'd say he's around Jon's age. S3 updates: RIP in pepperinos. I guess him being fit is not unreasonable since he is… canonically? (does Alex and Jonny joking about it make it canonical) an outdoorsy adventurer. I certainly missed his friendly nature, but my headcanons didn't really change. He just looked a lot more tired up until the end of s3.

Elias - He is older than the rest of them, I would guess in his 40s or 50s, but given that it's canon that he rose in the ranks kind of quickly, maybe he's not that old after all. I don't really have a good mental picture of him, maybe because I can't differentiate his voice from John's a lot of the time until I piece the context together. In my mind he has a beard and mustache though, kind of full, and maybe dirty blonde hair that's greying a bit. S3 updates: I wouldn't be surprised if he carried a cane that was actually a sword or a gun (I'm American, so having a gun seems very easy to me, so I'm not sure if that would be rare in England). Also, did I hear something about having a grey bun? Maybe I'm completely confusing it with something else, but I'm chuckling about man bun Elias.

Michael - Well, he isn't human… but he looks kind of like a really pale guy who is mishapen and thus wearing a lot of clothing at first glance? He probably wears a lot of clothes so you can't really make him out under the trench coat, scarf, hat, etc. (I might be confusing him with someone else). I think it's canon that his hands are large and maybe have too many bones. For some reason, Michael reminds me of tourmalinated quartz--black and white for the most part, striations cutting through the clearer crystal--sort of like a metaphor for how he kind of… dimension hops? Ends up where he isn't supposed to? I imagine striations of his appearance sort of blip in and out when you look at him based on the static he causes on recordings. S3 updates: I now know that he was an assistant to Gertrude. I guess my idea of his human form is basically the same color and demeanor, just not other-worldly in proportions and bone count. Probably the tall gangly type of white guy. ALSO I guess he's kind of Helen now…? I'll do a separate one for Helen.

---BREAK to add characters I didn't write about until the end of s3---

Basira - I assume she is a Muslim woman, based on her name. I imagine she wears a hijab. I picture her as Middle-Eastern, perhaps Iranian, but she could also be black (there are a fair amount of black Muslims in America, not sure if it's common in England). Other than the hijab, she's not very feminine in her styling. Being on the force probably means you want pretty functional, utilitarian garments. I don't remember if she talked in great detail about how she joined the police, whether it was straight from school, but in my mind she's late 30s.

Daisy - I think I recall she has a back tattoo? She's a murderer so she has a tough air about her, but she's also a subtle murderer, so nothing about her screams that she's dangerous… you just get that feeling, you know? I imagine a white lady, short blonde hair, blue eyes. Kind of like Brienne of Tarth, but more plain than ugly. She's maybe early to mid 40s. I'm not sure if her relationship with Basira is supposed to be romantic or not. I kind of prefer this weird closeness that doesn't always equate to trust given their specific experiences. Regardless, I imagine they are around the same age.

Melanie - Melanie is probably the youngest, early to mid 20s. Typical build and height, maybe a little chubby, but not unable to climb fences or anything (gotta hunt them ghosts). She has a short, asymmetrical bob, dark hair, but part is dyed a bright color of pink, purple, maybe green. I imagine she has a go-to windbreaker that has some neon colors.

Helen - I'm so sad that we had to lose Michael to gain Helen. I really love the Spiral and the characters we've met who are involved with them. Helen in my mind was a badass realtor, ready to close a deal, very driven… and that carried over into becoming SpiralHelen. She sort of outsmarted it with the locked door, didn't she? I can't imagine that's very common for humans/avatars to get the better of their entities. She seems really strong willed, so I'm excited to see where she goes as a human who is becoming an avatar. I think her personality translates into her being 40-something but like lowkey hot? She probably rocks a suit with a skirt in bold colors that men's wear usually doesn't offer (all over red suit, tailored to her, pumps, straight brown hair, nice makeup). I'm not sure how the Spiral would affect her… maybe her angles just get a little more pronounced? She's probably not yet to the point of disfiguration that Michael was anyway.

Georgie - She is like a terrier who will bark at a big dog because they don't know to be afraid of it (or… how to be afraid of it, in her case). She is short, 5'2" or less (I just remembered that a lot of the listeners probably use metric measurements, so sorry for that, but I'm not going to bother converting). I imagine she is cute--she dresses up for her dates to Hungarian restaurants (my favorite detail omg girl get it) and wants to look hot, but really she can't get away from cute. Brown curly hair, big brown eyes, button nose. But resting bitch face… gotta ward off those catcalls and get taken seriously somehow.

Jergen? I can’t spell, it’s Jurgen - Jowly white guy. Wispy caramelly colored hair that's going white. Probably pretty tall, which I'm sure what an annoyance in those tunnels.

Gertrude - At first glance, just some old white lady. But after you get to know her, you realize she can probably murder you and is nowhere near as frail as you think. Curly, wiry grey hair.

[buzzdixonwriter]

From The Naked City To The Outer Limits Via Route 66

We’re gonna back into this one, so have some patience.

We’ll get there.

I’m watching a lot of old TV shows on Amazon Prime.  

Much to my delight, many (such as That Girl or The Prisoner,) are as fresh and as fun as when they first aired.

Others (looking at you, Andy Griffith Show) are better enjoyed as artifacts of their era.

A few (Perry Mason being the best example) actually take on a new resonance when seen with knowledge not available to audiences of that time.

I’m a huge fan of the original Outer Limits anthology series, with various episodes written by a wide variety of writers, including Harlan Ellison.

I’m also a huge fan of the Route 66 series, written primarily by Stirling Silliphant.  

And while I remember the old Naked City show, I very rarely watched it when it originally aired, and don’t think I ever saw it in re-runs.

But when I learned Route 66 started out as a backdoor pilot (i.e., a TV pilot filmed as an episode of an existing show) Silliphant wrote for Naked City, naturally I needed to track down that episode.

“Four Sweet Corners” turned out as less of a pilot than a proof of concept:  Two young men, drifters in modern America, travel from town to town in search of…something (even they don’t know what it is they’re really looking for, only that whatever they already found wasn’t it).  

Inspired =koff!= by Jack Kerouac’s novel On The Road, the show was supposed to be called The Searchers and star George Maharis and Bob Morris.

(Despite being well done and well received, “Four Sweet Corners” didn’t sell The Searchers and Morris’ tragic death from a cerebral hemorrhage a year later seemed to permanently put the kibosh on the idea…until Chevrolet told CBS they’d be interested in sponsoring a TV show so long as it prominently featured their redesigned Corvette and CBS asked Silliphant “Have you got anything like that?” and Silliphant said “Suuuure…there are these two guys traveling around America, driving from town to town in a brand new Chevy Corvette…” and the next thing you know Route 66 is on the air with Martin Milner sharing driving duties with Maharis [when health issues forced Maharis to drop out of the series, Glenn Corbett joined Milner as his new traveling companion].)

“Four Sweet Corners” and “Merdian”, Naked City’s own pilot episode, impressed me enough to want to watch more episodes of the show, and when I learned TV Guide once ranked "Sweet Prince of Delancey Street" as one of the 100 best TV episodes of all time, that one came next.

…and when I watched it, I was immediately struck with a sense of déjà vu.

The story is simple but effective:   To protect the other, a father (James Dunn) and son (Robert Morse, in a characteristically theatrical yet also very dramatic and gripping performance) independently confess to murdering a night watchman (the real perp is Dustin Hoffman [!] in a proto-Ratso Rizzo role).  

The episode opens with a nightmare sequence in which Morse suffers through a surreal re-creation of the crime, skulking about boxes and tables and machinery in a warehouse, climbing through windows, killing a watchman who -- when turned over -- is revealed as faceless, shooting cardboard cutouts of police by using his pointed finger as a literal gun that fires actual bullets…

…and I went, “Holy shamolley, this is Harlan Ellison’s ‘Demon With A Glass Hand’ from The Outer Limits!”

Now, I am most emphatically not saying Ellison lifted plot or characters or dialog for his script, but sunuvagun, the same visuals are there even if “Demon With A Glass Hand” uses them in an entirely different context.

"Sweet Prince of Delancey Street" first aired June 7, 1961.

Ellison at that time edited Rogue magazine in Chicago.  Desperate to get out of a bad marriage and a bad career choice., he called in favors from friends in Hollywood and came to California in 1963 (his then wife, also wanting out of Chicago, came along and agreed to divorce him once they arrived).  

In 1963 Ellison quickly sold a script to ///Ripcord///, the rights to one of his short stories to Route 66, landed a staff writer gig on Burke’s Law, and saw his Hollywood career off and running.

Always a great respecter of writing in any format or media, Ellison doubtlessly knew who Silliphant was and doubtlessly saw many shows he wrote.  He tried cracking Route 66 with original ideas and, when those didn’t sell, adapted at least two of them into short stories that he placed elsewhere.

Never shy about reworking older material, Ellison derived his core concept for “Demon With A Glass Hand” from an unfinished novel he stalled out on.  The novel called for a much broader canvas than the one Ellison pitched to The Outer Limits for “Demon With A Glass Hand”.  He also melded into the episode  references to his Earth vs. Kyba war cycle, four loosely related short stories he published in the 1950s (he later expanded on the series with collaborators).

“Demon With A Glass Hand” takes place almost entirely inside the legendary Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles.  Directed by Byron Haskin, the special effects artist turned director most famous for the original War Of The Worlds,  it’s an uncharacteristically moody and stylized piece, matching the nightmare sequence of "Sweet Prince of Delancey Street".

In fairness, Alex March, the director of "Sweet Prince of Delancey Street", isn’t a noted stylist either.  A good journeyman TV director with a huge list of credits, his Naked City episodes are otherwise entirely consistent with his career.

"Sweet Prince of Delancey Street" was written by another capable journeyman, Sy Salkowitz. Like March, Salkowitz enjoyed a long and honorable career, albeit without anything that indicates a particular taste for the fantastic.

As noted above, the parallels between "Sweet Prince of Delancey Street" and “Demon With A Glass Hand” are striking.  Much of The Outler Limits episode takes place in the upper storage area of the Bradbury Building, a space almost indistinguishable from the warehouse featured in Naked City’s episode.  One of the Kyba aliens, slain while hunting Robert Culp’s character, has no distinguishable features, same as the murdered watchman in "Sweet Prince of Delancey Street".  Robert Morse uses his hand as a weapon, literally firing it as a gun, and Culp’s eponymous glass hand is a super-computer that guides him in his battle against his Kyba pursuers.  The warehouse sequences in "Sweet Prince of Delancey Street" are both literally and figuratively nightmarish whether they reflect Morse’s dream or replay the actual crime; the entirety of “Demon With A Glass hand” is filled with stark black an white photography, ominous shadows, bizarre angles and stagings.

Ellison is no longer with us to ask, but he was never the type to borrow / lift / reference / steal the work of another unless he obtained permission first.

I’m guessing he saw "Sweet Prince of Delancey Street" in 1961 and liked it, but in chaos of the three years between seeing it and pitching to The Outer Limits the vivid details that originally attracted him slipped from his conscious mind.

When he pitched to The Outer Limits he sought to maximize his chances by crafting a dramatic story filled with “awe and mystery” that could be filmed economically on a small budget.

Once he literally locked his characters into a single location, he began pulling ideas in from all directions:  His abandoned novel, his Earth vs. Kyba stories, even a few visual prompts from The Naked City that he probably no longer recalled watching.

Just as two composers using the same notes come up with wildly different melodies, so Ellison and the creators working on Naked City came up with two wholly different reasons for the same imagery.

They’re fascinating to watch in tandem, and thanks to the modern marvels of technology, now we can.

  © Buzz Dixon

[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | RACHEL KATSTALLER

Inspired by traveling, architecture, seasonal fashion, and Nature, Austrian Alps based artist Rachel Katstaller's illustrations center around strong female figures and playful bold colors. With upcoming various book projects, including her first children’s book, Rachel balances her work and life with skateboarding, travel, as well as volunteering at her local animal shelter. We find out more about Rachel’s artistic process, her art school tip, and about some of her upcoming projects in 2018 – including her first board graphic! 

Make the Leap! 

Photographs by Florian Trattner

Introduce yourself?   Hi there! My name is Rachel Katstaller, and I’m an illustrator from a teeny tiny country in the Central American tropics. Two years ago I moved to the Austrian Alps with my Salvadorian street cat Hemingway, who terribly misses the palm trees and warm tropical weather back home.

Tell us a little about your illustrations.  How would you describe your work to someone who is just coming across it? My work centers around strong female figures and playful color palettes. These are deeply inspired by the vivid color combinations you can find when traveling in the tropics.

When did you first get into drawing?  Who were some of your early artistic influences? What artists inspire you these days? Ever since I picked up a pencil as a kid I’ve never stopped drawing, but I honestly never expected to be able to turn it into a career. I graduated and worked as a designer for a while, but it never really fulfilled me. Four years ago I decided to take the leap and pursue my real dream of becoming an illustrator. It’s been quite a ride with lots of ups and very low downs, but I’d never turn back!

My very earliest influences where definitely my grandparents, both architects who loved to make beautiful sketches of cities or oil paintings of Salvadorian market days. Also the gorgeous use of space and color by Miró counts as one of my earliest inspirations. Nowadays I find myself always checking out work by other wonderful illustrators and artists such as Carson Ellis, Tuesday Bassen and Cleon Peterson to name a few.

Take us through your artistic process? What’s a typical day in the studio like? Inspiration strikes at very strange times sometimes, so whenever I have an idea for a new illustration, I start working it through in my head, imagining shapes and colors. Once I get to the studio I most of the times just lay out the colors I want for the piece, sketch it and then get to work on the final art. It all sounds super easy and fast, but sometimes these ideas shape themselves through several days in my head until I finally see them clearly enough to put them to paper. Sometimes it feels like it takes forever! I’m a creature of habit and that’s why I try to have very regular office hours during the week. I’m the most motivated and creative in the mornings, or in the late afternoon so those hours are mainly reserved to paint and draw and dedicate myself to being creative. Afternoons I spend writing e-mails and planning out ideas, working on my online shop and mapping out personal projects. Before leaving I always make sure my workspace is clean and organized so that I have a blank slate to begin with the next day!

What are your essential art tools and materials? I love jumping from one medium to the other, it all depends on the project and client, as well as what feeling I wish to convey through my pieces. Of late I have loved combining gouache with colored pencil textures, as well as graphite. But I also love working digitally in Photoshop with my Wacom tablet, since this allows for mistakes to be easily corrected.

It’s mentioned that you’re currently living in the Alps. How has this environment or that city influenced the work you create?  What’s your favorite thing about residing there? Yes, I’ve been here for a bit now and I absolutely love it! Back in Central America we only have two seasons (rainy and dry), so actually being able to have four different seasons has been quite the experience. I love how the colors change over the course of the year, not only in nature but also in how people dress, it definitely influences my work. I also draw inspiration from architecture, which is so very different in every place I’ve visited. It’s a constant source of ideas. But what I think has been my favorite thing about living here has to be having taken up skateboarding. I’m a terrible skateboarder, almost deeply embarrassing so, but I try to get as much practice as I can. It’s led me to a wonderfully supportive group of girl skaters with whom I enjoy spending time with. They not only inspire my art but also motivate me to keep practicing and keep challenging myself to become better!

What was your last adventure that showed up in one of your illustrations, thematically or just visually? Maybe not my last but my favorite adventure was last year, when I went to Tromsø, Norway for the first time to see the northern lights. The whole 10 days I was there the sky was cloudy plus the full moon didn’t allow us to see anything! I was super disappointed about leaving without really having seen them. On our very last night there, my friends went to a party but I decided to stay home and go to bed early. I took a walk outside of the house and saw the northern lights just above me. It was such a magical experience and one that I will definitely never forget!

What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps and pursue art? It is hard to give advice to others as I pretty much still feel really small and insignificant in the art and illustration world! It is easy to feel lost and as if what you do doesn’t really matter. What I’ve found has helped me to keep moving forward is to stay as true as I can to myself and my own journey as an artist. The work we do is a reflection of our inner selves, so as we grow, so does our art. Try to not look at others and compare yourself to them. Even if it sounds impossible at times, believe in yourself!

What’s your best Art School tip that you want to share with folks? I will have to second Martin Ontiveros and say that copying is not always the proper way to praise another artist’s work. Finding your voice as an artist is a long process and there are no shortcuts to get there. It’s totally ok to get inspired by other artists, but you are unique and your work should be too.

What’s been your biggest challenge career wise and how have you overcome it or how do you continue to persevere against these challenges? My biggest challenge as an illustrator so far has been keeping constantly inspired and motivated to create new work. Last year, after working really hard on some big projects, I found myself feeling completely empty of any good new ideas. Instead of taking a break, I just continued to push myself harder and getting more and more frustrated at myself for not delivering. This brought me close to burnout and it ended up becoming a vicious cycle of sorts. I’m slowly learning to listen to myself and understand that it’s ok to need breaks from work. I’ve realized how important time off is, how traveling helps me find new ideas and refreshing ways to see the world.

What are your favorite style of VANS? Definitely the Old Skool Pro, they combine comfiness with great style!

How are you not just ONE thing?  Illustration is a very lonely job, I spend hours cooped up in the studio working and concentrating on my things. That’s why I’m extremely grateful for skateboarding. It’s as much a relieve from work as it is a downtime to connect with others. Nothing compares to hanging out with my friends and challenging myself to try out new things. I’ve also found purpose in what I do when I find that my art connects or resonates with others, even when they’re hundreds of miles away. Central America still is going through major issues regarding women’s rights and it’s something that I like voicing through my work, in the hopes it reaches the right hearts and minds. I recently collaborated with the “No Estamos Todas” project in Mexico, illustrating a victim of femicide. It’s a horrible side of our reality back home, but one that needs to be talked about and put at the center of our attention. I’m also a cat mother and do volunteer work for the shelter where my cat comes from. I try to help out as much as I can through my work and give back to the community.

What’s coming up for you the rest of 2018? I’m as much excited as I am anxious about this year to be honest. I have some big book projects coming up, one of them being the first children’s book I also do the writing for! I’m also launching some skate related merch mid year, which will include my very first board graphic (keep checking my Insta for updates! :)). I can’t even explain how excited I am!

In between projects I hope to have some time to dedicate to myself and develop my art practice further, working on personal projects and just enjoying the process of creating! Thank you so much for interviewing me!

Follow Rachel | Website | Instagram | Shop | Las Furias

[queermequeeryou]

chapter four

Mad was feeling like everything was going out of her hands. She was overwhelmed with effects that, like a ricochet, has started to hit her harder than she expected in her deepest nightmares. It was one thing to be self-reflecting, even self-blaming but it was the other one to hear it from other person’s mouth. The mouth she used to kiss with admiration and sympathy. She could really fell in love with this girl but she did not. Her head on the brink of exploding, her mind almost entirely wretched. She did not know if she should be teaching by now. It was all too much. She took the free day at university and went to the doctor which was also her good friend. Well, more of Brooklyn’s best high school colleague anyway, without further explanations he just signed the sick leave for her til the end of the week. Mad wanted to reflect on everything, focus only on book agreement and figure out if she should transfer to different university. She did not want Paris to leave as it was the best one on linguistics in NYC so the most adequate would be for Mad to just go. They both knew that seeing each other almost everyday was out of the consideration. Although, Mad really enjoyed working there and as Paris mentioned that she wants to leave, that was all even harder. What should she do? Where should she go? Mad did not talk to Brooklyn about it. He was focused on his first days living with Blackie again and also Leo was not ready for this talk. She wanted to do this later, though. As always, her brother had to know. He was the most important person in her live and it was a both-sided feeling. Mad woke up around midday and felt not even slightly better but at least she tried to get a better sleep which was more like lying under the sheets and trying her to remain with lids tightly shut. With not much effects. She went into the kitchen to have a coffee and found out that Jackson has already been fed. The water bowl full stood next to the food one as well. There was a note on the table. “Jackson has eaten. I also left some pancakes under the plate for ya. The frozen soya yogurt’s in the fridge. I work til 5, bae til 4. He’s picking me up after. I hope you’re at least fine. Gonna talk later if you’ll be up to it. Later, B.” Mad smiled a little bit. It was really nice of Brooklyn. She petted Jackson and kissed him on the forehead, then took a glance under the plate and decided to have two pancakes with the coffee.  After late breakfast/lunch Mad took Jackson for a walk and she run a bit as well but she did not feel it much today. Anyway, the weather was nice and warm but not too hot so she fancied a longer stroll with her lovely, fat dog. He seemed to enjoy it as usual so she was happy to see him having fun, chasing after birds that were flying nearby and playing with the sticks. It mood her up a tiny bit and when they got back to the apartment it was already 3 pm. She picked one of the volumes with works by Samuel Beckett and opened it on “Waiting for Godot”. She was always coming back to this story with great pleasure. Mad decided to reread it as she got almost for hours to meeting with LaToya and the crew. She was flipping the pages while touching old, smelly paper and floating deeper and deeper into the plot of the play which was both relaxing and clearing feeling. After she finished the text she closed her lids and breathed. It was a wonderful idea to get back to this story now. She stood up to heat some of the leftover tofu with vegetables from yesterday as her dinner which was probably worse idea. It gave her a feeling like it all smelled like Paris’ perfumes. It made the events from the previous day so vivid that she decided to put the food aback and went to have a shower and dress up into her more formal suit and tie. When she fixed it, she lit a cigarette and looked through the window into the widening darkness of the upcoming evening. She put her left hand into the pocket and inhaled the smoke deeply. After that, she took all of her notes and packed them into the case. When she entered the 20th floor where the company was situated the secretary told her to go to the conference room and wait. In few minutes came LaToya with few various people who greeted her politely and they all sat to talk about the book. All of them felt same strong prediction that this volume was going to be really appreciated by the public and they all agreed that she has talent. Actually, it was more of that then telling her what should she change or correct. LaToya introduced her Nazir - the Indian designer who was said to be the author of her book’s cover. He showed her the ideas he had already prepared and most of them were stunning. The work was really the greatest remedy for Leo to got out of the sickening thoughts and focus on what was important for her. After the meeting, they paced fast forward with the process which Leo enjoyed a lot. She was packing back her things to the case still reflecting on the book when LaToya suggested they should have dinner together to celebrate the next huge step. Actually, Leo felt very hungry after refusing to eat dinner before heading to this appointment so she accepted the proposition. They took her Lincoln and Mad drove them to the best Italian restaurant nearby that LaToya chose. Mad was not used to go to fancy places but she thought it is a special day and she can afford it one time so she will not disagree. Moreover, she was an aficionado of Italian cuisine so it was a wonderful idea to go and have a dish there. Like Mad has expected, the place was very sophisticated and elegant. She was probably one of very few people who was up to go there and not feel strange. Very common opinion shared by many was that going to expansive restaurants was the habit of incredibly rich individuals who were actors in their lives and preferred to eat some outstanding, pricey food while doing their businesses with not a bit of honesty or caring. For Mad it was more like the very festive, elegant way of spending time with the others. She was not wealthy enough to let it happen on a regular basis but she did not mind it at all and in times when situation was self-explaining she was always willing to eat some good food in places that got some charm in them. She held the door for LaToya and helped her with the coat. They were seated close to the window and suggested wine for the start. After a little while they were sipping a red drink while looking ahead for the landscape of New York City at night and it was incredibly beautiful. “I’m really glad that I’m the one who’s going to publish your book. Because I’ll take lots of credit for it. It’s a win-win without any doubts.” “Well, I have to say that I share your opinion. Thank you, LaToya. I’m glad for what you’ve been doing.” replied Mad and took a sip of her drink. “You’ve mentioned one time that you were living in Spain. How was that?” this question seemed out of the blue but Leo did not mind to answer that one. “I liked it a lot but I missed by brother and there came a time when I just had to get back where I belong.” “It’s here or in Africa?” her sight was very thrilling and approaching. “For now I can say it’s here but I’ll definitely get back to Africa sometime soon”. LaToya smiled a little. “Get back. May I ask why Africa or does it really not have an answer at all?” “I guess you know as much as I know. That’s just this feeling of freedom, of belonging. I feel this also here in New York but Africa has one more advantage. I feel like when I'm there I am able to enjoy life more. I am more thankful for every second, more in a moment here and right now. I don’t know but there are two places for me that matters. New York City and the African continent and I can’t even explain it properly.” LaToya took her half empty glass and looked into the surface while moving it in the different angle. “You know, my brother was black. He had a huge obsession or passion on Africa as well. He wanted to go there and he was speaking about his origins all the time. I really saw it as a grief. I knew that was the grief he had. I don’t understand why. He was born there but he was always speaking about slavery, about how the States are romanticised by almost every American and European and many more people. I did not understand him but I tried. He got married. His wife really quickly got pregnant and Martin was beyond happy. He wanted this so much and when the daughter was born it turned out it’s not his. The daughter was white. He was disappointed because his wife didn’t tell him she got pregnant with white guy a little before they met. That broke him. He left her but then he got his things together and got back because he really loved her. They managed to get out of this but when their daughter was three, Lula died because she had a car accident. Martin had to put his dreams of getting to Africa aback and focus on rising daughter. He really learnt to love her paying no attention to the genetics. We were living together, supporting each other but I still didn’t understand him a tiny bit. We were not close but I liked his daughter. She was the only child I could manage to accept and even like. The worst thing..” LaToya finished the last sip from the glass and moved her glass towards Mad then gave a look on the bottle so the younger woman poured her more wine. “The word thing was one Martin got cancer. I saw him falling apart entirely. He was not able to accept he’ll never go to Africa. He stopped even caring for his daughter. She just closed himself to everybody and I only heard some tribal music from his room, sometimes sobbing, you know. I knew he’s not going to make it because he was not even fighting. I didn't understand him. I have never managed to do this but strangely enough, I feel like being with you makes me more understanding to him. And even more oddly, you remind me of him. That’s why I hired you. Because all of this made me expect you’ll be the right person. Passionate-driven. You really love Africa. And you write a book about what you love. How could that not be a success?  She smiled again and took another sip of the wine. Mad was quite surprised by her lack of cold today. Maybe, it was too far speaking but definitely she was more personal to her. Leo took her hand on the table and rub it gently. LaToya let her do this. They finished their drinks after food not speaking much after this story. “Would you like to have a smoke at my office?” said LaToya finally when they have already float a little into thoughts. “I would really not mind it at all.” replied Leo and helped her out with the coat. 

* LaToya rolled a joint really quickly and used her tongue to stick the paper together. Leo was impressed as she never learnt how to roll the cigarettes or joints that fast. She normally simply remained with plain package of Marlboro. The businesswoman sat on the table and lit the joint with half closed eyes. Mad stood up and walked towards her. She put her hands on the table having LaToya in between and she opened her mouths with the smoke in her direction. She gave her the joint. Mad took a good inhale and put her hand on LaToya’s waist. She laughed shortly and put the joint to the ashtray for a moment. They shared a glance for a while, Leo put hands on her cheeks and kissed her lips really deeply. LaToya unzipped her pants. They were kissing and Leo found her way to the zip of the older woman’s skirt. This time, under that she was wearing tights with garters and it was mind-blowing how she was looking that good in them. Leo was able to relax but she was not sure if she is really making a progress on not mixing more things but it was good to be not focused on the case with Paris. She moved her hand between LaToya’s legs and let herself melt into this gestures and all the fantasies she has had about the woman from the first moment they have met. Mad really needed that time after all that has happened. LaToya moaned louder and Leo moved her fingers upper. She just did not expect one thing but right now it was not the time she will figure it out. But without a doubt, she will do it soon.

[creativesage]

By Greg Satell

Summer is finally here! Time to break out the sunblock, beach towels and get some time to relax. If you’re anything like me, it’s also a time to get some serious reading done. There’s just something about laying out in the sun that makes the pages turn faster and helps information to sink in.

This summer, I have a feeling that change will be on a lot of people’s minds and not just political change. Revolutions in technologies, from clean energy to genomics to artificial intelligence, are reshaping the world as we know it. The disruptions over the next decade will likely dwarf those in the last.

In some ways, the forces of change today are unprecedented. We’ve likely never had so many powerful forces swirling around at the same time. You would have to go back to the turn of the 20th century to find anything remotely similar. However, we can learn a lot from those who came before us. So I offer you these 17 books that will help you chart a path forward.

Cascades, by Greg Satell

This is obviously a shameless plug. Nevertheless, I couldn’t be more proud of it and, if you’re a fan of this blog, I’m sure you will love this book. It’s is the product of 15 years of research into how we create change in our organizations, our industries, our communities and throughout society as a whole.

Cascades also has an interesting back story. In 2004, I found myself managing a major news organization in Ukraine during the Orange Revolution. One of the things that amazed me was how none of the usual rules seemed to apply. Anybody who had traditionally forms of power found themselves almost powerless to shape events. At the same time, some mysterious force that nobody could describe, but no one could deny, was driving things forward.

It took me over a decade to figure out what that mysterious force was and years more to be able to articulate it in a form that is not only comprehensive, but fun and exciting to read. I hope you pick it up, enjoy it and let me know what you think.

Get it now

Blueprint For Revolution, by Srdja Popović

Blueprint for Revolution tells the personal story of Srdja Popovic’s journey from bassist in a rock band to leading a revolution against Slobodan Milošević in Serbia and then moving on to establish the Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS), which trains activists around the world. I used this book extensively as a source for Cascades.

The book is packed with practical insights, but what makes it such a joy to read is Srdja himself. Although he is an inspiring figure on the world stage, he never takes himself too seriously. He has unique and playful sense of humor that comes through on every page. It is rare that a book so powerful can also leave you in stitches.

Get it now

Six Degrees, by Duncan Watts

In 2006, a few years after the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, I found myself in Silicon Valley for a few weeks. Social networks were just rising to the fore and it seemed that everybody in the tech world was talking about them. Because digital media was a big part of our business, I figured I should learn more about the how networks function.

That’s what led me to Duncan Watts and this wonderful book about the science of networks. What I found while reading it, much to my surprise, was a mathematical framework that explained much of what I did not understand while the events of 2004 were swirling around me. That’s what really got me hooked on studying movements.

Watts helped pioneer modern network science and Six Degrees explains the basic concepts with clarity and wit. He not only brings pathbreaking insight, but is also a talented storyteller and brings the ideas to life with vivid examples and case studies. He somehow manages to make cutting edge science fun and enjoyable.

Get it now

Regional Advantage, by AnnaLee Saxenian

In the 1970s, Route 128 outside of Boston was the center of the technological universe. With firms like DEC and Data General, it looked poised to dominate the nascent computer industry. Its success led to the “Massachusetts Miracle” that helped propel Michael Dukakis to a Presidential candidacy. But by the late 80’s, the mantle had passed to Silicon Valley.

In this meticulously researched book, AnnaLee Saxenian explains why. While Route 128 was focused on the success of individual firms, Silicon Valley fostered an ecosystem that proved, and continues to prove to this day, to be a constant driver of change in the world of technology and beyond. Written over 20 years ago, this book stands the test of time.

Get it now

Why Civil Resistance Works, by Erica Chenoweth & Maria Stephan

When we think about political revolution, we often conjure up images of partisan soldiers in mountain camps gearing up for battle. Yet in their statistical analysis of over a century’s worth of conflicts, Chenoweth and Stephan found that non-violent resistance campaigns were twice as effective as violent uprisings. The reason: nonviolent campaigns attract more participation.

The importance of participation is one of those insights that is so seemingly obvious that we forget how often it is overlooked. All too often, change leaders insist on unwavering commitment to their cause, turning off many would-be supporters. Many change efforts, such as the Occupy protests, fail for this reason.

Although this book focuses on political movements, its insights are just as important for corporate and organizational change efforts. Before you can build commitment, you must build participation. So that’s where you need to focus your efforts.

Get it now

Scaling Up Excellence, by Robert Sutton & Huggy Rao

Much as Chenoweth and Stephan analyze and explain what makes political movements succeed, Sutton and Rao show what works in a corporate context. Utilizing in-depth case studies of companies like Ikea, Home Depot and others, they describe cleary what it takes to take an initial success and scale it into a repeatable model.

Bob Sutton is one of my favorite business writers, so I’ve read almost everything he’s written and this book is as good as any of them. I found it especially valuable as a source for Cascades.

Get it now

A Force More Powerful, by Peter Ackerman & Jack DuVall

This is the definitive book on non-violent movements. It details just about every major uprising of the 20th century, from the iconic struggles of Gandhi, Mandela and King to much lesser known campaigns in places like El Salvador and Chile. Despite the amazing breadth, Ackerman and DuVall somehow manage impressive depth and insight into each story.

One of the most interesting stories is how the Danes used nonviolent methods to resist Hitler’s forces. Many people assume that truly evil regimes like the Nazis require a violent response. A Force More Powerful shows how and why that is demonstrably untrue.

Get it now

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr., by Clayborne Carson

The term “autobiography” is somewhat of a misnomer in this case, because the book is actually an edited version of King’s writings rather than something that the civil rights leader sat down and pieced together himself. Nevertheless, Clayborne Carson does such a capable job editing, linking King’s text together with his own commentary, that it reads almost as it was a real autobiography.

If your interested in not just the facts of King’s life, but his spirit and motivations, you can do no better than this book. It is not only inspiring and informative, but also a real pleasure to read.

Get it now

Root & Branch, by Rawn James Jr., and Devil In the Grove, by Gilbert King

Thurgood Marshall had such a legendary career as a Supreme Court Justice that his importance to the civil rights movement is often overlooked. Marshall worked for decades to painstakingly dismantle Jim Crow and put civil rights on a solid legal footing. It is rare that such brilliance, courage and dignity cans reside in the same man. He is truly an American hero.

Both of these books are excellence. Root & Branch spans Marshal’s entire career and his relationship with his mentor, Charles Hamilton Houston. Devil in the Grove, which won the Pulitzer Prize, tells the story through the lens of the infamous Groveland case. I recommend both highly.

Get Root and Branch     Get Devil in the Grove

Sisters, by Jean H. Baker, and A Woman’s Crusade, by Mary Walton

In many ways, the women’s movement in the 19th century is the prototypical change movement. As hard as it is to believe today, women were treated almost as property back. They couldn’t own property, travel without a male chaperone or, in many cases, own property. Husbands couldn’t even be prosecuted for abuse. The methods those women pioneered to earn their rights are still in use today.

These two books bring the story to life in very different ways. Sisters covers five of the most consequential leaders, Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Frances Willard and Alice Paul. A Woman’s Crusade focuses exclusively on the life of Alice Paul and how her efforts led to the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

Get Sisters     Get A Woman’s Crusade

Awakening, by Nathaniel Frank

Perhaps the most successful movement in recent history has been the struggle for LGBT rights. After more than a half century of struggle, popular sentiment shifted sharply in favor of same-sex marriage and other protections for LGBT couples. Perhaps most surprising, it was a prominent conservative lawyer, Ted Olson, who argued one the decisive cases in the Supreme Court.

In Awakening, Nathaniel tells the amazing story from start to finish. This book is very well researched, but also highly readable and it covers not only the challenges the movement faced with the establishment, but also the conflicts and debates within the movement itself.

Get it now

Small Acts of Resistance, by Steve Crawshaw and John Jackson

During Poland’s Solidarity movement in 1982, a boycott was organized against the government’s propaganda-laden evening news. The problem with the boycott was obvious. How do you show others that you’re not watching TV?

The residents of Świdnik, a small city near Lublin, found a way. Instead of watching the news at 7:30, they all went for an evening walk, many carrying their TV sets in carriages and wheelbarrows. Before long, the practice spread to other Polish cities and the boycott turned into a rousing success.

You’ll be amazed at all the ingenious ways to that activists think up to defy the powers oppose them in this delightful book. It’s amazingly instructive, as well as a lot of fun! Also, because each chapter is very short, it’s a perfect book to read in small chunks.

Get it now

Boyd, by Robert Coram

This highly acclaimed book is best known for the story of how Colonel John Boyd developed the the OODA loop, but even more importantly is how it chronicles his efforts to reform the Pentagon from within. For decades, he fought a quiet insurgency against an entrenched bureaucracy with almost unbelievable success.

One of the things I constantly hear from executives is how powerless they feel to lead change inside their organizations. Colonel Boyd showed that it can be done, which is why I think this is a book that every aspiring changemaker should read.

Get it now

Walking with the Wind, by John Lewis

Today John Lewis is often referred to as “the conscience of Congress,” but he rose to fame as one of the “Big Six of civil rights” in his role as President of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Walking with the Wind tells the story, in his own words, of his rise from a sharecropper’s son to a genuine American hero.

This book has a soul to it that is rare, even in a memoir. It is not only an inspiration, it is an absolute joy to read. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.

Get it now

Long Walk To Freedom, by Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela is remembered today as an almost saintly figure, but he began as an angry nationalist. “I was angry at the white man, not at racism,” he writes in Long Walk to Freedom. “While I was not prepared to hurl the white man into the sea, I would have been perfectly happy if he climbed aboard his steamships and left the continent of his own volition.”

Yet he learned over time the value of working with others and the necessity of staying true to his principles, even when they became inconvenient. After he rose to the power, he safeguarded the rights of white South Africans as faithfully as he fought for the rights of his own people. This book tells that story. It is a must read.

Get it now

[Entire post, click on the title link to read it at Digital Tonto.]

***

At Creative Sage™, we love to connect corporate leaders and entrepreneurs with good causes, and help companies start genuine Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability, Social Entrepreneurship, Intrapreneurship, Impact Investing and/or philanthropy programs that are a win-win for all partners. We’re also researching new developments in the Sharing Economy that include new business models to increase profits, and also support social good.

Please do not hesitate to email us if you would like to discuss your situation and find out more about how we can help your organization move forward to a more innovative and profitable future, strengthening your branding and resonance with customers while helping to do good in the world through appropriate, authentic CSR partnerships with nonprofits, philanthropists, educational institutions and programs, or government agencies and community organizations.

We can also help you connect with celebrities and other notable people who can help amplify your message of social good, or headline entertainment events and concerts for good causes. You can call us at 1-510-845-5510 in San Francisco / Silicon Valley. We look forward to talking with you!

***

[thestagthatlovedthewolf]

Tagged by @house-arya :) Thank you so much for the tag :D Also thank you to @atimeofwhichwehavenoknowledge​ :)

-> What made you sign up to Tumblr? wanting to be more invloved in the FRIENDS and Scream movies fandom

-> What did your blog start off as being? always a fandom blog, like I said it started with FRIENDS and Scream

-> Have you ever received any creepy asks, and if so, what did they say? no, I don’t think so...

-> Have you ever had a bad experience on tumblr? no, I don’t think soo...

-> If you had to pick a favourite English monarch, who would you pick? Henry VIII - years ago I started reading about him, and since then I’ve been really interested in his life

-> Do you prefer hot or cold? cold - I can always put on another sweater or jacket, while I can’t and don’t want to walk around naked

-> Do you have a special skill or talent? I don’t think so...

-> Do you have a phobia of anything? death

-> If you had to pick a favourite real life villain from history, who would you pick? I have no idea. I don’t usually like villains, even less when they are real. Maybe most of the socialists/communists during the ‘Estado Novo’ in Portugal, they were seen as villains, but they gave us democracy again... or maybe Martin Luther (and other protestants leaders) - he was seen as a villain of the church - but I’m glad they opened talks about Christianity again, I’m not religious but I like that period of story... Really none of these figures are still seen as villains, I think, they were only villains in their time

-> Do you have any dark traits? I don’t think so

-> If you could do anything, literally anything, like fly on a unicorn or something, what would it be? anything...  maybe travel, read whatever I want, study history, actual walk through the classical ruins in Italy and Greece

-> What is the scale of the worst argument you’ve ever had? bad. I try to not get mad, so I hold up stuff in, and then I explode... so probably bad...

-> What is your favourite slush flavour? I don’t really drink slushies... but maybe strawberry

-> If you could bring back any food or drink from your childhood that has been discontinued, what would it be? I don’t remember many things that have been discontinued, but this weekend I was talking about pez - those have been discontinued, at least here. Also chocolate cigarettes - they were prohibited when I was like 6 or 7, but I think I saw some last year or something

-> What is your favourite and most vivid childhood memory? I don’t know... I luckily have many happy memories, but I always love the memories of  playing with my cousins

-> If you could bring anyone back from the dead who would it be? I don’t know... bringing someone from the dead can be so dangerous so I don’t know

-> If you could go back to any time period and live there for a week, which period would it be and why? If I have to stay in Portugal, during Roman occupation. If not Greece, during the 5th century b.C.

-> If you could visit any abandoned place to take pictures, where would it be? ancient ruins, during the day. I’m not going to abandoned places at night...

> Do you have any particular, peculiar interests? no, I don’t think so... pretty normal interests

-> Do you have a creepy/scary experience that has happened to you, and what was it? not really scary/creepy thing... I think... I may have blocked it out

-> Do you like/read creepypasta stories? If so, what’s your favourite story? no, I really don’t like to read that type of stuff

-> If you were in the Wars of the Roses, would you be a Lancastrian, or a Yorkist? maybe Lancastrian, mostly because it starts the Tudor dynasty

-> What is your recurring nightmare? I don’t really have recurring nightmares, but they are all around kidnapping, deaths, and stuff like that, but I normally can pull myself out of it, with having characters I like saving me or whoever is being hurt (I remember when I was 11/12 having Peter Pan and the Disney Princess saving me from being kidnapped in a parking lot, it’s not really the Princess saving me anymore, but it’s similar). The only recurring nightmare I remember was from when I was 4 or 5, I dreamed quite often of a witch and a crocodile tying my pre-school teacher to a rocket and sending her to space...

-> Have you ever had a lucid dream? I don’t think so, unless this thing about working good characters into my nightmares...

-> If you could go to another planet, which would it be? any of them, Uranus. It had been my favorite planet since I was a kid, because I’ve always LOVED Haruka (Sailor Uranus)

->What is your religion, if any? None

-> Have you ever got so drunk, that you did something really embarrassing, and if so, what did you do? no, I don’t drink often. And when I do, it’s just a glass with a meal

-> Mike, Dustin, Lucas, or Will? Dustin or Lucas -  I’m always changing my mind about the two

-> Do you like Marina and the Diamonds? the name was familiar from the radio, but I had to check the songs. And yeah, I think I like it...

-> Charli XCX? this one I have never heard about

-> Tag a blog that you’ve seen, and you love their posts, but have never told them, and would like to talk to them. I don’t know... I follow so many people, and I feel like the blogs I really love and check very often, the people know because I’ve probably liked or reblogged aalmost every post. But I’ll give a shout out to a blog I just followed last week and really liked - @lovelunarchron - which led me to fanfic and it’s related to The Lunar Chronicles, so a lot of fun!!!

-> Pick one thing you like/love from the 80s. STAR WARS!!!!

-> What year were you born, and name something cool from that year. 1996. A Game of Thrones!! It came out in the same month as I was born. The book in the beginning of August, and me at the end

-> What was your blog name originally? (If you had another blog name) veridissima. The name I use for everything else

-> Do you follow any blogs that you know the user in real life? Yeah, a few friends from high school and middle school, but none are really fandom blogs, mostly music and pretty pictures, so I few of them have unfollowed me by now. And the other day when I met with two of my friends that created their tumblr around the time I did (they created it a bit earlier), and they really come here anymore

-> If you are in the ST fandom, which is your favourite song off the ST soundtrack? what is ST? I was thinking it was Star Trek, but the soundtrack thing makes me confused...But I’m not in the Star Trek fandom, so I wouldn’t answer this either way. EDIT: Wait... is it Stranger Things? If yes, I do LOVE the entire soundtrack, but I really like the main theme 

-> Finally, give your opinion on the person who tagged you! ✨ You’re AWESOME!!! And such a GREAT addition to the Gendrya family!!!

Tagging: @xv12, @indigoraysoflight, @cloudsinmycoffee9, @clevercloudpoetry, @myownsuperintendent, @sandyd94, @justwinginoverthings, @starkfish

[benlawwrites]

AGENDAS pt 4

THERESA Theresa closed the door and locked it. But she didn’t leave right away. Instead she watched and listened to the exchange between Martin and Sandra. Sandra? For as long as she could remember, almost twenty years, Theresa had known her as Denise or Mother. She had taken care of Theresa and been a mother to her ever since her birth mother had passed away when she was eight. In that time, no one had called her by any other names but Madame or Denise in Theresa’s presence. Theresa had even grown to call her mom or mother when in the presence of company. She had no idea that she married, or even married to Martin for that matter. Married to Martin? Dead? Theresa knew she would have to wait to get the answers she needed. She looked through the peep hole again to find that Martin and Denise, or was it actually Sandra, had disappeared down the steps together. Theresa went back to her room after cleaning up the potpourri she had dropped earlier. She took another shower and started to get dressed. She discarded the dress she intended to wear, for a pair of house slacks and a camisole. Before Martin showed up, she was supposed to be accompanying Denise/Sandra/Mother to an important meeting. But then the confrontation between Martin and Mother happened. She lay in her bed and turned on the television looking for some kind of distraction, but visions of Martin and Mother kept popping up in her mind. She had to get answers. Frustrated, Theresa got out of her bed and went into the living room to get her cellular phone. She decided to call Mother first. The phone rang twice before it picked up. “Hello.” Theresa inwardly cringed at the sound of Georgia’s voice. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her, but Theresa hated that she always picked up the phone. No matter the time of day or night, it was like she was Mother’s personal body guard, or pit bull or something like that. Georgia was only a year older than Theresa and had been around almost as long as Mother had been. She couldn’t remember the first time she saw or met Georgia. She just showed up and never left. They grew up together. At first she was supposed to be a companion for Theresa, and she would have considered looking at Georgia like a sister if she had ever shown an ounce of personality. Her face and voice always read with extreme monotony. The only life she outwardly exhibited was done through her varying hairstyles, all ranging from different to full out weird. As weird as she was Georgia was more than efficient. One day while they were in a live away high school, Theresa had gotten into an argument with a group of girls. The entire time Georgia was right there seeming to not pay attention, she was practically invisible to the angry mob as she sat at the desk not far away. But as soon as the first girl lunged at Theresa, Georgia appeared between the girls and punched Theresa’s attacker in the nose. A loud crunch quieted the entire crowd and the girl fell to the floor holding her nose, blood freely flowing out. Immediately after the mob of girls dispersed but not before calling a teacher and blaming the entire altercation on Georgia. She was branded as crazy and Theresa never spoke up for her. After that, Georgia was pulled from the school and began a homeschool curriculum while Theresa finished high school and went on to college. When she returned home, Georgia was at Mother’s side operating as her personal assistant. “Hello Georgia, how are you today?” “I’m well, how can I help you?” Georgia’s voice wasn’t as pleasant as her words were polite. But Theresa could tell she was trying. She smiled at the notion. “I’m guessing that you and Mother have already left. Is she available to speak?” “Yes, please hold.” Theresa heard a commotion and Mother swearing at someone before she took the phone from Georgia. “Hello?” “Hello Mother, It’s me.” “Ah yes Theresa my love, I was waiting for your call.” “What is going on? Why does Martin think you are his dead wife Sandra?” Theresa heard what sounded like moans mixed with a chuckle escape her step-mother’s lips. She sounded calm despite the anxiety in Theresa’s voice. “All will be told in due time, child. But truth be told, you did well to hide that you knew me yourself.” “Well for a second I felt like I didn’t know you Mother. And Martin didn’t seem to catch that I called you Denise. Are you really his wife, Sandra?” Theresa heard Mother sigh deeply. “Hold on Theresa. Zack stop.” There was a loud smack. “I said stop, Boy!” There was some shuffling in the background, before she returned to the phone. “Yes dear. You just can’t leave well enough alone can you?” “Mother who is Zack and what was he doing that you had to smack him?” “Theresa, which do you want answers for, my past and Martin, or an unimportant boy that can’t understand simple English and has nothing to do with you? Pick your battle Theresa, and choose quickly, my patience grows thinner by the second.” “Tell me about you and Martin, Denise.” Theresa conceded after a moment’s silence. She could tell that her step-mother was in one of her moods, and it was best not push her. “I don’t have time to give you a long drawn out history lesson on my life so I will give you an abbreviated version. Before your mother passed, I was married to Martin, but he was abusive both mentally and physically to me. When I tried to leave he cornered me and the man that tried to help me. There was an altercation and Martin shot me and blamed it on my friend. They took me to the hospital and put an innocent man in jail. I let them presume I was dead. Used some contacts to forge my death certificate and create my new identity and now I am here. I had no intention of you having to deal with this and I was very much surprised when I saw him enter the building ahead of me. When I saw him at your door, and then you with him, I was shocked to say the least. I had no idea you were into more mature men, Theresa” There was an uneven silence as Theresa thought about the “abbreviated history lesson” that she just received. “But that can also be put to good use.” Before Theresa could respond her step mother continued. “When I return we will have to discuss how you will fit into my plans for the near future. I have to go now. I think I will send Georgia back to keep you company for a while.” Theresa was caught off guard by the last statement. But she quickly recovered. “No Mother, that wouldn’t be necessary.” “I insist.” At that, the line clicked and went dead. Theresa threw the phone into the couch with an exasperated sigh, and went to pour herself a glass of wine. As she finished her first glass in one long pull she poured another glass to sip. She had to think. Things just weren’t adding up. She wanted to believe Mother, but it didn’t make sense that Martin would have tried to kill her. The look on his face when he recognized his wife wasn’t one that a man that tried to kill his wife would have. Beneath that fear was actual hurt. She had to get more information. Theresa ran back to the phone, intending to call Martin but decided to send a text instead. He would probably be at work by now. But she really needed to talk to him. Her phone showed her that he received the text, so from here all Theresa could do was wait. “This can’t be real.” Theresa spoke to herself. Nothing about Martin correlated with the kind actions that Mother suggested. She had met him a year or so ago. He was dating his fiancé then but they weren’t serious yet, or so he said. He walked up to her at the bar in his typical arrogant attorney confidence, and was immediately shot down. But that didn’t stop him from approaching her every time he saw her in the bar. Theresa was sure he only wanted sex or a quick lay and a story to tell his buddies. So one evening she gave him just that. She propositioned him and they met in a hotel and had some of the best sex that Theresa had ever had. Even though Martin was almost 15 years her senior, his strength, dexterity and attention to detail surprised her and always left her wanting more. And more is what she got, even when things got more serious between Martin and his fiancé. Whenever things got rough or stressful for Martin he would find himself on her couch, in her bed, or like recently, in her hallway. It’s not like what they had was a relationship. Theresa was always fully aware of the situation and Martin’s intentions. But he made it enjoyable and he always treated her with respect. He never demanded that she not see anyone else, she just got bored with men that didn’t compare to Martin’s sex. She went on dates and would brush the men off at the end, so that they wouldn’t try to sleep with her. Martin even took her out every now and then. But when he told her that he had proposed, Theresa told him they had to stop. And then she told him again and again after every time they had awesome spontaneous break up sex, again and again. The sex was amazing, and the thought of his tongue literally made her eyes roll back with pleasure. They probably stopped at least six times in the last month. Theresa was about to indulge in one of her most vivid memories when her doorbell rang. She tried to ignore it. But it rang again. She remembered that Mother was sending Georgia to stay with her for a while and got up to answer the door. She grumbled all the way down the hallway, complaining that she didn’t need a babysitter. And was ready to tell Georgia just that when she pulled the door open. But it wasn’t Georgia. A smartly dressed middle-aged woman greeted her with a ridiculously fake smile. “Hello, are you Theresa?” The woman asked. “Yes, Can I help you?” Theresa wondered. “Why yes, I believe you can. First let me introduce myself. My name is Francis Moore. I’m Martin’s fiancé.” to be continued....

[kazti]

Reflections on Letter From Birmingham Jail

On Juneteenth 2020, I read for the first time the Letter From Birmingham Jail by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Although it is an important work in civil rights history, it is a piece that school taught me existed but never required me to read. And with that I wanted to read it for the first time to actually understand why it was so special and why it's not taught at the same capacity as the I Have a Dream Speech that was forcibly shoved in our minds as the only lasting legacy we were taught to take away from Dr. King.

The first thing that catches my attention about the letter is the way it is written. Dr. King was clearly a very educated and thoughtful thinker. His education as a reverend is clearly apparent in all the biblical anecdotes. But Dr. King also was much more worldly as he repeatedly brings up Aristotle, Thomas Jefferson, Lincoln, and the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber. The letter itself is a response to a publication put out by a group of eight southern white religious leaders who are concerned about the protests, boycotting, and demonstrations that were being put on by blacks in the 1960s. In his response, Dr. King not only tears down their arguments with vivid visualizations of the black struggle, and a very honest view on why the demonstrations are absolutely necessary, but he also uses raw emotions at times to get his point across. It was not evident to me while reading it but now upon reflection I realize the entire letter is raw emotion. "...when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son asking in agonizing pathos, 'Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?'". It is clear that Dr. King understands that an entire side of the population does not understand at all. He is very clear when he argues that "the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizens Councillor or the Ku Klux Klanner but the white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice". He knows that in the 1960's there was very little true support from the white community for the civil rights of blacks. That those who had not lived in black skin has no idea what kind of treatment the black community was subjugated to. That the protests, marches, boycotts, demonstrations, could never "wait for the right time" because the truth is that every moment where you wait for permission is wasted.

The worst part about reading the Letter From Birmingham Jail is that I am not entirely convinced that it was written in 1963. 1963 was 57 years ago. 1963 was 10 presidents ago. In 1963 Brazil only had 2 Fifa world cup championships. In 1963 Bill Russell was the NBA MVP, the first ever Black league MVP. "I don't believe you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its angry violent dogs literally biting six unarmed, nonviolent Negroes." The fact that I can read that today and think that it came from a news article published last week is disgusting. Racism is a hard thing to shake. Prejudice and soft support are even harder. The white moderate is still a stopping force in the history of justice and it does not seem they are going anywhere. I think eventually the pendulum of justice will swing in the direction of righteousness. But we still have a lot of work left to do if we want the United States, and the world at large to start actually respecting people "not by the color of their skin, but the content of their character."