#Kate Murtagh

[yetihideout]

One of my many obsessions is the sister act, The Murtah Sisters - they came to my attention a couple years ago when I realized that one of my favorite character actresses, Kate Murtagh (with a “g” this time), was one of the sisters. I was really excited to learn about this early stage of her career.

Over the years I’ve found all sorts of neat clippings related to this period.

I had the wonderful opportunity of corresponding with Kate via mail for a period of time. She was really sweet and sent me amazing handwritten letters and photos of her paintings. 

[travsd]

The Kate Murtagh Centennial

Sometimes it makes the most sense to tell a story backwards. I first took notice of character actress Kate Murtagh (1920-2017) in a hilarious turn as a prison matron in the 1975 exploitation classic Switchblade Sisters, a role that seems to evoke Hope Emerson’s in Caged (1950). Imagine my delight when I discovered that Murtagh’s career dated back to vaudeville! Murtagh was a big gal, standing 6′…

[letters2fiction]

Welcome to Letters2fiction!

The concept here is to send in a question or a letter request, and you’ll get a response from your fictional character of choice, from the list below. Please stick to the list I’ve made, but of course, you can ask if there’s some other characters I write for, I don’t always remember all the shows, movies or books I’ve consumed over the years and I’m sure I’m missing a lot 😅

Status: New Characters added - Thursday March 21st, 2024

TV SERIES

A Discovery of Witches:

Matthew Clairmont

Baldwin Montclair

Gallowglass de Clermont

Marcus Whitmore

Philippe de Clermont

Jack Blackfriars

Sarah Bishop

Emily Mather

Diana Bishop

Ysabeau de Clermont

Miriam Shepard

Phoebe Taylor

Gerbert D’Aurillac

Peter Knox

Father Andrew Hubbard

Benjamin Fuchs

Satu Järvinen

Meridiana

Law and Order:

Rafael Barba

Sonny Carisi

Joe Velasco

Mike Duarte

Terry Bruno

Peter Stone

Hasim Khaldun

Nick Amaro NEW!

Mike Dodds

Grace Muncy

Kat Tamin

Toni Churlish

Amanda Rollins

Olivia Benson

Rita Calhoun

Casey Novak

Melinda Warner

George Huang

Sam Maroun

Nolan Price

Jamie Whelan

Bobby Reyes

Jet Slootmaekers

Ayanna Bell

Jack McCoy

Elliot Stabler

One Chicago:

Jay Halstead (Could also be Will if you want)

Antonio Dawson

Adam Ruzek

Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz

Dante Torres

Vanessa Rojas

Kevin Atwater

Sean Roman

Matt Casey

Kelly Severide

Joe Cruz

Sylvie Brett

Blake Gallo

Christopher Hermann

"Mouch"

Otis

Violet Mikami

Evan Hawkins

Mayans MC:

Angel Reyes

Miguel

Bishop

Coco

Nestor

911 verse:

Athena Grant

Bobby Nash

Henrietta "Hen" Wilson

Evan "Buck" Buckley

Eddie Diaz

Howie "Chimney" Han

Ravi Panikkar

T.K. Strand

Owen Strand

Carlos Reyes

Marjan Marwani

Paul Strickland

Tommy Vega

Judson "Judd" Ryder

Grace Ryder

Nancy Gillian

Mateo Chavez

The Rookie:

Lucy Chen

Tim Bradford

Celina Juarez

Aaron Thorsen

Nyla Harper

Angela Lopez

Wesley Evers

BBC Sherlock:

Greg Lestrade

Mycroft Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Moriarty

Molly

Bridgerton:

Anthony Bridgerton

Benedict Bridgerton

Simon Basset

Daphne Bridgerton

Eloise Bridgerton

Kate Sharma

Edwina Sharma

Marina Thompson/Crane

Outlander:

Jamie Fraser

Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser

Frank Randall

Black Jack Randall

Brianna Fraser

Roger MacKenzie

Fergus Fraser

Marsali Fraser

Jenny Fraser Murray

Ian Murray Sr.

Ian Fraser Murray

Murtagh Mackenzie

Call The Midwife:

Shelagh Turner / Sister Bernadette

Dr. Patrick Turner

Nurse Trixie Franklin

Nurse Phyllis Crane

Lucille Anderson

Nurse Barbara Gilbert

Chummy

Sister Hilda

Miss Higgins

PC Peter Noakes

Reverend Tom Hereward NEW!

Narcos:

Horacio Carrillo

Peaky Blinders:

Tommy Shelby

Downton Abbey:

Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham

Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham

Lady Mary Crawley

Lady Edith Crawley

Lady Sybil Crawley

Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham

Isobel Crawley

Matthew Crawley

Lady Rose MacClare

Lady Rosamund Painswick

Henry Talbot

Tom Branson

Mr. Charles Carson

Mrs. Hughes / Elsie May Carson

John Bates

Anna Bates

Daisy Mason

Thomas Barrow

Joseph Molesley

Land Girl:

Connie Carter

Reverend Henry Jameson (Gwilym Lee's version)

Midsomer Murder:

DCI Tom Barnaby

Joyce Barnaby

Dr. George Bullard

DCI John Barnaby

Sarah Barnaby

DS Ben Jones

DS Jamie Winter

Sgt. Gavin Troy

Fleur Perkins

WPC Gail Stephens

Kate Wilding

DS Charlie Nelson

Sergeant Dan Scott

NEW! Once Upon A Time

Regina / The Evil Queen

Mary Margaret Blanchard / Snow White

David Nolan / Prince Charming

Emma Swan

Killian Jones / Captain Hook

Mr. Gold / Rumplestiltskin

Neal Cassidy / Baelfire

Peter Pan

Sheriff Graham Humbert / The Huntsman

Jefferson / The Mad Hatter

Belle

Robin of Locksley / Robin Hood

Will Scarlet

Zelena / Wicked Witch

Alice (Once in Wonderland)

Cyrus (Once in Wonderland)

Jafar (Once in Wonderland)

Gideon

Tiger Lily

Naveen

Tiana

Granny

Ariel

Prince Eric

Aladdin

Jasmine

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Hercules

Megara

Tinker Bell

Merida

Red Riding Hood

Mulan

Aurora / Sleeping Beauty

Prince Phillip

Cinderella

Prince Thomas

NEW! The Vampire Diaries / The Originals

Stefan Salvatore

Damon Salvatore

Caroline Forbes

Elena Gilbert

Bonnie Bennett

Enzo St. John

Niklaus Mikaelson

Elijah Mikaelson

Kol Mikaelson

Rebekah Mikaelson

Freya Mikaelson

Finn Mikaelson

Mikael

Esther

Marcel Gerard

Davina Claire

MOVIES

The Pirates of the Caribbean:

Captain Jack Sparrow

Barbossa

Will Turner

Elizabeth Swann

James Norrington

Kingsman:

Merlin

Harry Hart

Eggsy Unwin

James Spencer / Lancelot

Alastair / Percival

Roxy Morton / Lancelot

Maximillian Morton / The Shepherd

Orlando Oxford

Jack Daniels / Whiskey

Gin

BOOKS

Dreamland Billionaire series - Lauren Asher:

Declan

Callahan

Rowan

Iris

Alana

Zahra

Dirty Air series - Lauren Asher:

Noah

Liam

Jax

Santiago

Maya

Sophie

Elena

Chloe

Ladies in Stem - Ali Hazelwood books:

Olive

Adam

Bee

Levi

Elsie

Jack

Mara

Liam

Sadie

Erik

Hannah

Ian

Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros:

Xaden Riorson

Dain Aetos

Jack Barlowe

Rhiannan Matthias

Violet Sorrengail

Mira Sorrengail

Lillith Sorrengail

Bodhi Durran

Liam Mairi

[goalhofer]

2024 olympics Ireland roster

Athletics

Mark English (Letterkenny)

Andrew Coscoran (Balbriggan)

Cathal Doyle (Bettystown)

Luke McCann (Dublin)

Brian Fay (Dublin)

Thomas Barr (Waterford)

Christopher O'Donnell (Loughborough, U.K.)

Eric Favors (Haverstraw, New York)

Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport)

Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght)

Sophie Becker (Ballykelly)

Ciara Mageean (Portaferry)

Sophie Bideau-O'Sullivan (Melbourne, Australia)

Sarah Healey (Monkstown)

Jodie McCann (Dublin)

Sarah Lavin (Lisnagry)

Fionnuala McCormick (Wicklow)

Philippa Healy (Ballineen)

Kelly McGrory (Laghy)

Nicola Tuthill (Kilbrittain)

Kate O'Connor (Dundalk)

Badminton

Nguyen Nhat (Dublin)

Rachael Darragh (Letterkenny)

Boxing

Jude Gallagher (Newton Stewart, U.K.)

Dean Clancy (Sligo)

Aidan Walsh (Belfast, U.K.)

Jack Marley (Dublin)

Daina Moorehouse (Dublin)

Jenny Lehane (Ashbourne)

Michaela Walsh (Belfast, U.K.)

Kellie Harrington (Dublin)

Gráinne Walsh (Tullamore)

Aoife O'Rourke (Castlerea)

Canoeing

Liam Jegou (Huningue, France)

Noel Hendrick (Dunadea)

Michaela Corcoran (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Madison Corcoran (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Cycling

Ben Healy (Kingswinford, U.K.)

Ryan Mullen (Colwyn Bay, U.K.)

Megan Armitage (Tullamore)

Erin Creighton (Belfast, U.K.)

Mia Griffin (Glenmore)

Alice Sharpe (Cambridge, U.K.)

Kelly Murphy (London, U.K.)

Lara Gillespie (Dublin)

Diving

Jake Passmore (Leeds, U.K.)

Ciara McGing (London, U.K.)

Equestrian

Austin O'Connor (Mallow)

Cian O'Connor (Dublin)

Shane Sweetnam (Cork)

Daniel Coyle (Ardmore, U.K.)

Abigail Lyle (Bangor, U.K.)

Susie Berry (Dromore)

Sarah Ennis (Howth)

Aoife Clark (Dublin)

Field hockey

Kyle Marshall (Markethill)

Peter McKibbin (Belfast, U.K.)

Jonny Lynch (Lisburn)

Peter Brown (Banbridge)

Nick Page (London, U.K.)

David Harte (Ballinspittle)

Tim Cross (Melbourne, Australia)

John McKee (Banbridge, U.K.)

Matthew Nelson (Belfast, U.K.)

Daragh Walsh (Dublin)

Shane O'Donoghue (Dublin)

Sean Murray (Lisburn, U.K.)

Jeremy Duncan (Kilkenny)

Michael Robson (Belfast, U.K.)

Ben Walker (Glenageary)

Lee Cole (Shankill)

Ben Johnson (Waterford)

Golf

Rory McIlroy (Jupiter, Florida)

Shane Lowry (Dublin)

Stephanie Kallan (Phoenix, Arizona)

Leona Maguire (Cavan)

Gymnastics

Rhys McClenaghan (Dublin)

Rowing

Daire Lynch (Clonmel)

Philip Doyle (Banbridge, U.K.)

Fintan McCarthy (Skibbereen)

Paul O'Donovan (Lisheen)

Ross Corrigan (Enniskillen, U.K.)

Nathan Timoney (Enniskillen, U.K.)

Holly Davis (Bollincollig)

Alison Bergin (Cork)

Zoe Hyde (Killorglin)

Margaret Cremen (Rochestown)

Aofie Casey (Skibbereen)

Aifric Keogh (Furbo)

Fiona Murtagh (Galway)

Emily Hegarty (Skibbereen)

Natalie Long (Cobh)

Eimear Lambe (Dublin)

Imogen Magner (Ely, U.K.)

Rugby

Jack Kelly (Dublin)

Andrew Smith (Dublin)

Harry McNulty (Cashel)

Mark Roche (Glenageary)

Zac Ward (Downpatrick)

Chay Mullins (Bristol, U.K.)

Jordan Conroy (Tullamore)

Hugo Keenan (Dublin)

Hugo Lennox (Skerries)

Terry Kennedy (Dublin)

Gavin Mullin (Blackrock)

Niall Comerford (Dublin)

Sean Cribbin (Dublin)

Bryan Mollen (Glasthule)

Kathy Baker (Navan)

Megan Burns (Tullamore)

Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe (Dublin)

Alanna Fitzpatrick (Portarlington)

Stacey Flood (Dublin)

Eve Higgins (Kilcock)

Erin King (Wicklow)

Vicky Elmes-Kinlan (Rathnew)

Emily Lane (Cork)

Ashleigh Orchard (Belfast, U.K.)

Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe)

Lucy Mulhall (Wicklow)

Sailing

Finn Lynch (Bennekerry)

Robert Dickson (Sutton)

Sean Waddilove (Howth)

Eve McMahon (Howth)

Swimming

Max McCusker (Harlow, U.K.)

Thomas Fannon (Torquay, U.K.)

Shane Ryan (Haverford Township, Pennsylvania)

Daniel Wiffen (Magheralin, U.K.)

Darragh Greene (Longford)

Conor Ferguson (Belfast, U.K.)

Grace Davison (Bangor, U.K.)

Victoria Catterson (Belfast, U.K.)

Erin Riordan (Whitegate)

Danielle Hill (Newtonabbey, U.K.)

Mona McSharry (Grange)

Ellen Walshe (Dublin)

Taekwondo

Jack Woolley (Dublin)

[ariel-seagull-wings]

LAZY SUNDAY REVIEW: DOCTOR DETROIT (1983)

@thealmightyemprex​ @amalthea9​ @spengnitzed​ @bixiebeet​ @themousefromfantasyland​ @the-blue-fairie​

In this comedy, Clifford Skridlow (Dan Aykroyd) is a Comparative Literature Professor and Medieval Literature Scholar who, during a morning making jogging, passes by the limo of the rich pimp Smooth Walker (Howard Hesseman), who is acompanied by the prostitutes who work for him, Karen Blittstein (Fran Drescher), Monica McNeil (Donna Dixon), Jasmine Wu (Lydia Lei) and Thelma Cleland (Lynn Whitfield).

Smooth Walker has a huge financial debt to Mom (Kate Murtagh), the crime boss of Chicago. Not intending to pay it, he invents the story that he got a new partner known as “Doctor Detroit”, and after coincidentally finding the meek scholar again in an indian restaurant, he tricks Clifford Skridlow into enjoy an agitated night with drinking and drugs, and manipulates him to enter his business, without really explaining what it really is.

The next day, Smooth Walker takes a plane and runs away to Samoa with his money, leaving the four woman who worked for him on their own. The ladies make contact with Clifford to help them not be taken by Mom.

After finally learning that the ladies are sex workers and that the business Smooth Walker left for him meant exploiting prostitution, Clifford, wanting to emulate the heroic knights that he reads about in Medieval Literature, decides to take the guise of Doctor Detroit as a way to protect the four ladies, with the help of Diavolo (T.K. Carter), the former driver of Smooth Walker who is aspiring to become a rich and famous actor.

You may be asking how did I heard of this movie and got curious to check it out?

Well, I was watching an episode of the talk show hosted by Fran Drescher on Youtube, where she interviewed both Dan Aykroyd and his wife Donna Dixon, who are both her professional colleagues and personal friends. During the interview, she told about working with them in the movie and how it was during filming that he introduced Dan and Donna, helping their romance to start.

Intrigued by this story of matchmaking in the backstages, and by the title of the movie, I decided to check out the plot summary on TV Tropes. When I learned of this mix of eighties sex comedy, action and chivalric romance, I tought “This is such a weird mix, I have to check this out to see if its real”.

It is, and I never had so much fun watching a silly movie as I had watching this. There are some elements that are dated (like when Smooth Walker offers to pay dinner for Clifford, the main character starts asking almost in panic if he is gay and trying to seduce him), but overall, I went expecting absurd and over the top scenarios, and I was not disapointed.

The colorfull costumes are a marvel to look at, the soundtrack, with songs by big names like DEVO and James Brown, makes you want to party, Dan Aykroyd gives a great performance as the nerd who wants to be a noble knight in cynical modern times, T K Carter is very charismatic as the street smart Diavolo, Fran Drescher, Donna Dixon, Lydia Lei and Lynn Whitfield (in the first of two movies where she played a simpathetic sex worker, the second being the 1985 western Silverado) are pretty wholesome and energetic in their performances as the four ladies that the hero wants to protect (and finds atractive), and is interesting that while there is innuendo, there is no actual sex scene with them, Kate Murtagh brings gravitas as the intimidating villain Mom, and there is the great contrast between George Furth as the pompous and money obsessed Arthur Skridlow and Nan Margaret as the free spirited, light hearted and loving Margaret Skridlow, Clifford’s parents.

If you want to just relax and enjoy some laughs, while apreciating a great pop soundtrack and the colorfull aesthetics of eighties movie fashion, this campy comedy is perfect for a lazy sunday.

[louisupdates]

THE ACADEMIC TO SUPPORT LOUIS TOMLINSON ON HIS US TOUR

HOT PRESS

By KATE BRAYDEN | 25 Apr 2023

The Academic have just been announced as support for Louis Tomlinson for his upcoming North America tour in May and June.

The Westmeath indie-pop rockers will support the former One Direction singer on dates across the US and Canada this summer, following on from their own headline North American tour.

"We’re buzzing to be joining @louist91 for some shows on the Faith In The Future world tour!" The Academic posted to their Instagram today. "We already know that Louis has the most incredible fans and we can’t wait to play for you guys! Let us know which show you are coming too. We will try and meet as many of you as we can!"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Academic (@theacademic)

It's already been a huge year for Craig Fitzgerald, Stephen Murtagh, Matthew Murtagh and Dean Gavin. The Academic scored their second Number 1 on the Official Irish Albums Chart with their sophomore record Sitting Pretty.

The follow up to 2018 album Tales From The Backseat – their first chart topper – saw off stiff competition from both Paramore and Taylor Swift to take the coveted top spot. Tour dates across Ireland, the UK and Europe followed before the band headed Stateside.

In a special Hot Press cover story interview with Pat Carty, bassist Stephen Murtagh explained: “The first album feels like such a summery record, a young debut album. I don’t think this album feels that way. It feels like a natural progression without losing sight of what makes us… us.”

The album was produced by Nick Hodgson, formerly of Kaiser Chiefs, at Snap Studios in London.

“We listened to a lot of mixes like R.E.M. and Arcade Fire," bassist Stephen Murtagh remarked. "A lot of indie music is very kick drum with the vocal shouting at you down the middle whereas we wanted it a bit more spacey.”

“The first album, feels like such a summery record, a young debut album," Stephen resumed. "I don’t think this album feels that way. It feels like a natural progression without losing sight of what makes us… us.”

Earlier this month, The Academic performed for 20,000 people during US President Joe Biden's trip to his ancestral home in Ballina, Co. Mayo during his Irish visit. The band also performed at the Hot Press-curated Windmill Live show at the end of March.

Tomlinson will perform in Dublin on November 8th this year, at the 3Arena as part of his UK and European tour.

Louis Tomlinson, North American Support Tour Dates

26 May - UNCASVILLE, CT, USA

27 May - GILFORD, NH, USA

29 May - LAVAL, QC, CA

30 May - TORONTO, ON, CA

1 June - CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH, USA

2 June - STERLING HEIGHTS, MI, USA

3 June - CINCINNATI, OH, USA

6 June - COLUMBUS, OH, USA

7 June - INDIANAPOLIS, IN, USA

9 June - MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO, USA

10 June - KANSAS CITY, MO, USA

13 June - MILWAUKEE, WI, USA

[xcziel]

tuesday new release for november 7:

i spent half the evening monitoring the line at the midnight release for iron flame AND trying to sneak in snippets of jungkook on jimmy fallon (lol) since i had my phone bc i was also taking photos for the party

sooooo yeah. but there's LOTS of stuff out today

iron flame, book 2 of the empyrean saga by rebecca yarros is out! as is the holiday edition of fourth wing (red! very pretty! also: sprayed edges!)

latest installment in christopher paolini's eragon series, murtagh, plus the large hardcover illustrated eragon to pair with it

my name is barbra, a brick of a memoir ($47 list!) by la streisand

remembrance a collection of the correspondence of ray bradbury

resurrection walk new mickey haller AND harry bosch law thriller from michael connelly

novel the future, by naomi alderman

new naturals by gabriel bump

so late in the day: stories of women and men by claire keegan

the olympian affair, a new cinder spires novel by jim butcher

"clive cussler" released the corsican shadow

ben mezrich - the bringing down the house poker story guy- release breaking twitter, possibly one of the most topically relevant books today

teddy and booker t. about roosevelt and washington "blazing a path for racial equality" from bestselling historian brian kilmeade

h.w. brands new book on the history of american politics founding partisans

love redesigned by lauren asher, first in new lakewood billionaires series

chestnut springs series book four reckless by elsie silver

katee roberts' first in a new series hunt on dark waters

in YA we have:

the second book in the lightspark series by alex aster, nightbane

sequel to the way i used to be by amber smith, the way i am now

powerless by lauren roberts

and a paperback teen romance from ali hazelwood, check mate

same as ever: a guide to what never changes from psychology of money author morgan housel

the fund, about ray dalio, bridgewater associates, and wall street shenanigans by rob copeland

class, a story of single motherhood and higher education, by stephanie land

lyrics by paul mccartney is out in paperback

world within a song from jeff tweedy

living the beatles legend: the untold story of mal evans, longtime beatles roadie and personal assistant, by kenneth womack

and new d&d heroes' feast: flavors of the multiverse cookbook

and finally: SYSTEM COLLAPSE is here!!!! the new murderbot story from martha wells!!!!

to paraphrase: un-follow me now, this is gonna be the only thing i talk about for the next week. ive been waiting forever it feels like. fuck.

(a tiny exaggeration bc i know i will also be obsessed with jk and standing next to you for the next little while but you get the idea)

[bekah-reading]

24 books for 2024

1. The Hacienda by Isabel Canas

2. Murtagh by Christopher Poalini

3. Welcome to the Dark Side by Giana Darling

4. Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence by Rafa Kosinski

5. Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

6. A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond A. Villareal

7. Sundial by Catriona Ward

8. The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

9. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

10. That Sik Luv by Jescie Hall

11. The Ritual by Shantel Tessier

12. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

13. Lord of London Town by Tillie Coke

14. Edenville by Sam Rebelein

15. The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

16. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

17. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

18. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

19. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

20. The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

21. Wool by Hugh Howey

22. Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

23. Flock by Kate Stewart

24. Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano

[ylva-syverson]

Share ten different favorite characters from ten different pieces of media in no particular order, then send this to 10 people (anon or not, your choice) 🎥🎬📺

1. Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice)

2. Aragorn (Lord Of The Rings)

3. Kate Austen (Lost)

4. Cyd/Codex (The Guild)

5. Dean Winchester (Supernatural)

6. Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher) but do I really love Jaskier too

7. Moira ( The Handmaid’s Tale Hulu series though I’ve read both the handmaid’s tale and the Testaments as well)

8. Murtagh ( Outlander) I do love Claire & Jamie Fraser too but Murtagh makes me smile, he’s cranky and y’all know my love for cranky teddybears.

9. Aziraphale ( Good Omens)

10. Walter Marshall (Night Hunter) he was a complex character and a grumpy teddybear and again I like that.

I think I sent this to 6 or 7 people but anyway if anyone wants to do it you can.

[jammeke]

Mirjam's Reading List 2024

Dutch

Doggerland: Noodzakelijk Kwaad—Maria Adolfsson | 8/10

Doggerland: Stil Als Het Graf—Maria Adolfsson | 7,5/10

Het Xoanon—Jan van Aken | 7,5/10

De Winter Van De Heks—Katherine Arden | 7/10

De Stam Van De Holenbeer—J.M. Auel | 8,5/10

Mijn Ziel Keert Zich Stil Tot God—Dietrich Bonhoeffer | 7,5/10

De Verloren Brief—Cristina Caboni | 7/10

Het Huis Met De Spiegels—Cristina Caboni | 6/10

Moord Aan De Thames—Matthew Castello & Neil Richards | 6,5/10

In Vredesnaam—Daniëlle Hermans | 7,5/10

De Eeuwige Nacht—Lisette Kuijt | 7/10

De Brief Van Briarton Park—Sarah E. Ladd | 7/10

Raveleijn: Het Bloed Van De Laatste Draak—Paul van Loon | 7/5

Central Park—Guillaume Musso | 6/10

De Camino—Anya Niewierra | 7,5/10

De Moordclub (Op Donderdag)—Richard Osman | 7,5/10

Daar Waar De Rivierkreeften Zingen—Delia Owens | 8/10

Normale Mensen—Sally Rooney | 7/10

Staalhart—Brandon Sanderson | 7/10

De Laatste Verdwijning—Jo Spain | 7,5/10

Niet Meer Terug—Jo Spain | 7/10

Sterren In De Schemering—Sarah Sundin | 8/10

De Boekhandel Van Het Verzet—Sarah Sundin | 8/10

Fourth Wing: In Steen Gebrand—Rebecca Yarros | 7/10

Marina—Carlos Ruiz Zafón | 8/10

English

The Book Of Doors—Gareth Brown / 7/10

The Silence Factory—Bridget Collins | 8,5/10

The Spellshop—Sarah Beth Durst | 6,5/10

The Wind In The Willows—Kenneth Grahame | 8/10

Practical Magic—Alice Hoffman | 8,5/10

Hex Appeal—Kate Johnson | 8/10

Truly, Devious—Maureen Johnson | 7/10

The Vanishing Stair—Maureen Johnson | 7,5/10

A Botanist's Guide To Parties and Poisons—Kate Khavari | 7/10

Swordcrossed—Freya Marske | 7,5/10

The Elusive Pimpernel—Emmuska Orczy | 8/10

Murtagh—Christopher Paolini | 7,5/10

The Half Life Of Valery K—Natasha Pulley | 7,5/10

Divine Rivals—Rebecca Ross | 8,5/10

The Nebula Secret—Trudi Trueit | 7,5/10

The Falcon's Feather—Trudi Trueit | 7/10

An Expert In Murder—Nicola Upson | 7,5/10

Two For Sorrow—Nicola Upson | 8,5/10

Dear Little Corpses—Nicola Upson | 8,5/10

London Rain—Nicola Upson | 8/10

Shot With Crimson—Nicola Upson | 8/10

The Lost Bookshop—Evie Woods | 7/10

[yetihideout]

The Murtah Sisters - Kate, Jean and Onriett

[staceart]

I am excited to share that I have a piece for “machinemachine, a critique on the trauma of labor under capitalism,” opening this Friday!

The Project Space 📍 1345 W McKinley St, Phoenix, AZ 📅 Friday, November 15th 🕙 6PM-9PM

This exhibit hosts 20 multimedia artists who express their critiques on capitalism through a variety of artworks including sculptures, fiber artworks, quilts, paintings, interactive art, and collage.

machinemachine includes artworks by artists Devin Kate Pope, Marlaina Larsen Thorslev, Stacy LeFevre, Michelle Dawn, Pigeon Inkwell & Zoe Sugg, maryhope|whitehead|lee, Maira McDermott, AmyLou Bogen, Liz Miller, Dempsey Keenan, Celleste Murtagh, Timothea Haider, Misako Yamazaki, Tori Holder, Emma Bush, Tonissa Saul, and Haley Orion. Curated by Charissa Lucille”

[starsspin]

       AN INDEPENDENT & SELECTIVE MULTI MUSE. ――  featuring muses from starz’s spartacus, tolkien's legendarium, star wars, leverage, star trek, bridgerton, grishaverse, original characters & more. ―― low activity. oc & cross over friendly. est. oct 2020. produced by katie ; 25+ she/her. heavily affiliated with: @fleetcaptian, @jedimastre​ & @starssung

┊┊*ੈ✩‧₊˚          CARRD // MUSES // temp rules here

blogroll: @wornkindness, @insufferablygood, @heartcarried, @starscrowncd,

updated muse list under the cut:

** secondary muses

original characters elanoreth of dol amroth - fc. marina moschen mereliss of rohan - fc. clementine nicholson & jodi comer

LITERATURE

a song of ice and fire eddard stark** - fc. chris pine

bridgerton (book & show influenced) edmund bridgerton - fc. jeremy northam & rupert evans violet bridgerton - fc. ruth gemmell

grishaverse (book & show influenced) baghra morozova - fc. synnove karlsen & zoe wanamaker lada garin** - fc. madeleine madden

inheritance cycle brom holcombsson** - fc. adrian bower garrow cadocsson** - fc. jeffrey thomas marian edithsdottir** - fc. caitriona balfe murtagh morzansson - fc. freddy carter roran garrowsson - fc. mark rowley selena kendrasdottir** - fc. amy manson

tolkien’s legendarium arondir - fc. ismael cruz córdova amrothos** - fc. mena massoud disa** - fc. sophia nomvete elboron** - fc. aramis knight elfwine - fc. avan jogia elphir** - fc. dev patel erchirion - fc. gregg chillin faramir - fc. mahesh jadu finduilas** - fc. indira varma imrahil - fc. naveen andrews ivriniel** - fc. tba rosie cotton** - fc. angel coulby

FILM & TELEVISION

csi vegas: gil grissom - fc. william petersen

godless: mary (maggie) agnes mcnue - fc. merritt wever

haunting of hill house hugh crain** - fc. henry thomas & timothy hutton olivia crain** - fc. carla gugino theodora crain** - fc. kate siegel

leverage harry wilson** - fc. noah wyle james sterling** - fc. mark sheppard maggie collins - fc. kari matchett parker - fc. beth riesgraf tara cole - fc. jeri ryan

the mummy jonathan carnahan - fc. brendan fraser richard o'connell - fc. john hannah

night at the museum octavius** - fc: steve coogan

spartacus gannicus - dustin clare ilithyia - fc. viva binaca laeta** - fc. anna hutchison mira - fc. katrina law naevia - fc. lesley-ann brandt & cynthia addai-robinson quintus lentulus batiatus - fc. john hannah spartacus - fc. andy whitfield & liam mcintyre saxa - fc. ellen hollman sura** - fc. erin cummings

star trek agnes jurati** - fc. alison pill chakotay** - fc. robert beltran guinan** - fc. ito aghayere & whoopi goldberg philippa georgiou (mirror) - fc. michelle yeoh una chin riley - fc. rebecca romijn

star wars bail organa** - fc. jimmy smits captain rex** - fc. temuera morrison commander cody - fc. temuera morrison jaro tapal** plo koon** qui-gon jinn - fc. liam neeson shmi skywalker** - fc. pernilla august

[coolesachen]

† 10. September 2017 mit fast 97 Jahren!

Supertramp ‘Breakfast in America’ waitress Kate Murtagh is now 95 years old, still super cheery

[arinewman7]

Kate (from Kate series) Daniel Murtagh

[imagineclaireandjamie]

A Good Man

@sassenachwaffles sent this to me ages ago in a message when I was deep in the throes of writer’s block and I finally got around to writing it up:

The day of/night before Claire and Jamie's wedding.. a missing moment of her being piss drunk and talking to Murtagh.

Here, Murtagh saves the day, to be honest.

xoxo,

Mod Kate

Blind drunk: so intoxicated as to see no better than a blind man.  

Until the night before her eighteenth century wedding, the phrase had never meant much to Claire Beauchamp.

Tomorrow, she would wed a that beautiful Scottish virgin and become a bigamist.

‘Great,’ she thought to herself, letting another finger of whisky burn its way through her lips, over her tongue, down her gullet, and into the pool of booze already sloshing about in her stomach.

Too far gone to appreciate the fire of drink on her tongue and the burn of it down her throat, she just relished the slight tilt to the world and the fading of her peripheral vision.

‘Blind drunk. Let’s do that.’

Her body, emptying of sensation with each sip and gulp of liquor, was becoming just a vessel for heat. And she was just fine with feeling absolutely nothing at all.

‘Great,’ she thought again. 

 In the last few weeks of her life, nothing more than a smear on a windshield of time, she had thought that over and over. 

Great.

She grabbed the whisky bottle by its neck from behind the bar and dropped some coins onto the table. There was something timeless about a bar –– no matter the century, what she had just done was to pinch a bottle in a way that was against any social norms. She did not care. She neither knew nor cared how much she left of the money she had begged off of Ned Gowan. 

She needed to go blind with drink, empty herself of anything even remotely resembling conscious thought.

What she needed most was air –– to breathe, to fill her lungs with something other than dread and to shake loose the last vestiges of anxiety in her whisky-addled mind. 

Though, she was clinically certain that air would do little to abate the woozy swell of intoxication fogging her thoughts, she nonetheless stumbled into the cool after-midnight air.

She steadied herself against the side of the building and wondered, vaguely, what Jamie was doing.

Was he blind drunk, too?

Did he wonder what he was getting into by marrying someone he hardly knew?

Or was this just enough for him, knowing her name, having seen her face?

Was he getting pep talks from some man. (From his uncle, his god father, or a nameless stranger at a disreputable establishment of alcohol and whores? An eighteenth century mechanical description of sex: Insert Part A into Part B, again and again, release and collapse, sated.)

A hiccup rioted through her chest, the force of it threatening to bring up the booze.  She clamped a hand over her mouth as if her fingers would hold in the explosion of liquor rising back up her throat.  

When she was certain she would not lose the contents of her stomach spectacularly on the cobbles surrounding the inn where they were staying, she giggled. It was a sound that was almost foreign to her ears, an absurd mirth at the predicament rising up and grabbing hold of her. Good God.  Of all the feelings she had dealt with since the advent of this ridiculous situation, a sense of humor about it had not been one. In fact, this was probably the least funny situation she could find herself facing.

Black Jack Randall. Dougal MacKenzie.  Colum MacKenzie. Everyone thinking she was a traitor, save perhaps that hulk red-haired man (was he, though? a man?) to whom she was now affianced, knowing little of. Adultery. A tie to this time when all she wanted, desperately and with her whole heart and gut and mind, was to get home.

“Bigamist.”

Her voice was small the first time she tested the word out loud. 

Smirking, she found a wall lined with a patch of bright green grass and slipped down onto her arse, hard. The ache of it split her spine and made her nerves sing with a pinching jolt of fire.

She said it again: “Bigamist.”

Syllable by syllable this time, punctuated only by a slight hiccup: “Big–a–mist.”

She had read his name on the marriage contract and memorized it instantly.

James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser. Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp.

A cluster of syllables.

What mother, what father, had given that red-headed child that mouthful of a name?

She wondered what was written in his history –– a series of mysteries and secrets. In her own were secrets she could never tell: the first time she rode a bike, drove a car, saw a movie at the cinema, went to school, rode in an airplane, stitched together a soldier under the cover of darkness and threat of machine gun fire, made love to a husband on a picnic blanket. A husband who was alive but not and likely desperately searching for her.

“Bigamist.”

Mysteries, secrets, no sex.  That was Jamie Fraser to her, alright.

She pondered, briefly, which of those mysteries and secrets he would share with her, if any. She could scarcely say that she knew the man, save the shape of his shoulders and the firm triangle of his thighs around her as she rode, the feeling of his unspoken erection pressing against her as they rode, the look in his eyes when she caught his stare, the set of his mouth when challenged, and the streak of a selflessness, the bounds of which had yet to be fully uncovered but which she suspected was boundless.

And this wedding.

It was not that her wedding to Frank had been some elaborate affair, having stumbled into a registrar’s office on the way to lunch with his parents.  

But this wedding with Mr. MacTavish (no, Fraser... with all the middle names) seemed particularly hasty.  

She wondered what she would even have something even charitably called a dress or wed him with clean hair. Or would she wed him like this –– sour with alcohol, greasy with worry, shining with the stink of her boozy sweat.

The thought of the wedding had started as a patently absurd idea, but now she found herself thinking through to the event as an inevitably.  

The reality of it all made her take a long swig, holding the bottle by its neck and taking a long draw.

“Ye’ll be pissin’ yerself soon if ye keep on like this.”

The voice came from beyond her perception.  She cracked a single eye.  Murtagh –– grizzled, thumbs caught in his belt, one caterpillar-like brow raised.

“Ye’re no’ goin’ to get marrit that boy smellin’ like a drunkard. I willna have it.”

“Mmmm…” she intoned, swallowing a mouthful and wiping the dribble of amber liquid on her chin away with her forearm.  “I’ll take a bath, then, and rinse out my mouth.” She made a hmmmmming kind of noise.

He made a reciprocal noise and sat down next to her.  He too leaned back against the inn and reached for the bottle, fingers grasping at air as if to say “gimme gimme” like a child would.  Claire had stolen the liquor fair and square. She was disinclined to share, but passed him the bottle nonetheless.

“So are you here to laugh––”

a hiccup rioting up out of her throat

“––at me, too? Dougal seems to think this business quite hilarious.”

(At Murtagh’s greedy fingers, she had a sudden vision of Frank of all people. And why not? The man was her husband for Christ’s sake. He had shed his tie and his collar was undone at a post-war celebration. He was laughing, singing and grabbing for her hands desperately. “Dance, dance,” he had begged, smelling like cheap beer and the cigarette he had snuck with a buddy in the alley. It was a wartime habit that she absolutely abhorred. At the time, they were post-war and tentative. They had hardly started to function together in the way of early lovers. They had not yet reconnected as people even remotely capable of saying and meaning “forever.” His tobacco habit would be something she had to work on later. He had cajoled her until she relented: “Dance with me, my love.” Later never came and when she came here, he was still sneaking cigarettes.)

“Are ye listenin’ lass? Or are ye sae far gone wi’ drink there’s no’ gettin’ through to ye?”

Claire blinked hard. Once. Twice. Refocusing. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I asked ye if ye’re takin’ this seriously. I’ve come from bein’ wi’ Jamie all day. I ken he sees this as no small commitment. Ye’ll be his wife until ye die.”

This time, she swallowed hard. Deception came to her like second nature. “Sure. Serious. Yep”

“He doesna see this as a way tae simply… bed a lass.”

Claire raised a single eyebrow, accepting the bottle back from Murtagh. 

The sex; she had thought of it, though shockingly little. She knew it would happen. She had it accepted it as an inevitability, just as she had accepted the prospect of a wedding.

“I have never labored under the de… delus… delusion that he needs an arranged marriage to get a wo... wo-man... into his bed.”

She slurred the words into a string, having known them to be true, but having never thought through them. It gave her pause, then. So what were his motivations?

“S’been war and loss, more war, more loss, for the lad as long as I can remember. S’why he is who he is, how he is.”

Murtagh’s eyes were focused on something (maybe nothing) in the distance. Claire attempted to focus on the horizon, vision blurring and burning with the effort. Instead she focused on the wooden post running around the perimeter of the inn.

“I ken ye’re no’ thrilled wi’ marryin’ the lad, wi’ bringin’ him to yer bed.” Claire tilted her head just enough to see Murtgah’s profile in her ever-fading peripheral vision. “But ye could do a whole lot worse than him. He’ll be respectful, treat ye kindly.”

“He’s a virgin whose name I do not know––”

a slight lie falling from her, even though she knew damn well his name

“I do not know how old he is.”

She sucked in a breath, still not sober but the words absolutely pouring from her now. Oh God –– the number of things she did not know.

“I know little of his family or where he comes from. I know nothing of his wars or losses. I––”

“Ye’re no’ in a position to be choosy, we both ken that well.”

“He’s a stranger.”

Claire fell silent then, fingers of one hand sinking into the earth to ground herself and fingers of the other raising the bottle to her lips for the same purpose.

At some point that felt a lifetime earlier, after Claire had seen Jamie with his tongue searching for something in Laoghaire MacKenzie’s mouth, Murtagh had talked to her then. He said that Laoghaire would always be a girl, until she was fifty, and that what Jamie needed was a woman.  

Vaguely, dumbly Claire wondered if Jamie had even kissed a woman before.

“There’s a dress, a ring, and flowers.”

Her heart skipped a beat and she lowered her head to her hands, grime from the earth smearing into the sweat on her cheeks.

“He’s a good man.”

Sometime later, Claire woke in her bed, quilts tucked up to her chin sunlight screaming through the window and burning her retinas. She was unsure of how she got there, but was strangely grateful for it.

Something was making a racket, imploring and pleading.

She blinked again and again until she could bring the noises into her cognition.  

She was being roused.  Her limbs rose from the bed, partly from her own hungover (perhaps still drunk) effort and partly from the urging of hands.

She was absent while she was cleaned dressed –– scrubbed and perfumed, powdered, cinched and pulled into a corset that marked her flesh, wrapped in fabric that smelled clean but like another woman, pinned and curled until her neck was bare but for a few stray curls, maneuvered and moved until she stood in sunlight.

When they removed the cloak covering her and she saw him, she felt something. Not love, but something akin to curiosity and to hope.

He’s a good man. Murtagh’s words, his voice, flooded her ears.

A bow, words from his lips that barely registered in her brain. (“Your servant, madam.”)

A breathless search for words, eyes traveling over the ground, his feet, her own feet, back to his earnest face.

“I can’t marry you.” Her confession.

He’s a good man.

“I don’t even know your real name.” A lie to start their life together, but she needed to hear it out loud. From his own lips.

Oh God, his lips curling into that smile. The small noise he made.  

“It’s Fraser,” he started, nodding and knowing somehow. The offering was a benediction, a counter proposal to her confession. He knew –– knew her panic, the way she felt like she had her back to a wall and something closing in on her slowly. The moment threatened to take her breath away when he continued, his response to her confession intentional. “James. Alexander. Malcolm. MacKenzie. Fraser.”

A dumb, hand with a sweaty palm dried hastily on her borrowed dress extended to him. 

“Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp.” Refusing to make it a business transaction, he took her hand with both of his and gave her a slight nod.

His eyes were so blue.

He’s a good man.

The offering of his hands, his name, that look. Together it was enough.

Claire lifted her eyes from their joined hands. It was not resignation she felt when she went into the church and said words and made promises. It was not the feeling of inevitability that came over her as she allowed their blood to melt together with her heart hammering. 

It was something else. 

Not love and not quite yet hope, but something in between.

He’s a good man.

Later, she would lie again saying she remembered only parts of their wedding. 

And somehow she knew that he knew that her memory was full and without holes. He knew that it was a ruse. An early fib between two people, not yet lovers, spoken only to hear it again, told from his storyteller’s mouth.

He’s a good man.

And when his body was heavy over hers, reverent and earnest, she quit hearing Murtagh’s voice in her head (he’s a good man) and instead heard her own (he’s a good man).