#Literary Citizenship

[chantireviews]

Honoring Linda Quinby Lambert, Seán Dwyer, and David Beaumier - Recipients of the Village Books Literary Citizenship Award 2024

Announcing the Recipients of the 2024 Village Books Literary Citizenship Award! The annual Literary Citizenship Award with the first recipients being recognized on Thursday, July 11, 2024 at Village Books, Fairhaven Village, Bellingham, Wash. Recipients of this award are of diverse backgrounds and professions, but each have demonstrated a commitment to engage with the literary community with the…

[townpostin]

Jamshedpur Activist Mukesh Mittal Clinches National Essay Contest

Local Business Leader’s Vision for India Wins Top Honors Mukesh Mittal’s essay on citizen expectations from new government earns recognition from national Marwari association. JAMSHEDPUR – A prominent local community leader has been awarded first prize in a national-level essay competition. Mukesh Mittal, who heads the Purvi Singhbhum Zila Marwari Sammelan, has emerged victorious in a nationwide…

[frithwontdie]

that slave kidnappers home meme is not even accurate its literally all lies.

How is it literally all lies, exactly? If you're gonna tell me a meme I posted is not true, then you should explain what's inaccurate about it, instead of saying it's just lies and leave it at that.

The meme points out how some pro-blacks say they were kidnapped by the white man from the homeland in Africa. But yet their slave ancestors took up the surnames of slave owners the "so called" kidnappers and refuse to leave. Where's the lie?

First of all, blacks were kidnapped by others black africans. Sold to Arabs merchants and jews. Which in turn sold to the whites in the new world (also to Amerindians, free blacks and jews in the new world).

Second: Most enslaved blacks did not have surnames. Only given to slaves. Some freed blacks never change their surnames. Some after being freed some had to pick one on the spot, when joining the military. Choosing the surname of a former slave owner appears to have been a common practice. Though not a universal practice, but still a common practice.

p. 68:

Despite historians' tendency to point toward the opposite, many former slaves assumed the surname of their last master. The WPA narratives are full of examples like that of Clayton Holbert, who explained: “We didn’t have a name. The slaves were always known by the master’s last name, and after we were, freed we just took the last name of our masters and used it."

P. 59:

Some freed people took the name of an original owner or an owner from their distant past to recognize ties to family members also owned by them.

Another example from Voices of Emancipation: Excerpt from the Deposition of William Ballinger, Oct. 10, 1901 "When I was first brought here as a boy my first master was Jesse Ballinger and I took the name of Ballinger then and have never changed it."

Third: when the ACS (American Colonized Society) tried to relocate free blacks to Liberia. Between 1820 - 1864 only 11,000 Blacks emigrated from America to Liberia. Which out of a population of 4,441,830 free and recently emancipated slaves. That would be 0.24% of blacks relocated.

So basically, America was such an unbearable hell for black people at that time. That literally 99.76% of blacks literally refused to leave it and go to a country all to themselves. Hmmm...

[blu-et]

one of my favorite stories from literary history is that time w.h. auden agreed to a marriage of convenience with thomas mann's lesbian daughter, writer and actress erika mann, so she could get british citizenship and escape the nazis. they never lived together but were friends for life. he dedicated one of his books to her, she included him in her will. auden also introduced mann's girlfriend to a different guy to get fake married to.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Published: Jun 29, 2023

An independent school has failed an inspection after it was found teaching the Bible "as fact" in subjects including science and history.

Bournemouth Christian School was judged "inadequate" by Ofsted after inspectors found multiple failings at the school during an inspection in April.

In a report published this month, Ofsted said the school's leaders have established a curriculum that presents "flawed and inaccurate information in all subjects", with pupils learning through an "unmoderated Christian worldview".

This includes presenting a Christian perspective as "more important than scientific fact", and failing to provide a "balanced, factually accurate curriculum". Ofsted said that this impedes pupils' understanding, and that they consequently do not gain the knowledge necessary for their futures.

Pupils "do not learn much about the world around them", including "citizenship in modern Britain", Ofsted said. It added that the curriculum's "focus on America" does not help pupils "prepare for life in modern Britain" or beyond school. This includes a focus on "the American literary tradition", which means pupils "do not learn about the literary traditions that have shaped the United Kingdom".

The school also fails to provide an effective personal, social and health education programme for students, including appropriate relationships and sex education.

The school, which teaches pupils between ages 3 and 18, uses the online curriculum of SwitchedOn Education. SwitchedOn Education describes itself as providing a "Christian digital education curriculum" for both "schools and home schools" in the UK and internationally.

Ofsted found teachers "do not have the subject knowledge to support pupils effectively" and are unaware of what pupils do or do not know, with pupils interacting "mainly with computers".

Ofsted said the school has also failed to "create an effective culture of safeguarding", with pupils at a "serious risk of harm". Leaders do not address concerns about pupils or ensure that pupils were safe in school. The school site was found to be insecure, with pupils easily able to leave.

NSS: school "more interested in indoctrinating its pupils than educating them"

National Secular Society campaigns officer Jack Rivington said: "This damning report from Ofsted reveals an organisation more interested in indoctrinating its pupils than educating them.

"The presentation of religious dogma as more valid and more important than scientific fact is unacceptable, and deprives children of their full right to an education.

"The appalling quality of Bournemouth Christian School's curriculum, teaching methods, and safeguarding processes revealed in this report is highly concerning. This school should now receive further scrutiny to ensure children and young people's rights are protected."

[power-chords]

Spanning the last two centuries, Horizons Blossom, Borders Vanish: Anarchism and Yiddish Literature by Anna Elena Torres combines archival research on the radical press and close readings of Yiddish poetry to offer an original literary study of the Jewish anarchist movement.

Torres examines Yiddish anarchist aesthetics from the nineteenth-century Russian proletarian immigrant poets through the modernist avant-gardes of Warsaw, Chicago, and London to contemporary antifascist composers. The book also traces Jewish anarchist strategies for negotiating surveillance, censorship, detention, and deportation, revealing the connection between Yiddish modernism and struggles for free speech, women’s bodily autonomy, and the transnational circulation of avant-garde literature.

Rather than focusing on narratives of assimilation, Torres intervenes in earlier models of Jewish literature by centering refugee critique of the border. Jewish deportees, immigrants, and refugees opposed citizenship as the primary guarantor of human rights. Instead, they cultivated stateless imaginations, elaborated through literature.

I'm attending the YIVO Zoom discussion on this book which is on February 12 at 1 PM ET and it's free to register.

[reyaint]

history of HAIQIN | part V: treaty of silver shores

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date: october 1, 2024. 7:04pm

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Treaty of The Silver Shores (1687): The War's End

Terms of the Treaty:

Recognition of Sovereignty:

The most important aspect of the treaty was the formal recognition of Haiqin's sovereignty by the British Crown. This meant that Haiqin could now engage in diplomatic relations with other nations, signaling its legitimacy on the global stage.

Assimilation or Departure:

British citizens residing in Haiqin faced a stark choice: integrate into Haiqinese society or leave. This policy helped to prevent future political tensions, as those who chose to stay had to abide by Haiqin’s laws and customs. The British who stayed were granted citizenship on the condition that they contributed positively to Haiqin’s social and economic fabric.

Return of Confiscated Lands:

Properties seized by the British during their occupation were returned to their original Haiqinian owners, restoring land rights and helping to stabilize the post-war economy. This act of restitution was critical in preserving Haiqin’s agricultural base, which was key to its recovery.

Rebuilding the Nation:

Roads and Bridges:

King Katalies prioritized the construction of roads and bridges to connect remote regions of Haiqin, facilitating trade and communication. These infrastructural projects also employed many displaced citizens, providing much-needed jobs in the post-war period.

Public Buildings:

The king commissioned the rebuilding of schools, government offices, and temples, which had been destroyed during the conflict. Educational reform was particularly important to Katalies, as he believed that fostering a strong sense of national identity in the youth would help to prevent future divisions. Schools were established throughout the country, focusing on the history of Haiqin, its indigenous traditions, and the contributions of the various cultural groups that now called the nation home.

The Royal Library:

One of the most notable projects was the creation of the Royal Library of Haiqin, a grand repository of knowledge that symbolized the nation’s commitment to learning and cultural preservation. The library became a center for scholars from around the world, housing texts in multiple languages, including Haiqinian, Greek, and English.

Economic Development and Sustainability:

The post-war economy under King Katalies was focused on sustainability and self-sufficiency. The king believed that Haiqin's strength lay in its ability to rely on its resources and people.

Agriculture and Crafts:

The agricultural sector, revived by British farming techniques, was complemented by a resurgence in local crafts such as pottery, weaving, and metalwork. These goods became key exports, particularly in the growing trade with Europe and the Mediterranean.

Port City Expansion:

Haiqin’s coastal cities, particularly its ports, experienced significant growth. These cities became bustling centers of commerce, attracting merchants from across the world. The expansion of the maritime industry brought wealth and international recognition to the nation.

Cultural Renaissance

Following the war, Haiqin experienced a cultural renaissance that solidified its national identity and celebrated the nation’s unique blend of influences.

Music and Dance:

Music and dance, both traditional and imported, flourished during this period. Native Haiqin dances, which had ceremonial significance, were performed alongside European folk dances, leading to new styles that reflected the diversity of the population.

Literary Expansion:

Writers and poets emerged from all corners of the country, chronicling the stories of the Nine-Year War and the journey to independence. The king himself sponsored many of these literary works, ensuring that the heroism of Haiqin’s people was immortalized.

Theater and Festivals:

Public festivals and theater became integral to post-war life, serving both as entertainment and a means of reinforcing the new national identity. Plays that depicted the struggles and triumphs of the war were widely popular, as they connected the common people with their shared history.

International Relations and Alliances:

Forging Alliances with Greece, Ireland, and Scotland:

The alliances that Haiqin had cultivated during the Nine-Year War blossomed into deep, long-lasting diplomatic relationships. Trade agreements were negotiated with Ireland and Scotland, with Haiqin exporting cotton, silk, and olive oil in exchange for textiles, whiskey, and military aid. The Greek alliance was particularly significant, given Haiqin’s deep cultural and historical ties with Greece. Greek philosophers, architects, and artists were invited to Haiqin, where they helped in the reconstruction of public buildings and the revitalization of Greek-inspired art and literature.

Cultural Diplomacy:

Haiqin’s post-war diplomacy wasn’t limited to trade or military matters. King Katalies spearheaded a cultural exchange program with Greece, Ireland, and Scotland, encouraging the exchange of scholars, artists, and musicians. This helped not only to strengthen diplomatic ties but also to foster a cultural renaissance within Haiqin itself, as new ideas and artistic movements from Europe influenced the local scene.

Military Reformation:

Strengthening National Defense:

Though the treaty had ended British colonial rule, Haiqin remained wary of foreign intervention. In response, King Katalies reorganized the military, creating a national militia system in which every able-bodied man was required to undergo basic military training. At the same time, Haiqin’s professional army was modernized with the help of Scottish military advisors. The nation's military became known for its defensive strategies, particularly the construction of coastal fortresses and fortified trade routes to protect against piracy and potential foreign invasions.

[ravenkings]

Just what is reading, anyway? What is it for? Why is it something to argue and worry about? Reading isn’t synonymous with literacy, which is one of the necessary skills of contemporary existence. Nor is it identical with literature, which designates a body of written work endowed with a special if sometimes elusive prestige.

Reading is something else: an activity whose value, while broadly proclaimed, is hard to specify. Is any other common human undertaking so riddled with contradiction? Reading is supposed to teach us who we are and help us forget ourselves, to enchant and disenchant, to make us more worldly, more introspective, more empathetic and more intelligent. It’s a private, even intimate act, swathed in silence and solitude, and at the same time a social undertaking. It’s democratic and elitist, soothing and challenging, something we do for its own sake and as a means to various cultural, material and moral ends.

When I was a child, Saturday morning cartoons were sometimes interrupted by public service announcements from Reading Is Fundamental, an organization dedicated to putting books in the hands of underprivileged children. The group’s slogan was “Reading Is Fun!” Fun and fundamental: Together, those words express a familiar utilitarian, utopian promise — the faith that what we enjoy doing will turn out to be what we need to do, that our pleasures and our responsibilities will turn out to be one and the same. It’s not only good; it’s good for you.

But nothing is ever so simple. Reading is, fundamentally, both a tool and a toy. It’s essential to social progress, democratic citizenship, good government and general enlightenment. It’s also the most fantastically, sublimely, prodigiously useless pastime ever invented. Teachers, politicians, literary critics and other vested authorities labor mightily to separate the edifying wheat from the distracting chaff, to control, police, correct and corral the transgressive energies that propel the turning of pages. The crisis is what happens either when those efforts succeed or when they fail. Everyone likes reading, and everyone is afraid of it.

–A.O. Scott, “Everyone Likes Reading. Why Are We So Afraid of It?” The New York Times, June 21, 2023

[chantireviews]

On the 3rd Day of Christmas Chanticleer gave to me 3 Pillars of Community! The 12 Days of Christmas 2023

Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas – One Day at a Time The 3rd Day of Christmas The third day of Christmas celebrates the Feast of St. John who drank a glass of poisoned wine and didn’t get sick! The best way to celebrate? Drink a lot of wine! Of course, if you have a different preferred beverage, that’s totally alright. We’ve been enjoying TÖST, a non-alcoholic wine recently. We’re…

[jaga888]

My First Post.

About Me.

Welcome to the World of Words, Jose Guaido!

 

Hi there, friends who share my passion for language, learning, and art! As the curator of this virtual haven where ideas blossom, language becomes beautiful, and words come to life, my name is Jose Guaido.

A Little About Myself

I'm an enthusiastic writer who is looking to defend human rights and freedom capabilities, driven by the limitless potential that language presents. I have had a meandering trip exploring the fields of linguistics, literature, and expressiveness; my blog is a canvas on which I paint the hues of my linguistic palette.

The Significance of Words

 

In an information-rich society, words, in my opinion, can reshape viewpoints, ignite the imagination, and fill gaps. Here, we celebrate the enchantment that happens when words dance on the page, whether it's by examining the subtleties of language, discovering the glories of literature, or piecing together the concepts of provocative ideas.

This blog is a tapestry of my reflections, ideas, and explorations. Since we all realize that citizenship cannot become one if it is not united to complete plans of action that will ensure that our people and the entire region are governed by a voice of justice and freedom. From linguistic advice and literary analysis to thought-provoking discussions on a wide variety of topics, I invite you to join me on this intellectual journey. Expect a combination of the profound and the whimsical, the informative and the entertaining, as we navigate the vast landscape of human expression.

This is a community of similar individuals who value language's artistic quality, not simply my place. I invite you to express your ideas, participate in conversations, and let the power of language to unite us.

Together, let's set out on this language journey, where each post serves as a destination, each paragraph as a path, and each sentence as a step. I appreciate your participation in this trip.

 

Let us celebrate the power of words and freedom!

[onetwofeb]

But whoever is not willing to talk about capitalism should also keep quiet about fascism.

Max Horkheimer, The Jews and Europe, 1939

Zeitschrift für Sozialforschung December 1939 Whoever wants to explain anti-Semitism must speak of National Socialism. Without a conception of what has happened in Germany, speaking about anti-Semitism in Siam or Africa remains senseless. The new anti-Semitism is the emissary of the totalitarian order, which has developed from the liberal one. One must thus go back to consider the tendencies within capitalism. But it is as if the refugee intellectuals have been robbed not only of their citizenship, but also of their minds. Thinking, the only mode of behavior that would be appropriate for them, has fallen into discredit. The “Jewish-Hegelian jargon,” which once carried all the way from London to the German Left and even then had to be translated into the ringing tones of the union functionaries, now seems completely eccentric. With a sigh of relief they throw away the troublesome weapon and turn to neohumanism, to Goethe’s personality, to the true Germany and other cultural assets. International solidarity is said to have failed. Because the worldwide revolution did not come to pass, the theoretical conceptions in which it appeared as the salvation from barbarism are now considered worthless. At present, we have really reached the point where the harmony of capitalist society along with the opportunities to reform it have been exposed as the very illusions always denounced by the critique of the free market economy; now, as predicted, the contradictions of technical progress have created a permanent economic crisis, and the descendants of the free entrepreneurs can maintain their positions only by the abolition of bourgeois freedoms; now the literary opponents of totalitarian society praise the very conditions to which they owe their present existence, and deny the theory which, when there was still time, revealed its secrets. [...]

[latamclassiclitbracket]

Poesías Completas - Josefina Pla

María Josefina Teodora Pla Guerra Galvany, más conocida como Josefina Pla, fue una poetisa y dramaturga española con doble nacionalidad paraguaya. Tuvo una gran influencia sobre las futuras generaciones de intelectuales de Paraguay. A lo largo de su vida recibió numerosos premios y distinciones por su labor literaria, por su defensa de los derechos humanos y por la igualdad entre hombres y mujeres. Su libro Poesías Completas fue publicado en 1996.

Lee más sobre la autora en Wikipedia.

Poesías Completas - Josefina Pla

María Josefina Teodora Plá Guerra Galvany was a Spanish-born poet, playwright, journalist, art critic, sculptor, ceramicist, and historian with Paraguayan citizenship. She has been described as "the most influential woman in Paraguayan cultural matters in the twentieth century." She received numerous awards and distinctions for her artistic and literary work, for defending human rights and the equality between men and women. Her book Poesías Completas was published in 1996.

Read more about the author on Wikipedia.

[criphd]

an alternative marxist literary criticism reading list by me...

the young karl marx (der junge karl marx) (2017) directed by Raoul Peck

john berger's four part series 'ways of seeing'

miss marx (2020), whilst this film is a mixed bag it does [not purposefully ?] show some of the tensions between women of different classes attempting to be in solidarity with eachother & it's also intertextual & foregrounds the idea that literature is a vital part of expressing and cultivating revolutionary struggle, (u can see one of those key scenes here)

this essay about marxism and postcolonial theory

time is away: john berger nts special

the various lectures on marx & benjamin by dr andrew stones which can be accessed here along w a whole bunch of others + readings & powerpoints

the article ‘willa cather and “the storyteller”: hostility to the novel in my ántonia' by richard millington (message me & i can send u a pdf) which takes up benjamin's essay the storyteller & pleasingly uses his work to think about the novel

newsies the musical (1992) lmao .. the christian bale version ofc

for a short [like less than 80 pages short!) intro to marxist literary criticism i think terry eagleton's marxism and literary criticism (1976) is good

& also this article by daniel hartley which is pretty thorough but also pretty clear i thought about marxist thought & the different concepts etc

i am also a benjamin fangirl so i would also include the work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction, which is collected in the book illuminations (1955)

diane di prima's revolutionary letters .... what can poetry do for revolution?? di prima answers this is many beautiful ways

ideas for a new art world, zm, the white pube

the fury archives: female citizenship, human rights, and the international avant-gardes by juno jill richards (2020)

red rosa: a graphic biography of rosa luxemburg by kate evans (2015)

a few bonus novels to read & think about ....

victoria benedictsson's money, trans. sarah death (1885)

gingerbread by helen oyeyemi (2019)

conversations with friends by sally rooney (2017)

the employees by olga ravn (2018) trans. martin aitken

lote by shola von reinhold (2020) obviously !!

attainment by edith ellis (1909)

[jinhogwarts]

the post i just reblogged reminded me how i used to love learning languages... aside from hebrew (my native language), the languages i learnt in my life:

english - at school, then i lived in nyc in 8th grade, and have been on social media & read books so i would say i'm very fluent in it.

spanish - i mentioned it in the tags of the post that inspired this one but I'll tldr - when i was young i was obsessed with argentinian telenovelas and learnt the language through watching them. i used to be semi fluent but because i haven't used it in so long i forgot 🥲

french - learnt it in high school, then forgot about it for many years, and went back to it about a year or so ago through duolingo. i'm planning to learn it officially to become fluent because my husband has french citizenship (through his grandfather and mom, he never lived there) so i can get one too but I'll have to pass a very difficult test. i would also need a third language if I'll do a master's degree so i would go with that (especially since i have a slight obsession with french feminists so it would be the most beneficial for my degree)

german - i learnt it for like a year maybe less lol mostly because of tokio hotel 😂

japanese - back in my jpop days (which weren't that long but i did enjoy learning the language)

korean - i took classes for a while, then stopped, many years later i studied through duolingo but quit. i wouldn't say i know much atm

chinese (mandarin) - back in 2013 i started a degree in east asia studies and the language i learnt was chinese but it was SO difficult and i generally didn't like my degree (and also had depression) so i quit that degree

arabic - i tried a few times tbh, once just spoken and once written/literary but never got the time to actually learn properly. which is a shame, because i think i should.

sign language - i did like two courses in it but i forgot everything

[soubrettc]

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐃𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄.

𝙿𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃 .    𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙽𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂.  

𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀  .  .  .

name ( s )  :  marie  sharon  connage   .   d . o . b .  august  3  ,  1994   .   in  :  los  angeles  ,  california   .   she  holds  citizenship  in  the  united  states   .    she  speaks  :  english  ,  phrases  via  songs  in  german  ,  italian  ,   .   religious  beliefs  :  raised  orthodox  catholic   .   educational  achievements  :  opera  and  vocal  performance  degree  ,  new  england  conservatory   .   current  occupation  :  opera  singer  ,  dubbed  singing  voice  for  actresses   .   eye  colour  :  blue-green   .   hair  colour  :  blonde   .   height  :  5′6″   .   distinguishing  characteristic  :  a  spitting  image  of  her  mother  ,  a  late  film  actress   .

beverage  of  choice  :  sparkling  water  ,  champagne   .   preferred  holiday  :   dreaming  of  the  idea  of  paris   .   reading  choice   :   literary  classics  ,  namely  romance  novels   .   exercise  preference  :  walking  ,  dancing   .   watching  :  every  new  film  she  can  ,  she  loves  cinema   .   designers  :  valentino  is  pretty  but  paolo  sebastian  is  more  in  her  budget   .   accessory  :  always  carries  a  small  purse  she  puts  down  and  forgets  to  pick  up  before  leaving   .  prized  possession  :  her  mother’s  old  jewelry   .   random  :  she  loves  the  way  she  feels  after  drinking  champagne   .

inspo  ;    𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘥𝘢𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦  ,  𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥  :  𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢  ,  𝘤𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘺  :  𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘺𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘯  ,  𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘥   ,  𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦  :  𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴  ,  𝘢𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥  (  𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮  )

𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄  .  .  .

𝘵𝘸  :  𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩  

⧽    in  ‘88  up  and  coming  hollywood  film  actress  marlene  collins  fell  in  love  with  the  wrong  person  ,  and  both  of  them  knew  it.  gardner  connage  was  a  stuntman  ,   and  at  best  he’d  amount  to  a  few  fancy  stunt  scenes  with  credit  given  to  another  before  an  injury  would  force  him  into  early  retirement.  he  was  a  bad  bet.  adrian  benjamin  was  not  a  bad  bet  ,  he  was  the  son  of  director  griffith  benjamin  with  the  promise  of  a  secured  future  for  marlene.

⧽    and  in  ‘94  that  unspoken  love  triangle  came  to  an  end  with  the  birth  of  her  child  ,   a daughter  ,  marie.  the  only  child  gardner  would  ever  call  his  own.  but  marlene  would  claim  marie  as  her  third  ,  that  tumultuous  love  afair  had  gifted  her  another  child  ,  a  son  ,  four  years  earlier.  marie  grew  up  in  los  angeles  ,  even  starring  alongside  her  mother  as  a  toddler  when  all  the  other  child  stars  proved  to  be  too  fussy  that  day.  she  has  two  acting  credits  to  her  name  because  of  this.  and  it  seemed  like  marie  might  be  one  for  stardom  like  her  mother  ,  the  ones  the  cameras  adored  with  her  name  in  lights.

⧽    by  2001  marlene  had  become  a  household  name  ,  or  the  start  of  one.  she  was  lined  up  to  star  in  a  new  film  set  in  italy  with  an  a-lister  co-star.  marie  was  ten  at  the  time  and  had  begged  her  mother  not  to  go  as  children  often  do  ,  but  maybe  she  should  have  listened.  plastered  all  over  the  headlines  a  month  into  filming  had  been  ‘  death  in  italy ’  her  mother  was  found  dead  on  set.

⧽    speculations  of  a  murder  circulated  for  a  few  weeks  ,  just  enough  to  sell  enough  tabloids  ,  before  the  police  put  that  rumor  to  rest  far  too  quickly  for  gardner’s  liking.  that’d  been  the  final  straw.  hollywood  had  never  been  kind  to  the  man  ,  and  it  hadn’t  been  kind  to  his  family  either.  to  save  marie  from  a  similar  fate  ,  they  left.

⧽    the  idea  of  hollywood  and  the  golden  lights  were  forever  banned  at  that  moment  ,  but  the  hope  hadn’t  been.  moved  across  to  the  other  side  of  the  country  ,  marie  would  find  herself  often  sneaking  every  old  film  she  could.  she  loved  them  and  the  idea  of  them  but  that  was  also  the  problem  ,  her  ideas  of  what  everything  was  like  came  from  them.  dare  say  marie  worshiped  the  romanticized  ideas  hollywood  gave  her.

⧽    in  spring  2013  she’d  graduated  high  school  and  went  on  to  study  opera  and  vocal  performance  at  the  new  england  conservatory  in  boston.  she  was  supposed  to  want  a  quiet  life  ,  away  from  the  hollywood  lights  ,  after  all  her  father  had  witnessed  the  worst  they  could  do  to  a  person  —  things  he  hadn’t  told  marie.

𝐋𝐎𝐒  𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒  .  .  .

⧽    new  york  would  have  been  the  logical  choice  ,   a  chance  at  broadway  ,  but  the  allure  called  to  her  and  in  2015  she’d  defied  her  father.  the  start  of  a  strained  relationship.  los  angeles  was  far  from  what  she  had  remembered  ,  that  child-like  wonder  stripped  by  the  realities  of  it  all  ,  but  she  wasn’t  only  there  for  the  dream  job  but  finding  the  truth  about  her  mother.  the  real  story  about  the  death  of  marlene  collins  that  was  a  case  closed  far  too  quickly.

⧽    her  way  towards  the  hollywood  lights  weren’t  easy  but  easier  than  some.  marie  was  a  ghost-like  image  of  her  mother  with  one  problem  —  she  didn’t  have  the  screen  presence  marlene  did  and  what   a  disappointment  that  had  been.  it  was  perhaps  the  cruelest  form  of  rejection  ,  that  she  was  a  shallow  copycat  of   the  late  marlene  collins  at  best.  her  acting  credits  reflected  that.

⧽    2017  felt  like  a  breath  of  fresh  air  however  as  marie  landed  an  uncredited  role  as  the  singing  voice  that  was  dubbed  for  the  character  of  singer  jenny  lind  in  the  greatest  showman.  since  then  her  film  credits  has  had  a  drastic  decline  ,  left  to  singing  her  classically  trained  opera  and  whatever  lounge  would  accept  her.  2023  has  ushered  in  the  rumors  of  a  remake  of  phantom  of  the  opera  but  who  would  dare  ruin  such  a  classic? and  would  marie  be  able  to  deal  with  the  strong  hatred  that’d  accompany  such  a  modernized  retelling.

[fideidefenswhore]

Partly in specific response to dissatisfaction with factional models and partly against broader reaction against the perceived failure of revisionism [...] new approaches to reconstructing a socially derived model of politics have been explored. These comprise four key aspects. First, the investigation of the relationships and interaction between people, ideas (including monarchial power, Ciceronian concepts of citizenship, republicanism, and confessionalization), and institutions, including the conventions or rules that governed them. Second, the importance of classical and Renaissance traditions which provide the political, cultural, and intellectual context for actions, methods, and ideas. Third, an exploration of how individuals presented themselves and their actions to others. This draws on Stephen Greenblatt's concept of 'self-fashioning': that individuals consciously constructed and presented a persona, for their own ends, which did not always match reality. It is important for assesing critically sources which purport to reveal straightforwardly the life or mental world of contemporary figures. Fourth, archival research of traditional sources-- letters, statutes, financial accounts, legal records, etc.-- remains central. But literary, visual, and material sources are also explored and attention is paid to contemporary uses and meanings of language.

Courts, Courtiers, and Culture in Tudor England, Natalie Mears