#Madison is such a nuanced character ever since!

[isagrimorie]

Okay, watching the Barnes arc in season 13 was... the character actually has no personality beyond screwing with the BAU team and Emily specifically.

And, it's not like Strauss, who I liked in the end and on rewatch realizing that her actions with Hotch at that time had merits. There was nuance there.

But Barnes seems to just want to screw with Emily.

This is a bad move especially how, in the long run, Emily actually has more political moves than Barnes has. She doesn't use it, and in fact, she should have -- but Emily is a Prentiss. And, in the BAU-verse that carries a lot of political water but beyond that, Emily's made a lot of powerful allies too.

Unfortunately, she's always so willing to fall on her sword that she doesn't.

Just like in s17x06 where JJ had to talk Emily off the ledge, Reid does the same for her to keep Emily from quitting.

She doesn't see herself as important enough and Emily thinks she's expendable. It's probably a mindset she cultivated back in her covert espionage days because she has to walk into situations knowing she won't walk back out again.

But it's been years since she was with the JTF-12 and yet, it's not something she ever quite shakes off.

Anyway, Barnes is such a cartoon character of an evil boss and I think it's one of the reasons why season 13 didn't operate as well with such a great season opener in 13x01, Wheels Up.

Emily deserves a nuanced authority figure to both go against and support her, IMO.

I thought it would be Phil Coulson Director Madison but he was only in one episode.

[wiltking]

just finished Madison Square Murders and that was so good wtf. i mean on a technical level i feel like it could have gone into a little more depth with the mystery but the characters? hello? there were a few moments where larkin's character felt wildly different / was hard to get a read on him / his dialogue felt out of character but maybe it was intentional and either way i was buzzing with every interaction between him and doyle and dont even get me staaarted on the marriage drama. even if noah's role felt almost cartoonishly antagonistic, and i would have preferred a little more nuance there. a little more.. a little more. maybe some deeper insight into why they were ever into each other enough to get married in the first place? how did they even meet? why does/did noah like larkin? so much left to be desired the deeper i try to look into it.

otherwise. highly enjoyable. so happy to see its part of a series too. been a while since ive met characters that felt this electric and though its not a perfect book (the three day timeline was another big downside) i really, really enjoyed it and am genuinely compelled to see this relationship progress

[thebestucollegeadmissions]

Trends in College Admissions: What We’re Seeing & Where We’re Headed

If you are in or approaching the college application process, you are probably eager to know what to expect as the admissions process seems to be changing year over year.

Read on for insights from the TBU team on what we’ve seen so far, and where we think admissions is headed –

TBU Managing Partner Lauren Dodington was recently interviewed for the College Database Find the Best Colleges in US | CollegeData article “7 College Admissions Trends to Watch in 2023.” We love diving deep in the data, watching the nuances of trends and anticipating where things are headed in the near future. Checkout the article for perspectives from Lauren & other admissions experts. Beyond these- here are three trends the team at TBU is keeping an eye on for the year ahead:

1. Test Optional Policies are likely here to stay.

Columbia University was the most recent of the ivies to announce that their test optional policy will remain in place going forward. We expect to see more colleges making announcements like these as they approach the expiration dates of their current policies. While more control and choice for applicants in how they present themselves is a good thing, we do eye this with a bit of skepticism. Colleges have benefited from astronomical increases in applications since adopting test optional policies in response to the Covid pandemic. We suspect many colleges are hesitant to let go of the gains in applications, and subsequent reduction in acceptance rates that these policies have yielded. This is to say, we do not expect it to get easier or less competitive for students to gain admission under test optional policies at highly selective schools.

2. Popularity of flagship public universities will continue to grow.

Several public universities have become wildly popular in recent years, taking schools that students had long considered likely or possible options into the reach category. We’ve noted these trends at places like the University of Wisconsin Madison and University of Washington Seattle. Both institutions have seen rapidly growing numbers of applications that are making them more selective than ever. This underscores the need to really investigate the most recent admissions rates and student profiles to realistically assess how competitive a college will be.

3. Expect colleges to ask for more creative ways for students to share who they are and express their character and personal qualities.

With the advent of ChatGPT and potential changes to admissions practices from the anticipated supreme court decision on affirmative action, we anticipate that colleges may embrace more out of the box application components. We might see more video submissions, changes to the supplemental questions a college asks, or opportunities for students to include a range of means of self-expression and representation on the application that go beyond traditional essay writing. What these might look like is as yet unknown, but we won’t be surprised for colleges to offer timed written responses to get more off-the-cuff writing, to have students provide vlogs or video messages, or to include visual representations of their passions, or interest in a college.

As decisions come in over the next few weeks, we will be rooting for all the students out there, and will look forward to providing you more perspective on what we are learning from the 2023 admissions cycle.

Looking for more insights like these? Join us on our Membership Platform for exclusive content, live webinars, and the resources and tools to unstick your college process.

[madsdefencesquad]

as a fellow madison fan (hoping for #kevinson to be the #endgame), what do you want to say when people lately have been saying that madison’s character has taken a 360 change. she is no longer anxious or awkward, unlike before. they feel her character has been changed to fit the kevinson story however, i feel it is natural progression now that she is a mother. What do you wanna say about that?

I would like to lovingly tell them to ✨ELECTRIC CHAIR✨

And then if they’re still alive, I’ll throw it back at them to provide me with the RECEIPTS of when the writers specifically told us or shown onscreen that Madison was just going to be whatever one-dimensional ditzy character that these viewers seem to think that she is or is supposed to be.

Because I personally can’t find them, so by all means, show me the damn receipts if they’re so confident that they “changed” Madison to fit in to the Kevison story.

But hey, I’m not surprised either way that they think this way about Madison because the theories out there? They are absolute bonkers, so honestly, even if we take away the actual evidence (through dialogue & what is shown to us on the damn screen!!!) of Madison being so much more than whatever delusion they think she’s supposed to be, I’m more concerned at the fact that these people cannot seem to empathise with a pregnant woman with twins! who is battling her ED and her insecurities at the daily while living in a damn pandemic.

So yeah, that’s what I’ll say to them: watch the damn series again and get back to me and maybe throw in some empathy practice while you’re at it too.

[amazildoessomethingstupid]

Chapter 100: High Expectations

Alright, this time for real. We’re going to be diving into Chapter 100: High Expectations.  Which is fairly ironic given how my sources on the recent chapters actually didn’t have much to say about this chapter.  Which hasn’t been an actual thing since Chapter 96: Unspoken Rule. So contrary to the title of the chapter, I actually have no real expectations going into this thing, which means this is either going to be really boring and uninteresting, or…

Taeshi can do what Taeshi does best.

In either case, we start with the now ever-present Moody Mike.  Upset about his burnt to atomic ashes relationship with Lucy, his completely absent shell of a relationship with Sandy and more.  Actually now that I think about it, that’s something I haven’t really gotten into with these rants.  NEW MIKE! I guess I never felt the need to since Moody Mike has been a mainstay for a while long before these recent chapters, and it seems that for the most part the chapters seemed to be more focused on Paulo, Daisy, Abbey, and occasionally Mike.  And in the chapters where it was centered more around him, there wasn’t much to really comment on with his behavior as it was just Mike being Mike. And often times he’d be skirted off in lieu of shit and characters we actually cared about. Speaking of which,

Daisy nabs Paulo a chocolate pudding from the cafeteria, and I honestly love Paulo in this scene.  It feels like his character in the dialogue, although I will say I have no idea what public school serves shit like this.  I know my high school never had any dessert of any kind. The closest thing to that, would be either stuff you bought from clubs doing sales, or strawberry milk or if you were lucky vanilla milk.  If you switched that pudding for strawberry milk motherfucker, I would actually be Paulo in this situation.  For a highschool teen that shit was the bomb.  Oh and Mike’s being a grouch but who gives a shit.

Of course this leads to some ship baiting between Paulo and Daisy, but I don’t have any problems with it. I think it’s cute, and all but of course

It comes with a bit of stipulation…Hey Abbey did Sue’s actual words of wisdom sink in?  Did you listen?

Guess not.  Oh well, I guess we’re just being reminded that yes Abbey does still resent Paulo, and Paulo is still scared of Abbey.  Anyway, what’s this chapter really about?  Are we going to finally get into Mike’s problem with Sandy?

D’awww look at that.  That is just precious.

Awwww, she thinks she’s an actual character!  Cute, but seriously what’s this chapter about?

Oh, we’re actually staying on this subject?  Fuck, alright then. Let’s go Abbey, tell us again about how you feel like we haven’t heard it before.  I’m sure even though Susan hasn’t gotten through to you, and neither has Daisy, I’m sure that Jasmine will be the one to finally reach you! (also, I just realized that hand is a bit too detailed for the style now that I’m looking at it, it’s like it’s someone else’s hand there it’s so jarring)

Yes, Abbey.  Because everyone else is able to build their opinions based on contextual knowledge about both Paulo and Daisy, and are able to have empathy for both parties and see the good and the flaws in Paulo to realize that he’s not that bad of a person, and people who want to say that he’s nothing but a selfish womanizing idiot either don’t understand the nuance of his character, or are purposefully ignoring the actual good of his character not only in recent chapters with his pussification, but also his supportive and defensive nature towards loved ones in earlier volumes.

Well holy shit, Jasmine color me surprised.  You said something in-line to building your character!  It’s almost as if, you having been in a relationship with Paulo understand that he’s more than what others like Abbey see in him!  He’s more than just a flirt, he’s not that fucking bad.  IN FACT!

I am legitimately happy about Jasmine’s character in this scene.  She’s putting her foot down, she’s showing how supporting she can be, but also holding to her own strong morals.  Abbey on the other hand is still acting like a little bitch boy who’s upset he can’t have it his way.

Then you’re what?

I would’ve gone with “hypocrite” but all very good answers. I’m very proud of all of you.

Trying to force your loved ones to turn their back on someone they also care about, and making the situation worse by judging them for making their own decisions on who they hang out with on the other hand… Yeah that’s kind of a bad thing to do.  Especially since, I…

Don’t actually remember much about Abbey ever really supporting Daisy in what she does…  Like we’re hammered over the head about how Daisy is helping Abbey, going to therapy, taking his side, going to bat for him. But I’m not sure about Abbey doing similar for her.  Like, when did Abbey go to Daisy’s cheer meets?  Or try to get himself involved with things she loves?  I mean, did Abbey even know that Daisy was interested in that author dude at the convention?  Did Abbey ever take notice to what Daisy wants?  Did he ever really shush out her insecurities about feeling unattractive outside of just being there?  

I just realized, there’s a question we’ve been missing this entire time…Was Abbey ever really a good boyfriend for Daisy? Huh…I may have to think about this one.

Anyway, Jasmine talks some sense into the boy, and like I said she shows how she can be supportive and understanding.  And also

Yeeeaah… Uhhh…  I really want to get into that “breakup” but I feel that’d be too long of an aside.  Imma just put it on the backburner and let you finish.

But yeah, Jasmine ends up making a good case for Paulo, and I find it very nice honestly!  It’s a very good reprive from the bullshit anger she had towards Paulo back in the Garbage Pick Up chapter.  It is kind of wishy washy how she goes back to being like “Oh yeah, Paulo’s not a bad person and doesn’t deserve so much hatred.” After how she badmouthed him before, but that badmouthing in itself was bullshit so it kind of counters out and I’ll take it if it means that Jasmine can be her own fucking person with her own fucking opinions based on her own experience now.  Although she still retains a bit of her cocksleeve status, as Abbey accepts this and it seems that NOW he’s starting to get the message.  I guess he has no choice, if he gives Jasmine the same treatment as Susan, or Daisy of disregarding their advice he’d be shit out of luck.  This is the last character who somewhat matters that isn’t in a relationship, Abbey.  Don’t fuck it up.  And before you say Rachel is available now, FUCK YOU SHE DOES NOT DESERVE THAT.  SHE DESERVES BETTER THAN ABBEY.

Anyway, we’re back to the actually important characters and Paulo is freaking out.   Which y’know, is pretty understandable given how Abbey’s lashing out was pretty unprompted and out of nowhere.  So it would make sense for Paulo to think the same would happen. But apparently, Moody Mike is not having it and is insistent on making this chapter about him.  

Oh my god are we doing this? Oh shit, are we trading victim cards here?  First of all, Mike your victim card doesn’t work with that statement because as far as I remember, Lucy never attacked you out of fucking nowhere when you were just hanging out with your friend and doing them a favor.  It was usually because you were being a little annoying prick.  But more importantly, just fucking stop with that okay?  This isn’t fucking Yu-Gi-Oh, you shouldn’t use your fucking victim card as a fucking excuse for being an uncaring asshole to your friends’ problems.  Which is especially infuriating given how when Paulo was assaulted,

You were the first person who showed actual genuine concern for Paulo after being assaulted.  And it seemed you continued to do so, with your friendship with him being strengthened and finding common ground!  But oh, nope can’t have that because now you’re having a bad time and oh no Sandy’s not giving you attention, so you need to be bitchy to everyone else so they can give you attention.  Oh boy!  Mike, I have noticed how I’ve been very light on you in these recent chapters.  So thank you.  Thank you for giving me this opportunity to finally show some o dat good ol’ Mike hate!

And it seems that this turn of character is not lost on Paulo too!  And I gotta say, I hate how Paulo had been turned to a more passive character.  But oh my god, this shit right here.  

Mwah, that’s the good shit. Oh Paulo, you absolute mad lad I applaud you in actually making valid points towards Mike and calling him out for his bullshit.  

Things start to get heated, as Paulo snatches Mike’s phone to get his attention so he can finally talk about what the fuck his problem is.  And oh man, that fucking burn.  OOF damn Paulo you are savage.  However, Mike brings up a good counterpoint.

Jesus Christ, Mike you were not kidding!  And to top it off, Mike’s using his fucking levitation powers to bring the smackdown too! He’s not even standing on a chair or anything, this man is going full Carrie mode!

Anyway, Mike storms away from the table and… I just realized something again.  Weren’t Rachel, Madison, Jess and Matt also at the table? Wouldn’t they have a few things to say about this situation? (actually now that I think about it I don’t think I’d like to hear Madison chime in with her usual demeanor on this situation) but for real where are they?  We set that up in Table for One, but I just realized it’s never actually been utilized for anything.  Did they just leave after Paulo and Rachel broke up?  What a pointless plot point, that only lasted for one day.  Anyway, at least we’re getting into what this chapter’s actually about I guess…What is this chapter about?

Oh shit, are we getting a resurgence of Sue?!  Between this and the birthday party, Sue is finally being the character she’s supposed to be!  Praise be! And look!

She’s showing off her character!  She cares, she’s trying to be proactive, she’s being a fucking character again! Yes!  These are good talking points!  Work it out!  Give me more!

Oh you blue balling piece of shit.  How dare you deny me the rare Good Sue.  Fine then, we’ll focus on Paulo, what’s he doing now?

Running away in a panic, alright then… I’m glad I’m missing out on an actual straight talk between a sensible Sue and Moody Mike for this.  Whatever, where are you going with this?

Okay, he passes by Abbey who is seemingly happier now with his new friends.  An obvious punch to make Paulo feel guilty about Abbey.  Whatever, we’re not focusing on that.  Where are we going?  Is Paulo going to the nurse or something?  Actually, y’know what?  Where are the student aids?  Like, when I went to high school I remember you couldn’t pass two halls without bumping into an adult student aid who was watching the kids for this kind of shit. Where are the student aids?  Or the On-Campus-Officers?  Was my rinky dink coconut public high school somehow more well-equipped than this high school that apparently can serve DESSERT in the cafeteria?! Where the adults in this situation?!  Where the hell are we going?!

Oh…shit…

Oh no…

OH! OH NOW WE’RE CONTINUING WITH SUE AND MIKE?!  NOW WE’RE DOING THIS SHIT?  WHY?! WHY ARE YOU DOING IT LIKE THIS?! WHY CAN’T YOU JUST FOCUS ON ONE FUCKING THING, YOU WERE DOING SO WELL BEFORE! Oh whatever, if I bitch about the pacing here now we’ll never get out of here.  At least Sue is talking sense, and trying to actually be proactive and figure out what’s wrong.  And I like how it doesn’t take long for her to deduce the problem too.

BAM! OBLIGATORY JANUARY REFERENCE! GET IT IN THERE BABY! WE BEEN LONG OVERDUE!

Anyway, Sue is actually trying to piece things together to try and solve this problem, but Moody Mike has evolved into Defensive December Mike!  The worst Mike of all.  Deflecting and lashing out at everyone else, screaming at people in order fix his problems by not dealing with his problems at all.  Digging into the past bullshit to excuse what’s going on now, guilt tripping people by using the actions he let them get away with as leverage.  This is the sort of Mike that made people hate Mike.

Luckily, Sue just walks away in an honestly pretty somber moment.  Poor Sue, actually trying to help for once but always being shot down and disregarded.  But as Mike lashes out at her again, she drops the mic saying one final thing for Mike to simmer on.

Oh wait, no that was the mic drop from January for Mike.  Where Daisy tells Mike that his negligence towards his own problems has caused a clear divide that can not be tolerated anymore and is driving everyone away. And how it’s unfair for him to force upon his friends to deal with and solve his problems for him.  But for real, what’s the actual ending?

Oop!  Wait, sorry nope that was me again channeling January.  What Sue actually says is!

Well that’s…underwhelming.

Seriously?  “You’re so unpleasant”?  “I can’t let you talk to me this way”?  That’s it?!  That’s all you have to say?  Come on, you were doing so well with Sue in this scene.  All jokes aside, I actually liked her appearance here! I appreciated this scene!  But this is the fucking mic drop?!  This is what Sue says to Mike after getting yelled at, and realizing that he’s gone too far for her to help?  Come on, you can do better than that Taeshi! Anyway, let’s check in on Paulo and Lucy I guess.

Oh boy, look!

See guys?  It’s just like Lacey predicted!  Everyone is so judgy and hating her just because she’s hanging out with Augustus!  See? Lucy was right, an-

I don’t want to hurt anymore… Please stop.

Well I guess we’re not done with the melodrama and shouting, but I will say that Paulo is making sense here. He’s not just deflecting or arguing that this is about something else, like Mike.  

However, it seems that this comic only allows for one person per scene to have a braincell and Paulo is hogging it all.  While Lacey is still being her cold and uncaring self.  Paulo here, while seeming to be the clear aggressor is very clear at least for why he is upset and making good points. Lucy on the other hand is taking the Mike approach and…

Deflecting the problem by making it seem about how it’s Paulo’s problem and not hers anymore because she is wiping her hands clean of her past relationships.  Sure.  Alright guy.

At least Paulo is retaining his one brain cell to see through this bullshit, and call out the problem! Y’know… LIKE HOW HE USED TO BE!  AND HOW HE SHOULD’VE BEEN!  NOT WANTING TO LEAVE A PROBLEM ALONE WHEN HE SEES IT, AND TRY TO ARGUE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!  

But of course, Lacey is Lacey, and Lacey doesn’t care because why should she?  She never cared about Paulo or anyone else’s feelings since her return, and has only done things for her own self interest because that’s her character now I guess.  Whatever. Y’know…if you told me three years ago that in three years I’d end up hating and bashing on Lucy more than Mike…I won’t say I wouldn’t believe you, because I’m cynical enough to believe any bullshit you tell me about what happens in the future of this comic.  But I don’t think I would have been able to take this bullshit.

But in either case, Lucy’s uncaring attitude is starting to make Paulo breakdown, and I find myself siding with Paulo a bit.  I mean, yes she fucking does owe them some fucking answers, or a cursory status update. But of by the end of this page of course it goes back to the shipping which is of course the main purpose of almost all conflicts in BCB.  And we’re reminded again of the carnival chapter when…

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!

OH GOD!  I PICTURED IT AGAIN!  IT WON’T FUCKIGN LEAVE!  NO! STOP! PLEASE STOP FUCKING BRINGING THAT SHIT UP!  IT DIDN’T HAPPEN IT DIDN’T HAPPEN IT DIDN’T HAPPEN IT’S NOT CANON NOT CANON NOT CANON NOT CANON NOT CANON!

I am right there with you Paulo…

Why does Ms. Vera torture us like this?  Why can’t she just write a main character who is likeable, healthy, and stable, who makes sense?  Why must she tease us with this false idol of a character whom we once loved, cared about, and worshipped?  Were we not good enough?  Have we not suffered enough?  Where did we go wrong?

But finally, finally, Lacey shows some fucking remorse in seeing how her absence, and actions have affected the ones she cared about, as Paulo slinks away a sobbing mess.

Leaving Lacey to stand there, looking at the damage she has done and silently reevaluate where she stands in all of this.  A powerful scene that plants the seed for what should be inner turmoil in Lacey’s character that will no doubt follow her in the future…

Okay, that’s the last fake out I promise.  But for real, the first time I read this scene this ending felt weird.  Like, Paulo slinking away saying “Fuck it, I get it. It’s a lost cause, nevermind you obviously don’t care about how I or anyone feels.” is a very strong note, but it gets undercut by these last two almost pitifully spiteful panels.  It’s like the same problem I had with the previous scene, in that the ending is not as strong as the rest of the scene deserved it to be.  

But even though that is a strong enough note to end on, we are not done yet it seems as Daisy meets up with Paulo again to talk about what just happened.  The subject ends up turning back to Lucy, and Augustus but…

Paulo doesn’t tell Daisy about her hanging out with Augustus.  I guess to save face, and not upset her but honestly I don’t care enough about this to dig too deep.  There’s been 3 big scenes I’ve had to talk about here already, I don’t have the mind to care about this either.  

But anyway, the chapter ends with Paulo denouncing the false prophet Lucy and again setting sail on that Paulo X Daisy ship.   And that is the end.

So all in all, this chapter for what it is, is at least seemingly progressing these conflicts by bringing them to the forefront once more.  We’re again acknowledging Mike’s unstable relationship with Sandy, which has now reached a boiling point.  Lacey has finally had someone stand up and call her out for her flippant and cold nature. And Abbey has seemingly found a new home and is choosing to side with Jasmine to not let Paulo bother him so much.

Now the real question is: Will any of these progressions come up soon, or make a real difference in these characters for the better?

I give this chapter a 4/10. I would go lower, but it has promise and there were good points brought up.  I’d go higher, but it falls on its face at the end a few too many times.  We’ll just have to wait and see where it goes.

[930club]

9:30 INTERVIEW: Chris Thile of Punch Brothers

Punch Brothers’ new album, All Ashore, has been described by mandolinist Chris Thile as "a meditation on committed relationships in the present day, particularly in the present climate." He continues, "we were hoping to create something that would be convincing as a complete thought, in this case as a nine-movement, or nine-piece, thought. Though it's rangy in what it's talking about, and in the characters who are doing the talking." We asked Thile some questions about the album and more ahead of their upcoming show at The Anthem.

Jon Chen [9:30 Club]: So, I was a pretty big fan of your newest album— I saw how it kind of kept in step with The Phosphorescent Blues. I felt like they were both sort of meditative takes on some nuanced aspect of society. The Phosphorescent Blues was about connection in an increasingly digital age, and All Ashore being about more committed relationships. I was wondering, who do you try to reach with these albums, and is there a common link in what you try to communicate?

Chris Thile [Punch Brothers]: I think both records share a yearning for a deep connection, or a feeling that there’s some sort of salvation in forging a lasting connection with another human being, or that there’s a salvation or an antidote to the malaise of our times. In a way, looking back at The Phosphorescent Blues, I almost wish those were our problems still: just railing against a life of distraction or never being fully present in any one moment. If there’s a silver lining to everything going on right now, it’s that I think people seem a little more engaged than before all this stuff that’s happening, between Brexit, and Trump, and this sort of creeping— although I guess it’s not really even creeping anymore— this advancing nationalism, which seems to be something of a global phenomenon. It definitely has gotten our attention, so I do think those records are thematically related, although not directly or intentionally. I think in All Ashore, stakes have been raised, on a macro level as human beings, and also on a micro level for us as bandmates, in that we’re having children now: two out of five of us have kids, myself included; three out of five of us are married, and everyone’s in a committed relationship. The record is very much a product of the times, as is Phosphorescent Blues, and I guess that’s the main connection, that they’re both records of their respective times. I think especially now, you’re seeing a whole lot of that; I think artists can’t really ignore what’s going on right now, our work is fairly consumed by it.

Absolutely. I think all of you have kind of been in different projects, living in different cities, being in committed relationships. And somehow in spite of this, I felt like All Ashore really showed signs of growth as a band: I thought you guys seemed tighter, and I felt closer to the message you guys conveyed through the writing. Maybe it was a result of hearing your music that was a product of the times. I was wondering, how have you managed to keep growing as a band while being so far apart?

I think everyone’s growing as musicians individually, and Punch Brothers takes up less of the year since its inception. You know, these days people becoming family men, myself becoming the host of this radio show [Live From Here], the band sorta just has less “acreage.” I actually think that may have brought us closer together creatively because when we’re together, there’s this sense of urgency, and this necessity of focusing on getting the job done in maybe less time than we’ve had before. There’s also this real joy and refreshment and affirming aspect of being in a band— it’s a treat now to work together, which is a pretty crazy thing to say twelve years into a collaboration. Every time we get together to put together new music, or deliver to the people who are interested in it, it’s just taken on a new identity. To maybe put it more simply, I think we know what we have now, since we’ve taken more time away from it, and every time we get to do it, we are fully engaged.

Wow. I’ve often been fascinated by how as a band, your actual instrumentation is, you know, officially “bluegrass-y,” but you often borrow from pop, rock, classical, and other repertoire. What makes you want to pursue this genre-bending, and how does it inform your songwriting and composition?

The main thing for me is that the string band is kind of what my bandmates and I understand the best, just texturally. So that’s what we’re going to use, it’s what we understand. I almost feel like the genre discussion is a discussion of medium, like an artist might use pencils, or watercolors, or oils, or whatever. That’s how I feel about the bluegrass ensemble; me saying, “I play in a bluegrass ensemble,” is like saying, “I work primarily with oil.” But that doesn’t give you any more information than that. If I say, “Yeah, we play bluegrass instruments,” I have given you no more information than if an artist says, “I paint with oil.” You can think of that, but as far as what we’re gonna paint, you have absolutely no clue yet. For me, when a musician says “I play ____,” that’s how I take it. “So, what do you paint?” would be my next question. A lot of times I think people maybe assume something, like how we play bluegrass instruments, and all of a sudden what you’ve heard before on bluegrass instruments is popping up in your ears. So, we’re not interested in that, not because we don’t love it, but because it’s already been done. And so, I think most musicians or artists, that’s kind of where they’re coming from: you love what has been made well. You don’t wanna do it because it’s already been done well; you wouldn’t be doing your job if you just did something the way someone else did it.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Genres are just labels to a lot of us, and as an artist I guess you wouldn’t want to constrain yourself to that.

Yeah. It’s not that it’s not important— it is, the choice to paint with a specific kind of medium is a choice worth talking about and thinking about. But I would just always encourage people to think of it like that: there’s still a lot of questions to be asked after the question of genre.

Totally makes sense. Kind of along the same lines, your last tour was the American Acoustic tour where you kind of represented a lot of American folk music. I’m wondering, what do you think the future of American folk music is?

I guess I think that all music is folk music— any music made by humans. That tour was a celebration of this medium of acoustic instruments, but it was also something to give people a vague idea of the aesthetic that they were in for. To talk about where acoustic music is headed… I do think people kind of think acoustic music is synonymous with folk music and that they’re one and the same. That’s fine with me, just a question of semantics, all of which is interesting, but again, doesn’t tell the whole story. I think that acoustic music is headed in precisely the direction we’re aiming this conversation, which is forward, forward, forward. What are we going to do now that we’ve made this textural decision? How do we justify our existence as artists, I think, is the question. The way that you justify is by doing something that is both new and useful. Doing something new is pretty easy. I could just play an old fiddle tune on stage, and, I don’t know, rip the stuffing out of a plush giraffe, and that would be new, nobody would’ve ever done that before. But is it useful? No. Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I would argue that’s not terribly useful. The fiddle tune might be useful, but again, a lot of people have already done that. Again, that’s not to decry purely doing something new— doing something useful by definition is of use— but I think we all have to concern ourselves with doing something useful and new. I think that’s what most of my peers, I hear them striving to do, that’s what I’m trying to do, and certainly what Punch Brothers is trying to do — make something new and useful.

And it sounds like you’re doing it well! Going back to American Acoustic, which ended almost exactly a year ago, you were on stage then with a lot of your most frequent collaborators, and it had kind of a “Punch Brothers and Friends” kind of feel. Your All Ashore tour seems like, though Madison Cunningham will be joining for a large part of it, the tour will be a much more intimate gathering of the band members. Would you say this tour will carry a different tone than the last tour?

Yeah, for sure. Madison, first of all, is incredible. She’ll be opening for us, there hasn’t been a “collaboration” as of yet, it’s more of a traditional concert experience. I absolutely feel like it’s a pretty intimate experience, like the boys and I are inviting you to a small gathering at our favorite bar. It’s like we’re there to escape, and then to discuss what we’re escaping from, and I think that’s kind of how a lot of small intimate social gatherings are functioning right now. You’re looking to escape the cares of the day, which are many, and many of them are shared. You have a lot of mutual cares right now with human beings, like climate change, how divided we are as a country and world, and a lot of stuff that’s really happening to us as a people right now, not in the abstract. They’re serious, life-affecting issues, and we’re all experiencing them. The record is also about how these kinds of issues are affecting our daily lives. For example, the record starts at the micro level with this small, new-ish family, and kind of ends with humanity, in “Like It’s Going Out Of Style” as something of a mantra. It takes a pretty major political detour as well, which basically all conversations are doing right now. That’s kind of where this record is, as the second round is hitting the table at a good cocktail bar, amongst close friends, and the conversations that arise at that moment.

I think that sounds really great, and I think The Anthem is going to be a really special place for that to happen. I’m excited to see what you think of it.

Yes, my first time there!

My last question is: what’s next for Punch Brothers?

The boys and I are more committed than ever to forging ahead as a creative entity. I think the experience making and now disseminating All Ashore has just underlined this project’s importance in our respective lives, and I think we’re presenting a pretty unified front, and want to continue to. We’re already starting to talk about what the next project will be, and have some ideas. I think whatever it is, it’s going to be ambitious, is the best I could give. It’ll be fun.

-Jonathan Chen

Tickets for Punch Brothers at The Anthem are available here. 

[mcmansionhell]

Looking Around: Reflections on Preservation

If you, like me, happen to follow architecture rather closely, you may have recently noticed several folks in the community talking about their Johnson. Always fond of puns, it’s the 20th-century American architect Philip Johnson they’re referring to, rather than, well, you know. 

Two weeks ago, it was announced that the Norwegian firm Snøhetta revealed plans to overhaul the front facade of Johnson’s iconic 1984 AT&T building, a Postmodern skyscraper located at 550 Madison Ave in New York City.

Philip Johnson’s 550 Madison Ave (formerly known as the AT&T building). Left Image by David Shankbone, CC BY 2.5. Right Image by Matthew Bisanz, CC BY-SA 3.0. 

Proposed changes by Snøhetta. Via Dezeen. 

While this is not the first renovation to the tower (Charles Gwathmey did a less invasive but, in this writer’s opinion still problematic rehab in the 90s), architects and critics, famous and obscure alike, were quick to decry the changes. Olly Wainwright, architecture critic for The Guardian, in no small words, called the plans “vandalism.” Mega-architect Norman Foster, no friend to Postmodernism, said on Instagram that the building was nevertheless “an important part of our heritage and should be respected as such.” 

Image by Anna Fixsen, Metropolis Magazine. Via Twitter.

A protest was organized, seen above. On the far right, you can see the famous Postmodern architect and former Dean of the Yale School of Architecture, Robert A.M. Stern, holding a model of the building. 

A hashtag, #SaveATT, was created, alongside a Twitter account, @Save_AT_T, and a Change.org petition shortly followed. 

You may be wondering why all of these architects and critics are losing their minds about a renovation of an 80s building that looks relatively sleek and contemporary. It’s not so much that the proposed renovation in and of itself is objectively bad, it’s about the building for which the renovation was proposed.

The Lowdown on Johnson’s Highrise

Before we get into the details, I’ll say it straight-up: the AT&T building, including its lobby, should absolutely be saved. Why? 1) Because it is probably the most famous example of Postmodern architecture, and 2) because it caused the biggest architectural hissy fit since the birth of Modernism. 

Philip Johnson was, until the AT&T building, a high-modernist architect who built a large number of corporate headquarters and a famous glass house. Always a controversial and infuriating character, he decided, seemingly on a whim, to take a Postmodern turn in designing his tower for AT&T. 

The Glass House by Philip Johnson. Photo by Staib (CC BY-SA 3.0)

In 1979, when the AT&T tower was announced, Postmodernism (a movement characterized by the revisiting, distorting, juxtaposing, and recontextualizing of historical architectural forms within a contemporary philosophical and aesthetic context) was a relatively theoretical movement, not yet thrust into the eye of the general populus. 

Postmodernism had a certain critical eye that cast its gaze at (what was seen at the time as) the stifling hegemony of Modernist architecture, which the Postmodernists found cold, technocratic, and corporate. That the style was appropriated by Johnson for a major corporate building, made a few theorists rather angry, as corporatism was one of their key criticisms of Modernist architecture. 

Johnson on the cover of Time Magazine holding a model of the AT&T Building.

To rub more salt in the critical wound, the AT&T building was Postmodernism’s first big media moment, obscuring the smaller, more nuanced works of the movement’s first five years, which added to the hissy fit. Charles Jencks, the eternal gatekeeper of the movement, was so in crisis at the ruining of his nuanced art by a particularly vain starchitect, that he had an existential crisis, asking “Is Postmodernism Dead?” Jencks would continue to see the building as a transition from “real” Postmodernism and “PoMo” aka Postmodernism that Jencks does not like. 

Don’t worry, it’s probably all explained in one of his extremely great charts. 

After AT&T, Postmodernism exploded in popularity and quickly replaced Modernism as the hegemonic architectural style, endlessly replicated, splayed across a landscape of gabled museums and courthouses; shopping malls and parking decks. RIP to theoretical purity, born: 1968, died: 1979. Cause of Death: Philip Johnson.

While it may be startling that a building completed in 1984 is already in existential danger, such danger is becoming more and more common, sooner and sooner after the building is completed. 

Preservation itself is always a difficult topic, one that raises many questions: Why should we save buildings, and what makes a building worth saving in the first place? Why should we save just the exterior of the building? Why not the interior or landscape as well?

Why Should We Save Buildings?

Buildings are worth saving for several reasons. Sometimes, a building has an interesting cultural history - perhaps an important person was born there, or it was the site of a burgeoning subculture, or an important historical event. Sometimes a building is worth preserving because it is a particularly good example of its architectural style, or because it’s the only example of its particular style in the surrounding area. 

Sometimes a building is worth preserving simply because it is beautiful, old, or built by a famous architect. Sometimes, like in the case of Johnson’s AT&T building, the building should be preserved because it had an important role to play in architectural history, theory, or criticism. 

My own story of how I began writing about architecture is one that opens with loss - the kind of needless loss that should never happen again. 

Paul Rudolph’s Orange County Government Center. Via Library of Congress.

When I was little, I was a house fanatic. (As we can clearly see, not much has changed.) Whether it was watching the then-nascent HGTV channel, or dirtying my mother’s station wagon windows with nose-prints watching yard after yard scroll by, I could not get enough of houses. For most of my young life, architecture was defined by houses.

My mother grew up in Goshen, New York, and we would occasionally go up there to visit family and friends. When I was around thirteen or fourteen, we took a wrong turn looking for a Dunkin Donuts, allowing me to stumble upon the building above, Paul Rudolph’s Orange County Government Center, built in 1967.

This building was unlike any building I had ever seen before, and in the few minutes we stopped by, it had transformed my ideas about what a building was, what it could be. It was the building that introduced me to architecture. 

Around 2010, when I finally figured out what building it was, I learned that it had been threatened with demolition. My first ever snippet about architecture I had written was a letter pleading the National Trust for Historic Preservation to intervene. Throughout high school, I wrote at length about the need to save Modernist buildings so that they could have the same effect on future generations as they had on me. 

In 2015, my junior year of college, it was announced that the fight for preservation had been lost, and Paul Rudolph’s masterpiece was mutilated beyond repair. I will never be able to revisit the building that inspired me to begin writing about architecture. If I’d never gotten to see that building, it’s unlikely that McMansion Hell would have ever materialized. I can say with some certainty, at the risk of being melodramatic, that had I not seen that building, I would be a completely different person than the one sitting here writing this. 

Orange County Government Center during its Demolition. Photo by Daniel Case. CC BY-SA 3.0.

Now, others won’t be able to have that experience. What’s left of Rudolph’s work is beyond uninspiring, a shell of what used to be an innovative, form-defying building. What could have inspired many to make deeper inquiries into their built environment has been reduced to a non-place housing the DMV. 

We don’t like to think of buildings as being non-permanent. When a building is constructed, there’s an expectation that it’ll last forever. Buildings seem monolithic, stable, permanent. It’s in a building’s very design to be anchored firmly to the ground, to be able to brave the elements, withstand the years. While natural disasters are responsible for the destruction of a great many buildings, the fickleness of the aesthetic tastes of human beings has felled a great many more. 

After around the 70-year mark of a building’s life, it becomes significantly more at risk of demolition. Several books have been written about lost buildings in many cities, sparing few details about how needless some of these losses were. In Baltimore, as in other cities, many a masterpiece was felled in the mid-20th century to make room for a rather infamous building sniper: parking decks and parking lots. 

Maryland Casualty Building. Demolished in 1984 in order to build a parking lot. 

When it comes to pre-20th century buildings, whose preservation is argued for far more often than buildings like AT&T or Rudolph’s Government Center, the argument isn’t necessarily that these buildings are somehow superior architecturally to others because of their age, but because they are totally irreplaceable. 

Even if you wanted to build a full-scale replica of a demolished building from, say, the 18th century, it’s likely that the materials needed to rebuild it are no longer around. Most of the marble and stone quarries that brought us styles like Richardsonian Romanesque or Gothic Revival, were completely depleted. In addition, the construction methodologies required for pre-industrial building practices are either not likely to get approval because they aren’t up to modern building codes or because some of those trade skills are simply lost. Regardless, the cost of replacement materials, as well as the labor needed to build these historic buildings, are both economically unviable. 

On a more surface level, old buildings are snapshots of how people once lived, and saving them is an important part of charting the history of human development, historically and technologically. 

Mechanics Theater, Baltimore, MD. Demolished in 2013 and replaced with a festering open pit. 

A common fallacy of preservation is that it is reserved solely for the oldest, most ornate buildings, especially those relevant to the heavily sanitized version of American history taught in primary schools. I would argue that preservation is even more important for those buildings we find difficult to like, those that challenge us architecturally, like Rudolph’s Government Center. 

There is always a point in time where a style of architecture is loathed by its successors. Many a Queen Anne Victorian house was razed because people at the beginning of the 20th century found them both dowdy, dusty, and plain unhygienic. Modernism was loathed by Postmodernism. Postmodernism is loathed by today’s architects who grew up in its shadow. 

That which is loathed is not always that which is not worth preserving, but by the time we realize this, it’s often too late. Only after a building is threatened do people come rallying to save it, when these preservation efforts are more successful when they start long before the first threat. This is perhaps why so many houses by Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe skyscrapers remain for people to enjoy. 

Interiors

TV AM building interior by Terry Farrell. Remodeled, mid-1990s. Via Dezeen. 

People go to visit old buildings (especially places like Museum houses) because they want to experience life as it was in a different era. The exterior is one part of this experience, but it’s the interiors which give people the sense that they are not merely looking at history but are instead enveloped in it. 

Though there has been some progress over the last few years, interiors and landscape architecture have not been as high of a priority for preservation as a building’s exterior architecture, and because of this, there have been great losses, like the TV AM building above, in which I’m sure many 80s and 90s children would love to bask nostalgically. 

I’m always delighted when, in my searches for this blog’s house of the week, I come upon a time-capsule house, that is, a house that hasn’t been remodeled since it was built. As the years go by, these houses have become less and less common, and their interiors have been replaced with today’s white furniture, contractor gray walls, and sparkling white trim. 

Interior of a house in Florida built in 1980s from the archives of the author. 

It’s hard to describe the feeling of loss that comes with looking at a house built in 1980 and discovering an interior fresh out of last month’s HGTV Magazine. Do I really think the world needs more overstuffed chintz sofas or shag carpeting? No, but the idea that a world without a single room decorated like it’s fresh out of a Laura Ashley catalog seems like quite an erasure of the pop cultural history of how everyday people decorated their houses. 

I’ve devoted a large bookshelf to old catalogs, renovation books, interior design magazines, and other resources about how people decorated their homes partially out of personal obsession and partially because I’m afraid that someday that history will be lost in the material world and will only exist in the glossy imagery of those pages.

Conclusion

What deserves to be preserved and how that preservation is executed is in the eyes of the people. While that idea sometimes gets abused by ruinous people who use historic preservation designations to protect parking lots or empty spaces to prevent affordable housing from being built, or use preservation as a means of proving the superiority of one group of people over another, these bad eggs should not give us the idea that preserving or documenting our important spaces is somehow politically toxic. 

Cottonwood Mall Demolition by Mike Renlund (CC BY 2.0)

The “our” is key. People experience architectural loss on an individual level. We can see this when the news reports a mall or shopping center is to be demolished - the comments on such stories are almost always people sharing their fond memories of school shopping, birthday parties, comings of age. When someone moves out of their house or apartment, there’s always a lingering sadness that whoever lives there after you will completely alter that place into their own small piece of the world. 

While highly public campaigns like #SaveATT are one method of preservation, they aren’t the only way people like you or me can contribute to saving our collective architectural memory. Documenting and archiving one’s own life is, in itself, a way of preservation. 

Inside Today’s Home, a 1979 decorating book from the collection of the author. 

Got old catalogs or maybe photos of your parents’ house with all of its tacky decorating laying around? Consider scanning them and maintaining an archive or contributing them to one of the many online groups on places like Flickr or Archive.org devoted to maintaining collections of primary sources from certain time periods. 

One of the most remarkable aspects of social media is that people are creating their own ethnographies, their own archives of collective memories through Facebook groups like one I’m in called “Old Baltimore Photos”, where participants get together and tell stories of how they experienced the city and its buildings as it used to be, on a scale past historians could only dream of.

As losses like the Orange County Government Center, barely in its fifth decade of existence, tell us, the time for preservation is not tomorrow or in a few years. The time for preservation is right now. If there’s a building that means something to you, take pictures, visit often, tell people about it! While it might take time and effort to make sure a building is protected for future generations, the first step of the process is always, as cheesy as it sounds, love.

HEY FOLKS! IT’S MY BIRTHDAY THIS FRIDAY!

Here are a few things you can do if you want to celebrate with me! 

Sign the Petition to Save the AT&T Building!!: http://bit.ly/SaveATandT

Make a donation to DoCoMoMo US, the organization leading the fight to preserve important landmarks of Modernist and Postmodernist architecture: https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/docomomous/donation.jsp

Consider supporting me on Patreon! I’ve started posting a GOOD HOUSE built since 1980 from the area where I picked this week’s McMansion as bonus content!

If you’re feeling particularly nice, you can view my book wishlist here: http://a.co/j5LNE0R

See you tomorrow with our Ohio McMansion of the week! 

Copyright Disclaimer: All photographs are used in this post under fair use for the purposes of education, satire, and parody, consistent with 17 USC §107. Manipulated photos are considered derivative work and are Copyright © 2017 McMansion Hell. Please email kate@mcmansionhell.com before using these images on another site. (am v chill about this)

[samwinchesterisourhero]

Sam Winchester is one of the most multi-layered character I’ve ever seen on TV and that’s what makes him so interesting and loveable. 

There are so many things to say about Sam, he brings out a lot of emotions from the audience. It would be too long to write about all the traits that make Sam who he is, whether it be his intelligence or his compassion or his sarcastic remarks. That’s why I will focus on one particularity that, to me, express at best the Sam I love and cherish and that’s the fact that Sam Winchester is a hero, a tragic but magnificent one.

Even if life isn’t remotely fair with him he goes through it without ever losing his hope or his optimism. This attitude saved the day a lot of time. Even when everyone gives up, to the last minute he’ll try and double his efforts. He never gives up on anyone, he’s always trying to save the most people possible. The only one he’s willing to give up on is himself and that’s heartbreaking.

Sam presents a lot of the tragic Greek hero’s archetypes. According to Aristotle a hero isn’t entirely good or bad ; he is deeply conflicted. He’s in search of his true identity and his true purpose while being subjected to misfortune and suffering, not because of an evil nature but because of mistakes he made knowingly or not. Sam has always been conflicted - from a young age as we learn in The Great Escapist - he never felt like he really fitted, believing he wasn’t pure and even seeing himself as not completely human, a freak. All his life he tried to extract himself from what he has been raised into, but he came to realize that whichever path he was going to, this life would always follow him.

Nevertheless, Sam constantly tries to understand the one around him, he will put himself in their shoes and search the true purpose of their actions, never judging their motivation. Especially with the one he loves, his mother being a great example from last season but with Dean also since the start. He empathizes not only with the families and the victims but with the supernatural beings who aren’t aware of what they’re doing or try but can’t change their condition (like Madison in Heart, Molly the ghost in Roadkill, Lenore in Bloodlust, Magda in American Nightmare…). It’s admirable and even if it is sometime seen as weakness by others it isn’t, far from it. To remain human enough to see the good in everyone is one of Sam’s biggest strengths.

His most impressive quality must be his forgiveness. He forgives even those who hurt him, sometime multiple times. Maybe it’s because he believes that if even him can be forgiven everyone must be, in the self-depreciating way he thinks of himself. Or it’s because often he wasn’t forgiven easily and he knows how it feels intimately. Sam is always so prompt to forgive others that he forgets to forgive himself. “There are people out there, good people, who are going to suffer because of me.” (Form and Void)

Furthermore, the tragic hero is contradictory, he’s a part of the action but at the same time he is subjected to it. He is guilty and yet innocent, lucid but blind. While he thinks he’s acting with foresight and independence, in fact it’s only later that he understands he was only a pawn in the Gods’ game and the true meaning of his actions is reveal to him. Indeed, Sam really thought he was doing the right thing pursuing Lilith’s death and at the time he was right thinking so. After all, everybody wanted to kill her(Dean and Bobby were more than willing too), even if by doing so he ultimately would be sacrificing himself. It’s only later that he (with everyone else) understand that he was being played by Heaven and Hell who were working alongside. The moment he understand he had sacrificed everything, his relation with his brother being the most important for him, all for the exact opposite of what he was fighting for, is the moment he breaks. After that instant he clearly isn’t the same anymore as he starts a kind of penance to redeem himself.

As a consequence, what makes Sam interesting is that he is fallible, he has to overcome his doubts, his mistakes and his culpability (real or felt). It’s his imperfection and his idiosyncrasies that make him real and appealing. A perfect hero is impossible for the audience to relate to and serve the purpose badly. Sam knows his flaws and he is probably the one who evolved the most during those twelve seasons and as a result he’s continuously trying to improve himself.

In addition, a hero is willing to sacrifice his needs, even his life for the good of others. He also has contradictory qualities and motivations and he will learn from his woes and draw a certain wisdom from them. He knows his quest implies danger, loses or even death, but ultimately he accepts the possibility sometimes even welcoming it, as Sam did so many times.

And his sacrifice is what distinguishes him from the others. He faces a dilemma and his death is a way to transcend it by offering is life for the greater good.  Sam saved the world by directly and purposely throwing himself to an eternity of suffering impossible to even start to understand. But he did it willingly for the sake of the world and for his brother, never thinking of what would happen to him. What is even more tragic is that his reward was only more sufferings.

There is so much more I’d like to say about Sam Winchester to explain why I admire him so much but all of the above is enough to start to comprehend the extent of Sam Winchester. He’s such an inspiration for so many people, after everything he’s been through he would have earn the right to be bitter and resentful but he still has a golden heart, empathy, hope, kindness and compassion. He is sometimes misunderstood, his actions are held against him but to me it only reinforces the heroism of his nature. I loved him every step of the way since I watched the pilot. I loved him during times where he didn’t love himself and was at his lowest (Sacrifice was so painful) and during times where he had no idea who he was anymore.

If I could wish something for Sam it would be to see himself as I see him ; a truly good-hearted person who deserves to be loved, understood, listen to and appreciated just as he is.

At last, I want to thank you Mr. Padalecki for bringing such an amazing character to life, for making him what he is and for being his biggest advocate, for still being passionate about what you do, particularly because it causes you great personal sacrifices. 

Your portrayal of Sam is so nuanced and deep it’s remarkable, you even give him a voice when the narrative doesn’t with subtle expressions or postures. Sam certainly would not be as he is if it wasn’t for you.

And as cheesy as it must sound thank you for being the real life hero Sam would be proud of, it means a lot and it only makes me prouder for loving Supernatural and Sam Winchester.

(by icyaslack)

[rockislandadultreads]

Women’s History: biographies

Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz

At its heart, Dearie is a story about a woman’s search for her own unique expression.  Julia Child was a directionless, gawky young woman who ran off halfway around the world to join a spy agency during World War II.  She eventually settled in Paris, where she learned to cook and collaborated on the writing of what would become Mastering the Art of French Cooking, a book that changed the food culture of America.   She was already fifty when The French Chef went on the air —  at a time in our history when women weren’t making those leaps.  Julia became the first educational TV star, virtually launching PBS as we know it today; her marriage to Paul Child formed a decades-long love story that was romantic, touching, and quite extraordinary. A fearless, ambitious, supremely confident woman, Julia took on all the pretensions that embellished tony French cuisine and fricasseed them to a fare-thee-well, paving the way for everything that has happened since in American cooking, from TV dinners and Big Macs to sea urchin foam and the Food Channel.  Julia Child’s story, however, is more than the tale of a talented woman and her sumptuous craft.  It is also a saga of America’s coming of age and growing sophistication, from the Depression Era to the turbulent sixties and the excesses of the eighties to the greening of the American kitchen.  Julia had an effect on and was equally affected by the baby boom, the sexual revolution, and the start of the women’s liberation movement. On the centenary of her birth, Julia finally gets the biography she richly deserves.  An in-depth, intimate narrative, full of fresh information and insights, Dearie is an entertaining, all-out adventure story of one of our most fascinating and beloved figures.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life by Jane Sherron De Hart

In this large, comprehensive, revelatory biography, Jane De Hart explores the central experiences that crucially shaped Ginsburg's passion for justice, her advocacy for gender equality, her meticulous jurisprudence: her desire to make We the People more united and our union more perfect. At the heart of her story and abiding beliefs--her Jewish background. Tikkun olam, the Hebrew injunction to "repair the world," with its profound meaning for a young girl who grew up during the Holocaust and World War II. We see the influence of her mother, Celia Amster Bader, whose intellect inspired her daughter's feminism, insisting that Ruth become independent, as she witnessed her mother coping with terminal cervical cancer (Celia died the day before Ruth, at seventeen, graduated from high school). From Ruth's days as a baton twirler at Brooklyn's James Madison High School, to Cornell University, Harvard and Columbia Law Schools (first in her class), to being a law professor at Rutgers University (one of the few women in the field and fighting pay discrimination), hiding her second pregnancy so as not to risk losing her job; founding the Women's Rights Law Reporter, writing the brief for the first case that persuaded the Supreme Court to strike down a sex-discriminatory state law, then at Columbia (the law school's first tenured female professor); becoming the director of the women's rights project of the ACLU, persuading the Supreme Court in a series of decisions to ban laws that denied women full citizenship status with men. Her years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, deciding cases the way she played golf, as she, left-handed, played with right-handed clubs--aiming left, swinging right, hitting down the middle. Her years on the Supreme Court . . . A pioneering life and legal career whose profound mark on American jurisprudence, on American society, on our American character and spirit, will reverberate deep into the twenty-first century and beyond.

Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton

A surprisingly engaging and, at points, even compelling book...Clinton provides enough of a peek behind the curtain to keep the pages turning and presents intriguing new details on her role in shaping the policies of her husband's presidency. Hillary Rodham Clinton is known to hundreds of millions of people around the world. Yet few beyond her close friends and family have ever heard her account of her extraordinary journey. She writes with candor, humor and passion about her upbringing in suburban, middle-class America in the 1950s and her transformation from Goldwater Girl to student activist to controversial First Lady. Living History is her revealing memoir of life through the White House years. It is also her chronicle of living history with Bill Clinton, a thirty-year adventure in love and politics that survives personal betrayal, relentless partisan investigations and constant public scrutiny. Hillary Rodham Clinton came of age during a time of tumultuous social and political change in America. Like many women of her generation, she grew up with choices and opportunities unknown to her mother or grandmother. She charted her own course through unexplored terrain -- responding to the changing times and her own internal compass -- and became an emblem for some and a lightning rod for others. Wife, mother, lawyer, advocate and international icon, she has lived through America's great political wars, from Watergate to Whitewater. The only First Lady to play a major role in shaping domestic legislation, Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled tirelessly around the country to champion health care, expand economic and educational opportunity and promote the needs of children and families, and she crisscrossed the globe on behalf of women's rights, human rights and democracy. She redefined the position of First Lady and helped save the presidency from an unconstitutional, politically motivated impeachment. Intimate, powerful and inspiring, Living History captures the essence of one of the most remarkable women of our time and the challenging process by which she came to define herself and find her own voice -- as a woman and as a formidable figure in American politics.

Marilyn: The Passion and Paradox by Lois W. Banner

Like her art, Marilyn Monroe was rooted in paradox: She was a powerful star and a childlike waif; a joyful, irreverent party girl with a deeply spiritual side; a superb friend and a narcissist; a dumb blonde and an intellectual. No previous biographer has recognized -- much less attempted to analyze -- most of these aspects of her personality. Lois Banner has. Since Marilyn's death in August of 1962, the appetite for information about her has been insatiable. Biographies of Marilyn abound, and whether these books are sensational or flawed, Marilyn's fans have always come out in bestselling numbers. This time, with Lois Banner's Revelations, the fans won't be disappointed. This is no retread of recycled material. As one of the founders of the field of women's history, Banner will reveal Marilyn Monroe in the way that only a top-notch historian and biographer could. In researching Revelations, Banner's credentials opened doors. She gained access to Marilyn intimates who hadn't spoken to other biographers, and to private material unseen, ignored, or misinterpreted by her predecessors. With new details about Marilyn's childhood foster homes, her sexual abuse, her multiple marriages, her affairs, and her untimely death at the age of thirty-six, Revelations is, at last, the nuanced biography Marilyn fans have been waiting for.

[we-iqbal-hassan-world-blog]

The 13 Best Chatbot Examples in 2019 (and How to Build Your Own)

Chatbot If you have to see the most inventive chatbot models in a solitary spot, by then you'll love this invigorated article.  The Messenger Marketing condition has changed for certain, brands using chatbots, anyway the target proceeds as in the past: smart, creative, and accommodating help.  In an uproarious and forceful space, the best bots are novel and go about as the prompt line between customer issues and game plans.  Today we're going to share the best chatbot models exhibited to help associations with starting significant talks and make salary. So you likewise can be a productive Messenger Marketer.  We should start!  Here are 13 chatbot models you can pick up from to produce an imaginative bot for your picture  Emirates Vacations  National Geographic Einstein Bot  Hipmunk Lidl's Wine bot  Kia  Whole Foods  Madison Reed  Duolingo  Mingled Caveman  Bud Light  Amtrak  Dominos  Bank of America   

Chatbot Example #1: Emirates Vacations 

Typical CTR for show commercials is at a record-breaking low of .35%. Pondering this, Emirates Vacations made a chatbot inside their exhibit promotions. The association targets various visuals and bot courses of action subject to the page someone's examining. Duty rates rose 87% since the course of action in 2018. 

emirates-vacations-chatbot Show Ad Chatbot Example  Activities picked up from Emirates Display Ad chatbot: Be critical to the customer adventure: Rather than shoot a comparable message to everyone, use an alternate game plan for your presentation page, thing pages, and Facebook Business Page.  Recollect customers objective: Emirates bot is an option that is other than a cool commercial, it's the quick line to a perfect target. Customers have a task as an essential concern when scrutinizing your site or Facebook Page. Your bot needs to help them with completing it as energetic as could be permitted.  Praise customers with frictionless experiences: Imagine having the choice to book your development legitimately in this advancement, without leaving your present page? Maybe suspicious from the start. Regardless, considering that development search is a tremendous cerebral agony, booking "straightforwardly here, right now" is the most sensible and supportive way to deal with do all things considered.   

Chatbot Example #2: National Geographic 

Ever wonder what it looks like to talk with Albert Einstein? Everything considered, by and by you can — kinda. To help advance their new show Genius, National Geographic made a conversational chatbot who talked like Einstein would. While most associations' effect advancements into your visit window, they used Einstein bot to seek after customer's dialog and answer with information about the show and other charming bits.

National Geographic chatbot   The instance of brands using chatbots (NatGeo)  The result? 6 brief ordinary talks, 11 turns for each dialog, half customer re-responsibility and an included system of supporters. These estimations start from a purposely picked, straightforward chatbot framework.  Use chatbots to make comfortable experiences: People felt they were "chatting with Einstein" logically, in a human and pleasant way. Einstein had the alternative to react to master and individual requests, making customers feel a reasonable relationship with the bot, and accordingly, the show.    Make people giggle to interface with them: Laughter isn't valuable for the soul, anyway it's something we don't want to do. Especially when you interface with a brand. Develop your bot to be instructive and conversational, with a little sass as it were.  Rethink progressively prepared thoughts in a novel way: Chatbots are directly used by a wide scope of associations in all cases. Instead of reusing the standard courses of action, have a go at something new that people haven't seen beforehand.   

Chatbot Example #3: Hipmunk 

Scarcely any claims to fame are more forceful and submerged than development, yet Hipmunk had the choice to cut through the uproar with their territory based approach to managing booking flights, hotels, automobiles, and that is only the start. Considering the typical individual visits in excess of 38 regions before booking, Hipmunk is an attracting and accommodating way to deal with book travel.  Hipmunks Cool Chatbot Example  The gathering is perfectly redone to the complexities of how customers search:  Send game plans or progressions subject to customer tendencies: It's a fundamental, yet unimaginable component that helps customers with pulling information from various areas, in all cases place — Messenger. Any person who's used to the "million tab search method" can finally feel some lightening during their chase.  Use conversational language to redo experiences: Mastering dialog develops trust among bot and customer. Each collaboration imitates a live administrator, making it straightforward for customers to interface with and fathom. Imagine talking with a buddy or live administrator.  Make content that is rich and supportive. A significant part of the time, customers hold up a piece to get results from different areas. Regardless, with 'HipTips', their hold up time changes into a way to deal with find new game plans and ways to deal with using the application.  Hipmunk conveys two astonishing parts to the table here: proactive exertion and unraveling a far-reaching system for customers. You can without a doubt get where you have to forsake visiting travel goals and finding gives yourself.   

Chatbot Example #4: Lidl's Winebot 

Encouraged customers have empowered customers, and Lidl's Winebot Margot conveys a warm character to the stuffy universe of wine. Customers can get a course on which wine to buy, tips on sustenance mixing, and even get some answers concerning how wine is made. It can in like manner endorse in excess of 220 sustenance pairings and the answer tends to reliant 640 one of a kind sorts of grapes.

Lidl's Winebot Lidl's Winebot Chatbot Example  Do whatever it takes not to disguise your bot: Margot lives in a wide scope of spots in Lidl's eco-structure. The most activity begins from their site, which by then gives rules on the most ideal approach to dispatch the bot in Messenger. Point if, make it basic it locate all through your association.  Offer live visit to improve duty: We understand that chatbots can't deal with each issue. Which is the explanation you have to always offer straightforward access to live help if possible?  Match the language your gathering of onlookers uses: Margot learns as she goes. The bot has made sense of how to channel recommendations subject to cost — anyway only one out of every odd individual uses a comparative language. Margot began to see the differentiation between customer questions using £5, 5 quid, a fiver, and even "around five-ish".   

Chatbot Example #5: Kia 

Disregarding being a bit of an awesome industry, vehicle maker KIA uses a chatbot that changes Messenger into a possible stage for information. "Kian" has delivered 3x a more prominent number of collaborations than the corporate site, talks with 115,000 customers every week, and has a 21% change rate.

Kia-Kian-chatbot Kia Chatbot Example  This Facebook chatbot model mind-boggling estimations are the delayed consequence of imagining customer reason, and helpers Kia redo organization at scale:  Assemble customer data to improve retargeting. Instead of allowing prompts evaporate all of a sudden and totally, your conveyance individual bot should get customer nuances and necessities. It'll fuel future arrangements and re-advancing undertakings.  Offer different organizations in a solitary spot: Capturing lead information is significant, anyway, it's by all record not by any means the only thing your bot can do. Kia's Facebook Messenger bot can moreover give roadside help, charge portion decisions, and a store locator to meet live salesmen.  Impersonate human coordinated efforts to interface: Kian can react to a request for any vehicle model that a live salesperson could.  It's possible that your chatbot can do well to address request likewise, yet that should be a consequence of the entire experience. You have to give customers all that they need inside Messenger — from information to portions and that is just a glimpse of something larger.   

Chatbot Example #6: Whole Foods 

The Whole Foods Facebook Messenger Bot is prestigious for its arrangements, thing proposition, and cooking inspiration. Their chatbot helps clients with finding plans on the spot, and guides individuals to their site from Messenger. 

Whole foods chatbot Whole Foods Chatbot Example  Comparative guidelines that work for any exhibiting channel apply even to chatbot exchanges. Recognize what resonates with your groups, and manufacture features to benefit them:  Make examining for needed information basic: Whether clients need to investigate a recipe at the store rapid, or are scrutinizing from the parlor seat — Whole Foods make it straightforward for customers to find the plans they are looking for. It limits information with channels, gives a see of dishes, by then sends customers to their site for the full recipe.  Banter with customers how people talk: One of the best troubles in building a chatbot. Whole Foods allows customers to search for plans using emojis, many equivalents to they'd react to an allies post or chuckle at an intriguing picture.  Be exhaustive to everyone: Personalization is normally senseless and vomited, anyway with careful cognizance, it can make a smart experience. By allowing customers to get diet-express plans, it progresses a culture of inclusivity and thriving that welcomes everyone to Whole Foods.   

Chatbot Example #7: Madison Reed 

Meet Madi, Madison Reed's virtuoso hair shading bot who's "fixated on finding your most complimenting shade". This chatbot model is for the most part message-based, yet what separates it from the rundown of chatbots is the selfie accommodation. Clients can present a selfie, and Madi will point them towards the best shading item suggestions. Cool, isn't that so?  Madi shows us a couple of significant exercises on the most proficient method to construct the best chatbot discussions.  Communicate in your group of spectators' language: Informal tone is a certain something, yet talking the style of your crowd

Madison Reed ChatBot is another. Madi utilizes "x's and o's" just as complimenting remarks to construct an association with their group of spectators. Take care of a genuine issue: Similar to most lead age strategies, your chatbot should help ease a battle your purchasers have. For instance, sitting tight for a colorist arrangement can take months. Madi resembles having an individual colorist accessible day in and day out.  Pose pertinent inquiries: Madi poses inquiries, for example, "What shading is your regular hair (excluding dim)?" and "Is it artificially treated?" to gather reactions from clients. She's clever, interesting, and feels like your conversing with a companion on Facebook.  Beguiling consistently wins. Madi has supported commitment by 400% with a 21% active visitor clicking percentage to the organization's site.   

Chatbot Example #8: Duolingo 

Learning another dialect is no simple undertaking. You have the words in your mind, however, they never turn out like you need. Turns out — a shame when conversing with local speakers is genuine. What's more, Duolingo bent that dread with an AI-fueled chatbot application.    Duolingo Chatbot Example  Despite the fact that the Duolingo Bot is for language learning, it showed us three exercises for building a chatbot for any industry.  Workaround existing agonies to see achievement: Listen to your clients and construct arrangements dependent on their torments. Doing this gives a solid impetus to them to utilize it. Not certain what to compose? Essentially connect and converse with your clients about their objectives.  Make it effectively accessible for greatest use: Shutting down your bot whenever prompts botched chances and income. Rather, make your bot accessible whenever of the day, in any capacity whatsoever.  Structure your bot to be intelligent and pleasant: Chatbots that retreading a similar content, for similar individuals, don't make an energizing encounter.   

Chatbot Example #9: Civilized Caveman 

Socialized Caveman was one of the primary organizations to utilize a Facebook Messenger bot test. Clients who took their 1-minute "sugar test" were allowed a 7-day detox, therefore. At that point, the brand could fabricate an association with its new endorsers through substance and contributions.    Enlightened Caveman Facebook Chatbot Example  Alongside conversational tone, the Civilized Caveman test incites a feeling. Regardless of whether you are interested or battle with sugar enslavement — this test opens the entryway for various kinds of individuals to become endorsers.  Utilize a test to begin your pipe. Tests are perhaps the most ideal approaches to draw in programs. Additionally, they naturally become an endorser once they click Get Started.  Exploit pictures to support commitment. GIFs and pictures hold the client's consideration for that additional second. You know, the one you most likely need to get that snap you need.   

Chatbot Example #10: Bud Light 

Need to make a cool encounter for your clients? Obviously, you do. Bud Light's Bud Bot is an extraordinary chatbot discussion model custom-made for clients. The Bud Bot reminds endorsers of stock the cooler on game day, send extraordinary group jars, and even convey brew in less than an hour on game days. It saw an 83% commitment rate during the 2017 crusade. 

Bud-light-chatbot Bud Light Chatbot Example  Become a legend to your clients: Marketing possibly works if timing and setting are considered in. Pursue Bud Light off a bluff and send updates or updates to supporters at the correct time, with the correct message. Make arriving at their objectives simpler with your bot.  Make custom-fitted encounters: As an approach to building commitment rates and deals, Bud Light offered unique group jars for every city.  Do less, yet do it well: It'll be an enticing need to do everything — except start moderate. Chatbots who attempt to do everything from the start normally fizzle.   

Chatbot Example #11: Amtrak 

One explanation the movement business has been the quickest to receive chatbots is speed and comfort. In this model, Amtrak helps site guests plan get-away, book reservations, explore Amtrak.com, get course data, and that's just the beginning. It's become an organization powerhouse, producing 30% more income per booking, 8X ROI, and replies more than 5 million inquiries every year.    Best Customer Service Chatbot - Amtrak  Influence post-deals support as income channel. Returning clients burn through 67% more all things considered, and all the more regularly on the off chance that they are happy with your administration. Snappy and helpful client care (in any industry) prompts more joyful clients, and for Amtrak, it's demonstrated to be madly gainful.  Have Live Chat prepared for back-up. Chatbots can't answer everything. Rather than irritating individuals, plan your bot to get programs in contact with live help for questions that need a little human love.    Fabricate your bot around client issues. For instance, more voyagers are reserving tickets online contrasted with different techniques. Amtrak needed to make it simple for their 375,000 day by day guests to self-administration. Julie was the appropriate response.   

Chatbot Example #12: Dominos 

Dominos changed the manner in which we request nourishment with Dom, the Interactive Pizza Bot. The Domino's chatbot can re-request past requests, offer a full menu, and track conveyances all in Messenger. It's gotten extraordinary compared to other chatbots for client support — and now I need a pizza.    Dominos Chatbot Example  Make it open crosswise over stages: Chatbots that length cross-stage perform superior to one channel. For instance, you can arrange through the Domino's Pizza Bot by Slack, Messenger, Apple Watch, Mobile App, Twitter (by Pizza Emoji), Smart Home Assistants, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.  Try not to be hesitant to be fun: More regularly than not, organizations are reluctant to be excessively basic or fun. This won't lessen your image. Executing key cooperation with an emoticon will go significantly more distant than a mass of content in your visit window.  Start basic, at that point proceed onward to increasingly complex cases: What's the most compelling motivation clients connect with your site or Facebook Page? In the event that it's requesting a pizza, plan your bot around that center capacity. When that experience is immaculate, form your out chatbot with key optional associations.   

Chatbot Example #13: Bank of America 

Meet Erica, your new monetary partner from Bank of America. She can do anything from giving bank balance data, make planning proposals, take care of tabs, and help with straightforward exchanges. The banking chatbot model has just outperformed more than 7 million clients and finished more than 50 million exchanges to date.    Bank of America Chatbot ExampleImage: Business2Community  Become a counselor to clients: Erica went from simply booking installments to offering exhortation on the most proficient method to square away obligation. What's more, her capacities keep on advancing with her financial client's needs. Regardless of whether you're selling supper plans or web-based training administrations, direction assists work with bettering connections among you and your clients.    Give supportive substance to clients: One of the key components of a fruitful chatbot is taking care of the client's issues. For instance, on the off chance that you get some information about FICO ratings, she'll give you a video from Better Money Habits and other substances around spending and planning.  Simple to-utilize exchange search capacities are getting progressively significant for chatbots. Enable your clients to look and find the items and administrations your organization offers.  Propelled by these brands utilizing chatbots? Here are the means by which to assemble your own bot  Prepared to have an effect with your own conversational promoting chatbot? Assuming this is the case, you can begin to by doing the accompanying…  Head over to ManyChat and snap "Begin Free"

Get Started Where to join to make your first chatbot    Sign in with your Facebook and let ManyChat deal with your Page messages

Manychat     Associate the Page you need to utilize your chatbot on  Associate your Page to make your chatbot   You should now be on your dashboard. Snap Main Menu

Click the main menu A View of the ManyChat dashboard while making your chatbot  Pursue instructional exercise to set up your first grouping

Connect Read the full article

[listingmovies]

TOP 5 MOVIES the director HAD to star in

In my constant obsession about wanting to make a contribution, that is purely original, I find it hard to think every time of a list that hasn’t been made yet. Unfortunately for me, we live in times where the internet can provide us with any information about any subject whatsoever. Kind of hard to be original when you can actually google “why does my husband fart so much” (true story) and find an answer. So, I guess all we can do, is try to give a personal point of view that will be unique. Anyway, sorry if I’m sharing my existential-what-is-happening-to-the-world thoughts but, all this to say that you CAN find this list anywhere and it’s not original per se BUT I tried to find less obvious examples than what IMDb will probably give you. Who cares about my opinion? Well, I guess you do since you’re reading this. Either this or you don’t have a life. Anyway, here it goes. Directors that act in their own movies are not rare. Apart from the obvious ones, here are some weirder but in my opinion very successful examples.

5-      Woody Allen in To Rome with Love, 2012

See? I told you I wasn’t going to be obvious. To Rome with Love is certainly not the most acclaimed Allen movie, nor his most famous one. The story is told in four separate segments: a clerk who wakes up to find himself a celebrity, an architect who takes a trip back to the street he lived on as a student, a young couple on their honeymoon, and an Italian funeral director whose uncanny singing ability captures the attention of an American opera director portrayed by Woody Allen himself. The director has so many times been part of his cast, when the role allowed him to be, that we feel very close to him, as if we knew him. But in this movie, I found the character of Woody Allen so hilarious that it had to be him and no one else could play the neurotic and nervous “ahead of his time” opera producer. Then again, all Allen characters are neurotic and nervous. However, when Allen plays in his movies, he seems to be quite himself. As if he was just being natural. And in that movie, he does it with such normality, that he is probably the most convincing character I have ever seen on screen. No. Not exaggerating. (Leave me alone! It’s MY blog). 

And Woody Allen is just hilarious right there:

4-      Clint Eastwood in The Bridges of Madison County, 1995

HA! See? Still unexpected huh? You thought I was going to say Unforgiven or Million Dollar Baby. But, at the risk of sounding weird, I believe The Bridges of Madison County gave him his best role EVER, but is still to my taste an underrated movie. Sure, the story is quite simple, yet gives such dimension to the characters. Photographer Robert wanders into the life of housewife Francesca, for four days in the 1960s. Eastwood managed to get away from his western badass personality to appear as a romantic, very sensitive victim of an impossible love story. He was so convincing that I found myself falling for an old guy. And finding him hot ! The profound look on his face managed to hold the story all along and make it consistent. And no actor whatsoever could have achieved the elegant portrayal of the heart-broken photographer.

3-      Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Don Jon, 2013

Underrated movie as well. The story is quite original. A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness with his potential true love. The director was so keen on how his character should be that no one could have done him in a better way. To the extent where you wonder if he’s playing his own self. Because the script, also written by him, hid a very determined intention. And while it is the case for every movie a director starred in, this movie was particular because Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s very nuanced and spirited acting was perfectly in place. Just what it needed to be in that very down to earth free adaptation of a Don Jon in a modern world.

2-      Ben Affleck in Argo, 2012

Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans out of Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1980. The director was perfect for his role as he portrayed the hopeless journalist with a pocketful of emotion. A story that meant a great deal to Affleck and helped him express the mixed emotions his character had to be showing. His gentle, humble acting made the movie what it is today and I don’t believe it would have been the same with someone else. He simply took the part because he felt so close to his characters that staying in a director’s chair would’ve only been frustrating to him. And it all worked out well for us, movie fans. You can’t say he wasn’t yummy with that beard.

1-      Alfred Hitchcock in… all his movies

 Alfred Hitchcock made a total of 39 cameos in his films over a 50-year period. Even if it doesn’t serve his stories, the director made his appearances unexpected and witty. The audience ended up looking for him in every new movie he made. If the master of suspense was known for his breathtaking thrillers, he also developed a sense of humor that was quite popular for its irony and sarcastic tone. Hiding in the corners of his stories, but careful not to disturb their flow, he managed to add with his presence a slight touch of comedy to his psychological and thrilling adventures. Therefore, would his movies turn out to be the same without him wandering about in some scenes? It probably wouldn’t have changed much, and the movies would still be masterpieces, but what started out as a sly cameo appearance, turned out to be the master’s signature. And it would be a shame to deny us that. After all, film critic John Russell Taylor described Hitchcock as "the most universally recognizable person in the world", and, may I add, so is his famous silhouette.

Have fun watching his cameos here (personally the one in Blackmail killed me):

[redheadgleek]

For the meme- a, s, d, f, g, h, j, k, l

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

Oh gosh, way too many to list. My main ships right now are Kurt/Blaine and Jack/Bitty. Jeremon/Siremy was developing but alas. 

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

I don’t ever feel like I have original thoughts about characters. :( But this is the drabble that I wrote about a particular headcanon of mine for zimbits: 

During their first conversation after graduation, Bitty in Madison, Jack in Montreal, Jack casually tells Bitty “I love you.” Because of course he’s going to say it - he is in love with Bitty, so why should he wait until an arbitrary point in the future when it’s more acceptable?

Bitty is stunned speechless again, stammering out “I love you too,” before hanging up and clutching his phone to his chest.

This boy, this boy.

Their next conversation, Bitty doesn’t hesitate to call Jack “sweetheart,” peppering their conversation with pet names. It’s worth it to see the blush on Jack’s cheeks.

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

I really wished i liked Brittana. :/

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

I guess that depends on your definition of “in a fandom”. In terms of being “actively looking for, consuming, and occasionally creating fanworks and meta, and once in a while interacting with other fans in fandom spaces,” probably Glee/Klaine. 

A timeline of my fandoms: 

The X-Files - 1998-2002ish. I started watching the show after the first movie, joined a mailing list/webpage called Fox William Mulder on the Web where we dissected every hair style and glower, watched every episode, cut my hair like Dana Scully, learned every word to David Duchovny Why Won’t You Love Me, etc. I stopped watching after the eighth season (I wasn’t too bitter that David Duchovny left, but the flavor of the show definitely changed after that) and only watched a few episodes of the (then) last season. I haven’t watched this last season (yet), but I still read the occasional fanfic.

Gilmore Girls - 2000-2008 or so? I watched the show from the beginning, and I think I joined Stars-Hollow.org, which was a fan-forum where I lurked for years, but once Jess was introduced as a character, I was completely hooked. I wrote my first fic in 2002, joined LJ, met Becka who became one of my dearest friends, stopped watching the show, and trickled out of fandom. Several of the women from that fandom reconnected on facebook, so there’s an endless FB chat that is still ongoing. Gilmore Girls got me through medical school and for that, it’ll always be special. I never did watch the reboot though.

Lord of the Rings - 2001-2008ish. I was so excited with the development of the movies and followed the set pictures like a hawk. When the movies came out, I created a fan group to talk about the books and got heavily involved in the Henneth-Annun.net groups. This is when I really got into writing drabbles and tried writing LOTR poetry (I failed). 

Doctor Who - 2007-2010. I’m either a “I watched from the very beginning fan!” or a “I started watching at the very end and then got retoactively involved” - the latter was the case for DW. I started watching after the first three seasons (Runaway Bride was the first episode I watched). I watched all of the episodes on YouTube, which at the time had a 7 minute limit for videos, so it was 7 minute pieces of all of the episodes, and fell in love with Rose Tyler after she had already left the show. *sigh* I spent hours on Time and Chips and WhoFic in med school and early residency. 

Harry Potter/Harmony - 2003-2008ish. I talked about this with my ask from klaineharmony already. 

Lost - 2004-2010. Loved this series from the very beginning and I mostly got into it because of Dominic Monaghan, so Charlie was my favorite from the very beginning. I never read a lot of fanfic though - my fandom experience was more squeeing with others on LJ, but I was more involved in other fandoms. 

Glee/Klaine: 2009-now. I watched the show from the beginning, but for a while, I was much more into other shows (Lost, primarily). And then Klaine happened and Glee Live. I found my way to tumblr, where I mostly lurked (primarily because I went spoiler free by the middle of season 4 and so many people were not spoiler free), but then became friends with tchrgleek and glomped onto wowbright and met a whole bunch of you after glee ended. It’s been three years since the show ended and I’m still talking about it, so who knows when I’ll actually find a new fandom. 

Zimbits: 2015-now. 

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

I have had lots of OTPs. My very first one, shipped from the moment I saw/read them, was Anne Shirley/Gilbert Blythe, but I didn’t realize then that they were my OTP. My first “squee and let me read all about them on this new, fresh internet!’ was Lois and Clark in 1993-95. 

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

I probably get more involved in fandoms based on tv shows than other format as the original work feels so fluid and changing and there’s so much to examine, more than books or movies which are done in two hours. 

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

Check Please. I was definitely a post-kiss “what is this that has exploded on my dash? Why would I be interested in a comic about hockey? Guess I’ll read, OMG I LOVE THIS SO MUCH” fan. 

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Kurt Hummel. Truly one of the most nuanced and multi-faceted character ever and I love his arc and his story and I just want more. 

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

Since I mentioned that I don’t like Brittana, primarily because of Santana, I’ll say that I genuinely enjoy the banter and sassiness between her and Kurt. 

[westfallingforchaol]

Salaam! I’ve started to think that I should just stop apologizing for disappearing for weeks on end because I feel guilty, and then I end up making promises I can never keep, and it becomes a vicious cycle. So, no more apologies. Just that school started, and it’s already kicking my ass. Also, my laptop broke down- I have no clue what happened. One day, it just up and decided to become stupid, and I couldn’t use it for about a week and a half. That happened. But I got it back this afternoon, so I thought I’d start off by doing a much-needed January wrap-up.

Even though I wasn’t blogging much, January was a pretty decent reading month for me. I read a total of 8 books, which is good since I wasn’t reading anything at all the past couple of months. Quality-wise, you probably know how I am by now… it goes up and down. For the most part, the books I read ranged from good to pretty good, and that’s honestly all I can ask, ha. I did read something awful though, but more on that later.

Personal

So… guess who I met? If you don’t follow me on Twitter, you might be unaware of this but I met Zayn a week or so ago. I love him to death- I think he’s both an incredible artist and an incredible human being. I was never a One Direction fan, but I distinctly remember thinking that Zayn was super attractive and had a unique voice; when he went solo, I really began to pay attention to him. Almost a year after his album release, I still listen to his songs almost every single day. I’ve binge-watched interviews and videos and stalked his social media, and he’s such a humble, grounded, adorable person.

Meeting him was incredible. He was so gracious and lovely; when I was taking a photo with him, my hand was shaking out of nerves so he reached out and steadied my phone. He was so kind to all his fans… and just in case you’re wondering, yes, he’s just as attractive in real life. :)

I also saw one of my favorite bands live! I’ve seen Kings of Leon live once before back in 2014, and they’re so incredible that I couldn’t possibly miss their 2017 tour. Protip: there are two things you need to do in your life:

See a rock concert in Madison Square Garden

See Kings of Leon on tour

I won’t pretend like I’ve seen a ton of concerts, but I’ve been to a few big rock ones, and there’s something that sets Kings of Leon apart from the rest. They make sure their fans get their money’s worth of performances. They performed 28 songs. One after the other with minimal pauses in between- so energizing, so rapid-fire but so, so good. If you like even just a couple of their songs, I’d highly recommend seeing them live. Despite not being my favorite band of all-time (that crown goes to Linkin Park) I still prefer their concerts over anybody else’s.

On Choosing a Different Path for Myself

Some of you might know this already, but I’m studying Applied Psychology at NYU. I just started the second semester of my junior year, which means I’ll be graduating in just over a year- which is insane just to think about. But I’ve decided that I want to switch…

Well, not really “switch” per se, but do something more advanced. Which is medicine! Surprise, surprise. When I went to Los Angeles over the winter break, I had a talk with a couple of my relatives, both of whom are psychiatrists. By talking to them and their constant affirmations that I was born to go into medicine, I started thinking. What do I want from my life? What do I want out of my career? And you might judge me for this, and I know this is probably why I’ve been sorted into Slytherin my entire life- I want to be successful. I want to be rich, lol, and I want to work for the money I earn. I want to travel. I want a good house, and a nice car. I want to be able to give my parents the chance to retire and sit back and relax while I am able to fulfill their needs. I want to buy stuff without looking at the price-tag, and I want to be able to give to causes that I support without compromising my day-to-day actions for lack of finances.

But that’s not just it. I wanted to become a psychologist so I could help South Asian youth who suffer from mental illnesses and are stigmatized and dehumanized. And I can do that. I can do that if I become a psychiatrist. I can do something good all while making a decent life for myself and my family. It’s going to take many extra years, particularly because I’ll have to take an extra year after my undergraduate to fulfill my pre-med requirements. But that’s a cost I’m willing to pay, you know? It was a scary decision to make. I wasn’t sure I could do it. I’m still not sure I have the brains to get into med school, but you know. I’ll go down with everything I’ve got. It’s honestly a little terrifying, but I’ve enrolled for the first class that’ll help me get there, and I’m ready.

But that’s all I’m going to ramble about. You came here for a reading wrap-up, so here it is!

Reading Wrap-Up

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon | 1.5 stars | Review

This rating may come as a surprise to many, but I really disliked this book – not because the technical aspects were bad, but because the themes were so offensive that it didn’t sit well with me. I was enjoying it at first; the fun additions of notes and charts and illustrations added character, and I was interested in the character’s experience with her disability. But then the love interest was introduced, which made the book extremely insta-lovey, and that was also when the ableist themes came into play. This book was one big message of: you can’t be happy and you can’t have a normal love-life if you have a disability. Which is wrong on so many levels and completely downplays the experiences of so many. I explain it better in my review, so if you’re interested in learning more, check that out!

Goodreads | Amazon

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo | 3.5 stars | Review

I had high hopes for this book, and for the most part, it did not disappoint. The main character was immediately likable, and you fully empathized with her desire to move on from a traumatic event and to fit in with a new group of people. My favorite aspect of the book was definitely her topsy-turvy relationship with her father; the nuance and complexity of their dynamic definitely added an extra layer to the otherwise happy book. I also thought that the romance was incredibly cute, even though I thought it was a little insta-lovey. Also, let’s talk about how little attention is given to great female friendships in YA- if you’re looking for a good female-friendship dynamic, check this book out. Trigger warning for transphobia, depression, suicide attempt and outing.

Goodreads | Amazon

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire | 2.5 stars

I had very mixed feelings about this book; on one hand, I thought the world-building was incredible. Or rather, the potential for the world-building was incredible. Conceptually, the book was so strong, but I felt that a lot of the potential was wasted in execution. A ton of the world-building happens through dialogue rather than actual action. Which really bummed me out and kept me from enjoying the book. The characters fell flat for me too. I did, however, really enjoy the balance between whimsy and dark; I thought the plot was brilliant, and had it been carried out better, it would’ve definitely gotten a higher rating from me. Look out for my full review!

Goodreads | Amazon

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom | 4 stars

This was perhaps my favorite book of the month, which was a surprise because I didn’t know what to expect when I went into it. I’ve only ever read one other book with a blind protagonist, and this one was completely different in tone from that one. I was wary at first because the protagonist is so bitter and mean and sarcastic, and I approached it with caution because it seemed to give off the vibe that she was that way because she lost her sight. But as the story progressed, as the main character developed and grew through relationships and interactions with the people around her, as she learned more about her past and her life and came to terms with her vulnerabilities, the beauty of the book came to light. It was truly a beautiful book, and another one with really amazing female friendships. Definitely a must-read! And look out for my review!

Goodreads | Amazon

The Young Elites & The Rose Society by Marie Lu | 3.5 stars each

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So, I know I’m late to the game, and I know everyone and their mother loves this series- and I understand why. Even though I didn’t give either book a great rating, I really enjoyed them both and am definitely looking forward to the finale. I think what makes this series stand out so starkly amongst its peers is the fact that it’s basically a villain’s coming-to-power story and then I’m guessing her subsequent downfall. I love the complexity of Adelina’s character; I enjoy how you empathize with her but also constantly criticize her choices because she’s going too far. I love the world-building, and the writing’s solid. I sometimes feel that the secondary characters feel flat, and also that Adelina’s still too likable to be called a villain. I want to see her pushed further so I can fully give her the label of villain, because I don’t think she’s there yet. Which was my main gripe with the second book. I won’t be doing an individual review for each book, but I’ll do a joint review for the trilogy!

Goodreads | Amazon

The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace (ARC) | 3.5 stars

I don’t read a ton of poetry, but I picked this one up because I’m mutuals with the author on Twitter, and it won an award, and it’s been getting a ton of hype. It’s basically word porn. I think a lot of the poems in this are incredibly relatable; it covers topics like mental health, body image, family dynamics, loss and death, abusive relationships, moving on, self-love, feminism and strength. A lot of the values I hold myself were reflected in this, and Lovelace definitely has a way with weaving words together so that they say a lot in very few characters. I enjoyed the first two parts of the book much, much more than the last one- which I felt was a little dragged and didn’t fit in with the tone of the other parts. But if you’re looking to get into poetry and aren’t sure where to start, check this out.

Goodreads | Amazon

Life in a Fishbowl (ARC) by Len Vlahos | 3 stars

Okay, so let me preface this by saying that the premise of this book is very misleading. The reality television aspect of it doesn’t come into play until well past the 30 or 40% mark- and believe it or not, I was really, really enjoying the book before the TV part was introduced. Definitely the strongest feature of the book is the writing. Vlahos is incredibly gifted; he’s clearly honed and polished his voice to perfection. It’s snarky, it’s intelligent, it’s satirical and hilarious and also surprisingly simple. Just reading his words made the experience delightful. His decision to tell the story from approximately eight perspectives was a gutsy move, but he pulled it off. The relationships, the themes were all spot on. It’s just that the storyline began to drag after the 60% mark, and the characters didn’t undergo any development, which I would have really liked to see. Even so, this was such a fun, fast-paced book, and I’d recommend it to anyone. Full review to come!

Goodreads | Amazon

Blogging

So, I’ve talked a little already about how I basically failed at blogging this month- I’ve never been so far behind my reviews. Because blogging sucked so much, I’m not going to do a post-to-post wrap-up like I usually do. But I’ll just leave a link to the Diversity Bingo 2017 event that I, and a few other friends are hosting. It’s basically a year-long reading event where you need to read 36 books that fit into a bingo sheet, each fulfilling a facet of diversity. You can find more information (and my TBR) here.

I also compiled a list of the diverse books releasing between January and June of this year. I know that I could have really used a masterlist, and in compiling it, I introduced myself to so many awesome-sounding books. If you’d like to check it out (and share, if you can please!), you can do so right over here.

The last post I’ll feature is my top 10 books of 2016. If you’re interested in seeing what the standouts of last year were, you can check them out here.

Also, I’m making a massive change to the blog- something that I think is important for my sanity, ha. I’m getting a co-blogger! I’ve already spoken to someone about it; she’s a friend that I got to know over Twitter. She’s incredible- kind, open-minded, thoughtful and just super wonderful in general. I’m not going to announce who exactly it is just yet- we’ll do that together when she writes her introduction post and she can officially be integrated into the website. Which also means that a URL change is in order. I can’t have a co-blogger and keep it my name. I’ll purchase the bookshelvesandpaperbacks.com domain soon, so just a heads up!

What I’ve Been Watching and Listening To

So, y’all probably know by now that A Series of Unfortunate Events was released on Netflix, which I binge-watched and freaked out over. The books were such an integral part of my childhood, and it felt so wonderful to revisit the characters and the story. The show stays so true to the books- from the narration to the sets to the whimsical, weird, magical-realism-type tone, everything feels like home. The casting is spot-on. I love Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, and it took me some time to warm up to the children, but I love them all dearly now. Go check the trailer out:

As for music, I’m going to be fully basic and just talk about Zayn a lot more, ha. I barely listened to anything except for his new track with Taylor Swift. I really don’t like her, guys. The fact that the song is the soundtrack for Fifty Shades Darker really doesn’t help, but come on, it’s Zayn. I had to give it a try- and I haven’t stopped listening to it since. I’ve often wanted a version where it was just him singing, and guess what- yesterday, he dropped an acoustic version where it’s just him and a guitar. It’s honestly heaven-sent, and even though it was released in February, I couldn’t go without including it here. Check it out- it almost seems like a completely different song, and I haven’t listened to the original since!

So that’s it for last month’s wrap-up. I know, I had a lot to talk about- it was a busy month and a lot was happening in life. Kudos to you if you made it this far into the post. Let me know in the comments below what your month was like? As always, thanks for stopping by and happy reading!

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Wrap Up | January ’17 Salaam! I've started to think that I should just stop apologizing for disappearing for weeks on end because I feel guilty, and then I end up making promises I can never keep, and it becomes a vicious cycle.

[bookpeopleteenpresscorps-blog]

Teen Press Corps Member Maddy Interviews Author Andrew Shvarts

BY MADISON CLARK, BOOKPEOPLE TEEN PRESS CORPS

Madison Clark: What colors make you happy? Andrew Shvarts: I am actually Colorblind, so that is an interesting question. Most people assume it would be grey but I recently got the glasses that allow me to see color and realized just how much more vivid the world was. Especially reds. I stared at a tomato for an hour in awe of the redness. The experience of putting on those glasses was like, I’ve seen red, I know what it is but it was so much more vivid than I could have ever imagined. I was driving and I saw a coke truck go by and I almost got into an accident because I had never seen anything as beautiful.  Although what’s funny, is I can’t see purple at all; I see it as blue. And the sequel to Royal Bastards, City of Bastards, is purple. I didn’t know it was purple, and when we did the color review I was gushing about how lovely of a blue it was.

MC: If you were an ice cream flavor what would you be? AS: Coffee. That’s my favorite flavor to eat and I drink like 90 cups of coffee a day. I’m also super animated, so I’ll go with coffee.

MC:How would you define true love? AS: This is going to be a very married answer, but I feel like true love is when you can be absolutely be every part of yourself around a person. So much of life is putting some mask on or acting a certain way and to me true love is when you hit that point where you are just 100 percent yourself, warts and all, with no judgment.

MC: Do you have any children? AS: I have one. He is three; his name is Alec. Royal Bastards is actually dedicated to him, because I actually started writing it, like, the week he was born, so him and the book are very close in my head.

MC: If you could freeze time for a week, what would you do with that time? AS: I feel like since I have a full-time job, write, and have a kid, the lack of time seems like the thing I hate most about life. I want to read more, go more places, although I’d want to specifically unfreeze moments. I’d essentially want a time turner.

MC: What would your main character get a tattoo of? AS: I think Tilla would get a tattoo, later in life, that reminded of her of her past, like a western flower as a memento of the life she left behind.

MC: What superpower would you want to have? AS: Honestly just not having to sleep. That’s a super lame superpower but if I could have those eight extra hours a day, that would be pretty good. Or maybe a save game system. To be able to save my life, do something, see how it played out and be able to reset it if I want with no consequence.

MC: What superpower do you think you WOULD have based on your personality? AS: So I have a theory that everyone actually does have a very low-grade superpower but they are so low-grade you don’t even notice it. Like I have a friend  whose credit cards are always demagnetized. So I think he must be emitting a low-grade electrical charge that’s so subtle it only does that. I think mine is that I incept nicknames really well.  I’ll call a coworker something and it will stick for like 15 years. I must have like a light mind control because they aren’t even always good nicknames.

MC: How has your job affected your writing? AS: A lot. I work for Pixel Berry now. And we do mobile games with stories, like choices, and I wouldn’t be in YA if it weren’t for this job. When I graduated college and wanted to write horror, I thought I was going to be the next Stephen King…and it would be easy, but it wasn’t at all. Nothing was working and then I just managed to get this job writing for this video game company, where I had to write games for high-schoolers. I had before that only written adult horror, and had no idea how to do it, so I had to unlearn everything I knew about storytelling and relearn something totally different: and I loved it. I love being funny and writing about teens. Also, because at my job everything gets revised constantly, as a result I’m very easy with editors. I will change anything, I don’t care. It’s made me very adaptable to feedback.

MC: How did your experiences in high school shape your life? AS: I went to essentially Nerd High. It was a private high school and it was where all the tech people sent their kids. I think having that environment with smart and supportive teachers and a very nurturing environment cultivated my creativity, and left me open to that sort of thing.

MC: In your book you deal a lot with perceptional bias. So how have your beliefs changed as you have went through life? AS: I was always raised to be very skeptical, and very individualistic. I think that informs Royal Bastards, with the idea of questioning your family and questioning your beliefs. One of the weird things I think that has happened in the world is that things have gotten less nuanced, by circumstance of what’s happening in the world. When I wrote Royal Bastards in 2014, politics were so different that I was like, this will be a book without a clear good guy or bad guy because politics are hard and ambiguous. Now I’m like oh yeah, there’s bad guys…they march with torches. Things have become less ambiguous but more passionate as well.

MC: What is your favorite word? AS:I think most of my favorite words are actually in Russian. Russian words just sound great. The russian word for hippo, for example, is begemot. It such a better word than hippo, which is so “who cares”.

MC: What advice would you have given to your younger self? AS: The advice I’d give to myself is the same advice I’d give to all writers. Read and write a wide variety of things. Read from perspectives that totally aren’t yours, and write and read genres that aren’t the ones you usually would. It’s very easy for authors to get stuck in one specific genre and become so deeply immersed in those tropes that you rely on them as a crutch. The best thing that ever happened to me was being forced to do middle-grade comedy instead of horror.

[cinephiled-com]

New Post has been published on Cinephiled

New Post has been published on http://www.cinephiled.com/interview-adam-michael-james-writes-definitive-finale-tv-series-bewitched/

Interview: Adam-Michael James Writes the Definitive Finale for the TV Series ‘Bewitched’

A few years ago, I spoke to author and Bewitched expert Adam-Michael James about his deliciously comprehensive book, The Bewitched Continuum, an encyclopedic tome packed with everything you ever wanted to know about the classic TV series including synopses of every episode and a brief description of James’ wonderful wished-for series finale. Now, 45 years after the show went off the air, Adam-Michael James is back with an insanely fun and perfect wrap-up to television’s most beloved supernatural sitcom

Cover art by Dan Parent

In the show’s original 1964-1972 run, the tale of witch Samantha Stephens and her mortal husband Darrin ended on what might be called a “regular” episode, since series finales were not commonplace back then and they likely didn’t know yet that they wouldn’t be coming back the following year. With his new book I, Samantha, Take This Mortal, Darrin, Adam-Michael James gives Bewitched fans of all ages the closure they’ve always wanted. This two-part “episode,” presented in novel form, takes place a week after the show’s final first-run installment in 1972, bringing back all our favorite characters, creating backstories for Samantha and Darrin, and building on the show’s always strong message of equality and acceptance.

In the story, McMann & Tate advertising executive Darrin gets a long-awaited promotion to full partner. But things get a little crazy during a party that Samantha throws for her husband when she is forced to out herself as a witch to her mortal guests to explain a magical mishap involving one of her children. This leads Samantha into a full-on battle with the almighty Witches Council in a high-stakes fight for her marriage and her family. Both wildly entertaining and surprisingly moving, I, Samantha, Take This Mortal, Darrin brings the series full circle and brings the characters, so wonderfully played by Elizabeth Montgomery, Agnes Moorehead, Dick Sargent, Maurice Evans, Alice Ghostley, Paul Lynde, and many others back to life in an almost startling realistic way. James is so well-versed in the nuances of the show that after reading the novel, I felt as if I’d actually seen the imagined final episodes. The book, available on Amazon, is a must for fans of the show. I talked to Adam-Michael James about why he chose to put this out there now.

Danny Miller: It’s pretty astounding how you were able to perfectly recreate the speech patterns, syntax, and style of dialogue for every single character on the show. from Samantha and Endora all the way down to Gladys Kravitz and Louise Tate. Was that just because of your insane encyclopedic knowledge of this world, or did you go back and study how each character talked?

Adam-Michael James: I didn’t really have to go back and study them. As you say, I’ve lived with the show for 40 years and you know, it was weird — I felt like I could almost hear them in my head as I was writing. It’s almost as if they were telling me what to write!

I loved the synopsis you included of this hoped-for finale in your last book, but there are so many other details here that are so fun. How did you go about fleshing it out?

I followed the basic storyline that I had already written, but as I started going I found myself adding many other connections that I hadn’t even thought of. To be honest, it all started one night about a year ago when I was taking a bath! I started thinking about Darrin looking out of the window from his office down on Madison Avenue and all of a sudden, all these details about his history popped into my head. It was all I could do to jump out of the tub and start writing it all down before I forgot! And it went on from there. I felt like something was guiding me along.

We talked last time about the eternal debate regarding the two Darrins — played by Dick York and then by Dick Sargent who took over the role after Dick York left the show because of illness. Did you ever consider restoring Dick York to the role of Darrin in your book?

I didn’t. With no offense to the legion of Dick York fans (and I am one of them!), I never thought of that simply because Dick Sargent was part of the last season and if you were gong to continue on with an episode the following week in 1972, you just couldn’t switch Darrins. But, of course, you do see a few little references in my book of characters talking about how Darrin seemed to look different than he used to.

I loved that stuff — you even had his daughter Tabitha making such a reference. But you did make a few exceptions to what would have been possible to do in 1972. I’m thinking of the wonderful material about Aunt Clara.

Yes. I was always frustrated by the show never addressing what had happened to Aunt Clara. She was an important character who suddenly disappeared, obviously because actress Marion Lorne had died. I thought it was weird that the show never mentioned her again and just brought in Esmerelda to take over her babysitting duties. I’m sure they had their reasons for not addressing it — I mean, they couldn’t really say that Aunt Clara had died.

Although some shows of that era did, like when Will Geer who played Grandpa on The Waltons died, they dealt with it head-on and had his character die.

Sure, but rarely on sitcoms, especially a show about witches who were supposed to live for thousands of years! So I was happy to get the opportunity to explain where Aunt Clara had been.

Love it. I was also glad to see Serena, Samantha’s “identical cousin,” pop back in towards the end of the book. I was always so impressed how well Elizabeth Montgomery pulled that off. I’m not sure I even realized as a kid  that she was playing both parts.

I know! Especially with the fake credit at the end: “Pandora Sparks as Serena!”

And your writing for her was perfect, you totally captured her hippie persona that I’m sure Montgomery had a blast playing. It’s crazy how many references you were able to layer in to past episodes without it ever seeming heavy-handed.

That was really fun. You saw the gazillion endnotes I included in the book. I wanted people to be able to go back and reference an episode and say, “Oh yeah, that’s where that came from!” And, of course, I wanted to give full credit to what I came up with and what was created by the writers of the show back in the 60s and 70s.

The scenes at the Witches’ Council where Samantha is defending her marriage were beautifully written. As a fan, I expected to enjoy this book which I did, and I laughed a lot, but a few scenes were so moving they made me burst into tears which I never anticipated.

Oh wow, I’m happy to hear that!

We talked last time about how the show grappled with some very real issues of the day — issues that are all-too-important in our current climate — despite the fact that some people viewed Bewitched as just a frivolous magic show.

It was only a frivolous magic show on the surface. From the very first episode, the show was about overcoming prejudice and living in a way to be true to yourself even when people didn’t understand it. And, of course, being in the middle of the civil rights movement, it was pretty bold for Elizabeth Montgomery and her then-husband and producer Bill Asher to layer these messages into the show. A lot of times they were very subtle, but then there were times when it was very direct like the Thanksgiving episode where Darrin is put on trial in old Salem for being a witch and Samantha talks about how the hope for this world lies in our acceptance of all our differences and a recognition of our common humanity.

Which was an important message of the entire series.

Right. And then the Christmas episode where Tabitha has an African American friend, Lisa, and uses witchcraft to make them both polka-dotted. I always thought it was a shame that they didn’t bring Lisa back which is why she shows up in my finale. These were all very important messages back then, and, as you well know, we’re in a place right now, spurred on by a particular person and certain groups, where we’re being dragged back to a time where there was more intolerance and inequality and the idea that some groups are superior to others.

Is that why you wanted this book to come out now?

Yes. I wasn’t going to do anything with that synopsis of my imagined finale that I wrote for The Bewitched Continuum, but when all of this started going on, I felt the need to speak out since those messages were such an important part of the show.

Even the whole notion of Darrin’s lack of acceptance of Samantha’s powers, I thought you resolved that so beautifully. And the scenes were Tabitha is upset because she hears about how worried Darrin was that she’d be a witch, I can see that resonating with every family who has ever grappled with having an LGBTQ kid, for example, or families were are dealing with any differences. Speaking of which, I thought the brief reference to Uncle Arthur’s preference was a lot of fun. Did you ever think of going further with that?

For the most part, I decided to write the book as if the dialogue were being spoken on a TV show in 1972 with the social mores and the network limitations in place, but there were a few times when I pushed it just a hair. (Laughs.) I think mentioning Uncle Arthur in that way was pushing it just a bit!

I’m glad you did, I’m sure Paul Lynde would have loved it! I’m sorry most of the actors are no longer with us, I’m sure they would have so enjoyed this book, especially Elizabeth Montgomery.

I think if Elizabeth Montgomery were here now and if Bewitched were back on the air, you would see Samantha once again talking about these same things that our country is still grappling with. I don’t want to be presumptuous about it but I hope Elizabeth Montgomery would be proud of the book.

Oh, I’m sure she was part of your writing in some way. You perfectly captured everything she was about on and off the screen. I think you’ve honored her memory very well.

Click here to order Adam-Michael James’ book, I, Samantha, Take This Mortal, Darrin. You can visit his Bewitched Facebook page here.

[flauntpage]

It Looks Like A Beautiful Friendship Is Budding Between Freddie Mitchell and Lenny Dykstra

I love Twitter. It’s the absolute best. It is the perfect way to get information, share thoughts, and interact with others who share similar interests. As sports fans, Twitter is great because it also provides us with a front-row seat to the insights and online interactions of current and former athletes. And sometimes, if we’re really lucky, we get to witness the insights and interactions between two absolutely BATSHIT crazy lunatics who feed off attention. I’m talking about like, say, a former Eagle first-round bust asking a former 1993 NL MVP runner-up and convicted felon why his former employer doesn’t like him batshit crazy.

Thus, I present to you, with commentary, the budding friendship playing out before our eyes via Twitter between Freddie Mitchell and Lenny Dykstra. Here is the tweet That got our attention:

@LennyDykstra why do the @Eagles hat me so much?

— Freddie Mitchell (@FMitchell84) September 20, 2017

As Chris Jastrzembski asked last night, why the Hell would Freddie Mitchell ask Lenny Dykstra, of all people, why the Eagles hate him so much? Because I fancy myself the people’s reporter, I decided to find out. Although yesterday’s bizarre exchange marked the bulk of interaction between the two, it seems the two actually began bonding last week when Dykstra fired off this timely and nuanced tweet about Hurricane Irma:

Biggest disaster in #Jacksonville since McNabb's performance at end of SB XXXIX! https://t.co/RyVOXobZbk @FMitchell84 @BackWoodRebel39

— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) September 11, 2017

Perfect. This tweet has all the major ingredients in what you’d expect in a situation like this. If you asked me to describe the ideal tweet from Dykstra to Mitchell, I would have definitely said it must include using a natural disaster in which people lost everything they ever worked for to take a random shot at Donovan McNabb. It also, for absolutely no reason, also must include a Brett Myers mention. It’s truly an impeccable tweet in every way possible. A+ effort here by Lenny. Mitchell, for his part, appreciated it:

You know people are soft now a days. Can't hurt anyone's feelings.

— Freddie Mitchell (@FMitchell84) September 12, 2017

Now, I don’t want to misrepresent Lenny Dykstra as insensitive because, well, that would simply be unfair.

Tasteless? Perhaps. Wrong? Hmmm now…. What do his teammates say about it? Besides, not like people of Jax suffering like in Caribbean.

— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) September 12, 2017

Dykstra is 100% right. As you can see, the storm actually provided local residents with an opportunity to get out and try new things. Surprisingly, some weren’t pleased with Dykstra’s viewpoint, which, as you would expect, he brushed off by insulting their profile pictures and lack of Twitter followers:

Obviously it's my fault you only have 105 followers. #ShotCaller

— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) September 11, 2017

There was some other standard banter, including more on McNabb and if Dykstra would sleep with Lena Dunham, before things finally settled down. Fast forward to yesterday when the two, for whatever reason, discussed Mitchell throwing out the first pitch at a Phillies game and Lenny being a kickoff tee retriever at an Eagles game:

Sultan of Slot, speaking of tee retrievers, this dude can hang out with my posse any time he wants: https://t.co/CITNs6MCsZ

— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) September 20, 2017

To which Mitchell responded with another shot directed towards McNabb:

This clip reminds me of Mcnab. Retrieving balls on the ground 🤣🤣🤣

— Freddie Mitchell (@FMitchell84) September 20, 2017

Bonus points to Mitchell for the high school girl-style subtweet at McNabb here. I admire both his relentless narcissism and uncanny ability to continually blame McNabb for his professional failures. Mitchell sort of reminds me of Steve Buscemi’s character from Billy Madison:

A conversation about the differences between football and baseball players ensued before Dykstra did the only thing really left to do here, which was evoke the wise words of American football hero and comedic actor O.J. Simpson:

You know what O.J. said. Always play baseball over football given the choice. More $. Longer career. And you can walk right when you're 40.

— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) September 20, 2017

Which then led to Dykstra providing encouragement to Mitchell, who is apparently interested in penning an autobiography:

Ready to make that book happen. I need pointers 🤣

— Freddie Mitchell (@FMitchell84) September 20, 2017

You've read "House of Nails" by now? Sometimes you just have to get in the mindset and write it all out.

— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) September 20, 2017

Spoken like the next Hemingway, Lenny. Given Mitchell’s 1,767 Twitter followers, it sounds like everyone is quite eager to get their hands on a copy. Get ready for the stampede of seven people lining up at Barnes & Noble for the book signing.

BREAKING: I thought that’s where the story would end, but wait—there’s MORE. As I’m writing this, it appears that Dykstra is scheming up a media empire that will blow you away! Britt McHenry, Curt Schilling, Freddie Mitchell, and Lenny Dykstra. Maybe they can Skype in Darren Sharper for some hot NFL takes, too.

@FMitchell84, we shd get a crew 2gether of not-deemed-role-model-by-media ex-athletes/commentators @BrittMcHenry @gehrig38 @BackWoodRebel39

— Lenny Dykstra (@LennyDykstra) September 20, 2017

Twitter, man. The best.

It Looks Like A Beautiful Friendship Is Budding Between Freddie Mitchell and Lenny Dykstra published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv