#Mark Langston

[gummyartstradingcards]

[cryptocollectibles]

Team Stadium Club Angels Premiere Edition (1993) by Topps

[alternativeproject]

This is like when kids start being rude to you because they feel comfortable around you.

[whencartoonsruletheworld]

Hey so like many of you, I saw that article about how people are going into college having read no classic books. And believe it or not, I've been pissed about this for years. Like the article revealed, a good chunk of American Schools don't require students to actually read books, rather they just give them an excerpt and tell them how to feel about it. Which is bullshit.

So like. As a positivity post, let's use this time to recommend actually good classic books that you've actually enjoyed reading! I know that Dracula Daily and Epic the Musical have wonderfully tricked y'all into reading Dracula and The Odyssey, and I've seen a resurgence of Picture of Dorian Gray readership out of spite for N-tflix, so let's keep the ball rolling!

My absolute favorite books of all time are The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Classic psychological horror books about unhinged women.

I adore The Bad Seed by William March. It's widely considered to be the first "creepy child" book in American literature, so reading it now you're like "wow that's kinda cliche- oh my god this is what started it. This was ground zero."

I remember the feelings of validation I got when people realized Dracula wasn't actually a love story. For further feelings of validation, please read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. There's a lot the more popular adaptations missed out on.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is an absolute gem of a book. It's a slow-build psychological study so it may not be for everyone, but damn do the plot twists hit. It's a really good book to go into blind, but I will say that its handling of abuse victims is actually insanely good for the time period it was written in.

Moving on from horror, you know people who say "I loved this book so much I couldn't put it down"? That was me as a kid reading A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Picked it up while bored at the library and was glued to it until I finished it.

Peter Pan and Wendy by JM Barrie was also a childhood favorite of mine. Next time someone bitches about Woke Casting, tell them that the original 1911 Peter Pan novel had canon nonbinary fairies.

Watership Down by Richard Adams is my sister Cori's favorite book period. If you were a Warrior Cats, Guardians of Ga'Hoole or Wings of Fire kid, you owe a metric fuckton to Watership Down and its "little animals on a big adventure" setup.

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry was a play and not a book first, but damn if it isn't a good fucking read. It was also named after a Langston Hughes poem, who's also an absolutely incredible author.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a book I absolutely adore and will defend until the day I die. It's so friggin good, y'all, I love it more than anything. You like people breaking out of fascist brainwashing? You like reading and value knowledge? You wanna see a guy basically predict the future of television back in 1953? Read Fahrenheit.

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee are considered required reading for a reason: they're both really good books about young white children unlearning the racial biases of their time. Huck Finn specifically has the main character being told that he will go to hell if he frees a slave, and deciding eternal damnation would be worth it.

As a sidenote, another Mark Twain book I was obsessed with as a kid was A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Exactly what it says on the tin, incredibly insane read.

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin is a heartbreaking but powerful book and a look at the racism of the time while still centering the love the two black protagonists feel for each other. Giovanni's Room by the same author is one that focuses on a MLM man struggling with his sexuality, and it's really important to see from the perspective of a queer man living in the 50s– as well as Baldwin's autobiographical novel, Go Tell it on the Mountain.

Agatha Christie mysteries are all still absolutely iconic, but Murder on the Orient Express is such a good read whether or not you know the end twist.

Maybe-controversial-maybe-not take: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov is a good book if you have reading comprehension. No, you're not supposed to like the main character. He pretty much spells that out for you at the end ffs.

Animal Farm by George Orwell was another favorite of mine; it was written as an obvious metaphor for the rise of fascism in Russia at the time and boy does it hit even now.

And finally, please read Shakespeare plays. As soon as you get used to their way of talking, they're not as hard to understand as people will lead you to believe. My absolute favorite is Twelfth Night- crossdressing, bisexual love triangles, yellow stockings... it's all a joy.

and those are just the ones i thought of off the top of my head! What're your guys' favorite classic books? Let's make everyone a reading list!

[poetrysmackdown]

welcome to the 2023 tumblr poetry smackdown

tumblr has developed something of a canon of poetry over the past couple years, and i figured others might enjoy getting a chance to voice their opinions on a few of those poems! poems i chose for the poetry smackdown had to be more or less widely read on tumblr (generally 10k+ notes, most with more or spread across compilations), and relatively short so as to make voting easier. they also had to be complete—there are a lot of popular lines floating around on tumblr that are excerpted from very long poems and/or poems that are inaccessible via internet, and those aren't included here. a handful of poets are represented here twice reflecting my sense of their popularity, but i arranged the bracket in such a way that it won't be able to stay that way past round 2 at the latest. if i missed a poem that is super popular i'm sorry, that said the bracket is staying as is because this was a shit ton of work to put together and i don't want to. ty.

you can get to the polls by following the links below or going to the #round1 tag on my blog. you can also send me propaganda if you want via ask and i'll post it/add it to the next round's post if the poem wins.

happy voting!

sincerely amelia @poetriarchy :)

ROUND 1: ENDS JULY 17 at 6pm EDT

"The Two-Headed Calf" by Laura Gilpin vs. "Butter Dish" by Leonard Cohen (cow poems)

"Poem" by Langston Hughes vs. "A Meeting" by Wendell Berry

"Miss you. Would like to grab that chilled tofu we love." by Gabrielle Calvocoressi vs. "My Sister, Who Died Young, Takes Up The Task" by Jon Pineda

"Hammond B3 Organ Cistern" by Gabrielle Calvocoressi vs. "Hong Kong" by Sue Zhao

"someone will remember us" (fragment by Sappho trans. Anne Carson) vs. "Wait" by Faraj Bou al-Isha trans. Khaled Mattawa

"The Quiet World" by Jeffrey McDaniel vs "Invisible Fish" by Joy Harjo

"Want" by Joan Larkin vs. "Come, and Be My Baby" by Maya Angelou

"Swan" by Mary Oliver vs. "How I Go to the Woods" by Mary Oliver

"The Orange" by Wendy Cope vs. "The Tenor of Your Yes" by Mary Ruefle

"Here There Are Blueberries" by Mary Syzbist vs. "Instructions on Not Giving Up" by Ada Lim��n

"To The Young Who Want to Die" by Gwendolyn Brooks vs. "A Litany for Survival" by Audre Lorde

"Night Walk" by Franz Wright vs. "Meditations in an Emergency" by Cameron Awkward-Rich

"Summer Was Forever" by Chen Chen vs. "I'm not a religious person but" by Chen Chen

"How to Be a Dog" by Andrew Kane vs. "Scheherazade" by Richard Siken

"I'm going to Minnesota where sadness makes sense" by Danez Smith vs. "Dream Song 29" by John Berryman

"Having a Coke with You" by Frank O'Hara vs. "Having 'Having a Coke with You' with You" by Mark Leidner

ADDENDUM: at 6pm on July 17th (or possibly a day earlier if there's already a clear sweep), I will be releasing a one-day poll that will give voters the option to sub in "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver for the winner of matchup #8: "Swan" vs. "How I Go to the Woods". this is to help correct my significant oversight when I was remembering which two Oliver poems I've seen most on tumblr, and it's the only time I'm doing this kind of thing, so don't suggest it for any other poems after this please. that said, a sincere ty to @darkcomedies for first bringing its absence to my attention! and keep an eye out for this extra poll which i am calling ROUND 1.5: A HAIL MARY (OLIVER)

[spiralhouseshop]

It's been a busy vending season! I finally got a chance to update the website with these new buttons, zines, books, and organizers!

Portland Button Works & Spiral House Shop September 22, 2023! - New in Stock for Autumn!

BUTTONS

ACABradabra

Stealing From Witches Is Bad For Your Health

Easily Distracted by Plants

Easily Distracted by Cats

ZINES

Ritual (from the folks at Weird Walk comes a fanzine about The Wicker Man)

Frogs Teeth Field Guide Issues 1, 2, 3

Myth & Lore Issues 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6

SLINGSHOT ORGANIZERS

Small pocket sized

Small spiral bound

Large spiral bound

BOOKS

Sigil Magic: For Writers and Other Creatives by T. Throrn Coyle

Magical House Protection : The Archeology of Counter-Witchcraft by Brian Hoggard

Witch Bottles: History, Culture. Magic by Daniel Harms

Occult Botany: Sédir's Concise Guide to Magical Plants by Paul Sédir

The Treadwell's Book of Plant Magic by Christina Oakley Harrington

One Time Around The Wheel by Same Croke

Black Dog Folklore by Mark Normal

The Cornish Traditional Year by Simon Reed

From Granite to Sea: The Folklore of Bodmin Moor and East Cornwall by Alex Langstone

The Kitchen Witch: Your Complete Guide to Creating a Magical Kitchen with Natural Ingredients, Sacred Rituals, and Spellwork

In the Shadows of 13 Moons: Magical Empowerment through the Dar Lunar Mysteries by Kimberly Sherman-Cook

Mountain Magic: Explore the Secrets of Old Time Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer

[simplepotatofarmer]

on the jailbreak and the pain of freedom

technoblade - youtube stream title / alexandre dumas - the count of monte cristo / mark rothko - untitled / damien rice - rootless tree / dreamwastaken & awesamdude - dsmp / franz kafka - blue octavo notebooks / george miller - mad max fury road script / technoblade - dsmp / john everett millais - ophelia / v.e. schwab - the invisible life of addie larue / langston huges - untitled / clifford palmer - blue skies / dreamwastaken & technoblade - dsmp / unknown tumblr tags / ursula k. le guin - the dispossessed

made for @void-chara for the @technoblade-gift-exchange!

[luthwhore]

“nona the ninth,” by tamsyn muir // superman: the last days of lex luthor, by mark waid // hozier’s twitter // superman: birthright, by mark waid // “sorry,” by halsey // superman (2023) #1, by joshua williamson // tumblr user dykeyphantom // smallville s10e22 // “poem,” by langston hughes

[a-way-we-go]

determination and response

anne carson (the glass essay), der herr des waldes, hildegarde flanner (to a dear friend), margaret atwood (a fortification), das herz der schlange, erika meitner (staking a claim), nick nice, hds, marion strobel (growth), hds, hanif abdurraqib (they can’t kill us until they kill us), hds, mary oliver (mornings at blackwater), mary oliver (the journey), hds, raena shirali (conjuring anew), hdw, austrian national library, lisel mueller (heartland), thor alvis, hds, nicole lee (even the dust), hds, nicole lee (even the dust), hds, tim etchells (please come back), langston hughes (tired), ylona maria rybka, hds, mark haddon (trees)

[familyabolisher]

August 2023 reading

Books:

Langston Hughes, Selected Poems

T. H. White, The Sword In The Stone

T. H. White, The Witch In The Woods

T. H. White, The Ill-Made Knight

T. H. White, The Candle In The Wind

Articles:

Lisa Borst, Ari M. Brostoff, Cecilia Corrigan, Jon Dieringer, A. S. Hamrah, Arielle Isack, Mark Krotov, Jasmine Sanders, Christine Smallwood, Who Was Barbie?

Lev Grossman, The gay Nabokov

Yasha Levine, Immigrants as a Weapon: Global Nationalism and American Power

Sophie Lewis, Cthulhu plays no role for me

Gail Omvedt, The doubly marginalised

John Semley, Oppenheimer and the Dharma of Death

Bassam Sidiki, Severances: Memory as Disability in Late Capitalism

towardrecomp, Fidelidad En La Tormenta: Part 1

Eyal Weizman, The Art of War: Deleuze, Guattari, Debord and the Israeli Defense Force

Short stories:

Tamsyn Muir, Chew

Tamsyn Muir, The Unwanted Guest

Rebecca Fraimow, Further Arguments In Support Of Yudah Cohen's Proposal To Bluma Zilberman

Rebecca Fraimow, Gitl Schneiderman Learns To Live With Her In-Laws

[wankernumberniiiiiiiiine]

Just started a new story in my Cadence series!

Double Time 🎉

Following Break Step and Mark Time, unlikely allies team up to help Jesse and Emily protect the Oldest House from a hostile Board and other looming paranatural threats.

Established Jesse Faden/Emily Pope

Supporting cast: Dylan Faden, Casper Darling, Simon Arish, Frederick Langston, and a couple troublemaking cats.

[ashwritesmonsters]

The Thru-Hiker (interlude)

Female Reader x Male Mothperson (Desmond)

Prev: [Part 1] Next: [Part 2]

Words: 2k

Note: Just thought I'd put out something sorta cute and short to set up for the rest of Desmond's story! There's more coming, I'm just slow 😭

Long before Willow Grove wakes, Martha has already begun her day. The sky is still painted with stars when she ascends the spiral stairs of the old lighthouse.

Inside her cozy studio, built into the circular brick room just below where the lighthouse's lamp used to be, she brushes a hand over her equipment, the cool metal as familiar and comforting as an old friend.

She pours herself a steaming cup of coffee blacker than night. With the practiced ease of decades, Martha adjusts her headphones, the soft padding a familiar weight against her silver-streaked hair. She takes a moment to gaze out of the window at the slowly brightening sky. From here, she can see the town stirring to life - an early bird Selkie heading out to the sea, the night-shift Mothman flying home, a Lupine yawning on a porch.

As she takes her last sip of coffee, she turns the dials on her control panel, and with a deep breath, she begins another day in Willow Grove. The gentle crackle of the airwaves, then her voice, warm and comforting, fills the silence.

"Good morning, Willow Grove! It's your favorite voice, Martha, back again to brighten up your morning here on WG 98.5. What's the buzz around town, you ask? Well, let's dive in with the morning news!

Remember the Langston's garden gnome that mysteriously disappeared last week? Yes, that cherubic one with the red pointy hat. Well, it's been found! Our mayor's son, Desmond, found it perched on a pine tree during his nightly flight. Nothing like some harmless mischief to add a dash of excitement to our lives, isn't it?

Now, our Selkie friend, Bella, deserves some applause. She's just returned from a successful sardine run. Ah, to be blessed with such fresh catch for the upcoming town bake-off! Do drop by the dock to show some love. I'm sure she's got something delicious in the works.

On the Lupine side of things, have you seen the majestic new mural on the side of the grocer's? Talented painter and Lupine, Marla, has been adding the finishing touches under the moonlight. Don't miss it when you're in town for groceries, it's a true masterpiece.

Now, for the drumroll, folks! In just under two weeks, our favorite time of the year will be upon us. That's right, the annual Founding Festival is right around the corner! I can already taste the moon cakes and hear the shell flutes piping. Mothpeople, Selkies, Lupines, and Humans alike, let's get ready to celebrate the vibrant tapestry that makes Willow Grove our home. So, mark your calendars, folks!

That's all for the morning roundup, Willow Grove. Let's have a splendid day and remember - keep your smiles wide and your hearts open. Martha, signing off. Now, the music."

***

As you stand at the edge of Willow Grove, your heart swells with a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation. The last leg of your hike along the Appalachian Trail has left you feeling haggard, your once-neat hiking outfit now with far too many holes, and the straps of your camera bag digging into your shoulders. But as you gaze upon the town, you can't help but feel that it was all worth it.

"Here goes nothing," you whisper to yourself, taking a deep breath and stepping onto the cobblestone streets.

The quaint charm of the town immediately envelopes you. The buildings are an eclectic mix of architectural styles – from Victorian cottages to modern storefronts, each adorned with colorful shutters and planter boxes overflowing with flowers. The scent of fresh-baked bread wafts through the air, tempting you to forget everything and eat your way into a carb coma.

"Wow," you murmur under your breath, already feeling your weary limbs lightening at the sight of this picturesque haven. It's unlike any place you've ever been before, and yet, it feels strangely like home.

You walk further into town, your eyes drinking in the lush, wooded surroundings. Leaves of every shade of green rustle gently above you, casting dappled sunlight onto the cobbled path. Birds flit between the branches, their cheerful melodies sounding suspiciously like a welcome. You can't resist snapping a few photos with your trusty film camera, capturing the beauty of this magical place. Maybe Desmond would like these shots; perhaps he'd be proud that you followed through on your promise to visit his hometown.

"Keep it together," you chide yourself, shaking off the butterflies threatening to take flight in your stomach. "You came here for a fresh start, remember?"

But even as you remind yourself of your initial intentions, there's no denying that the thought of possibly bumping into Desmond again sends a thrill down your spine. You went on this insane journey seeking solace in nature and photography after the breakup, but now that you're here, the possibility of rekindling things with Desmond is too close to ignore.

"Focus," you tell yourself firmly, snapping one last photo of a particularly charming ivy-covered house before making your way further into town. "You're here for you, not just for him."

With that in mind, you continue your exploration of Willow Grove, utterly enchanted by its beauty and magic. And as you wander the streets, camera in hand, you can't help but feel that maybe – just maybe – this place is exactly what you need.

"Excuse me," you approach a group of friendly-looking townsfolk, hoping they can point you in the direction of a place to stay. "I just arrived in town and was wondering if there's an inn or something nearby?"

"Of course!" one woman replies with a warm smile. "There's a lovely little bed and breakfast run by a Lupine named Evangeline. It's just down the road, on the left side."

"Thank you," you say gratefully, already feeling welcomed by their kindness.

"By the way," another person chimes in, "You're just in time for our Founding Festival! We're all getting ready for it, so there's a lot of excitement around town."

"Sounds like fun," you reply, imagining the celebrations and camaraderie that must come with a big event in a small town. "I'll definitely check it out."

With their directions in mind, you continue on your way, finding yourself in the town square not long after. A weathered, important-looking statue stands at its center, depicting a Mothman, a Selkie, and a Lupine, all standing tall and proud in unity. The plaque at its base is weathered to the point of being near-unreadable, but it's easy to gather that the town has been quite diverse ever since its founding hundreds of years ago.

Around the statue, townsfolk are busy setting up stalls and decorations, their laughter and cheerfulness filling the air. You can't help but feel a sense of belonging in this close-knit community, and the anticipation of the upcoming festival only fuels your excitement. You raise your camera to your eye, and unlike people in the big cities, the townsfolk don't mind that you're snapping a picture with them in it. If anything, you think they smile a little wider.

After taking in the scene, you make your way to the bed and breakfast, finding it as charming and inviting as described. The scent of fresh-baked bread wafts through the air as you enter, and a fire crackles in the hearth, welcoming you with its warmth. You can't help but smile as you approach the front desk, where a friendly Lupine woman greets you, her fur dark brown and shiny. She's slightly hunched over in a way that makes you think either the ceiling is low or she is huge.

"Welcome to my bed and breakfast," she says with a kind smile, tactfully baring only the faintest hint of her sharp teeth. "I'm Evangeline. How can I help you?"

"Hi, Evangeline," you reply, returning her smile. "I'd like to book a room for a couple of weeks, if that's possible."

"Of course! We have plenty of availability." She begins the check-in process by pulling out an actual paper and pen with her paws, and you feel a sense of relief knowing you've found a place to call home during your time in Willow Grove.

As you settle into your new lodgings, the excitement of the upcoming Founding Festival mingles with the possibility of seeing Desmond again. You remind yourself not to let that prospect overshadow the personal journey you're on, but there's no denying the allure of reconnecting with him. For now, though, you focus on the present — immersing yourself in the charm of Willow Grove, camera always at the ready for picture-perfect moments in this picture-perfect town.

The late afternoon sun filters through the curtains, casting a warm glow on the room as you close the door behind you. Your new temporary sanctuary is cozy, with a plush bed and antique wooden dresser, adorned with framed photos of Willow Grove's natural beauty. The anticipation of meeting Desmond again brings a fluttery sensation to your chest, like butterflies dancing between each heartbeat.

"Alright," you say to yourself, trying to shake off the nerves. "Get it together."

As you unpack your belongings, your thoughts drift back to the night you shared with Desmond on the trail. In the grand scheme of things, it was so brief and quick. But between the vulnerability you both had exposed to each other and the heartfelt conversation around the fire (and the mind-blowing sex), you couldn't help but feel drawn to him. So deeply drawn to him that you were here now.

"Wish I could've called ahead," you mutter, placing your camera on the dresser. "Would that have been less... weird?"

You pause, staring at your reflection in the mirror above the dresser. A tired but determined face gazes back, and you take a deep breath. You paid for two weeks in this room—there's no turning back now.

"Okay, let's think this through," you tell yourself, sitting on the bed. "If Desmond thinks I'm crazy for coming here, I'll just... deal with it. We're both adults. Right? Besides, I didn't come all this way just for him. I came for me too."

You shuck off your dirty windbreaker, shaking your head. You're too tired to think things through. You lay back on the bed, the soft mattress embracing you like a specific long lost lover. The tiredness you feel goes beyond the physical. You're mentally and physically exhausted from living like a cavewoman the past few months. But here, in this cozy little room, surrounded by the enchanting beauty of Willow Grove, you finally feel a sense of peace. The kind of peace that comes from being in a place that feels like home, even if it's your first time being here.

As you close your eyes, you think of Desmond, his chitinous features and piercing carnelian eyes. You can almost feel his touch again, his mandibles on your lips, his strong arms wrapped around your body, his proboscis... elsewhere. You let out a sigh, knowing that there's no point in kidding yourself. You came here for Desmond, and Desmond alone. You're not sure where things stand between the two of you, but you know that there's a connection between you that can't be ignored. Even if it makes you look a little crazy. Okay, a lot crazy.

But for now, you allow yourself to drift into a peaceful slumber. This is the first real bed you've slept in for months, and tomorrow, you'll take the first real shower in months. And also apologize to the kind Lupine lady downstairs for getting your filth all over the sheets.

[singeratlarge]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Casey Affleck, swamp pop singer Rod Bernard, Sid Bernstein, Joe Besser, Cantinflas, John Cazale, Kid Creole, Del The Funky Homosapien,  Cecil B. DeMille, Leslie Duncan, George Hamilton, Roy Hay, Heintje, Mark Knopfler, Greg Langston (The Next, No Alternative), Ron Mael, Tiny McCloud, Pat Metheny, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Alexei Nikolaevich, Peter Ostroushko, Buck Owens, Marjorie Reynolds, Theodore Scaife, Erwin Alexander Schrödinger, Lakeith Stanfield, Matt Thiessen (Reliant K), Stefanos Tsitsipas, Mladen Vukic, Porter Wagoner, Deborah Walley, Wednesday 13, Jane Wyatt, and recording artist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Derrek Van Eaton. 

Classic rock-philes and deep Beatles fans will recognize him from the brother band Lon & Derrek Van Eaton. Prior to their association with Apple Records (the record label created by The Beatles), they were part of the eccentric New York-based folk rock band Jacob’s Creek. They shared a studio with Simon & Garfunkel and released one album on Columbia in 1969. Two years later, John Lennon and George Harrison “discovered” them as a brother-act duo and signed them to Apple. The Van Eaton’s music blended urban folk and dreamy rock with a blues-gospel undercurrent, which perfectly coincided with the sounds of Badfinger and latter-day Beatles. The Van Eaton’s excellent BROTHER album was co-produced by George with Klaus Voorman. The Van Eatons toured the USA to promote BROTHER. Their 1972 tour brought them to where I was living in Huntingdon PA, where they played Ellis Hall at Juniata College (I stood listening from outside, a lad with no ticket money).  

The BROTHER album launched a long association with George, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, and other travelers in the Apple/Beatle legacy that unfolded in the 1970s. Then the Van Eatons became studio session players favored by producer Richard Perry, who hired them for recordings with Art Garfunkel, Martha Reeves, and Carly Simon. Perry also produced the Van Eaton’s 1975 WHO DO YOU OUT DO album. Following that era, the brothers created a non-profit film and music company called Imagine a Better World. 

The Van Eaton brothers since have released sporadic works (duo and solo), notably their acclaimed 1996 cover of “Apple of my Eye” on the COME & GET IT Badfinger tribute album. In 2013 they issued a career-spanning anthology with new recordings with contributions from Ringo Starr, Jim Keltner, Klaus Voormann, and Gary Wright, and the Van Eatons are still active in musical and spiritual pursuits. 

Some years ago I met Derrek some years ago at church we were both attending in Pennsylvania (where I picked his brains about that 1972 concert I heard but couldn’t see), and the last time we crossed paths was at a Monkees concert in Denver in 2011. Even in passive meet-ups I can see the creative spark in Derrek’s eyes. Here’s one of my favorite Van Eaton cuts “Sun Song” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5VSJmb2VI0...Meanwhile, HB DVE and thank you for your years of remarkable creativity and soul.

#derrekvaneaton #lonanderrekvaneaton #brother #applerecords #birthday #georgeharrison #ringostarr #klausvoorman #richardperry #peteham #badfinger

[greatbritishsimchallenge]

What inspired you to start posting your legacy here on Tumbrl? Because I want to so I can look back at screenshots and have it as an archive, but at the same time I feel like I would get so sad if at least one person didn’t see it 😭

I was inspired, like so many, by @pixelnrd and the Langston Legacy which I started reading from the 1920s.

I am sure that at least one person would see your story, but I would also encourage you to post just for you.

Don't get me wrong, I love that others read and engage with my story, but I'm not the type to get hung up about how many notes and reblogs I have on a post. There are just too many things that show me how superficial that sort of engagement is.

For example, I have over 1000 followers, but my notes on a story post have remained around the 15 - 20 mark since I had like 300 followers.

The posts that get lots of notes and reblogs are usually my builds or lookbooks, representing that many people use Simblr for their own download needs rather than because they necessarily want to engage with other people's gameplay.

Even on the download posts that do get lots of notes and reblogs, it rarely translates beyond Tumblr. I have posts with hundreds of notes on Tumblr that have minimal downloads on the Sims gallery and vice versa.

All of this to say, large scale social media interactions can create a false reality and they aren't worth your energy.

What is worth your energy? The small scale. I cannot tell you how much I love and appreciate that small number of Simblrs who really regularly engage with the story. That one anon or simblr that seems to know your story inside out and has deep opinions on your characters will mean so much more than 100+ notes. For me, anyway.

No matter what you choose to do, I hope you have a great time :)

[poetrysmackdown]

WELCOME TO ROUND 2 OF THE POETRY SMACKDOWN

Hello again. First I just wanna say how excited I am at the response to this bracket. I was going to consider it a smashing success if like forty people voted, so needless to say it has outperformed my expectations, and I’ve really really enjoyed talking with folks and seeing everyone's responses to these poems! That said, 14/16 of my votes were in the minority, so actually fuck you guys. 🩷

Anyways Round 2! Transcriptions are included this time in alt text—sincere apologies to everyone for whom Round 1 was inaccessible, and many thanks to @army-of-bee-assassins and @accessibleaesthetics for being so generous with their helpful advice and feedback. I'm still going back and forth about whether to include just alt text or to include the image descriptions in the body of the post as well, but I've reformatted it in my drafts like twice already so at this point I'm just hitting publish and opening it up for feedback.

I've also included links to readings by the author for all the poems where one was available, for anyone interested in getting a fresh perspective.

enjoy! -amelia @poetriarchy

ROUND 2: ENDS JULY 26th at 6pm EDT

“The Two-Headed Calf” by Laura Gilpin vs. “Poem” by Langston Hughes

"Miss you. Would like to grab that chilled tofu we love." by Gabrielle Calvocoressi vs. “Hammond B3 Organ Cistern” by Gabrielle Calvocoressi

“someone will remember us” (Fragment 147 from Sappho trans. Anne Carson) vs. “The Quiet World” by Jeffrey McDaniel

“Come. And Be My Baby” by Maya Angelou vs. “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver

“The Orange” by Wendy Cope vs. “Instructions on Not Giving Up” by Ada Limón

“To The Young Who Want to Die” by Gwendolyn Brooks vs. “Meditations in an Emergency” by Cameron Awkward-Rich

“I’m not a religious person but” by Chen Chen vs. “How to Be a Dog” by Andrew Kane

“I’m Going Back to Minnesota Where Sadness Makes Sense” by Danez Smith vs. “Having ‘Having a Coke With You’ With You” by Mark Leidner

[daughterofhecata]

Reading List 2023

Ocean Vuong: Night Sky With Exit Wounds

Alena Mornštajnová: Hana

Wolfgang Benz: Theresienstadt. Ein Geschichte von Täuschung und Vernichtung.

Jáchym Topol: Die Teufelswerkstatt [org. title: Chladnou zemí]

Ocean Vuong: Time is a Mother

Richard Siken: Crush

Ben Nevis: Die Drei ??? Die Yacht des Verrats

Frank Wedekind: Frühlings Erwachen (reread)

James Ellroy: Die Schwarze Dahlie [org. title: The Black Dahlia]

André Marx: Die Drei ??? und der Puppenmacher

Evelyn Boyd: Rocky Beach Crimes #2. Mord unter Palmen.

Peter Hallama: Nationale Helden und jüdische Opfer. Tschechische Repräsentationen des Holocaust.

Brigitte Johanna Henkel-Waidhofer: Die Drei ??? Späte Rache

Kim Newman: Professor Moriarty. The Hound of the D‘Urbervilles. (reread)

Vera Schiff: The Theresienstadt Deception. The Concentration Camp the Nazis Created to Deceive the World.

Evelyn Boyd: Rocky Beach Crimes #2. Mord unter Palmen. (reread)

Josef Bor: Die verlassene Puppe [org. title: Opuštěná panenka]

Kari Erlhoff: Rocky Beach Crimes #1. Tödliche Törtchen.

Susanna Partsch: Wer klaute die Mona Lisa? Die berühmtesten Kunstdiebstähle der Welt.

Kathy Reichs: Virals #1. Tote können nicht mehr reden. [org. title: Virals] (reread)

Arthur Schnitzler: Reigen (reread)

Evelyn Boyd: Die Drei ??? Teuflisches Foul

Faye Kellerman: Der Zorn sei dein Ende [org. title: The Hunt]

J.D. Salinger: The Catcher in the Rye

Władysław Szlengel: Was ich den Toten las [org. title: Co czytałem umarłym]

Hanna Krall: Dem Herrgott Zuvorkommen [org. title: Zdążyć przed Panem Bogiem]

Ursula K. Le Guin: The Dispossessed

Thomas Mann: Der Tod in Venedig

James Oswald: Natural Causes. An Inspector McLean Novel.

Sylvia Plath: The Bell Jar (reread)

Christoph Dittert: Die Drei ??? Melodie der Rache

Maria Rolnikaitė: Mein Tagebuch [org. title: Ja dolžna rasskazat']

Mark Thompson: Leatherfolk. Radical Sex, People, Politics and Practice.

James Baldwin: Giovanni‘s Room

Christopher Tauber, Hanna Wenzel: Rocky Beach. Eine Interpretation.

Lorraine Vivian Hansberry: A Raisin in the Sun

Jonathan Kellerman: Unnatural History. An Alex Delaware Novel.

Robert Arthur: Die Drei ??? und die Geisterinsel. [org. title: The Three Investigators in the Secret of Skeleton Island]

Evelyn Boyd: Rocky Beach Crimes #3. Eiskalter Rausch.

André Marx: Die Drei ??? Labyrinth der Götter

John Barth: Lost in the Funhouse

Langston Hughes: Selected Poems of Langston Hughes.

Claude McKay: Harlem Shadows. The Poems of Claude McKay.

Jonathan Kellerman: Exit. Ein Alex Delaware Roman. [org. title: Devil‘s Waltz. An Alex Delaware Novel.] (reread)

David Henry Hwang: M Butterfly

James Oswald: The Book of Souls. An Inspector McLean Novel.

Jonathan Kellerman: Time Bomb. An Alex Delaware Novel. (reread)

Manuela Günter: Überleben schreiben. Zur Autobiographik der Shoah.

Birgit Kröhle: Geschichte und Geschichten. Die literarische Verarbeitung von Auschwitz-Erlebnissen.

Alexander F. Spreng: Der Fluch (reread)

Sibylle Schmidt: Zeugenschaft. Ethische und politische Dimensionen.

Sibylle Schmidt: Ethik und Episteme der Zeugenschaft

Kari Erlhoff & Christoph Dittert: Die Drei ??? und die Salztote

Jeanette McCurdy: I‘m Glad My Mom Died

E.T.A. Hoffmann: Der Sandmann

Hendrik Buchna: Die Drei ??? Drehbuch der Täuschung

Michael Scott: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #2. The Magician. (reread)

Alain Locke: The New Negro

Mascha Kaléko: Großstadtliebe. Lyrische Stenogramme.

Marco Sonnleitner: Die Drei ??? Der Tag der Toten

Georg Heym: Gedichte [herausgegeben von Stephan Hermlin]

Rose Ausländer: Hinter allen Worten. Gedichte. [herausgegeben von Helmut Braun]

Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita

Paul Celan: Ausgewählte Gedichte. Zwei Reden. [herausgegeben von Günther Busch]

Rich Cohen: Lake Shore Drive [org. title: Lake Effect]

Jan T. Gross: Neighbors. The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland.

Kathy Reichs: Virals #2. Nur die Tote kennt die Wahrheit. [org. title: Seizure]

Jonathan Kellerman: Bones. An Alex Delaware Novel. (reread)

Akwaeke Emezi: You made a Fool of Death with your Beauty

Friedrich Schiller: Maria Stuart

Bret Easton Ellis: American Psycho

Christian Handel: Die Hexenwald-Chroniken #2. Palast aus Gold und Tränen.

Maurice Leblanc: Arsène Lupin und der Schatz der Könige von Frankreich [org. title: L'Aiguille creuse]

E.T.A. Hoffmann: Nussknacker und Mausekönig

Marco Sonnleitner: Die Drei ??? Panik im Park

Ben Nevis: Die Drei ??? Tal des Schreckens

Michael Borlik: Ihr mich auch

Robert Arthur: Die Drei ??? und der grüne Geist [org. title: Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators in the Mystery of the Green Ghost]

Barbara Köhler: Niemands Frau. Gesänge.

Christoph Dittert: Die Drei ??? Hotel der Diebe

Cornelia Funke: Tintenwelt #4. Die Farbe der Rache.

DNF:

Thomas Ziebula: Paul Stainer #1. Der rote Judas.

Faye Kellerman: Mord im Garten Eden [org. title: The Garden of Eden and Other Criminal Delights]