#Matthew Spender

[kikis-writing-world]

51/49 - S. Reid

Summary: Set during s11e18, Spencer and Reader share a quiet moment pondering the next generation of the BAU Family as they watch over the newborn.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader, established relationship, no use of Y/N

Word Count: 1.3k

Rating: PG. All works on this blog are for 18+ consumption. Warnings include, but aren’t limited to: spoilers for/allusions of the events of s11e18 but no graphic details. Fluff. It is implied that reader is shorter than Spencer. Written as F!Reader, but there are no pronouns and could be read as GN!Reader. If I did miss anything, please let me know.

A/N: I am watching through Criminal Minds for the very first time and yeah, I fell down the rabbit hole. Writing a character like Spencer Reid is intimidating, but this little blurb of an idea was too cute to not attempt. Plus, it was a writing excercise to shake the rust. I hope I did him justice. Likes, reblogs and feedback are much appreciated <3

Click Keep Reading only if you have read the Rating and Warnings and understand the warnings may not be complete to avoid listing spoilers. As AO3 says ’creator chooses not to use warnings’.

You watched from the hallway as Baby Boy Morgan wriggled away inside his incubator. Despite being introduced to the world before he was ready to debut, his big, curious eyes showed that he was ready to take on the world with as much gusto as his daddy. You fought the urge to press your face right up against the glass to get the best view possible. You felt like a kid outside a toy store window around Christmas, breath fogging up the glass as the magical displays danced and moved, enticing children to beg their parents for the toys.

You felt a presence next to you a moment before you felt the hand on your arm: long fingers with a familiar grip. Even if his shape hadn’t been faintly reflected in the window - the tall, lanky form topped with a tuft of messy hair that was holding out a to-go cup from one of the hospital’s vending machines - you still would have known it was Spencer approaching you.

“Hot cocoa.” He offered as the faint smell of chocolate wafted from the cup.

Your smile grew, not that you could take your eyes off of the precious newborn in the other room. You blindly reached for the cup, Spencer helpfully guiding it into your hand. “Thank you.” Your throat ached despite the soft volume you spoke at. It had been a long day and the exhaustion was starting to take over, shutting down your body. Still, you couldn’t bear to leave just yet.

“I doubt it’s very good,” Spencer continued as he joined your spectating. “The machine it came from doesn’t appear to have changed much since the early 80s, and even then it seems to be used mostly for coffee, but caffeine is the last thing any of us need right now.”

You nodded in agreement, leaning closer to his taller form. His hand slid from your arm to your back, letting you rest against him. “I’m sure you’re right. Like usual.” You hummed teasingly.  You felt Spencer laugh more than you heard it, a sharp jolt from his chest where it pressed against you. 

A comfortable silence fell, welcome after all the earlier chaos. You brought the cup to your lips, blowing gently before taking a sip. It barely tasted like anything, a mere suggestion of chocolate mixed in with the hot water, but the warmth felt nice on your sore throat. It warmed your insides, helping relief settle into your bones. It was over and everyone was safe.

“He sure knows how to make an entrance.” You mumbled softly, eyes still on the baby.

Spencer laughed again, this time the sound drifted down the nearly abandoned hallway. “He gets that from his dad.”

You giggled with him, letting your head fall against his shoulder as the silence returned. If you could bring yourself to stop watching the brand new life in the other room, to close your eyes even for a moment, you could have fallen asleep right there in the hallway while Spencer held you up.

“Is it wrong,” you mumble, surprising yourself. You hadn’t realized the thought you were having was on the verge of being spoken until you heard your voice. “Is it wrong that I kind of hoped they’d have a girl?”

Spencer didn’t answer right away but you were sure he was just processing. You could imagine the way he would blink as he took in the question, evaluating what had prompted you to say that and what line of thinking might have brought you there. “Depends on your reasoning, I suppose.” He decided.

“It’s such a boys club right now.” You huffed. “It’s all sports and trucks and bugs and mud. I love my nephews but I want a little princess to spoil. Tea parties and glitter and bows.” You trailed off, imagining having a tea party with a little girl with Savannah’s eyes, toy tiara perched atop her messy curls. Or playing barbies with a little blonde girl with JJ’s smile and Will’s drawl. You blink the thoughts away, remembering the baby boy in front of you. Who's to say he wouldn’t want to have tea parties and glitter when he grows up.

“It is statistically unlikely to have so many boys born to the team.” Spencer agreed. “According to the World Health Organization, for every 100 baby girls born there are 105 boys, meaning approximately 51% of babies born are male. The study didn’t account for outliers, such as those born with both sets of genitalia or other birth defects that may affect gender presentation, so it’s not a true 51/49 split.”

You were quiet as Spencer rambled. You knew it wasn’t something you were likely to remember and carry with you the way Spencer does, but he didn’t expect you to remember either. It was comforting to listen to him talk like it hadn’t been such a hectic day. Like everything was normal, or as normal as it ever got in your life. He continued talking about the varying factors that influence a fetus’ development as you listened, nodding along.

“Nevertheless, it’s interesting that the BAU’s next generation is all male so far. I guess it’s up to you and I to change that.” He finished.

You nearly dropped the to-go cup you had forgotten you were holding, your head snapping up as you blinked at Spencer. Your tired mind was spinning as you processed the words again and again, questioning what you had heard him say. Spencer looked away from the window as well, eyebrows furrowing as he studied your sudden reaction.

“Wh-what?” You stuttered, needing him to repeat himself. Surely you’d misheard…

“I don’t mean to assume,” He backpedaled, his cheeks tinting pink under the harsh fluorescent lighting. “I know we haven’t talked about it. About what you want from the future and where this is going…”

Spencer’s hand fell from your back as stumbled his way through an explanation, fidgeting nervously as he avoided eye contact. You set the cup of cocoa on the window ledge, barely making sure it wouldn’t fall before giving Spencer your undivided attention. You felt tears welling in your eyes as you cupped his cheek, forcing him to look at you.

His eyes searched around the hall frantically before finally settling on you. You could see the worry and fear etched in his sweet, amber eyes, too soon after seeing it reflected for Derek, Savannah and their baby earlier in the day.

“Y-you want…” You swallowed around the lump in your through, threatening to steal the last of your voice. “With me?”

Spencer nodded, face open and earnest. “Of course I do.” He whispered, bashful but sure, as if it was as plain as the sky is blue.

You choked on the sob that tried to break free from your chest. There had been far too much crying today. You would have bet that there were no tears left in you to cry, but you would have lost that bet as a tear rolled down your cheek. You bit your lip hard to keep yourself together.

“Do you?” He asked, almost too quiet to hear. You could feel his jaw clenching under your touch, his lip trembling as his pulse jumped.

Unable to find your voice, you nodded.

Relief split Spencer’s face a split second before joy. You didn’t have time to take it in as he pulled you to him, wrapping his long arms around you and tucking his chin into the crook of your neck. Your own arms curled up under his as you clung to the soft cotton of the cardigan stretched across his back, his suit jacket long since left forgotten somewhere in one of the many waiting rooms.

You held each other as the two of you trembled, emotions running too high to contain in your mutual exhaustion. There was a lot more discussion that had to happen, and a lot more evil men to put away, but knowing that you had Spencer, and Spencer had you, and the both of you had the entire BAU - was more than enough for now.

[youareheaven]

this is what I feel like rn because I wanna buy clothes and accessories soooo bad but I don’t get paid until Friday

[the-90s-music-colosseum]

'90s MV of the day

My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) by En Vogue

Directed by Matthew Rolston, this music video was inspired by the "Big Spender" scene from the musical Sweet Charity. It won a MTV VMA for Best Choreography.

[thevagabondexpress]

let's take a closer look at christopher, matthew, and their shared love of downworld, shall we?

On the surface, when you read them, Matthew Fairchild and Christopher Lightwood are wildly disparate characters. They have almost nothing in common. But then we get to the Shadow Market in Chain of Iron, and suddenly—suddenly Christopher Lightwood is a whole different man from the owlish, absentminded, socially inept little being we see around his friends and among the Enclave in general.

He's street-smart, avoiding the dangers of the Shadow Market with the practiced ease of many, many visits, he haggles like an expert (to quote Cordelia), and what's more, he's openly Nephilim in a place that seems to generally despise Shadowhunters and yet he and the vendors are familiar, even friendly with each other, Christopher chats as comfortably as he haggles, and in general he seems far more comfortable there than he does among the Nephilim of the Enclave, even those he considers his closest friends.

Up until then, Matthew and Anna were the characters we associated with Downworld. They frequent the Hell Ruelle, and are welcome and beloved there, and it's made clear that Matthew adores the Downworlders and their way of life, watching with starstruck eyes and longing to join in.

Matthew is the Downworlder lover extraordinaire—or is he? Hypatia states quite plainly in Chain of Gold that Matthew is welcomed into the Ruelle because he's pretty and amusing: he's there as a lovely plaything, a pawn of the other guests, a runed curiosity who can't seem to keep it in his pants and doesn't seem to realize that he can say no. The way he's treated by the Hell Ruelle is exploitative at best. And in the Shadow Market? He's swindled and snubbed like everyone else. Matthew adores the Downworld, but he looks at it through glittering rose-colored glasses, viewing it with the fetishized fascination for the exotic of a British colonist writing a travelogue of the Near East. He's Lawrence of Arabia, Marco Polo, Gertrude Bell.

Christopher in the Shadow Market, by contrast, is one of them already. "Christopher Lightwood!" one vendor calls. "Just the man I was hoping to see!" Granted, I don't know how they'd treat him if he wasn't such an extravagant spender but I imagine he would still be welcomed, if perhaps not hailed so loudly. But why? Christopher isn't scandalous, or extravagant. From everything we've seen he holds himself to high standards and lives a fairly clean lifestyle: he doesn't sleep around, he doesn't smoke, he doesn't do drugs or drink to excess.

But at the same time, while Matthew does do those things, he also gets treated like a toy by the Ruelle, and I am willing to bet you the moment he puts his foot down and says no to somebody, they'll stop letting him in.

Christopher, on the other hand, is humble. We're shown frequently through his interactions with his friends and family and other members of the Enclave that he doesn't place himself higher and believe himself better than anyone else. Neither does he seem to buy the prejudices those around him seem to hold: why should women, or Downworlders, or people of color, be considered lesser than someone else? He considers everyone on equal footing in that respect and judges them based on who they are as individual persons. And even then he shows a great capacity for leniency and forgiveness: he's the first of them to accept Grace, and while he goes along with his friends' hatred of Alastair in spirit, his actions don't suggest he really dislikes Alastair that much at all (except when he's insulting Anna, that is).

We see all of those behaviors from a distance in the Shadow Market scene, in the way he haggles and chats with the vendors and the fact that he doesn't seem either afraid of or bedazzled by the Market at all.

Ultimately, Christopher surpasses Matthew when it comes to knowledge of and position within the Downworld. Where Matthew treats the Downworld like a curio cabinet, and is exploited for his hedonist nature in turn, Christopher treats the denizens of the Shadow Market as equals, and receives equal treatment back from them, welcomed as a customer, a regular, yea even a friend.

TL; DR, Christopher has always been the true Downworlder spirit, and Matthew needs to wake up and put his foot down before he gets himself seriously hurt—again.

[spinningerster]

notes from last night (29/7 evening show)

fun random little things I wanna mention

• did matinee stage door and met so many cast members, they were all so lovely!

• mukeni was just casually walking around the foyer talking on the phone

• we got a bereal with him after the show

• also no joke I was sat next to mukeni's mum - she was lovely! we chatted a little before and after the show

• at stage door after the show archie went past on his scooter and everyone cheered

onto the show notes!!

• matthew gave me a cast pape 🥺

• was right up in the immersion (manhattan row P) and didn't know where to look at some points. like during WWK morgan was basically right in my face. damon was in front of me like twice. (fr would've worn my finch shirt instead if I would have known.) him, lucy & lillie were in front of me in once and for all and I didn't know where to look so just focused on michael on the stage 😂

• ryan went past me after kony but I didn't realise it was him until after nesim & bronte went past lol

• michael & matthew ran past me at one point (during carrying the banner iirc)

• three of them ran past me during seize the day (just before crutchie got arrested) but honestly I have no idea who it was 😂

• there was a bit (think it was just before jack, davey & les ran away from snyder) where matthew was just. laying on the floor?? like where the little banister is for the bronx

• morgan albert. LOVED him. he was brilliant. he killed it

• "that is not nice...morris."

• "and who wants brooklyn?" mark proceeded to spend 5 minutes putting a blindfold on. like the scene had moved on from that bit and he was still tying it

• "who's the big spender that ordered the seltzer?" morgan: starts drumming the table "OVA HERE"

• "two cents? for a glass o' seltzer??"

• bobbie was on vocal rest so no splint rip

• she was absolutely hilarious though. "have you seen this boss? these kids put out a pretty good...nope nevermind goodbye!"

• "and such language, which they should not be using -"

• "he doesn't do happiness, does he?" hannah chuckled which made the audience laugh

• hannah started a sing song when they were leaving pulitzers office

• HECAYNTTAWKHELLCALLYABAYCK

• during the fight scene someone jumped onto and then over the cart (think it was spencer but not sure)

• les: "buy a pape from a poor orphan boy." davey: "hey he ain't an orphan??"

• OH MY GOD RYAN. forgot how much I absolutely love his davey

• "your girl?" "YOU HEARD ME!"

• like act 2 davey was SO SASSY. "oooh, so what does that make you?"

• oh yes. above. flip. the. flip. fold. flip.

• him and jack were like a comedy duo in act 2

• "I'm told we once shared a carriage ride." "TOLD YA"

• damon finch my beloved <3 so happy I got to see him he was amazing

• josh blew some of his smoke into nun bobbie's face

• OH THE CUTEST MOMENT. at the end when jack is like 'we won!' specs immediately hugged ritz and then hugged a few other people it was adorable

• when jack told them to vote 'no' mack literally had to hold spot back it was so funny

• mike was the last person to leave after jack betrayed them at the rally and he gave jack such a dirty look

• matt threw the paper for bronte to catch in kony but she missed and it fell to the ground

• michael jack. my absolute beloved. he was so comedic like the way he said certain lines was so entertaining

• there were like two wolf whistles when jack & katherine kiased in stbi

• michael and bronte were so giggly in the start of the finale scene it was so cute

• final nesim performance. what a little star he is

• in the bit after carrying the banner when davey, les & jack are talking the delanceys (aka morris) was basically like just throwing the papers at the newsies

• officially in love with pips. she did a little star jump during brooklyns here it was so cute. AND HER OUTFIT?? obsessed

• background moments during the bows/curtain call: matthew didn't make the shot. morgan & owen did a funky lil dance. lindsay, lucy, sam, jamie and someone else (they were off to the side so couldn't see who it was) did the wave

[bobbie-robron]

Classic ED schedule, week 37

UK START TIME FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK: 1:40 P.M.

09-Sep: 28-Dec-2005 (4244), 29-Dec-2005 (4245)

Jimmy’s smug when Tom throws Sadie out on her arse certain she’s trying to tear his family apart. Nicole snoops on Ivan’s mobile. Kelly’s the big spender. Matthew offers Jimmy cold truths about his marriage and who she loved always loved. Matthew chooses the business over Sadie. Paul & Nicola learn what woman Ivan is seeing.

10-Sep: 30-Dec-2005 (4246), 01-Jan-2006 (4247)

Sadie confides to Edna about Matthew and Jimmy but it’s all manipulation and later leaves the village (again). It’s time for Nicola’s New Year’s Eve party. Ivan clears the air with Paul… about his ex-wife. Kelly’s job is not panto as Rodney expected. Paul is confronted with homophobia and boyfriend Ivan comes to his rescue.

11-Sep: 02-Jan-2006 (4248), 03-Jan-2006 (4249)

Paul & Ivan decide to keep their relationship secret for Ivan’s sake. Matthew drowns his sorrows. Paul’s appearance as Thelma Louise scuppers his relationship with Ivan but their argument is overheard by all in the pub thanks to a mic! Viv and Val meet with Barbara Hope receiving shocking news. Alan’s answering a silent call has Betty believing it was Terence.

12-Sep: 04-Jan-2006 (4250) Welcome recast Terence Turner!, 05-Jan-2006 (4251)

Betty and Alan travel to Hull (where the silent call originated) and come across shameful Terence living in a hostel. Ivan won’t reconcile with Paul. Bob learns he has another daughter. Terence tells Alan how rough his life has been with drinking, being made redundant, divorce, etc. Will a romantic dinner sway Ivan? Lesley gets a job with Val.

13-Sep: 06-Jan-2006 (4252), 08-Jan-2006 (4253)

Continuing to take Steph’s claims with a grain of salt and confiding to Betty, Alan moves forward with inviting Terence to the village. Paul’s romantic dinner was a bust and he’s giving up on Ivan. Terence arrives in the village with Alan wanting him to stay a while and Adam angry on Steph’s behalf. Donna and wedding gowns oh my. Kelly’s advice gets Paul & Ivan back on track.

[merrock]

PLAY SOME VOLLEYBALL!

The teams for the volleyball game that will be held on Saturday, August 26th are as follows:

TEAM BARRACUDA

Landon Nor, Benedict Hartman, Joshua Lane, Kenney Warren, Jamie Mariadaga-Evans, Iris Xanthe, Choi Jaesung, Tommy Maddox, Spender Lawrence, Joella Suh, Jason Browning, Jayla Hopkins, Kellan Newman, Elise Quinn, Harley Hua, Rian Rivera, Darrius Powell, Vincent Matthews

TEAM STINGRAY

Izzy Romero, Miranda Hartman, Rafael Bardales, Valentina Diaz, Amina Zaidi, Espie Tamayo, Reyna Delgadillo, Nari Gim, Olivia Hartman, Trey Wright, Corrine Khang, Libby Stewart, Cordelia Browning, Garrick Velour, Chloe Nwokobia, Bryan Lawrence, Emeline Newman

Be at the volleyball net by 3PM EST on Saturday to be sure to get your head in the game! We'll be announcing winners that day, as well!

[haloeffvct]

Masterlist *= smut (18+)

HARRY POTTER

draco malfoy

(coming soon)

theodore nott

charms assignment*

in which theo helps y/n with her charms assignment but things escalate.

tom riddle

(coming soon)

pansy parkinson

(coming soon)

remus lupin

(coming soon)

THE HUNGER GAMES

finnick odair

(coming soon)

peeta mellark

(coming soon)

original characters

(coming soon)

PEAKY BLINDERS

thomas shelby

(coming soon)

CELEBS

harry styles & co.

(coming soon)

matthew gray gubler & co.

(coming soon)

cillian murphy & co.

(coming soon)

CRIMINAL MINDS

spender reid

(coming soon)

aaron hochner

(coming soon)

jennifer jareau

(coming soon)

elle greenaway

(coming soon)

[scienza-magia]

Criptovalute, tasse e speculazioni degli holder

I governi devono tassare o vietare Bitcoin per mantenere il deficit: Fed di Minneapolis. La Federal Reserve Bank di Minneapolis ha proposto una tassa su Bitcoin o un divieto legale per risolvere il problema dei deficit primari permanenti. Una recente ricerca della Federal Reserve Bank di Minneapolis ha suggerito che asset come Bitcoin dovrebbero essere tassati o vietati per consentire ai governi di mantenere il deficit.  In un'economia in cui il governo cerca di mantenere un deficit permanente utilizzando il debito nominale, la presenza del Bitcoin BTC61.250 € crea problemi per l'attuazione delle politiche, ha dichiarato la Fed di Minneapolis in un working paper pubblicato il 17 ottobre. Secondo la Fed, Bitcoin introduce la cosiddetta “trappola del pareggio di bilancio”, uno stato alternativo in cui il governo è costretto a pareggiare il proprio bilancio.  I ricercatori hanno usato Bitcoin come esempio di un “titolo del settore privato” a fornitura fissa senza “rivendicazioni di risorse reali”. Hanno concluso che per risolvere l'enigma è necessario vietarlo o tassarlo.  Imporre un divieto legale su Bitcoin può ripristinare l'implementazione unica dei deficit primari, e lo stesso può fare una tassa su Bitcoin

Un deficit primario si verifica quando un governo spende più di quanto incassa in tasse e altre entrate, esclusi i pagamenti degli interessi sul debito. Il termine “permanente” per il deficit primario è fondamentale perché significa che il governo intende continuare a spendere più di quanto incassa a tempo indeterminato.  Gli Stati Uniti hanno accumulato un debito nazionale totale di 35.700 miliardi di dollari. Tuttavia, il deficit primario, ovvero il divario annuale tra le spese e le entrate fiscali, è attualmente di circa 1.800 miliardi di dollari. La causa principale del deficit annuale, il più grande al di fuori dell'era COVID-19, è stato l'aumento del 29% a 1,13 mila miliardi di dollari dei costi di interesse per il debito del Tesoro a causa dell'aumento dei tassi e dell'aumento del debito da finanziare, ha riportato Reuters il 19 ottobre.  Il responsabile della ricerca sugli asset digitali di VanEck, Matthew Sigel, ha commentato il documento il 21 ottobre, affermando che la Fed di Minneapolis si è unita alla Banca Centrale Europea nel suo attacco a Bitcoin, aggiungendo che: “Fantastica su ‘proibizioni legali’ e tasse extra su BTC per garantire che il debito pubblico rimanga l‘’unico titolo privo di rischio'”. Nel frattempo, il cofondatore di Messari, Dan McArdle, ha scovato un documento della Fed di Minneapolis del 1996 intitolato “Money is Memory” (Il denaro è memoria) che, con un interessante colpo di scena, sosteneva la tesi di Bitcoin 12 anni prima del genesis block.  Il documento definisce il denaro come un oggetto che non “entra nella produzione”, è “disponibile in quantità fissa” ed è “equivalente a una forma primitiva di memoria”. Il 12 ottobre, la BCE ha pubblicato un documento in cui sostiene che i vecchi holder di Bitcoin stanno traendo profitto a spese dei nuovi. Il documento sostiene che l'asset dovrebbe essere regolamentato per evitare che il suo prezzo aumenti o vietato del tutto. Il 20 ottobre, in un post su X, il consigliere della BCE Jürgen Schaaf si è unito agli appelli per eliminare Bitcoin. “I non holder dovrebbero riconoscere che l'ascesa del Bitcoin è alimentata dalla redistribuzione della ricchezza a loro spese”, ha affermato prima di aggiungere: “Ci sono ragioni convincenti per sostenere politiche che frenino la crescita del Bitcoin o addirittura lo eliminino”. Read the full article

[delectablywaywardbeard-blog]

Fitctofilia: com'è bello innamorarsi di un eroe da film

NON RIGUARDA GLI ADOLESCENTI – Innamorarsi di un personaggio immaginario è un’esperienza molto comune tra gli adolescenti: a chi non è capitato di spendere qualche sospiro per Mr. Darcy, protagonista maschile del romanzo “Orgoglio e Pregiudizio” di Jane Austen, impersonato dal fascinoso e introverso Matthew MacFadyen, nella pellicola del 2005, con la bella Keira Knightley nei panni di Elizabeth…

[alessandro55]

40.20.06 Raffaele B. * J.Ragusa

con la partecipazione di Giuseppe Gattuso Lo Monte

Grafiche Aurora, Verona 2006, 278 pagine, 21,5x38,7cm, ISBN 9788886899437

euro 30,00

email if you want to buy : booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

Una mostra a cura di Philippe Daverio Fondazione Credito Valtellinese, Sondrio 2006

La mostra a cura di Philippe Daverio è dedicata ai lavori di Raffaele Bueno, Giovanni Ragusa e Giuseppe Gattuso Lo Monte e si compone di circa centocinquanta opere tra dipinti, sculture e disegni. Di origini spagnole il primo, siciliano-cinese il secondo, Raffaele Bueno e Giuseppe Ragusa fanno parte di un gruppo di artisti (quali Frances Lansing, Maro Gorky, Matthew Spender, Sheppard Craige) che vivono appartati in Toscana, riscoperto e riportato all'interesse del pubblico negli anni '80 dalla Galleria Daverio di Milano. A Firenze hanno iniziato un sodalizio che dura dagli anni '60 (condiviso con il siciliano Giuseppe Gattuso Lo Monte sino alla sua morte) trovando continui stimoli nel confronto.

Raffaele Bueno fa parte di una grande famiglia di artisti: il padre e lo zio, Xavier e Antonio Bueno, nati in Spagna e poi migrati a Parigi e a Ginevra e quindi trasferitisi a Fiesole negli anni '40. I viaggi di Bueno sono frequenti e spesso verso Oriente, e il lavoro si svolge lontano da qualsiasi senso di competizione, così come invece impone la prassi dell'arte contemporanea.

Pittore romantico e simbolista, nella sua pittura troviamo elementi di misticismo, insieme ad un'attenzione alla materia, agli oggetti, alla poesia che deriva dall'amore e dall'attaccamento al contesto domestico. Fino al 1964 fa varie esperienze da autodidatta; costruisce robot umanoidi con materiali residui della tecnologia; passa successivamente alla scultura vera e propria: grandi uccelli metallici e pesci e uccelli in legno. Dalla metà degli anni '70, Raffaele si dedica solo alla pittura: è un pittura di piccolo formato, densa di racconto.

Giovanni Ragusa è nato a Shangai nel 1941. Pittore transoceanico ha partecipato a diversi viaggi in solitaria e con gli amici Gattuso e Raffaele. Dipinge fuori dal coro delle icone universali, e considera la pittura una questione alchemica mai finita. Il sedimento del primo e del dopo, del quotidiano e dello straordinario, si accumula a strati sui dipinti. Per lui l'atto di dipingere coincide con l'atto di pensare. Si tratta infatti dell'intreccio di tre tempi diversi: di lavoro, con l'atmosfera di ogni singola giornata; di ricordo e, più remoto di tutti, il tempo trascorso dall'evento iniziale - quel tempo vissuto in prima persona ,un viaggio nell'eterno presente. Due elementi in particolare uniscono i tre artisti: uno è la volontà di racconto - volontà particolarmente marcata nei lavori di Gattuso Lo Monte -, l'altro è la scelta di produrre un'arte libera e decisa a non farsi imporre alcun tipo di divieto.

La mostra è accompagnata da un catalogo edito da Fondazione Gruppo Credito Valtellinese con una selezione di testi critici, una rassegna delle principali esposizioni dei tre artisti precedute da un'intervista a Bueno e Ragusa.

17/09/23

[lindsayrps]

alexei kincaid development

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: alexei peter kincaid NICKNAME(S): alex PREFERRED NAME(S): alexei BIRTH DATE: april 25 AGE: 37 GENDER: cis male PRONOUNS: he/him ROMANTIC/SEXUAL ORIENTATION: heterosexual/romantic NATIONALITY: american ETHNICITY: white CURRENT LOCATION: san francisco, ca. LIVING SITUATION: 3b/3ba condo on 12th ave in nob hill/russian hill

BACKGROUND

BIRTH PLACE: los angeles, ca HOMETOWN: los angeles, ca PLACES LIVED: los angeles + san francisco SOCIAL CLASS: upper upper middle EDUCATION LEVEL: business degree FATHER: james kincaid MOTHER: isidora kincaid SIBLING(S): matthew, daphne, ophelia, cassia BIRTH ORDER: oldest son. CHILDREN: none PET(S): none OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES: begrudgingly, the brunch bunch. PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS: oh, several. more than, really. whether he wants to admit it, though, he's been in a weird not really spoken about open relationship with irene devlin for the last ~15 years. ARRESTS: nope PRISON TIME?: nope

OCCUPATION & INCOME

PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME: art gallery owner CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB (OR LACK THEREOF): yes. PAST JOB(S): worked in several art galleries as post-grad SPENDING HABITS: honestly, he's kind of a big spender. he likes the finer things in life and that extends to clothes, accessories, the hobbies he indulges in, spending on his friends/family. MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: his art collection, a silver hamilton jazzmaster performer auto watch

SKILLS & ABILITIES

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: he's a (home) gym person, a weight lifter but he's not training to be a body builder or anything like that. he's gotta be able to haul around his niece. SPEED: decent INTELLIGENCE: a hair above average, if only because man loves knowledge and Learning but not in a show-offy way. ACCURACY: average STAMINA: decent TEAMWORK: he works best with irene and maybe his siblings (and sometimes the brunch bunch when they're not being...well, themselves), otherwise he prefers to go things alone. LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: english, conversational spanish. DRIVE?: yes JUMP START A CAR?: yes CHANGE A FLAT TIRE?: yes RIDE A BICYCLE?: yes SWIM?: yes PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?: no PLAY CHESS?:yes BRAID HAIR?: no TIE A TIE?: yes PICK A LOCK?: no

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

FACE CLAIM: alessandro borghi EYE COLOR: blue HAIR COLOR: brown HAIR TYPE/STYLE: well kept, short, got a bit of a swoop to it. GLASSES/CONTACTS?: yes/yes. contacts almost every day, glasses are for when he's not around anyone except for, like, irene and his family. DOMINANT HAND: right HEIGHT: 6'1 BUILD: athletic EXERCISE HABITS: weightlifting and swimming are pretty much the big forms of exercise. multiple times a week. SKIN TONE: fair TATTOOS: none PIERCINGS: none MARKS/SCARS: a few from a childhood spent with three younger sisters and a younger brother. NOTABLE FEATURES: his eyes, a well kept beard USUAL EXPRESSION: resting bitch face CLOTHING STYLE: fairly snappy dresser, he's not one for "casual" clothes. work constitutes well tailored suits, ties, dress shoes. casual outfits for him include, loafers, cropped/linen/flex trousers, loose fitting button downs, an occasional polo. rarely, if ever, will he wear jeans. JEWELRY: his watch ALLERGIES: none DIET: normal

PSYCHOLOGY

ENNEAGRAM TYPE: the achiever MORAL ALIGNMENT: true neutral TEMPERAMENT: choleric ELEMENT: earth SOCIABILITY: eh. he's not overly sociable, in general, but he Must for the brunch bunch. EMOTIONAL STABILITY: stable af DRUG USE: not really ALCOHOL USE: sure PRONE TO VIOLENCE?: theoretically, no.

MANNERISMS

SPEECH STYLE: even, average paced. ACCENT: nope HOBBIES: anything kind of "high brow". art, theatre, things like that. DRIVES/MOTIVATIONS: 90% of his drive is focused on his desire to be better than everyone else. POSITIVE TRAITS: ambitious, hardworking, unafraid to go after what he wants, straightforward. NEGATIVE TRAITS: he's got a bit of a domineering personality, he doesn't often enjoy being talked back to which, with the brunch bunch, you can imagine.... SENSE OF HUMOR: dry DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?: never in the presence of his niece, but yes.

FAVORITES

ACTIVITY: swimming ANIMAL: lion BEVERAGE: coffee BOOK: god something deeply pretentious. i don't know what, though. CELEBRITY: no. COLOR: blue DESIGNER: YSL FOOD: he enjoys a good steak but also not above being adventurous with food FLOWER: no GEM: no HOLIDAY: they're all hellish but christmas with his family is fine he supposes. MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: car MUSICAL ARTIST: no clear favourites SCENERY: cityscapes SCENT: anything clean and soft scented. SPORT: no SPORTS TEAM: absolutely not. TELEVISION SHOW: succession WEATHER: he's a fall bitch VACATION DESTINATION: what's a vacation

ATTITUDES

GREATEST DREAM: opening up another gallery GREATEST FEAR: anything happening to matthew/fern/his family. MOST AT EASE WHEN: with irene/by himself LEAST AT EASE WHEN: with the brunch bunch bc they're chaotic asf. WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN: see greatest fear, also the gallery having to shut down/being financially unsuccessful. BIGGEST REGRET: eh MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: no TOP PRIORITIES: gallery / friends/family / everything else.

[writer59january13]

Without knowing your gender…,

(nevertheless ex post facto still flattered

genuine heartfelt kinship mattered,

hence the reasonable rhyme across the webbed wide world I subsequently scattered).

Linkedin to the previous poem, (similarly written scant few years ago.

I also codified, glorified, and lamented an unexpected cessation of communication with he/him who affixed yours truly

appellation of wise man, which modesty

of mine gently downplays.

Bhutan names defy affiliating, determining, identifying... gender,

and what a faux pas this dada admits, when a blessed high school student did league gully tender benighted, gifted, ordained yours truly with sobriquet "Guru" alluded to in previous poem, render ring this foolish hearty good fella (me) falling prey to embarrassing situation,

(I did miss render as would be expected from this crash test dummy, who dented his psychological fender), vis virtual mind bender,

when an initial presumption smarted Matthew Scott as offender, asper online youth NO pretender by him, aye mean the sender communicated his admiration,

adoration, adulation for this big spender of sincerity, viz singular poetic magi - (ha)

made presumption that unknown messenger slender,

and female, and

upon enclosing appender

referencing person as "lovely princess"

did respondent clarify finding deface of zee poet here - logic chops went thru blender

as if slapped by a suspender

experiencing irrevocable shame as though a contender attempting to guide false supposition

playfully mistaking sexual

identity of male sender,

he (young kneeler) bowed as winning scoring goaltender down as mine professed

metrical feet, he who acquiesced non Asian minor, friender NOT seeking moneylender, nor mistook my heart of gold,

mine apology I did obligingly surrender

and possibly chuckled to himself, asper an uproarious hellbender

whereat my countenance turned

sixty plus four shades of lavender.

[skylefanfiction]

This was such a great scene between Derek and Spender in the 2005 flashback after they were standing over the body of Thomas Yates’s 2005 flashback which most likely took place in season 1 since nerd Spencer was from season 1. Shemar and Matthew were brilliant in this scene mainly Matthew as we got to see nerd Spencer again. #criminalminds #criminalmindsfandom #criminalmindsscene #criminalmindscbs #derekmorgan #spencerreid https://www.instagram.com/p/CoS7JFHPEKtZgD2mPmvaDY8E29tJq8CdGxjPYk0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefoxhuntingman]

Matthew Spender, A House in St John's Wood

[pangeanews]

“In ciò che creavo potevo essere ciò che ero”. Stephen Spender in Italy. L’epopea del grande poeta e del figlio Matthew sul lago di Garda

Azzurro, così appare il Garda in quella prima estate italiana del 1951: Stephen Spender, la moglie Natasha e i figli Lizzie e Matthew trascorrono l’estate a Torri del Benaco, all’albergo Gardesana in centro al paese – lo stesso frequentato da Gide.

In un libro agile e lieve come la sua conversazione, Within Tuscany, In Toscana, Matthew esordirà ricordando la vita a Torri con gli occhi del ragazzo di allora, un ragazzo che già avverte quella felicità, con i giorni pieni d’azzurro e la luce del Garda, destinata nostalgicamente e comunque a finire, anche come simbolo.

Sua sorella Lizzie è ancora piccola ma lui ha per sé «tutto il mondo all’aperto» e dalla mattina alla sera gironzola per Torri con una banda di ragazzini in cerca di avventure: «Quell’estate non c’era differenza fra quello che mi succedeva, quello che immaginavo e quello che sentivo raccontare». Memorie e affreschi della quotidianità sul lago risentono indirettamente dell’amore di Matthew per la pittura e la scultura, la seconda in effetti sua professione, e leggendo le pagine di Within Tuscany si ha spesso l’impressione di guardare dipinti di scuola Toscana: perché è là che vivono lui e Maro Gorky, sua moglie, figlia di Arshile e anche lei pittrice.

En passant, Bertolucci ha inserito decine delle opere di Matthew Spender nel set di Io ballo da sola, film in parte ispirato alla sua cerchia di amici artisti, inglesi residenti in Toscana. Una tradizione di secoli ormai, questa linea immaginaria che lega l’isola britannica alla dolcezza del paesaggio toscano: da Chaucer agli Shelley e ai Browning, da Byron a Foster e a Lawrence, fino agli americani Ezra Pound e Henry James, tanto per nominarne alcuni. È il Chiantishire, appunto.

*

Ho incontrato Matthew Spender per una giornata dedicata al padre Stephen, qualche anno fa: è entrato nella sala conferenze della Società Letteraria a Verona con passo deciso, la stessa altezza, le lunghe gambe e la stessa zazzera candida che Stephen aveva nella maturità, come scrive Brodskij: «con i capelli bianchi come neve, gli occhi grigio-azzurri scintillanti, il sorriso di scusa che presiede al suo metro e ottanta leggermente ricurvo, sembra (…) l’allegoria di un inverno benevolo in visita alle altre stagioni» (In Memory of Stephen Spender, On Grief and Reason).

L’accompagnava Giuseppe Lorenzini, proprietario dell’albergo “Gardesana”, dove gli Spender soggiornavano. In quell’occasione abbiamo parlato di poesia, della Toscana e di una rivista che ricordavo, con foto della sua casa sulle colline italiane. Credo sia stata l’ultima volta che Matthew Spender è venuto a Verona. All’invito di tornarci, rispondeva con humour in una mail di due anni fa: “È da qualche anno che non mi sono mosso verso il nord d’Italia. Al massimo, arrivo ogni tanto a Milano per vedere dottori o avvocati, due categorie di professionisti che si accumulano man mano che s’invecchia”. Il ritratto degli Spender sul Garda è uscito nel volume Poeti, Sognatori viaggiatori, e Matthew l’ha ricevuto per posta.

*

Sul loro soggiorno a Torri – quell’estate e la seguente – lui parla anche nella biografia del padre A House in St. John’s Wood, In Search of My Parents, commosso ricordo di entrambi i genitori.

Torri evidentemente piaceva a Spender: da giovane l’aveva frequentato varie volte, da solo o con amici, e in quell’estate del 1951 ci porta la famiglia. Il loro arrivo crea da subito un qualche scompiglio perché la madre Natasha, brillante pianista, ha portato con sé il proprio strumento, che sarà faticosamente issato al Gardesana: «Avevano dovuto sradicare la ringhiera della scala a chiocciola per farlo entrare» (Within Tuscany).

Stephen Spender alla “Gardesana”, Torri, con la famiglia e il piccolo Matthew

Ogni giorno, dalle finestre aperte dell’albergo, la musica di Natasha si spande a lungo in riva al lago. Anche Stephen lavora. «Abbiamo per noi l’intera ala di un albergo – scrive Stephen a John Hayward il 12 luglio –, offertaci a poco dall’albergatore perché André Gide occupava queste stesse camere». Torri, ricorda Matthew, «era affascinata dagli stranieri raffinati che ci arrivavano per le vacanze…» (A House…).

Dalla scrivania di Spender (anche oggi nella stessa posizione di allora) si vede il lago: nel porticciolo le barche oscillano a pelo d’acqua, i nomi dipinti a mano sul legno verniciato di bianco e blu, le funi che le fermano agli ormeggi. Oltre il porto, il fuoco azzurro dell’acqua arretra in lontananza fino al cupo centro profondo, e i giorni limpidi la penisola di Sirmione esce dall’orizzonte nella foschia celeste. Le colline accerchiano la sponda lontana: alla famiglia inglese Torri sembra un “piccolo mondo antico” meridionale.

*

A Torri tutto ruota intorno al lago: «Il lago dominava la nostra vita» dirà Matthew. Ci sono gli amici delle gite in bicicletta, le partite di pesca che rendono pesciolini da friggere in padella o esemplari enormi da fotografare, gli scalzi e abbronzati bambini del paese colti in sottofondo dall’obiettivo del fotografo a osservare turisti, passanti e abitanti locali.

Nel 1951 la guerra è finita da anni, ma non il suo lascito: l’Italia frequentata dagli Spender è un paese povero, quasi ottocentesco. «Non era affatto difficile in questo ambiente sprofondare nel diciottesimo secolo», commenta Matthew a proposito di una decorata biblioteca senese. Il che è vero e a maggior ragione per un borgo di pescatori poveri del lago.

Stephen arriva a Torri con dietro di sé molta gloria letteraria. Agli esordi paragonato a Shelley, è tra i poeti emblema della propria epoca, l’interludio tra le due guerre che nei «college di dandy, ricchi e aristocratici» di Oxford – narra in The Temple – ha messo in luce lui e Isherwood, MacNiece e Day Lewis, il “gruppo degli anni Trenta” sotto l’egida di Auden. Evelyn Waugh scolpisce la storia in un mood sarcastico: Auden, Isherwood e Spender per lui sono i tre giovani scrittori «che hanno aggredito e catturato un decennio». Comunque, per loro la poesia è «sacra e segreta vocazione»: così nel celebre World Within World, l’autobiografia di Spender uscita da pochi mesi e già scelta ‘Libro del mese’ dalla Book Society.

*

Matthew ricorda di esser rimasto solo a Torri una settimana, perché i genitori tornano in Inghilterra per i rispettivi impegni. La vita del borgo gli offre però molto da fare, molto da fantasticare: «per un bambino dominato da una passione esclusiva, un momento può riempirsi di quella che appare un’eternità di divorante nostalgia».

Decantando gli anni che separano presente e passato, la scrittura ritrova tracce lontane, bagliori e frammenti di memorie, «stralci di ricordanze» leopardiane: o «frammenti della nostra vita in Italia». Il semplice sottotitolo di Within Tuscany – Reflections on a Time and Place – in italiano si colora in “Considerazioni di un artista inglese sull’arte, gli usi, i costumi e le stranezze degli italiani tra i quali vive”. Splendono il pianoforte di Natasha alzato contro lo sfondo azzurro del Garda, il profumo di una pianta dai rami che oltrepassano un muro al sole, il prato dove le orme di piccoli piedi scompaiono in giochi esaltati. Sottratti al flusso eterogeneo del vivere, restano i momenti d’oro, gli attimi puri nella prospettiva dell’adulto che ricorda: occasioni, atmosfere, un viso o un riflesso sull’acqua di un lago italiano. Scene e visioni: «Un silenzio riempito da cicale. Un giardino quadrato ricoperto da un cubo frusciante di insetti».

*

Matthew chiama quasi sempre suo padre Spender, semplicemente. Per Spender la poesia è dedizione assoluta, «lo scopo più serio della vita», la «maturità dell’anima»: «In ciò che creavo potevo essere ciò che ero» (World…). Dopo l’impegno civile – la speranza di riuscire a salvare la civiltà e il dovere di contrastare le tirannidi di ogni segno – per lui veniva il disincanto espresso con parole tristi e brillanti: «Siamo stati la Generazione Divisa degli Amleti che trovarono un mondo dissestato e non riuscirono a rimetterlo in sesto». Spender s’impegna a raccontare un’epoca che non ha voluto fermare la propria corsa, s’indigna per l’assenza di orrore all’orrore del nazismo, assiste alla parabola della civiltà europea, definitivamente consegnata al “mondo di ieri” con lucidità visionaria: “La guerra aveva strappato il pavimento della sala da ballo da sotto i piedi della classe media inglese. La gente somigliava a ballerini sospesi a mezz’aria che, malgrado ciò, riuscivano miracolosamente a fingere di ballare ancora. Eravamo consapevoli dell’abisso ma non vedevamo nuovi valori che potessero sostituire quelli che ci avevano sorretto nel passato”. (World…)

*

A Torri, il tempo pare invece sospeso. I muri delle case scendono all’acqua, peschi carichi di frutta macchiano di rosa gli orti. Tra i vicoli stretti del paese risuona il tamtam degli zoccoli ai piedi dei ragazzi. Matthew gira con indosso magliette Marx and Spencer, quasi una sorta di uniforme che Natasha ha portato da Londra. Il borgo con il porto e il castello in rovina, ancora lontani dal turismo di massa, offrono pace e lenti ritmi arcaici. I figli dei pescatori raccontano storie locali e «i bambini del paese mi rincorrono gridando ‘Poeta!’ – Stephen riferisce sempre a Hayward –. Suppongo che Catullo abbia loro insegnato a farlo con i poeti in visita».

Gli Spender non sono sempre soli: amici – artisti, scrittori e poeti – vengono a salutarli o si fermano qualche giorno sul Garda, come Day Lewis in viaggio di nozze. Ci sono cene e gite sul lago, ci sono ombre di ulivi tra rovine romane:

La penisola di Sirmione si stende nel lago Come chi parli spingendosi al centro Dell’acqua cerchiata di monti … (Sirmione Peninsula)

Quando gli amici se ne vanno, Natasha torna alla musica, Spender alla letteratura: «Le lettere sono una danza, segni viventi su una pagina patinata: sembrano capaci di vibrare come una ringhiera metallica percorsa dalla punta di un bastone. Sentendo il sangue affluirgli al viso, lo scrittore sa che c’è stato un tormento in cui lui è stato legittimato» (World…). La ringhiera-sequenza di parole precorre casualmente, di poco, quella vera tagliata all’albergo “Gardesana”.

*

Il manoscritto della poesia “In Attica” di Stephen Spender

Sul lago Stephen traduce Rilke e prepara una selezione di poesie. Nella grafia inclinata, ringrazia il proprietario del “Gardesana” «per i tre mesi più felici (per noi) dalla guerra, trascorsi a Torri del Benaco». Il paese sul lago gli ricorda la terra di Omero: «Non ho scritto una poesia su Torri, ma eccone una scritta guardando il lago dalla mia camera e pensando alla Grecia». «Settembre 1951» la data. In Attica (in italiano) il titolo:

Ancora, ancora vedo questa forma sdoppiarsi: La spalla nuda di una cima tracciata Contro il cielo, che declina con delicatezza al Gomito; poi di nuovo la discesa all’incavo Del polso di una mano che riposa Sulla solida spianata.

Ancora, ancora, un braccio teso dalla spalla Che s’appoggia a terra. Come se gli dei dall’alto Busto, il capo e le membra invisibili, Avvolti dal cielo o affondati in terra, Qui lasciassero tuttavia dita tese quali segni Tra cielo e piana; e facessero questo paesaggio Dolce, come steli greche, dove i morenti Mutati sono in pietra da un gesto lieve d’aria, Mentre indugiano nel loro addio infinito.

*

La lirica sarà poi pubblicata in raccolta con delle varianti, ma questa versione è ancora oggi alle pareti di una sala dell’albergo:

IN ATTICA.

Again, again, I see this form repeated: The bare shoulder of a peak outlined Against the sky: declining gently to The elbow; then once more the scooped descent To the wrist of a hand which rests On the solid plain.

Again, again, an arm outstretched from the high shoulder And leaning on the land. As though the torsoed Gods, with heads and lower limbs invisible, Plunged in the sky or buried in the earth, Yet left fingers tended here as signs, Between the sky and plain; and made this landscape Gentle, like Greek steles, where the dying Change to stone on a gesture light as air, Lingering in their infinite departure. Stephen Spender, Sept. 1951 (per gentile concessione di Giuseppe Lorenzini).

*

L’estate gardesana al termine si lascia dietro una mareggiata di sogni e di ricordi. Con «questo strano amore per Torri del Benaco», gli Spender riportano a Londra immagini di memoria quasi corale: un muro assolato e una lucertola ferma, attaccata ai sassi. Campi o orti coltivati a fiori, destinati al mercato in Piazza Erbe a Verona. La collina che sale verso il cielo alle spalle del Garda. Le lucertole che «diventano dragoni» e le caprette bisonti sotto la lente d’ingrandimento della fantasia infantile di Matthew. Un compagno indovina bizzarramente l’ora con precisione assoluta, osservando l’obliquità dei raggi del sole che sembrano «un’estensione dei suoi capelli» (Within Tuscany).

A Torri il crepuscolo raduna pieni e vuoti l’acqua del lago sparisce «nell’ombra della sponda lontana». E in quell’ombra s’annida il cuore dell’elegia – da Virgilio a noi –, desiderio acuto d’illuminare di nuovo brani di passato, portarne un riverbero nel futuro.

*

La decisione paterna di soggiornare sul Garda (padre e figlio ci torneranno insieme nel 1988) contribuirà a far amare l’Italia a Matthew, anzi, a “Matteo”: “mi ha convinto che l’Italia è un paese dove la simmetria fra paesaggio, viuzze, orticelli – persino parafanghi delle biciclette – ha un ritmo intrinseco, che non consiste in una serie di pensierini sconnessi come in Inghilterra. È un paese unito da ritmi quasi impercettibili, anche se il suono che ne emerge somiglia talvolta a quello di un remoto conflitto”.

Matthew e Maro Gorky vivono nel Chianti dal 1968, da allora in love with Italy, le sue leggiadre cadenze e i suoi reconditi dissidi. Entrambi continuano a dedicarsi alle loro rispettive arti: la scultura di Matthew, la pittura di Maro.

Paola Tonussi

*In copertina: Stephen Spender, al centro, tra W.H. Auden (a sinistra) e Christopher Isherwood, nel 1931

L'articolo “In ciò che creavo potevo essere ciò che ero”. Stephen Spender in Italy. L’epopea del grande poeta e del figlio Matthew sul lago di Garda proviene da Pangea.

from pangea.news https://ift.tt/2RPL88k