#Scott Friendship Fate Law
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Scott is literally allies, is friends/friendly with or has been allies with everyone on Wild Life but Grian's team (who are now 2/3 dead)
Even if his whole team wasn't allied with a group he still made an effort to be their friend
So Scott's Friendship Fate law still applies no matter who wins because this time LITERALLY ALL HIS ENMIES ARE DIED
MUMBO IS GONE. SKIZZ IS GONE. MR. MCBETRAY-A-BITCH MARTYN IS GONE. GRIAN IS ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE GIRL-
#mcyt#trafficblr#life series#wild life smp#wild life#scott smajor#smajor1995#scott smajor1995#Scott allies/friends literally have a 100% win ratio#“but what about secret life???” HE WAS FRIENDS WITH SCAR AND EVEN GOT CONFUSED/OFFENED WHEN SCAR MADE FRIENDS WITH PEARL AND DIDN'T TELL HIM#“but what about 3rd life?” he was allies with Grian. Double life he was soulmates with Pearl so he HAD to be her ally even if they hated it#Limited life he was betrayed by Martyn but they were still allies#Cleo won Real Life which he was friends/allies with her in that game#Scott Friendship Fate Law#AND MUMBO KNEW THIS AS TRIED TO GET HIM OUT FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S BENEFITS. MUMBO IS THE ONLY ONE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SCOTT'S TO GOOD IT
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On 14th July 1820 John Gibson Lockhart, the Scottish biographer, was born.
John Gibson was a descendant of many Scottish ministers and he was expected to follow their steps. Unfortunately in January 1803 two of John Gibson’s siblings died (probably from diphtheria) and he also caught the illness, which left him partially deaf.
He was grieving over his brother and sister so much that he had to interrupt his high school studies, to which he never returned because at the age of 11 he went straight to Glasgow University. John Gibson was such an excellent student – he had already learnt seven foreign languages – that he soon received a bursary to study at Oxford. John had many doubts about religion for the majority of his life and decided to study law instead of divinity.
After graduation, Lockhart returned to his parents’ house in Glasgow and started his legal career, but he became more and more attracted to literature. Since his teenage years he would draw and write prose and poetry, and in 1817 Lockhart decided to move to Edinburgh and seek both literary inspiration and a job.
He immediately found new friends in the capital and they joined the new, brave Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, which instantly became extremely popular among the readers and not so much among the ridiculed or attacked authors.
Blackwood payed for Lockhart’s travels to the Netherlands and Germany, where he studied literature, met Goethe, and wrote several interesting texts about his stay and trip. German language and literature interested only a small group of intellectuals at that time and Walter Scott was one of them. The first meeting with Scott was fateful for Lockhart, although he has never been a great fan of Scott’s novels. Scott was suffering from an attack of gallstones and new friendship with Lockhart cheered him up very much. During the period of Scott’s illness Lockhart got on very well with the authors family, protected them from many uninvited guests, and became especially close with Scott’s eldest daughter Sophia, whom he married on the 28th April 1820.
Lockhart’s literary production was very diverse, he wrote a number of more or less mocking articles for the Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine between 1817 and 1825 and at the same time he published all his novels – Peter’s Letters to his Kinsfolk, Valerius , Adam Blair, Reginald Dalton, and Matthew Wald. Lockhart was a very innovative writer, all his novels could be categorized as psychological, but unluckily Adam Blair and Matthew Wald were at that time considered too controversial. He also translated old Spanish ballads and edited a new edition of Don Quixote.
Lockhart was also an editor of the Quarterly Review, one of the most influential literary journals in the world, between 1825 and 1853. John Wilson Croker, an Irish writer and political commentator, and Elizabeth Rigby Lady Eastlake, a writer, art historian, and traveller, were his closest friends and colleagues. Today, Lockhart is well known as the first and best biographer of Scott. Lockhart also wrote two another very influential biographies: Life of Robert Burns and History of Napoleon.
After Sophia’s sudden death in 1837 Lockhart stopped writing and he never married again. He died there on 25 th November 1854 and was buried at Dryburgh Abbey beside the grave of his father in law.
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》》 WIP Themes Tag 《《
I was tagged by the Wonderful @mariahwritesstuff!
Rules: Bold the themes that appear in your WIP (& Italicize those that are loosely covered) then tag 10 people!
Here is the projected theme Rundown of my WIP Indie’s Bar and Thrills:
addiction | beauty | betrayal | change vs. tradition | chaos vs. order | circle of life | coming of age | communication | convention vs. rebellion | corruption | courage | crime and law | dangers of ignorance | darkness and light | death | desire to escape | dreams | displacement | empowerment | facing darkness | facing reality | faith vs. doubt | fall from grace | fame and fortune | family | fate | fear | fear of failure | free will | friendship | fulfillment | good vs. bad | government | greed | guilt and forgiveness | hard work | heroism | hierarchy | honesty | hope | identity crisis | immortality | independence | individual vs. society | inner vs. outer strength | innocence | injustice | isolation | knowledge vs. ignorance | life | loneliness | lost love | love | man vs. nature | manipulation | materialism | motherhood | nature | nature vs. nurture | oppression | optimism | peer pressure | poverty | power | power of words | prejudice | pride | progress | quest | racism | rebirth | relationships | religion | responsibility | revenge | sacrifice | secrets | self-awareness | self-preservation | self-reliance | sexuality | social class structure | survival | technology | temptation and destruction | time | totalitarianism | weakness | vanity | war | wealth | wisdom of experience | youth
I think I have Way too many Immortal characters in this story, so italicizing “immortality” is a Must!
Anyway, I am tagging these 10 Party-goers:
@detectiveashthemfer, @mysticstarlightduck, @celebratedloser, @cpanther, @all-eyes-no-dragon, @rachaellawrites, @ragnarokproofing, @elk-ambrose-scott-writing, @airic-fenn, @themaddrawer
No pressure, though :')
#thanks for the tag!#''Yessir we have a maniac on the loose...#Keeps italicizing everything in sight#like some kind of#Weirdo'' 👀#ibt wip#indie's bar and thrills wip#my wip#WIP Themes Tag#tag game
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observe.
the last bio i wrote for the secret muse page:
Mira Snow (A Song of Ice and Fire ; OC ; Naomi Scott ; Human ; 17 - 19 ; Bisexual, closeted ; Cis, She / Her ; The wheel of fortune spins in double time for this girl, pushing Mira up and down by way of tragedies profound and arbitrary. Her parents love one another among the glories of a tourney, which ends with the first stirrings of war. Her father dies fighting to save his own, and in time her mother does not bear the loss of her brother. Her uncle, still rotten with guilt over a murdered prince and princess, takes another bastard into his halls. It is this title, or the ensuing lack of titles therein, that defines Brandon Stark’s daughter – Yet fate is not content to leave Mira a humble member of her uncle’s court. She is the only attested child of a firstborn son, after all, and ought a man’s daughter inherit before his brother in the eyes of the law? What was once only a whispered threat grows louder, as Eddard’s lineage falls in the wars that spin out of his death. As schemes are made around her and both noose and crown crafted for her by those who seek to damn or save the Starks, Mira seeks alone to survive on her own terms, and to steal back her life from the spinning wheel that has taken more than it ever gave her.)
the bio i am not even done with in server:
Matthias Helvar
His is not a happy story. And if there was any happiness to be had, it was in his absolutely earliest years, surrounded by a family that loved him: Father, Mother, and younger sister that all embraced him in their small Danish community. It all went up in flames quite literally, his village destroyed by a magic-user and Matthias the only one left to tell the tale.
Others would capitalize on that pain. Drawn into what was called brotherhood but felt like knife and acted like cult, Matthias became part of a witch-hunting group young, The real horror of it all was just how effective Matthias was at the hideous work. Yet during a shipwreck at the end of the 19th century, he was forced to work with one of his captives to survive.
To the surprise of all involved, they fell in love. To nobody's surprise, Matthias was put through Hell for this supposed betrayal of what he was rapidly realizing was not the paradise of brotherhood and protection he thought it to be. Spending a year in the darkest prison, it was not his brothers that remembered him: It was a girl with hands that healed and magic in her blood. In the months that followed, Matthias was able to heal, able to be deprogrammed, able to realize what true friendship was among a makeshift band of criminals.
As with all things in Matthias' life, however, joy will inevitably turn to ash. In this case, his death put an end to any hopes for a future with his beloved Nina or to change the culture that had raised him. One of his former comrades killed him in the streets. He was only 18 years old.
He woke up cold and alone, about to be put away in an Amsterdam potters field. And everywhere he looked, Nina was not. Had her love saved him? Had she put her powers to work in service of saving him? Had the God he still loved given him a second chance?
writing bios for my muses on tumblr? i can squirt out maybe three sentences if y'all are lucky. most of them will be esoteric and unclear which i pretend is for the aesthetique but we all know is because im mentally ill af and cannot communicate ideas properly.
writing bios for a new server muse? cannot shut the fuck up, will give a complete rundown of the muse, having to go back and edit the fuck out of it to not stretch the bios channel, what the hell is wrong with me --
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“Uh, pardon me, my friend, but you haven’t seen a zombie named Cleo around, have you?”
Scott had seen many odd things on the life series server, but he had to admit, a random stranger standing at the bottom of his porch stairs was new.
“Who the fuck are you?” Scott stared down at the stranger, whose lime green tank top was almost too bright to look at.
“Oh, right! Howdy y’all, Joe Hills here. I would say I’m recording in Nashville, Tennessee, but that’s not exactly accurate, so…”
“Wait, Joe Hills as in Cleo’s Joe Hills?” Scott
Joe wasn’t paying attention, looking over towards the bridge connecting Scott to Cleo, and suddenly started waving with enthusiasm. Scott turned too and saw Cleo walking over.
“Cleo you have a… person looking for you.” Scott called, casually flipping to his axe.
“Hard to miss him with the shirt- hi Joe! What the hell are you doing here?” Cleo put a hand out towards Scott, who put the axe away, and put her other arm around Joe.
“Well, it’s Wednesday, of course.” Joe said, like that was supposed to explain everything.
Cleo sighed sarcastically. “Of course, how could I forget about Wednesday. Joe, I told you I’d be off of hermitcraft for a few weeks.”
“But you did not clarify that crafty hermits Wednesday was cancelled, thus, I am here.” Joe replied smugly. Scott looked back and forth between them- it was like watching a battle of wits or something.
“Speaking of, Joe, how on earth did you even get here?” Cleo looked around. “This is a private server.”
“I walked.”
“Walked?” Scott’s eyebrows arched so much they looked like they were headed on an extended vacation to his hairline.
“Just don’t think about it too much.” Cleo whispered to Scott, but loud enough so Joe could clearly hear her still.
“I mean, I could go if I’m not wanted… but then these iced coffees I got would just go to waste…” Joe sighed over-dramatically, pulling a small cooler out of his backpack and taking out two iced coffees.
“Well we never said you had to go…” Scott said hastily, coming down the stairs of his porch to take a coffee out of the cooler. “Right Cleo?”
Cleo sighed again (this Joe guy seemed to have that effect on her), and took the other iced coffee Joe handed her. “Fine. But it’s your own damn fault if you get kicked.”
“Fantastic.” Joe smiled, and set down his backpack and began to pull things out of it, like a mug of hot coffee, some planks of wood, and a handsaw. You know, stuff that conceivably didn’t fit in a bag so small. “Scott, you’re welcome to join us for craft time.”
Scott and Cleo lounged on a picnic blanket- Scott with some sewing and Cleo with a bullet journal- while Joe did woodworking, which was very loud and disruptive, but in a half-funny way.
“So, you two are soulmates then?” Joe asked in a moment of stillness, dabbing at his forehead with his tank top.
Cleo and Scott exchanged a look they’d exchanged many times by now.
“Kind of.”
“In the ways that matter.”
“Our soulmates are other people, Pearl and Martyn to be exact, but they’re stupid, so we left them and decided to be each other’s soulmates instead”. Cleo explained.
“Huh.” Joe leaned against a tree, looking down at the two with a proud smile. “Defying the laws that fate insisted you have. I like it. Very modern.”
“We’re better off like this.” Scott said.
“Does it ever make you sad though?” Joe came closer, sitting down on the edge of the picnic blanket. “Your loyalties are almost divided in a way, between your soul and your heart.”
“My loyalty is steadfast.” Cleo put down her journal and wrapped an arm around Scott. “You should know that, Joe, considering I haven’t ripped your limbs off your body after all these years of friendship.”
“And I do appreciate that.” Joe nodded.
“I’m not going to some fool who refused to come find me. I’m too petty. And too pretty to be treated like a common fool.” Scott sighed dramatically.
“But what if it comes down to you two, you four, at the end? What would you do? You can’t kill a soulmate without killing one another.”
“Joe, stop being so depressing. We don’t have to think about that yet.” Cleo snapped, eyes flashing.
“Yeah, plus, with the way Pearl’s going, we’ll probably be out first. I swear, she’s trying her best to get me killed.” Scott muttered.
The three chuckled. The sun was bright and warm, and the friends went back to their arts and crafts, but the air felt a little colder now. A little more hesitant. Scott found it hard to look at Cleo for a little while. Oh those pesky what-if’s. But surely it wouldn’t come down to Cleo and Martyn against Scott and Pearl. Surly not.
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Alan Scott’s various breakdowns are by now relatively common knowledge in fan spaces but lately I’ve been reading a lot about one of my favourite JSA eras, their revival in All-Star Comics (1976), and I realised something that’s often forgotten is the fact that the consequences of what I’ve colloquially referred to as ‘the airport incident’ followed Alan around for very nearly a decade.
After GBC went bankrupt, Alan -- encouraged by the Psycho Pirate -- took his frustration out on the Gotham International Airport and landed himself & the JSA in some major trouble with the law (March 1978). After the loss of his livelihood, he proceeded to live in Jay Garrick’s guest room for almost a year until he was offered a job with Universal Broadcasting (November 1978). It would be another seven years until he’d run a broadcasting station again (December 1985), initially in LA and then once again in Gotham (of course, not without a couple other mishaps and rampages along the way, but that’s another story).
Here, I offer a quick illustrated history of that period.
I gave my best to this city -- fought for its safety in all corners of the globe! And I was rewarded by being driven into bankruptcy while I was saving lives! // You don’t understand, do you? None of you understand! Don’t you see -- they’ll take it all away from you too! Everything you’ve worked for -- cared about -- built! That’s the price they charge for being a hero-- and it just isn’t fair! || All-Star Comics (1976) #68
That solves the world’s problem, Fate, but not mine! Now that you freed me from the Psycho Pirate’s controls, I’m taking my first clear look at myself in a while -- and I don’t like what I see. There isn’t much future for a bankrupt broadcasting magnate... and I’m too old to go back to engineering. || All-Star Comics (1976) #69
With Gotham Broadcasting gone for good, Alan Scott needs a new job-- and I don’t mind presuming on our old friendship to get one! // I’m through forgetting about my life! From now on, Green Lantern is taking a backseat to Alan Scott’s happiness! || All-Star Comics (1976) #70
You know, Jay, I think you saved my life by giving me this job. For the first time in months, I feel like a human being again -- and not just a part of the power ring! || All-Star Comics (1976) #71
There he is... outside his prestigious research laboratory. And the man with him bears an extraordinary resemblance to Green Lantern! || Showcase (1956) #98
It was really great of Jay Garrick to get me that new job at his Keystone City lab... but I miss my old Gotham! I’ve lived here too long-- know it too well... I just had to come back for a visit! // I haven’t really committed myself to finding a place of my own since Jay and Joan have been letting me use this guest room... || Green Lantern (1960) #108
Still haven’t gotten to open this letter from Universal Broadcasting... || Green Lantern (1960) #109
My confidence has been shaken since I lost my position at Gotham Broadcasting. Well, it’s time to put an end to that! I’ve been putting off opening this letter... knowing that it would force me into a decision-- but now... whatever it is... I’m ready to face it! || Green Lantern (1960) #110
Enough suspense, it’s no secret I’ve been pretty low since I lost control of my Gotham City TV station a while back. Well, I’ve asked you all here tonight to celebrate my re-entry into the field of broadcasting! You see, yesterday I completed financial arrangements for the purchase of a new station -- and what’s more, it’s located right here in the City of Angels! || Infinity Inc. (1984) Annual #1
#jsa#justice society of america#justice society#alan scott#green lantern#jay garrick#the flash#kent nelson#doctor fate#karen starr#power girl#henry king sr#brainwave#jennifer lynn hayden#dc jade#dc#dc comics#u#u can reblog#i realise this is pretty likely written for a target audience of me but i thought itd be pretty neat to have it all in one place#and of course im personally obsessed with every part of alans history and its evolution and how easily it can be tracked#and more so i miss when superheroes had real lives and the private self the /real/ self wasnt effectively nonexistent like nowadays#plus of course i could talk about alans 100 breakdowns all day every day
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uhh then the urban fantasy au with psychic detective wilbur ? that one seems interesting! but tbh all of them look interesting!!
urban fantasy au it is!! i don’t actually rlly know which characters count as main characters other than wilbur, so i’ll just kinda go down the list?? also i can’t remember if i gave the warning earlier but phil is a villain in this one so :’‘ sorry dadza fans, unfortunately i have parental issues and he is in my line of fire. anyway i tried to do this without too many spoilers since there’s a chance i might still write it,, so :’
wilbur: a witch with very weak magic and a short life expectancy whose magic focuses on connections. he takes the missing persons case because he wants to do something good with whatever time he has left, only to find out that he’s been wrapped up in this mess since the beginning
techno & tommy: wilbur’s brothers/phil’s adopted sons. techno is a researcher who studies ways to combine science and magic in the hopes of finding a way to save wilbur, while tommy has essentially taken on the role of being wilbur’s caretaker on bad days
niki & fundy: a brother and sister looking for their missing sibling. they hear that wilbur has a talent for finding what’s lost, and come to him asking for help. eventually, the bond between all of them grows and they start to considering wilbur a good friend as well
jack manifold: a closed-off witch with an unusual connection to the afterlife. his death unlocked latent abilities in his bloodline, and seeing his killers get away with it pissed him off enough that he revived himself through sheer force of will
eret: the missing person themself. they’re the kind of person to seek knowledge and disregard the cost to themself, especially if they felt like there was a chance to help an innocent avoid a terrible fate. they also know a lot about curses, especially when it comes to breaking them!
tubbo: no one, apparently, has heard the name before. they know there’s some connection to the case- the last someone heard from eret they were going to meet a ‘tubbo’, but no one can find any other information about this elusive person. is ‘tubbo’ even a person at all...?
phil: an incredibly powerful witch, and the head of the craft family. he has a great deal of influence over the city despite starting out with little other than a disgraced family name not that long ago- he built himself up from nothing, the stories say, in order to have a legacy to leave to his children (the ones he’s not going to outlive, anyway)
foolish: a college friend of eret’s. he taught them the cipher they used to encode their notes before vanishing, but it seems like their close friendship fell apart for unknown reasons. shortly before foolish passed under mysterious circumstances, they were seen arguing- something about choice, and a refusal to apologize from both parties
scott smajor, mumbo jumbo, grian, & jimmy solidarity: jack’s roommates (jimmy sleeps on the couch)! mumbo gets double-banned from the kitchen after an incident where he accidentally irradiates the soup, jimmy is not allowed anywhere near even the thought of interior decorating, scott is forced to act as the unwilling dad friend even though they don't take him seriously because he sneezes snowflakes and freezes things when he gets startled, and the group collectively keeps a list of how many times grian has broken every law ever. also jack keeps accidentally getting their apartment haunted and mumbo shows up once to be a getaway driver and then never again, which, honestly? iconic
puffy, ranboo, punz, & quackity: all part of wilbur’s information network, none of whom have heard of a ‘tubbo.’ puffy is a pillar of the community, ranboo is a teen who somehow has time to volunteer literally everywhere (seriously, how does he physically do it??), punz is a mercenary living his best life, and quackity is quickly rising in prominence in witch society and especially leadership
karl: an absent-minded librarian operating under rules no one else seems to be able to grasp. bring him a question, they say, and no matter how impossible he’ll always be able to find you a book to help. if no one else knows something, people say, karl jacobs is the person to ask- if it’s important enough to you to endure his scrutiny and cryptic warnings that always come to pass
#asks#ask game#technically i mean#themagpieszenith#mutuals#no one actuallly dies dw#except for like. the villain but it's fine it's relatively quick#magic detective au#if u want to ask more abt it you can i'm not that attached to keeping it secret#since idk if i'll actually write it#but i wanted to keep the option open so ppl could decide if they wanted to be spoilered abt story stuff or not
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Conversations
Chapter 2
Description: You accompany your friends on a day trip to Animal Kingdom Theme Park where you meet Scott Evans by chance. This one afternoon leads to a year long friendship with both Chris and Scott over text messages and phone calls.
Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader
Warning: Cursing
A/N: Here is chapter two! Cast members are what Disney calls its employees. Italics are internal thoughts. Tag list is open, please send an ask if you would like to be added. Likes, comments, and reblogs are wonderful.
Chapter 1
When he added you on Twitter, that was strange enough. You could reason it out that he saw your name spread through the tagged post and he did it on a whim. Or maybe he followed a lot of people. But that one was easily debunked after a quick glance at his profile showed he only followed about three hundred people. Maybe he was just friendly in that way. A quick add here and you’d be unfollowed by Thanksgiving. There was no chance he actually liked you as a person. Right?
You hit reply before you could overthink it more than you already had.
Y/N: I’m not always grumpy, I’ll have you know.
Y/N: Are you guys still on vacation or back home?
When he didn’t immediately reply, you decided to put your phone away and actually go to sleep. You’d be bringing Jana coffee in the morning which meant you actually had to get up before noon.
Your alarm sounded at eight which it hadn’t done in at least a year. Since you worked mainly on assignment, you rarely went into the office until well past noon. Some days you didn’t even go in. You were a night owl, so unless there was a morning meeting you slept in. Living alone also brought less interruptions to your schedule. You’d been in your sleepy vacation style home for the last two years. Your father regularly lectured you on the importance of homeowner ship. Paying rent wasn’t doing anything to build equity. Blah. Blah. Blah. He was only looking out for your future, but between lectures about settling down and having a family, the house stuff pushed you over the top. You still weren’t sure where you wanted to end up, so buying wasn’t on the top of your priority list.
Florida really was a mixed bag. Between the retires that lived in Florida during the winter months, the tourists, the general crazies that you heard about on the national and local news each night, and those like yourself that were just trying to live your life, you never officially settled in. The ocean called to you, but the pricey lifestyle and fear of evacuating each year due to a hurricane did not. Being fifteen minutes from both the Disney and Universal parks would also be nice, but the traffic and long lines at Target were not appealing. You were currently living in a cute two-bedroom home fifteen minutes outside the parks bubble where life was a little more affordable and groceries weren’t inflated. It was still technically a vacation rental, but the owner liked the idea of having a long-term leaser. The fact that it had its own pool that you didn’t have to maintain was just an added bonus. Driving into Orlando wasn’t great, but at least you missed the bulk of rush hour by sleeping in.
You texted Jana to let her know you just pulled in to the parking lot. Balancing your laptop bag, oversized purse, and two coffees through a busy office rotunda wasn’t easy. Thank goodness for stylish flats. If you had to navigate in heels every day, you’d probably never get out of bed. God bless Jana. How she handled it, you had no idea.
The security desk knew you by name, but due to protocol, Jana actually had to sign you in. After exchanging a few good mornings, you set both cups on the desk and waited. Most of the time she was already in the lobby when you walked through the double doors. No doubt this was a form of punishment for not telling her about meeting the two boys from Boston. Not that you looked that up or anything. You totally didn’t Google anything that night when you got home. And she calls you the brat. Ten minutes later her smiling face walks out of the elevator and up to the security desk. She signs you in while you stare her down.
“Let’s go pokey,” she says before turning away from you, leaving you to carry your bags and both of your coffees.
You huff but manage anyway, making it to the waiting elevator she holds open with her hand.
“Did you know Phil’s wife just had another baby?” She shakes her head no. “Yeah, it’s their third. These are things I wouldn’t know if you didn’t take your sweet time signing me in. Coffee’s cold by the way,” you add for good measure.
“I already had some, that’s fine,” she said, one eyebrow pointed daring you to complain.
When the elevator stops on the twelfth floor, Jana gracefully exits on three inch heels, swaying her hips in the tight and posh pencil skirt with matching blazer. You get it. It’s a well-established law firm full of sharks all trying to get ahead. She exudes confidence. There are whispers of her making partner in the next year. At least that’s what Brooks has told you. Jana’s mum on the subject, not wanting to jinx or tempt fate or whatever.
You drop her coffee in the trash bin just outside the elevator doors and hurry after.
“Y/N! Nice to see you gracing us with your presence.”
Jana turns around to see Ethan’s predatory stare. You don’t mind it. Ethan’s a sheep in wolf’s clothing and has been coming on to you for the better part of a year. He’s good looking with his sandy brown hair coiffed in the front and bright green eyes. He’s up for partner as well. You know this because he tells you this at least once a week. He’s harmless and always has a kind word for you.
“Well, good morning to you too. Any word on getting partner yet?” you practically whisper. You have to give him something.
“Soon. It’ll happen.” He looks behind you and then meets your eyes again. “Here by yourself? Come to see me?” he asked.
You gesture behind him. “Nope. Just here to see my bestie.” You move past him, but turn your head to him as you do. “Have a good day, Ethan,” you reply.
Jana enters her office and closes the door after you enter. You take a seat in front of her desk as she walks around to sit behind it.
“Are you ever going to throw him a bone? Not that I want to see you with him, but it’s hard to watch sometimes,” she says picking up her phone, fingers moving quickly before setting it back down.
“Am I here to talk about Ethan? I thought I was here to beg for your forgiveness and tell you what happened,” you asked.
“Grovel first. Ethan next week,” Jana says with a smile. She taps her desk in a ‘speak now’ fashion.
Taking a quick sip of your coffee before setting it on her desk, you take a deep breath and lick your lips.
“Okay, so I found a table at Nomad, which was packed by the way. The sever was apparently pulling double duty as Mickey as she just never showed up. You know me, I was impatient and probably drew attention to myself with excessive eyerolls or whatever.”
Jana mouths “no way.”
“Anyway. Scott Evans was sitting at a couch across the aisle from my table. I didn’t know it was him until later. Apparently, I caught his attention, so he bought us both a drink and sat at my table. We chatted for a while, did a shot, no big deal.” You smirk and shrug a shoulder. Jana’s mouth is hanging open. “He somehow drags me to Everest and because they had a cast member with them, we got ushered right to the front of the line where I end up sitting next to Chris. That’s when I knew who I was with. Had no idea before that because I hadn’t talked to Chris at the bar. I thought that was the end of it until you mentioned the photo of me last night. I still hate that ride by the way.”
You down the rest of your coffee because it’s cold, but damnit if you don’t need the caffeine.
“Well, fuck. Who would ever see that coming? It’s a fun story you can tell at parties or I don’t know, to your best friend,” she said.
“Oh, I planned to tell Brooks at work,” you said with a grin.
“Wow. I’m really hurt,” Jana said while clutching her chest.
“You love me.”
“Hmph. Maybe,” Jana added.
You don’t check your Twitter account again until you get home from work. You don’t even want to utter the word Twitter or have it on your screen in case someone sees it and starts asking how you were able to sit next to a celebrity on a ride. You didn’t think anyone would have seen it anyway. No one outwardly admitted to being a die-hard Chris Evans fan at the Sentinel. At least not in the circles you ran in.
Grabbing yourself a beer from the fridge, you made your way onto your lanai. The weather had just started to become reasonable at night with temps dropping into the mid seventies after dark. Still warm, but comfortable.
Opening your Twitter app, you did indeed have a message from Scott.
Scott: I’m pretty sure you’re always sassy.
Scott: Nope, in Boston for the next week. Left the other night.
Y/N: I Hope you all had a good trip.
I mean really, what do you say to someone you just met?
You took the time to go through your follow requests, deleting every one of them as you had no idea who they were. Most likely they were only adding your because they saw that you were tagged in the picture. On the positive, Jana was smart enough to tag your personal account rather than your work account. Your personal account was one you made up in college and did not include your actual name. As hard as it is to keep your anonymity in this day and age, some things you could still keep private.
Your mail notification lit up on the app again so you clicked into.
Scott: Oh my god she’s alive. That was like a full day for you to respond to me.
Oh boy.
Y/N: Sorry. I’m trying to lay low after my Twitter kind of blew up.
Scott: Yeah, sorry about that. Didn’t see that coming.
Y/N: Not like you released the picture. If anyone is to blame, it’s the tequila.
Scott: It’s always the tequila.
Your new formed friendship continued like that. The two of you messaging each other at odd times of the day and taking several hours to respond to one another. Scott was back in LA, putting a three hour time difference between the two of you. It wasn’t uncommon for you to wake up to see you had a message that came in at three in the morning.
It was just before midnight when you noticed you had a message from Scott.
Scott: It’s been a shit day.
It was only sent about twenty minutes earlier, which was pretty much a record for the two of you in seeing the other’s messages.
Y/N: Do you want to call me?
Crap! Why did I type that? He probably doesn’t want me to have his number. Twitter is one thing. A telephone number is too personal.
You wanted to close the app and get ready for bed, but you were worried that you’d miss a message from Scott in case he did want to talk. Not necessarily on the phone, but in direct messages. You did the only thing that made since, you walked around your house with the phone in your hand and direct messages open. This was your life now. Apparently. If it ever got out that you spent thirty minutes with your phone in your hand while brushing your teeth, combing your hair, removing your makeup, changing into pajama shorts and a tee, and prepping the coffee maker for the morning, you’d blame it on lack of sleep and the neighbor’s dog. When you were about to call it quits and crawl into bed, a message came through.
Scott: What’s your number?
So, we’re doing this.
You replied back with your number and waited. Deciding to crawl into bed in case he didn’t actually call you tonight seemed like a wise choice. The air conditioning was blasting as it always was because you needed to sleep cold, so you pulled your warm flower comforter up to your elbows and waited for a call from your acquaintance that was maybe becoming a friend.
To your surprise your phone did ring with an out of state area code. Answering it on the second ring you heard him sigh when you answered with “Hello, this is Grumpy.”
“Really? I’m the grumpy one tonight, we both can’t be,” he whined out.
“Fine. Fine. Hello, this is Sassy,” you said.
“Better,” he muttered.
“You know, I’m just going to enter you as Grumpy in my phone contacts now,” you said.
“I expect nothing less. You’ll just have to wait to see what I’m adding you as.”
“Why? Are you making a return trip to Florida so soon?” you asked.
“Nah. Maybe Miami, but I’m good on Orlando for a while. Just don’t tell my brother that.”
“And here I was going to invite you to my wedding. One less mouth to feed,” you said, him chuckling at your response. “Was even going to let you get the steak.”
“Wait. Are you really getting married?” He sounded surprised which you weren’t sure how to take.
“Do I not seem the marrying type? I know this friendship is new, but dude.”
“No. No. No. Don’t start that. I just meant that you didn’t mention anyone while we chatted. Just that you were there with friends,” he explained.
“Single as a bird. Wait, that’s not right. Free as a bird?” you laughed out.
“Got it,” he chuckled. “When you do get married, I will be attending.”
“Perfect. You’re back on the short list for steak as your entrée. Now, tell my why you’re having a shit day,” you asked.
Two weeks had passed with you and Scott exchanging short text conversations each day. You took to calling him before you went to bed once or twice a week if you had a funny story to tell him. Eleven at night your time seemed to be the right time to catch each other. Besides, it was nice to head to dreamland with a smile on your face because Scott always had a joke.
Jana picked up on your happier mood after a week.
“What’s going on with you? And don’t say it’s nothing,” she demanded.
Picking up your pint of beer, you took a mouthful of the amber liquid before addressing her.
“So, don’t get mad.” She shook her head, resting one palm on her forehead. “Scott and I have been chatting. He’s become a real friend.”
You knew she wouldn’t be upset about you having a new friend, but you were worried she would be because you hadn’t told her right away. First you didn’t mention meeting the Evans brothers, now you were corresponding with one on the regular.
“Just like that? You meet the guy one time and now you’re friends?” she questioned.
“He DM’d me on Twitter when that ride photo came out and we just started chatting. It’s like how you and I text every day. It’s similar except I don’t see him because he doesn’t live here. It’s just nice to have a new friend,” you said shrugging your shoulders.
She laid her slender arms on the table, resting her chin on her down facing palms. “Does this mean you are replacing me?” she says with her bottom lip jutting out.
“Of course not. Did you not catch that he doesn’t live here?” Some days you couldn’t help but be a huge smartass at the expense of your friends.
Her head slumped forward even more as she let of a groan.
“Babe. You know you’re my one and only. I lub you,” you said with your lips puckering out.
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“Cah’mon, that’s it. Can you put the damn phone down for two minutes?” Chris asked.
Scott shushed him, placing his fingers in front of his lips, but eyes still locked on the phone screen in his other hand. “Give me a second,” he said.
Chris sighed and sat further back against the couch cushion in his living room. His wide stretched legs kicked out further in front of him, hitting the coffee table before pulling his feet back a bit. “Fuck. Ouch,” he muttered to himself.
Scott chuckled to himself as he typed out something before setting the phone on the cushion beside him. “Now, what do you need big brother?”
“I don’t need anything. You just seem to be more involved with your phone than the person your visiting,” he spits out, hand wildly gesturing in front of his chest.
Scott puffs out a laugh and shakes his head. He straightens up a bit and turns his phone face down. “Sorry. Truly. How’ve you been?” he asks.
“How’ve I been? Pfft. Really?” Chris asks.
Scott shakes his head in all seriousness.
“I’m fine. Just bored out of my fahckin’ mind, but fine.” Chris says, running a hand through his hair before brushing it back down. “Look, I know I said I wanted a break before starting up another project, but I just thought I’d have more goin’ on. Seems like everyone’s so busy all of a sudden. I can only get drinks with Frankie so many times before I want to check into rehab,” he said.
Scott laughed at his brother’s tantrum. “I get it. Wish I was around more. Maybe go back to Mass. Or go to Disney! M’sure I could get Y/N to meet you at Magic Kingdom,” he said.
Chris tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “Who?” he asked.
“Y/N,” Scott said matter-of-factly. When the confusion didn’t wipe off Chris’ face, he closed his eyes and shook his head. “Y/N! The woman that you sat next to on Everest. The one in the ride photo.”
Realization struck Chris. “Excuse me. I didn’t remember her name,” he said.
“Ouch. I’ll have to remember not to tell her that,” he said picking up his phone to see a new message from you.
“What do you mean?” Chris asked.
Scott set his phone back down, turning his body to face Chris head on. “Huh?”
“You said you wouldn’t tell her that I didn’t remember her name,” Chris said.
Scott shrugged one shoulder, lifting up one hand in the process before plopping it back on his knee. “Yeah?”
“Wait a minute. Are you still talkin’ to her? How?” Chris asked, eyebrows furrowed.
“That picture. She got tagged in it and I happened to see it. Messaged her on there and now we talk. She’s frickin’ hilarious.”
Scott grabbed his phone again, scrolling a bit before flashing the screen to Chris. It was a picture of you with a woman next to you who had one of the overly large lollipops in her hand. Your mouth is wide open and your pretending to bite the large candy right out of her hand while she laughs in the picture.
A small smile curls up on Chris’ face but he shakes it away immediately. “Dude, you don’t know her. Ever think she’s just nice to you because of who you are?”
Scott rolls his eyes. “First off punk, she’s not like that. She’s pretty private. She didn’t know who any of us were until after you said your name on the ride. Secondly, she didn’t even ask for a photo nor did she try to keep hanging out with us after riding Everest.” Chris rolled his eyes this time. “Thirdly, I contacted her, not the other way around. And lastly, she’s a friend now, so just deal with it.”
Scott was right. You hadn’t behaved like most others would have.
“Fine. Whatever,” Chris said. “You can be friends with whoever you like.”
“Thanks, dad,” Scott said lamely. “Anyway, like I said, she’s great. Her Twitter blew up after that picture. She did a good job of locking her account down and ignoring comments. It’s hard to be pictured with the likes of you.” Chris chuckled and shook his head. “Smart that her handle isn’t actually her name. Crappy that her friend tagged her, but at least she didn’t tag her work one. Like I said, she’s a pretty private person, so she didn’t like the attention.”
Chris nodded his head. “Yeah. Glad it wasn’t worse for her. Think I should apologize?”
It was Scott’s turn to be shocked. His head whipping back and forth a couple of times eyeing his brother. “Okaaay. Not your fault, but maybe don’t add her on Twitter. That’ll just draw more attention. If you’re serious, I’ll give you her number,” Scott said.
“You know what? Never mind. Just tell her sorry for me.” Chris slapped his hands down on his jean clad legs before getting up and walking into the kitchen.
“Too late,” Scott called out. “I just texted you her number. Do what you want.”
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The Jonas Brothers’ concert was tomorrow night, so you were doing your best to get stuff done at the paper before heading home. You planned to sleep in extra late and get some errands done before heading to the venue. Your press pass got you into some reserved places at concerts, but it didn’t get you an interview. While you had been writing and covering entertainment for years, you were mostly known for theme park and tourism coverage in Florida. So, yes you could always land an interview with a Disney Parks or Universal Studios park executive, but other doors in entertainment weren’t flying open.
Grabbing your purse and zip file, you shut down your computer and pushed in your chair. Your phone dinged with a text message. It was probably Jana asking you to get her a t-shirt at the concert tomorrow. Fancy attorney or not, your friend loved a concert tee.
Once you arrived home, you put a frozen meal in the microwave and changed into a pair of sweats and a comfy t-shirt. Grabbing your phone out of your bag, you took a seat sat at your kitchen bar top to wait for your meal to be done. Opening your texts, you saw a new one from an unknown number.
Unknown Number: Hey Y/N, this is Chris. Scott gave me your number.
Unknown Number: Evans
Unknow Number: Should have typed that the first time. Just wanted to say I’m sorry that ride photo got out.
You dropped your phone out of your hand. It hit the quartz countertop hard which jolted you out of your daze.
“What?!” you yelled into your empty home.
It was crazy enough when Scott messaged you, but the fact that the two of you had drank together made this whole friendship make a tiny bit of sense. But Chris now? This was just not real. And it made you feel weird. On one hand it was nice that he reached out even though it wasn’t his fault at all. One the other hand, was this it? The one text and then you move on?
The microwave beeped at your harshly indicating your meal was done. Leaving your phone on the countertop, you moved to grab your food, picking up the hot plate with a potholder. You made your way into the living room, setting the potholder and plate on your lap. You picked up the remote for the TV, flipping through the channels and settling on The Golden Girls. Maybe a little Rose and Dorothy banter could settle your mind.
This was silly. You were going to text him back. Of course, you were going to text him back. You weren’t a rude person. This whole exchange didn’t have to mean anything. This would be a one and done conversation and to Chris you would go on being nothing more than Scott’s friend.
After scarfing down your cheese ravioli, you made your way back to the kitchen to clean up. You eyed the phone on the counter where you left it. You quickly scooped it up and plopped yourself back on the couch, opening Chris’ text again before you could change your mind.
Y/N: Thank you for reaching out, but that photo getting released was not your fault at all. I appreciate the gesture though.
You threw your head back against your couch cushion and groaned. Why am I responding like it’s a work e-mail?
You shot Jana a text to get your mind off of the message you just sent Chris.
Y/N: What size Jonas Brothers shirt am I picking up for you?
Your phone buzzed in your hand before you even had the chance to set it down, but it wasn’t Jana responding. Clicking the back arrow, you saw that Chris had responded.
Wait, he responded? Already? And at all?
Chris: I still feel bad that you were dragged into it.
Chris: Hope I’m not interrupting a Friday night out.
You chewed your bottom lip, trying to think of how to respond. Should you tell the truth that your life is pretty lame and you’re watching The Golden Girls? Did Scott talk about you to Chris? Maybe it was best not to lie.
Y/N: Just hanging out with my friends Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose.
Y/N: You’re actually saving me from another long drawn out story about Rose’s hometown of St. Olaf Minnesota.
Chris: I’m surprised your friend Blanche is home on a Friday night.
Y/N: Oh, you know Blanche? Is this going to become awkward?
Chris: 😂😂😂
Chapter 3
Tag list: @mustangshelby04 @bellaireland1981 @carolina-thiell @sullyosully @straightforwardly @torntaltos @denise1605 @mcuclintasha @southerngracela @iam-cj @trynnabemultifandom @chrisevansforever-blog @kelbabyblue @broadwayandnetflix @kyjey @thevelvetseries @i-just-feel-like @daddieslittlefangirl @stankface @denisemarieangelina @im-not-an-armrest-im-short @whymalu @the-doctors-fallen-angel @mariswritingforfun @tessabb7 @hista-girl @tanelle83 @pinknerdpanda @allaboutthebooz @estillion14 @panicfob @patzammit @heartislubbingdubbing @collinsstanharbour @twittytelly @thefandomzoneisdangerous @linki-locks11 @mywinterwolf @ab-baybay @rda1989 @impalaimages @jesseswartzwelder @rainbowkisses31
#chris evans#chris evans x reader#chris evans fan fiction#chris evans fanfiction#chris evans imagine#chris evans au#chris evans x you#chris evans x y/n#conversations
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National Enquirer, October 26
You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks
Cover Story: Death Mysteries -- Whitney Houston autopsy cover-up; Kenny Rogers’ body is missing
Page 2: Reba McEntire’s new romance with Rex Linn convinced Kelly Clarkson she needed to walk away from her unhappy marriage -- while Reba’s love life was heating up Kelly’s relationship with husband Brandon Blackstock who is Reba’s former stepson was hitting the rocks and Kelly remained very close with Reba and Reba would tell her how happy Rex had made her
Page 3: Control freak Tom Cruise is a basket case after he couldn’t charm Cher into leaving their steamy fling out of her upcoming memoir and the image-conscious actor was so panicky over Cher spilling their sexy secrets that he personally called her -- they had a strong physical attraction when they met at a White House event back in the ‘80s and eventually they hooked up and it was very hot and very intense and over in a matter of weeks but it left a nice impression on Cher so she only has good things to say about their relationship but what happened between them could prove very embarrassing if it got out and Tom doesn’t want that to happen -- unfortunately for Tom Cher wouldn’t say anything about what she intends to write and wouldn’t promise to leave Tom out and that’s made Tom even more paranoid and he’s wondering if he’s going to have to take legal action
Page 4: Kanye West is keeping a secret divorce diary to use against wife Kim Kardashian and its potential dishy dirt has her famous family quaking in their boots -- Kanye’s convinced Kim’s about the kick him to the curb and is putting together collateral to crush her and her family is the couple spirals into a $2.2 billion divorce, Jennifer Garner at 48 is flaunting her best body ever and her motivation is to compete with ex-husband Ben Affleck’s 32-year-old girlfriend Ana de Armas because Jen was tired of hearing how Ben’s fallen head over heels for Ana and wanted to remind him what he’s missing -- Jen’s always been very confident of her looks but she decided to step out of mom mode to remind everyone how hot she still is
Page 5: Devastated Lisa Marie Presley has been relying on an old pal Smashing Pumpkins rocker Billy Corgan to repair her shattered life in the wake of the suicide of her son -- Lisa Marie and Billy were spotted together at Graceland not long ago and he’s been a huge source of support for her -- though they were rumored to have had a romance in 2018 Billy’s fully committed to his baby mama fashion designer Chloe Mendel and Lisa Marie would like nothing better for them to make beautiful music again but she knows he’s taken and she needs his friendship more than ever.
Page 6: Ambitious anchor Gayle King is calling the shots at CBS This Morning after executive producer Diana Miller quit in the latest backstage shake-up; there was tension between Gayle and Diana and now Diana is gone -- it’s like the show gave Gayle the keys to the car and even if she runs it into a ditch the network gives her more power -- Gayle also clashed with former co-host Norah O’Donnell who successfully snagged the anchor chair at CBS Evening News but Norah hasn’t wowed in the ratings and it’s a matter of time before Gayle gets the coveted job
Page 7: The mystery over the fate of country great Kenny Rogers’ body has left his own family members in the dark -- sources close to the singer said he’d been cremated while others charged his body is still on ice and Kenny’s body is missing as far as most people are concerned and there’s no place fans can go and pay their respects -- it’s most likely he’s been cremated and the ashes have yet to be scattered but there have also been whispers in certain circles that he could have been cryogenically frozen to preserve his body for a later date, many of Hollywood’s biggest names are abandoning Tinseltown to escape the COVID-19 pandemic and a collapsing entertainment industry -- Julia Roberts hightailing it to San Francisco and Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson getting citizenship in Greece and Pierce Brosnan put his Malibu mansion on the market and Jim Cameron is peddling his prized L.A. compound
Page 8: Frustrated Jon Stewart’s plans to reinvent himself as the next Steven Spielberg have flopped and he’s pretty unhappy about it and he wants to be viewed as a respected serious filmmaker but he’s hit more roadblocks than he ever saw as a comedian or talk show host -- he was left fuming when Irresistible his latest outing as a director was met by mediocre reviews and limited to pay-per-view and streaming services last summer even with box office draw and best buddy Steve Carell in the cast -- he could snap his fingers and get any TV project but he’s setting his sights much higher and he’s walked away from millions of dollars to go back to TV because he wants to prove he is a creative force in the film industry
Page 9: Frustrated Brad Pitt is threatening to have ex Angelina Jolie dragged to jail if she refuses to end her harassment campaign against him and hash out a divorce and custody agreement and he’s had it with Angie’s intimidation tactics and is fed up with being labeled a bad dad and it’s no exaggeration to say Brad’s scared of Angie and he wants professional witnesses around them at all times when he attempts to see their children but for Brad though it would be the ultimate revenge to see Angie led away in handcuffs, Nashville legend Travis Tritt is trying to keep up with country music’s up-and-comers by getting a lift from plastic surgery and recent photos show the 57-year-old almost unrecognizable with a line-free face and skin as tight as a drum -- Travis is getting ready to put out his first album of new music in more than ten years and it’s hard to blame the guy when he’s completing against singers 30 years younger
Page 10: Hot Shots -- Julia Garner got a touch-up on the Staten Island set of Inventing Anna, Reverend Run visited a mural of slain Run-DMC bandmate Jam Master Jay in NYC’s Hollis Queens, Vanessa Paradis and daughter Lily-Rose Depp in Paris
Page 11: Lovestruck Chrissy Metz is already talking marriage and babies with newly unveiled beau Bradley Collins but she has a history of falling for guys fast which has previously been a recipe for heartbreak and while nobody’s doubting Bradley’s intentions there’s a lot of confusion about why they kept their romance totally hidden until now, the devastating fire that tore through Rachael Ray’s home has made her reassess her life and she and husband John Cusimano are now considering adopting a baby -- losing so many of their possessions in the fire made them realize they weren’t all that important anyway so they bulldozed the house and are rebuilding and the word is they’ll add a nursery
Page 12: Straight Shuter -- Danny Trejo cuddled a rescue pup (picture), Lizzo is the first plus-sized Black woman to ever grace the cover of Vogue but pulling off the shoot was a challenge with most designers unable to find clothes that fit her, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel are very private and they’re livid with Lance Bass after he confirmed that they had another baby, when he was NBC’s biggest star Matt Lauer conducted almost every high-profile interview and now editors and doing a lot of cropping and zooming to preserve archived footage while removing Matt
Page 14: Crime
Page 15: Rock guitar god Eddie Van Halen who tragically died after a brave battle with cancer wanted to be buried with one of his Frankenstrat guitars that he created to define his signature sound -- Eddie felt like he owed his whole life to that instrument and he loved that thing as much as his family, Perez Hilton dished he kissed notorious skirt-chaser John Mayer in a New York nightclub and the lip-lock happened right in front of John’s then girlfriend Jessica Simpson who didn’t seem to know whether she was incredibly embarrassed or really turned on
Page 16: Cover Story -- explosive new autopsy evidence proves superstar Whitney Houston didn’t have to die -- eight years after she passed mysteries about her final moments and blatant blunders at the death scene point to murder and a shocking coverup and now investigators are demanding a new probe into the 2012 tragedy in a Los Angeles hotel bathroom and for Whitney’s body to be exhumed -- a private eye believes the autopsy proves Whitney was murdered but the case was never pursued because she was dismissed as a druggie and she was marginalized by law enforcement as a dead drug user
Page 18: American Life
Page 19: Horror movie legend John Saxon’s family started battling over his fortune even before he passed on July 25 -- in legal papers filed in May his son Antonio claimed the actor’s third wife Gloria Martel had been pocketing money against John’s wishes, Netflix faces criminal charges in Texas over the controversial film Cuties -- according to court documents a Tyler County grand jury indicted Netflix claiming it knowingly promoted visual material that depicts the lewd exhibition of the private parts of a clothed or partially clothed child younger than 18 -- Netflix said in a statement that Cuties is a social commentary about the sexualization of young children and this charge is without merit
Page 20: Suzanne Somers recently cheated death when she and husband Alan Hamel fell down a flight of stairs at their Palm Springs home and although Alan wasn’t seriously injured the terrifying spill left Suzanne in agony with two displaced vertebrae and forced her to undergo delicate neck surgery but she said the surgery went off without a hitch and promised she is on the mend, Hollywood Hookups -- Sofia Richie has unfollowed Scott Disick on Instagram, Zac Efron hopes to marry Vanessa Valladares, Sharon Stone and Mindy Kaling are both on the market
Page 21: Twelve years after she was placed under conservatorship Britney Spears remains unable to sign her own name on official documents -- Britney recently made moves asking to allow a different financial group to step in and help run her life as well as gain more freedom but lawyer Andrew Wallet said Britney to this day does not have the capacity to sign documents and make decisions for herself and she is susceptible to undue influences, the audience for the Saturday Night Live season premiere came away with more than just a few yuks they also received $150 because to get around New York State pandemic guidelines SNL gave each guest a parting gift of $150 paychecks as if they were employees, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may soon have a new neighbor in heavy metal maniac Tommy Lee -- the drummer was recently spotted checking out a $2.3 million three-acre plot next to the rogue royals’ $14 million home in Montecito and he was obviously pumped about living there but building the tattooed rocker’s home would mean tons of truck traffic and hopefully Harry and Meghan don’t get upset with the building work he’s planning
Page 22: ABC is reeling from a barrage of allegations from employees and on-air talent who’ve blasted it as a toxic and racist working environment -- the network which is owned by the family-friendly Walt Disney Corporation was rocked when Sunny Hostin the popular co-host of The View accused company executives of institutional and personal racism in her memoir and in later interviews about the book
Page 26: Lonely country singer Kenny Chesney is looking to find a new ladylove and is talking about finally settling down for good -- he is unhappily single after his eight-year relationship with model Mary Nolan hit the rocks -- he spends all the time he’s not on the road at his island paradise in Antigua but he misses having a partner and he’s even asked pals Matthew McConaughey and Richard Branson to play matchmaker
Page 28: America is preparing for World War III as China amps up war games in the South Pacific and readies plans to invade U.S. allies -- military insiders warn China and Russia and their tyrannical accomplices in Iran and North Korea and Syria and Turkey are bracing to launch a coordinated attack against America and the west that could end in nuclear disaster
Page 36: Health Watch
Page 38: Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood has traded in his debauched days of sex drugs and rock ‘n’ roll for knitting, Rod Stewart revealed there’s a deep freeze between him and former close pal Elton John and that Elton refused his attempts to that things out -- the two ‘70s icons had been friends for decades before Rod blasted Elton’s biopic and his most recent music tour -- when Rod realized he was in the doghouse he tried to bait Elton with a bone for his kids by inviting Elton’s boys Zachary and Elijah to come play soccer with his sons Alistair and Aiden only to be greeted with the sounds of silence
Page 42: Red Carpet -- The Christian Siriano collection
Page 45: Spot the Differences -- Sophie Okonedo in Ratched
Page 47: Odd List
#tabloid#grain of salt#tabloid toc#tabloidtoc#whitney houston#kenny rogers#world war iii#reba mcentire#rex linn#kelly clarkson#cher#tom cruise#kanye west#kim kardashian#jennifer garner#lisa marie presley#billy corgan#gayle king#jon stewart#angelina jolie#brad pitt#travis tritt#chrissy metz#rachael ray#eddie van halen#john mayer#jessica simpson#john saxon#cuties#britney spears
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2018 YA Reads by Authors of Color
#PrettyBoy Must Die by Kimberly Reid - A CIA prodigy's cover is blown when he accidentally becomes an internet sensation, inspired by the #Alexfromtarget story.
500 Words or Less by Juleah del Rosario - To redefine her reputation senior year, Nic Chen begins writing their college admissions essays. But the more essays Nic writes for other people, the less sure she becomes of herself, and whether her moral compass even points north anymore.
After the Shot Drops by Randy Ribar - A powerful novel about friendship, basketball, and one teen's mission to create a better life for his family in the tradition of Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers.
A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena - When half-Hindu, half-Parsi school troublemaker Zarin Wadia dies in a car crash with a boy named Porus, no one in her South Asian community in Jeddah is surprised—what else would you expect from a girl like that?
A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi - After their home in Syria is bombed, Tareq and family seek refuge, first with extended family in Raqqa, a stronghold for the militant group, Daesh, and then abroad.
A Reaper At the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir - Within the Empire, the threat of war looms, putting Laia, Helene, and Elias at risk.
A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh & Elsie Chapman - 15 bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.
All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor - Four privileged Long Island teens befriend their favorite YA author with disastrous results.
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages edited by Saundra Mitchell - A historical-fiction anthology shines the spotlight on queer teens, from as far back as the 1300s to the 21st century.
All That I Can Fix by Crystal Chan - Ronney kept believing his dad would snap out of it and shape up—until his hope turned into anger.
All the Stars Denied by Guadalupe Garcia McCall - In this companion novel to SHAME THE STARS, McCall covers the hidden history of the United States and its first mass deportation event that swept up hundreds of thousands of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression.
Along the Indigo by Elsie Chapman - Love, mystery, and tragedy unfold for Marsden and Jude in a small town with a haunted past.
American Panda by Gloria Chao - An incisive, laugh-out-loud contemporary debut about a Taiwanese-American teen, Mei whose parents want her to be a doctor and marry a Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer despite her squeamishness with germs and crush on a Japanese classmate.
American Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott - After Teodoro’s older brother, Manny, left for Iraq, the Avilas begin to fall apart. But in a desperate effort to save Manny from himself and pull their family back together, T's fiery sister Xochitl hoodwinks her brothers into a road trip with many stops along the road to visit loved ones from their past.
Americanized: Rebel Without a Greencard by Sara Saedi - Saedi recounts her teen years growing up and coming of age in 1990s California while fearing deportation for herself and her undocumented family.
Analee in Real Life by Janelle Milanes - A genuinely fresh spin on Pygmalion in high school, starring Cuban-American Analee Echevarria.
Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro - Rooted in the working-class neighborhoods of Oakland, California, this is a tale of black teenager Moss Jeffries, diverse in sexuality and gender, organizing to challenge state-sanctioned violence.
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan - Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird .Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. There, she is determined to find her mother, the bird. In her search, she winds up chasing after ghosts, uncovering family secrets, and forging a new relationship with her grandparents.
The Beauty that Remains by Ashley Woodfolk - Music brought Autumn, Shay, and Logan together. But when tragedy strikes each of them, somehow music is no longer enough. Now Logan can’t stop watching vlogs of his dead ex-boyfriend. Shay is a music blogger struggling to keep it together. And Autumn sends messages that she knows can never be answered. Despite the odds, one band's music will reunite them and prove that after grief, beauty thrives in the people left behind.
The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton - In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty. Camellia Beauregard wants to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But she soon finds that behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets. When the Queen of Orléans asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia faces an impossible decision.
Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria - In the city of Eldra, people are ruled by ancient prophecies. For centuries, the high council has stayed in power by virtue of the prophecies of the elder seers. In the present day, Cassa, the orphaned daughter of rebels, is determined to fight back against the high council. But by the time Cassa and her friends uncover the mystery of the final infallible prophecy, it may be too late to save the city — or themselves.
Between the Lines by Nikki Grimes - A new group of students join Mr. Ward’s poetry class in the companion novel to Bronx Masquerade
A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney - The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she's trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland. But when Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before.
Blanca & Roja by Anne-Marie McLemore - The del Cisne girls, Blanca & Roja, have never just been sisters; they’re also rivals. Because of a generations-old spell, their family is bound to a bevy of swans deep in the woods. But when two local boys become drawn into the game, the swans’ spell intertwines with the strange and unpredictable magic lacing the woods, and all four of their fates depend on facing truths that could either save or destroy them.
Blood of a Thousand Stars (Empress of a Thousand Skies #2) by Rhoda Belleza - Separated, unaware of the others, Rhee, Aly, and Kara try to wrest control of the galaxy from an evil celebrity.
The Boyfriend Bracket by Kate Evangelista - Stella has had a hopeless crush on Will, her older brother's best friend FOREVER, but now that Cam and Will have graduated and are going off to college, this year is her chance to really strike out on her own. With the help of her best friend Franklin, she comes up with the perfect plan to have a boyfriend by Christmas: The Boyfriend Bracket. Or it seems like the perfect plan...right up until Will starts showing up again.
Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia - Cuban-American Peyton Rios is a rising soccer star to discovers her boyfriend’s dark secret, and confronts him—and finds herself falling down a flight of stairs. Peyton’s knee—and maybe her dream of going pro—is shattered. With her future on the line, Peyton goes to stay with her uncle in a small Tennessee town to focus on her recovery. Dating is the last thing on her mind—until she meets sweet, sexy Owen Law.
Bruja Born (Brooklyn Brujas #2) by Zoraida Cordova - Teenage bruja Lula Mortiz tries to save her boyfriend, Maks, by cheating Death; however, Lady de la Muerte is not so easily bested.
Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani - The unnamed young Nigerian narrator of this novel, with a loving family and academic aspirations, is kidnapped by Boko Haram along with many other girls and women from her village.
Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina - Nothing's been the same for Beth Teller since she died. Her dad, a detective, is the only one who can see and hear her - and he's drowning in grief. But now they have a mystery to solve together. Who is Isobel Catching, and what's her connection to the fire that killed a man?
Chainbreaker (Timekeeper #2) by Tara Sim - In 1876, someone is destroying the clock towers that control India’s time. Teenage mechanics Danny Hart and half-white, half-Indian Daphne Richards as they travel to Agra to investigate a series of clock tower bombings.
Check Please! Book 1: Hockey by Nogzi Ukazu - A collection of the first half of the megapopular webcomic series of the same name, Check, Please!: #Hockey is the first book of a hilarious coming-of-age story about hockey, bros, and trying to find yourself during the best four years of your life.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi - 17-year-old Zélie and companions journey to a mythic island seeking a chance to bring back magic to the land of Orïsha, in a fantasy world infused with the textures of West Africa.
Crown of Thunder (Beasts Made of Night #2) by Tochi Onyebuchi - Taj has escaped Kos, but Queen Karima will go to any means necessary—including using the most deadly magic—to track him down.
Damselfly by Chandra Prasad- In the wake of crash-landing on a deserted tropical island, Samantha Mishra and her other private school classmates must rely on their wits and one another to survive.
Dear Heartbreak edited by Heather Denetrios - This is a book about the dark side of love: the way it kicks your ass, tears out your heart, and then forces you to eat it, bite by bloody bite. If you’ve felt this way, you’re not alone.
The Devil’s Thief (The Last Magician #2) by Lisa Maxwell - Esta and Harte set off on a cross-country chase through time to steal back the elemental stones they need to save the future of magic.
The Demon Race by Alexandria Warwick - When 17-year-old Namali learns of her arranged marriage, she flees home and enters the Demon Race for the chance to change her fate. But to compete, she must cross the Saraj on a daeva, a shadow demon that desires its own reward: to infect her soul with darkness. In this race of men and demons, only one can win. But the price of winning might be more than Namali is willing to pay.
Djinn by Sang Kromah - Bijou Fitzroy is strange. With the unwanted gift of being an empath, she has spent her entire life as a sheltered recluse. When Bijou and her grandmother move to Sykesville and she starts to attend the local high school, Bijou’s world begins to crumble. Town locals begin to disappear and the creatures from her nightmares begin to take shape in her reality. She finds herself at the center of a war she never knew was being fought all around her.
The Disturbed Girls’ Dictionary by NoNieqa Ramos - Officially classified as “disturbed,” Puerto Rican Macy vents her rage, frustrations, and fears in a dictionary-style journal.
Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi While his parents travel to Iran to visit his ailing grandfather, 16-year-old Iranian-American Scott Ferdowsi quits his boring summer lab internship in Philadelphia and secretly travels to D.C., seeking answers about his (in)ability to succeed.
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland - The Civil War is over, but mostly because the dead rose at Gettysburg—and then started rising everywhere else. Fighting the undead is a breeze for Jane McKenne, an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. But the fight for freedom? That’s a different story.
Dream Country by Shannon Gibney - The heartbreaking story of five generations of young people from a single African-and-American family pursuing an elusive dream of freedom.
Driving by Starlight by Anat Deracine - Two teenage girls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, rebel against a patriarchal culture while struggling to navigate their complex family lives.
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi - A secret relationship conducted almost exclusively via text buoys Korean-American college freshman Penny Lee, slouching awkwardly toward adulthood and a 21-year-old cafe manager who is trying to clean up the mess his life has become.
Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean - Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace’s enchanted seasonal rooms. Marry the prince. Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro, and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku.
The Fall of Innocence by Jenny Torres Sanchez - When she was 8 years old, half-Mexican, half-El Salvadoran Emilia DeJesus was brutally assaulted. But when a startling discovery about her attacker's identity comes to light, and the memories of that day break through the mental box in which she'd shut them away, Emilia is forced to confront her new reality and make sense of shifting truths about her past, her family, and herself.
Final Draft by Riley Redgate - 18-year-old high school senior Laila Piedra is determined to write the best sci-fi story ever. Dr. Nazarenko has led Laila to believe that she must choose between perfection and sanity—but rejecting her all-powerful mentor may be the only way for Laila to thrive.
The Final Six by Alexandra Monir - Italian-American Leo Danieli and Iranian-American Naomi Ardalan must become astronauts in record time for an inaugural space mission.
Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert - Yvonne's longtime plans to play violin professionally seem to be falling apart as she nears graduation. Feeling unmoored, she begins seeing a street performer while also pondering her longtime relationship with her father's sous chef. Ultimately her unexpected pregnancy forces some hard talks and hard choices.
Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst - In Sky Hawkins's family, leading your first heist is a major milestone. Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family's wealth and rank in their community.
For A Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig - 16-year-old shadow puppeteer Jetta Chantray performs with her family’s traveling troupe, the Ros Nai. Her skill and fame are her family’s way to earn a spot aboard the royal ship to Aquitan, where rumor has it the Mad King has a spring that cures his ills. But as rebellion seethes and as Jetta meets a young smuggler, she will face truths and decisions that she never imagined—and safety will never seem so far away.
Fresh Ink edited by Lamar Giles - 13 leading YA voices from diverse backgrounds lend their talents to this anthology of 12 fictional short stories.
From Twinkie, With Love by Sandhya Menon - Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan - Thrust into the beauty and horror of the Hidden Palace, will Paper Girl Lei survive?
Girls on the Line by Jennie Liu - A teen pregnancy puts two orphan girls in contemporary China on a collision course with factory bosses, family planning regulators, and a bride trafficker.
Give Me Some Truth by Eric Gansworth - In the 1980s, Carson Mastick’s Native American coming-of-age story grapples with the day-to-day details of teenagers’ lives on and off the reservation.
The Healer by Donna Freitas - Marlena Oliveira has—mysteriously, miraculously—been given the power to heal all kinds of ailments. But her power comes at a price: she can’t go to school, she can’t have friends her own age, and she certainly can’t date.Then she meets Finn, a boy who makes her want to fall in love. For the first time, she begins to doubt whether her gift is worth all that she must give up to keep it.
The Heartforger (Bone Witch #2) by Rin Chupeco - With a thirst for vengeance, a band of terrifying daeva at her command, and her resurrected lover Kalen by her side, dark asha Tea is ready to face her adversaries.
Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith - A thoughtful story of Native American Louise Wolfe navigating the complicated, confusing waters of high school — and first love.
Hide With Me by Sorboni Banerjee - A powerful story about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the headiness of first love, and the courage to fight for a brighter future against all odds.
Home and Away by Candice Montgomery - Tasia Quirk is young, Black, and fabulous. But when she catches her mamma trying to stuff a mysterious box in the closet, her identity is suddenly called into question. Now Tasia’s determined to unravel the lies that have overtaken her life.
Hope is Our Only Wing by Rutendo Tavengerwei - In Zimbabwe, 15-year-old Shamiso, struggles with grief and bewilderment following her father's death. For Tanyaradzwa, whose life has been turned upside down by a cancer diagnosis, hope is the only reason to keep fighting. As the two of them form an unlikely friendship, Shamiso begins to confront her terrible fear of loss.
I Am Thunder by Muhammad Khan 15-year-old Muzna Saleem, who dreams of being a writer, struggles with controlling parents who only care about her studying to be a doctor. Forced to move to a new school in South London, Muzna realizes that the bullies will follow her wherever she goes. As her new freedom starts to disappear, Muzna is forced to question everything around her and make a terrible choice - keep quiet and betray herself, or speak out and betray her heart?
Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan - Criminal mastermind and unrivaled pilot, Ia Cocha has spent her life terrorizing the Olympus Commonwealth, the imperialist nation that destroyed her home. When she’s captured, Ia is trapped at the Commonwealth’s military academy, desperately plotting her escape. But new acquaintances—including Brinn and their charming Flight Master, Knives—cause Ia to question her own alliances. Can she find a way to escape the Commonwealth’s clutches before these bonds deepen?
Imagine Us Happy by Jennifer Yu - Stella lives with depression. But when she meets Kevin, she feels less lonely, listened to—and hopeful for the first time since ever…But to keep that feeling, Stella lets her grades go and her friendships slide. With her life spinning out of control, she’s got to figure out what she truly needs, what’s worth saving—and what to let go.
Inferno (Talon #5) by Julie Kagawa - Ember Hill has learned a shocking truth about herself: she is the blood of the Elder Wyrm, the ancient dragon who leads Talon and who is on the verge of world domination. With the stakes rising and the Elder Wyrm declaring war, time is running out for the rogues and any dragon not allied with Talon. The final battle approaches. And if Talon is victorious, the world will burn.
Into the Black (Beyond the Red #2) by Ava Jae - The revelation of Eros’ parentage leads to political intrigues and a change in his relationship with Kora.
Isan by Mary Ting - After meteors devastate the Earth, 17-year-old Ava struggles to survive and ends up in juvenile detention, until she is selected for a new life—with a catch. She must be injected with an experimental serum. To receive the serum Ava agrees to join a program controlled by ISAN, the International Sensory Assassin Network.While on a mission, she is abducted by a rebel group led by Rhett and told that not only does she have a history with him, but her entire past is a lie perpetuated by ISAN to ensure her compliance. Unsure of who to trust, Ava must decide if her strangely familiar and handsome captor is her enemy or her savior—and time is running out.
Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier - Mysterious maps from opposite ends of the sea cast doubt on the whereabouts of two princes, presumed dead.
Jazz Owls by Margarita Engle - Against the backdrop of World War II, a patriotic Mexican-American family proudly contributes to the war effort despite pervasive racism.
Jinxed by Amy McCulloch - Lacey Chu has big dreams of becoming a companioneer for MONCHA, the largest tech firm in North America and the company behind the "baku" - a customisable smart pet that functions as a phone but makes the perfect companion too. One night, Lacey comes across the remains of an advanced, but broken baku. Days of work later when the baku opens its eyes, Lacey calls him Jinx. Slowly but surely, Jinx becomes more than just a baku to Lacey. But what is Jinx, really? He seems to be more than just a robotic pet. He seems...real.
Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix (Rise of the Empress #2) by Julie C. Dao - Princess Jade has grown up in exile, hidden away in a monastery while her stepmother, the ruthless Xifeng, rules as empress of Feng Lu. Ready to reclaim her place as rightful heir, Jade embarks on a quest to raise the Dragon Lords and defeat Xifeng and the Serpent God once and for all.
Learning to Breathe by Janice Lynn Mather - Sent away to live with relatives in Nassau, Bahamas, to escape her mother’s wild lifestyle, Indira’s new home is anything but a sanctuary.
Legacy of Light (The Effgies #3) by Sarah Raughley - After Saul’s strike on Oslo—one seemingly led by Maia herself—the Effigies’ reputation is in shambles. Belle has gone rogue, Chae Rin and Lake have disappeared, and the Sect is being dismantled and replaced by a terrifying new world order helmed by Blackwell. If the Effigies can’t put the pieces together soon, there may not be much left of the world they’ve fought so desperately to save.
Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann - Alice has her blissful summer take an unexpected turn when she meets Takumi and can’t stop thinking about him. As they get closer, Alice, who is asexual, has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood.
Live in Infamy by Caroline Tung Richmond - In an alternate world in which the Axis Powers won WWII, 16-year-old Chinese-American Ren Cabot grapples with the cost of revolution.
Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed - High school senior Maya Aziz works up the courage to tell her parents that she’s gotten into the film school of her dreams in New York City, but their expectations combined with anti-Muslim backlash from a terror attack threaten to derail her dream.
Love & War (Alex & Eliza #2) by Melissa de la Cruz - As the war for American Independence carries on, two newlyweds are settling into their new adventure: marriage. But the honeymoon's over, and Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler are learning firsthand just how tricky wedded life can be, tested by lingering jealousies and family drama.
Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Justina Chen - Biracial Viola Li has her future as a globe-trotting journalist all planned out, but everything comes into question when her body suddenly betrays her, after she develops an extreme case of photosensitivity, an inexplicable allergy to sunlight.
The Lost Kids (Never Ever #2) by Sara Saedi - Just a few weeks ago, Wylie Dalton was living on a magical island where nobody ages past 17. Now, her home is a creaky old boat where she's joined a ragtag group of cast-offs from the island. But when the Lost Kids invade Minor Island, they're shocked to find it totally deserted, except for one survivor who reveals the shocking news: adults have discovered the island.
Mariam Sharma Hits the Road by Sheba Karim - Three Pakistani-American teens, Mariam, Ghazala, and Umar, go on a cathartic summer road trip through the Deep South.
Meet-Cute edited by Jennifer L. Armetrout - Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere, an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of "how they first met" from some of today’s most popular YA authors.
Mem by Bethany C. Morrow - In alternate reality Montreal (1925), a young woman’s personality is the result of a startling experimental procedure, leaving her to struggle with the question of who she really is.
Mirage by Somaiya Daud - In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, 18-year-old Amani is a dreamer. But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and become the body double of the cruel Princess Maram. As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection.
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson - Washington, D.C., eighth-graders Claudia Coleman and her best (and only) friend, Monday Charles, were inseparable, often mistaken for twins—until the day Monday disappeared.
Monk! by Youssef Daoudi - This vividly illustrated biography of jazz legend Thelonious Monk brings to life his relationship with the headstrong baroness who would become a life long friend and patron.
Monsters (The Reckoner #2) by David A. Robertson - Cole Harper is struggling to settle into life in Wounded Sky First Nation. He may have stopped a serial killer but the trouble is far from over. A creature lurks in the shadows of Blackwood Forest, the health clinic is on lockdown by a mysterious organization, and long-held secrets threaten to bubble to the surface. Can Cole learn the truth about his father's death?
My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma - A fresh, madcap rom-com in which a Princeton, New Jersey, high school senior, aspiring film school student, and Bollywood junkie Vaneeta “Winnie” Mehta navigates the dramas of real life.
Not the Girls You’re Looking For by Aminah Mae Safi - Iraqi-American Leila “Lulu” Saad is about to graduate from high school with her three best friends by her side, but things get messy and senior year becomes a little more complicated than expected.
Odd One Out by Nic Stone - Courtney Cooper is in love with his longtime female best friend, Jupiter Charity-Sanchez, who is an out-and-proud lesbian. But the arrival of a new friend, Rae Evelyn Chin, who is questioning her sexuality, complicates their relationship and inspires new questions and possibilities between the trio.
Out of Left Field by Kris Hui Lee - Marnie’s love of baseball—and the stalwart friends with whom she plays the game with such passion—has been the centerpiece of her life; but now she’s 17 and things are changing after she replaces Cody, the school’s star pitcher. With her own team against her, Marnie begins questioning her abilities. And when fate throws her a curveball, can she play without losing the game, Cody, and her belief in herself?
The Outcast (Summoner #4) by Taran Matharu - Arcturus is just an orphaned stable boy when he discovers he has the ability to summon demons from another world and sent to Vocans Academy. As the first commoner gifted with this ability, his discovery challenges the nobility and the powers that be and Arcturus soon makes enemies. With no one but his demon Sacharissa by his side, Arcturus must prove himself as a worthy Summoner...
Period: 12 Voices Tell the Bloody Truth edited by Kate Farrell - In this collection, writers of various ages and across racial, cultural, and gender identities share stories about the period. Each of twelve authors brings an individual perspective and sensibility. Told with warmth and humor, these essays celebrate all kinds of period experiences.
Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert - Chinese-American Danny Cheng has always known his parents have secrets. But when he discovers a taped-up box in his father's closet filled with old letters and a file on a powerful Silicon Valley family, he realizes there's much more to his family's past than he ever imagined.
Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda - Set against a future of marauding space scavengers and deadly aliens who kill with sound, Tuck and Laura must survive abroad the USS John Muir.
The Place Between Breaths by An Na - Walking away from those we love most may seem like the kindest thing we can do, but it’s a choice that will forever haunt those we leave behind: this holds true for 16-year-old Grace.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevdeo - In Harlem, NY, Dominican-American Xiomara Batista who dubs herself The Poet X, clashes with her strict, Catholic mother and runs up against her own self-doubt as she explores her doubts about religion, her fears of dating, and her budding talent for slam poetry.
Pride by Ibi Zoboi - 17-year-old Haitian-Domitian-American Zuri Benitez deals with gentrification in her Brooklyn Bushwick neighborhood and her own bias against Darius Darcy and his rich family in this Pride and Prejudice remix.
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang - Prince Sebastian has a secret: at night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia. Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend?
Reflection: A Twisted Fable by Elizabeth Lim - What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld? When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. Will Mulan be able to save Shang before it's too late? Will he ever be able to trust her again? Or will she lose him--and be lost in the Underworld--forever?
The Resolutions by Mia Garcia - From hiking trips, to four-person birthday parties, to never-ending group texts, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora have always been inseparable—and unstoppable. But now, with senior year on the horizon, they’ve been splintering off and growing apart. And so, Jess makes a plan and adds a new twist: instead of making their own resolutions, the four friends assign them for each other—dares like kiss someone you know is wrong for you, show your paintings, learn Spanish, say yes to everything.
Restore Me (Shatter Me #4) by Tahereh Mafi - Juliette Ferrars thought she'd won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she's still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch. When tragedy hits, who will she become?
Run, Riot by Nikesh Shukla - When teenagers Hari and Jamal film an unarmed youth from their estate being beaten by police, they find themselves hunted. But as they go on the run with Hari's twin sister, Taran, and Jamal's girlfriend, Anna, the four friends discover that the truth behind the shooting goes deeper.
Running with Lions by Julian Winters - A multiethnic group of Midwestern teenage boys contend with soccer and sexual identity.
The Season of Rebels and Roses by Virginia Sanchez-Korrol - Ranging from Puerto Rico to Cuba and the United States, this engaging novel set in the late 1880s, follows historical figures that were instrumental in the fight for self-determination in Puerto Rico.
Secrets of the Casa Rosada by Alex Temblador - 16-year-old Mexican-American Martha has to adjust to a new life with her maternal grandmother, a respected curanderaor healer in Laredo, Texas, after her reliably unreliable mother dumps her at the pink house filled with tokens of her mom's childhood that might, maybe, explain why she abandoned Martha, leaving her with a family she never knew existed.
The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil - A quirky high school romance unfolds in the alternating voices of math whiz Sophia and aspiring magician Joshua. In life and love, timing is everything.
Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa - Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune shapeshifting powers. Yumeko escapes with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has...and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll.
Shadowsong (Wintersong #2) by S. Jae-Jones - Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. But when troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King—who he was, who he is, and who he will be.
Smoke in the Sun (A Flame in the Mist #2) by Renee Ahdieh - After Okami is captured in the Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice—to rescue him, she tricks her brother, Kenshin, and betrothed, Raiden, into thinking she was being held by the Black Clan against her will. But each secret Mariko unfurls gives way to the next, ensnaring her and Okami in a political scheme that threatens their honor, their love and very the safety of the empire.
Snow in Love: Four Stories by Aimee Friedman, Melissa de la Cruz, Nic Stone & Kasie West - Curl up in front of a crackling fire. Grab a mug of hot cocoa. And delve into this deliciously cozy and compelling YA collection of wintry love stories.
Someone to Love by Melissa de la Cruz - High school junior Olivia Blakely struggles with disordered eating and a life in the spotlight as her father’s political career starts to rise.
Sorry Not Sorry by Jamie Reed - Janelle and Alyssa used to be BFFs -- but not anymore. But, suddenly, Alyssa's diabetes becomes the talk of the school. It's turned life-threatening; without a kidney transplant, her chances are not good. Despite reservations, Janelle gets tested and finds that she's a rare, perfect match with Alyssa for a transplant. But organ donations aren't very common in her community, and she starts to feel pushback. When feuds and accusations push the girls further apart, Janelle doesn't know what to do. Will the match bring the girls back together, or drive them apart for good?
A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna - In a universe of capricious gods, dark moons, and kingdoms built on the backs of spaceships, a cursed queen sends her infant daughter away, a jealous uncle steals the throne of Kali from his nephew, and an exiled prince vows to take his crown back. Raised alone and far away from her home on Kali, Esmae longs to return to her family. When the King of Wychstar offers to gift the unbeatable, sentient warship Titania to a warrior that can win his competition, she sees her way home: she’ll enter the competition, reveal her true identity to the world, and help her famous brother win back the crown of Kali.
Star-Touched Stories by Roshani Choski - Three lush and adventurous stories in the Star-Touched world.
Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn - Princess Vela is tasked with choosing a boy fit to die for the king, which is impossible enough. But then Carr, the boy she's loved all her life, emerges as the best candidate in the Bittersweet Trials. Refusing to accept losing the boy she loves, Vela bends the rules and cheats. But when someone begins to sabotage the Trials, Vela must reevaluate her own integrity—and learn the true sacrifice of becoming a ruler.
The Storyteller (Sea of Ink and Gold #3) by Traci Chee - Sefia is determined to keep Archer out of the Guard's clutches and their plans for war between the Five Kingdoms. As Sefia and Archer watch Kelanna start to crumble to the Guard's will, they will have to choose between their love and joining a war that just might tear them apart.
This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender - Nathan Bird doesn’t believe in happy endings. But his friend Florence, is set on making sure Nate finds someone else. And in a rom-com-worthy twist, someone does come along: Oliver James Hernández, his childhood best friend. After a painful mix-up when they were little, Nate finally has the chance to tell Ollie the truth about his feelings. But can Nate find the courage to pursue his own happily ever after?
Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman - Music helps a Washington state teenager Rumi Seto overcome guilt and grief after the death of her beloved younger sister, Lea.
This is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow - It used to be the three of them, Dia, Jules, and Hanna, messing around and making music and planning for the future. But like the lyrics of a song you used to play on repeat, there’s no forgetting a best friend. And for Dia, Jules, and Hanna, this impossible challenge — to ignore the past, in order to jumpstart the future — will only become possible if they finally make peace with the girls they once were, and the girls they are finally letting themselves be.
Thunderhead (Scythe #2) by Neal Shusterman - Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds.
Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis - At 16-years-old, African-American Tiffany Sly suddenly lands on a different planet: Simi Valley, California to live with the biological dad she’s never known. But Tiffany has a secret. Another man claims he’s Tiffany’s real dad—and she only has seven days before he shows up to demand a paternity test and the truth comes out.
Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft edited by Jessica Spotwood & Tess Sharpe - A short story collection that illustrates the multitudes of girlhood, womanhood, and magic.
Toxic by Lydia Kang - Hana, a secretly created teen girl, abandoned aboard the sentient biological spaceship Cyclo, which is dying, encounters a mercenary boy doomed, Fennec "Fenn" Actias, to perish on the ship for his last job.
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse - After the Big Water, Maggie Hoskie’s monster-slaying clan powers have woken up. She’s going to need them on a journey culminating in the kind of battle fantasy readers will relish.
Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns #3) by Kendare Blake - A victorious Katharine sits on the throne, Mirabella and Arsinoe are in hiding, and an unexpected renegade is about to wage a war of her own. The crown has been won, but these queens are far from done.
Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles - When Marvin's twin brother, Tyler, is found dead by police violence, Marvin falls deep into grief. But with the help of friends and family he finds the strength to confront what happened and fight the forces that took his brother's life.
Umbertouched (Rosemarked #2) by Livia Blackburne - As Shidadi and Dara alike prepare for war, Zivah and Dineas grapple with the toll of their time in the capital. Time is running out for all of them, but especially Zivah whose plague symptoms surface once again. Now, she must decide how she’ll define the life she has left.
Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson - When Fairmount Academy is rocked by three apparent suicides in the span of a week, it is up to Mexican-American Wiccan Mila Flores to conjure up the truth.
Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp - A YA Anthology of short stories featuring disabled teens, written by #OwnVoices disabled authors.
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi - It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a 16-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped. But then she meets Ocean James. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. It terrifies her—they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds—and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to let it down.
The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo - Korean-American Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. But maybe Rose isn't so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet Wong crushing on her is pretty cute. Still, what if taking this summer seriously means that Clara has to leave her old self behind?
Welcome Home edited by Eric Smith - A collection of adoption-themed fictional short stories, and brings them together in one anthology from a diverse range of celebrated YA authors.
What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera - Ben and Arthur meet cute but lose touch, then have a series of near misses and first date re-dos before finally settling into a relationship. But Arthur's impending departure for the summer and both guys' own insecurities threaten to end something new that's only just begun.
Wildcard (Warcross #2) by Marie Lu - Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Determined to put a stop to Hideo's grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, but her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down Hideo?
Wrong in All the Right Ways by Tiffany Brownlee - Everything in Emma's life has always gone according to her very careful plans. But things take a turn toward the unexpected when she falls in love for the first time with the one person in the world who’s off-limits–her new foster brother, the gorgeous and tormented Dylan McAndrews.
#authors of color#book recommendations#yalit#women of color authors#woc authors#poc authors#diverse ya#awww yisss#it's that time of the year again!#a bit later than I planned#but better late that never I suppose lol#feel free to drop me an ask for additional recs!
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Four for the price of one
“The Last Black Man in San Francisco” (on disc/streaming Aug. 13, 2019; rated R; directed by Joe Talbot; run time 2 hours) is a cinematic love letter to San Francisco, one full of postcard-worthy imagery and tender moments but also one that questions what the City by the Bay has become. The story follows friends Jimmie Fails (as a version of himself) and Jonathan Majors (as Mont). They are adult black males, underemployed but clinging to big dreams. Mont is a sweet, odd man who is an artist and wants to be a playwright. Jimmie is pensive and sensitive. And he is homeless, sleeping on the floor next to Mont’s bed in the home of Mont’s grandfather (Danny Glover). Jimmie and Mont often wheel around town on Jimmie’s skateboard. Jimmie has a fascination for an old Victorian home in the Filmore part of the city, a neighborhood once predominantly black but one now that has been revamped through gentrification. Without the owners’ permission, Jimmie starts fixing up the house. When it becomes vacant, he and Mont move in and plan to get the property through squatting. Their plan is foiled, though, by an aggressive real-estate agent who wants to sell the $4 million home – a price Jimmie can’t possibly afford. While “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” is a story about gentrification (the black population in the city has fallen from about 15 percent in the 1970s to 5 percent today, and a one-bedroom apartment can cost more than $4,000 a month in previously blighted areas of the city), but it makes its social commentary subtly and uniquely (but offers no answers), and through the friendship between Jimmie and Mort. A sort of Greek chorus of young men who hang out on the street ruthlessly insult each other and Jimmie and Mort, and they and others sometimes let the two know they aren’t as “black” or “masculine” as young black men are traditionally expected to be. Fails and Majors are excellent even when they aren’t saying much with words. First-time feature director Joe Talbot (a childhood friend of Fails) fills the movie with warm but decidedly urban imagery. The entire movie seems to have been filmed just before dusk on a warm autumn day. “The Last Man in San Francisco” was released to talk of being a Best Picture contender. And it is worthy of the academy’s consideration. Rating: 95 out of 100.
“Ready or Not” (in theaters Aug. 21, 2019; rated R; directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett; run time 1 hour, 35 minutes) is a horror story (and a gruesome one at that) that also is a thinly disguised condemnation of old wealth. It stars Samara Weaving as Grace, a young woman who is about to marry into money. That money belongs to the Le Domas family, who inherited their riches from a relative who made his fortune through board games – and apparently made a deal with the devil in the process. After she marries black sheep Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien), the family informs Grace she must participate in a Le Domas wedding night tradition. Grace and her new in-laws will play a game randomly chosen from a stack of cards. When Grace draws a hide-and-seek card, she laughs it off. But soon she realizes the game is deadly. Grace must stay hidden from her armed pursuers in the darkly lit family mansion (candles everywhere despite the film being set in the present day) until dawn the next day. If she survives, terrible things will happen to the Le Domas family. “Ready or Not” is brutal in its violence but also aspires to be a dark comedy, and in the end it does both better than average, but not a lot better than average. It seems to work best as an action/suspense film when the family is chasing Grace. The black comedy has its moments, but the laughs are sporadic and the dialogue annoying (and full of F-bombs). Also grating are some of the characters, particularly Alex’s Aunt Helene (Nicky Guardagni), who glares at Grace throughout and looks ridiculous in swept-back hair and too much eyeliner (there are many smoky eyes throughout). Weaving is the film’s strong suit, but she delivers a ridiculous one-word last line, one that simultaneously goes for a cheap laugh and groans. “Ready or Not” is bloodier and more contemporary but mines much of the same territory as last year’s “The Favourite.” Both want us to know that the wealthy are weird at best and dangerous at worst. Rating: 74 out of 100.
“Overcomer” (in theaters Aug. 23, 2019; rated PG; directed by Alex Kendrick; run time 1 hour, 55 minutes) is a movie with a message, one it doesn’t reveal (though a few hints are apparent) until about a third of the way through. And then it hammers home that message time and time again. “Overcomer” is a faith-based film directed by Alex Kendrick and co-written by him and his brother, Stephen Kendrick, who have made a series of Christian dramas that are produced inexpensively but do moderately well at the box office. Alex Kendrick also stars as John Harrison, a basketball coach at a Christian high school. The city where it is located is experiencing hard times. When the largest employer shuts down, Harrison’s best players start moving away and the school starts cutting jobs. The principal (Priscilla Shirer) assigns Harrison the school’s cross-country team. But just one runner, Hannah Scott (Aryn Wright-Thompson), a sophomore move-in with asthma and a penchant for small-time theft, tries out. Harrison is trying to come to grips with his situation when he, by chance, meets a hospitalized middle-aged man (Cameron Arnett) who just happens to be a former cross-country runner and expert on the sport. When Harrison seeks his help, he gets more than he bargained for. At this point in the story, “Overcomer” shifts from a potential teen sports drama to an all-out story of faith. Much of the dialogue in the second two-thirds is praying or talking about praying (and much crying), and Hannah finds the Lord with the help of her principal. The climactic scene takes place at the state cross-country finals. And since we only get to know one of the many runners, and since she is the only one who we are certain has found Christ, guess who wins the state championship? “Overcomer” is predictable and full of many plot conveniences, and the acting, to put it kindly, is not major motion picture caliber. But it is a nice enough film. And if you are in the choir it preaches to, the message will mean much more than the way it is delivered. Rating: 35 out 100.
“Suspiria” (2018; rated R; directed by Luca Guadagnino; run time 2 hours, 32 minutes) is a film that is not for everyone. And when I say not for everyone, I mean it’s a film not for many people at all. But if you are into artsy, pretentious (to say the least), macabre stories about witchcraft and the ritualistic mutilation of human bodies set against a backdrop of a 1970s German dance troupe, this is the movie you’ve been waiting for. “Suspiria” is a reboot (not really a remake) of director Dario Argento’s 1977 horror classic of the same name. In this version, Susan (Dakota Johnson) is a young American dancer who comes to Berlin in the 1970s to study at a prestigious dance academy, Markos Tanzgruppen. Something is amiss from the get-go, as Susan is replacing a dancer who left the academy under mysterious circumstances. A power struggle is taking place among the academy’s leadership, but for now it is being run by Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton). She becomes enamored with Susan, whose talent is immediately apparent. But Madame Blanc has more in mind for Susan than her becoming the academy’s star dancer. In the meantime, an elderly, grieving psychotherapist, Dr. Josef Klemperer (played by “Lutz Ebersdorf”), is treating the displaced dancer, Patricia Hingle (Chloe Grace Moretz), who is convinced the academy is being run by a cloven of witches. Soon, other dancers are meeting Patricia’s fate. What lies ahead for Susan? “Suspiria” might be the darkest movie you see, literally. The lighting budget could not have been more than a few dollars; some of the scenes are so dark as to make it difficult or impossible to tell what is going on. The Berlin setting is bleak; apparently it was never not raining in 1970s Berlin. Swinton is fantastic, of course, playing three roles, including a man. But much of “Suspiria” will be lost (or worse) on your average movie-goer. The audio alone is disturbing, with the crystal-clear sounds of breaking bones, much heavy breathing and grunting, and a wonderfully and fittingly strange-but-beautiful score by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. And there will be blood. And guts. And lots of them. If you can stomach it, and if you don’t mind a film that seems to jump the rails but keep plowing ahead (sometimes into unintentionally funny territory) about the two-hour mark, “Supspiria” can be rewarding and mesmerizing. Everyone else should take a pass, though. Rating: 78 out of 100.
#movies#movie reviews#movie recommendation#the last black man in san francisco#ready or not#overcomer#suspiria#Horror#faith-based films#gentrification
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On November 25th 1853 John Gibson Lockhart, biographer and critic, editor Blackwood's magazine, died.
John Gibson was a descendant of many Scottish ministers and he was expected to follow their steps. Unfortunately in January 1803 two of John Gibson’s siblings died (probably from diphtheria) and he also caught the illness, which left him partially deaf.
He was grieving over his brother and sister so much that he had to interrupt his high school studies, to which he never returned because at the age of 11 he went straight to Glasgow University. John Gibson was such an excellent student – he had already learnt seven foreign languages – that he soon received a bursary to study at Oxford. John had many doubts about religion for the majority of his life and decided to study law instead of divinity.
After graduation, Lockhart returned to his parents’ house in Glasgow and started his legal career, but he became more and more attracted to literature. Since his teenage years he would draw and write prose and poetry, and in 1817 Lockhart decided to move to Edinburgh and seek both literary inspiration and a job.
He immediately found new friends in the capital and they joined the new, brave Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, which instantly became extremely popular among the readers and not so much among the ridiculed or attacked authors.
Blackwood payed for Lockhart’s travels to the Netherlands and Germany, where he studied literature, met Goethe, and wrote several interesting texts about his stay and trip. German language and literature interested only a small group of intellectuals at that time and Walter Scott was one of them. The first meeting with Scott was fateful for Lockhart, although he has never been a great fan of Scott’s novels. Scott was suffering from an attack of gallstones and new friendship with Lockhart cheered him up very much. During the period of Scott’s illness Lockhart got on very well with the authors family, protected them from many uninvited guests, and became especially close with Scott’s eldest daughter Sophia, whom he married on the 28th April 1820.
Lockhart’s literary production was very diverse, he wrote a number of more or less mocking articles for the Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine between 1817 and 1825 and at the same time he published all his novels – Peter’s Letters to his Kinsfolk, Valerius , Adam Blair, Reginald Dalton, and Matthew Wald. Lockhart was a very innovative writer, all his novels could be categorized as psychological, but unluckily Adam Blair and Matthew Wald were at that time considered too controversial. He also translated old Spanish ballads and edited a new edition of Don Quijote.
Lockhart was also an editor of the Quarterly Review, one of the most influential literary journals in the world, between 1825 and 1853. John Wilson Croker, an Irish writer and political commentator, and Elizabeth Rigby Lady Eastlake, a writer, art historian, and traveller, were his closest friends and colleagues. Today, Lockhart is well known as the first and best biographer of Scott. Lockhart also wrote two another very influential biographies: Life of Robert Burns and History of Napoleon.
After Sophia’s sudden death in 1837 Lockhart stopped writing and he never married again. He died there on 25 th November 1854 and was buried at Dryburgh Abbey beside the grave of his father in law.
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PAST ➜
Mieczyslaw “Stiles” Stilinski was born as the only child to high school sweetheartsCLAUDIA and NOAH STILINSKI. Throughout the majority of his childhood, Stiles led a very uneventful and happy family life. He was diagnosed at a young age with ADHD, but after finding him the right medication, it was something that him and his family dealt with very well - it wasn’t a hindrance to his upbringing. Stiles’ father was a respected police officer, a deputy when he was young, and his mother was a school teacher - and they were very proud of their son. When in kindergarten, Stiles meet a boy named SCOTT MCCALL on the playground – Scott had asthma and couldn’t keep up with the other kids. Stiles’ ADHD left him hyperactive and without a filter, most of the other children avoided him for the fact that he seemed to never stop moving. Scott and Stiles were almost instantly inseparable and became a constant presence at each others’ houses. Also from an early age, Stiles almost completely idolized a beautiful red-head namedLYDIA MARTIN. most boys did so as well, but for her beauty. While Stiles agreed that she was beautiful, he was more drawn to her brains than anything. Early tragedy struck when Stiles was eight. His mother was diagnosed with Frontal Temporal Dementia – and it had no cure. Young Stiles watched his beloved mother slowly turn into someone he didn’t know before watching her pass. Despite his, once she was gone, him and his father tried to live as normal of a life as possible; depending on each other more so. Everything changed in his sophomore year when PETER HALE attacked his best friend in the woods and turned him into a werewolf. Everything about Beacon Hills from that point on was completely different, spiraling more so into a world that they didn’t understand. But, Stiles was loyal to a tee to Scott – and he never abandoned him. Even if Stiles was more morally gray than Scott was – Scott kept him grounded. After the events of the NOGISTUNE, Stiles was left mentally scarred – but he was able to partially move on and kept it tightly away in the back of his mind. The events throughout his high school career shaped who he has become – through the Alpha Pack and the Dread Doctors. Through his first kill of DONOVAN and the temporary damage that was done to his and Scott’s friendship. Stiles has always powered through. Even after beingforgotten from the memory of everyone that he loved. After graduation, Stiles went east with LYDIA MARTIN for college.
NOW ➜
Stiles felt almost on top of the world once he graduated high school – everything seemed to … calm. When in college, he was excelling in ways that he did not think possible. And, as months drug on, nothing happened – nothing supernatural, that is. Four months after graduation, and one month into college, Deaton requested that Stiles come and see him over the weekend when he was free. So, during a visit to Beacon Hills, he went to see him as requested. The good doctor requested that he sit down before informing him that he was officially retiring. Not as the acting veterinarian, but instead as an emissary. He no longer felt it was right to continue as a sit in for Scott when his powers were truly bonded to the Hale pack; one that no longer held an alpha. When Stiles asked why he was telling him all this, Deaton smiled that enigmatic that Stiles had grown to have such a love-hate relationship with. The druid gave him a handful of books, and told him to come and train with him every three weeks on the weekends so that he could spark his magic and learn exactly what he could do. And, despite the smarts that Stiles prided himself in, he could only gawk at the vet long enough to gasp out “me?” Stiles was, however, a quick learner. At first, he had issues tapping into his power and kept asking Deaton if they were really there – if he really was what he thought he was. But, eventually, like a surge of energy, Stiles’ abilities blossomed; and he took his place as Scott’s emissary. Almost a full year after he graduated high school – and after his first two semesters of college – Scott called him in a panic and told him to turn on the news. Once he did, a sense of dread washed over the man and he felt sick to his stomach – chewing harshly on his bottom lip and fighting off an ill churn in his gut. What was this going to mean? The supernatural had been exposed to the world, and none of them were safe. On the fateful day that the law was enacted, there was all out chaos at the high school – an ironic, common gathering place despite none of them attending it any longer. It wasn’t even their police department – who the entirety of mysteriously sat it out – but SWAT teams from larger cities trying to gun down the population of supernaturals that were uprising out of fear and anger. While Scott did not participate in the riots on the day that everything changed – Stiles did, out of request from Deaton. Deaton and Satomi needed help; the riot would be staged to fake their deaths so they could go underground, and they needed another magical touch. So, Stiles helped. It was that day that the bigger picture of the chaos was realized – Alan Deaton and Satomi Iho both took themselves underground in a well hidden city and, with the help of Chris Argent, they birthed the rebellion. Stiles was among those who choose to register instead of going underground – keeping an ear at the sheriff station and interning there while finishing up his education. Staying topside to help protect his father and watch out for his pack who remained with him above ground. Stiles is one of the few who has had contact with THE PARIAH.
➜ STILES STILINSKI IS OPEN!
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Sterek Reversebang Fic Teasers pt5
“Do you keep returning to a particular time, or place, or—”
“Person?” Stiles finished. All three of them were looking at him with expressions so knowing that he dropped his face into the cradle of his arms just so he didn’t have to see them. One’s an incident, two is coincidence, three’s a pattern. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been thinking it too. “God, fuck you, just say it.”
“It’s Derek, isn’t it?” Scott said, and his voice was terribly gentle.
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by: AlphaKnotYourEmissary
Being the comedic sidekick isn’t without perks. Stiles brushes Lydia’s hair, her head resting in his lap. On the TV in front of them, Ryan Gosling professes his love to Rachel McAdams. Not many people got to say they could do this: sit and watch movies with the Lydia Martin, all the while stroking her beautiful strawberry blond locks.
Lydia’s phone chimes. Stiles can feel her smile against his leg.
Not many people know soulmates are actually a thing either. Thy name be Jydia. Or Lackson. Or Lydison. Whatever. Stiles is totally over it and her anyways.
Point being, Stiles is firmly the sidekick in his story. Which is total balls because you are supposed to be the protagonist in your story. But it’s cool; it’s fine. At least Stiles now has near undeniable proof that he is in fact hilarious. It’s the law of all movie tropes.
-*-*-
by: TheNeverendingStoryIsTooApt
At the end of training, when Scott and Isaac and Erica were chasing each other around with tshirts wet from the stale cooler water, Derek found Stiles again.
"The bite," he said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow and cautiously accepting the bottle of water Stiles thrust at him.
"What about it?" Stiles asked, his mind already formulating the best google search terms to find answers to Derek's next question.
"Do you want it?"
-*-*-
“You’re going to have too ask him for help.”
“I’m not asking him for help, Lydia,” Stiles sneered, trying valiantly to not look as she cleaned out the gash running across his forearm. “We’re mortal enemies. I refuse.”
Lydia sighed and pressed the cotton ball unnecessarily hard where a bullet had grazed him. “You’re not enemies, Stiles. You’re the only one who thinks that.”
-*-*-
Stiles is enjoying his buzz and the amiable silence between them, punctuated sporadically by the rhythmic rapping of the Uber drivers thumbs on the steering wheel. He lazily watches Derek play words with friends on his phone, eyes flashing a pretty blue when the glow of the screen catches them the right way. His presence beside Stiles is a solid, disconcerting weight, and although their thighs aren't touching, the short distance between them is almost tangible. Stiles sneakily leans closer, trying to decipher if Derek’s heady smell is cologne or deodorant. It is mystery he has wanted to solve, never sure if it’s the intoxicating smell that makes him feel dizzy around Derek in recent years, or the booze.
It isn’t that Stiles doesn’t know. Of course he knows, has known since that fateful day in the woods when he was sixteen. He’s not an idiot, no matter how much Derek joking tells him he is. It just took him awhile to sort out what his strong attraction to Derek meant in the tangled-up mess of fear and danger and holy shit werewolves exist that was his youth. Back then he didn’t have the luxury of time and maturity that he has now.
So it isn’t that Stiles is in denial; it’s just that he’s exceptionally good at compartmentalizing and keeping a level head in a crisis. Almost immediately after he realized how deep his attraction for Derek ran, and what it meant for his own sexuality, he’d boxed it up as neatly as he could and packed it away, because his best friend in the whole world was suffering, and that came first. Bros before… bros? Well, maybe Stiles doesn’t have every little piece figured out but close enough.
Helping Scott navigate the day to day life and death of the supernatural world was more important than what gender Stiles found attractive. After Scott became a true alpha, and Derek moved back to Beacon Hills for good, Stiles didn’t want to disrupt the pack with his sexual identity crisis. Lydia and Stiles has finally gotten together, and Stiles is nothing if not loyal, so he locked his attraction to Derek inside his head and heart. After he and Lydia called it quits, his antagonistic relationship with Derek had somehow slid sideways into a fledgling friendship, and he wasn't willing to risk it on uncertain feelings he’d never allowed himself to explore in depth.
Besides, putting a name to it might make it real, and if it’s real and acknowledged, Stiles is in for spectacular disappointment. He refuses to do that to himself. And now, after nearly a decade, he’s grown used to living in denial.
-*-*-
by: Compactable Human
The metal polymer at the back of his neck was barely solidified, still settling and itching at his skin, when they brought Stiles to the palace. He knelt alone in the back of the transport van, cuffs holding his arms to the metal floor on either side of his chained ankles, and tried not to think about what would happen when they got there.
-*-*-
by: autrement
"Fuck you," says Stiles, as clearly and calmly as he can muster, "my alpha."
Derek stills. His face is completely blank for a minute as he stares at Stiles, then he suddenly shuts his eyes, sways closer, and away. "It's your decision to be here at all,'' he says finally, quieter, and lets Stiles go, then turns away at once and leaves.
Stiles stares after him, disbelieving. The guy's so tiring.
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P.A.T.C.H. #7: "Starscream: The Movie"
Most often in comics, continuity is a problem for newbies. If you don’t know what the characters are talking about and what in-jokes they make, is there really a point in recommending the book? Yes, I hear you; this here feature is supposed to help with sorting those messes out, after all. But what if something has such a killer concept you can’t help but blabber on about it? Even to people not into the comic series?
Case in point: a Cybertronian tries to make a movie about Starscream for humans. My mom was sold. Be as cool as my mom!
“Thundercracker in: Starscream: The Movie”
“Optimus Prime” Annual (2018)/“Transformers: Optimus Prime” Volume 5 (upcoming as of this writing) Written by John Barber, pencils by Priscilla Tramontano and Andrew Griffith, colors by John-Paul Bove and Josh Burcham, letters by Shawn Lee
SO WHAT’S IT ABOUT? Starscream, Lord of Cybertron, fed up with his notoriety amongst his subjects, decides on a solution: good old-fashioned propaganda! Having learned of his old wing-mate’s passion for writing, he tasks ex-Seeker Thundercracker with scripting, casting and directing a movie about his life. Who cares if said ex-comrade has only written human soap opera fan fiction and unpublished screenplays so stilted, they would make “Birdemic” green with envy? He’s really into it! Surely, nothing can go wrong!
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW? Given that this issue came out in the last year of the IDW Generation One continuity, there are various bits and pieces to consider before diving in, but probably the most important has to do with the evolution of Thundercracker, from Seeker repaint to real boy fleshed-out character. While his goofy and hopelessly optimistic personality is well-established in the series and this here issue completes his origin story, it can’t harm to go over it and pick some highlights.
The fate of Thundercracker –or TC to his friends- has long been intertwined with that of two more famous Decepticon fliers: OG bad boy Starscream and official stair-pusher Skywarp. The first years’ worth of stories weren’t different: the three met Megatron together for the first time in the mini-series “Megatron: Origins”, written by Eric Holmes, penciled by Alex Milne and colored by Josh Perez. His most interesting beat in that story was expressing doubt over burning the city of Kaon, only to be pacified by Skywarp –“Don’t think. Just do it.”, he said. After that, and for the longest time, from the “Autocracy Trilogy” to the “–ations”, the blue jet remained a constant if discreet presence in the Decepticon forces. He was always there, often under Starscream, never in a major role, sometimes uncomfortable with his place.
Still, there were a couple exceptions to this. In “Spotlight: Orion Pax”, written by James Roberts, he was a reluctant underling to mad scientist Bludgeon. He crossed paths with the creepy samurai again much later, in “Spotlight: Thundercracker”, written by John Barber with art by Chee Yang Ong, this time while searching for the original Titans. In that story, he had a change of heart when he found Metroplex, and lied so the ancient Transformer wouldn’t fall into Decepticon hands. In both cases, the further away he stayed from bad influences, the more functional his moral compass became.
The great break from all the above –ironically, inspired by his original toy bio– came with his rejection of the Decepticon cause. In “All Hail Megatron” (written by Shane McCarthy and with art by Guido Guidi), after witnessing the brutalities and monstrosities his side was capable of –namely, razing human cities and creating the Insecticons-, he prevented the detonation of a nuclear bomb and briefly worked with the Autobots. (His reward? Getting shot in the face by Skywarp. Some comradery.) In the next ongoing (look for the stand-alone issue #4, written by Mike Costa, penciled by Don Figueroa, with colors by James Brown and letters by Robbie Robbins), it was revealed that thankfully, he survived, kept barely online on Earth and scavenging for fuel. He also picked up a new best friend: human television! Laugh all you want, but it gave him a new appreciation for humans and their adaptability –couldn’t his own species be like this? While he turned into a reluctant ally to the Autobots, he stayed out of intense battles...
... until he got to work with his new best friends in Season 2 of “Robots in Disguise”: Earth people! Between the regeneration of the planet and Starscream’s rise to power, TC stayed back on the blue marble and got in touch with human anti-Transformer forces, who provided him with fuel and a home. (A gift puppy named Buster sealed the deal and immediately became fealty.) In return, they wanted his services against Autobot invaders, but his love of Earth got in the way of that. What also got in the way was his new calling: writing! Inspired by the years he spent watching TV, he then went on to create totally original and very high quality screenplays, hoping they would lead to a career in film. (They haven’t so far. There’s a reason the Wiki has quotes from “The Room” in his personal page.) Still, eventually things turned out well enough: he helped untangle the mess of allegiances between the Earth Defense Command and Cybertronians and formed an enduring friendship with female Earth human Marissa Faireborn. Not bad for someone whose biggest claim to fame was being the answer to a trivia question –“Who was the first Decepticon shown in active combat in IDW continuity?”
Finally, some minor bits of backstory to make a few character beats land easier. An institute protecting Transformers with “abnormal” powers was first introduced in “More Than Meets the Eye” #11, by James Roberts and Alex Milne. The re-discovery of the Cybertronian Colonies started with the people of Caminus –Windblade, Chromia and Nautica- in “Dark Cybertron”, and they were all immediately integrated into the books –we’ve talked about the first “Windblade” mini here. The dead colony of Prion, shown in “The Transformers” #57 (by Barber and Livio Ramondelli) wasn’t nearly so lucky. The creation of the Council of Worlds for the governance of the surviving ones was detailed in the “Windblade: Distant Stars” mini-series, written by Maighread Scott, with art by Corin Howell and colors by Thomas Deer. After that, colonists such as Aileron (“The Transformers” #44, by Barber, Griffith, Perez on colors and Tom B. Long on letters) joined the action on Cybertron, though not without problems. Oh, and that huge dinosaur was brought online in the “Salvation” one-shot and has been used as an embassy since “Optimus Prime” #13-14 (by Barber, Ramondelli and Long). As it happens.
WHERE DO I GO FROM THERE? Why’d you think I listed all those previous stories above? So that you can go and get ‘em!
Okay, to be less abrasive and more specific, there isn’t that much to get into after this story, but there’s plenty to jump back to. Almost all these minor characters have had memorable stories told about them, so I’m only going to single out some personal favorites and let you decide what you might be into. Fat Fast Tankor’s most memorable outings have been at the hands of Maighread Scott, and it was in the first “Windblade” mini that he and his bestie, Tall Tankor, started getting some attention. For another visit to Alpha Trion, Adorable Old Man (And More), see “Optimus Prime” #10, by Barber, Zama and Burcham. For the amazing life of Richard Ruby, film producer and ex-superhero (no, really), check out “Revolutionaries” #3 by Barber, pencils by Ron Joseph, Sebastian Cheng on colors and Long lettering. Finally, for a story that demonstrates Marissa’s own issues (and just how much of a sweetspark TC is), “New Cybertron” (“Optimus Prime” #1-6) by Barber, Zama, Milne and Burcham has you covered.
But clearly this isn’t why you’re here. You want more of The Artist’s work. For that, head over to the “Transformers Holiday Special” (which we’ve visited before here), for the ten-page story by Barber, Burcham and Long. It is a Christmas story that is children’s storybook by way of Frank Miller, and it might be the best thing in the whole line. In the same trade you’ll find the “Revolution” tie-in issue for the “Robots in Disguise” series, written by Barber, with pencils by Griffith and colors by Thomas Deer. While it’s connected to a much larger event, it’s valuable for seeing how TC evaluates his own work and how he works with Marissa. It is a Hollywood action movie pastiche with a failed screenplay layered on top, and it’s a sweet little tribute to the character. Both of these stories work with similar themes to this one, but expand them in different directions.
IS IT ANY GOOD? It was the culmination of a few years’ worth of stories with an endearing secondary character taking center stage. It offered a sideways look into a fascinating time in “Transformers” comics, through its less important players. It was a funny and poignant look into what can go wrong with any piece of art we create, consume, curate and love (or, more importantly, ignore). It had some exceptional so-bad-it’s-good writing and art. It had a cute puppy in it.
PUPPY! WHO’S A GOOD PUPPY, WHO’S THE BEST PUPPY?! BUSTER IS! YES, SHE IS! Stop baby-talking one of the main characters and concentrate! Here, this should keep you busy!
LIKE A MOVIE STAR WITHOUT MOVIES | THEME AND CHARACTER Strip away all the superficialities, and what is this story about? An artist attempts to create a work of art, and Poe’s Law comes into full effect. His source material is controversial –few people have kind things to say about Starscream. His sources lack credibility –the subject of the movie himself is a liar with a ton of guilt on his shoulders. His production value is low -seriously, I’m having “Pop Quiz Hotshot” flashbacks here. He himself lacks training and discipline, and he and his crew aren’t on the same page –oh, and one of them isn’t paid. He gets preoccupied with details -Megatron had a different frame in “Robots in Disguise”! There goes the suspension of disbelief! He has so little faith in himself that he blindly follows whatever advice he’s offered –is it a commercial or personal work, then? And in the end, no matter his passion and drive for the project, he fails for reasons beyond his control, not even his own mistakes. This kind of story can work only if we’re invested in the mad ambition of its main creator, and TC’s unlucky, stubborn and likeable enough to pull it off. The annual, then, becomes a love letter to art creation in general: a whole lot of people with conflicting ideas try to create something meaningful against all odds. Even if the end product isn’t great, you have to feel for all the effort, the time and energy spent (or wasted) on it, right?
There’s also an extra layer to all this, and it’s specifically about Cracker’s relation to his work. At this point in the series, TC has officially renounced the Decepticons and wants to leave a peaceful life on Earth. This project about one of his former associates makes him ask all sorts of questions: what drove Starscream to do the things he did? How does he handle the unstable political climate after the Autobot victory? Did the War ever mean anything to anyone? And what is there to do after the War? These aren’t easy questions, and the ex-Seeker’s own stance on these issues is complicated by his personal feelings and involvement. This might be a movie about Starscream, but deep down, this is a story about Thundercracker. (This becomes even more apparent when one remembers the two share the same mold.) While the theme of failed or doubtful artists is universal, the specificity of this million-year-long War informs it with extra nuances that enrich an already interesting character portrait.
“Oh man, I just can't figure Starscream out. Sometimes he’s just too smart. Sometimes he’s just flat-out stupid. Other times he’s just evil.”
ENHANCED BY BRAND NEW SPECIAL EFFECTS| ART This whole examination could have ended up dry and boring, but in the hands of penciler Priscilla Tramontano, it gets a life and energy it would otherwise lack. Her greatest strength is the expressiveness she lends to the characters, and so she’s the perfect fit for a story with lots of quick, fully dialogue. Little casual touches and details, like reading glasses or cups of coffee, make the world of alien robots a little more approachable and help ease us into its confused protagonist’s mind. John-Paul Bove’s colors are bright and poppy, but moody in the more serious parts (like TC’s meeting with Dirge and relaxing at the beach near the end). Andrew Griffith and Josh Burcham contribute pencils and colors respectively in two key scenes, one flashback to just before the War and the trailer for a rival production. Their more detailed, somber yet action-oriented style helps draw attention to them, but the overall tone doesn’t shift from the fast-paced comedy and introspection of the whole issue. In any case, the story never loses its sense of wonder: this is a charming, strange little world, and in the increasingly serious main title, this can sometimes fall through the cracks.
However, this is the rare case of a comic whose artistic failings are also interesting in their own way. The scenes shown from “Starscream: The Movie” itself are bad on purpose, and so multiple movie mistakes are recreated in comics form. The lighting is almost always off in most scenes, and in some cases, it’s easy to make a green highlight around the actors –the result of cheap color correction. In another scene, the focus is all wrong, and so “Megatron” and “Starscream” are blurry or stick like sore thumbs from the background. When Thundercracker cannot stage the Decepticon uprising from the first storyline of “Robots in Disguise”, he ends up using archival footage for it –and so the same panels that Andrew Griffith drew for issue #13 are re-used wholesale! While it can be distracting at first, these mistakes become doubly fun when spotted and only add to the joke. (They can also make all amateur filmmakers out there check their equipment twice before starting filming. Never go with auto-focus, people!)
“Hey, everybody! I have an announcement to make!”
AN AWKWARD PAUSE, THEN “WHAT'S MY LINE?”| PLOT AND DIALOGUE But forget pretty much everything I’ve written so far, because the number one reason to read this story is how damn funny it is. And that’s not just for the guilty pleasure of mocking Thundercracker’s work. Sure, the tone-deaf, repetitive dialogue, the hammy acting and the flubs of the final film (poor Waspinator, always a victim) are extremely enjoyable, but that ignores the real back-and-forth of the characters. Even better is how the movie scenes are staged alongside the rest of TC’s discussions and efforts. The issue is expertly paced, each page functioning as a scene into its own, with set-ups and payoffs. When read all together, it’s like a very well-edited movie: it remains fast and doesn’t sag, and the connections between the disparate scenes become apparent on a second read-through. The cyclical flow of the story –it begins and ends with a very similar scene- can be seen as bittersweet and uplifting at the same time, and it made this here reader want to re-read the issue the moment it was over.
One of Barber’s greatest gifts as a writer –owing to his experience as an editor- is his mastery of continuity, but here he also demonstrates a firm understanding of Transformers and pop culture. His cheeky world-building –giant robots make movies, too!- combines satire and Trans-fan practices -repaints are totally a thing!- into one whole. Humans get a lot to do in this world, too, being both friends and potential business partners, in a co-existence that might even bring to mind the days of the original cartoon. My favorite example might be TC’s interactions with a former superhero, prospective film producer and distributor. The practicality of creating and curating a movie clashes wonderfully with the insanity of a sci-fi world and some obscure pop and high culture references. It’s this level of detail and care for all those losers that gives the story a beating heart that is often forgotten when talking about this specific writer’s work.
“You know what they say, ‘Love is blind’!”
THE CREDITS ROLL, THE CAMERA PANS | FINAL THOUGHTS Going over all the things I’ve written so far about this annual, I see that I could still go on. This here read focused on the story from a newbie perspective, because with continuity in mind, there’s a whole other essay’s worth of stuff to unpack! (One could re-interpret it as a Starscream and not a Thundercracker story, in fact!) But even with all that aside, this is a really fun, sweet diversion from the political drama of “Optimus Prime”, a great tribute to the bit players of the franchise and a love letter to the creative process as a whole. Oh, and there’s new jokes to find in, like, every new read! I literally just today remembered Fake!Ironhide’s Southern accent! That stuff’s amazing!
#MACCADAM’S#tf comics#IDW#optimus prime#john barber#priscilla tramontano#andrew griffith#john-paul bove#josh burcham#shawn lee#p.a.t.c.h.#p.a.t.c.h. 7#art within art#cosplayable facial markings#grampa trion#LET’S SEE THE VENN DIAGRAM OF TF AND THE ROOM FANS#ironhide punches everyone#OUR BEAUTIFUL BLUE BOY#pretty robot starscream#problematic faves#wazzzpinator has fanzzz#WILL PROXIMA EVER GET PAID?
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Remember her name: Pauli MurrayThe wager was ten dollars. It was 1944, and the law students of Howard University were discussing how best to bring an end to Jim Crow. In the half century since Plessy v. Ferguson, lawyers had been chipping away at segregation by questioning the “equal” part of the “separate but equal” doctrine—arguing that, say, a specific black school was not truly equivalent to its white counterpart. Fed up with the limited and incremental results, one student in the class proposed a radical alternative: why not challenge the “separate” part instead?
That student’s name was Pauli Murray. Her law-school peers were accustomed to being startled by her—she was the only woman among them and first in the class—but that day they laughed out loud. Her idea was both impractical and reckless, they told her; any challenge to Plessy would result in the Supreme Court affirming it instead. Undeterred, Murray told them they were wrong. Then, with the whole class as her witness, she made a bet with her professor, a man named Spottswood Robinson: ten bucks said Plessy would be overturned within twenty-five years
Murray was right. Plessy was overturned in a decade—and, when it was, Robinson owed her a lot more than ten dollars. In her final law-school paper, Murray had formalized the idea she’d hatched in class that day, arguing that segregation violated the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution. Some years later, when Robinson joined with Thurgood Marshall and others to try to end Jim Crow, he remembered Murray’s paper, fished it out of his files, and presented it to his colleagues—the team that, in 1954, successfully argued Brown v. Board of Education
.By the time Murray learned of her contribution, she was nearing fifty, two-thirds of the way through a life as remarkable for its range as for its influence. A poet, writer, activist, labor organizer, legal theorist, and Episcopal priest, Murray palled around in her youth with Langston Hughes, joined James Baldwin at the MacDowell Colony the first year it admitted African-Americans, maintained a twenty-three-year friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt, and helped Betty Friedan found the National Organization for Women. Along the way, she articulated the intellectual foundations of two of the most important social-justice movements of the twentieth century: first, when she made her argument for overturning Plessy, and, later, when she co-wrote a law-review article subsequently used by a rising star at the A.C.L.U.—one Ruth Bader Ginsburg—to convince the Supreme Court that the Equal Protection Clause applies to women.
This was Murray’s lifelong fate: to be both ahead of her time and behind the scenes. Two decades before the civil-rights movement of the nineteen-sixties, Murray was arrested for refusing to move to the back of a bus in Richmond, Virginia; organized sit-ins that successfully desegregated restaurants in Washington, D.C.; and, anticipating the Freedom Summer, urged her Howard classmates to head south to fight for civil rights and wondered how to “attract young white graduates of the great universities to come down and join with us.” And, four decades before another legal scholar, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, coined the term “intersectionality,” Murray insisted on the indivisibility of her identity and experience as an African-American, a worker, and a woman.
Despite all this, Murray’s name is not well known today, especially among white Americans. The past few years, however, have seen a burst of interest in her life and work. She’s been sainted by the Episcopal Church, had a residential college named after her at Yale, where she was the first African-American to earn a doctorate of jurisprudence, and had her childhood home designated a National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior. Last year, Patricia Bell-Scott published “The Firebrand and the First Lady” (Knopf), an account of Murray’s relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt, and next month sees the publication of “Jane Crow: The Life of Pauli Murray” (Oxford), by the Barnard historian Rosalind Rosenberg.
All this attention has not come about by chance. Historical figures aren’t human flotsam, swirling into public awareness at random intervals. Instead, they are almost always borne back to us on the current of our own times. In Murray’s case, it’s not simply that her public struggles on behalf of women, minorities, and the working class suddenly seem more relevant than ever. It’s that her private struggles—documented for the first time in all their fullness by Rosenberg—have recently become our public ones... continues athttps://www.newyorker.com/.../the-many-lives-of-pauli-murray
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