#christine putnam

[haleandwellmet]

Continuing on my quest try more book cover illustration by doing my own take on a cover for Widdershins 🌀

[gloomiedyke]

Do you like weird little towns/cities? Do you like mystery and murder with an Eldritch horror/cryptid monster flair? Do you like archeology, linguistics, and magic? Victorian era queer romance? Found family? A surprisingly chill series of mystery adventures despite the horrors involved?

May I recommend: the Whyborne & Griffin series by Jordan L Hawk, starting with the first novel Widdershins (the name of the aforementioned fictional weird little city/town).

We have our introverted, autistic-coded academic main character, a philologist (essentially historical linguistics, it's great) turned sorcerer. We have his love interest, a dashing private detective (with so much trauma). We also have his best friend, a shotgun wielding Lady archeologist (who likes complaining almost as much as she likes discovering artifacts and is ALSO autistic coded but in an opposite way).

These books fall somewhere in the centre of the Sherlock Holmes-Agatha Christie-Dead Boy Detectives-Scooby Doo-HP Lovecraft-The Last Binding by Freya Marske hexagon.

In short:

A tired academic-slash-sorcerer, an angry academic-slash-sniper, and a cheerful detective walk into a bar.

[kaylahtoes]

BE MORE CHILL SKETCHY WETCHY DOODOO TUTUS 😝😝😝

[nato-obenkrieger]

its getting late so unfortunately i will be YAPPING!!!!! sorry people who follow me.

heres who i would cast if middleborough did a 25th annual putnam county spelling bee production. jerm and michael would be chip and leaf respectively (wrol my unfortunate erection save me) and. possibly controversial opinion i think rich as barfee would go hard!!!!!! i think hes the perfect amount of weird and rude and shitty to do it. also. possibly controversial opinion again!!!! contrary to popular belief christine would NOT be olive. christine would be schwartzy i think she would do so good as schwartzy. i think she would have a lot of fun playing her too. schwartzy has mad gigantic feelings just like her.. BROOKE would be olive actually i think she would do so well i love you brooke. annnddddd chloe is marcy im gonna be honest i dont have much reasoning but i think she would like playing marcy cause marcys perfect.

yap session OVER !!!!!!!

[wildmadumb]

But do have a conversation later, please.

[cosmerelists]

Favorite Musicals of Each Order of the Knights Radiant

We’ve already considered their favorite boardgames. But what about when it’s time to go to a musical? Which musical is preferred by each order?

1. Skybreakers: Les Misérables

They think Javert is the protagonist.

Szeth: Is it not strange that the musical continues for so long after the death of the protagonist?

Nale: Ah, but it is only thus that we see the real tragedy.

Nale: As all of the lawbreakers go on living, without punishment, due the the lawman not being willing to fulfill his duty.

Joret: It’s so horrifying.

Cali: Yes, hence the title.

2. Bondsmiths: West Side Story

It’s about two warring gangs being brought together.

Dalinar: Although it is sad, it is nice that it ends with all of the previously estranged people bonding over their loss.

Navani: And it really is through music that two warring sides can be brought together--perhaps even feel love for each other.

Dalinar: Yes. 

Dalinar: Wait, what? 

3. Edgedancers: Little Shop of Horrors

Or at least, it’s Lift’s favorite.

Lift: I dunno why Wyndle doesn’t like it--it’s about a plant!

Lift: A hungry plant too, so it has something in common with both of us!

Wyndle: I--

Wyndle: Never--

Wyndle: That--

Wynde: IT WAS SO HORRIFYING, MISTRESS!!!

Lift: It’s kinda in the title, dude.

4. Stonewards: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

They were surprised at how invested they got.

Badali: It may not be warfare, yet the efforts of these children are so inspiring.

Zu: They truly do fight until there is only one standing.

5. Elsecallers: A Little Night Music

Jasnah just thinks it’s neat.

Jasnah: I have to respect the effort of composing each song in 3/4 time.

6. Lightweavers: Phantom of the Opera

It’s about art, tortured souls, disguises...

Gaz: I gotta feel bad for the Phantom.

Shallan: What, because his love for Christine is doomed?

Vathah: Because it would suck to live in a sewer?

Gaz: Well sure.

Gaz: But also that one-sided mask.

Gaz: He must always feel like there’s something there in the darkness, something just out of his sight.

Shallan: ...

Vathah: ...

Gaz: N-Not that I would know anything about that, ha ha!

7. Truthwatchers: Lion King

They went for the costumes and ended up being  blown away by the story.

Rlain: If Simba had just told the truth about his father’s death, all of that could have been avoided.

Stump: Yeah, well, kids are pretty stupid sometimes.

Renarin: Although by running away, Simba did get to be raised by two awesome gay dads, so that’s nice!

Stump: ...

Renarin: What?

8. Willshapers: Scarlet Pimpernel

It’s about rescuing innocent (?) aristocrats from being imprisoned and guillotined!  

Eshonai: It is truly inspiring to see a group of humans working so hard to free other humans before their unjustified deaths.

Venli: That Madame Guillotine song is really catchy though.

Eshonai: Yeah, you almost can almost understand the killing there.

9. Dustbringers: Wicked

They appreciate the overall message.

Malata: Yeah, there really are two sides to every story!

Ral-na: And just because a power is popularly deemed destructive, that does not mean it is so.

10. Windrunners: Also Wicked

Although their reasoning is...different.

Bridge Four, in their barracks: SO IF YOU CARE TO FIND ME / LOOK TO THE WESTERN SKY

Bridge Four: AS SOMEONE TOLD ME LATELY / EVERYONE DESERVES THE CHANCE TO FLY!

Bridge Four: AND IF I’M FLYING SOLO / AT LEAST I’M FLYING FREEEE

Bridge Four: TO THOSE WHO’D GROUND ME / TAKE A MESSAGE BACK FROM MEEEEE

Bridge Four: TELL THEM HOW I AM DEFYING GRAVITY / I’M FLYING HIGH, DEFYING GRAVITY!

Kaladin (wiping away a tear): It’s just such a good song.

[droughtofapathy]

The Gilded Age's Broadway Divas: Mrs. Bruce (Celia Keenan-Bolger)

Despite having a largely underdeveloped Downstairs role in The Gilded Age, Mrs. Bruce runs the Russell household like a tight ship. From averting near-disastrous soup escapades, to catching escaped dogs in the dusty streets, she approaches her job with no-nonsense competence, all while totally unable to reach the high shelves.

For the first time, Celia Keenan-Bolger (45) has broken free of her child typecast cage to play a fully grown adult with adult responsibilities and it must be such a thrill for her. Those unfamiliar with Celia may not be aware of her illustrious career playing children on Broadway as a grown adult.

In 2005, Celia (26) made her Broadway debut in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as twelve-year-old Olive Ostrovsky, a precocious spelling bee contestant who should have won, dammit, and I'll die on that hill. In 2011, she (31) played thirteen-year-old Molly Aster in Peter and the Starcatcher, nominated for a Tony the same year as her brother Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Newsies). In 2018, she (40) starred in To Kill a Mockingbird as six-to-nine-year-old Scout Finch, for which she won a Tony. This coming spring, Celia (46) will once again be a child on Broadway as she takes on the role of Jessica Lange's teenaged daughter in Mother Play. (List non-exhaustive)

#1: "Green Finch and Linnet Birds," Sweeney Todd (2002)

In one of her earliest professional roles, Celia (24) takes on sixteen-year-old Johanna Barker, the daughter of the titular Sweeney Todd, who has become Judge Turpin's ward. This is not great for her. But the role was. Too often, this particular song gets the short end of the stick. It's long, slow, and very high, yet Celia approaches it with a controlled vibrato that makes us all sigh in relief.

The Kennedy Center production featured a fantastic cast, including Mary Beth Peil as The Beggar Woman, Broadway's Leading Man Brian Stokes Mitchell as Sweeney Todd, and our very own Agnes van Rhijn, Christine Baranski as Mrs. Lovett.

#2: The Light in the Piazza - Pre-Broadway (2003)

Before Kelli O'Hara took on the role of Clara Johnson, a young woman whose mental development stunted at age twelve after being kicked by a horse, the role belonged to Celia Keenan-Bolger (25). Ultimately, when the production moved on from Chicago, the creative team decided they wanted a Clara who was a little older. Kelli, who had been playing Francesca, the sister-in-law, was unwilling to "steal" a role from someone she considered a dear friend, but either way, Celia was out, so Kelli was in with minimal damage to their friendship, which persists today.

However. Some years later, when South Pacific was auditioning their Nellie Forbush actresses, the final three came down to Kelli O'Hara (who got it), Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Victoria Clark, who won a Tony for playing Margaret, Clara's mother, in Piazza. Talk about awkward.

#3: "The I Love You Song," The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005)

Losing out on Clara wasn't all thunderclouds for Celia (26). Shortly after, she landed a role in the off-Broadway production of Spelling Bee, and when it transferred to Broadway, she received her first Tony nomination.

In this scene, Olive sings the most heartbreaking and beautiful number in the entire show. It is just devastating. Up until this point, the show is a barrel of laughs, and then suddenly you're sobbing your eyes out over a lonely little girl in a bad home situation.

Will Celia Keenan-Bolger ever be allowed to play an adult again? How long until she is no longer able to play children? How did she get the role of Mrs. Bruce if she's only allowed to play kids? All questions we have no answers to.

LINK TO MASTERPOST

[cav-core]

Sometimes Christine and Iskander Putnam-Barnett read like someone watched The Mummy and really wanted Evie to get with Ardeth instead.

[luthienebonyx]

Yuletide Recs

Eight recs from eight fandoms for Yuletide 2023. Housekeeper in a Spin (2728 words) by Anonymous Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: All Creatures Great and Small (TV 2020) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Siegfried Farnon & Mrs. Hall | Audrey Hall, Mrs. Hall | Audrey Hall & Everyone Characters: Mrs. Hall | Audrey Hall, Siegfried Farnon, Tristan Farnon, James Herriot, Helen Herriot Summary: "Mrs Hall's cross," Tristan told his brother. "I assumed it was your fault, but she doesn't seem cross with you."

"Why would she be cross with me?" Mr Farnon demanded. "When do I ever do anything wrong?" Comment: Excellent Audrey POV fic that really captures the feel of the show: light and slightly comic domestic/local matters, but with deeper, stronger and more serious thoughts and feelings underpinning them, so that the serious thing, when it emerges, hits with a kick in the guts. But overall, the warmth between the characters, particularly between Audrey and Siegfried, is what shines through.  

Major Opportunity (3092 words) by Anonymous Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Blackadder Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Edmund Blackadder/Kevin Darling Characters: Edmund Blackadder, Kevin Darling, George Colthurst St. Barleigh, Baldrick (Blackadder), Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat Summary: After being presumed dead, Blackadder seizes his chance to escape the trenches, and hopefully avoid ending up actually dead.

Comment: Beautifully done Blackadder fic that would fit right into an episode - so of course it's full of memorable lines from everyone, up to and including General Melchett. I Will Never Leave You (9396 words) by Anonymous Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Gilded Age (TV 2022) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ada Brook & Agnes van Rhijn, Mr. van Rhijn/Agnes van Rhijn, Ada Brook & Oscar van Rhijn Characters: Ada Brook, Agnes van Rhijn, Oscar van Rhijn, Mr. van Rhijn (The Gilded Age) Additional Tags: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Infant Death, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Period-Typical Sexism, Period Typical Attitudes, Religion, Codependency, Dysfunctional Family Summary:

There are few bonds deeper than sisterhood. Over the years, Agnes has always looked out for Ada...and Ada has always made herself available to Agnes. Comment: A lovely, in-depth look at the strong and complicated bond between Ada and Agnes from early in Agnes's marriage up to the beginning of canon. It's Ada's POV, and the narrative is coloured by her perceptiveness and warmth, but I can really hear Christine Baranksi delivering every bit of Agnes's dialogue. The style is also very fitting for these characters and this time and place.

An Ingenue Looks at Seventy (1881 words) by Anonymous Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Only Murders in the Building (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Loretta Durkin/Oliver Putnam Characters: Loretta Durkin, Oliver Putnam, Mabel Mora Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 03, Character Study, old people fucking Summary:

Maybe this time, Loretta will get everything she ever dreamed of. Or at least a bigger piece of it. Comment: This was my main gift fic this year, and I've already posted about it, but I'm including it in my recs post as well, because I would want to rec it even if it hadn't been written for me. This story is everything I could have wished for when I requested a Loretta-centric fic. It's a beautiful character study, set post-canon, with guest appearances by Oliver and Mabel. I love everything about Loretta's POV, and the story is chock full of great lines, but I also really like the way her relationship with Oliver is depicted, both in public and in private. The author also gets extra points for the tag "old people fucking".

Crepusculine Confabulations (2324 words) by Anonymous Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Reluctant Widow - Georgette Heyer Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Francis Cheviot/Louis de Castres Characters: Francis Cheviot, Louis de Castres Additional Tags: AU, Character Death Fix, Yuletide, Gift Fic Summary:

Two conversations, in twilight, to bracket the events of the novel. That is: you didn't think that Francis was being wholly truthful, did you? Did you? Comment: The Reluctant Widow will never be on my list of favourite Heyers, for a bunch of reasons, but the stand-out feature of it is Francis Cheviot - and this post-canon story focused on Francis does not disappoint. Full of nicely Heyer-ish language plus some VERY Francis machinations, this is overall an excellent portrayal of Francis.

A Case Report Regarding the Brick Lane Murders (5866 words) by Anonymous Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Peter Grant & Thomas Nightingale Characters: Thomas Nightingale, Peter Grant (Rivers of London), Miriam Stephanopoulos Additional Tags: Case Fic, Period-Typical Racism, Period Typical Attitudes, Series level violence, There's a Murder, Yuletide 2023 Summary:

A case NIghtingale worked in 1919 gives insight into a new murder investigation. Comment: An excellent case fic that really captures the feel of canon. The case has links to another case Nightingale worked on in 1919, very, very early in his career, and the depiction of how he was in his late teens compared to how he is now, really makes this story stand out.

Little Intimacies (1344 words) by Anonymous Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Wheel of Time (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Moiraine Damodred & Lan Mandragoran, Lan Mandragoran/Maksim Characters: Lan Mandragoran, Maksim (Wheel of Time) Additional Tags: Mid-s2 Summary:

Two nights after Moiraine sends him away, Lan has a conversation with another Warder. Comment: A beautifully written study of Lan at a very particular point in time. Moiraine is not physically present, but she is still present all the way through the story.  

Yes, Lord President (4826 words) by Anonymous Chapters: 4/4 Fandom: Yes Minister Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Jim Hacker, Humphrey Appleby, Bernard Woolley Additional Tags: Period Typical Attitudes, very loosely based on a true story Comment: This story is brilliant and I love it. It is everything that anyone could ever want in a Yes Minister fic. The author has absolutely nailed Hacker, Sir Humphrey and Bernard, and the plot is administratively absurd enough to be an episode of the show. It is structured like the Yes Minister books, with excerpts from Hacker's diary and from official files, which also works really well. I laughed and laughed and laughed reading this - and there truly is no higher praise for a story based on a show that did likewise.

[drchristineputnam]

Speaking of high intelligence/low wisdom characters: Dr. Christine Putnam

[ace-artemis-fanartist]

Redraw of that scene in Fallow (Whyborne & Griffin #8).

My fave Jordan L Hawk books are when someone(s) is being possessed by an ancient Lovecraftian monster.

[haleandwellmet]

some whyborne and griffin sketches from my old sketchbook including some trans man whybornes :^)

[astudyinfic]

Books read in 2019

#7: Necropolis by Jordan L. Hawk

My review: Whyborne and Griffin travel to Egypt to help Christine.  They almost die, as per usual, and we get to meet both Kander and a camel who likes hats.

[kaylahtoes]

Here’s ANOTHER sketch dump because I am CRAY CRAY over BMC!!! 😁😁😁

[blackramhall]

... because everyone who has a secret has a tell.

The Tell - Only Murders in the Building S2E5

Blackram Hall: The guy practically lives in a Clue board

[wildmadumb]

And she wants it now