#clare does research sometimes

[clarenecessities]

fucking around on the US copyright office's public catalog (don't worry about it) and found this little number:

like i HAVE to know more

[shmowder]

Hi it’s immune reader anon back again! Here to submit my Patho oc i actually have two Patho self inserts but for privacy reasons not submitting either of my self indulgent sillies :D so please accept my offer of the third Patho character I’ve made

The basic stuff is that Her name is Franziska Novikov, her age is a good question as she doesn’t have a birth certificate her parents would only accept a son so they refused to register her at all! Treating her like a shameful secret who needed to prove she deserved to even be alive at all but she’s close in age to Dankovsky possibly a year or two older even. Job/Credentials: she mostly wanders town from town trying to sell snake oil cures so basically she’s an MLM girlie who might also lit your house on fire for fun! If you call her out on being a snake oil salesman

Healer, Bound, or NPC?: I imagine her more so working as a bound but her as a healer would be insane as she straight up has no clue what she’s doing so she just gaslights all the town leaders into thinking shes qualified for this situation. Dankovsky absolutely hates her and at any turn tries to expose her for being a scam artist to everyone unfortunately nobody wants to listen to the capital dandy. she is one but damn let the girlboss scam people bachelor (bachelor stop the girlboss immediately!) Nevermind she’s a healer now…

She only gets involved in the events of the game because she views this as another town to pass through, sell her miracle cure for an over charged price then depart with her riches only to get stuck in a situation where people genuinely believe she is a qualified health professional and now she’s gotta deal with the plague, all the while getting increasingly more and more paranoid which leads to setting fires compulsively in order to ease off the stress… she refuses to believe in any of the more mystic things at play constantly scoffing at the mistresses claims as if she lies for personal gain then everyone else is as well! She projects her own guilt of her lies at everyone else…even when the proof is right in front of her she simply refuses to acknowledge its existence due to her own lies. She doesn’t make any friends for the most part at most she has respectful conversations with Maria and aglaya but they are not friends at all but maybe in another world Franziska would have loved to be friends…but not in this life, she’s actively hostile to everyone else but gives the occasional nice interaction to Clara and yulia on rare occasions. Her interactions with Aglaya and yulia would absolutely have some queer subtext to them as Franziska is a repressed lesbian so deep in the closet she’s found the Bermuda Triangle.

Her ending unsurprisingly doesn’t end with her curing the plague no instead she gets the town wiped off the map completely! Not to mention before this she takes it upon herself to burn both Dankovsky and burakh’s research as she truly believes that if she can’t claim the fame and fortune from creating a cure then nobody should!, her view of life is distorted she only views her existence as one to be proven she has to get fame! Show everyone she deserves to live but in the quest of the broken girls, she dooms the town not out of misplaced good intentions she does it out of selfish desires fueled by an utter obsession to prove herself….she sacrifices all of the damn town leaving only her and the other three healers left…she’s absolutely going to go back to the capital and get executed for her crimes…she’s an absolute awful person but seeing what led to her acting so cruel is tragic I love my evil tragic daughter so much!

That evil tragic lesbian daughter sounds like she'd fit in with our already colourful cast just fine!

A 31 girlboss con-woman who gets people to sign up for her MLM snake oil pyramid scam.

And her having a slight soft spot to Clare is so precious, especially since Clara forces people to tell the truth with her magic sometimes. By all definitions she should be an conman's nightmare yet this fine lady is fistbumping her on the street before giving her a piece of old candy or two.

Any character that adds to the misery and frustration of Dankovsky has a special place in my heart, the Capital dandy being forced to come to terms with how the real world works and that your actual qualifications do not matter as long as you have high enough charisma to convince people snake oil is a viable substitute for antibiotics.

I see Anna Angel falling for her scams on multiple occasions, because Anna already gets scammed like twice ingame canon. Maybe even Peter who just drinks the snake oil? But then you'll have a very vengeful pissed off Andrey on her trail. Oh! Katerina is definitely falling for her scams, much like she fell for the rat prophet ones.

God I love a repressed lesbian who's so deep in the closet she discovered Narnia. Especially her talking with Yulia, Aglaya and Maria. The lesbian icons of the century.

When you mentioned fire and her wiping the town off the map, one idea came to mind. Fire technically eradicates the plague right? She might have set them off to vent stress but indirectly she "cured" these buildings from the plague.

So what if in a last ditch to not be exposed as a fake healer, she pretends that the only way to cure the town is to set it whole ablaze. After burning Daniil and Artemy's research so there is no other alternative.

[clareguilty]

hiii Clare right back atcha - 🍲🍠🍥

🍲 When did you start writing and why?

I technically *started* writing when I was 9 and wrote a lil scooby-doo type mystery story about a farm, from then i wrote a lot of lil stories until i was about 14 or so

But I started writing fanfiction again and more seriously in general when i was 19 during my second year of uni. It was overwatch fanfiction at first, because the fandom was huge back then and I was going through the literal WORST time ever holy shit so i needed a lot of self-indulgent fanfiction to make myself feel better.

and now I get to do an entire PhD of literal fanfiction! Yay!

🍠 How long does it take you to write one of your fics or a chapter/part?

I usually say it takes about 3 weeks to write a commission, one-shot, or chapter update. The actual writing only takes a few dedicated hours but research and developmental work can take days of planning and marinating.

Sometimes i blow through things a lot faster and sometimes its a lot slower to write, but it depends on subject/fandom/genre/research

🍥 What's your favorite fic you've written?

OOF this is a hard one. I'd say "Responsibility" because he's a huge boy and i liked writing him so much.

But I have a lot of one-shots and commissions that I'm really proud of and think are super neat. I just have mad teen wolf brainworms right now

[clarepreed]

Hi, I really loved your stories so far. I was wondering if you'd be willing to do follow ups on the stories like the characters recovering in hospital post resuscitation? I thought it would be cool to be able to wrap up the short stories

Anon, thank you for writing! 😍

I wouldn't rule anything out. I have sometimes thought about returning to a couple of them. I think "Scorched," since I left that one ambiguous, could easily become unambiguous with a second part. I am not promising I will do that, but it has crossed my mind.

My writing group (who does not see THESE stories 🤣) has observed that I tend to not wrap up stories in a concrete fashion. I am leaning toward this being personal preference, but I could also just be bad at endings!

Additionally, a not-so-secret fact about me is the farther we get away from Basic Life Support, the less I know what I'm talking about. I get plenty wrong in just the pre-hospital ACLS portion, or suspect I'm getting it wrong, and it's taken a lot for me to push past it and kind of say "screw it, you never said you were an expert." After all, for those of us who prefer that "our" patients survive, this is the land of miracles.

One way I get around it is to introduce a character who uses older methods. That also helps me keep it fresh for myself. There's only so many ways to describe bystander continuous compressions. :D

I do have some ER and hospital experience myself as a patient, so I could always use that as a springboard. I'm a terrible collaborator and not very good at talking to people most of the time as far as conducting research goes, but we are fortunate these days to have a lot of great primary source material (nurse tutorials, EMS algorithms, research articles, etc.) available to us online.

Either way, returning to some of the stories would be a good way for me to continue to find things to write about. I won't force it; I have some stories in my story graveyard that I tried to force, about 15,000 words of dead story, haha. Maybe one day I can resurrect those, too.

Thank you for asking! I hope my answer wasn't too long-winded (I love questions like this) and that you aren't disappointed by my lack of a guarantee. My muse is a fickle creature and I try to keep her happy!

It is great to know that people continue to be interested in the characters!

❤️ ~ Clare

[clarenecessities]

on god i am going to finish it, i just. i have to learn physics first

That time travel series where catra goes back in time with her baby and young catra joins the rebellion. I need more!

Yeah! thats the good stuff

[porthecrawl-witness]

The Porthecrawl Witness

Cover Art by defenestratin

Link to Beta Chapters and Demo: Here

Asks are Closed. 

Welcome to the peculiar hamlet of Little Porthecrawl, a town with dark origins and the curious quality of sharing two realities.

An illness with eerie similarities to a plague long-past is spreading throughout your hometown. When a malevolent figure from the past appears, questions arise as to the genesis of the epidemic and the nature of a mysterious deal made by your ancestors to stop its spread. Question the stories you have been told all your life or support the traditions that have protected the families of Little Porthecrawl for generations. You, along with a group of strangers, hold the town's continued existence in your hands.

Trapped in time for two hundred and fifty years, Porthecrawl's colonial ancestors have watched as modernity has improved the lives of their descendants. But something is challenging the past as an enigmatic figure emerges from the shadows, intent on saving his people from a sweeping plague - and quite possibly condemning yours in the process. Secrets can't stay hidden forever, and Little Porthecrawl's are starting to whisper from the town's ancient shadows.

Challenge tradition or support it. The choice is yours, along with the consequences.

This is a character-driven, text-based interactive novel that focuses on building relationships to uncover the mysteries in the town of Little Porthecrawl. The game is designed so that multiple playthroughs are required in order to reveal the grander story. It is a game for those who enjoy relationships and dialog over stats-based adventures. 

This game is intended only for adult audiences. A list of content warnings can be found in the demo link.

About the Main Character

Your character is in your hands. For the first time in their life, they are beginning to question...or are they? Embrace your character’s investigative side or rely on their uncanny insight, or, if you crave a more dangerous path, open them to the sinister undercurrents surrounding the hamlet - but be careful, you need only look around you to see that occult knowledge comes with a price.

Enjoy the story as a male, female, or nonbinary (they/them) character. Pursue friendships or, if you prefer, romance as either gay, straight, bisexual, or asexual. The choice will always be yours.

Meet the Cast

The Locals

Aunt Eleanor - matriarch of the main character’s dwindling family line; she is well respected and after the death of her brother and sister-in-law so long ago, has raised the main character as her own.

Edwin and Annabelle Strother - the town mayor and his wife. Edwin is the quintessential small-town politician and to a select group, defacto leader of the mysterious Families.

Faye Clare - friend and secretary extraordinaire, Faye does her best to both feed the rumor mill and keep the main character out of trouble at the local paper.

And many more...

The Strangers

🖤 Most love interests’ genders are dependent upon reader selection. 

🖤 Portraits courtesy of a shoddy attempt at Artbreeder. They are approximations at best and I'm not particularly happy with some of them. Things like hairstyle/color, eye color, and other defining characteristics aren’t present.

Quinn Amsler - after meeting Little Porthecrawl’s retiring GP at a medical convention, Dr. Amsler accepted the position as the local general practitioner and came rather quickly to regret that particular flight of fancy. (LI)

Character Board

Talbot Rathmore - sometimes loud, sometimes withdrawn, and with a strange set of interests to boot, Talbot makes a hobby of being more than most people can handle. (LI)

Character Board

Staci Godbolt - an old acquaintance of Quinn’s, Staci has come to town to research Little Porthecrawl’s local legends, though the stories may run deeper than anything Staci hopes - or wants - to find. (LI)

Character Board

And Stranger Still...

Asher Dye - the reclusive Mr. Dye has long haunted the nightmares of Little Porthecrawl’s peculiar residents. (LI)

Character Board

Currently, the first draft is completed and under beta.

*The blog is going through something of an overhaul at the moment, so I hope the below sections helps clarify some points for quick reference.

When will the story be released?

(as of 11/5/23) Don’t know. I’m currently working fulltime and there is still extensive re-writing in progress.

When the story releases, it will be fully available on dashingdon for free.

Can I help beta?

I’ve no current intentions of publishing, so there won’t likely be an official beta. Please report any bugs as you find them (here) or wait for me to find and fix them. 

What is the rating on the story?

The Porthecrawl Witness is intended for ADULT audiences ONLY. 

A list of content warnings will be made available in an updated version of the story.

Is there a Patreon?

I have no intentions of opening a Patreon at this time.

Do you answer scenario/what-if Asks with characters?

No. All Asks are closed at this time. 

About the Author

The name is Sadie. I work a lot.

Any feedback is welcome, positive or critical!

[replicant-jinx]

God just EVERY DAY I ask for Cassandra Clare to tell me who Brother Enoch was. Silent brothers are so interesting because sometimes they suffer a great tragedy that pushes them towards the need to become a silent brother and other times they just decide they would be better as one. Why did Enoch join? Did he lose someone he loved? Did he fancy research over bloodshed? What was his name before he changed? How old was he when he did? I can make as many headcanons as I want over this but it does not change the fact that she’ll probably never tell us.

[the-echo-of-a-narcissist]

Dream SMP AUs/Fanfics I have yet to see part 2

A fanfiction from Glatt's pov as he watches over Quackity as he learns to move on after Shlatt's death( Karlnapity and Glatt anxt)

Siblings AU: Techno and Ranboo are brothers, Tommy and Wilbur are brothers, Shlatt and Tubbo are brothers, Foolish and Puffy are siblings, Niachu and Jack are siblings, and BBH is Sapnap's, big bro.

Mall AU: Everyone works in a small mall that gets business from 3-4 small towns. (Potential for crossovers between SMPS) (Ex: Ranboo works at hot topic and Tubbo works at the Cinnabon across the way. Wilbur works at the hot topic too with Eret and Sapnap. Karl works at clares with Niki and Hanna. Willbur, Shlatt, Charle, Fundy, and Quackity work at a male host cafe)

MCC Radio AU: People who aren't in MCC (Techno, Ranboo, Karl, ect) are radio hosts for the MCSN (Minecraft sports network) radio and are assigned to a team. (EX: Ranboo gets the red rabbits and Techno gets the pink parrots)

Animal Crossing NH AU: It's exactly what it sounds like, Samnook and Ponkabell invite you to join them on an island getaway. Ponk and Purpled replace Timmy and Tommy, KK Slider is Quackity, and The Able Sisters are replaced by Wilbur, Tubbo, and Tommy. Techno replaces Daisy Mae, Fondy replaces Redd, Phil is Blathers and everyone else is villagers.

Phantom of the Opera and DSMP crossover but it's about Karl and James

Coconut AU: Fundy and Niki won the 2020 elections without cheating and Shlatt never became president

A series of fanfictions based off of the songs of Taylor Swift, it doesn't have to e the same charicters or the same universe every time, but each fanfic is based off the storys found in taylor swift songs (Love story, better than revenge, white horse, last kiss, change, ect)

Las Nevadas Cult AU: LN is a cult and Quackity is it's god

A fanfic about Tubbo playing god and making Ranboo Frankinstine style

Pokemon AU: everyone is either a pokemon, trainer, researcher or part of the evil team

Tharopy AU: Everyone go gets theropy and Puff does her fucking job. (you get to explore how events affected each member of the SMP and each chapter could be a new session)

A series where Karl fucks up the past somehow and creates new versions of the SMP in an attempt to fix the timeline.

Youtooz story AU: Someone owns all the DSMP youtooz and they come to life when the person isn't there. The youtooz are not inbox so they can freely go around. feel free to add other youtooz to the party for fun.

Thousand acer wood AU: Major inspo from Whinie the poo. The events of the dream SMP are happening but it's just Micheal playing with his toys while his dads are busy around the house or at work. Sometimes he is babysat by Phil, Techno, Tommy, Fundy, Ghostbur, or Glatt depending on what you feel like.

Micheal AU: Micheal is god

Cat AU: Everyone is cat and the pets are the owners

Domestic AU: everyone lives in a gated community, Tubbo is head of the HOA, and Shlatt is head of the neighborhood watch

I'm sure some of these already exist but I can't find them. If you use one of these ideas or one of them from my previous list plz credit me in the tags with #TnxEcho so I and others can find it.

[ladyhindsight]

Tbh like, whether he chose it himself or it was attributed to him, "Shadowhunter" makes no sense for the historical and geographical context ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I think the angel spoke to Jonathan sometime around the Crusades? Which started in 1095. So the angel first appears in the middle ages.

Now, Shadowhunter feels like a very modern, edgy name, made to sound cool and posh, like all the last names Clare uses.

So if it was attributed to him later on... WHEN did it happen?

Sometime in the middle ages I assume?

Which feels even more ridiculous lmao because

1) the angel did not appear in England aka the only English speaking country back then

2) back then English was not a popular language anyways, it didn't really spread around Europe the way Latin and French did

3) as you pointed out, there was never a comment about SH choosing English as a lingua franca

All these points make the choice of a modern sounding English name to define an entire race in the middle ages even more ridiculous.

Like, even reading The Infernal Devices I couldn't take them seriously because the name Shadowhunter sounded so silly in the context of Victorian London.

Am I meant to believe that the name was created CENTURIES before that?

In a whole ass continent that did not speak English?

(We could argue that the name being English is the result of more recent British colonization and assimilation, but... the books never went that route, so why should we?)

I'd rather have Jonathan being an absolute madman and just making the stupid name up, than believe it was attributed to him later on by people who lived in the middle ages, you know what I mean?

Or does Clare have the uncanny ability of making even twelfth century peasants behave like edgy teenagers from 2009? lol

Shadowhunter... stupid, stupid name.

Why even make the center of Nephilim society in the middle of Europe, if everything about them is so American?

Sorry not sorry 😌

Hunters of Shadow. Why don’t they just call themselves the Nephilim? That’s what they are (but not like in Genesis or Book of Numbers). It’d be funny if “Shadowhunter” was a moniker given by the Downworlders, like them being just snide. The great Nephilim, created by the host of heaven, Raziel’s angelic warriors, hiding in shadows LIKE THIEVES.

I feel like it all comes back to how Clare did not think at all the world she created when City of Bones was published. Didn’t even think did the backstory even make sense in the religious context when she was so intent on basing everything, the birth of the Nephilim, on it. It was all just a nice backdrop to her urban fantasy romance with angels and demons.

Even Jonathan’s sister Abigail is called Abigail Shadowhunter. It’s pretty annoying that the history is so obscure that there’s no answer to when the name Shadowhunter came to being and whether it was originally in English. Pretty sure it was since Britain and its colonies are central to the series.

It’s so incredibly strange how buoyantly Clare answers questions about the faith of Raziel, like it’s all breezy, Shadowhunters can’t be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu etc. while totally ignoring the fact that forcing someone to abandon their faith and accept a specific one is just forced assimilation. That there are all these rules what you can and cannot do, and I fail to see much reason behind any of it.

And to be honest, 12th century peasants would probably sound like any edgy teenage protagonist in Clare’s books. I thought of this some time ago, when my mother was researching her lineage and found a picture of a very handsome woman who is one of her ancestors. Just looking at her you could see what kind of life she had lived in the 1800s, and I tried to imagine if she and I sat in the same room. What would she think of me and my modern problems? Would she think the future world is just nonsense and find me just ridiculous? I mean, probably.

The life was harsher then, there was no such thing as teenagers, children worked and so on. There is such a gap between me and her, the generations in-between. I can’t see that effect with the TID/TLH and TMI/TDA crew because good lord, they are all the same. The Nephilim world and culture have remained the same. There’s practically no difference between them other than the former being British and the latter ones being Americans. Not saying bloody hell and absolutely splendid doesn’t count.

I’ve always wondered why Raziel chose some plot of land in the middle of Europe. It could’ve been an island somewhere like Thermyscira or something.

Jonathan Shadowhunter being an absolutely madman is also now my favorite concept.

[ltwilliammowett]

Gráinne Ní Mháille or Grace O'Malley the irish pirate queen

Gráinne Ní Mháille or Grace O'Malley was born in 1530 as the daughter of the Irish clan chief Owen Dubhdara O'Malley who had his lands in the west of Ireland. Her life is steeped in legend and so it is not surprising that the first one begins with her birth, some say she was born at sea, others say it was on Clare Island. But what is known is that she learned seamanship from her father because her clan has always lived on the west coast from shipping and occasional piracy.  She was fluent in five languages: first Gaelic and Latin, then French, Spanish and Greek, but not in English.

1536, Gráinne is six years old, the future Queen Elizabeth three years, the English King Henry VIII is called by Parliament to become King of Ireland. His aim is to make the neighbouring island an English colony. Until then, only the area around Dublin had been under the power of the English, in the remaining areas, the Gaelic tribes determined the political events. As they are very much at odds with each other they do not succeed in organizing a common resistance against the English. Therefore it is easy for King Henry VIII. to enforce his power interests in Ireland. He offers the Irish clan leaders English titles and privileges. In return, they are to adopt English customs and traditions and introduce the Anglican confession in Catholic Ireland. The O'Malley family is probably one of those ensnared. But the clan does not respond to the offer. They refuse to submit to the English for a long time.

Map of County Mayo, 1585. The small island north of Clew bay in the centre of the map is Clare Island, where the O’Malley clan had their summer residence and which Grace used as a stronghold. The territory of the O’Malleys (‘Umhalls Ui Mhaille’) is marked on the left edge of the bay: ‘owles omaile’

As a result, neither Irish wool nor other goods the clan wanted to sell were bought by the English as long as they did not submit. So they started to raid the ships that sailed to the islands and to trade at other places in order to secure their livelihood. Gráinne, married to the neighbouring clan leader Donal O'Flaherty since the age of 16, got involved and even sailed by herself to Spain and Portugal for trade. At the beginning of her career she was said to have had 3 later 20 galleons under her command. After her first husband was murdered she remarried, but only to dissolve the marriage within a few months and relieve her ex-husband of some castles. But this did not stop her from plundering and robbing together with him.

Sir Richard Bingham, appointed governor of Galway in 1584—‘The Irish were never tamed with words but with swords’.

Meanwhile the English colonialists tried to get a grip on Ireland. More and more Englishmen were resettled. There were bloody riots and uprisings. Loyal Englishmen were given land that had previously been taken away from rebellious Irishmen. Gráinne was a rebel, but she was probably no patriot. On the one hand she assured the English queen of her loyalty, but this did not prevent her from continuing to rob English merchants and landowners and appointing herself as the head of the clan. In 1578 Gráinne was finally captured. After promising not to take any further action at sea against the English, she is released after 18 months in prison. She does not fulfill this promise.

Therefore from 1584 Sir Richard Bingham becomes the new governor of Galway and her most bitter enemy. Since she does not stop raiding nearby coastal towns and merchant ships in 1593, she was arrested again. She was released but nobody knows why, the sources report different things, sometimes she was exchanged for her son-in-law, sometimes she fled. Bingham stayed on her heels and now other clans were hunting her and now worried about her life want ise made a request for protection to the Queen and justified her piracy with the fact that she and her people had to survive somehow. Elizabeth was apparently enthusiastic about her and not only granted her protection but also a letter of marque under the English flag.

The meeting of Gráinne Ní Mháille and Queen Elizabeth I (a later illustration from Anthologia Hibernica, vol. 11, 1793)

According to some sources Gráinne Mhaol Ní Mháille died on 18 June 1599, according to others not until 1603. Her place of death is uncertain, Rockfleet Castle is discussed. Some researchers suspect that her bones were buried in the family crypt on Clare Island.

[clarenecessities]

i really am fucking poisoned. i was looking at the etymology of izutsumi's name and i checked her codename first, right, Asebi, aka the Japanese pieris/andromeda and like all I can think is damn that was Justine Dantzer's working name for the character who would one day be She-Ra. that's crazy

[tellmewhatyouheardpodcast]

Episode 1: The Banshee, pt 1

Hail and welcome to episode 1 of Tell Me What You Heard, the podcast dedicated to deep dives on the creatures, motifs, and legends of world folklore. I’m your host LG. In our four episode first season, we’re focusing on wailing women, galloping Hessians, Halloween traditions, and some scary stories to chill your bones. So grab your softest blankie, turn off all the lights, and settle in for some spooky fun. Because right now, we’re going to talk about the Irish supernatural death omen, the Banshee. 

I think most of us probably know, or think we know, two facts about the Banshee. One: she’s a woman. Two: she screams. Hence the phrase, screaming like a Banshee, which is likely the only context we’ve ever even heard the word “banshee” in. That was definitely where I was coming from when I started my research.

Here’s the Encyclopedia Britannica’s definition of a Banshee:

A supernatural being in Irish and other Celtic folklore whose mournful “keening,” or wailing screaming or lamentation at night was believed to foretell the death of a member of the family of the person who heard the spirit. 

Apart from being a woman and her distinctive wail, which we’ll talk about later, I’d say the other most important thing about this creature is that she screams not just to scream -- which would be perfectly understandable -- but specifically in order to foretell a death in the family. But this cascades into even more questions. Is she a member of the family? Is there one Banshee for all of the homes that need her, like Santa Claus, or is Banshee more like a race of creatures? Where does she even come from? To get answers, let’s jump in the way way back machine and visit some Irish texts from yesteryear.

***

In 1888 William Butler Yeats, the Irish poet whose name you probably recognize, published a book called Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry. It’s a fun collection of short stories that Yeats gathered from Irish authors and historians who were themselves gathering stories from rural Irish folks. And these authors and historians weren’t gathering just any kind of stories -- they were gathering folktales. Stories about fairies and giants and princesses, and haunted trees and haunted bridges and cursed objects.

And stories the folk did tell -- emphasis on TELL, because these stories were passed through the oral tradition, often over many generations. Sometimes the accounts of these creatures were first hand, but far more often they had happened to brother’s wife in County Clare, or someone’s mother-in-law from Sligo, or someone’s great- grandmother who lived on the coast. DID NOT RECORD

It’s important to note that Yeats wasn’t a folklorist himself, and Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry is an imperfect book especially as it relates to how folklore folklore and data around it is gathered now. At least some of what Yeats claims in the book to be in the folk account -- that is, what the folk actually believe -- simply is not.

But Yeats’s book is still super important because until around the nineteenth century, vernacular stories were not being written down. That’s partly because their dissemination was still mainly oral, but also because they frankly weren’t considered important -- they were FOLK stories, meant for folk, not upper class society, and therefore upper class society didn’t bother much with them. But things started to change partway through the century, and by the end of it, in Ireland and around Britain, men and women  -- and there were quite a few women -- were asking locals to retell their stories in their native languages. If those people hadn’t done that work -- and hadn’t started when they did -- we might not have any folktales today. And who knows what stories and legends we might have if the process had started earlier.

But, I digress. Back to the Banshee, as described by Yeats.

The banshee (from bean, a woman, and sidhe, a fairy) is an attendant fairy that follows the old families, and none but them, and wails before a death. Many have seen her as she goes wailing and clapping her hands. The keen, the funeral cry of the peasantry, is said to be an imitation of her cry. When more than one banshee is present, and they wail and sing in chorus, it is for the death of some holy or great one.

Here’s a great example of a quote-unquote fact that’s not actually present in the folk account. That bit about multiple banshees singing in chorus for an important person -- in the entire Banshee mythos, there aren’t any tales relating that, and it’s unclear where Yeats got that from. But this passage does mention the three hard-and-fast truths about the Banshee that DO align with the folk account.

First, the Banshees IS is always a woman -- it’s the BAN part of the name, spelt in Irish B-E-A-N. Second, the Banshee appears outside the home of the dying person, or closeby.  Sometimes she’s seen in a physical form, and sometimes she isn’t, but either way, she’s there. Third -- her presence alway presages the death, whether expected or unexpected, of a person inside the home. 

Yeats also mentions how the Banshee will quote-unquote follow the quote-unquote old families of Ireland, meaning that she will announce deaths in that family for many generations. As to which families she follows, it’s not agreed upon. Different families are mentioned in different accounts. For now, let me tell you a story from Yeats’ book, recorded by a folklorist called T Crofton Croker, about the Mac Carthy family Banshee.

As a heads up, Crofton’s story is kind of long and meandering, but the details I’ve chosen to include are important to understanding the nature of the Banshee. Also, this story is in the public domain as far as I’m aware, so what I’m saying is, it’s free IP to be adapted into a limited series for Amazon.  Have at it. 

The story begins in 1749. Charles Mac Carthy’s father dies, leaving him in charge of the family estate. Charles is quote “not a pattern of regularity and virtue” and, well, he loves booze. When Charles is 24, he becomes sick and dies suddenly, supposedly from all of the alcohol and late night debauchery. During his wake, in the middle of the night, Charles’s mother goes to check on the body and finds Charles awake and sitting upright. Charles tells her that he did indeed die, and at the pearly gates, he pleaded with God to let him return to earth to atone for his sins so he doesn’t go to hell. God agreed and allowed Charles three more years of life.

Over those years, Charles becomes pious, temperate, and practical. By the time he’s nearing 27 years old, though it’s approaching the day the prophecy of his death is supposed to be fulfilled, no one really believes he’s gonna die because he’s in such good physical shape.

Croker’s story, somewhat bizarrely, at this point shifts to the point of view of several women exchanging letters in 1752. Ann Mac Carthy, Charles’s mother,writes to her cousin, Mary Barry -- not of British Baking Show fame, but maybe her great grandmother -- inviting Mary to the upcoming wedding of Charles’s ward, a guy who never gets any dialog in this story, called James Ryan. We then read Mary Barry’s letter to her sister, in which she details an extraordinary event that happened during the trip to the wedding.

[khaleesiofalicante]

(Part 1): This might be highly controversial and I will apologise if it brings you more trouble, but isn’t it a little too much to expect our favourite author to represent every community and race in their books. I get that if your character is of this race or this orientation, if the author is making a choice where the character belongs to a group then it is 100% their job to do it right and do justice if the author themselves don’t belong to the group they are trying to represent.

(Part 2): At the same time I don’t think it’s fair to the author to say well you’ve represented so so groups in your books, but you don’t have any characters belonging to this group so the author is the one in the wrong. I understand the need for proper representation for many marginalised communities, but I don’t think it’s fair to express that onto an author to do it. Because I think that leads to just adding a character belonging to some community without proper representation...

(Part 3): which does more harm than good. I don’t know, this is just how I feel. I’m sorry

----

Hey, Annie! Thank you for telling me how you feel. I hope you are okay. 

It is highly controversial, but I feel that is precisely why we must talk about it. As the last week has taught us, not all of us know everything, so it is important to talk about these issues, otherwise our judgement and perspectives will be further influenced by ignorance and misinformation. So, do not feel guilty for bringing this up. You are very brave and thoughtful for doing so. 

Okay so let’s talk about your concern. I am going to talk about representation in general - instead of focusing on specific fandoms. 

First off, you are absolutely right. No author has any obligation to represent all races and cultures and religions and sexual orientations. To expect them to do that is unrealistic and unfair. As you mentioned, it can also lead to misrepresentation and worst of all - tokenism. Basically, including a minority individual for baiting people into reading the book or to make it look like they are woke. This does happen in the entertainment field (books and tv) a lot. It is pathetic and sad and just cruel. 

I don’t think anyone (from what I know) wants an author to represent ALL religions and cultures and sexual orientations. People do want to see themselves on the books they read. And people are different. As a minority, I cannot tell you how starved I have been for representation. 

I think best example would be when I was in school and I was watching big bang theory and the character of Sheldon Cooper mentioned my country (Sri Lanka). He literally just mentioned the name and I lost my fucking shit. Because I loved that show and I liked the character - so for him to mention the name of my country (literally for a second) was insane. I spoke about it the whole week and rewatched that scene a thousand times. 

This is what happens when there is no representation. 

Now when I think about it, it seems really sad. I sometimes think this is how all minorities must feel. My country is barely represented in any book or show, so I can’t comment on misrepresentation. But I cannot imagine what it must feel like to wait for so long for representation and then only to have a character that is not relatable or true to your identity. 

This is an ongoing issue. There is nothing we can do about the decisions of YA authors - other than to point out their mistakes and request for change. But as creators, I think we should be take responsibility to be mindful of things where we can. This includes doing your researching before writing a fic or making sure you are not whitewashing characters when doing an edit, etc. 

Speaking of Cassandra Clare in specific, I think if people are expecting her to include all races and cultures and sexual orientations, it is because tsc has the rare opportunity to do so. It is a story that focuses on people from all over the world so it doesn’t seem entirely forced or unrealistic to have people of different cultures and religions in one story. 

But you are right. It isn’t fair to expect her, or any author, to do that. But I feel that Cassie does have a responsibility - especially with her following and reach. I know she can do better. I know she MUST do better. I hope she will.

Until then, all we can do is educate each other about our identities, point out mistakes kindly and carefully. 

I don’t know about the authors, annie. I cannot speak for them. But I know the tsc fandom and tumblr in general is full of wonderful creators and authors themselves. So, let’s do what is within our reach. Let’s walk the talk and try to represent people as they are and now how they want them to be or how we think they should be. 

Let’s try to do our part and pray that others will do the same. 

Dani x. 

[diverse-writing]

I'm white and My story I'm writing dealswith immortals starting in Victorian ukI made the two main characters white the story is from their perspective with side characters of colour because I thought it would be wrong for me to write the intense racism they wouldexperience and also I felt like as a white person it wasnt my place to write that so I made them white Should it stay like this or should I make a main character a poc and do extensive researchand try to write to the best of my ability

There’s a lot to unpack here so let’s dive in.

First of all, I want to tackle this idea that as a white person, it’s not “your place” to write about a character experiencing racism firsthand. I feel like this idea is a misinterpretation of the sentiment behind #OwnVoices that advocates for allowing marginalized voices to tell their own stories. And it’s true that POC don’t want white people writing race narratives, full stop. We don’t want white people writing books about what it means to be Black, Asian, Native, etc. We don’t want you to write entire novels telling us about the racism and prejudice we experience, profiting off our pain without experiencing it. Those narratives focused around identity and prejudice should be told by the people who know what it’s like firsthand.  

But that’s not the same thing as wanting you to not write POC. In fact, it’s the opposite; we want you to write POC as fully fleshed out, dynamic, and interesting characters who live full lives beyond their race and the racism they face. Yes, sometimes writing POC may include writing about the unique problems they face (which, in your case, would be Victorian racism). But we just don’t want you to write only about that, reducing our lives down to our pain and the prejudices of people who hate us. So yes, it’s not your place to write a story about being Black, but it is your place to write a story about a Black character.

Secondly, let’s look at the role race plays in your narrative premise. Every single story about immortals is about immortal white people. Twilight is about immortal white people; Tuck Everlasting is about immortal white people; The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice is about immortal white people; How to Stop Time by Matt Haig is about immortal white people; even Doctor Who is essentially about immortal white people, with a few recent variations to the pattern. Hell, even if you just wanted to look at examples of immortality narratives in Victorian London, all you would come up with would be more immortal white people. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare, Dracula by Bram Stoker--all of these are more or less about immortal white people in London circa the late Victorian era. I’m hard pressed to think of an immortality narrative that isn’t about white people. (And no, The Old Guard doesn’t magically make up for literally hundreds of immortal white people narratives.) It is, at some point, a tired out narrative trope.

And now, getting to the heart of your question: You’re right that POC in Victorian London probably faced a vicious brand of racism. But that racism probably looked different than it does today, just as the people on the receiving end of that racism would be more different than one might expect. Remember that “whiteness” as we know it is essentially a modern construct. When you look back at Victorian race relations, some of our modern race categorizations would still apply. For example, Black people and Asian people would still clearly be identified as “not white.” But that “not white” category encompassed a wider variety of racial/ethnic groups than it does today; at various points, Italians, Greeks, Slavs, and Hungarians were all filed under the “not white” category despite firmly registering as “white” within our modern consciousness (to say nothing of indigenous European ethnic groups like the Romani, Saami, or Basque people who may visually code as “”white”” while still facing horrific prejudice and racism). 

And once you factor in the not-uncommon sentiments against the Irish, Welsh, and Scottish peoples that English Londoners shared a country (and city) with, so-called “white” racial dynamics become even more complicated. On top of that, London was and is a hub of religious diversity which adds an additional dimension of prejudice, with Jews, Catholics, and non-Anglican Protestants all facing different struggles throughout the Victorian era, when the religious demographics of the UK underwent a period of extreme change. Thus, it’s easy to see that simply being “white” wasn’t necessarily a guarantee against prejudice and why ethnicity, nationality, and even religion are necessary concepts to discuss alongside race. 

Unless your main characters are both middle to upper class English WASPs born to generations of middle to upper class English WASPs, they will likely have to interact and navigate prejudice of some kind. It’s up to your discretion what kind of prejudice they face.

Obviously, it’s up to you but... in my opinion, you absolutely should branch out in terms of who and what you’re writing about. You’re right that writing a POC would require extensive research but literally any historical fiction is going to need extra research; this is just an extension of that. So take the time to reassess your narrative premise, do more research, and then dive back in and write your heart out. This ask doesn’t directly address the same problem you have here but it might have some helpful advice for moving forward nonetheless.

[beclynn-herondale]

Carstairs siblings.

( for my fic I am writing called the next gen of shadowhunters and downworlders) ( Mina Carstairs and the world belong to Cassandra Clare)

Name: Wilhelmina Yiqiang Ke Carstairs.

Age: 19

Nickname/s: Mina, Min Min, Mina Mine, Silly Melon, Little Mina by jem and family and friends. Badass warrior woman by some. Terrifying Carstairs by some. The Future of Women by Charlie Herondale, The Beautiful Mina Carstairs by Charlie Herondale. Babe by Charlie Herondale

Parabatai: Charlie Herondale

Gender: female

Sexuality: Heterosexual/Bi curious

Personality: She is sarcastic at times and serious at others, She can be Reckless which makes her and her parabatai and dangerous combination sometimes, she isn't afraid to say what she thinks whatever it may be. She is a free flower some say. She isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes in or the people she cares about and loves. She will show Affection to those she loves and cares for, she will angst out with her parabatai. She can be Calm as well and Is very kind and loving. Though often fears her powers seeing how they are demonic. And she can be Hateful towards herself for her demonic powers. Even though Charlie, her Mom and Dad and others Assure her there is nothing wrong with her powers and that her half brother James Herondale once felt the same about his. With Charlie she feels comfortable her Parabatai was her best friend and more, but also had powers even if they are angelic but she is still not like the other shadowhunters. She loves to read with Charlie and Charlie often falls asleep on Mina's lap or shoulder she Cherishes these moments with her Parabatai. She is the kind of person you want to have on your side in a battle, she is smart and is talented. She is Quite at times and Is Extremely supportive of the ones she loves and care about. She has a sword and she's not afraid to use it. She can see Ghosts including her half siblings who she often Talks with nobody but Charlie and her Siblings know about this though. She loves her Parabatai so much it hurts sometimes everyone Thinks her Parabatai to be Unintelligent or A Bimbo as the modern age would call it but She knows her Parabatai and will Fight those Fuc***s if she has to. Her Father Jem Carstairs often says her and Charlie's relationship reminds him of His and His Parabatai's Will Herondale relationship, she has to admit that's one of the best compliments she could receive to live up to even a fragment of what her father was and is. She cares for her siblings like a second mom, She wants to travel all kinds of Places and learn as much as she can. And she knows who she would travel with it would be Charlie and Charlie's Girlfriend Marisa Helen Rosales-kingson-Blackthorn or as they call her Mari, and Mina's Boyfriend Max Lightwood-Bane the best People for Traveling Mina thinks. Mina can seem like she's overconfident but she's not she just knows what she can do and is capable of. She will talk with her uncle Will aka Will Herondale and he will make her laugh and cheer her up, and will tell her she is a very special girl who has amazing parents who is proud of, and loves with all he has.

Physical description: Mina has Dark Grey eyes and long unruly Black Hair, she is pale like her Mother and has the Slender features of her Father but has her Mother's Chin, she may be slender but is strong and has muscle. She is skilled in the ways of fighting and hand to hand combat basically she can kick your ass but won't unless you push her to. She is very beautiful. She has a kind looking face. She has Almond shaped eyes that are sharp. She is said to be Muscular as well not extremely but she has muscle. She usually wears Jean's and tshirts. She'll wear suits and blouses. She wears shorts and tank tops. She wears sneakers and combat boots and shadowhunter gear. She loves to wear pjs. She loves leather jackets and hoodies. She also has a necklace that belonged to Cordelia Carstairs and she holds it dear. It has a Sapphire in it with. Ruby and has a gold Chain.

Name: Jonah Alastair Carstairs ( I will add a Chinese name as well once I do research. )

Age: 15

Nickname/s: Jone, Jonah love, baby boy, sweet Jonah by family and jem and tessa, Jo Jo by Mina, Jone Bug by Charlie don't question this Charlie has interesting mind. My Precious Twin by Cecy Carstairs, (might add on later)

Parabatai: Future Parabatai Vivanne Blackthorn-Panhellow

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Pansexual

Personality: he is sweet and quiet, he is often described as all that is good, he is loved by almost everyone who meets him. He is kind and will often those who are in need. He has deep respect for his older siblings and hopes to be as great as them he says, Even though he is great in his own ways. He cam be curious and adventurous. He is extremely loving and will hug you if you're having a hard time, he loves books and instruments. He also plays the violin very well like his father and enjoys the same books as his mother. He has a little crush on Charlie Herondale his big sisters Parabatai but he finds Tessa Maryse Herondale Clary and Jace's Second daughter one of the most beautiful people has ever seen, the poor boy is conflicted by the beauty of the herondales. He often talks to his half brother James Herondale who is a Ghost and Asks for advice, in which James replies with just because I married Cordelia Carstairs doesn't mean I know how or why she choosed me. I didn't deserve the kindness she always gave me. And Jonah gets more confused. And so he asks his other half sibling Lucie Herondale who is also a Ghost and she says follow your heart little Joan and never let them tell you what your heart holds. And he starts to cry because he's an emotional babe ok. And will cry at the littlest things a affectionate moment between someone or dog commercials where they are asking for dogs to he adopted, and yes he does ask Tessa and Jem if they Can get a Dog and they end up getting a Corgi who they name Gabe after years of asking their parents. Jonah sneaks Gabe into bed with him because the dog is extremely snuggly and loves his family very much. And when they visit the Herondale Family who have a golden retriever named Em Em , they bring Gabe so he can play with her and you can find Tessa Herondale and Jonah Carstairs playing with the Dogs with dorky smiles on their Faces. Something Jonah loves is how he's one of the only people who cam make Tes as he calls her laugh unconditional it makes him feel strange but happy. He doesn't know what the feeling is but he doesn't care as long as he can hold onto their friendship it's enough.

Physical description: he has light brown hair and Dark eyes like his Father, he is slender but strong, he looks like his mama in the face except like his father around the eyes. He is tall for his age but some say he may just grow fast and stop early, although seeing as how his parents are tall they expect him to be tall. He and his twin sister Cecy look almost identical except she has black hair and blue eyes. He may be skinny but he has muscle as well. He is often described as beautiful and very handsome. He has one of the kindest faces. His eyes are filled with kindness and lovingness. His smile is beautiful. He has think lips. And almond shaped eyes that are sharp. He has hands of a musician, they are slim and long, and look delicate. He often wears Jean's and tshirts. He will dress up In suits if he has to. He wears sneakers and combat boots. He usually likes tshirts with sayings on them or vintage tshirts and music band tshirts. He likes to wear ripped Jean's usually black or grey but will wear blue. He likes jackets and hoodies. He wears a bracelet that belonged to Lucie Herondale as a way to carry his half sister with him even when though she is dead and is a ghost but she can't always be with him so he carries it with him. It is silver with emeralds in it, it is beautiful.

Cecily Jessie Carstairs ( again I will add a Chinese name to her when I find one )

Age: 15

Nickname/s: Cecy, Little Fighter, Wild Child, Baby Girl, Little Girl with a big Heart, by family and friends. Ce Ce by Charlie, a force to be reckoned with by Charlie. Old Soul. Twin of Mine by her twin Jonah Carstairs.

Parabatai: Becky Lightwood.

Sexuality: Bisexual

Personality: She is stubborn and is not the type to back down, she teases the people she's close with but it's her way of showing affection. She is kind, and Always does the Right Thing. She loves deeply and fiercely. She often reminds men and boys that girls and women are strong as well and can kick ass. She is skilled in fighting for her age but has put countless hours into training to achieve it. Her and her Parabatai Sophie Lightwood are a great team and have an amazing friendship, they have a close bond which Cecy cherishes. Whenever she needs someone to lean on Sophie is there, and if Sophie needs someone Cecy is there. She loves the herondales they are some of her best friends. She is also friends with the blackthorn children and the Rosales-Kingson-Blackthorn family and one in particular is someone she is interested in, his name is Andrew Rosales-kingson-Blackthorn and he is lovely she says and she teases him of course. She is sarcastic and she is when times are awkward and need a little lighting up. When she smiles it lights up a room but very few get to see that smile that lights things up. She likes to find beauty in the imperfections and is often the one who tells others they are beautiful because they are them and no one can be like them or have their beauty. She enjoys talks with her namesake Cecily Herondale who is a ghost and they often talk about how similar Cecy is to Cecily and that Cecy will do amazing things. She talks with uncle Will as well, they often make sarcastic remarks together and talk about books and music, and how beautiful Jem playing the violin is, yes cecy loves hearing her father play the violin and says it's one of the most beautiful sounds she's ever heard. She has a close relationship with her Mama and Dad but hangs with her Dad a lot. Jem taught Cecy to play the Violin at a young age cause she begged him to. She loves to Visit and watch Clary Herondale cause she loves painting and Clary taught her how to and she must admit Clary is like an Aunt to Cecy and she loves visiting her. She also loves to visit uncle Julian and he has taught her stuff to, the funny thing is Clary and Julian never minded the other teaching her stuff they always respected each and even took tips from each and fangirled over art together. Cecy loves anything art and to read books and fill her head with information. She loves her older siblings who she calls the meme team, Kit always includes her and Mina as well they are amazing and she can't explain how much she loves them. And her twin Jonah of course who she loves more then anything.

Physical description: She has long Black hair and Blue Eyes, she has Jem's high cheekbones and slender features and looks like her mama around the chin and eyes, she is tall for her age like her twin. She is beautiful and has a sweet but kinda blank looking face. She is Slim and lean but strong. She has a scar on her arm from a deep cut she got as a little child, she loves the scar though it reminds her of who she is, that she is a strong girl who can overcome and be a badass shadowhunter. She has slight freckles along her face. She wears her hair in ponytails and braids often and on special occasions will wear it down. She often wears Jean's and Leggings, Tshirts and Tank Tops, she loves Sneakers and Combat Boots, she Wears a necklace that detects when demons are around that magnus had made for her similar to the one Isabelle Lightwood had and passed down to her daughter Sophie Lightwood. It has a black chain with a Amethyst in it. She holds the necklace dear. Magnus is someone she looks up to and very much enjoys his company.

Name: Gabe Carstairs the corgi

Age: 2 years.

Nickname/s: gabby, gab gab, GG, sweetheart, sweet boy.

Gender: male.

He is like most corgi's on the looks and his personality is very energetic and sweet and he is snuggling and loves his family. He is protective of his family. And will try to cheer them up when they are upset.

( thank you to @daisyherxndale for all the help with the characters)

[catholicartistsnyc]

Meet Sister Desiré Anne-Marie Findlay

Sister Desiré Anne-Marie Findlay is a Felician sister, dancer, writer and artist. She dances live on her Instagram (@sister_d) and blogs at Religious Life for Beginners.  You can also catch her performances and videos about life as a religious sister on her YouTube channel.

In September 2020, Catholic Artist Connection’s Laura Pittenger spoke with Sister Desiré about dance, creativity in religious life, and how the Church can better serve its artists, particularly those of color. An edited and condensed version of that conversation is included below: 

LAURA PITTENGER (LP): I have to tell you, I mentioned to a friend that I was going to interview a Felician sister about her art and my friend said, “Is this the sister who dances on instagram? I LOVE HER.” You have a lot of fans!

SISTER DESIRÉ FINDLAY (SDF): I joke with my friends that I’m like a “small big deal.” (Editor’s note: As of this writing, she has over 3,500 followers on Instagram. We think she’s a regular big deal.)

LP: Where are you currently living and where are you from originally? 

SDF: I live in Pittsburgh, PA, but I was born in Biloxi, Mississippi and grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I also lived in California and Connecticut for awhile. Right now I live with one other sister in my community, which varies wherever I go. I’ve lived with 20 to 6 sisters at a time. My favorite was when there were three of us. It was a cool balance, we all traveled a lot, two of us we’d hang out and welcome the third back home, and another would leave and return and we’d welcome her home. it was like a seamless kind of movement.

LP: How did you become a dancer? 

SDF: It started when I was very young. My mom put me in ballet at three years old. We lived in Germany because my dad was in the Air Force, and I remember being in ballet class, running around in a circle on my tiptoes, and I started crying. Maybe because everything was in German! So when we moved back to the U.S., she put me in gymnastics. I went back into ballet for seven years, and in high school I joined the dance team. I learned other dance styles, jazz and hip-hop, those are my fun energy-based dances, but ballet has stayed my favorite. But what I do now is contemporary, not classical.

LP: Who are some dancers that you admire and who inspired you as a child? 

SDF: Actually it was more like gymnasts. There were two I remember: Dominique Moceanu and Dominique Dawes. I don’t even think I considered this as a child, but now that I look back on it, it makes sense because they both have darker skin, or darker hair, or are from a different culture. They both reflected me and my sister, we looked up to them. They were just so good, and we could see ourselves in them. Watching them, it was like I could see myself in performing arts too. 

LP: In the interview you did with America Magazine last year [above] you mentioned that dance for you is like a prayer. Could you share a little more about that?

SDF: I never experienced dance as prayer until I was invited to do a prayerful dance for an event. I didn’t know that was possible or that dance could be anything other than performance. The event was a dance to celebrate sisters who had spent 60 to 75 years in the convent. When I noticed that I was inviting all of us in the community to speak with God through my dance, I was like - dance can do this? I can speak to God with my entire body. I didn’t know why I hadn’t been doing that. 

I don’t do a lot of formal dance as prayer. I do lead group sometimes or on social media, and people can join in if they want. It’s spontaneous. I don’t choreograph unless i’m leading, but I like to just find whatever song is standing out to me at the time, and let it move me. Sometimes you hear songs that you have to move to, very prayerful songs, some by Audrey Assad, for example, that let us reflect on God and our lives. Sometimes a song will come to me and be in my head for awhile and I just need to dance it out, or I’m in a mood, and look through my songs on my iPad and see what songs I have. 

For example, in Advent, The Piano Guys have this cover of O Come O Come Emmanuel that’s instrumental. (I love that song, even though we hear it all season, I don’t get tired of it.) For some reason their instrumental version was stuck in my head, their version. I could not stop thinking about it, and I thought I’d dance it out. Even though there were no lyrics to it, I really felt that song. The line about captives being set free - I could express that through my limbs, that freedom, to be captive and set free by this amazing God who came to be human.

LP: What kind of support within the Felician community have you received for your dance, and how do you think religious communities can benefit from having artists in them?

SDF: My community has been very supportive of me in many things already anyway, but I would say when it comes to dance, on a personal basis my sisters will ask me about it, or send emails or call, or just when I see them at gatherings - “How are you doing? I’ve been reading about you! Keep up good work.” Or they ask if I’ve been using my dance, if they haven’t seen it lately. The community invites me to dance for events, like the Transitus of St. Clare of Assisi - when she passed away and went to her Spouse in Heaven, we have a ceremony to commemorate that. They asked me to pray that out in dance. So they’re not just encouraging me to dance, but asking me to do it for gatherings. 

I’m not the only artist. We have so many creative sisters. The sisters have the space to really pursue their creative skills or put them to use somehow. One sister does all our communications and designs our prayer spaces and booklets. She probably would have been like an interior designer or graphic designer, but here she is enhancing our gatherings with her talents. Sometimes you need something to look appealing to make people want to care. Creativity adds to life, I think, color, personality.

LP: There are so many religious orders out there. What drew you to the Felician sisters?

SDF: I was in college when I met them, it was on a 100-mile pilgrimage. I didn’t know it was going to be 100 miles, or that it was to pray for vocations. I’m not a detail person - God just knows how to work with me! God’s just like, “Come do this.” I signed up for the pilgrimage for the cultural aspect, to walk through pueblos. I love my New Mexican heritage. I had no thought about it being a Catholic pilgrimage. I met these two Felician sisters on the pilgrimage, and I had never heard of the order in my life. They were so different, one gentle introvert and one loud, happy extrovert. I love that they are just themselves. They don’t have to be anybody else, to be like or look like or act like each other. They can just be. So I thought, maybe I could be myself. I had thought of religious life before, to be able to pray and serve, that’s cool, but it was never something I thought I saw in my future, until I met them.

LP: What is the formation process like for the Felician sisters? 

SDF: Entering the Felicians is a nine-year process, minimum. Other orders can take six years minimum. It deepens in intensity as you go, but the first year I was still going to school and living on my own, so I’d visit with them and had a director. Then I moved in my second year and learned about the community and the saints. I became a novice and learned more about spiritual aspect of the community and my spiritual life. And then after that, four years later, I made my first vows. That’s when I moved out and was a sister, living the vows, but it still wasn’t forever, I could still change my mind. That stage is six years by itself. This August 15, 2020, was my one-year anniversary of making final vows. So it’s been 10 years. 

LP: How do you think the Catholic church can do better, starting right now, in supporting artists - and in your case, artists of color? Or Catholics of color in general?

SDF: I think even just this conversation, reaching out to us. Because we can try and create our own spaces to voice what we want to voice and share art we want to share, but unless we’re invited to share, it’s not going to get into a larger space. A Felician sister is a member of the The Stained Glass Association of America, and she said lately they’ve been getting calls from churches with predominantly Black parishioners with churches with stained glass of only white people, and they’re saying, “This doesn’t reflect our church, and Jesus wasn’t white, and we want diversity, how do we do that? How do we go about changing these windows? How do we invite artists of color into this industry? How do we bring more diversity in, to reflect the church we have?” It’s just by invitation, that’s where it starts. The sisters invited me to do this dance. Invitation.

LP: What would you say to someone who feels drawn to both their art or performance but also might feel a call to religious life? Do you think art can also be a form of vocation?

SDF: Like I said, I’m not a detail person, so I wouldn’t have looked up or researched anything. I go as my life unfolds. I don’t plan things. I know there are people out there who think they need to research everything - I didn’t do any of that. Everyone has a different way of discerning. When it comes to vocation and living your full authentic self, including your creativity, whatever form that takes, your passion - it could be immigration policy - there are ways to incorporate that into your vocation, whether you’re married, a sister, or a layperson. Do a little research and say, “Is that community open to that?” In some communities, everybody has the same ministry. In mine, you get to choose your own. There are communities where you can be an immigration lawyer. If I wanted to be a heart surgeon, I can be! 

You have to know what your non-negotiables are. The goodness of God - He already knew my non-negotiable was my creativity, and I didn’t realize that. God led me to a community at the right time and in a way that spoke to me. I just said i’m going with it. Nothing else seemed to fit. 

We have a style of dress we like to wear as Felician sisters, but we have an option. You can be more traditional, or you can wear a dress and make sure you wear a crucifix. There are some guidelines, but you get to choose. You can be an individual. 

Pay attention to what speaks to you. Pay attention to what brings resistance in a community. Knowing that I can be so creative is part of what makes my vocation so fruitful. I can design notebooks! I can share things on social media on my own time. I never knew that’s what i wanted. After I realized dance could be prayer, I want everything I do to have that kind of meaning. That was my non-negotiable. God said, “I gave you these gifts.” It reminds me of the story of Abraham and Isaac. When I was going to enter the Felician sisters, I thought that I’d probably have to give up dance, God said, “I gave it to you.” I was willing to give it up, but God gave it back to me a hundredfold. I’ve gotten to teach dance here and abroad. I never thought I’d do anything like that.

LP: Do you have any words of advice for other Catholic artists who may be struggling right now amid the COVID-19 pandemic and everything else in the world?

SDF: I was very much struggling when all this started. I was used to traveling and meeting lots of people all over the place. I felt very seen, very heard. Suddenly I was in my own little world, and I didn’t have to get up or go anywhere. Before, I was being invited to spaces, but now I have to create spaces for myself. I wasn’t posting dance videos until the pandemic happened. I wanted to connect, but couldn’t in the ordinary way. My suggestion would be to create the connection that you feel you’re missing, because a lot of us were connecting in ways we were used to: coffee, concerts... 

Whether we are an observer or an artist, we’re used to connecting through creativity. Now we have to find ways to share that creativity and enjoy it in different spaces. So to be open to those, it means a lot of technology. It still matters and makes a difference for others. I’ve felt a change in myself, being able to connect with people through technology and through Zoom dance group. At first I didn’t want to do it, but people were asking to experience dance as prayer. The Zoom group is open for anyone, but now I’ve just been doing Instagram and Facebook live. I just tried it for the first time last month. I didn’t know people were craving this different type of prayer experience until people started sharing it. Even when I was unwilling, God created this space for myself and other people and I get to share this gift. Here we are praying together, with openness.