#georgia tiny house festival

[3thurs]

Third Thursday events and exhibitions for October 17

The next Third Thursday — the monthly evening of art in Athens, Georgia — is scheduled for Thursday, October 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. All exhibitions are free and open to the public. This schedule and each venue’s location and hours of operation are available at 3thurs.org.

Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia

Artist Talk: Atlanta photographer Tokie Rome-Taylor, 5:30 p.m. — This program is presented in conjunction with an installation of Rome-Taylor’s work on view in the museum’s permanent collection galleries.

Yoga in the Galleries, 6 p.m. — This free yoga class surrounded by works of art in the galleries is led by instructors from Five Points Yoga and open to both beginner and experienced yogis. Sanitized mats are provided. Space is limited and spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis; tickets are available at the front desk starting at 5:15 p.m.

On view:

“Mind the Gap: Selections from the Permanent Collection” — Each work in this exhibition represents a snapshot of human experience preserved for future generations. Each connects us to the past while pointing toward the future. 

“Joel Sternfeld: When It Changed” — Joel Sternfeld’s photographs of the 2005 United Nations Climate Change Conference 

“The Artist as Witness” — Works from the museum’s permanent collection that respond visually to the exhibition “Joel Sternfeld: When It Changed”

“In Dialogue: On Wonder and Witnessing at Tallulah Falls” — 19th-century landscapes of Tallulah Falls and contemporary photographs of the area by Caitlin Peterson, illuminating the contradictions involved in marking off natural wonders and the paradoxes of witnessing nature. 

“Waffle House Vistas” — Photographs by Micah Cash taken from inside Waffle House restaurants, plus a newly commissioned time-based work.

“Saint Petersburg as Franz Liszt Saw It” — Organized in conjunction with the Liszt Festival at the University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music in October 2024, this exhibition features works on paper that show Russia at the time of Franz Liszt’s visits there in the 1840s.

“A Perfect Model: Prints after Anthony van Dyck’s Portraits” — Prints that attest to Anthony Van Dyck’s lasting impact as printmaker and portraitist.

Permanent collection: A wide range of the museum’s permanent collection is always on view, featuring painting, sculpture, works on paper and decorative arts from the Renaissance to contemporary periods.

The museum’s days of operation are Tuesday – Sunday. Reserve a free ticket and see our policies at https://georgiamuseum.org/visit/.

ATHICA: Athens Institute for Contemporary Art

ATHICA@675 Pulaski St., Suite 1200:

“COMPULSION: 2024 Juried Exhibition” — Featuring contemporary art in all media from all over the country and beyond. 4 – 8 p.m.

ATHICA@CINÉ Gallery:

“Garden of Dreams: Photographs by Austin Emerson” — Darkroom-based alchemical images.

Lyndon House Arts Center

"Inspired: Artworks by Students of the Clarke County School District” — This year's CCSD student art exhibition biennial features artworks by students inspired by Athens artists and creatives.

Ahndhi Stitcha’s VHS tape collection in the Community Collections case

“Art in a Bottle: Leonard Piha” — Local artist creates small sculptures inside glass bottles.

tiny ATH gallery

“Disposable Society: Adam Void” — Art by a multidisciplinary creator from Black Mountain, North Carolina, inspired by the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

The Athenaeum

“Fission or, Eclipse” — New York-based artist Rose Salane uses seemingly mundane objects to explicate systems of evaluation, exchange and organization that shape daily life, arranging collected items of disparate origin from personal and bureaucratic archives to better understand historic cycles through an object’s recovery and storage.

ACE/FRANCISCO Gallery

"Murmur Trestle: Photographs by Jason Thrasher” —Thrasher spent six years focusing his lens on an immersive exploration of the R.E.M. Murmur Trestle, photographing it within its changing natural environment.

“Grit Portraits: Paintings by Tobiah Cole” — Paintings of some of the artist’s friends from his many years at the Grit, a beloved restaurant formerly on Prince Avenue in Athens. A limited-edition fine art print of one of Cole's landscape paintings made in Maine will be available for purchase.

The Classic Center

“Legendary Georgia Musicians in Watercolor” — Jackie Dorsey’s homage to musicians who have called Georgia their home. 

“Linnentown Then and Now: The Johnsons” — Portraits by Caroline Ford Coleman.

—

Third Thursday was established in 2012 to encourage attendance at Athens’ established art venues through coordination and co-promotion by the organizing entities. 

Contact: Michael Lachowski, Georgia Museum of Art, mlachow@uga.edu.

[jamienojaem]

It is so hard to go outside. It is searingly painful. Simple errands are terrifying agony. Rather than be quietly ashamed about this, I’m going to talk about it more and more. Because (unfortunately) this struggle is entirely reasonable and inevitable in our current American society. There are hundreds of us in this one small community struggling this way. And surely thousands, millions across the nation. It is agony. I survived an episode of random gun violence as an infant in the neighborhood where I was living in central Georgia. The shooter was directly across the street from our house for hours. It was barely spoken about. Joked about, occasionally, as an odd thing that happened once. A barricade situation that stretched on and on. I didn’t “know” anything about it until I was told, when I was much older, but even then it did not feel like new or surprising information. I have no tangible, conscious memories of the event, but my cells remember. My cells really feel full up, you know? I don’t know how many of these things they are meant to hold. Colorado Public Radio says the state just passed its record for the most people injured in mass gun violence in a single year. The New York Times editorial board thinks my very existence is a debate, a problem, a question. None of this can escape my terrified body’s notice. All of it compounds. The Denver Post says Daniel always noticed every tiny flower growing on the sides of the trails he would hike. His partner said “one thing I learned from him, and I want you all to learn from him: Never stop looking at the small flowers.” When you go outside and are forced by your trauma to notice everything - every threatening sound, every fluorescent light, every selfishly stupidly unmasked person breathing too close - you do also notice flowers. I always have. I too am famous for it. So I came home today from my ten minute errand from hell and put some festive silk flowers from Hawaii on my Jizo - protector of travelers, of those who are weak and in dangerous places. I’m planning to go to the mountains soon. I hope I can. I don’t know when or how this will get easier. Until it does, I’ll talk about it.

[tinyhouseexpedition]

The Children's Book Inspired by Our Tiny Home Adventures

One year ago, Christian and I had a serendipitous meeting with author Susan Bernardo.

It all began with our tiny house road trip to Ojai, CA, to film a planning commission meeting discussing an update to the ADU ordinance to include moveable tiny homes. Also in attendance was artist/tiny house dweller Dominique Moody. I shared with her how much I missing my little boy, who with us part-time.

Upon hearing of my sadness, Dominique gave me her copy of Sun Kisses, Moon Hugs, a children's book by Susan with a simple but powerful message: "Even when loved ones cannot be with us, we can feel their presence through our deep connections to the natural world." Such a heartwarming way for my son and I stayed connected even when we are far away from each other.

This was the beginning of my deep connection with Susan.

While in Ojai, Kevin Polk, founder of Makes A Village and Susan's long-time boyfriend, extended us a parking offer in Los Angeles. A week later our tiny house was parked in front of their house. We gave Susan and Kevin the grand tour of our tiny home with stories of our build. This included how, with the help of friends, we salvaged siding from an old farmhouse to use for our walls and used wood from trees that fell in a tornado for our countertops and shelving.

Additionally we shared stories from our coast-to-coast travels with our tiny home, and how each highway trip feels a bit like a parade.

We get so many delightful reactions from people on the road and have many spontaneous conversations at gas station stops. Along the way we've met folks living in all forms of tiny homes, from converted buses, house boats, renovated travel trailers and all shapes and styles of tiny houses.

Susan's eyes lit up with wonder, "Has anyone ever written a children's book about tiny homes on wheels?"

Why no, we responded, but one is definitely needed!

For story and illustrative inspiration, we shared images and more stories of our community experience within the tiny house movement, with both Susan and her illustrator partner, Courtenay Fletcher. Within a few weeks, Susan had written had the first draft of The Big Adventures of Tiny House.

One year later, it's completely finished and available for order.

The Big Adventures of Tiny House is a story of adventure and community, and most importantly a fresh take on the meaning of home. Susan and Courtenay beautifully capture the spirit of the tiny house movement— a pioneering lifestyle centered around meaningful experiences and friendships, and adorably charming to boot.

This is sure to become a classic, beloved by tiny house enthusiasts of all ages!

I recently caught up with the dynamic duo, Susan (SB) and Courtenay (CF),  for in-depth look at their creative process and the creation of their latest heart-warming children's book.

What’s your background in the children’s literature world?

We created and published our first children’s book, Sun Kisses, Moon Hugs, in 2012….when both of us were 45. It was a project straight from the heart – we were both coping with grief and loss at the time, and looking for ways to reassure our kids that love is forever. That book launched us on our dream career path – but we’ve had lots of other jobs along the way.

CF: I was an advertising art director for many years and a photographer, and also had experience designing book covers.

SB: And I worked in public relations, teaching and fundraising. Plus, we are both moms, which is really what catapulted us in the field.   

How did you first learn about tiny houses?

SB: Everybody knows about tiny houses! They’re so popular and cute, and I’d seen the shows on television. My first personal encounter with a tiny houser was meeting artist Dominique Moody and seeing her handcrafted jewel of a home, The Nomad.

  What inspired The Big Adventures of Tiny House?

SB: You did! When I laid eyes upon your little house on wheels, I was so inspired by the creative ways you used salvaged, repurposed materials – and the gorgeous photos of your cross-country adventures really captured my imagination.

CF: Susan called me up to rave about the tiny house parked in front of her house, and I said I thought it would make a wonderful picture book.

SB: Voila!

Who is Tiny?

SB: Tiny is the main character of our book, The Big Adventures of Tiny House (the story is told from the perspective of the house!).

CF: He used to be an old farmhouse who was salvaged and refashioned into a tiny house on wheels. With the help of his new friend Big Truck, Tiny sets off across America to see if he is still a real home.

  What's your collaboration process?

SB: We each have our areas of expertise – I write and Courtenay illustrates – but we work closely right from the start of each book. Once I have a rough draft, Courtenay does initial sketches to flesh out the characters.

CF: And once Susan polishes the manuscript, I storyboard the whole book and layout the pages. Then I illustrate, while Susan fine tunes the text.

SB: Along the way, we also work together figuring out the technical and business aspects of indie publishing – distribution, marketing and publicity. Courtenay is a wizard with all things graphic design, from websites to bookmarks.

CF: Susan loves writing articles, working with bloggers, learning the ins and outs of social media, etc. And we both LOVE doing school visits and events where we get to share our stories with kids and the community.

What's the big purpose of your tiny house book?

SB: Delighting and inspiring children is always our main goal…and delivering positive messages along the way.

CF: The book is about acceptance, friendship, building community, and following your heart to live a life that makes you happy.

How has creating this book connected you with the tiny house community?

SB: It has been pure delight the whole way! We have gotten to know so many wonderful people in the tiny house world, and we’ve attended lots of incredibly cool events – from the Jamboree to the Georgia Tiny House Festival to a hands-on building workshop with the Diedricksen Brothers at the Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art Museum.

CF: Everyone has been kind and helpful and amazing – just like the characters in our book.

Who are the special cameos within your incredibly charming illustrations?

SB: Courtenay mentioned Macy Miller’s family and Great Dane Denver! She also hid our own dogs and kids in some of the scenes, and really captured the flavor of tiny house festivals on the Jamboree page.

CF: We tucked in a little tribute to the Diedricksen Brothers’ treehouse designs on the village page, as well as a Little Free Library. A local family elementary school has been turned into a tiny-house-on-wheels character!

SB: And…of course, Tiny House Expedition is featured, too!

CF: That's one of our favorite aspects of indie publishing -- we have total creative control and can have fun with the illustrations.

Why did you decide to pursue indie publishing?

CF: Indie publishing is a lot like DIY house building! It takes a lot of research and asking the right questions and trial and error – but ultimately, we love the creative freedom.

SB: With our first book, we knew we wanted to get it finished as soon as possible, and conventional publishing can take 2-3 years or more. By going indie, we were able to turn around the book from idea to printing in just nine months.

CF: The Big Adventures of Tiny House took 11 months from concept to completion, and along the way, we met so many awesome people who’ve helped and encouraged us to pursue this dream.

SB: Crowdfunding the book through Kickstarter not only helped for practical considerations, it also allowed us to do unique outreach – we offered ways for people to be included right in the illustrations! For example, Macy Miller a tiny house builder and advocate, who runs the popular Tiny House People Facebook group, was one of our backers – and her kids and Great Dane are in the book! It feels like we are in the book sometimes – “a community founded on sharing and giving.”

The Big Adventures of Tiny House is NOW available on Amazon and at Once Upon a Time Books, America’s oldest independent children’s bookstore.

Tiny is hitting the road in more ways than one. 

Learn more at www.thebigadventuresoftinyhouse.com!

[gtunesmiff]

[collecting-stories]

Rick - ep. 09 - Georgia

Summary: After you and Daryl spend the afternoon together Rick and Michonne come over for beers, Rick finally figuring some things out.

A/N: I wanted to add more depth to the relationships in this version of the series. 

Georgia Masterlist | The Walking Dead Masterlist

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Daryl sat in the passenger seat, window rolled down as he smoked a cigarette, watching you sitting behind the wheel of his truck was more enticing than he thought it would be. He figured, this truck being akin to a child, that he’d be keeping an eye on you so that you didn’t damage her while you were driving but in fact it was just the sight of you in the driver’s seat, taking precious care of something special to him, that was making it hard to turn his gaze away.  

“Ya ain’t a bad driver.” Daryl commented, smoking blowing out the open window as he spoke.  

“I told you!” You laughed, “you know Rick Grimes?”

“Yeah, how do you?”

“Our mama’s went to school together, his mom’s my godmother. But he taught me to drive.” You supplied.  

A week before you got your permit your dad went on a week-long bender that resulted in his third stint in rehab. Your mom had asked Rick if he minded teaching you, telling him that your dad’s brother had passed away and he’s gone up to Virginia to be with his family. One year he’d caught the flu and another time an uncle in Tennessee had passed and he’d gone to bed with family’ because apparently your mother had married a family man.  

Rick had been happy to help and you’d been happy to have him teach you. If you could’ve had an older brother you were sure you would’ve wanted it to be Rick. He was a little older than you, Daryl’s age, but he had always hung back at kids' tables and parties and church picnics with you, never letting you feel left out.  

“He ain’t too bad.”

“Of a person or of a driver?” You asked, glancing over at Daryl as you slowed to a stop at a streetlight.  

“Both, likes to hassle me whenever he drops by.”  

“I didn’t know you were friends!” You said, already preparing all the questions you were going to ask him next time he came into the diner.  

“Ain’t clipping pictures to my visor or nothing,” he remarked, grinning when you frowned at him. There was a picture of Maggie and you from last year’s Harvest Festival clipped to your visor in your jeep and Daryl had teased you about it when he’d first noticed it there.  

“I’m gonna get a picture of me and clip it to your visor so you can see my smiling face every morning.” You replied.  

“Lucky me.” He managed to sound sarcastic as he said it but he thought immediately that he wouldn’t mind a picture of you in his truck, tucked away to look at whenever he was having a shitty day.  

“Where am I going once I get in to Woodbury?” You asked, crossing over the pike to take the back way into town. You liked backroads better than the main highways, something you and Daryl had in common. He wasn’t as much of a backseat driver as you thought that he would be.  

“The industrial park on the other side of Cartwright...ya know where that is?”

“As long as you tell me where to turn.” You passed the Woodbury diner, the chrome exterior catching the sun and drawing your attention. “We should get food there on the way back.”

“This ain’t a whole day thing...I got stuff ta do when I get back.” Daryl replied, taking a look passed you to the diner as the truck continued on.

“It’ll be fun, come on.” You begged, glancing over at him.  

“I’ll think about it.”  

-

Daryl lacked the ability to say no to you, something he had already known to be true but discovered over again when he told you to pull into the diner in Woodbury after a stop off at the bank to cash his check. You led him to a table in the back that had a tiny jukebox on it and he rolled his eyes as you ignored the menu in favor of finding a quarter.  

“Ya play any a that crap ya listen to I’m leaving ya here.” Daryl piped up as you dropped the quarter in.

“I was gonna play Dolly...it’s classic.”

He shook his head at you and you stuck your tongue out at him before settling on Bruce Springsteen. “You have a beef with the boss too?”

“Nah, this is fine.” He replied as the sounds of ‘I’m on Fire’ played in the booth. A little too on the nose, he thought, as he sat across from you watching you read over the menu.  

“Do you like working at the slaughterhouse?”

“I cut up dead cow all day long...not exactly the dream.” Daryl replied, “my brother got me the gig after I dropped out and I been working there since. Got bills to pay.”

“Does your brother still work there?”

“He’s in jail.”

“Oh. Sorry-”

“Ain’t your fault, he’s a fucking moron, got himself arrested. Been fucking up since we were kids.” He shrugged. He loved Merle but he certainly didn’t like him. Merle had gotten him in more trouble than he could keep track of.  

“I don’t have any siblings...I think I was enough.” You replied.

“I’m sure.” He teased, grinning at you.  

When the waitress came around to take your orders, she winked at you, assuming, you were sure, that the two of you were on a date. You smiled back at her and Daryl rolled his eyes when she walked away.  

“Are ya like that too?” He asked, “too perky for yer own good?”

“Probably. The happier you are the better the tip.” You replied, shrugging.

“I’m sure ya get tips just cause everyone knows who ya are.”  

“Well yeah.” You shrugged, “I can’t wait to get a different job.”

“Ya ain’t thrilled waiting on people all day?” Daryl asked, biting at his thumb to calm his nerves. He was sitting across from you at a diner and you were fishing in your bag to play the same Bruce Springsteen song over again.  

“No. I hate it. People are the worst!” You replied. There was nothing you could think of worse than having to deal with people all day. “What about you though? You have to deal with annoying people coming in to get their cars fixed.”

“Yeah I’m sitting across from one of ‘em.”

“Shut up!” You laughed, nudging his leg with your foot, “you love spending time with me.”

“You keep saying I do.” He said it but he knew that you were right. He liked spending time with you a little too much.  

-

Rick sat in the Adirondack chair that you usually occupied whenever you were over, cooler full of beer next to him. Daryl finishing some work on your jeep, showing Michonne the repairs he had done while Rick talked about passing his sheriff’s exam.  

“Ya ain’t President of the United States Rick,” Daryl cut off the second wind of the same story, laying his wrench down to look over at his best friend. Michonne laughed, shaking her head at the two of them. “Ya just made deputy.”

“Yeah and it’s a pretty big honor I’d say. Not everyone is out there making deputy D.” He replied, taking a swig of his beer.  

“Well as another person who made deputy, I’d like to point out that it isn’t the hardest thing in the world either.” Michonne piped up, grabbing a beer from the cooler. She handed one off to Daryl, taking a better look at the Jeep he was working on. A tassel made of different color yarns hung from the rearview mirror with an air freshener that looked especially feminine too, certainly not something Daryl would hang in his car. “Who’s Jeep?”

“Nobody’s, just doing a favor.”

“A favor for...” Michonne trailed off, popping the driver’s side door open. Daryl didn’t say anything as she slipped into the seat, taking a look around the inside. Vinyl stickers on the dashboard and as she scanned her eye caught the picture in the visor.  

“I been thinking the Jeep looked familiar to me,” Rick piped up. He’d thought one more than one occasion when he stopped ‘round his friend’s house that the Jeep he was working on was one he had seen around town though he couldn’t place it. “Just don’t know why.”

“That’s cause ya ain’t a good cop.” Daryl joked. Michonne laughed as she pulled the picture down and looked at it.

“I’m assuming it’s not Maggie Greene.” She said, handing off the picture to Rick.

“No, Daryl-”

“I’m just fixing her car.”

“What am I missing?” Michonne asked, looking between the two of them.

“She doesn’t need any trouble D, she gets enough of it.” Rick said, handing the picture back.

“I’m just fixing the damn car Rick. It’s my job.” Daryl repeated, tossing the wrench he’d been using, listening to it clang against the car before falling to the ground.  

“That was her backpack, wasn’t it?”  

“I didn’t ask her to come around.” He insisted.  

“You gotta stop seeing her.”

“I ain’t seeing anyone.” Daryl replied, “I gotta repeat myself? Ya ain’t her family, anyway. Ya can’t tell her what to do. Or me, for that matter.”

“Someone’s gotta look out for her.” Rick replied, “lord knows she’s not good at knowing what she needs.”

“What is going on?” Michonne asked again, stepping out of the Jeep and closing the door.

“Nothing’s going on.” Daryl snapped.

“I can’t believe your-”

“Swear to god Rick, I ain’t repeating myself again. Either shut the fuck up or get the hell off my property.”

“Whoa.” Michonne held her hand out when Daryl moved closer to Rick. She turned toward Rick, “I think you need to cool off.”

“We’re not done talking about this.” Rick announced, looking passed Michonne to Daryl. Before his best friend could say anything in response Rick was walking down the driveway to where his car was parked. He climbed in, slamming the door, before taking off.

“You wanna tell me what that was about?” Michonne asked, looking back to Daryl as he picked up the wrench he was using, “And don’t give me the ‘ain’t nothing’ excuse. I know when something is nothing and this clearly isn’t.”

“Said I’d work on her car cause she didn’t have the money to pay Dale.” Daryl shrugged.  

“And?”

“Don’t know.” He replied, honestly. He didn’t know and he didn’t like to think about it too much.  

“Come on D,”

“I said I don’t know.” He insisted, shrugging his shoulders in defeat, “I just like having her around.”

“You got a crush.” Michonne smiled, watching the way his face flushed.  

“I ain’t gonna keep ya ‘round if yer gonna make fun a me.”

-

taglist: @gigilame @sabertooth-potato @enrapturedbythemoon @oncemorewithfeelingg @thanossexual @yespleasejayhalstead @kylieeepalmer @cbarter @onemorebeautifulnightmare  @mainokutan @solllaris @twdeadfanfic @legit-emily @hopesxxhigh @coffeebooksandfandom @jodiereedus22 @tehfabbooty @thecaptainsgingersnap  @of-storms-and-sadness @twdeadfanfic @alwaysadreamingoptimist @bucky-barnes-babies @ly--canthrope @daryldixonandfrogs @jaycc7983 @easnuppa @imaginecrushes @tonystarkismyboy @watchmeaspire @harpersmariano 

[thetigarchives]

THE TIG ARCHIVES│TRAVEL│INSIDER’S GUIDE TO TORONTO

“With the Toronto International Film Festival in full effect, it seemed only right to share some of my favorite finds from this new home of mine. We have been filming Suits in Toronto for 4 seasons now, which means four years of getting to know this city. Domaine was kind enough to ask for my favorite finds, and now I am sharing them with you along with a couple of new additions. Here is my Insider’s Guide to Toronto, where the people are friendly, the streets are clean, the food is damn good, and where I found my happiness. Sounds like a pretty good place, eh?”

EAT

The Harbord Room - "Hands-down my absolute favorite restaurant in Toronto and beyond. The food is just perfect, whether you’re craving a crudo plate, a seasonal pasta dish laced with ramps, pesto and a whole lotta love, or the absolute best burger you’ve ever had. My friend, Natalie, brought me here years ago for the burger (with fries and a bottle of pinot noir), and it remains my most-craved meal. Just go. This one’s a no-brainer.”

Bestellen - "This is a comfortable space with a concise and absolutely delicious menu. I go for the côte de boeuf (all sourced by my favorite meat purveyor in the region, Cumbrae‘s), relaxed vibe, and great service. Also, they have an open kitchen, which I’m a sucker for, and a great table in the back that would be perfect for a small celebration."

Bar Isabel - "I used to live in Madrid, so my love for Spanish cuisine runs deep. Bar Isabel has a beautiful space with Andalucian tiles that reminds me of long weekends in Seville. Order the ceviche, and if you’re a fan of octopus, definitely go for that; it is served whole, with garlicky potatoes that will make you want to fall into a blissful carb coma."

Terroni - "A go-to and a standby. There are three locations in Toronto (go to the flagship on Queen Street where the service is relaxed but super accommodating) and the vibe is always chill. Their pastas have the perfect bite and the mains are great — order both with a bottle (or carafe) of wine. It’s a solid bet for an easy weeknight (or weekend) dinner."

Fresh – "All LA transplants who moved to Toronto for filming told me that Fresh would be my saving grace – the clean eats and yummy vegan fare would remind me of home. They were certainly correct.  Whether it’s a fresh juice, the green goddess bowl with extra broccoli, the quinoa onion rings or the all star salad, I could easily eat here every single day and my tastebuds would never get bored. Oh! And if you’re a fan of hot sauce, make sure you get some of their scotch bonnet based heat they put on the table. I am certifiably obsessed with it."

Almond Butterfly – “A new gluten free bakery that has the most delicious bites and amazing espresso.  My favs are the banana bread (how is it so moist?!), the chocolate chip cookies, and the date squares. Cupcakes are plentiful, flavors change often, and it’s a solid spot to pop in for some yummy treats in a jewel box space.”

Cocktail Bar - “I’ve loved this teeny tiny space for a few years. They don’t serve any drinks with vodka, which I both love and hate all at the same time, but the fact of the matter is they don’t need it. The drinks are solid, and the mixologists are as friendly as they come. Ask for Travis."

Rasa - "This place just opened, and I am head over heels for the space. It feels like New York City to me, with a warm feeling that hugs you when you walk in the door, inviting you to stay. Great vibe, adventurous menu, and a top-notch cocktail and wine list. Highly recommended for a nightcap."

STAY

The Shangri La - "Oh, how I adore this hotel. The staff is top notch and the amenities are sublime – from the gym with infrared sauna to the awesome spa with private hammam. This will also be a hot spot for star sighting as it is next door to Soho House, the place to be for parties during TIFF."

SHOP

Cabaret Vintage - "Head here for perfect vintage finds and a staff that makes you feel as precious as a Georgia peach. I go in weekly for inspiration and little additions to my closet."

6 by Gee Beauty - "This is my favorite store for a curated selection of clothes, gifts, jewelry and fragrance. Think Assouline coffee table books, Aviator Nation frocks, and Le Labo, all within the shop that is likely smaller than your bedroom. I love that you don’t have to pilfer through racks, and I always find something I love either for myself or my girlfriends."

The Room at Hudson’s Bay - "This shop features a bespoke mix of the best niche designers. Think Wes Gordon, Giambattista Valli, and Prabal Gurung. It’s cutting-edge and classic all at the same time."

Holt Renfrew - "The ultimate luxury Canadian department store. Go for the shoe department and ready-to-wear collections, and take a mini hiatus to have a glass of bubbles and salad at the store’s lovely restaurant. You can find incredible Canadian designers within these walls; get a gift for everyone back home."

FROLIC

Kensington Market - "A local mecca for all things food and fun is several blocks of fishmongers, meat purveyors, mom-and-pop veggie stands, juice bars, and fantastic hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Throughout the summer the market has pedestrian Sundays where no cars can pass through it, and it feels like one big block party: bands performing, the smells of every exotic cuisine wafting in the air, and a relaxed vibe that makes you feel that Sunday kinda love. You can see my favorite gems within Kensington on the feature I did with Holts Muse."

Trinity Bellwoods Park - "I call this hipsters’ paradise. It’s a massive park with a huge dog run in the middle, which is ideal for my super active dog, Bogart. But beyond the normal park humdrum (tennis courts and softball field), you’ll see people set up stands for the likes of free hugs, yoga in the park, dance classes, and performance art. It’s really the mecca for meeting up with friends, throwing a frisbee until day turns to night, and listening to the ambient beat of bongo drums from another end of the park."

- Meghan Markle, September 2014

The Harbord Room and Bestellen are now permanently closed. 

[tabloidtoc]

Star, May 10

You can buy a brand new copy of this issue without the mailing label for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Meghan Markle having twin girls (oops!)

Page 1: Famous for doing his own stunts, Tom Cruise helicoptered in to the tiny English village of Levisham to film aboard, or rather hanging off of, a vintage train and along for the ride was his Mission: Impossible 7 costar Hayley Atwell, who was spotted running along the top of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway car and while the pair, surrounded by crew and tech experts, were total pros, it's an open secret on set that their romance is going strong and Tom and Hayley hang out non-stop when the cameras are off and are pretty much joined at the hip but not in a showy, PDA way; it's a very discreet thing they've got going on -- off-camera, 58-year-old Tom and 39-year-old Hayley enjoy quiet nights holed up in Tom's London digs, eating meals specially prepared by his private chef and they'll watch movies or read books or just chill out doing their own thing -- chilling out isn't Tom's forte, as audio leaked of him berating the film's crew for violating COVID-19 protocols, but things have calmed down considerably as the spy flick, due in theaters May 2022, closes in on its wrap date, but the ensuing publicity push will put Tom and Hayley's relationship front and center, but don't expect the devoted Scientologist to jump on any couches (a la Katie Holmes) announcing wife No. 4 as Tom has learned the hard way about putting everything out there and getting picked to pieces; this time, it's all about subtlety

Page 2: Contents, Cher got up and personal with the World's Loneliest Elephant Kaavan, who she helped relocate to Cambodia

Page 3: Brie Larson in a swimsuit with butterflies on it during a getaway to Hawaii, with headphones at the ready Brooke Burke was itching to cut a rug with friends before teaching a silent disco cardio party at the Rafi Lounge in Malibu, Maria Shriver and Christina Schwarzenegger enjoyed some quality time on a stroll in L.A., Boy George sporting a bold look on The Jonathan Ross Show in London

Page 4: In a recent interview, AnnaLynne McCord revealed a shocking diagnosis: for years, the 90210 alum has been battling dissociative identity disorder (often erroneously referred to as multiple personality disorder) -- she told Dr. Daniel Amen she is absolutely uninterested in shame about opening up despite the stigma surrounding mental-health issues because that's how we get to the point where we can articulate the nature of these pervasive traumas as horrible as they are -- for her part, the 33-year-old traces back her troubles to sexual abuse she suffered as a child and as had many of the 200,000 people diagnosed with DID each year, she suppressed those horrific memories and it was only within the past few years that they began to resurface, largely after she sought treatment for PTSD related to another sexual assault and she doesn't have any memories of abuse until around 5, then from 5 to 11, she recounts incidents throughout and then, when she was 13, she has a singled-out memory and it was at that age that she developed what doctors call a second personality identity: as Little Ann, the Georgia-born daughter of a pastor said she was balls to the wall, middle fingers to the sky, anarchist from hell who will stab you with the spike ring that she wears and that helped her survive her nightmarish situation -- ironically, acting created the same dynamic, making it sometimes difficult for AnnaLynne to let go of characters she'd played and all of her roles were splits but she didn't even realize she was doing it

Page 5: Jennifer Aniston wasn't exactly touched when Justin Theroux gushed about how much he still loves her in the issue of Esquire -- complaining about feeling like a hermit during the pandemic, 49-year-old Justin nearly got misty discussing FaceTiming and texting his ex, saying he cherishes their friendship and they can not be together and still bring each other joy and he'd be bereft if they weren't still in touch and he'd like to think the same for her -- but 52-year-old Jen, whose love life has been low-key since the pair's 2018 divorce, has stayed on good terms with most of her exes including Brad Pitt but doesn't want anything more than a friendship with Justin and sure, it's flattering but she's just moved on and wishes he would too, and that goes double for some of her friends who griped that Justin tried to milk Jen's connections to further his career -- in the end, Justin needs to know he's got no chance whatsoever of winning Jen back and she doesn't feel anything remotely close to passion for him anymore

* Roseanne Barr showed off her newly svelte frame on Instagram -- back in 1998, she lost 100 lbs after undergoing gastric-bypass surgery, but yo-yo'd over the next decades but now she's determined to keep the weight off by totally changing the way she eats and she's growing her own fruits and vegetables and has a whole new appreciation of food

* Five months after he entered the Federal Correctional Institution, Mossimo Gianulli finished up his stint at his plush Hidden Hills home and now, the 57-year-old, who along with wife Lori Loughlin, pleaded guilty to paying a $500,000 bribe to get their kids into USC, can't wait to get back to normal and his biggest priority, besides spending time with Lori and the girls, is to get out there on the golf course -- the designer, worth a reported $70 million, still has to perform 250 hours of community service while Lori, who finished up her prison stint in December, is chipping away at hers, doling out meals at L.A.'s Project Angel Food -- Lori and Mossimo have resolved not to dwell on the past and they want to move forward with a positive and grateful attitude

Page 6: Fans of Angelina Jolie's stunts in movies like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Mr. & Mrs. Smith are looking forward to her return to the screen as a wildfire fighter in Those Who Wish Me Dead and in the upcoming Marvel flick Eternals but 45-year-old Angie would rather be behind the camera and she explained the real reason behind her comeback is she loves directing, but she had a change in her family situation that's not made it possible for her to direct for a few years and she needed to just do shorter jobs and be home more, so she went back to doing a few acting jobs -- that change in her family situation, of course, is her divorce from Brad Pitt, ongoing since their 2016 split and with no bitter end in sight and it could drag on for years

* Catherine Zeta-Jones says it's no secret her 20-year marriage to 76-year-old Michael Douglas hasn't been easy and it wouldn't be normal if there weren't any ups and downs -- it's another Michael, her Prodigal Son costar Michael Sheen, who has friends whispering as both are Welsh and only a year apart, the two have been having a lot of fun shooting the serial-killer drama and they had never met before the series but they keep discovering how much they have in common -- while Michael, who has been linked with Kate Beckinsale, Rachel McAdams and Sarah Silverman, has been with Anna Lundberg for two years, friends can't help worrying because it's a little to close for comfort

Page 8: Star Shots -- Marlee Matlin kicked back during a portrait session in La Canada Flintridge in California, a loaded-down Irina Shayk in a Victoria's Secret photoshoot in NYC, Gavin Rossdale and his dog Chewy leaving tennis practice in L.A.

Page 9: Kelly Clarkson and her battle advisor Luis Fonsi on The Voice, John Stamos at the drive-in premiere of his new series Big Shot in L.A.

Page 10: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley toting her $3800 Bottega Veneta Shell bag in NYC, Niall Horan and Anne-Marie jumped into a classic Jaguar XK120 for a music video in Essex in England, Adam Driver as Maurizio Gucci on the set of House of Gucci on a bicycle in Rome

Page 11: Jay Leno takes a selfie with a fan, Kate Hudson and her daughter Rani busting out some mommy-and-me moves

Page 12: David Beckham filming a commercial for Maserati, Kaley Cuoco working out with ropes, a windswept Olivia Culpo held on tight to pup Oliver while enjoying a sunset ride aboard a boat named after her dog, Miles Teller looked both ways during a cruise in his blue Ford Bronco which is the same car he flipped in a 2016 accident

Page 13: Garrett Hedlund hit the pavement in a jog in Hollywood, Johnny Depp got behind the camera at the photocall for his film Minamata during the Barcelona Film Festival, friendly exes Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry masked up for a walk in L.A.

Page 14: 2021 ACMs -- country celebrates its best in Nashville -- Elle King and Miranda Lambert kicked off the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards by rolling up in a hot ride before performing, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, co-host Keith Urban

Page 15: Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd performed together, Carrie Underwood

Page 16: Margot Robbie inline skating during a beach day in Malibu, Kate Beckinsale carrying her two cats and her dog as she tried to read, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend and their daughter Luna took a silly mid-game family selfie while playing Hedbanz

Page 18: Normal or Not Normal? A sleepy George Stephanopoulos was caught yawning on the Good Morning America set -- normal, Emily Blunt kicked back a little too much at The Jonathan Ross Show -- not normal

Page 19: With a $1400 rainbow Gucci sweater wrapped around her shoulders Selling Sunset's pregnant Christine Quinn with her dogs in L.A. -- normal, Chelsea Handler works out with her dog on her back -- not normal, Zach Braff stuck his tongue out as he took a silly selfie filming the Cheaper by the Dozen reboot -- not normal

Page 22: Fashion -- stars shine in metallic frocks -- Becky G, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Karen Gillan

Page 23: Miranda Lambert, Cynthia Erivo, Renee Zellweger

Page 26: Travis Barker didn't hold back in his birthday tribute to girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian -- sharing a series of sexy shots with 42-year-old Kourtney, including a NSFW video of Kourtney sucking his thumb and the rocker's risque pics quickly went viral, as did Kourt's TMI essay posted to her health and wellness site Poosh titled "Rough Sex: Love It or Leave It?" -- definitely leave it, if it were up to the pair's kids; 17-year-old Landon and 15-year-old Alabama, who are 45-year-old Travis' children with ex-wife Shanna Moakler, are mortified by their dad's behavior and like most teenagers, the two are active on social media and can't avoid the new couple's loved-up posts and Travis' kids are happy that he's happy, but the PDA is weird and takes some getting used to, while Travis' stepdaughter Atiana De La Hoya, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have a problem as the 22-year-old posted a heart-eyes emoji -- as for spending time with Mason, 11, Penelope, 8, and 6-year-old Reign, Kourt's kids with ex Scott Disick, the pair try to restrain themselves but still the lovebirds are happily oblivious and have a hard time toning it down and Kourt and Travis are just being themselves and going with the flow; they're in love and want the world to know it

Page 27: After 10 months of dating Australian model Vanessa Valladares, Zac Efron is officially back on the market -- 33-year-old Zac called it off with the 25-year-old after things got too serious, too soon and they spent every moment together and it was too claustrophobic for him, as Vanessa, who quit her job and gave up everything to be with Zac, became a fixture on set as he worked on Down to Earth with Zac Efron and he felt guilty that she was giving up her dreams and aspirations to be with him -- despite their split, Zac, who had put his L.A. home on the market and extended his stay in Australia after meeting Vanessa, has no plans to rush back to the States because he has made a lot of friends there and feels at home

* Like many planning their vows during the pandemic, Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost had to get strategic when it came to their big day -- Scarlett said they wanted it to feel like it had an intentional intimacy as opposed to being something that felt like they were restricted by all these things -- the intimate and small event the pair threw was at their $4 million Palisades, N.Y. home in October and the ultra-private pair kept their guests safe, and the guest list was tiny and it was understated but lovely, just what they wanted -- now Scarlett and Colin have settled in to married life and Scarlett and Colin both like to steer clear of the spotlight which makes them perfectly suited for each other

* Vanessa Hudgens revealed the surprising way she was introduced to boyfriend Cole Tucker, who she's been dating since November -- 32-year-old Vanessa and 24-year-old Cole met on a Zoom meditation group and Vanessa admits that the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop is just perfect for her and Vanessa and Cole, who debuted their romance on Valentine's Day, moved their budding friendship offline after feeling sparks via the virtual meeting app and they started communicating on their own and found out they have a lot in common -- now Vanessa, who dated Austin Butler for nine years before their 2020 split, is zooming ahead and she doesn't want to rush or jinx things, but she's saying Cole could be The One

Page 28: Cover Story -- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: Twin Girls -- it was a somber, but loving occasion as the royal family celebrated the life of Prince Philip and amid the pomp and truly touching moments, like Queen Elizabeth sitting frail and alone, viewers waited to see what would happen when Harry and Prince William reunited for the first time since Harry and Meghan stepped down from senior royal duties in March 2020 and just weeks after their bombshell TV interview rocked the monarchy and tensions had been running high before the funeral, but everything went better than expected as William and Harry bonded and united in grief at the loss of their beloved grandfather, the estranged siblings along with William's wife Duchess Kate Middleton, waved away their waiting cars, opting to walk the half-mile from St. George's Chapel to Windsor Castle together and the trio chatted easily as they strolled -- back home in Montecito, Harry has been by pregnant Meghan's side around the clock making sure she takes it easy and the couple are in full-blown prep mode and Harry has been helping baby-proof their mansion and designing the nursery and Harry's been on his hands and knees making the house baby-friendly and he's got the latest, state-of-the-art safety devices installed around the pool -- Harry's promising visit with the royal family has given him one less thing to worry about, but still he and members of The Firm will always have different perspectives and after dismissing William and dad Prince Charles as trapped by the monarchy, Harry was persuaded by Kate to take the first step and she went up to Harry to suggest he have a heart-to-heart with William and their father, then she stepped back; Harry felt nostalgic being back home and it's a work in progress -- Harry made headway with his grandmother as well as he and Queen Elizabeth had a private meeting and spoke for three hours and seeing Harry's face made her smile again and Harry loves his grandmother very much and he's promised to bring his kids back to England later this year and he wants the Queen to spend quality time with them

Page 31: The Home Birth Brigade -- Who needs hospitals? These fearless celebrity moms opted to welcome their babies in the comfort of their own homes -- Ashley Graham, Eva Amurri, Hilary Duff, Gisele Bundchen, Gigi Hadid

Page 32: Kim Kardashian: Billionaire Bachelorette -- months after officially filing for divorce Kanye West, Kim is majorly ready to mingle -- Kanye's miffed that fans think he's the one who got dumped when he simply let her file first

Page 34: Not Boyfriend Material -- celebs share tales of dates gone bad, and guys who definitely didn't deserve a second chance -- Patricia Arquette, Mindy Kaling, Jenny Slate

Page 35: Awkwafina, Emma Watson, Kelly Clarkson

Page 36: For Mom -- for Mother's Day, express gratitude to the No. 1 lady in your life with the perfect gift -- Naomi Watts cofounded the ONDA Mama Box

Page 40: Entertainment

Page 48: Parting Shot -- in honor of Earth Day, Alison Brie kicked off the second year of the Planet Oat Project by planting trees at Rancho Sierra Vista -- the 38-year-old also took to Instagram to bring awareness to the wildlife restoration initiative, noting that a startling three million acres of trees in California have been destroyed by recent wildfires

[morningfears]

Back Home

Rating: PG-13 (Blink and you’ll miss it homophobia, some swearing)

Summary: Calum and Elizabeth are going to Hangout with Michael and Crystal in Gulf Shores, Alabama. However, they’ve decided to make a stop in Elizabeth’s hometown, first. Calum gets to see firsthand what growing up in the middle of nowhere was like and, while he’s at it, ask her parents for her hand in marriage.

Word Count: 7k

Calum watched as sunlight filtered through the thick growth of trees lining the road and into the car, illuminating Elizabeth’s face as they drove along a seemingly deserted back road in some tiny Alabama town he didn’t remember the name of. Her eyes, a beautiful green that he hoped their children would someday inherit, were hidden beneath a pair of sunglasses she’d stolen from him but he could clearly see how she was feeling from the smile on her lips and the way that she relaxed in the driver’s seat.

They were on their way to her parents’ house, located in an even tinier Alabama town, where they planned to spend a few days before joining Michael and Crystal in Gulf Shores for the Hangout Festival. It was a new experience for him, he’d never been to either her hometown or Hangout, but he found himself looking forward to it. He found himself looking forward to the blistering heat (“It’s actually not that bad yet,” she’d told him as they packed their bags, “it’s only hit ninety once this week.”) and the solitude she’d described when telling him about growing up in the middle of the woods. But his excitement was nothing compared to hers.

Elizabeth had always been vocal about her dislike of southern politics, southern hypocrisy, southern weather (“It can’t make up it’s damn mind! One day, it’s eighty degrees and sunshine. The next, it’s thirty and you’ve got snow flurries. But maybe that’s just April,” she’d once said, and Calum had never forgotten it), and her own accent - one that Calum could hear but just barely - but he knew she missed certain things. She missed the food - her mother’s, specifically - and some of the people. She missed being able to smile at someone as she walked down the sidewalk and not get a funny look in return. She missed manners, being expected to say hello and ask how someone was doing when she walked into a shop, and not getting a dirty look if she called someone over the age of thirty ma’am. 

But, more than anything, she missed her family.

Though Calum and Elizabeth had been together for nearly three years, he’d only met her parents once. It was at her college graduation, less than a year into their relationship, and the meeting was fine. Her parents, while polite, didn’t exactly love him right off the bat. They hadn’t cared how well the band was doing, that he’d made a career out of music and that it was going well, nor did they care about how much he already loved their daughter. He was different, a musician that didn’t look anything like the sweet southern boy her mother had always imagined she’d marry, and that was enough for them to write him off as a novelty.

They imagined that Elizabeth would grow tired of Calum after a while, that she’d get tired of the long, lonely nights while he was away on tour, and that she would begin to see things from their point of view. They imagined that she would tire of California, that her southern roots were planted just deep enough, and that she would tire of Calum and return home to them. But, so far, she hadn’t.

And Calum desperately hoped that she never would.

While her parents had accepted her desire to stay in California and to keep Calum in her life - her mother even liked him, enough to bake him a loaf of bread that apparently no one else in her family liked - there was a bit of a rift. Calum’s parents traveled to see him every so often (and he packed up to see them when he could) but Elizabeth’s parents didn’t like to travel. She told him once that her mother was so afraid of flying that even a Xanax couldn’t calm her enough to get on a flight and that she was such an awful car passenger that a twenty-nine hour drive, even. with regular stops, might actually kill her. They’d only been to California once, to see her graduate, and that had been such an ordeal that Elizabeth never asked again.

Her schedule, while freer now that she’d finished school, was less flexible than his own. She had work, a job that required her to stay in Los Angeles most of the time, and that made going home (as well as joining him on tour) next to impossible. She went home for big holidays, Christmas and Thanksgiving, but even that was starting to become difficult as she and Calum began to intertwine their lives.

She hadn’t been home since November - they’d spent Christmas with his family in Australia - and was beyond homesick. Most of the meals she made were recipes her mother talked her through over FaceTime so when Michael and Crystal asked him if they would want to join them for a week in Gulf Shores, Calum jumped at the opportunity to surprise his homesick girlfriend. He worked with her boss - a lovely woman from, coincidentally, Georgia, who had become more like a mentor than a boss - to get her a week of vacation. He called her mom and asked her if it would be alright for them to stay for a weekend before they headed to the beach (of course, she was so excited that she cried and Calum didn’t quite understand half of her words through her accent but he felt the love). And he managed to keep their final destination a secret until they landed in Mobile.

Just before they landed in Mobile, when the pilot announced their destination, the look on Elizabeth’s face was more than enough to make Calum’s year. He took a picture of it, just to remember the look of awe and love she’d given him, before he kissed her and confirmed that they were headed to see her parents. He told her, as they navigated the airport and headed toward the car rental, that they would be spending the weekend with them before heading down to Gulf Shores to spend a few days exploring and experiencing Hangout.

He was certain the smile hadn’t disappeared since.

Although he’d offered to drive, Elizabeth refused to let him behind the wheel. Calum normally drove on their outings - mostly because he was a much calmer driver than her and knew how to handle Los Angeles traffic without having a minor panic attack - but she’d been insistent. The closest airport to her parents’ house was in Mobile and the quickest route took them through a maze of backroads that, according to her and Michael (who had gotten lost on more than one occasion during his trips down south), didn’t appear on either Apple or Google Maps. Elizabeth, however, knew the route like the back of her hand and was comfortable navigating the winding curves and deserted country roads.

“Did you go to Mobile a lot as a kid?” Calum asked, his voice breaking the silence for the first time since they’d left the city limits. He’d been content to just look, to soak it all in, and apparently, so had she. It was like she was recommitting the entire route to memory and he didn’t want to disturb her. However, he was curious and, with her, he never let his questions go unasked.

“Not really,” she hummed, glancing over at him for a moment before returning her gaze to the road beyond the windshield. “It’s almost a three hour drive. It wasn’t a big deal to make the trip but it was more special occasion, you know? We came down here to get dresses for formals and, like, my prom dress. I came with my grandparents some because my paw-paw went to the doctor down here. He took me to Hot Topic for the first time and my mom swears I haven’t been normal since.”

Calum grinned at that, both at the casual use of ‘paw-paw’ (something he knew she hated saying because of the obviousness of it’s origin and the way it seemed to draw out her accent) and the mental image of a pre-teen Elizabeth exploring Hot Topic for the first time. There were pieces of her, bits of her past, that he had never seen. They were never intentionally hidden, it wasn’t as if she locked them away and refused to show them to him, but they were just things that didn’t really come up in the course of their daily lives. Memories of childhood, old habits that had long since been forgotten, seemed to return to her as they drove through the curved roads and he was looking forward to getting know who she was before she moved to LA.

The drive passed far quicker than either imagined it would. Calum watched Elizabeth’s face more often than he watched the scenery pass them by but both were equally captivating. She pointed out certain buildings, little shops or restaurants, that she’d visited as a child. She informed him when they left one town and entered another. She made him promise they could stop by a diner, a little building that looked like it could only fit about five people at a time, on their way back to Gulf Shores (they would make the return trip, the same way they’d just come, and drive through Mobile to get there), as well as made him promise they could stop and get ice cream at a farmer’s market that would apparently ruin his desire to eat any other ice cream ever again.

It was endearing, seeing her so excited for such small things, and Calum decided that he would do whatever she wanted, stop wherever she wanted, just to see the carefree smile she’d been sporting since they stepped out of the airport remain on her lips.

The closer they got to her hometown, the more relaxed she grew in the driver’s seat. She smiled as she pointed out her high school (“It sucked. I hated every moment of it, but it still feels nice seeing the building, you know?”) and the one gas station in her hometown. Calum smiled as he imagined her driving these very roads as a teenager, singing along to All Time Low and wholeheartedly agreeing with the pop punk standard of needing to leave her hometown. He marveled at the lack of traffic lights, at the lack of buildings, and grew more and more astonished the farther they got from her high school. She’d told him she grew up in the middle of nowhere, far away from civilization, but he thought she was joking. However, as he realized that he could count on one hand the number of buildings they’d seen since leaving the city limits of the town closest to her home, he realized that that wasn’t the case at all. 

But it was nice, in an odd sort of way. It felt serene, like a quiet place where you could disconnect from the world, and Calum wondered what it was like to grow up here.

“It was miserable,” Elizabeth answered candidly when he asked. “The nearest grocery store is twenty minutes away, if you’re speeding, and they don’t even have half of what you need. It’s just the essentials, really, like milk and bread and stuff. If you wanted anything good, like ice cream or candy or snacks, you’d have to go to Walmart. The closest Walmart, the only place where you can get stuff like dish soap and good shampoo - well, as good as Dove is, I guess - and toothpaste that doesn’t cost six bucks a tube is forty-five minutes away. The nearest hospital is an hour away. Same with the nearest mall, movie theater, bowling alley… The list goes on. There wasn’t much to do here as a kid. You just kind of exist, you know? I played outside al to as a kid. Shocking, I know,” she added, grinning in Calum’s direction as she caught the surprised look on his face.

He couldn’t imagine Elizabeth, the girl who hated her hands being dirty more than anything else, playing outside in the southern heat. He almost asked what her neighbors were like, what the other kids in her neighborhood were like, when she added, “I didn’t have neighbors so I just kind of had to entertain myself. It was lonely and boring.”

Calum watched as she focused on a turn she was making, down a road just off the main highway, and he imagined that they were getting closer to her parents’ house. “Do you miss anything about it?” he asked, his voice soft as he watched her bring one hand up to play with the butterfly pendant laying against her skin. “Other than your family and the dogs, of course.”

“Of course,” she laughed as she glanced at him and smiled. She paused for a moment, as if to think about it, before she shrugged. “Not really,” she hummed as she returned her gaze to the road ahead. “I mean, I miss the food but if I really want it, I can make most things myself. The only thing I haven’t mastered yet is collards and I think that’s just because I can’t get good ones in LA. I miss the quiet sometimes, mostly when I’m trying to sleep, and being able to see the stars but I love living in an actual city with things to do and places to go. Yeah, some stores are still twenty minutes from our house but if I really need something, I can get it from somewhere else. And, I mean, I love the diversity of the city. I didn’t know anything about other cultures, about other people, when I moved to LA and it’s been amazing to see it all and to see how open everyone is to new things. I mean, yeah, I hate some things about LA and it’s a different world for me, for sure, but, at the end of the day, it’s home now.”

Calum nodded his understanding at that. He realized that she loved being surrounded by options. She loved having the ability to get in the car and go get coffee or just go to Target if she felt like it and her hometown wasn’t exactly the most stimulating place he’d ever found himself. Everything looked as if it had seen better days, decades ago, and he didn’t begrudge her not wanting to return for good. However, he was glad that he was getting the opportunity to at least spend a weekend in the middle of nowhere with her and that joy was only magnified as they approached a small dirt road that he quickly realized housed her parents’ home.

“Am I going to get to hear your southern accent?” he asked, an excited lilt to his voice as they drove down a tree lined dirt road, careful not to hit the rocks and tree limbs that cluttered it. “It’s so faint now,” he reminded her. She, like him, had adapted to Los Angeles and he accent had faded. It was still there, more so than his own, but it only truly appeared when she was angry or excited or exceptionally tired and unable to control her speech pattern. It was faint and Calum missed it. He thought it was cute, he liked the way it sounded when she said his name, but he knew it had been a source of annoyance for her when she first arrived in the city. He also knew that she herself wasn’t very fond of it so she didn’t lament its loss at all.

“Probably. At least, it’ll be thicker here than it is in LA,” she confirmed with a sigh, not at all pleased by the thought. “I try not to control my voice so much around my family. I just talk, I guess. But I still don’t get why you like it so much. It’s gross. And, besides, you’ll get tired of the southern twang real quick with my family. I’ll provide translation services if necessary.”

Calum laughed at the deadpan comment and nodded his appreciation. She knew how much trouble he had understanding her mother sometimes (usually when she was angry and ranting during a phone call) and had warned him that the rest of her family - with the exception of her brother - was worse. The accents grew thicker and thicker, harder and harder to understand, and she herself sometimes found it difficult to navigate a conversation. But Calum was looking forward to seeing her at ease among members of her family and grew excited as he spotted a comfortable white house looming in the distance.

“Here we are,” she informed him with a smile, her cheeks round and pink (from the heat or excitement, he couldn’t tell) and her teeth on display, as she caught sight of the cars parked out front. “Holy shit, everyone is here.”

Everyone seemed to be an understatement. There were several cars, all parked in front of her parents’ home, and Calum couldn’t even begin to guess who had appeared to greet her. Her mother had told him that her brother, his wife, and their children would be there to greet them. He also imagined that her nana would be there. However, he couldn’t fathom who else her mother could have invited. But, as Elizabeth put the car in park, a horde of teenagers, all in their mid to late teens, rushed out of the front door, down the steps, and swarmed the car.

“Lizzie, you’re home,” one girl with blonde hair and braces cheered as Elizabeth climbed out of the car. Though she looked to be about sixteen, she stood several inches taller than Elizabeth and dwarfed her as she pulled her into a hug. “I missed you! I have so much to tell you. I got a car! I can drive now. And a boyfriend! You went to high school with his brother, Austin.”

“Let her go, May,” another of the girls, this one shorter than Elizabeth and decidedly the oldest of the group, urged as she shoved her arms between the pair, “I want to hug her.” She wrapped her arms around Elizabeth’s waist and pouted up at her as she said, “Lizzie, I start college in August. I’m going to LSU and I don’t know what to do. Help me!”

“She’s my aunt!” A high pitched voice squeaked as a short girl with glasses and braces that bore a clear family resemblance to Elizabeth shoved through the others. “Aunt Lizzie!”

“Hey, guys,” she laughed, clearly overwhelmed by the affection as she struggled to fully climb out of the car. “It’s good to see you all, too. What are y’all doing here?”

“We waited to have maw maw’s birthday party today so we could celebrate that, you being home, and me graduating high school all at once. Oh my god, is that a boy? Lizzie has a boyfriend!” the second girl, whose name Calum still didn’t know, yelled as she caught sight of him climbing out of the car. He offered her a smile, amused by the apparent novelty of Elizabeth bringing someone home, and waved at her before he reached back into the car to grab his bag. “Lizzie’s never brought anyone home before,” she told Calum as he walked around the car to stand at Elizabeth’s side. “We thought she was a lesbian but just didn’t want to tell us.”

“Oh my god, Haley,” Elizabeth groaned as she reached out and nudged the shorter girl away from her. “Go away. All of you, go inside. I’ll be there in a second.” When the girls turned and began running back toward the house, Elizabeth groaned and turned to bury her face in the crook of Calum’s neck. “Jesus, fuck. This is why I never brought anyone home,” she deadpanned as she glanced up at him from the corner of her eye. “I’m going to go ahead and apologize for everything that’s about to happen.”

Calum, who was struggling to hold back his laughter, shook his head at her statement. “Don’t worry about it,” he assured her with a smile as he leaned in to press a kiss to the crown of her head.  “Family can be embarrassing but, at the end of the day, they love you and want to see you happy.” He paused for a moment, thinking about the comment the girl had made, before he asked, “Before we go in, they don’t know you’re bi, do they?”

“No,” she sighed as she removed herself from his grasp and opened the back door to grab her own bag from the seat. “They… I don’t know. I can’t tell them and, I mean, right now, it doesn’t matter. But, no. There are a lot of things they don’t know about me. I didn’t realize you’d be thrown to the wolves on the very first night so I’m going to apologize again for anything they say that’s offensive. I’ve tried so many times to educate them but it’s so tiring when they don’t want to learn, you know? My mom tries, sometimes, but it’s easier to just pretend for a few days than keep pounding my head against a brick wall.”

Calum wasn’t sure what he could say to that statement and he knew that, sometimes, all she needed was a hand to hold. So, instead of putting his foot in his mouth, he gripped her hand in his and brought it to his mouth to place a gentle kiss against the back. When she shot him a halfhearted smile, he squeezed it a little tighter and said, “Lead the way, love.”

Though Calum had been overwhelmed by the barrage of teenage girls that bombarded the car, they were nothing compared to the barrage of adults that swarmed them as they entered the house. He held Elizabeth’s bag and watched as, one by one, adult after adult wrapped Elizabeth in hugs and shouted variations of, “Lizzie Belle!” He stood off to the side, a small smile on his face, as he watched them tell her how proud they were of her for finding a life in Los Angeles or how beautiful she looked. It was sweet, an onslaught of love, but he imagined that she was incredibly uncomfortable with the outpouring of compliments as she thanked everyone. She didn’t like to be the center of attention, not when there were so many sets of eyes on her, but he could tell that she was glad to be at home as she hugged her nana and held on tight.

“Here, let me help you with that,” a voice called over the din of the living room and Calum glanced over to meet the eyes of a man he recognized as her older brother. The family resemblance wasn’t very strong - likely due to their different fathers - but he could see bits and pieces of Elizabeth in him. They had the same dark, wavy hair (though her brothers had started graying) and kind smile but that was where the similarity ended. Her brother, slightly taller than Calum and significantly bigger, looked as if he spent a good deal of his time outdoors and was covered with tattoos.

“Thanks,” Calum said as he handed the bag to Elizabeth’s brother and followed him through the small path he’d carved behind the crowd of relatives. “Calum,” he introduced, holding his hand out as they entered a long hallway, “nice to meet you.”

“Josh,” he returned as he shook Calum’s hand before gesturing to a room with a closed door, “this is Lizzie’s room. Y’all’ll be in here.” Josh dropped the bag onto Elizabeth’s bed and Calum followed suit before he paused to glance around the room.

The room was exactly what he’d imagined it would be. The curtains were black and red with a light blocking curtain behind them. The queen sized bed was tall, so tall that Elizabeth needed a step-stool to climb onto it, and covered with a black duvet with white polka dots and nearly a million pillows at the head. Posters covered every inch of the walls and Calum spotted All Time Low, Green Day, and even a few One Direction posters thrown into the mix. A bookshelf rested in one corner and was filled to the brim with books, CDs, DVDs, and old trinkets. He spotted a stack of yearbooks on the top shelf and decided that his night was going to spent combing through her memories.

As Calum lost himself in exploring her bedroom, he didn’t realize that a small velvet box had fallen out of his bag. He’d tucked it into the pocket for safety but it jostled loose when he tossed the bag onto the bed and hit the floor with a thud. As he ran his fingers along the CDs littering her bookshelf, stopping and grinning when he came across their self-titled album - something he was absolutely going to tease Elizabeth about having later - Josh bent down to pick it up.

“You know, Lizzie’s never really been a jewelry person but, from the way she talks about you, I can see her being alright with wearing this.”

Calum turned, surprised as he had forgotten that Josh was still in the room, and blinked as he stared at the box in his hand. He didn’t know what to say. He’d been planning on asking her parents for permission, something he knew she thought was old-fashioned but a sweet gesture, and was mildly terrified of the response he was going to get. However, as Josh smiled at him and held the box out to him, Calum felt a small bit of ease wash over him.

“You think?” he asked as he shoved the box back into his bag and ensured that it wouldn’t fall out again. “I don’t - I know we’ve just met but I…” He paused, unsure of what he should say to him, before he simply stated, “I really love her.”

“I figured,” he nodded as he took a seat on the edge of her bed and jerked his head in the direction of the living room. “Anyone willing to put up with all this has to be in love. Momma said you were the one who called and asked if y’all could come down,” Josh said as he glanced toward the door of the room. “Lizzie doesn’t get to come home much so it meant a lot that you called and set this up for her. Momma’s hard to get through to sometimes. She doesn’t think anyone’s good enough for her kids, especially when they keep them so far away from home, but that made her happy. That gave her a reason to like you. I don’t think they’ll say no, if that’s what you’re after. But, you do know that Lizzie won’t care what they say, right?”

Calum was floored to hear Josh speak so candidly about their mother. Elizabeth was never so open about it. She rarely spoke about the bad with her family - only when she really needed to convey the importance of something - but he knew that there was a tension that he would need to overcome where her family was concerned. He was more of afraid of their denial than hers but to hear Josh predict that they would approve made his heartbeat calm and the tension in his shoulders ease.

“I know,” he laughed as he imagined Elizabeth raging against a denial from her parents. She was an adult, she was free to do as she pleased, and if she wanted to marry Calum, she would. However, having that approval was more of a symbolic gesture that Calum hoped would extend an olive branch to her parents and assure them that he wasn’t trying to steal their daughter or keep her from seeing them. He opened his mouth to thank Josh when footsteps interrupted him.

He glanced up to see Elizabeth step into the room with a small child in her arms, no older than two, and Calum felt his heart skip a beat at the sight. “There you are,” she hummed as she glanced at Calum and gave him a smile before she turned her attention to her brother. “Dad’s looking for you. They’re getting the crawfish ready to put out. They need some more hands.”

“Alright,” he sighed as he stood from the bed and clapped Calum on the shoulder. “Nice meeting you, man. We’ll have a beer later, talk some more. Lizzie says you’re in a band. I wanna know about your music,” he said before he leaned in and wrapped an arm around Elizabeth’s waist and pressed a kiss to the baby’s head. “Hey, girl. Good to see you. Don’t drop my child, please.”

“Like I would,” Elizabeth huffed as she nudged her brother away from her. “You literally threw me across a room as a baby. I’m clearly not the one anyone needs to be concerned about. Isn’t that right, Sawyer?” The baby in her arms cooed, grinning up at her, and Josh rolled his eyes as he let go. 

“Keep bringing up the past, damn. Can’t let anyone make any mistakes around here,” he grumbled playfully as he left the room and left Calum, Elizabeth, and Sawyer alone.

“Sorry for letting him steal you,” she apologized as she stepped closer to him and smiled when he reached out to offer the baby his finger. “I try desperately hard to keep anyone I like away from him. When I was twelve, he called out this guy I had a crush on on Facebook and the guy never spoke to me again. He was, uh, a little… overprotective?” She paused, glancing down at the baby in her arms, before she cooed at her. “You’re gonna have such tough time dating, honey. He’s gonna give your dates the ultimate interrogation and it’s not going to end well for anyone involved.”

Calum laughed as Elizabeth pouted at the baby and felt his heart melt as he watched them interact. He’d been thinking a lot lately, about children and marriage and the future, and every image of the future he got, Elizabeth was in it. He wanted her to be the one walking down the aisle to meet him. He wanted her to be the one to carry his children. He wanted her to be the one he grew old with. He wanted her, then and forever, and it made his heart ache in the best way to see her look so happy holding a small child.

“You look beautiful like that,” Calum breathed before he could stop himself. When Elizabeth rolled her eyes, brushing him off with a comment about how much she’d been sweating from the sweltering heat, he shook his head. “You always look beautiful but you look even more so holding the baby,” he elaborated, smiling as she glanced down at the giggling girl in her arms. “It looks natural.”

“It’s taken us a few times to get this right,” she hummed as she tickled Sawyer and grinned at her. “She threw up on me the first few times I held her. But we’re good now, right, honey?” When Sawyer cooed at her, reaching out to tug at her hair, Elizabeth smiled and glanced at Calum. When she met his amused glance, she grinned and shook her head. “I know what you meant, bub. It’s nice. I’ve thought about it and I want it - children, a family - with you. I’m sure there are other things we need to work on before that but I want that.”

“I do, too,” Calum confirmed with a grin as he leaned over to press a soft kiss to her cheek. When the baby slapped at his chest, he laughed and pulled away from Elizabeth with a grin, “But maybe now isn’t the best time to talk about our family plans, huh?”

“Nope,” she agreed with a smile,  “not when there’s a cranky little lady that needs her mom and two adults that need beer and crawfish.”

Calum quickly found himself in the backyard, passed around by relatives as Elizabeth introduced him to each one. Her mother, who had been finishing frosting a red velvet cake, grinned when she spotted him and nudged an uncle that Calum had already forgotten the name of out of the way. He was almost surprised at the hug he received, the affection was a little startling, but he decided not to question it as Elizabeth’s mother wrapped her arms around him and squeezed.

“Thank you,” she said as the others around them dispersed to give them a moment to talk. “My Belle doesn’t get to come home much and she’s always so worried about taking off so I’m so glad you convinced her to come home for a little bit. I’ve missed my baby. And it’s good to see you again. I haven’t seen you in nearly two years. I miss your hair,” she laughed as she pointed out the buzz cut he’d gotten recently.

“Lizzie does, too,” he laughed as he rubbed a hand over the bleached hair on top of his head. “She liked playing with it while we were watching TV,” he added quickly, afraid of how the first part of his sentence sounded. “I’m glad that everyone was able to come. She’s missed everyone.”

“She has,” her mom nodded as she glanced around the backyard and smiled as she caught sight of Elizabeth sitting with the girls and chatting animatedly about whatever topic they’d gotten started on. “Everyone’s missed her. It’s not the same without her here but she’s happy in LA. You make her happy. I’m glad that y’all have each other,” her mother told him with a smile and Calum breathed a quiet sigh of relief at the sincerity in her tone. He was afraid that Josh had misread the situation, that he wasn’t nearly as favored as he imagined he was, but to hear her say that eased the nerves he felt in the pit of his stomach. However, they quickly returned as she turned to face him and said, “Josh said you had something you wanted to ask us?”

Calum blinked, surprised he was being put on the spot so quickly, and nodded slowly. “I, uh, yeah. But it can wait. It’s fine.”

Her mother smiled at him and Calum could see the understanding on her face. “If it’s what I think you want to ask, I’d prefer you didn’t. The answer is yes, by the way, from both of us.  But we still want to hear your proposal.”

Calum laughed as he found himself being dragged into the house by Elizabeth’s parents. Her brother and grandmother — whose opinion really, truly mattered — followed them into the laundry room (the only room that seemed to be empty) and listened carefully as Calum asked for permission and detailed the proposal he had planned in Gulf Shores.

The rest of the weekend seemed to pass in a blur. Elizabeth taught Calum how to eat crawfish - her brother showed him how to suck the head, though he didn’t imagine he would be giving that a try - and her maw maw taught him how to shell butterbeans and peas as they sat in the shade of a pecan tree and worked on seven five-gallon buckets of peas and beans. They took him to a fish camp, an old cabin-like building in the middle of nowhere that made the best friend fish he’d ever had, and showed him the river where they went tubing when Elizabeth and Josh were young. And on their last night, he and Elizabeth sat on her parent’s front porch with a bucket of peas a piece and watched as the dusty afternoon turned to night.

“I’m really glad you did this,” she hummed as she glanced away from the bucket in front of her and over at Calum. “I never thought I’d say this but maybe all I needed was to come home and shell peas for a few days.”

Calum, whose fingers were sore and stained from the hulls, couldn’t imagine having spent every summer in this fashion but it was a nice glimpse into her world and he agreed. It had been restful, something of a recharge, and he found himself grateful for the experience. “It’s been nice,” Calum agreed with a smile as he watched her work for a moment. “It’s been good to see you in your element. I know that this isn’t your life anymore but it was nice to see where you come from.”

“I’m glad it didn’t send you running for the hills,” she teased as she tossed a hull into the bucket and shook her head. “You know, if you’d told me as a kid that I would move to LA, I wouldn’t have believed you. But if you’d have said that I’d move to LA, find someone as amazing as you, fall in love, and then bring you home someday to show you what my life was like before? I would’ve called you insane. But it felt right. Letting you in, letting you see this part of my life. It felt… it felt like it was time, you know?”

Calum reached out to squeeze Elizabeth’s hand but said nothing as they continued to shell their peas. If he’d spoken, he would’ve poured his heart out to her. He would’ve confessed just how much he loved her, just how much she meant to him, and would’ve ended up proposing on her parents’ front porch. Instead, he let his touch convey everything he wanted to say and hoped that would last them until they made it to the beach. 

Saying goodbye was a rough affair. Elizabeth’s mother and nana cried. Her father held onto her for so long that her mother had to pull them apart. They all made her promise to visit again soon and sent them on their way with enough food to feed an army. Elizabeth let Calum drive on the return trip and watched as he navigated the streets she regarded with a fondness that she never imagined she would feel. She felt bittersweet, glad to have gone home but sad to be leaving, and hoped that the festival would cheer her mood.

However, what she was met with was something far greater than she expected.

As they arrived at the beach house she, Calum, Michael, and Crystal would share for the weekend, she was under the impression that they’d arrived before Michael and Crystal. However, as they entered the house to find it decorated with photos from her and Calum’s relationship as well as flowers, she realized that she was wrong. They’d been in, long enough to help Calum set up his surprise, and were waiting somewhere in the city for Calum to make his move. It didn’t click, not at first, what the point of the set up was. But as she dropped her bag and began to look at each of the photos, it soon dawned on her.

“Calum,” she began, her voice quiet as she turned to him, only to see him on one knee behind her. “Oh, fuck.”

At her exclamation, Calum laughed and held his hand out for her to grab. “Come here,” he laughed, smiling as she stepped closer to him and allowed him to hold her hand in his. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while and even spending a weekend shelling peas can’t deter me,” Calum teased as he glanced up at her. Her hand rested over her mouth, her fingers shaking as she watched him open the small velvet box to reveal a beautiful ring. “I love you, so much. Whenever I imagine the future, I imagine you in it. I want it all with you. I want to have a family with you, I want to grow old with you. I want to marry you and spend the rest of my life by your side. I love you, Lizzie. Will you marry me?”

Elizabeth, though she imagined the proposal was coming, couldn’t speak. Instead, she nodded her agreement and kneeled onto the floor to wrap her arms around Calum’s neck. He laughed, relief and joy bubbling in his chest, as he wrapped his own arms around her waist and held her tight against his chest. He held her there for a moment, relishing in the moment, before he pulled away just enough to press a kiss to her lips. “I love you,” he breathed against them, his eyes shining with joy as he moved to place the ring on her finger, “I can’t wait for forever with you.”

“Forever isn’t long enough when I’m with you, Hood,” she quipped, her smile bright and her eyes glittering with unshed tears as she pressed her lips to his once more. “I love you, Cal. Thank you for being the most amazing man and for loving me the way you do.”

Calum knew that the future was rapidly approaching. He knew that, no matter how far away it seemed, everything would change in the blink of an eye. But with Elizabeth by his side, with her hand in his, he imagined that he could tackle whatever the universe threw at him.

And as they sat on the back patio, curled up together on a lounge chair and looking out at the water with Michael and Crystal to their left and the sound of pre-Hangout revelry to their right, Calum couldn’t think of any other place he’d rather be.

____________________________________________________

Author’s Note: This is literally just seven thousand words of self-indulgent bullshit. I don’t know. I felt it and I’ve wanted to do this for a while. It wouldn’t leave me alone so I spent my day alternating between this and Rose Tattoo. Also, with tag lists I lowkey feel like I’m annoying people if I tag them (which is the point, I know) but tell me if you don’t want to be tagged in everything. Anyway. I need to write something for Ash now. I’m, like, in an Ash mood.

Tag List (like this post or message me if you want to be added! If you don’t want to be tagged in everything, just let me know): @toolazymyguy , @irwinkitten , @jamieebabiee , @glittersluke , @spicycal , @lusbaby , @everyscarisahealingplace, @brokenvirtualheartcollector , @if-it-rains-it-pours, @blisshemmings , @calumscalm , @lovemenowseemenever , @ijutreallylovezebras , @rhiannonmichelle , @p0laroidpictures​ , @tomscuddles , @loverofmineluke​ , @harrytreatspeoplewithkindnesss​ , @blueviiolence​ , @loveroflrh​ , @empathycth​ , @luckyduckydoo​ , @tobefalling​ , @bandsandbooksaremykink​ , @watch-how-she-burns , @megz1985​ , @wokeupinaustralia​ , @lucidlrh​ , @canterburyfiction​ , @cal-is-not-on-branding​ , @jaacknaano​ , @findingliam-o​ , @idk-who-i-am-anymore1​ , @sammyrenae68​ , @flowerthug​ , 

[likeawildthing]

Georgia + former English major that likes cookies (so possibly literary destinations and bakery destinations?)

So I nailed the author portion of this!

Columbus, GA

A native of Columbus, Georgia, Carson McCullers is best known for her first novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, which was published when she was 23 years old. McCullers lived in several places during her lifetime, including North Carolina and New York, but her years spend in Georgia made an indelible mark on her life and work. http://mccullerscenter.org/

https://www.southernliving.com/travel/georgia-literary-road-trip

Atlanta, GA

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Preacher, essayist, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Atlanta, Ga.

1.The Civil and Human Rights Museum, 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30313-1807. http://www.civilandhumanrights.org/

Designated room contains selections from King’s papers owned by Morehouse University. Includes first pages (handwritten) of sermons; notecards for doctoral dissertation on Paul Tillich and Henry Wieman;

notes from Selma jail to Andrew Young ( a to-do list outlining ways to bring attention to Selma); annotated “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in Christian Century, 1963 (one of first published versions, basis for later revisions); Eulogy for Four Little Girls murdered in church bombing, Birmingham 1963 (typed and then revised by hand); hand draft “Why I Am Opposed to the War in Vietnam”; much more.

2. King’s birthplace, Ebenezer Baptist Church, tomb. National Park Service, tours available. (King Historic District, Atlanta) http://www.nps.gov/malu/index.htm

Joel Chandler Harris: Folkorist (The Uncle Remus Stories), Atlanta, Eatonton – he seems kind of shady??

The Wren’s Nest: Home of Joel Chandler Harris, Atlanta

http://www.wrensnest.org/ 1050 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. SW, Atlanta 30310, 404-753-7735. See this earlier post on The Wren’s Nest: https://readersunbound.com/2013/11/20/the-wrens-nest-forty-years-later/

Located in Atlanta's historic West End, The Wren’s Nest is Atlanta's oldest house museum and has been operating for more than 100 years. The mission of The Wren's Nest is to preserve the legacy of Joel Chandler Harris and the heritage of African-American folklore. Docents provide tours Tuesday through Saturday, and storytellers tell every Saturday at 1 p.m. and by appointment. Admission is $9.

Robert Frost

See this earlier post on the Robert Frost Collection at Agnes Scott: https://readersunbound.com/2014/04/09/frost-in-springtime/

Athens, GA

The Georgia Writers Hall of Fame

Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries

University of Georgia Libraries

Has a collection and knowledge on African American Georgia writers, teaches classes, and is open certain days (check: https://georgiawritershalloffame.org/contact-us).

https://atlantadailyworld.com/2019/02/28/georgias-rich-heritage-of-african-american-writers-in-its-writers-hall-of-fame/#:~:text=Of%20course%2C%20there%20are%20many,Johnson%2C%20an%20Atlanta%20native%20and

Eatenton

Alice Walker

But the Hall also has honored the writings of Alice Walker, who grew up in Eatonton, Ga., the daughter of a sharecropper, who went on to write “The Color Purple,” for which she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Walker wrote six novels and three volumes of short stories. A self-guided driving trail includes the chapel where Alice was baptized, her childhood home, her birthplace, and the birthplace of her mother.

Georgia Writers Museum

While you're in Eatonton, visit the Georgia Writers Museum, which focuses on promoting the rich, literary heritage of the state. Permanent exhibits honor the three most famous local authors, Alice Walker, Flannery O’Connor and Joel Chandler Harris. Works and artifacts of the other authors are featured in the museum on a rotating basis. The museum is open Friday through Sunday.

Uncle Remus Museum

Gather around the fireside for the adventurous tales of Brer Rabbit, and learn about the life and writing of Joel Chandler Harris at the Uncle Remus Museum in Eatonton. The site of the museum was a part of the original home place of Joseph Sidney Turner, the "Little Boy" in the tales of Uncle Remus. The museum is open 7 days a week, and adult admission is only $5.

Flannery O'Connor's Homes

A short drive from Eatonton, you can tour Andalusia Farm in Milledgeville, where O'Connor lived with her mother from 1951-1964 and where she completed the bulk of her literary work. It was on this 544-acre estate that she wrote her last book. Admission is $7.

As a child, O'Connor lived on 207 E. Charlton Street in Savannah. In 1989, the property was restored and turned into a museum with a book collection, toys, family pictures of O'Connor and a tiny desk that was especially made for her. Admission to the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home is $8.

The Mercer Williams House Museum

When journalist John Berendt visited Savannah, he was inspired to turn a local murder case into the acclaimed novel, “Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil.” The Mercer Williams House Museum, the location of the murder, is open to visitors daily. Admission is $12.50.

Savannah

Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home, Savannah

After seeing where the famed author spent her last years, travel to Savannah to learn about O'Connor's early years. Visitors to the home may view rare books in the library and tour the garden where five-year-old O'Connor famously taught a chicken to walk backward. Special 45-minute group tours, discounted to $4 per person, are available outside of normal hours with advance request. Groups are kept to 15 people or fewer to ensure a quality experience.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Book & Movie Tour, Savannah

Join Savannah Heritage Tours for a glimpse into the life of this famed novel's main character, Jim Williams. The two-and-a-half-hour Midnight Book and Movie Tour includes Bonaventure Cemetery and several homes Williams owned and restored. The three-hour Grand Midnight Tour adds historic Mercer House, Williams' home and the setting of pivotal scenes in the story. Motor coach tours include the main book destinations, the Historic District, St. John The Baptist and other sites. Customized tours require a minimum of six guests and 48 hours notice. savannahheritagetour.com

Savannah – literary festival – maybe 2022?

https://www.savannahbookfestival.org/

A note about Native American authors:

I couldn’t find any contemporary sites for Native American authors, but two of the largest tribes before displacement were Muscogee (Creek) and Cherokee. Here are some authors I found, so please do a virtual road trip!

· Annette Arkeketa, Otoe-Missouria-Muscogee Creek

· Eddie Chuculate, Muscogee Creek Nation-Cherokee,[56] b. 1978

· Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, Crow Creek Lakota, b. 1930[60]

· Joy Harjo, Muscogee Creek Nation-Cherokee,[88] b. 1951

· Suzan Shown Harjo, Southern Cheyenne-Muscogee Creek

William Harjo LoneFight, Muscogee Creek Nation-Natchez, b. 1966

Janet McAdams, Muscogee Creek-descent[73]

Alexander Posey, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, 1873–1908

Cynthia Leitich Smith, Muscogee Creek, b. 1967

Owl Goingback, Eastern Band Cherokee-Choctaw-descent,[81] b. 1959

[happyweddingblogs]

11 Best Honeymoon Destinations in The USA

After a stressful wedding planning experience, you deserve to have the most relaxing honeymoon possible, with plenty of privacy and time to enjoy your spouse and union on the whole. Choosing a honeymoon destination is thus critical, and you should carefully consider your options so that you have beautiful memories to cherish for the rest of your life. Out of many fantastic locations worldwide, the USA is one of the perfect places for celebrating your new marriage. But how can you lay your hands on the best honeymoon destinations in the USA that match your individual preferences?

Fret not! In the post, we shall discuss both the best honeymoon destinations in the USA and the tips to select the best destination.

Let’s get started…

When it comes to honeymoon destinations in the USA, there is no dearth of them. The United States is the best place to enjoy post-marriage bliss, as it has a wide range of internationally acclaimed tourist destinations as well as excellent accommodation facilities. The United States, the Honeymooner’s Mecca, offers exclusive honeymoon and bridal suites at various tourist destinations’ luxurious hotels, ensuring a perfect time for the newlyweds.

Though it isn’t easy to narrow down the best honeymoon destinations in the United States as the place is swamped with myriads of the amazing location. Still, we have tried to pen down some of the top honeymoon destinations in the United States that are worth visiting for the celebration of marital bonding. Take a look…

1. Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina, is the ideal location to escape for a honeymoon if you and your spouse want a nice blend of city and country options. Nestled on the outskirts of the incredible Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Asheville is a place for making memories for a lifetime. And the hipster food and art scenes in Asheville are just worthwhile, allowing you to enjoy delectable meals and enjoy life to the fullest. Apart from that, you can enjoy the nearby hiking, white water rafting, and sceneries. Make time to visit the insanely ostentatious Biltmore Estate, which will have you wondering if you’ve been shuttled across the pond to a European honeymoon.

2. Aspen

Aspen is an ideal location for a romantic honeymoon that you will remember for the rest of your life. This picturesque mountain town looks like it came straight out of a snow globe, with picturesque mountain chalets cuddled by the sky-high Colorado Rockies. Though skiing is the main attraction of Aspen, and there are four premier ski areas nearby, besides that, the place provides you with unlimited options to keep yourself entertained, from high-end shopping to visiting fascinating museums, funky galleries, and fun festivals. Whatever you decide to do with your time in Aspen, it will be a honeymoon you will never forget. For decades, this village has been the crown jewel of the Roaring Fork Valley. Besides, this small ski town has long been a haven for celebrities from all over the world.

3. California

With its iconic bay area, California is an ideal location for honeymooners to have the best time of their lives. California has a lot to offer whether you’re a honeymooner or just a backpacker. You can visit California cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and so on that are sure to mesmerize you and your spouse with their variety of entertainment options.

4. Florida

From theme parks to beaches, Florida has a lot to offer. The famous Miami Beach is located in the state of Florida and is an ideal place for honeymoon couples to relax and rejuvenate. Then, Orlando is the MUST VISIT place that many honeymooners choose to visit in Florida because of the presence of theme parks such as Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios, Sea World, and others. All of these locations are bestowed with thrilling rides and joyous fun activities that entice tourists, particularly the honeymooners.

Related: Planning Honeymoon? Find The list of Exclusive Tips

5. Hawaii

If you want to have the most romantic start of your nuptial bonding, then Hawaii is the place. The romantic Hawaiian Islands can provide a wonderful start to your married life. Hawaii, with its hidden coves and picturesque beaches, is one of the top tourist destinations in the United States. The essence of Hawaii is mind-blowing natural wonders combined with eclectic beaches and rocking nightlife. And Hawaii’s perfect weather ensures that it remains a popular honeymoon destination throughout the year.

6. Las Vegas

Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the United States, is located in the state of Nevada and is also a great place to visit after getting married. Las Vegas’ perfect nightlife, with its pubs, clubs, discos, casinos, and opulent restaurants, leaves tourists wanting more. The posh restaurants of Las Vegas serve delectable cuisines from around the world. Furthermore, the popular shows and plays presented in the various theatres of Las Vegas hotels are of international caliber and well-received by tourists. It is one of the best honeymoon destinations in the USA for newlyweds wanting to have a modish honeymoon.

7. Maui

Maui, located between the Big Island and the much smaller Molokai, is one of the archipelago’s most popular tourist destinations. This location is ideal for getting a taste of everything the Aloha State offers, from spectacular wildlife to enthralling history and culture. You can wiggle alongside professional hula dancers, sail down a zip line, golf along breathtaking coastal fairways, or do nothing, just relax on some of Hawaii’s most famous beaches while visiting here.

8. Minneapolis

Head to Minneapolis for an edgy spin on a honeymoon getaway, where you can spend a romantic weekend biking around the city, visiting fascinating galleries, and seeing the latest shows. Minneapolis is a big city in Minnesota that forms the “Twin Cities” with St. Paul, the state capital. It’s known for its beautiful lakes and enchanting parks. It has a lot to offer to honeymooners and vacationers. The city is divided by the Mississippi River. Many cultural landmarks such as the Walker Art Center, a contemporary art museum, and the adjacent Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, famous for Claes Oldenburg’s “Spoonbridge and Cherry” sculpture, can be found in Minneapolis.

9. Nantucket

Nantucket, a swanky vacation destination, is becoming posher each year. This tiny island, located about 30 miles south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is an awesome location for people looking for a summer escape. It does, however, welcome other visitors, such as honeymooners. Hotel rates and food are quite expensive, but some of the most popular island activities are reasonably priced. A proper Nantucket visit entails riding your rental bike through the cobbled streets or lazing on the beach.

10. New York

New York is a city of dreams and an ideal honeymoon destination. From the lush greenery of Central Park to the iconic Statue of Liberty, New York has a plethora of tourist attractions to offer. A newlywed couple can take a romantic evening stroll through Central Park and even stroll through the illuminated Times Square at night. Again, an adventurous honeymoon couple can visit Niagara Falls, which is seven hours away from New York.

11. Savannah

Lastly, in the list, we have Savannah, Georgia. With its astonishing oak trees, stunningly gorgeous architecture, and ridiculously delicious food, this place is one of the insanely romantic and best honeymoon destinations in the United States. There are numerous romantic activities that newlyweds can indulge in, ranging from romantic strolls with their spouse to exploring the wonderful restaurant scene, hopping into a house museum or two, and visiting beautiful spots, among others. The best part is that Savannah is right next door to a lovely beach getaway on Tybee Island, adding another layer to your honeymoon getaway. If you’re planning a long honeymoon in Savannah, then it’s wise to club it with a visit to St. Augustine in northeastern Florida for having an extended romantic time in the USA.

So these are the best honeymoon destinations in the USA that you can pick and choose from to spend a memorable honeymoon of a lifetime. Now, it’s time to look at the ways to find a place for a fantastic honeymoon experience.

Tips To Find The Best Honeymoon Destinations In The USA

Of course, finding an awesome place for a memorable honeymoon experience is not easy. There are a lot of things to consider to lay your hands on the best honeymoon spots that fit in your preferences. Here are some tips to make your search a breeze:

1. Browse top destinations

The coolest thing about the internet is that you can get any information you want in seconds and review the places you’re most interested in. Make the best use of it and look for destinations with a reputation for having the best honeymoon spots, and then make your choice. You can choose a few of the best places and then carefully evaluate each one in terms of what you and your partner prefer the most. Travel websites are also very good at providing you with the information that you require about the best honeymoon destinations in the USA. In addition, you can also get travel deals that save you both time and money.

2. Ask for recommendations

Asking for recommendations from your known people is a good way to find the best honeymoon destination in the USA. Your friends, coworkers, and even family members who have been on honeymoons to the USA may be able to recommend beautiful locations for you to check out and consider. They can even ask around for the best honeymoon spot. Or they can share information about the ideal vacation spots they may have heard of from their contacts, making it easier to check specific places instead of obtaining a ceaseless list of potential destinations.

3. Get professional help

If you’re very busy and don’t have much time to devote to researching the best places to spend your honeymoon, you can have a reputable travel agent do all of the legwork for you. You can list what features you are looking for at the destination and the honeymoon package, in general, to make it easier for the agent to find a place that you are sure to enjoy. Travel agents collaborate with a variety of service providers, including hotels, and it is very simple for them to find you the best places for your honeymoon. You can then go over the detailed reports of the top best places and decide which location best suits your needs for a special time with your partner.

Wrapping it up…

These are the considerations you should make when looking for the best honeymoon destinations in the USA. It is best to plan for the honeymoon at the same time as the wedding to ensure a comfortable transition from the wedding to the honeymoon, especially when you want to begin the honeymoon immediately after your wedding. You can enlist the assistance of professionals and take advantage of honeymoon packages and deals to make the planning process less stressful, allowing you to focus on the wedding.

Furthermore, when choosing a honeymoon destination, consider all-important, such as budget, weather, hotel, romance and adventure, accommodation, and distance, among other factors that directly impact how the honeymoon experience turns out.

Happy Wedding…

[3thurs]

Third Thursday events and exhibitions for September 19

The next Third Thursday — the monthly evening of art in Athens, Georgia — is scheduled for Thursday, September 19, from 6 to 9 p.m. All exhibitions are free and open to the public. This schedule and each venue’s location and hours of operation are available at 3thurs.org.

Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia

Yoga in the Galleries, 6 p.m. — This free yoga class surrounded by works of art in the galleries is led by instructors from Five Points Yoga and open to both beginner and experienced yogis. Sanitized mats are provided. Space is limited and spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis; tickets are available at the front desk starting at 5:15 p.m.

On view:

“In Dialogue: On Wonder and Witnessing at Tallulah Falls” — 19th-century landscapes of Tallulah Falls and contemporary photographs of the area by Caitlin Peterson, illuminating the contradictions involved in marking off natural wonders and the paradoxes of witnessing nature. 

“Waffle House Vistas” — Photographs by Micah Cash taken from inside Waffle House restaurants, plus a newly commissioned time-based work.

“Saint Petersburg as Franz Liszt Saw It” — Organized in conjunction with the Liszt Festival at the University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music in October 2024, this exhibition features works on paper that show Russia at the time of Franz Liszt’s visits there in the 1840s.

“A Perfect Model: Prints after Anthony van Dyck’s Portraits” — Prints that attest to Anthony Van Dyck’s lasting impact as printmaker and portraitist.

Permanent collection: A wide range of the museum’s permanent collection is always on view, featuring painting, sculpture, works on paper and decorative arts from the Renaissance to contemporary periods.

The museum’s days of operation are Tuesday – Sunday. Reserve a free ticket and see our policies at https://georgiamuseum.org/visit/.

ATHICA: Athens Institute for Contemporary Art

ATHICA@675 Pulaski St., Suite 1200:

“How to Measure an Ocean: James Enos and Jess Machacek” — Sculptures, wall-based reliefs and objects acting as sensorial metaphors for describing atmospheric variation.

ATHICA@CINÉ Gallery:

“Garden of Dreams: Photographs by Austin Emerson” — Darkroom-based alchemical images.

Lyndon House Arts Center

Please note: the Lyndon House Arts Center will close at 8 p.m. on this Third Thursday.

Artist talk, 6 p.m. — Elaine Stephenson will speak about a public art mural she is creating for Athens with the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission.

On view: 

Ahndhi Stitcha’s VHS Tape Collection in the Community Collections case

“Amiri Farris” — Farris’ work delves into themes of history, culture, perception and time. Through his innovative style, he blurs the lines between contemporary cultures and pop traditions.

“Scissors, Paper, Art: Jack Burk & Claire Clements” — Utilizing paper, painting and drawing, these works sing with the vibrancy of the natural world. Plants and flowers are present in all of the images, expressing a lushness that connects material and subject matter.

“Art in a Bottle: Leonard Piha” —  Local artist creates small sculptures inside glass bottles.

tiny ATH gallery

“Stay On It Stay On It Stay On It” — New shaped paintings, recent works on paper and a selection of pieces from 2017 to 2018 by Jason Matherly.

The Athenaeum

“Fission or, Eclipse” —  New York-based artist Rose Salane uses seemingly mundane objects to explicate systems of evaluation, exchange and organization that shape daily life, arranging collected items of disparate origin from personal and bureaucratic archives to better understand historic cycles through an object’s recovery and storage.

ACE/FRANCISCO Gallery

"Murmur Trestle: Photographs by Jason Thrasher” — Opening and book release, with Avid Bookshop selling copies of “Murmur Trestle” (University of Georgia Press) on-site. Thrasher spent six years focusing his lens on an immersive exploration of the R.E.M. Murmur Trestle, photographing it within its changing natural environment.

“Grit Portraits: Paintings by Tobiah Cole” — Paintings of some of the artist’s friends from his many years at the Grit, a beloved restaurant formerly on Prince Avenue in Athens. A limited-edition fine art print of one of Cole's landscape paintings made in Maine will be available for purchase.

The Classic Center

Closed this Third Thursday between exhibitions.

—

Third Thursday was established in 2012 to encourage attendance at Athens’ established art venues through coordination and co-promotion by the organizing entities. 

Contact: Michael Lachowski, Georgia Museum of Art, mlachow@uga.edu.

[tinyhouseexpedition]

Intimate and in-depth! Only 10 participants allowed per workshop session

[moonshine-and-moss]

As someone who grew up poor in Appalachia, I never realized until recently how particular to place my upbringing was. I didn’t question the grungy outbuildings that housed our pigs and chickens, the wild guineas running through the forests, or the cows that would escape onto the road and make me late for school. I never thought twice about the punch hole pennies strung across the windows or the peeling blue paint on the porch. The little slab of stone by the door always held a bowl of salt, bread was made twice weekly and never store bought. There was a big stick kept by the garage and if you gathered the eggs that morning, you grabbed the stick without even thinking because you had to scare the chicken snakes away somehow. (This was my least favorite task, as snakes have always been my nemesis.) You planted by the skies and you harvested that way too. Forked sticks were sacred and there was always an elder who had the talent. Water witches, they were called, but there was never shame in that title, no matter what you hear now. (My Grandpa had it, and was sought after whenever people needed a well dug.) 

These are all experiences I had daily, and it never occurred to me that people elsewhere might find them strange, or do things differently. 

Our house was made of tin, a trailer house, and all my aunts and cousins lived in tiny homes around the main residence. These weren’t tiny homes like you see today. They were not made for aesthetic or minimalism. They were made for survival. Most winters in north Georgia are mild and the little houses were fine to weather it, but on occasion when the snow hit I remember everyone gathering in the main “house” and to my child mind it seemed so festive, having everyone in the house at once, blankets and pallets strewn about the living room while Mama and Grandma cooked over a kerosene heater. Of course, as a grown up I realize how hard and scary raising a family like that would have been for my parents. But they never once lamented their lot and as a result, I had no idea we were poor. We played cards by candle light, searched for fairies in the woods out back, and cut out magazine pictures to decorate the Christmas tree. My childhood was magic, and I’ve never regretted a moment of it. Things are different now. The elders are gone (Granny just this past September) and my parents moved away. My cousin now lives in the “big house” but when I visit it seems so small. Her little boys sleep in my old room, the one with the bay window that isn’t half as large as I remember. The slab by the door is covered in grass, and all the outbuildings and little houses were torn down to be used for parts and lumber. Every time the wind blows, her yard is covered in pieces off the old barn, which she plans to tear down before nature blows it completely away. It would seem sad, and it is, but that land is still magic to me. She painted over all the wolves and pine trees Daddy put on the walls for my Mama, but sometimes I can still see the outline of a howling muzzle peeking through. I miss their tacky little faces. 

I’m rediscovering all this, now that I have my own home. My herb garden reminds me of pulling weeds with my youngest aunt, so close to my own age that she was more like a sister. I miss her. When I make bread I remember the distinct smell of my grandma’s potato bread (she called it salt raisin bread, but it didn’t have salt or raisins in it, it had potatoes so that’s what i’ve always called it.) I wish I could remember how she made it. We’re planning to get chickens soon, so we’ll have fresh eggs and feet, which we always used in the soup pot, not to mention fried chicken. And I’ve started drying my apples, because last year they started making Stack Cake at work and it doesn’t taste anything like it should, so I’m going to make it the right way at home. There is nothing so cozy as the smell of apples and molasses filling up the house. 

I guess I’m trying to get all that magic back. Because there is nothing as magical as an Appalachian mountain wild childhood.

[firethatgrewsolow]

Mich and Rob - The Christmas Edition

**Hey there, I know you guys probably hate these little asides, but this one is compulsory. :-)  The anon that sparked this vignette likely has no idea what they’ve done.  Take your anti-nausea meds, bc this one’s over the top.  It’s my wildest dream (not in a kinky way, don’t get excited lol).  It breaks the barrier in terms of fluff, sentimentality, and downright ridiculousness, but I loved writing every single word.  A Christmas fantasy … oh, and nsfw.  PS - thank you @ladygrange for being so kind and patient.  You are too good to be true.  And thank you @waywaydowninside for your jewelry expertise!**

Michelle awoke to the quiet rattle of the glass panes beside the bed, her lips curving at what awaited her.  A soft blanket of pearly white covered the ground, and more was gently falling, swirling in the breeze.  Mindful that Robert was still asleep, she slowly eased onto her side, poring over the scene.  Bella will be so happy.  It was exactly the Christmas they’d hoped for, snowy, idyllic, like a fairy tale or a Norman Rockwell painting.  Except I’m in Wales now, she mused contentedly.  The day was reserved for just the three of them, as Robert’s family had left the previous evening, and Melody’s brood wasn’t due until the following afternoon.  Michelle relished the idea of a handful of peaceful hours and perhaps a visitor or two, as the neighbors were wont to do.  The calm before the storm.  Her gaze returned to the endless flakes dancing this way and that.  It was like a fairy tale, but then so was everything else.

Robert admired the arc of her waist, resisting the temptation to trace it with his finger.  Her silhouette was so beautiful in the muted morning light as she watched her white Christmas unfold.  A rare event, to be sure, but he couldn’t imagine it any other way.  He slid behind her, pulling her into him as he wrapped his arms around her.  “Happy Christmas, love.  Or should I say Merry?” he teased, kissing the spot below her ear that he knew she loved.

Michelle smiled at the comfort of his warmth.  “No, happy it is.  That’s the right way to say it, isn’t it?”

“Ah, yes, you’re one of us now.  Down to the proper surname.”  He caressed her cheek, pecking the tip of her nose.  “I knew you’d cave eventually.”  

“Oh, really?  Did you?” she asked, lifting a brow.

Robert cocked his head.  “Yeah, I did.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“You’re right,” he admitted with a snicker.  “And you waited bloody long enough to.”

Michelle ran her fingers through the curls that were dusting his shoulder, taking in the lines of his impossibly handsome face.  The swell in her chest was nearly too much.  “I love you.  Everything about you.”

Robert brushed his lips across hers, words not adequate to relay the depth of what was in his heart.  His was a charmed life, and he knew it, but he couldn’t escape the sliver of insecurity.  What did he ever do to deserve her perfect devotion?  And the angelic little girl that he loved so much.  Christ.  He swallowed back the tightness in his throat, conjuring the closest thing he could find to the truth.  “I am the luckiest man that ever lived.”  He carefully coaxed her on her back, cradling her face as he kissed her again.  Her legs parted, instinctively folding around his waist as she clutched his shoulders.  Their kiss deepened, and she arched against him, his body immediately responding.  He sighed as he positioned himself, her sweet heat slowly enveloping him.  “Oh, baby, I love you so much.  You feel so …”  He froze at the tapping on the door, expelling a tense breath as a tiny voice called out to them.  “Bloody hell, she’s got impeccable timing.”

“So she does,” Michelle replied, chuckling.  “I’m coming, Bella.  Give me a second.”  She tried to wriggle out from underneath him, but he caught her.

“You know, um, if Bella had a brother or a sister, she’d stay more … occupied.”

“Not that again.”  Michelle swatted his arm.  “Get off of me.”

“Just a thought, you know.”  He gave her a little grin, releasing her.

The house was chilly from the long winter night, and Robert set about lighting a fire in the main living area.  He smiled blissfully at Annabelle’s persistent prattle as she trailed behind him, speculating about her presents and when she could open them.  Logs finally blazing, he snapped on the radio, plopping down on the broad sofa across from the hearth.  He helped himself to a few of the biscuits that Michelle had laid out on the tea table, his eyes sweeping over their bountiful tree.  It was draped in a wild mish-mash of delicate, glittering ornaments, coupled with popcorn strands and popsicle stick art buried in gold and silver tinsel.  Three crayon drawings of Strider in Santa hats completed the picture.  It was perfection.  

“Can I open them now?”  Bella posed in front of him with a pout, hands on hips, her scowl looking just like her mother’s.  “I’ve been waiting all day.”

Robert patted the top of his thigh.  “We’ve only been awake for an hour or so, darlin’.  That’s hardly all day.”  He hoisted her up as she climbed onto his lap.  “Besides, your mum gets the final call on the day’s festivities.”

“What’s festivy?”

Amused, he kissed her cheek.  “Fes-tiv-i-ty.  It means, ah, having a good time.  Sort of like a party.”

“Like a birthday party?”

“Exactly.”  Robert breathed in deeply, having fallen under the spell of the magic mix of charred wood and spicy evergreen wafting through the room.  He peered across the mantle, inspecting the array of stuffed stockings one by one.  Four of them.  One for each member of the family, including Strider, naturally.  He gazed back to the majestic Nordmann Fir, holding Annabelle just a little bit tighter.  The moment was precious and pure, and he never wanted to forget it.  He closed his eyes, losing himself in the scents and sounds as Ray Charles sang about Georgia.

Michelle poured some tea, going over the items she’d laid out on the kitchen counter.  They weren’t going to have a large late afternoon meal, as they’d had countless the previous few days with family.  Instead, she was trying her hand at a traditional English breakfast, complete with a few Welsh additions.  She warily cased the laver cakes, unconvinced that local seaweed would be delectable, but Robert had insisted.  Welshman’s caviar, he’d called it, borrowing a quote from his beloved Richard Burton.  She snickered, recalling his near flawless mimicry of the actor’s famous baritone.  Deciding breakfast could wait, she exchanged her tea for something more spirited, puzzled by the quiet in the air.  The soft hum of chatter was conspicuously absent, the only noise being the music from the radio and errant pop of the fire in the living room.  Pouring a second glass of champagne for Robert, Michelle made her way there.  

She spied them at once, savoring the cozy tableau.  Robert had fallen asleep, and Bella lay still and nestled onto his chest, with Strider at their feet.  She recorded the scene, enchanted.  How lucky they were.  A million to one chance that any of it would have ever happened, and yet it did.  She didn’t necessarily believe in fate, but moments like this made her second guess herself.  The collie lifted his head at her perusal, the tinkle of the collar Annabelle had gifted him, and that Michelle was quite sure he loathed, waking the little girl.  “Are you ready, Bella?”  Squealing, the child careened off her perch, racing to the stacks of brightly colored boxes sprinkled around the base of the tree.  

Robert opened one eye, his mouth turning up.  “I guess that’s a yes,” he said drowsily as Annabelle ransacked her treasure trove.

The afternoon passed by like lightning, fueled by an unlikely visit from the Bonham clan, as well as more than a few neighbors.  It was an uproarious, happy day full of good cheer and questionable sweaters.  Laughs abounded, but Michelle had to admit she felt a little grateful as the last guest made their exit.  She dropped onto the couch as Robert shut the door, appraising the space, which was in shambles.  Scraps of wrapping paper and Christmas crackers were strewn about, and toys littered the room.  The adult versions did, too, in the form of various flutes and goblets, most empty or close to it.  She glanced at the clock on the mantle, dismayed to find that it was much later than she thought.  The idea of cleaning up became a bit too daunting, and, instead, she snuggled next to Robert, who’d joined her on the sofa.  “Nice hat.”

“Oh, is it still on?”  His hand glided to the top of his head, straightening the thin paper crown.  “Not a good look?”

“So regal.”

“You’d better be nice, or you’ll move to the naughty list.”  The singer drummed his fingers on the pillow beside him.  “You know, on second thought, that doesn’t sound …”

Michelle quickly cleared her throat.  “Bella and I have one more thing for you.”

“Really?  To what do I owe the honor?”

“At the moment, I really couldn’t tell you.”

“Very cheeky.  I like it.  As it happens, I have one more thing for each of you, as well.”  He leaned into her ear with a tipsy whisper, “Although yours is for a bit later this evening.”

“I can only imagine.”  Michelle rolled her eyes, padding to the tree.  “We’ll go first.”  She rifled through the mounds of crumpled paper until she found a small box, which she handed to Annabelle.  “Give that to your dad.”  She lowered her voice, “It’s the thing you picked out for him.”  Bella took the package, presenting it proudly to Robert.  

“Well, what’s this?  It’s not a new sled, is it?”  He flipped the gift over, shaking it mightily as the little girl laughed.  “I suppose not.  Hmm, is it a puppy?”  He grinned as Bella giggled again.  “No?”  His grin grew as she shook her head.  “Well, then, let’s find out what it is.”  He slowly tore off the paper and opened the box.  In it, lay a long, thin chain.  He lifted it up, the lightning bolt pendant catching a glimmer from the light of the fire.  “Oh, Bella, I love it.  It’s exactly what I wanted.”  He swung the rope back and forth, finally catching the pendant in the palm of his hand.  “Thank you, honey.  Come here.”  He held out his arms, giving her a gentle hug and kissing the top of her head.  “Now, your turn.”

Robert fetched a large package from behind the tree, and Bella ripped through the paper like a child possessed.  Michelle gasped as she plucked her doll from the box.  It was the one he’d purchased for her on their last trip to Montreux.  How he’d kept it a secret, Michelle would never know.  The thought that he’d patiently kept it hidden until Christmas made her fall that much more in love with him.  She glanced back to Bella, noting her downtrodden expression.  “What’s wrong, baby?  Don’t you like your new doll?”  Nodding, Annabelle picked up the tiny figure, holding it close to her chest.  “Why do you seem so sad?”

“Jason got a baby sister for Christmas.”

Michelle exchanged a look with Robert.  “Well, that’s kind of true.  He does have a new baby sister, although I’m not quite sure it was a Christmas present.”

“But that’s what he said,” Bella replied, her brow wrinkling.  “If he got a baby sister, why can’t I have a baby brother?”

Michelle stole another peek at Robert.  Highly suspect.  “It doesn’t exactly work like that.”

“Then how do babies get here?  If they don’t come for Christmas?”

“Well, honey, your, um … dad will explain it to you as he puts you to bed.”  Robert cut his eyes at her, and she shrugged.  “After all, I’ve got to straighten up down here.”

Robert closed the bedroom door behind him, kicking off his boots.  “Well, that was fun.  Thanks for the desertion.”  He tugged his sweater over his head, tossing it onto the floor as he made his way to the bed.

“How’d it go?  Did you tell her all about the birds and the bees?”

“Not exactly.  She did get a pretty good run down on delivery by stork, though.”  He drew back the covers, his dimple deepening.  “Ooh, I see you found the present.”

Michelle ran her hand along the silky camisole of the nightgown.  “How could I miss it?  It wasn’t even wrapped.”

“It’s really my present, anyway.”

“Yeah, I know.”

He eased next to her, toying with the wide, crimson package at her side. “You, uh, said you had something else for me?”

She snapped up the box.  “Maybe you don’t deserve it.  Maybe you’re on the naughty list.”

“That’s okay with me.”  He busied himself with the buttons of her cami, beaming as she slapped him away.

“Good God, you’re insatiable.  Here.”

Robert plucked the gift from her hand, peeling back the paper.  He began his retort, stilling as he lifted the top.  His gaze traveled over the thick, silver links of the necklace that lay inside.  They were sort of rectangular with dark turquoise inlay, and very familiar.  He picked up the chain, surprised by how heavy it felt in his hand.  You know this.  But from where?

“Are you okay?” Michelle asked, jarred by his silence.  “Do you not like it?”

“No, I mean, yes, I like it.  It’s fantastic.  I just think I’ve seen it before.”

“Well, that’s a traditional inlay, probably Hopi.  You have other jewelry like it.”

“I don’t know.”  Robert tilted his head, his eyes narrowing.  “Where did it come from?”

“Well, believe it or not, that crazy little shop in Dallas.  Do you remember the place?”

“Christ, that’s it.  I saw it there when I was with … when did you get it?”

“A few years ago.  That summer in 73.”

“And you kept it this whole time,” he replied quietly, the memories flooding back to him.  

“It felt like you, like a piece of you.”  Michelle glanced away, awash in memories of her own.  “I’d always hoped I could give it to you.”

“I love it.”  Robert studied her features, illuminated by the blush glow from the lamp on the bedside table.  “And I love you.”  He cupped her chin, giving her a gentle kiss.  “You and Bella, my most precious treasures.”

“Did you put her up to all that baby brother stuff?”

Robert shook his head, placing the necklace back in the box and setting it on the table.  “Surprisingly, I did not.”  He skimmed her thigh with his palm.  “But I would have had I thought about it.”  He continued across the peak of her hip, tentatively resting on the soft swell of her tummy.  “She was right there, yeah?”

“She was,” Michelle replied, her mouth curving.  His splayed hand was warm across her belly.

“It’s incredible,” he whispered, marveling at the mystery of it all.  “Did it hurt?  When you had her?”

“Yes.  Babies are big, well, compared to … some things.”  She smiled at the attempt at humor, but he didn’t smile back.

“I’m sorry, Belle.  I’m so sorry I wasn’t there, that you had to do it all alone.”  Robert swallowed, looking into her eyes.  “But I’m going to be there for the next one.  Every step of the way.”  She shifted, her eyes widening as he nodded.  “Yes.  The next one.  The one I’m going to give to you this very night.”  She opened her mouth to respond, and he shook his head.  “No, please, let me finish.  I want to watch your body change, feel a little kick for the first time, all of it.  It’s amazing, and I want to experience it with you.”

“I’m not sure what to say.”

“Say that we’re going to do it.  For Bella’s sake, if nothing else.”

“For Bella’s sake, right.”  Michelle quelled her amusement.  “Robert, I don’t think you …”

“Listen, I make the rules in this house.  Well, when you’re not making them, I mean,” he added hastily, sheepishly nibbling his lip.  “Baby, I love you.  And I can’t stop making love to you.  And it seems to happen when we do …” he trailed off, brushing a lock of hair from her face.  “So, there it is, darlin’.  It shall be done.  Tonight.  A Christmas conception,” he chimed with what he hoped was his most seductive smirk.  “Hey, that’s got a pretty good ring to it, doesn’t it?  Christ, just saying it is giving me a bloody …”

“Everything does.  My God, you talk too much.”  She yanked his head down, grabbing a fistfull of hair as their mouths collided.  She could feel his arousal through his jeans, and he grunted as she gave him a not so subtle squeeze.  She reached for the buckle of his belt, but he was already there, rolling onto his side to dispense with unnecessary garments, which were all of them.  As the pants tumbled onto the floor, she straddled him.  “Did you lock the door?”

“Shit, I can’t remember.”

She pressed against him, delighting in the hard length underneath her and large hands encasing her hips and backside.  “Fuck it.”

In a motion, Robert sat up, effortlessly flipping her over.  “I want you like this.  There are some things I’ve got to take care of.”  His gaze roamed over her body, lingering on her breasts.  “I need you very, very wet for what I have in mind.”  Her nipples were deliciously erect, like they always seemed to be, and he captured one in his mouth through the thin, silk bodice, luxuriating in her little mewl.  He nipped it, grinning as she jerked away.

“Ouch, that hurts!  I’m sensitive!”

“You are, huh?”  He slid the gown off and ran his tongue across the bud, flicking it lightly.  “Would that be everywhere?” he asked devilishly as he inched down her tummy, savoring the soft flesh along the way.  As he reached the top of her panties, he clasped the ties on either side, dispensing with the bows with a flourish.  He parted her legs, transfixed.  “Happy Christmas to me,” he purred, grazing his lips along the inside of her thigh.  “Every time I come tonight … and I intend to do it a lot, honey …”  He moved a little closer to her hot, wet center, delivering a kiss and then another, edging closer still.  “It’s going to be deep, deep inside of you.”  She gasped as he reached his destination, and he gave her a wicked smile.  “Just to be sure, you know.”

Michelle trembled as he gently opened her, spreading wider as she felt the warmth of his tongue lashing her most delicate spot.  She groaned as he did it again and again, her hand creeping into his hair.  “Oh, fuck, don’t stop.  Just like that.”  She shimmied her hips to urge him on, crying out as he slipped a finger inside.   She lifted her head, enthralled by the sight of him in between her legs, only to drop it as he slipped in a second.

There was a hum in the back of his throat as he found the other spot she loved so much.  He kept a slow, steady rhythm against it as he licked and sucked, relishing the moaning, writhing mess he’d turned her into.  “You taste so bloody good, darlin’.  Let me feel you come.”

“Oh, my God, Robert, I  …”  Her legs shook as the tension escalated into a delirious spiral.  She gripped the sheet as it wound tighter and tighter and tighter until she shattered, the rush of the release taking her breath away.  She buckled into the bedding, her pulse racing.  “Jesus Christ, how do you do that?”

“I think the better question is, how could I not?”  Robert nuzzled the slick, tender skin.  “You are … mmm, like a delicacy.  Sometimes I wish I could share you.”

“No, you fucking don’t.”

“You’re right.”  He crawled up the length of her body, framing her face with his forearms.  “You’re all mine.  To do with what I wish.  And, tonight, I think you know exactly what that is.”  He paused, caressing her cheek with his thumb.  “I can’t explain the feeling I have, Michelle.  It makes me crazy.  It’s like …”  He sighed, searching for the right words.  “It’s like I have this need to do it, this urge that I can’t control.  I never felt it before I met you, and I’ve never felt it with anybody else.  Just you.”   

His lips met hers, their tongues lazily entwining.  Michelle could taste herself on him, the slightly sweet and salty mix of both of them.  The kiss was languid and loving, but she knew what he needed, what they both did.  She wrapped her legs around his waist, guiding him as he entered her, the heady pressure giving her chills.  She moaned as he glided deeper, taking his time, carefully filling her until she felt complete.  They felt complete.  

Robert broke the kiss, peering into her eyes and blinking back the moisture in his own.  The thought of sparking something at the center of her very core was just … like nothing before.  They’d made love hundreds of times, maybe more, but never like this.  He’d always assumed he understood the primal nature of it, but, at that moment, he realized he’d never come close.  It didn’t feel right.  It was right.  He kept his eyes on hers as he began to move, her beautiful, wet heat enveloping him.  Fuck, everything about her was beautiful.  Her face, her hair, the scent of her skin.  She was perfect.  They were perfect.  He picked up his pace, breathing a little heavier, and her mouth dropped open as she closed her eyes.  “No, don’t close your eyes.  I want to see them when you come.”  He pursed his lips, exhaling as he felt the tremor.  “There it is.  Christ, I love you so much.”

Michelle clutched at him, desperate for more as he started to move faster.  She was so close.  Again. God, the things he did to her, the things they did to each other.  He grasped her wrists, pulling her arms above her head, thrusting hard, taking everything she had.  Her breath caught, and she bit her lip as he tossed his head back, pushing gently against her wall.  He swayed his hips back and forth, keeping sweet pressure inside and against the swollen, aching bud between her legs.  Over and over … around and around.  Their eyes stayed locked, neither looking away, not even for an instant.  Then she felt it, something different, something deep.  “Oh, Robert, I, this is, I don’t …”  The words disappeared as he kissed her, tangling his fingers in her hair.  Her whole body tingled, her muscles tensing.  Fuck, she was right on the cusp, of what, she wasn’t sure, but she wanted it, that much she knew.  She began to shudder, emitting something between a moan and a sob as she finally gave in to the mountain of current.  She held him as tightly as she could, tears flooding her eyes as the blessed release ripped through her.

He’d never seen anything like it or felt anything like it, either.  Her body was hot, hotter than it had ever been, and she was clenching him wildly.  He kept her close, pressing right against her wall, exactly where he needed to be.  With a groan, he let go, filling her again and again, as lost in her eyes as she was in his.  He laid his forehead on hers, mesmerized by the power of their connection and the flame that they’d surely ignited.  He didn’t know how long they stayed that way.  Time ceased to matter.

Michelle brought her hands to the sides of his face, her brow lifting as she smiled.  “What was that?”

“I’ve no fucking idea, but, Christ, I adore you.”  Robert collapsed onto his back, drawing her into his chest.  “I’ve never come like that before in my life.  Bloody hell, if that didn’t do the trick then I don’t know what will.”

She ran her fingers through his damp curls, her smile broadening.  “I’m not so sure.”

“You want to have another go at it, then?  Not that I don’t already intend to.”

“It wouldn’t matter.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Robert snipped, frowning.  “How would you bloody know, anyway?”

“A couple of reasons.”  Michelle placed a kiss on the dimple of his chin.  “One, women know these things.”

He rolled his eyes.  “Bollocks.”

“And two, you already have.  Done the trick, that is.”

Robert blinked as the understanding washed over him, for a moment, speechless.  “Christ, almighty, are you saying …”

“Yes, I’m saying.”

He expelled a sharp breath.  “Oh, baby, I don’t, I can’t …”  His hand flew to her tummy.  “What if we did something to hurt it?”  

“I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work like that.”

“Bloody hell, woman, when were you going to tell me?”

“I tried to earlier, but, ah, you make the rules in the house, remember?”  She chuckled at the wide, silly grin on his face.  “Are you happy?”

“I’m not happy, Belle, I’m better than that. Fuck, I don’t know what I am,” he whispered, snickering.  “Fucking giddy.”

“Me, too.”

Their eyes met, and Robert cupped her face.  “I love you, Michelle.  And Bella.  And whoever else comes along.”  He traced her bottom lip with his thumb.  “And I will for the rest of my life.”  He folded his arms around her as he lay his head back on the pillow, lost in the rush of a love he never knew existed.

[atmickeywhite]

2020 Favorite Albums

Hi friends,  So each year, I put together a list of 50 or so of my favorite albums on Twitter. This year, I’m shifting that to tumblr and using words, etc.. And fortunately, I took a long enough break from playing Wu-Tang in Brittany’s car to listen to new music. So a bit on music -- staying current on new music, making playlists, sharing with friends and learning the history has always had its way of cementing my memories. It’s been a great way to recall dreary bus rides and summer walks around Portage Park, the loneliness of working nights and the utter joy is was to become adults with Desirae.  2020 cranked the existential shit to 11.  In January, I had moved after a brutal 14-month situation in my last apartment. In February, my childhood friend’s little sister passed away. In March, the lockdowns happened. In April, I got fired. In May, I decided to move out of state. I spent a third of June traipsing around Chattanooga before finally moving there in mid-July. August was filled with impossibly long bike rides in the Georgia rain and summer heat. September was the heart of a frustrating job search and extensive dental work. COVID came roaring back in October. My anxiety caught up to me really hard in November and December hasn’t had the greatest start, either. That’s not to speak on what the homies went through this year, and it was a lot. But we keep it pushing.  The point is that life is constantly kicking our ass and these are fifty albums that helped me get some reprieve from all of that, whether is was listening or sharing or just going back and forth with Tyler about what’s new and relevant. To that end, this year saw the cementing of Griselda is a legacy street rap act, the rise of HAUS of ALTR as a preeminent techno label and surprise turns from artists that exist in a staid major-label milieu (Dua Lipa, Lil’ Uzi Vert). Stalwarts like Sada Baby, Shinichi Atobe, Angel Marcloid and Actress stayed on repeat. Jazz, metal and folk weirdos rear their head from time to time. Acts peaked and self-destructed. I left the individual writing of the albums to people get paid to be better than me at this stuff. History, context and a feel for what the albums sound like is more useful than me painting a picture of what riding your bike around Lookout Mountain with no breaks is like.  If you check any of these out and like what you hear, I highly encourage you to buy (directly from the artist’s Bandcamp page, if applicable). And remember, taste is built in cars, not in large public places.  25 Honorable Mentions: Anunaku - Stargate Anz - Loos In Twos (NRG) Arbor Labor Union - New Petal Instants Conway The Machine - From a King to a God Drive-By Truckers - The New OK Duval Timothy - Help Eartheater - Phoenix: Flames Are Dew Upon My Skin Eiko Ishibashi - Impulse of the Ribbon Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters Four Tet - Sixteen Oceans Gabriel Garzon-Montano - Aguita GB - 186.22 Ian William Craig - Red Sun Through Smoke Jerry Paper - Abracadabra  Kali Uchis - Sin Miedo Lucinda Williams - Good Souls, Better Angels Machinedrum - A View of You Margo Price - That’s How Rumors Get Started Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders MJ Guider - Sour Cherry Bell Park Hye-Jin - How can I Quelle Chris / Chris Keys - Innocent Country 2 Ringo Deathstarr - Ringo Deathstarr Soul Glo - Songs To Yeet At The Sun Trees Speak - Shadow Forms

50 - A Pregnant Light - You Cannot Pour From An Empty Vessel "These songs were written and recorded in 2017, and in a haze of... well, just imagine the bad sort of things that cause a haze over one's life. These songs were lost. In the process of cleaning out some tapes and recording sessions, these songs were found and completed in 2020. It's a bridge between where APL was three years ago, and now. It was so strange to hear these forgotten songs and go in and finish them. It was like collaborating with a person I used to know. It was an odd experience, but turned out fruitful." - A Pregnant Light Bandcamp Page 49 - Rian Treanor - File Under UK Metaplasm "We hardly need any convincing on the quality of Rian Treanor's productions as he's been completely unfuckwithable from day one, but "File Under UK Metaplasm" is still next damn level.Rian bashed out the initial demos on returning from a trip to Uganda in 2018 for Nyege Nyege Festival. Inspired by the producers he'd collaborated with in Kampala, he switched up his workflow and began jamming out ideas at higher tempos, harnessing the energy of singeli music without simply carbon copying the style. Initial sketches were eventually fleshed into proper tracks and tested on audiences (and on soundsystems) around the world where Rian could assess the power of each element.It was worth the hard work, the result is a fiery set of tunes that sound like everything at once and nothing at all. Opener 'Hypnic Jerks' is ragged kick-bubbling 200-bpm club on secondment to Tanzania; 'Vacuum Angle' is wobbly DMT-step that sounds like an attempt to use aging educational computer software to power the Stargate; 'Mirror Instant' is shuffling bassline house kicked up to 45rpm; 'Opponent Process' is EP7-era Autechre with the fun switch turned on; 'Debouncing' is double-speed grime that glides into parts unknown. By the time the album reaches a close on 'Orders From The Pausing', a melancholic gabber tune with an almost inverted, whisper-soft kick (?), Rian suddenly introduces reverb to the mix, just because he can.Peerless, unfathomably inventive electronic music from the North of England, via East Africa - fucking essential." - Boomkat Product Review 48 - Sex Swing - Type II “Fuck,” I thought when I first heard it. “This really, really rocks.” - Adam Lehrer, The Quietus

47 - Yves Tumor - Heaven to a Tortured Mind

"In that way, Heaven to a Tortured Mind is the most straightforward record in Tumor’s catalog. It’s an album with commercial, or at least mass, appeal in mind. And it seems to confirm something Tumor hinted at in a 2016 interview about their musical aspirations: “I only want to make hits. What else would I want to make?” The product of this ambition is a gratifying and intense record, one whose pleasures are viscerally immediate. Above all, it’s loads of fun to watch Tumor don the guise of a devilish rockstar. It’s not exactly a new archetype in our cultural imagination, but the ravishing delight Tumor brings to this character is what makes their music so affecting. Yves is a performer whose roles, played with the utmost rigor, always find a way to linger in the memory." - Kevin Lozano, Pitchfork

46 - DJ Taye - PYROT3K

"Pop music moves fast: new instructional-dance songs, new Drake songs, and new instructional-dance songs by Drake can bombard the zeitgeist one week and all but evaporate the next. Footwork, the lightning-fast Chicago-born house subgenre, is well suited to capture that frenetic pace. Young footwork master and Teklife member DJ Taye instinctively understands how to combine footwork’s adrenaline rush with the pop’s euphoric glee to build tracks with a distinctive energy. Last month he self-released Pyrot3k, the third entry in the Pyrotek mixtape series he launched in October. On the latest volume—also available in a deluxe version called Pyrot3k (SS)—he focuses on blissful melodies and antsy samples. On “Gang,” for example, he loops a snippet of JackBoys’ “Gang Gang” into a hypnotic koan at a speed that makes the original sound like it’s stuck in the mud. Several of Taye’s friends, including Teklife members DJ Earl and Heavee, join in on the fun, and I’m especially partial to his collaboration with Night Slugs label owner James Connolly, aka L-Vis 1990. On “Parade Float,” the two producers whimsically intertwine Morse code beeps and battering-ram gabber-style kick drum to manifest a cartoonish energy that seems to gather itself and balloon outward during the song’s tiny silences. - Leor Galil, Chicago Reader

45 - Hudson Mohawke - Poom Gems

"At the moment, nothing can stop Hudson Mohawke. After a hiatus from his solo work, the Scottish producer started his summer by releasing his first single under his HudMo title since 2016, “BENT” with JIMMY EDGAR. Since then, he’s only upped the ante, with his inexhaustible activity culminating in his first solo LP in four years, Big Booty Hiking Exhibition. Now, HudMo is back with his second album in a month’s time.

Poom Gems can be thought of as a companion album to Big Booty Hiking Exhibition, as both comprised previously unreleased tracks that Mohawke has been sitting on. Like Big Booty Hiking Exhibition, Poom Gems ranges from some of HudMo’s most off-the-wall beats yet to his classic, unreplicable, and bombastic sound, though as a whole, Poom Gems is more accessible than it’s predecessor. After almost no announcement before Poom Gems‘ release, only one question remains: how much more is to come amid Mohawke’s return?" - Mitchell Rose, Dancing Astronaut

44 - Shinichi Atobe - Yes

"The stately, melodic techno and deep house made by Shinichi Atobe—a resident of Saitama City, just north of Tokyo—puts me in mind of his country's devotion to orderly calm. One of two non-European artists to appear on Basic Channel's legendary Chain Reaction imprint, Atobe took 13 years off before the archival Butterfly Effect album arrived via DDS in 2014. His re-emergence into the dance music world has been one of the decade's most welcome surprises.

Yes is his fifth album for DDS. Demdike Stare states their communication with Atobe is limited to a CD that arrives in the post every so often, "no words except for the track titles." The first circulated photo of Atobe was included with the Yes CD-R, perhaps to quell rumors Shinichi Atobe is an alias of another Chain Reaction artist. He's never granted an interview.

He doesn't need to. Each Atobe album feels like the latest installment in a serial novel, a body of work mysterious in its ability to mix calm rhythms and atmospheres with achingly beautiful melodies. As usual, Yes will sate the small group of obsessives that smash the pre-order on each new Atobe album. He's nearly always in top form. The title track's hopeful mix of synth and house-y piano stand up to Atobe's other melodic classics "Heat 1" and "The Butterfly Effect." "Lake 3" contains Atobe's most boisterous synth theme to date, the '90s Carl Craig-esque figure mixing with Atobe's signature sad piano and, in a novel twist, hand drums.

The progression in Atobe's work is incremental. Beyond the title-track, Yes mostly does away with the classy, tech house-style snap prevalent on 2018's Heat. For an artist that emerged as a model of consistency, Atobe takes a surprising amount of left turns. The closing cut "Ocean 1" is Atobe's placid take on a synth-funk jam. The opener "Ocean 7" is beatless, with hectic arpeggios. In the background of that track, there's a peaceful drone that runs throughout. A similar tone runs in the background on the entirety of "Lake 3." These touches imbue Atobe's sonic world with its own concept of gaman, enveloping the listener in an eerie sense of calm." - Matt McDermott, Resident Advisor

43 - Various Artists - HOA 012

"Did you think we were done?

The story is not over, but only beginning. HOA012, We come together as a unit, to continue our story. A story that needs to be told. For those of you just joining us, welcome. For those of you returning, welcome back. Now fully on the path, we march toward a future of unabashed black electronic expression." - HAUS of ALTR bandcamp page

42 - Garcia Peoples - Nightcap At Wits' End

"New Jersey-based avant-jam band Garcia Peoples were a little slow to take shape, but after the release of their excitable 2018 album Cosmic Cash, they switched into overdrive. Constant live performances, residencies, concert documents, and prolifically recorded studio albums tracked a creative development that morphed from record to record. The group took cues from the open-ended improvisation of classic jam band acts like Phish and the Grateful Dead, but also incorporated dual-guitar wizardry on par with Television or, in their more Southern-fried moments, the Allmann Brothers. For their 2019 album One Step Behind, the band expanded to a six-piece lineup and added avant-jazz touches to the equation as they stretched out over the course of a half-hour-long title track. With Nightcap at Wits' End, Garcia Peoples shift gears yet again, with a set of neatly composed and relatively concise tunes that distill their wandering impulses into easily digestible forms. This can take the form of rowdy prog-lite tunes like album opener "Gliding Through" or the shadowy but mystical folk-rock of "Altered Place." In this more composed rock mode, the band recalls the shadowy mystique of early Bay Area psychedelic giants like Jefferson Airplane as much as they do obscure acts like Anonymous and Relatively Clean Rivers. After a lively start, the album shifts into mellower territory with the drifty "Fire of the Now." "Painting a Vision That Carries" is made up of delicate vocal harmonies and a dynamic structure that goes from controlled acoustic segments to blasting verses and back. As this song burns on into a vamping jam, the band's Dead-like tendencies come to the surface with noodling guitar leads and dazzling group interplay. The second half of Nightcap at Wits' End becomes a string of woozy and meandering pieces that blur into one another in clouds of hazy jamming. Themes resurface as the band shuffles through meditative riffing on "Crown of Thought," Krautrock-y interludes, and the blissfully droning Popol Vuh-esque "A Reckoning." Garcia Peoples' excellent psychedelia manages to recall moments from past masters while still offering a chemistry and composition unique to the band. Nightcap at Wits' End is the most complete articulation of their wide-reaching creative range, and stands as the their most focused and engaging work to date." - Fred Thomas, AllMusic

41 - Nonlocal Forecast - Holographic Universe(s)?

"Angel Marcloid's recordings as Nonlocal Forecast focus the trajectory of a vast catalog squarely in the realm of retro Weather Channel-inspired smooth jazz fusion, intricate prog, and expansive new age experiments. Trading off a measure of the typically overloaded compositional style found in other projects to favor lush atmospheres and relatively pared down arrangements, Marcloid populates Nonlocal Forecast pieces with progressive keyboard and synth harmonies, complex drum programming, and majestic leads performed on guitar, keyboards, and guests' saxophones. The project runs alongside the omni-combinatory works of the flagship project Fire-Toolz and many other monikers including the vapor-focused works of Mindspring Memories. Holographic Universe(s?)!, the second Nonlocal Forecast full-length and the first to be released on vinyl, follows Bubble Universe! with a cycle of songs that elevates Marcloid's grandiose compositions to previously undiscovered heights, while packing the music with dramatic shifts that allow it to journey off into dynamic new directions." - Fatbeats product summary

40 - Black Dresses - Peaceful As Hell

"The Canadian noise-pop duo’s music conjures a psychotic slumber party, or a Second Life rave, but remains grounded in the bittersweet beauty of lifelong friendship. " - Leah Mandel, Pitchfork

39 - Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song

"Owens’ self-titled debut album played with sounds that felt spiritual, almost new age, like the tablas on “S.O.” and sitar drone on “8.” On Inner Song, that meditative quality comes less from instrumental texture and more from the actual form of the songs. Though she drifts across tempos and dabbles with a variety of drum patterns, loops—both instrumental and lyrical—provide the record’s through line. On “Wake-Up,” life’s circular patterns are made explicit: “Wake up/Repeat again/Again.” Owens writes with clarity and simplicity, using her own voice as something like a synthesizer, processing a phrase and then repeating it as she sings subtle variations in timbre and tone. Her lyrics are, in their own quiet way, a celebration of the pleasures of solitude and self-love." - Nathan Smith, Pitchfork

38 - Pink Siifu - Negro

"The core of NEGRO is defined by its antipathy for police. “DeadMeat” was inspired by a harrowing incident in New York, where a black cop threatened his life for jumping a subway turnstile. Siifu recorded “DeadMeat” the next day, reeling from the fact that someone of his race would treat him with such unmitigated hate. It begins with Siifu repeating the police officer’s threat verbatim and ends with him drawing the distinction between police officers and “pigs.” - Max Bell, Bandcamp Daily

37 - Charli XCX - How I'm Feeling Now

"Our homes have become offices, churches, mutual aid hubs, child- and eldercare centers. Every inch of space has been claimed by a corner of life, worn from multi-purpose use, yet hopefully loved and lived in. But the home — even just one room strung with cheap lights — can also be a refuge to dance through your emotion. how i'm feeling now — an album whose title says everything, and whose music has a rave intimacy that reaches beyond quarantined walls — doesn't just capture the mood, but the modes of our survival. Charli XCX collaborated remotely with trusted producers (A. G. Cook, Danny L Harle) and new ones (BJ Burton, 100 gecs' Dylan Brady), to lean harder into the buzzing-yet-glam-blammed hyper-pop that she's explored in recent years. While the aural abrasion amplifies our collective WTF, turnt up on video chats and pining for reckless nights, the core of how i'm feeling now deepens around the loving bonds forged in close quarters." - Lars Gotrich, NPR Music

36 - Armand Hammer - Shrines

"Shrines boasts a larger roster of producers and featured artists than any of the group’s past work. Many of them were already members of the duo’s tight-knit, avant-garde circle: Curly Castro, Fielded, Kenny Segal, Messiah Muzik, R.A.P. Ferreira, Quelle Chris. A woozy instrumental (“Bitter Cassava”) and verse (“Ramses II”) by Earl Sweatshirt suggest that Armand Hammer could soon extend their reach even further. In this fraught time, the camaraderie on Shrines feels intentional. In 2018, Elucid told Pitchfork that his music is about bringing like minds together, to feel like “we’re fighting against the same evil.” Shrines is a confirmation that the more people who put those sunglasses on, the better." - Christina Lee, Bandcamp Daily

35 - Bad Bunny - Yo hago lo que me de la gana

"From the moment Bad Bunny's sophomore album begins, over a synthesized interpolation of bossa nova staple "The Girl From Ipanema," the Puerto Rican superstar leans heavily on past classics to breathe new life into Latin trap. El Conejo is, for the most part, done missing his ex jeva for now — instead he's dressing up as his female alter ego to call out creeps at the club, de-stigmatizing a particular romantic pursuit on a perreo-fueled symphony, and rocking out to his own success on an emo-trap anthem. YHLQMDLG is an homage to the reggaeton bangers that raised Bunny, complete with collabs from some of the greatest vets in the game, including Daddy Yankee, Ñengo Flow and Jowell & Randy. It's an album steeped in nostalgia for the garage-party-perreo of the early-aughts, but with a modernity that forecasts a bright future for urbano — even one that may find Bad Bunny (if you believe the album title) permanently tapping out. He does what he wants, and he gets away with it, too." - Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR

34 - Popcaan - FIXTAPE

"In its mix form, Fixtape is framed as an epic tale in which Popcaan shares moments along his route to dancehall’s most prominent torchbearers. Instead of starting with the self-produced “Chill,” the SoundCloud version begins with melodramatic piano strokes, almost reminiscent of the theme song to The Young and the Restless. Those key hits grow into a symphonic instrumental adaptation of Popcaan’s 2011 hit “Only Man She Want,” and soon after, the first two non-Poppy voices you hear are a drop from incarcerated icon Vybz Kartel and audio of Drake’s praise at the first Unruly Fest in December 2018. Though even novice Popcaan listeners already know these affiliations, starting the project in this way is like flexing for the mirror, a moment of self-affirmation before proving it to the world. So it makes sense that the first song on this version of the tape, “Killy Dem Crazy,” is Popcaan trying his hand at Nas and Diddy’s Trackmasters-produced classic “Hate Me Now”—the perfect “fuck whoever don’t like it” gesture." - Lawrence Burney, Pitchfork

33 - Drakeo The Ruler - Thank You For Using GTL

"Since the genre's inception, the voice in rap has been sped up, glitched out, chopped and screwed, slowed and reverbed, all to convey textures and feelings that language alone cannot. On Thank You For Using GTL, Drakeo The Ruler's was shrunk to fuzz, transmitted through a jail phone. The intent wasn't to create a mood, but to create something, to continue a career that was snatched away. At the time, Drakeo had spent most of the three years prior in Los Angeles' notorious Men's Central Jail, and nine of those months in solitary confinement, first battling a murder charge he'd be acquitted of, then a gang conspiracy charge that the prosecution built out of his lyrics and music videos. He was suddenly freed in November on a plea deal, days before L.A. county district attorney Jackie Lacey lost her seat to the more progressive George Gascón. His lawyer, John Hamasaki, told NPR that "if the case had been continued to January, it probably would have been dismissed by [Gascón's] office."

Even when transmitted across a scummy phone line, Drakeo's sneer cuts like a knife. Submerged in static and woven over JoogSZN's brooding instrumentals, his raps feel suspended in a constant denouement, transient and purgatorial, as he probes at the suits trying to end his life. "It might sound real, but it's fictional / I love that my imagination gets to you," he raps on the final track. What isn't fiction are the cruel and convoluted circumstances that shaped GTL, that cost its creators thousands of dollars to record while profiting a billion dollar telecom company, and that continue to take lifetimes away from Black men." —Mano Sundaresan, NPR

32 - Nathan Fake - Blizzards

"Blizzards has almost no breaks or meanders, just relentless club music adorned with beautiful melodies. In taking stock of his music and returning to his fundamentals, Blizzards highlights everything Fake is good at: the way his drums tend to dance in between established genres, melodies that sound like a warped Boards Of Canada record, the constant push-and-pull of dark and light. It's more of a reset than a reinvention, a return to the earnest simplicity that made him a wunderkind all those years ago." - Andrew Ryce, Resident Advisor

31 - Dj Diaki - Balani Fou

"The absorption of multiple streams of African electronic music into a western club milieu has been patchy. Where styles like kwaito and gqom have slotted into house and bass idioms, and kuduro has made an impact via diasporic scenes like the one in Lisbon, the harder and faster styles—like Shangaan electro and the emergent singeli sound from Dar Es Salaam—haven't easily found a foothold. When they do appear, they're often an anomalous peak in a DJ set from which it's hard to climb down. But with the current vogue for speedy techno and other hard dance sounds, along with the interest in singeli and other belting East African sounds, Diaki's Crazy Balani couldn't have smashed its way to the dance floor at a better time." - Chal Ravens, Resident Advisor

30 - Caribou - Suddenly

"Dan Snaith’s latest is as sly and layered as ever, but he finds ways to be more direct with his songwriting. There are no bum notes, no wasted motions, no corners of the audio spectrum left untouched. " - Phillip Sherburne, Pitchfork

29 - Deradoorian - Find The Sun

"The LP’s guitar-centric approach is a bit of a surprise, but Deradoorian isn’t a stranger to big riffs. She’s done stints in bands like Dirty Projectors and Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks; more recently, she’s been ripping it up as the vocalist of BSCBR (aka Black Sabbath Cover Band Rehearsals), filling Ozzy Osborne’s shoes alongside artists like Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner and drumming virtuoso Greg Fox. Find the Sun never reaches Paranoid levels of bombast, but it’s easily her brawniest solo record to date. Songs like “Saturnine Night” and closer “Sun” channel the psychedelic swagger of ’70s giants like the Doors and Led Zeppelin, while the rubbery bassline and surging guitar chords of album highlight “It Was Me” bring to mind the likes of Nirvana and Hole—or at least the times when those bands emulated indie pop groups like the Vaselines and Young Marble Giants.

But Find the Sun shouldn’t be mistaken for an exercise in rock worship. The influence of Can looms large, and Deradoorian’s music is still psychedelic, weird, and seemingly primed for a hallucinogenic trip to the outer recesses of the human psyche. With its motorik groove and dramatic talk-singing, “The Illuminator” sounds like a freaky, nine-minute-long outtake from Andy Warhol’s Factory, while the slinky “Devil’s Market” recalls the space-age lounge music once championed by bands like Stereolab. “Saturnine Night” does feature growling guitars, but they’re paired with an unkempt Krautrock rhythm that could have been pulled from Neu! 2, along with a dramatic, PJ Harvey-esque vocal turn from Deradoorian, who belts out brooding lines like “Innocence/In my death” and, simply, “I die.” - Shawn Reynolds, Pitchfork

28 - Thundercat - It Is What It Is

"Left savoring the tasty morsels of 2017's critically-acclaimed Drunk and 2018's Drank (its "chopped not slopped" remix album), it was an absolute pleasure to sink hungry ears into Thundercat's It Is What It Is this year. The bassist born Stephen Bruner blurs genre boundaries, dishing out dizzying acrobatics on "How Sway," beefy funk vibes on "Black Qualls" (featuring Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington and Childish Gambino) and cheeky R&B hilarity on "Dragonball Durag." Coproduced by longtime collaborator Flying Lotus, It Is What It Is drips with curtains of lush vocals. The album chronicles a broken heart's analysis of grief and its subsequent recovery by asking probing questions and finding joy where it can to survive pain, uncertainty, rejection and isolation. It's an enchanting tale of hope and growth in a year that served us heaping portions of gloom and melancholy" - Nikki Birch, NPR

27 - Against All Logic - 2017-19

"That Beyoncé is the first voice we hear on 2017 - 2019 is instructive of the bold new direction. Hers and Sean Paul's vocals are lifted from "Baby Boy" and layered over a crackling broken beat, an uncanny string-like instrument and inviting synth chords. A sample of Luther Ingram's 1972 soul song "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" appears on track two, a degraded house cut, thus establishing a template of sorts: 2017 - 2019 is an album of stylistic leaps, radiant melodies, difficult-to-place sounds and red herrings. Back-to-back opening tracks with instantly recognisable sample flips, for example, sets up an expectation of many more to follow. Instead, there are none. That is unless you can spot the source of the hip-hop loop on "With An Addict." Jaar casually filters it into the arrangement to create a half-time contrast with the main drums, a rolling footwork/jungle-style pattern that features percussion reminiscent of the "Apache" break. The poignant, daybreak melody caps a track that bundles the album's strongest qualities." - Ryan Keeling, Resident Advisor

26 - Adrian Younge / Ali Shaheed Mohammad - Jazz Is Dead 001

"Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad both have impressive resumes as purveyors of modern soul, jazz, and hip-hop. Younge, a bassist, keyboardist, composer, and producer, has scored films such Black Dynamite and collaborated with artists ranging from Philly soul legends the Delfonics to Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah. Meanwhile, Muhammad was a member of A Tribe Called Quest and has worked on various projects outside that group. Together, Younge and Muhammad formed the Midnight Hour, a versatile band that brought a modern edge to retro soul and jazz sounds." - Rich Wilhelm, popMatters

25 - The Soft Pink Truth - Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase

"Drew Daniel's latest LP as The Soft Pink Truth, Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase, is a stunner that revels in communitas while flirting with house music and ambient tropes" - Bernie Brooks, the Quietus

24 - Jessy Lanza - All The Time

"The early days of writing All the Time, Jessy Lanza's first album since 2016's Oh No, marked a sea change for Jessy and her creative partner Jeremy Greenspan. After Oh No, Jessy left her hometown of Hamilton to go and live in New York. Written long distance for the first time, across Jessy’s new set up in New York to Jeremy’s home studio in Hamilton, and finishing in the recording studio Jeremy had been working on during this period.

Even though the move to New York and the change in remote working was tough, 'All the Time' has turned out to be the most pure set of pop songs the duo has recorded; reflective and finessed over the time and distance they allowed it. Innovative juxtapositions sound natural, such as rigid 808’s rubbing against delicate chords in 'Anyone Around', unusual underwater rushes underpin Baby Love . Jessy’s voice is treated, re-pitched and edited on songs like Ice creamy and gestural sounds seem to respond to her lyrics in songs such as Like Fire.

A lot of these sounds came from live take experiments using semi modular/modular equipment like Mother 32 and Dfam and Moog Sirin. Jessy says ‘We got all of the machines talking to one another and would run patterns through. A lot of the little burps and quacks and squiggles heard on songs like Anyone Around, Like 'Fire', 'Face', and 'Badly' are from those experiments. That’s when I’m having the most fun, making music and improvising through takes of the song and editing together all the best gurgle sounds afterwards’.

More than previously the lyrics on All The Time were an important focus for Jessy, articulating difficult feeling into her outwardly joyful music. ’Anger is a familiar and safe feeling for me. The album became a conversation with myself about why that is. Some songs refer to real and legitimate things to be angry about; 'Lick in Heaven' takes aim at what the culture expects from women. The cynicism I felt towards the people around me kept coming up and All the Time is an exploration into those feelings and a conversation with myself about other possibilities when it comes to my outlook on life.’

As the final elements of the album were being put in place, everything changed overnight. Her European tour was cut short and she flew back to New York quickly, plans for the foreseeable future dissolved. Whatsmore her lease was up on her apartment and she couldn’t find another in New York due to quarantine restrictions, so she packed what she could into her van and drove to San Francisco to be near her family, stopping on the way in increasingly empty motels as she journeyed from coast to coast.

‘Even though All the Time was written in 2019 the themes feel even more relevant now. Like a lot of people,I’m still struggling with the reality that life is hard to predict and it’s even harder not to make the same mistakes over again, trying to control what i’m able to and leave the rest.’ The cover photo of Jessy in her van was taken before these events , but it’s taken on more importance since. ‘Through many changing situations my minivan gives me comfort. It seems like such an American thing to say.m I realise it’s symbolic of a much larger existential struggle in my own life but regardless I wanted it to be a part of the album cover. Sitting in my van made me feel so comfortable and it’s rare for me to feel that.

All the time has ended up being a triumph, channeling difficult feelings into something that has whit energy and style. " - Jessy Lanza bandcamp page

23 - AceMoMA - A New Dawn

"AceMoMA connect back to their NYC forefathers (with nods to techno dons Derrick May and Jeff Mills), while also keeping a healthy disregard for the past, pushing ahead with palpable enthusiasm and energy. As Stevens explained in that same interview, “[As] brown people making dance music… we needed to create context for what we were doing. So we did.” Like the best moments of a night out, A New Dawn feels like instant history and an instant party." - Andy Beta, Pitchfork

22 - Adrianne Lenker - songs

"As a solo artist or with her band Big Thief, Adrianne Lenker has been at or near the top of my year-end lists for the past five years, more so than any other artist. The simultaneous strength and frailty in her voice attract me to her music. Earlier this year, she told NPR's All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly, "I was really sad, and I hit a wall — I kind of hit the bottom of myself and went to a pretty dark and sad space for a while. And the music itself, and writing these songs, was a thing that was getting me through it." The songs on songs were birthed in a one-room cabin in Western Massachusetts' mountains and recorded on an old Otari 8-track. We hear acoustic guitar, her voice, the sound of the cabin and whatever bugs and birds happen to be in the background of the poetic paintings she sings. The intimacy is magnetic" - Bob Boilen, NPR

21 - Trees Speak - Ohms

"The act of driving informs the music of Trees Speak, who take cues from the Autobahn-extolling music of classic Krautrock, specifically Kraftwerk. The roads green West Germany led Krautrock pioneers like Kraftwek to produce smooth, seamless electronic rhythms—but the rugged, dusted Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona leads Trees Speak to a more rough hewn electronic sound." - d mittleman, Aquarium Drunkard

20 - 21 Savage / Metro Boomin - Savage Mode II

"Ultimately, though, ‘Savage Mode II’ feels like a throwback: one rapper and one producer focused on a single creative project. Think Eric B and Rakim; Missy Elliot and Timbaland; Method Man and RZA. Their collaborators, such as Drake and Young Thug (the latter on ‘Rich N**ga Shit’, an anthemic rap about their lavish lifestyles), ably support, stepping in occasionally to craft the project into a more well-rounded shape.

‘Savage Mode II’ allows the Atlanta-based MC the space to make his point and cast all nonsense aside, letting his talent speak for itself. Metro Boomin, meanwhile, further showcases his generational abilities. As a whole, the album is confirmation of two young artists at the top of their game, watching the landscape unfold from the throne they earned themselves four years ago." - Dhruva Balram, NME

19 - Various Artists - HOA 010

"Ahead of the dawn, there could only be us...

HAUS of ALTR presents HOA010. Our second compilation, featuring the future of Black electronic music, and as the music as it exist in its current state. In these trying times, we come together to stake claim on the roots of techno and its potential future. Too Black, Too Strong." - HAUS of ALTR bandcamp page

18 - Emma Ruth Rundle / Thou - May Our Chambers Be Full

"Stemming out of an offer from Roadburn Festival organizer Walter Hoeijmakers, mutual acquaintances, and a shared love of each other’s output, May Our Chambers Be Full is the first recorded document of collaboration between Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou. While their solo material seems on its face to be quite disparate, both groups have spent their respective careers lurking at the outer boundaries of the heavy metal scene, the artists having more in common with DIY punk and its spiritual successor, grunge.

May Our Chambers Be Full straddles a similar, very fine line both musically and thematically. While Emma Ruth Rundle’s standard fare is a blend of post-rock-infused folk music, and Thou is typically known for its downtuned, doomy sludge, the conjoining of the two artists has created a record more in the vein of the early ’90s Seattle sound and later ’90s episodes of Alternative Nation, while still retaining much of the artists’ core identities. Likewise, the lyrical content of the album is a marriage of mental trauma, existential crises, and the ecstatic tradition of the expressionist dance movement. “Excessive sorrow laughs. Excessive joy weeps.” Melodic, melancholic, heavy, visceral." - Thou Bandcamp page

17 - Mong Tong - Mystery

"For Mystery秘神, they imagined a version of ancient Asia where all of the continent’s superstitions were real, and wrote a record based on how that world would sound. Their songs usually consist of a lolloping bassline, a snakey guitar lead, and campy synths that could perfectly soundtrack both an ‘80s crime flick and a highly stylized video game. Their sound evokes the simultaneous futurism and nostalgia of vaporwave, and the duo consider it “sample-based” because of the post-production process, in which they cut up, loop, and re-pitch their jam sessions into structured songs. All of the percussion is constructed in Ableton; there are no vocals, but they do include a few soundbites from Taiwanese films and TV shows. (“Chakra,” for example, features a bit of a dialogue about the connection between aliens and Hinduism.)" - Eli Enis, Bandcamp Daily

16 - Sada Baby - Bartier Bounty 2

"His voice is at a-near constant sneer to match the furious pacing until the surprising collaboration with Dej Loaf that showcases a smoother version of the 27-year-old rapper. Street anthems like “Trap Withdrawals” approach standard topics of growing up hustling with bombastic brilliance. “Horse Play 2” even samples Linkin Park’s “In The End” and makes it work. Bartier‘s sequel takes all of Detroit’s current hip-hop momentum and propels it to Super Saiyan-level dominance thanks to Sada Baby’s need to experiment." - Patrick Johnson, Hypebeast

15 - Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin kynsi

"Even at nearly an hour in length, the album flies by, dense and vicious and evocative as a novel, as contemplative as the featureless gore of the cover art. I've had this promo for perhaps two full months now; I've listened to it nearly every day since then, often multiple times a day. I've commented before about a spate of records that were battling it out for the number one spot for me this year, and while that number has now expanded, the number then at least was three. One of them was Spectral Lore and Mare Cognitum's incredible progressive black metal split full-length. Another was Sweven's immaculate death metal debut. The third was this.

It's hard to deny that a certain strain of the listenership is right: this isn't black metal anymore. But this is for the best for Oranssi Pazuzu. The past seven years have seen them put out record after record that was better not only than the one before it but of the whole of their work. By Värähtelijä, they were scraping Hall of Fame territory. On Mestarin kynsi, they exceed it." - Langdon Hickman, Invisible Oranges

14 - Sunwatchers - Oh Yeah?

"The album’s title “Oh Yeah?” is at once an homage to Mingus, Thee Oh Sees’ album “Help” (whose Brigid Dawson hand-sewed the tapestry adorning the album’s front cover) and (naturally) the rallying cry of KoolBrave himself - the Kool-Aid Man-as-Braveheart avatar the band adopted as their symbol. The three years since the band’s second album (and TiM debut) “II” was released, has seen the band grace stages across the USA and Europe, enlisting more comrades in their mission of solidarity (sonically speaking) with every show." - Sunwatchers Bandcamp page

13 - Fire-Toolz - Rainbow Bridge

"Rainbow Bridge was made in part as a reflection on the death of Marcloid’s cat Breakfast, which explains in part the way the record swings back and forth between beauty and cacophony. Marcloid’s work as Fire-Toolz has always been about the way that these two emotional poles can coexist, but the way we deal with death is especially complicated. Even the most intense grief is braided with moments of peace and clarity, the beautiful memories of a life well-lived. Rainbow Bridge mirrors the intensity and the confusion of these experiences and shows that even in the direst times, it’s possible to find comfort." - Colin Joyce, Pitchfork

12 - Beatrice Dillon - Workaround

"Chain Reaction meets mid-20th-century minimalism with spectacular results." - Chal Ravens, Resident Advisor

11 - Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia

At 24, Lipa has been working towards this moment for almost 10 years, and her sights are set higher still. A false start in modeling impressed the importance of going where you’re wanted; in Lipa’s case, to Warner Records, who sought a female pop icon to compete with the Rihannas and Lady Gagas of the world. She leveraged her talent as a songwriter, developing an early Dua Lipa single, “Hotter Than Hell,” in the first session with her prospective management team. Her sly swagger and fashion-plate style gave her the presence of someone who’d achieved diva status already. “I’m a bit too far down the line for anyone to try and tell me something,” she said of her creative autonomy in 2017, even before the release of her first record.

But where many of pop’s most recent stars are emphatically emotionally available, Lipa radiates blithe coolness. Her brand is style, competence, taste—this is, in a way perhaps not obvious to those who actually remember the ’80s, entirely tasteful pop music—and the sultry low voice that makes her the star of even a middling Martin Garrix collab. Future Nostalgia is nonstop, no ballads; for 10 tracks, the closest it comes to feeling vulnerable or revealing is “Pretty Please,” a plea for stress-relief sex with an ultra-thick bassline. When Lipa proclaims, “You got me losing all my cool/’Cause I’m burning up on you,” on the Tove Lo cowrite “Cool,” she rhymes it with, “In control of what I do.” - Anna Gaca, Pitchfork

10 - Jasmine Infiniti - Bxtch Slap

"It’s building on that myth of being The Queen of Hell and how as a black trans woman, often just existing in this world feels hellish. The things that I have personally had to go through and that many other black trans women endure, it’s almost as if we are existing in hell already. It’s kind of like, well if I’m already here, I might as well live it up and find the best parts of this existence that I can. It’s about embracing that hell vibe. If I’m already here then I’m gonna be debaucherous and party to all hours of the morning. I want it to reflect that, but also have a little bit of sadness, a little bit resentfulness and a little bit anger, but also happiness and joy. It’s about taking hell and having fun with it." - Jasmine Infiniti, Vice

9 - Actress - Karma & Desire

"Karma & Desire bears the sonic touchstones of his landmark full-lengths like R.I.P. and AZD, but it also represents a profound shift in Cunningham's approach. For the first time, he's invited friends to help out. "I just wanted to give Actress a voice, basically, to use vocal performances from, like, a muse perspective really," he recently told Bandcamp Daily.

Despite several rave-worthy tracks voiced by the LA artist Aura T-09, this is not Actress's vocal house album, nor is it an album of pop songs. Instead, he utilizes the considerable vocal talents of artists like Zsela and Sampha in a signature Actress style, with snatches of stream-of-consciousness vocals rearranged into dreamlike sketches. The New York artist Zsela exhales "Destiny is stuck in heaven," on the burbling "Angels Pharmacy," before reprising the same theme on the very next track, "Remembrance." Just as hazy pads and white noise form motifs in Actress's catalogue, evocative phrases surface and resurface from the murk." Matt McDermott, Resident Advisor

8 - Lil Uzi Vert - Eternal Atake

"Few make rapping sound as purely fun as Lil Uzi Vert. His second album, Eternal Atake, arrived on the heels of a nearly three-year label dispute, yet it still sounds unburdened. The songs traffic in abundant imagination — words and syllables are deconstructed and restacked to form breathless cadences that explode across beats as funky as they are futuristic. When he chants "Balenci" enough times to void it of any meaning on "POP" or when he spits out a multibar hook that skirts repetition altogether (or, really, any qualities that usually make up a hook) as on "Homecoming," it's the chutzpah, but it's also the musicality of it all, the way the melodies are both instrument and a vehicle for lyrics. One of rap's most precise technicians, Uzi has been perfecting this craft since he began his career ascent in 2015, but Eternal Atake prompted us to hear the extraterrestrial — a world within worlds that's all his own." - Briana Younger, NPR

7 - bbyMutha - Muthaland

"Across Muthaland, bbymutha reclaims several words used to jab at her pride: “baby mama,” “slut,” “hoodrat.” She says them with her chest and siphons the negative energy in order to lift herself above the competition. It’s exhilarating, which makes the prospect of her early retirement all the sadder. Rap could use several more voices like hers. If Muthaland really is the last album bbymutha plans on releasing to the public, she’s brought us into her twisted world at its creative peak." Dylan Green, Pitchfork

6 - Jeff Parker - Suite for Max Brown

"The album is a mixture of live improvisations backed by drum loops. This was inspired by Parker’s time as a DJ. “I used to DJ a lot when I lived in Chicago,” Parker recently said. “I was spinning records one night and for about ten minutes I was able to perfectly synch up a Nobukazu Takemura record with the first movement of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme and it had this free jazz, abstract jazz thing going on with a sequenced beat underneath. It sounded so good. That’s what I’m trying to do with Suite for Max Brown. Man vs. machine.” - Nick Roseblade, The Quietus

5 - GAIKA - Seguridad

"Brixton’s GAIKA has already proven himself a heavyweight via his releases on WARP Records, where he imbues the moodier end of dancehall, R&B, and Afrobeats with the kind of apocalyptic political vision you might expect from righteous roots reggae. Here, he’s teamed up with Mexico City’s NAAFI label, and eight members of their musical family. The music ranges from a reggaetón canter (“Maria”) to an almost drum-free crawl (“Nine Lives”); GAIKA’s hoarse voice, swimming through glutenous resonant autotune, draws it all together. It draws you into a zoned-out science fiction night time world, a Black Atlantic gothic cyberpunk fever dream that will haunt you long after it’s ended." - Joe Muggs, Bandcamp Daily

4 - Nazar - Guerrilla

"The roughest rough kuduro on Guerrilla lives up to the billing. Over charging horns and erratic snare sprints, "Arms Deal"'s midrange is filled with raging, Pollocky slashes of tapehead noise. "Why"'s 8-bit Sonic synths, Terrordrome trance leads and rap fragments are also fantastic. Guerrilla can be stealthy, too. Take "Fim-92 Stinger," a carnivalesque hip swinger with shades of the slinky batida from DJ Nigga Fox's Cartas Na Magna. It's a rare gem: fun, seductive, somewhat steady. You could even call it celebratory. But when Nazar says, "The ceasefire should at least last until the duration of this song," his pessimism resurfaces. Sure enough, the next track, "Immortal," illustrates what seems like a bullet-time detachment from conflict. It's possible to make out the ambience of the Angolan bush, stray gunfire and casual bravado, but the clearest sounds in its spectral quiet are an amped-up wheeze and the continuous loading of magazines. You're hearing the itch to fight." - Ray Philp, Resident Advisor

3 - Benny The Butcher - Burden of Proof

"With the help of Hit-Boy, Rick Ross, and Freddie Gibbs, Benny has another one for us to mob out to. At one point on this album, he says, “I don’t care about haters/ I only care about what hustlers think.” The proof is in the eating of the pudding. This is not for the meek. This is not for the golf courses. Benny never dives into nihilism. He knows his purpose, but the album is called Burden of Proof because if you are going to be on the streets, you have to prove who you are. Benny has done that and then some. The Butcher is here, and he isn’t respecting old arrangements. He runs this ship now." - Jayson Buford, Consequence of Sound

2 - Yaeji - What We Drew "But while What We Drew is more internalized than past releases, it is not conflicted; rather, Yaeji finds clarity in vulnerability, in the pendulum swing of her humanity. Crucially, the mixtape doesn’t turn its back on one of Yaeji’s strongest traits as an artist: Her music has always been deeply social, and now it is more gregarious than ever in its gratitude for those around her. Some of the best tracks are valentines to the friends and artists who fill Yaeji’s world—and she has been proactive building scenes, from New York to Seoul—and her appreciation for this community feels all the sweeter balanced with her revelations of struggle" - Stacey Anderson, Pitchfork 1 - Various Artists - HOA 011

"Back once again, we assume the role of Vanguard in the war against white supremacy in electronic music. We bring part 2 in a story of black technological expression, from the perspectives of some of its most prolific, alongside much needed new perspectives. HOA010 was a call for a new path. HOA011 we embark.

Too Black, Too Strong." - HAUS of ALTR bandcamp page