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amirosebooks · 5 years ago

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Dean’s Old Yeller Principle

“He made me so mad at first that I wanted to kill him. Then, later, when I had to kill him, it was like having to shoot some of my own folks. That’s how much I’d come to think of the big yeller dog.”

— Fred Gipson, Old Yeller, Chapter 1 (Published in 1942)

When I was twelve or thirteen my English teacher passed out copies of Old Yeller as assigned reading. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the book, the quote above from the opening chapter tells you most everything you need to know for the context of this meta post. And for those of us who are still emotionally scarred from the damned book, I’m sorry for dredging up those memories.

Now, before I go any further, a disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, this meta and interpretation of canon is my own. I’m not trying to “preach” to anyone about why Dean “is allowed” to be an asshole while he’s grieving or going through some shit. Or any other argument that consistently gets thrown back in the face of meta posts like this whenever Dean is being an emotional dick. You’re entitled to your interpretations, feelings and reactions, as am I. I’m merely offering this meta to 1) get it out of my mind 2) point and wave about the nods to this classic book that’s traumatized generations of American children 3) cheer Dean on for turning yet another teaching from the “older, wiser generation” John came from on its head.

Groovy? Okay, now we can move on.

I’m gonna throw the rest of this under the cut for length and to keep people who are sensitive to pets / animals dying in really sad ways from having their days ruined by talking more about the book unless they’re good with having that happen.

Now, as I said in my disclaimer bit, Old Yeller is largely considered classic literature here in the states. My memories of it are a weird mix of vague on the details and strong on the emotions it evoked. From what I remember, the main character was a young teenager when his family brought home Yeller. For whatever reason, our main character hated this dog. I don’t remember the details and they’re honestly not important to this meta. The hate he felt toward the dog is important. So is the fact that the hate slowly turned into love and devotion to the dog. Which made it even more gutting when, on a hunting trip (if I remember correctly) Yeller was bitten by a rabid animal and contracted rabies.

At the end of the novel, the Coates family are once again attacked by a wild animal, a wolf, and saved by Yeller’s bravery. Yeller is bit during the attack and becomes infected with rabies. Travis knows that despite his connection to Yeller and Yeller’s protection of his family, the dog must be killed before it becomes fully rabid and does any harm to him and his family. As the man of the house while his father is gone, Travis takes it upon himself to put Yeller out of his misery with his hunting rifle. Travis is heartbroken by what he has done, but knows that it was the right thing to do for his family. (From here.)

Sound familiar? Good. That’s what I thought too when we got the shot above in the graveyard in 14x20.

[Obviously, rabies, once there are symptoms like Yeller had, is incurrable, so putting him down was literally the only option. And we are talking here about Supernatural, which operates on soap opera rules so anything goes, but let’s just roll with the similarities for the sake of argument.]

I remember telling my husband while we were watching it “Dude, they’re really going to Old Yeller Jack, omg.” (I even made fanart of the moment.)

And then, something incredible happened.

Dean threw out the script yet again and set off season 15 with the dull thud of a gun being tossed into the grass.

Now, I hear you. “That’s great, Ami. Why should we care?”

Lemme tell you a thing, friend.

In order to tell you thing thing, I want to take a trip way back to season 4. Back when the brothers were still nose deep into John Winchester’s gospel of Monster = Evil = Kill The Thing.

(Screencaps are all from Home of the Nutty.)

4x21 - When the Levee Breaks

Sam: Stop bossing me around, Dean. Look. My whole life, you take the wheel, you call the shots, and I trust you because you are my brother. Now I’m asking you, for once, trust me.

Dean: No. You don’t know what you’re doing, Sam.

Sam: Yes, I do.

Dean: Then that’s worse.

Sam: Why? Look, I’m telling you-

Dean: Because it’s not something that you’re doing, it’s what you are! It means- Dean cuts himself off.

Sam: What? No. Say it. (Sam has tears in his eyes.)

Dean: It means you’re a monster. (Transcript from here.)

I remember the first time I watched the show and I got to this episode. That fucking line was such a gut punching moment. And it was such an effective and emotional moment that Ruby was able to extend it later to further manipulate Sam.

Now, the screencap I grabbed for this moment is of Dean in tears (well, that single man tear he’s known for) after labelling Sam a monster for a reason. I want to remind all of us of just how much it killed Dean to have to use that label for Sam. To have to try to rationalize that the boy he raised, his brother, the guy who has been there forever and has always been Dean’s charge to take care of is now the thing that Dean is going to have to put down because he falls under the label of monster.

You know what, let’s go back a little farther, to the first episode of season 2. To this moment:

Remember this look? The one we later learned was thanks to John telling Dean that Dean was going to need to put Sam down? That Sam was going to become a monster? Yeah, ouch.

I added the year Old Yeller was published (1942) to the quote at the top of this meta to help give some context about the time it was written and the world it was released into. I’d also like to make note that in 1957 (or about a year before Henry Winchester jumped forward in time to meet the brothers in season 8 and give them keys to the bunker and had to choose to abandon John when John was still a fairly young boy) Disney released a movie version of the book. It’s absolutely, if the movie exists in the SPN world, the kind of thing young John would have watched and taken some kind of black and white moral guidance from.

It’s the kind of book/movie that John would have probably (note, this is where we start diving into my own headcanons for a moment) made sure the boys were aware of when he started thinking about bringing them on hunts to keep them from freezing because the “person” on the other end of their shotgun is someone’s mom. I could see it being the kind of thing he’d use as a way to show them both that, yes, shit is hard but you have to do the right thing and sometimes that means killing the thing you love. At least, I could picture him thinking that way. (Also, this still makes me wonder about exactly how early John started suspecting there was something different about Sam, but that’s a whoooole other post.)

Moving on and forward to season 6.

6x20 - The Man Who Would Be King

Castiel: The angel-proofing Bobby put up on the house – he got a few things wrong.

Dean: Well, it’s too bad we got to angel-proof in the first place, isn’t it? Why are you here?

Castiel: I want you to understand.

Dean: Oh, believe me, I get it. Blah, blah, Raphael, right?

Castiel: I’m doing this for you, Dean. I’m doing this because of you.

Dean: Because of me. Yeah. You got to be kidding me.

Castiel: You’re the one who taught me that freedom and free will –

Dean: You’re a freakin’ child, you know that? Just because you can do what you want doesn’t mean that you get to do whatever you want!

Castiel: I know what I’m doing, Dean.

Dean: I’m not gonna logic you, okay? I’m saying don’t… Just ‘cause. I’m asking you not to. That’s it.

Castiel: I don’t understand.

Dean: Look, next to Sam, you and Bobby are the closest things I have to family – that you are like a brother to me. So, if I’m asking you not to do something… You got to trust me, man.

Castiel: Or what?

Dean: Or I’ll have to do what I have to do to stop you.

Castiel: You can’t, Dean. You’re just a man. I’m an angel.

Dean: I don’t know. I’ve taken some pretty big fish. (Transcript from here.)

This was after two seasons of Cas fighting by their side. Two seasons of Cas giving heaven the middle finger on behalf of the Winchesters. It was enough time for Dean’s first reaction in a time of confusion on a hunt was to call Cas for help. And it was enough time for Dean to go from assuming Cas was a demon summoned with “bad mojo” to drag him out of hell on behalf of Sam to genuinely starting to care about Cas.

Dean did threaten to take Cas out here if he persisted down the path he was on, but you can tell by the rest of the conversation and just how hard it was to convince Dean that Cas was lying to them that Dean was hoping talking would work and he wouldn’t be forced to put Cas down.

Unfortunately…

6x22 - The Man Who Knew Too Much

Castiel: You doubted me, fought against me, but I was right all along.

Dean: Okay, Cas, you were. We’re sorry. Now let’s just defuse you, okay?

Castiel: What do you mean?

Dean: You’re full of nuke. It’s not safe. So, before the eclipse ends, let’s get them souls back to where they belong.

Castiel: Oh no, they belong with me.

Dean: No, Cas, it’s it-it’s scrambling your brain.

Castiel: No, I’m not finished yet. Raphael had many followers, and I must punish them all severely.

Dean: Listen to me. Listen, I know there’s a lot of bad water under the bridge, but we were family once. I’d have died for you. I almost did a few times. So if that means anything to you… Please. I’ve lost Lisa, I’ve lost Ben, and now I’ve lost Sam. Don’t make me lose you too. You don’t need this kind of juice anymore, Cas. Get rid of it before it kills us all.

Castiel: You’re just saying that because I won. Because you’re afraid. (Behind him, Sam picks up the angel killing sword.) You’re not my family, Dean. I have no family. (Sam stabs Castiel in the back with the angel killing sword. Sam groans. Nothing happens. Castiel pulls the sword out. There’s no blood on it. He puts it down.) I’m glad you made it, Sam. But the angel blade won’t work, because I’m not an angel anymore. I’m your new God. A better one. So you will bow down and profess your love unto me, your Lord. Or I shall destroy you. (Transcript from here.)

Again, Dean tried to argue with the overpowered angel, he tried bargaining, pleading, and appealing to Cas’s fondness for them, but it didn’t work. Sam was the one who was forced to try stabbing Cas and it… also didn’t work.

7x01 - Meet the New Boss

Sam: Dean, look, I know you think that Cas is gone –

Dean: It’s 'cause he is.

Sam: He’s not! He’s in there somewhere, Dean. I know it.

Dean: No, you don’t.

Sam: No, I don’t. But, look, I was pretty far gone sometimes myself, and never gave up on me.

Dean: Yeah, and it turns out that you’re about the Same open book as you’ve always been. Hallucinations? Really? I got to find out from Death?

Sam: What was I supposed to do?

Dean: How about not lie? How about tell me that you’ve got crazy crap climbing those walls?

Sam: Why? You can’t help. You got a lot of pretty severe crap swinging your way lately, and – and I thought –what? I thought why burst the one good bubble you had left? It’s under control.

Dean: What? What, exactly, is under control?

Sam: I know what’s real and what’s not.

Dean: Sam –

Sam: Dean, look, we can debate this once we deal with Cas.

Dean: Yeah, you know how I’m gonna deal? I’m gonna stuff my piehole, I’m gonna drink, and I’m gonna watch some Asian cartoon p**n and act like the world’s about to explode because it is. Hey. You got to be kidding me. “Massacre at the campaign office of an incumbent Senator by a trench-coated man.” There’s security footage. Well, I think reaching Cas is, uh… out of the cards. (Transcript from here. And hopefully my slight censoring the last paragraph keeps tumblr from blacklisting this post into the aether…)

Here’s a sad thought for you, how often do you think–while Cas was terrorizing the country as Godstiel and, later, after he walked into the lake and exploded into Leviathan goo–Dean thought about how he should have listened to Bobby and Sam and taken Cas out before he had the chance to swallow the Leviathans and become super powered? Probably a lot, I’d guess.

This moment, as much as I, personally, hate seasons 6 and 7, went pretty damn far to reinforce this Old Yeller principle in Dean’s moral code.

He had to sit back and watch, literally, while someone he cared about went out of their goddamn mind with power while killing and terrorizing people. He had to do that knowing that there was a moment when he could have done something to prevent it. He could have killed Cas when he had him locked up in the ring of holy fire and they were having one of their many breakup moments.

Dean felt like he could have stopped all of this, but he’d been weak and tried talking it out first instead. And you can’t convince me that he didn’t check the news and every drop of blood Godstiel brought about to the blood on his own hands because of that choice to give Cas a chance to see reason.

10x09 - The Things We Left Behind

CASTIEL: How are you, Dean?

DEAN: Fine. [Cas gives him a look.] I’m great!

CASTIEL: No, you’re not.

DEAN: Yeah, well, I lost the black eyes, so that’s a plus. But I still have this. [Dean reaches over and gently slaps the Mark on his arm.]

CASTIEL: Is the Mark of Cain still affecting you?

[Dean flashes back to his dream from earlier, of the blood covering him, the dead bodies lying around him.]

CASTIEL: Dean?

[Dean blinks hard, coming back to the present.]

DEAN: Cas, I need you to promise me something.

CASTIEL: Of course.

DEAN: If I do go dark side, you got to take me out.

CASTIEL: What do you mean?

DEAN: Knife me. Smite me. Throw me into the freakin’ sun, whatever. And don’t let Sam get in the way, because he’ll try. I can’t go down that road again, man. I can’t be that thing again.

(Transcript from here.)

I may hate seasons 6 and 7, but holy damn do I love season 10. I know it’s not a favorite among many people in the fandom, but it’s one of mine.

This moment, this burger date of sadness and pain, is a big favorite for me. Dean sees the writing on the wall. He’s been a Knight of Hell now. He’s been as darkside as he can get. He’s, likely, being reminded daily of his time in Hell in the last ten years of his stay there where he was torturing souls. And he’s begging Cas to keep him from returning to that place. He’s begging Cas to adopt the Old Yeller principle because he sees it as the only option left if the mark consumed him again. And that kills me.

Let’s take another jump forward to season 13, where Dabb & Co really started putting Dean’s Old Yeller principle into text in a heavy, purposeful way.

13x02 - The Rising Son

SAM Dean, wait a second. (Sighs) The kid came through for us today. Jack saved us.

DEAN No. No, whatever that was, that was a reflex. It was a sneeze. Maybe next time he sneezes, he kills us. Good night.

[DEAN hears a clacking sound coming from a distance. He follows the noise to JACK’s room.] JACK Ah!

[DEAN finds JACK trying to stab himself with a blade. The wounds immediately heal.]

DEAN Okay. What the hell? (he gets in the room) Give me that. You—Don’t be an idiot. Look, A, this is not gonna do anything to you, okay? And B, you… What the hell?

JACK Exactly. What the hell am I? I can’t control… whatever this is. I will hurt someone.

DEAN You know, my brother thinks you can be saved.

JACK You don’t believe that.

DEAN No, I don’t.

JACK So… if you’re right?

DEAN If I’m right… and it comes to killing you… I’ll be the one to do it.

[DEAN leaves.]

(Transcript from here.)

Can I just bask in the glory of the grieving widow!Dean arc from the beginning of 13 for a moment? I’d also like to take a moment to 🙌 Jack for being a wonderful Team Free Will mirror (and mimic) from the word go.

Ahhh…

Okay, moving on.

I loved this bit in 13x02 so much. Partially because it’s such a heavy handed foreshadow to 14x20, but also because it shows so clearly how good Jack is at reading the emotions in the room. He’s, like, three days old at that point, but he’s already having an existential crisis about whether or not he’s evil. He already understands (yes, thanks to jackass grieving widow!Dean…) the whole Monster = Evil = Kill The Thing.

He also shows that he understands the Old Yeller principle. And, for better or worse, he and Dean reach an unspoken agreement here about it. (Again, this is my reading. Your mileage may vary.)

13x04 - The Big Empty

JACK I’m afraid.

MIA/KELLY Why? Why are you afraid?

JACK Sam thinks you were right, that—that I’m good. He wants me to believe it, and I wanna believe it, too. It’s just, I… I’ve hurt people. I didn’t mean to. It was an accident. And I know I should feel bad, and I say I feel bad, but most of the time, I mostly… I don’t feel anything. And that’s why I think maybe… Maybe I’m a monster.

MIA/KELLY Jack. It doesn’t matter what you are. It matters what you do. And even monsters can do good in this world.

JACK You really believe that?

MIA/KELLY I have to. I have to.

[MIA hugs JACK again.]

(Trancript from here.)

Killing me would be kinder than subjecting me to these feelings so soon after being introduced to this fucking character. Omg. Poor Jack.

Now, yes, a huuuuge part of Jack’s opinion of monsters and the whole “What do we do with monsters children? That’s RIGHT, we kill them.” thing is because Dean is an asshole when he’s emotional and grieving and deep into survival mode.

But, that doesn’t change the fact that Jack is still worried about the fact that he doesn’t feel things the way that everyone else seems to. That he has powers no one, including him, can understand. And that he’s killed people without meaning to. He’s afraid of himself just like Dean was afraid of what he was capable of if the mark took him over again.

13x23 - Let The Good Times Roll

(Sam continues down the hallway while Dean turns to another hallway and approaches his bedroom door. He stops as if to listen to something and then continues down the hall, away from his bedroom door. He enters Jack’s room, where Jack is sleeping and talking in his sleep)

JACK Stop! No!

DEAN Jack? (Dean touches Jack’s shoulder to wake him) Hey. (Jack jumps up, anxious and disoriented. Dean holds out his hand towards Jack to calm him) Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy. You’re just having a bad dream.

JACK (breathing heavily) Sorry.

DEAN It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize. I have 'em, too. All the time.

JACK You do?

DEAN Sure.

JACK You, um… What do you see?

DEAN Well, depends. Mostly…mostly people I couldn’t save.

JACK Me, too. Over there in the other world, I said I’d protect those people. But…I saw so many of them die. And…I tried to save them. I…I tried, but… I’m sorry. I wasn’t strong enough.

DEAN Jack… (Dean sits on the edge of Jack’s bed) it’s not about being strong. I mean… Look, I don’t know what you saw over there, and I don’t know what you went through. I know it was bad. But I also know that you came out the other side because you are strong. But even when we’re strong, man, things are gonna happen. We’re gonna make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. Right? But we can get better. Every day, we can get better. So whatever you’re dealing with, you know, whatever…whatever comes at us, we’ll figure out a way to deal with it, together. You’re family, kid, and we look after our own.

(Transcript from here.)

It’s not about being strong. IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING STRONG.

This is where we veer away from Old Yeller a tiny bit because, again, in the book Yeller had rabies which they could do nothing about.

The moments I’ve highlighted in this post all come back to one motivation. The overpowered person/angel/asshole in question was trying to gain enough strength through supernatural (lol) means in order to have the power to destroy a (perceived) bigger threat than whatever the cost was to get that power.

Sam’s demon blood drinking was supposed to give him the power to destroy Lucifer and get revenge for Mary and John and their lost childhood. It went badly and earned Sam the label of monster and falling, at least temporarily, into the territory of the Old Yeller principle.

Cas started lying to the brothers and working with Crowley so they could gain the power to stop heaven from starting yet another apaocalypse. Cas wanted to keep the Winchesters (Dean) safe from being destroyed in a holy war after being forced to fight his brother to the death. Again, this did not go well and lead to Cas succumbing to the Leviathans’s power and dying front of Dean after losing the Winchester’s trust.

Dean took on the Mark of Cain to defeat Abaddon, the evil that made John grow up without a father. It left him torn between going on a, essentially, soulless killing spree or becoming a Knight of Hell… again.

Hell, even the way Jack came into the world was fraught with Sam lying to Dean about working with the BMoL to have the power and strength to defeat Lucifer/the nephilim. Not to mention the months of lying Cas did after he decided that Jack’s power and strength was the only way they could destroy Lucifer once and for all. Again, this ended with Cas dying in front of Dean and the BMoL trying to exterminate everyone including the American hunters.

That’s the lesson Dean is trying to instill (hypocritically, let’s be honest) to Jack here. Strength and power come at a terrible cost and if you can solve a problem without resorting to that level of fuckery that things will be better.

And, also, that if things do go bad, that Jack is family and “we look after our own.” To Dean, this is where the Old Yeller principle kicks in. It is, in a rather fucked up but well earned way, the best option he knows for making sure another one of his loved ones doesn’t fall under that monster label. That none of them end up with more blood on their hands or bringing about the end of the world, again, because of their soap opera problems.

13x23 - Let The Good Times Roll

JACK I’m sorry.

(Jack walks towards the exit and Castiel goes to follow him)

CASTIEL Jack!

(Dean grabs Castiel’s arm)

DEAN No, hey, just – just let him go.

(Jack is walking through the woods, banging a closed fist into his hand and punching his shoulder)

JACK You keep hurting people! You keep… (Jack flashes back to all the people he has hurt with his powers – Nate, Sam, Dean, the female police officer) hurting… (flash to the male sheriff) (yelling) Why do you keep hurting people?!

(Transcript from here.)

This lesson, the lesson of power and strength not being the best answer because of the cost it comes with is not an easy one to learn. Especially when you were born as a superpowered, emotional Winchester by adoption. Life is scary when that’s the hand you’ve been dealt and using the power you have is an appealing balm to combat that fear.

13x23 - Let The Good Times Roll

JACK (moving towards Lucifer, eyes glowing and hand outstretched)Tell me the truth!

(Lucifer’s eyes start to glow, his head tilts to the side and he starts speaking)

LUCIFER She saw me when I was scouting out the bunker. She saw me and she screamed, and then…so I crushed her skull with my bare hands. And it was warm and wet, and I liked it.

(Lucifer’s eyes return to normal and he looks confused)

JACK You’re not my father. You’re a monster.

LUCIFER (yelling) Come on, man! (Lucifer bellows so forcibly that Sam and Dean cover their ears, his eyes glowing red) Okay. I tried with you. I really tried with you.

JACK Everything you told me was a lie.

LUCIFER Because I told you what you wanted to hear, man. So what?! I killed the girl! Big deal! She’s a – she’s a human! She doesn’t matter!

JACK So am I!

LUCIFER Yeah? And that’s your problem. (pointing at Jack) You’re too much like your mother.

(Transcript from here.)

To me, this moment reads as Jack embracing that black and white Winchester thinking. He has yet (even now that’s he’s currently dead in season 15) to grasp the concept of people being morally gray. He sees himself as either embracing the monster side of himself from his bio dad or rejecting that side of himself to embrace Kelly’s human side. The side that can’t hurt people on accident. The side that makes him more like the Winchesters. Because he doesn’t want to fall under than monster label. He doesn’t want to fall under that Old Yeller principle. He doesn’t want to hurt so many people that he will have to die because neither he or anyone else can control him.

Yes, this moment is FAR more complicated than just that, but it’s definitely part of it.

14x10 - Nihilism

DEAN Sam said that one of your reapers really came through with the assist. I’m thinking that was probably you.

BILLIE Don’t tell anyone.

DEAN You broke the rules.

BILLIE I took a calculated risk. I warned you about the dangers of jumping from world to world. But you ignored me, didn’t you?

DEAN Rescuing Mom and Jack, helping out those other folks – I’d say it was worth it.

BILLIE And just look at you now. Do you remember visiting my reading room? The shelves and shelves of notebooks describing the ways you might die?

DEAN Yeah. Upbeat classics.

BILLIE Well, it’s the funniest thing, but they’ve all been rewritten. They all end the same way now – with the archangel Michael escaping your mind and using you as his vessel to burn down this world.

DEAN All of them?

BILLIE All of them. Except one.

(Billie hands Dean a book. He opens it and then looks at her, stunned)

DEAN What am I supposed to do with this?

BILLIE That’s up to you.

(Dean looks at the book again and when he looks up, Billie is gone. He looks back at the book and then looks around, a mixture of fear and confusion on his face)

(Transcript from here.)

Remember what I said about Dean being well aware of the price that has to be paid in exchange for the power and strength to defeat supposedly unbeatable enemies?

Yeah… Dean “knows” that the time has come for him to call his own bluff. The one from all the way back in 10x09 (not that he was bluffing then, but he didn’t have to take action on it then) when he asked Cas to take him out. “Knife me. Smite me. Throw me into the freakin’ sun, whatever.”

We didn’t know that was what this moment was until the next episode. But this is the moment when the Old Yeller principle went into effect again. And you can see how much it hurts Dean, how resigned and heartbroken he is over it.

14x11 - Damaged Goods

DEAN It’s a Ma’lak box. [DEAN closes the door to the box. He and SAM are standing over it.] Secured and warded. Once inside… nothing gets out, not even an archangel. Especially an archangel.

SAM Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve – I’ve read about these, but – but no one’s ever – they’re impossible to build.

DEAN Yeah, well, not so much.

SAM That’s your plan? You want to be buried alive?

DEAN Buried’s not safe enough. Plan is, pay a little hush money, charter a boat to take me out to the Pacific. Splash.

SAM You and Michael, trapped together – for eternity?

DEAN Yeah.

SAM You do realize how insane this is, right?

DEAN It’s the only sane play I’ve got. Michael gets out, that’s it for this world. And he will get out.

SAM Well, how do you know that for sure?

DEAN Because I do. Because I can feel him in my head. That door is giving. I can feel it giving.

SAM But there has to be another way.

DEAN There’s not, okay? There – Sam you’ve tried. Cas has tried. Jack… And I love you for trying. But none of it’s gonna work.

SAM We don’t know that.

DEAN Yeah, we do.

SAM What?

DEAN Billie.

SAM Billie?

DEAN She paid me a little visit. She said that there’s only one way this ends right. And this is it. This, right here, this box. So, she gave up the special recipe, and all I had to do was the work. It’s fate.

SAM Since when do we believe in fate?

DEAN Now, Sam. Since now.

(Transcript from here.)

Here is the moment. The one where Dean was at his absolute lowest. When he hit that point where resignation about his fate met having to act on his principles.

14x12 - Prophet and Loss

DEAN Well, I will call this a win. Kinda nice. Going out on a high. SAM “Going out” being the operative phrase. DEAN Sorry. SAM “Sorry.” How sorry are you? Sorry that you fight to keep Donatello alive, but when it comes to you, you just throw in the towel? Or are you sorry that, after all these years, our entire lives, a-after I’ve looked up to you, after I’ve learned from you, I-I-I’ve copied you, I followed you to Hell and back… are you sorry that all of that it – it – it means nothing now? DEAN Who’s saying that? SAM You are, when you tell me I have to kill you. When you’re telling me that I have to just throw away everything we stand for, throw away faith, throw away family. We’re the guys who saved the world. We don’t just check out of it! [SAM pushes DEAN.] DEAN Sam, I have tried everything. Everything! I got one card left to play and I have to play it. SAM You have one card today! But we’ll find another tomorrow. But if you quit on us today, there will be no tomorrow! You tell me, uh, you don’t know what else to do. I don’t either, Dean. Not yet. But what you’re doing now, i-it’s – it’s wrong! It’s quitting! I mean, l-look what just happened. Donatello never quit fighting. So we could help him because he never gave up. [SAM moves closer to DEAN.] I believe in us, Dean. [DEAN doesn’t say anything. SAM gets angry and punches DEAN in the face.] I believe in us. [SAM tries to punch DEAN again, but he stops him.] DEAN Hey, hey, hey, hey! [SAM hugs DEAN.] SAM Why don’t you believe in us, too? DEAN Okay, Sam. Let’s go home. SAM What? [SAM pulls away from the hug.] DEAN Let’s go home. Maybe Billie’s wrong. Maybe. But I do believe in us.

(Transcript from here.)

And just like Dean predicted in 10x09, Sam was able to talk him out of sacrificing himself. How was he able to do that? By reminding Dean that they were the fucking Winchesters. They fucked with the cosmic balance constantly and always, always found another way. A way to avoid the Old Yeller principle. A way to live and fight again.

Which, they totally did, but the price of not throwing Dean into the ocean for an eternity of alone time with alt!Michael banging away in his head was their adopted child.

14x20 - Moriah

JACK: You’re not gonna lock me up again, are you?

DEAN: No.

(Dean raises the gun, aims at Jack and exhales deeply. Jack kneels down and bows his head. Dean, looking puzzled, lowers the gun and walks closer towards Jack. When he’s right in front of Jack, he aims the gun directly at his head. At this moment Sam comes speeding into the cemetery, car tires screeching. He gets out of the car and starts running towards Dean and Jack)

SAM: Dean? Dean!

JACK: (to Dean) I understand.

(Sam is still running, yelling for Dean. The music is getting more suspenseful as Dean holds his aim steady at Jack)

SAM: Dean, don’t! Dean? Dean!

JACK: I know what I’ve done.

SAM: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, Dean! Hey, hey, hey! Dean!

DEAN: Stay back, Sam!

SAM: (Panting)

JACK: And you were right all along. (Chuck comes up alongside Sam) I am a monster.

SAM: (to Chuck) Do something. … You’re enjoying this.

CHUCK: Shh.

(Dramatic music plays)

(Dean cocks the gun. He looks Jack in the eye for several seconds and then slowly lowers the gun. At this point, Castiel also comes running towards the area)

(Dean uncocks the gun and tosses it to the side)

(Transcript from here.)

I have yet to rewatch this episode, but from what I remember I don’t think it had completely sunk in to Dean in that moment of choice that Chuck was there revealing that he was invested in the outcome of this showdown between Dean and Jack. In that moment, that split second of choice between following through with what he’d believed for so long for following through with an extension of the order John gave him about Sam back in the hospital back in 2x01, Dean made a choice for himself. And that choice was to believe that they’d find another way. He decided that when it came right down to it, he couldn’t kill his child for making the same bargain for power and strength that he himself had made multiple times over the last 14 seasons.

He was also directly confronted with a similar situation to that from the end of season 6 and beginning of 7 with Cas and the Leviathans, in that when it really came down to it, he wasn’t capable of murdering someone he considered family.

And then Chuck had to go and erase any chance they had in following up on that. He killed Jack so that they didn’t have a chance to find a way to help Jack balance the power he’d absorbed from destroying Michael or living without his soul.

So yeah, from where we sit now with only one episode of season 15 under our belts waiting with baited breath to see where the rest of this end of the road season takes us, it makes sense that Dean, of all people, would be in the middle of an emotional fucking collapse. And that he would be a huge, whiny, pissbaby douchebag about it because that’s the Dean Winchester way.

Does that make his behavior okay? No, of course not. But does that turn any of the rest of them into saints? Nope, of course not. And I, personally, wouldn’t have it any other way. I like that they’re flawed and fucked up and keep getting back up and going back to each other and keep trying. That’s why we’ve had 15 goddamn seasons of this. Because it’s what they do.

#15x01 #spn spoilers #spn parallels #jack kline #dean winchester #spn meta #season 15 #jack the nougat nephilim #my spn meta #tumblr mobile ate this post the first time i tried posting it but it was in the cache on my laptop so it's back!

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losangelesleftygayvoters · 5 years ago

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March 3, 2020 Primary

Hi there. We didn’t write this. But a very smart and interesting dude named Kris Rehl did. As we were about to sit down and prepare ours - we read his and thought well, we’re not going to do a lot better than this.

LOS ANGELES AREA PROGRESSIVE VOTER GUIDE

The following are recommendations for the most effective, progressive candidates in each race based on reviewing the resources listed at the bottom of this guide, news articles, and candidates’ statements. I encourage you to do your own research on each candidate as well!

CALIFORNIA STATE PROPOSITION

Prop 13: YES - This is a $15 billion bond to invest in crumbling school infrastructure, including the removal of toxic mold and asbestos from aging classrooms, to provide cleaner drinking water, and make upgrades for fire and earthquake safety. The proposition would also increase the size of bonds that school districts can place on future ballots.

CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE

21st District: Kipp Mueller - Mueller’s progressive platform focuses on homelessness, wage inequality, and the environment, calling out Big Oil in the Antelope Valley swing district.

23rd District: Abigail Medina - The daughter of immigrant parents, Medina has been in the foster care system, worked as a tomato picker, and served on the San Bernardino City Unified School board. She is the candidate with the boldest environmental platform in her district.

27th District: Henry Stern - A strong advocate for closing the Aliso Canyon gas facility and a fairly progressive candidate in a purple district. In addition to fighting big oil, he’s running on creating incentives for companies to switch to clean transportation and renewable energy infrastructure, improving the economy with small businesses and job training, supporting education by securing funding, and creating safer communities by providing funding to local governments. (Fun fact: His dad played Marv in the Home Alone movies.)

29th District: Josh Newman - Newman won his Fullerton district in 2016, focusing on 100% renewable energy by 2045, affordable education, and homelessness and mental health services. He was recalled by voters in a low turnout midterm primary, after being targeted by a Republican effort to break the Democrats’ supermajority. Despite the partisan recall over his vote to increase the state gas tax by 12 cents per gallon to fund $5.4 billion in annual road improvement and transit projects, Newman will again face the Republican he beat in 2016.

35th District: Steven Bradford - A leader on police reform and accountability, including passing AB391, a law reducing when police can use deadly force. Bradford is focused on lowering homelessness through affordable housing, enhancing access to healthcare, and increasing access to mass transit.

CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY

36th District: Eric Andrew Ohlsen - Endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, Ohlsen has excellent positions on environmental issues, immigration, eliminating student debt, and criminal justice reform. Ohlsen wants to eliminate costly and unjust private prison contracts and help people already in the system with policies targeting recidivism.

38th District: Dina Cervantes - A child of immigrants, community activist, small business owner, and former preschool teacher with a strong record on education and environmental issues. (This district’s incumbent is retiring.)

39th District: Luz Maria Rivas - The incumbent, Rivas has a solid record on immigration and housing. She also founded a non-profit in Pacoima to encourage school-aged girls to pursue careers in STEM.

41st District: Chris Holden - The incumbent, Holden has fought to expand funding for disability programs, expand lead-level testing in drinking water at child care centers, and passed legislation to improve safety on electricity systems that caused the 2017 wildfires. His only opponents are Republicans, so vote for Chris!

43rd District: Laura Friedman - Friedman is the incumbent and has a progressive voting record, including supporting the end of Section 8 discrimination and authoring several environmental and sustainability bills.

44th District: Jacqui Irwin - The incumbent, facing a Republican challenger, Irwin has focused heavily on gun violence prevention legislation and strengthened gun violence restraining orders since the 2018 Thousand Oaks shooting.

45th District: Jesse Gabriel - A progressive incumbent, Gabriel has enacted more than a dozen new gun safety measures, championed efforts to address California’s housing and homelessness crisis, and strengthened public education.

46th District: Adrin Nazarian - A strong charter school opponent, who has fought to increase public school aid by $23 billion over the past five years, with a mostly progressive record across the board.

49th District: Edwin Chau - Born in Hong Kong and raised in L.A., incumbent assemblymember Chau is facing a Republican challenger. He’s focused on legislation to prevent elder abuse and authored bills to address the affordable housing crisis as well as the California Consumer Privacy Act, enhancing protections for internet users’ personal data.

50th District: Richard Bloom - Authored some strong housing bills with a heavy focus on environmental legislation, helping establish the most stringent protections in the country against the dangers of hydraulic fracking.

53rd District: Godfrey Plata - Plata is a progressive challenger to an establishment Democratic incumbent, who has a disappointing record on housing policy. Plata is a gay Filipino immigrant, who if elected will become the first person in the California Assembly's 140-year history to be an out LGBTQIA+ immigrant. Plata’s campaign is focused on affordable housing, strengthening public schools, and universal healthcare.

54th District: Tracy B. Jones - A special education teacher, Jones is a strong advocate for increasing public school funding and improvements. He supports Medicare for All and the banning of fracking.

57th District: Vanessa Tyson - Tyson is an advocate for increasing the accessibility and affordability of college, expanding affordable housing, and investing in permanent housing solutions to address homelessness.

58th District: Margaret Villa - A Green Party candidate, Villa supports rent control, Medicare for All, and getting money out of politics. The incumbent Democrat she’s challenging (Cristina Garcia) previously made false claims about earning a graduate degree, has several sexual harassment accusations against her from her own staff, and was investigated for her rampant use of racist and homophobic language in the workplace. Vote for Margaret Villa instead!

59th District: Reggie Jones-Sawyer - A strong progressive incumbent, Reggie comes from a family of pioneers in the civil rights movement, is the nephew of one of the Little Rock Nine, and a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus. He’s co-authored legislation to provide re-entry assistance like housing and job training for persons that have been wrongfully convicted and consequently released from state prison. He also led an effort to secure nearly $100 million for recidivism reduction grants.

63rd District: Maria Estrada - Endorsed by Democratic Socialists of America, Estrada is a community activist, challenging an incumbent establishment Democratic leader, who stopped the passage of single-payer healthcare in the California legislature. Maria is running “to end the culture of policies that are deferential to industrial polluters that continue to poison our communities.”

64th District: Fatima Iqbal-Zubair - A high school teacher from Watts, Fatima is challenging Democratic incumbent Mike Gipson, who takes money from Chevron, Valero, Pfizer, and Juul. She is campaigning to end environmental racism in her district, fight for affordable housing and rehabilitation services for the homeless, better funding for public schools, and making college accessible to everyone.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

District Attorney: Rachel Rossi - Rossi’s experience as a public defender and aggressive platform make her the most progressive option to unseat incumbent Jackie Lacey, who Black Lives Matter and the ACLU criticized for refusing to prosecute violent cops. Rossi will pursue “data-driven crime prevention” over ineffective mass incarceration, focusing on serious, violent cases and ending the revolving door of low-level offenses that waste taxpayer dollars.

County Measure R: YES - An important step toward L.A. County jail reform that helps decriminalize mental illness and build community-based care centers where people can get the qualified help they need. Measure R also provides crucial tools for LA’s Civilian Oversight Board to check a corrupt Sheriff’s department.

L.A. County Measure FD: YES - Provides firefighters with the resources they require.

COUNTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE, 43rd Assembly District (*Vote for no more than 7)

Luke H. Klipp - A progressive, who is disenchanted with the establishment, Klipp has been a housing and HIV/AIDS policy advocate and transportation analyst. He hopes to create a more walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly LA, centering equity and climate change in all policy.

Jennifer “Jenni” Chang - A universal healthcare advocate and community activist, Jenni wants to make politics more people-centric, shun corporate influence, and hold party leaders accountable to progressive values. She supports green transportation, more public education funding, affordable housing, closing corporate loopholes, and prison reform.

Linda Perez - Linda is an immigrant and retired labor advocate, who is prioritizing immigrant protections, LGBTQ rights, education, housing, workers’ rights, and student homelessness.

Ingrid Gunnell - A teacher focused on public school funding and accountability for charter schools, Ingrid plans to fight homelessness with affordable housing, mental healthcare, and job training.

Nicholas James Billing - A Sunrise Movement member, Nicholas is fighting for renewable energy infrastructure, supports public school, prison reform, and affordable housing.

Angel Izard - A community activist, Angel supports public schools, quality healthcare for all Californians, investing in renewable energy, affordable housing, and prison reform.

Paul Neuman - An incumbent, Paul wants to empower people and make government more accessible, transparent, responsive and accountable. He has a long history of activism and volunteer work, advocating for many marginalized groups. He’s written resolutions for emergency funding for homelessness, arts education, campaign reform, and more.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT

Office No. 42: Linda Sun - Sun is an experienced prosecutor focused on corruption from professionals and businesses rather than crimes of poverty. She describes her judicial approach as embodying empathy and dignity.

Office No. 72: Myanna Dellinger - Dellinger is passionate about gender-related employment discrimination, harassment, and violence cases. She believes “people of color and lower incomes are disproportionately affected by environmental problems such as air and water pollution...The law should help remedy that.” Dellinger also advocates for gender-affirming treatment of everyone in and out of the courtroom.

Office No. 76: Emily Cole - As a judge, Cole is dedicated to helping the victims of crime but also helping the defendants that are in a system that they can’t get out of. She was also endorsed over her opponent by the LA County Bar Association.

Office No. 80: Klint James McKay - McKay is an administrative law judge with social services and has a history in the Public Defender Union. He has focused on an empathetic approach and understanding for all people, who pass through the court. His opponent David Berger is endorsed by the problematic current DA Jackie Lacey but was also chosen for the District Attorney's Office Alternative Sentencing Designee, where he’s worked within the criminal justice system to find alternatives for non-violent candidates.

Office No. 97: Sherry L. Powell - Powell has dedicated much of her legal career to serving and advocating for families, who lost loved ones to murder, and victims of violent crimes such as child molestation, rape, human trafficking, and domestic violence. She is running against Timothy Reuben, a real estate law firm founder, who ran as a conservative in 2018.

Office No. 129: Kenneth Fuller - As a District Attorney, Fuller has prosecuted environmental and sex crimes, but has also worked on the defense side as a military judge advocate.

Office No. 145: Troy Slaten - Slaten strongly supports criminal justice reform with efforts such as Collaborative Courts, designed to provide treatment instead of incarceration to the most vulnerable populations in the criminal justice system.

Office No. 150: Tom Parsekian - Parsekian is a civil litigation attorney, who is endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.

Office No. 162: Caree Annette Harper - Harper is a former police officer, turned civil rights attorney, who has dedicated massive amounts of her time to pro bono work. In 2018, Caree obtained $1.5 million for the family of Reginald Thomas, who was beaten and tased to death by Pasadena Police Department.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERVISOR

2nd District: Holly Mitchell - A champion for progressive causes in the State Legislature, Mitchell has called for 20% affordable housing in every new development and a compassionate, non-criminalization approach to the homelessness crisis. Holly introduced the recently enacted CROWN Act, the first state law to ban discrimination based on natural hair or styles like locs, braids, and twists in workplaces and public schools.

4th District: Janice Hahn - Hanh has been solid on housing and labor issues. It should be noted that in 2015, she voted with 242 Republicans and 46 Democrats to pass a bill that proposed instituting a much more intensive screening for refugees from Iraq and Syria, who applied for admission to the U.S. It does not appear Hahn has any serious challengers.

5th District: Darrell Park - Park proposed an ambitious Green New Deal for LA County, signed the homes guarantee, and endorsed the Services Not Sweeps campaign to end the criminalization and ease the suffering of unhoused people. The current Supervisor for this district, Kathryn Barger, is the only Republican on the County Board of Supervisors.

LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT - BOARD OF EDUCATION

The following are the endorsements of the Los Angeles teachers union:

District 1: George McKenna

District 3: Scott Schmerlson

District 5: Jackie Goldberg

District 7: Patricia Castellanos

LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL

***The corruption in City Hall has led to inaction, worsened the housing crisis, and wasted millions in taxpayer dollars. I urge you to vote out all incumbents.

2nd District: Ayinde Jones - Wants to expand affordable public transportation and beds in homeless shelters. (The incumbent, Paul Krekorian, did not meet the new bed goal that the city council set for itself. Krekorian did turn his own budget’s $400 million surplus into a $200 million deficit with little transparency or public oversight though.) For more info on this race, check out this community activist’s thread from the candidates’ forum.

4th District: Nithya Raman - Nithya is an MIT-trained urban planner, who founded SELAH, a local homeless service organization, and served as executive director of anti-sexual harassment group Times Up. She plans to end homelessness by providing services and housing to those in need, stop evictions, and freeze rents. She is also focused on fighting the climate crisis and improving our city’s air quality.

6th District: Bill Haller - A member of his neighborhood council and experienced with environmental advocacy, Haller is running because he is disgusted by the corruption in L.A. City Hall. Haller wants to reduce city council pay from $207,000 to $93,500 (or 85% of an elected state assemblymember’s salary) and double the number of city districts to allow for more diverse, grassroots candidates, who better understand and represent their communities.

8th District: Denise Woods - A write-in candidate who has fought against housing discrimination, Denise has plans to address public safety, prevent gang violence, and expand education and job training in South L.A.

10th District: Aura Vasquez - Aura was born and raised in Colombia. In 1996, her family came to America to escape the bloodshed and violence caused by drug cartels and the War on Drugs. As an undocumented student, Aura worked nights and weekends to put herself through college. Aura has become a dedicated community organizer, environmental advocate, and was the driving force in banning single-use plastic bags in L.A. She is focused on making city services more responsive, creating affordable housing and homeless services, ensuring police treat all residents with respect and dignity, keeping immigrant and refugee families together, and supporting local schools, teachers, and after-school programs.

12th District: Dr. Loraine Lundquist - An educator and astrophysicist, Loraine is an expert on clean energy and helped organize community opposition to the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility when it posed a massive danger to the Valley in 2015. She is refusing donations from corporate special interests and wants to challenge corruption in the LADWP to create lower utility bills for residents. Loraine also wants to use humane, data-proven solutions to end the homelessness crisis, putting an end to tax dollars being wasted on inaction.

14th District: Cyndi Otteson - Cyndi served on her neighborhood council and leads a nonprofit that helped over 320 refugee families resettle in the U.S. Cyndi rejects developer, charter school, and special interest money and wants to make housing more affordable for rent-burdened Angelenos with financial reforms and protections for renters. She proposes using the $355 million annually generated by Measure H to build on or adapt commercial property that is undeveloped or abandoned for affordable housing and homeless shelters.

GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL

Dan Brotman - Dan is an advocate for a sustainable Glendale and has been endorsed by the Sunrise Movement for fighting fossil fuel infrastructure and advocating for affordable housing.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

8th District: Chris Bubser - Bubser has been endorsed by several labor and environmental groups, and she is the only chance to avoid two Republicans on the November general election ballot in this red district.

23rd District: Kim Mangone - Kim is a veteran, running against Kevin McCarthy, one of the most far-right Republicans in Congress and the GOP’s current House Minority Leader. Vote for Kim and get McCarthy the hell out of Washington!

26th District: Julia Brownley - The incumbent, Julia passed her Female Veterans Suicide Prevention Act in 2016, which requires the VA to collect data on women veterans to identify best practices and services to end female veteran suicide. She passed a surface transportation bill to increase funds to invest in our crumbling infrastructure. Julia has been an advocate for women and working families, fighting to close the wage gap, raise the minimum wage, and expand job training and education assistance.

27th District: Judy Chu - The incumbent, Chu is chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and has a strong record on immigration rights and reform. She has also become a strong advocate for ending military hazing since her 21-year-old nephew shot and killed himself after enduring three and a half hours of discrimination-motivated assault and torture from his fellow marines in Afghanistan.

28th District: G. “Maebe A. Girl” Puldo - Maebe (she/her) is the first drag queen elected to public office in U.S. history! She is genderfluid/trans and hosts, produces, and performs in drag shows around Los Angeles in addition to her Silver Lake Neighborhood Council duties. Maebe supports Medicare for All, has experience with homelessness advocacy, and is running on a broad, progressive platform. If your knee jerk reaction is to dismiss Maebe because she’s a drag queen, kindly check your queerphobia at the door.

(Second Choice: Adam Schiff - Despite his impressive contribution to the president’s impeachment, incumbent Adam Schiff has shown himself to be a hawk, defined by donations made to his campaign by the defense industry. Even if you plan to vote for Schiff during the general election this November, I encourage you to vote for Maebe in the primary.)

29th District: Angélica María Dueñas - A member of her neighborhood council, Dueñas supports unions, Medicare For All, achieving 100% renewable energy by 2030, eliminating pharmaceutical subsidies, increasing taxes on the rich, and a humane path to citizenship.

30th District: CJ Berina - CJ is challenging an establishment Democratic incumbent, who has worked against many progressive causes. CJ supports the Green New Deal, Medicare For All, the cancellation of medical and student debt, abolishing ICE and the death penalty, and ending for-profit healthcare.

32nd District: Emanuel Gonzales - Growing up, Emanuel and his family became homeless twice: after his father was diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease and during the recession. Since his father died from a failed kidney transplant, Emanuel has become an advocate for expanding Medicare coverage to everyone in the U.S. and reforming the current organ transplantation system so that no organ goes to waste. Personally knowing the pain of losing a home, Emanuel will fight for affordable interest rates for first-time buyers, extending tax benefits for working families who own homes, and increasing federal grants, so people can own homes in the communities they work and serve in.

33rd District: Ted Lieu - Ted has been an outspoken critic of the current administration, bringing special attention to the treatment of migrant children in detention, separated from their families. Ted previously authored a bill banning conversion therapy and was a co-sponsor of the 2019 Medicare For All Act.

34th District: Frances Yasmeen Motiwalla - Frances supports Medicare for All, the Rent Relief Act, the Green New Deal, and urgently wants to end the war in Yemen. The incumbent Jimmy Gomez has moved to the left since facing a Green Party candidate last election cycle. If nothing else, let’s push him even more left.

37th District: Karen Bass - Leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, Karen has focused on issues such as criminal justice reform, a national minimum wage increase, and foster care. She supports Medicare For All, tuition-free community college, and capping the interest rate for federal student loans at 3.4 percent.

38th District: Michael Tolar - Supports Medicare for All, The Green New Deal, closing private prisons, getting money out of politics, and banning military-style weapons.

39th District: Gil Cisneros - A solid Orange County Democrat facing a tough reelection against a Republican this fall. Cisneros was a $266 million Mega Millions winner and became a philanthropist before deciding to run for Congress in 2018. Gil is a veteran and education advocate, who has stood up to the insurance and pharmaceutical industries to lower healthcare costs, protected education funding, and worked to create good-paying local jobs.

40th District: Dr. Rodolfo Cortes Barragan - Taking on a more conservative Democrat incumbent, Rodolfo is a first-generation American, who came from Mexico at a young age and earned degrees from UC Berkeley and Stanford. He is a Green Party candidate, running on a platform of Medicare for All, tuition-free public colleges, the Green New Deal, abolishing ICE, repealing the Patriot Act, and a homes guarantee with funding for universal public housing.

43rd District: Maxine Waters - Maxine has been an outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color, and the poor. She has strongly condemned the actions of the current administration and is facing a Republican challenger this fall.

44th District: Nanette Diaz Barragán - Elected in 2016, Nanette became the first Latina to represent her Congressional district. She is a strong advocate for immigration and supports Medicare for All.

45th District: Katie Porter - Katie is a survivor of domestic abuse and a former consumer protection attorney. She impressively won a swing district while still supporting Medicare for All, gun safety reform, and legislation to reduce the influence of dark money in politics.

47th District: Peter Matthews - Peter refuses donations from corporate PACs and lobbyists, supports tuition-free college, canceling student debt, Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, universal child care, public banks, taxing income brackets over $10 million at 70%, and believes housing is a human right.

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY

Elizabeth Warren - Elizabeth doesn’t just have some of the most comprehensive, progressive plans of any candidate, she has figured out and proposed some brilliant strategies to actually move them through the gridlock in Washington. She engages with stakeholders in every community, listens, and incorporates their feedback to be sure she is addressing the needs of all Americans. I trust Elizabeth to take on corruption and create a better, fairer country by removing monied corruption in politics, implementing a wealth tax on the ultra rich, creating free universal healthcare, reforming our criminal justice system, fighting predatory debt, expanding educational and economic opportunities, and creating new clean energy jobs to swiftly combat climate change.

(2nd Choice: Bernie Sanders - Bernie is a truly inspiring candidate, and I agree with almost all of his policies. I would be thrilled to vote and volunteer for him if he becomes the nominee, but he is my second choice because I believe Warren has more effective strategies to implement an extremely similar platform, ranging from the removal of the filibuster to finding solutions that won’t raise middle-class taxes to fund for Medicare For All.)

RESOURCES

https://lavote.net/Apps/CandidateList/Index?id=3793

https://laist.com/elections/

https://knock-la.com/the-knock-la-los-angeles-progressive-voter-guide-for-the-march-2020-primary-7f2c3efc13cc

https://www.dsa-la.org/2020_primary_voter_guide

https://votersedge.org/en/ca

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/2/9/1917945/-LA-Progressive-Majority-Voter-Guide-to-Judges-Candidates-for-March-2020-Los-Angeles-CA

https://progressivevotersguide.com/california/

https://app.kpcc.civicengine.com/v/choose_party

http://www.easyvoterguide.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/EVG-march2020-Eng.pdf

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dreamcatch22 · 6 years ago

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Gip’s Place is one of the most unique and fun venues in Birmingham, Alabama! This place is only open on Saturday nights. People from all over the world come to Gip’s Place to listen to some of the coolest blues band in town. Henry Gipson is a living legend and a national treasure. He’s well into his 90s, and he is still shredding on his guitar. I am honored that I saw him live.

#blues #henry gipson #rock and roll #gip’s place #birmingham #alabama #saturday nights #living legend #national treasure

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dfwnews · 3 years ago

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New Mexico State wins its ninth straight

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Clayton Henry registered 15 points as New Mexico State extended its winning streak to nine games, topping Tarleton State 73-57. Montre Gipson led the Texans on Thursday night with 23 points. The post New Mexico State wins its ninth straight appeared first on KVIA.

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benguthriehernandez · 3 years ago

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√[PDF] READ’ The Coming of the Revolution, 1763-1775 by Gipson, Lawrence Henry

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carnivalofhorror · 7 years ago

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HELP STOP THE EXECUTION OF MARCELLUS WILLIAMS:

Marcellus Williams (48), was sentenced to death (by lethal injection) in 2001 after former newspaper reporter, Felicia Gayle (42), was found murdered in her St Louis, Missouri, household in 1998.

Williams execution date, originally set for January 28, 2015, was postponed after Missouri’s High Court allowed for DNA tests to be conducted. The tests concluded that the DNA found on the murder weapon (a knife) was not Williams, but that of an unknown individual. As of recently, the court have refused to examine the new and compelling evidence, with the execution of Williams now only able to be prevented by the United States Supreme Court or the governor of Missouri, Eric Greitens.

Case background:

Williams' trial was centred around the testimonies of two individuals - Henry Cole (Williams cell mate) and Laura Asaro (Williams short-term girlfriend). Cole claimed that Williams had confessed to him about murdering Gayle, whilst Asaro claimed that Williams neck contained scratch marks, made by the victim but that she also saw Williams in possession of Gayle’s drivers licence.

Williams lawyer, Kent Gipson, contested this stating "these scratches would leave DNA traces on the victim, but Williams' DNA was not found underneath the victim's fingernails, just like it was someone else's DNA that was found on the murder weapon”, Gipson also stated that Asaro’s claim regarding William’s possession of the driving licence was “impossible” due to the fact “Gayle's licence was left at the crime scene”. Gipson believes both individuals may have been compelled to provide false statements on Williams in the hope of receiving a $10,000 financial reward - in which they both acquired after their testimonies.

Another factor in this case, according to ‘Sister Helen Prejean's anti-death penalty organisation Ministry Against the Death Penalty’ spokesperson Griffin Hardy and Gipson - is Williams race. It is alleged that there was approximately seven African Americans in the jury pool awaiting the trial - that is, until the prosecution replaced six of them with white jurors. Gipson later spoke on the removal, stating "the jury that found Williams guilty consisted of mostly white people. This district has a history of getting African Americans off juries, especially when the victim is white’.

A petition has been created and will be delivered to Governor Eric Greitens and Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley in an attempt to delay/abolish Williams execution. You can join me in signing the petition here: [X]

#true crime #true crime community #tcc #tcc family #tc community #tcoriginal #black lives matter #COH

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someguyscaliforniavoterguide · 4 years ago

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My Guide to Select East Valley/California/National Races on November 3, 2020

It’s me again!

I admit that much of my work is cribbed from/aligns with other progressive voter guides out there, but we don’t all agree so here’s my voice for good luck. This time I’ve listed other guides at the bottom of this monster of a page. Check them out if you think my answer is wrong or wishy washy!

Remember you can vote by mail, drop off your ballot at a drop box, or vote in person if you want this year. More info on the literal mechanics of voting can be found at this excellent guide from Knock-L.A.

As always, I don’t expect or want anybody to send me a thank you gift, but if this guide is helpful and you want to say thanks, just throw a few bucks to the September 21st fundraiser - www.sept21st.com - where internet notable Demi Adejuyigbe is raising money for five grassroots progressive groups.

And without ado, let’s get to my East Valley voter guide!

EAST VALLEY CITY RACES

L.A. City Council District 4: Nithya Raman

Nithya Raman was the executive director for Time’s Up and is the founder of the indispensable SELAH homeless advocacy organization. She’s been endorsed by DSA-LA, League of Conservation Voters, Bike The Vote L.A., and Sunrise Movement, and is an inspiring candidate with an exceptional policy platform. I donated money to her campaign and I wish I lived a few blocks over so I could vote for her as well.

L.A. City Council District 10: Mark Ridley Thomas

Neither option is great, but Mark Ridley-Thomas is the best of two bad choices here, since Grace Yoo’s approach to homelessness lacks empathy and she is dismissive of the reality of racial profiling.

Burbank City Council (2 seats available): Konstantine Anthony, Tamala Takahashi

Burbank City Council has two seats on the ballot. 1) Konstantine Anthony is endorsed by just about every local progressive organization, including Ground Game LA, DSA-LA, and Sunrise Movement LA. 2) Tamala Takahashi has fewer institutional endorsements but the transportation platform alone that she outlined to MyBurbank.com is enough to show that she would make an outstanding councilmember.

Burbank City Treasurer: Lindsey Francois

LACCD RACES

L.A. Community College District Board of Trustees Seat 1: Charné Tunson

Charné Tunson is running as a challenger to incumbent Community College Board President, Dr. Andra Hoffman. Tunson is a former high school assistant principal at Crenshaw High School and, more recently, a former principal at a charter high school in Watts. Tunson has pledged to remove LASD from the LACCD, has educational experience and is a black woman: she will bring perspectives that are lacking to the LACCD Board.

L.A. Community College District Board of Trustees Seat 3: David Vela*

Vela is well connected within the LA Democratic Party. Endorsed by UTLA but nobody else.

L.A. Community College District Board of Trustees Seat 5: Dr. Cynthia Gonzalez

Dr. Gonzalez has an impressive and thorough policy platform for improving student experience at LACCD and a plan to reorient education to meet the workforce needs of a region in which we reimagine public safety and reorient services towards non-violent responders. Dr. Gonzalez is endorsed by Jackie Goldberg, one of the best educational advocates in the County.

L.A. Community College District Board of Trustees Seat 7: Mike Fong*

Fong is widely supported for re-election including UTLA.

LAUSD RACES

LAUSD Board Member District 3: Scott Schmerelson*

LAUSD Board Member District 7: Patricia Castellanos

Both candidates enjoy the endorsement of UTLA and Jackie Goldberg against charter advocates, and they have my support.

STATE SENATE

CA Senate District 21: Kipp Mueller

Mueller is a progressive attorney who has fought ICE pro bono, and is endorsed by DSA-LA and CalBike.

CA Senate District 23: Abigail Medina

Abigail Medina has support from progressive organizations, environmental groups, and more of the unions.

CA Senate District 25: Nobody

Incumbent Anthony Portantino is running unopposed. He’s a terrible person who singlehandedly set back housing reform in the state by years. Write in Mickey Mouse.

CA Senate District 27: Henry Stern*

Stern has been a disappointment; but his opponent is a Republican who says his priority is to address the “vagrent (sic) crisis.”

CA Senate District 29: Josh Newman

Newman won this seat 4 years ago, only to be recalled by a Republican campaign after his vote in favor of SB1, which helps fund transit and transportation projects across the state. He deserves to be back in Sacramento.

CA Senate District 33: Elizabeth Castillo

Castillo's campaign is a long-shot but progressive challenge focused on equity, social justice, rent control, and single-payer healthcare.

CA Senate District 35: Steven Bradford*

STATE ASSEMBLY

CA Assembly District 38: Nobody

This is the seat that Christy Smith is giving up to run for Congress. Democrats split their votes in the Primary and both candidates in the runoff are conservatives. Whoever wins, we lose.

CA Assembly District 39: Luz Rivas*

CA Assembly District 41: Chris Holden*

CA Assembly District 43: Laura Friedman*

CA Assembly District 45: Jess Gabriel*

CA Assembly District 46: Adrin Nazarian*

Nazarian has kowtowed to NIMBYs and was a loud voice opposing SB1120, and has ties to LAPPL . His opponent is worse. I’m glad I don’t have to hold my nose to vote for Nazarian, but I probably would.

CA Assembly District 49: Edwin Chau*

CA Assembly District 50: Richard Bloom*

CA Assembly District 51: Wendy Carrillo*

CA Assembly District 53: Godfrey Santos Plata

CA Assembly District 54: Tracy Bernard Jones

CA Assembly District 58: Margaret Villa

Villa is challenging a NIMBY legislator as a progressive who supports rent control, Medicare for All, and a Green New Deal.

CA Assembly District 59: Reggie Jones-Sawyer*

CA Assembly District 62: Autumn Burke*

CA Assembly District 63: No Recommendation

Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon is the assemblymember responsible for shelving California’s attempt at single-payer healthcare in 2018. This year, Rendon killed multiple important bills through delay, including SB731, which would have decertified police who kill, and SB1120, which would have allowed duplex housing in single family zones. He made headlines by doing so while forcing Assembly Member Buffy Wicks to show up in person with her 36 day old baby in order to vote. UNFORTUNATELY, his challenger has a history of making anti-Semitic statements that are too much for me to endorse. We deserved two better candidates in this race.

CA Assembly District 64: Fatima Iqbal-Zubair

Incumbent Mike Gipson has accepted money from oil and police interests. He’s a former police officer who was appointed to chair an Assembly Committee on Police Reform, which seems like a bad idea. Iqbal-Zubair is a better choice.

CA Assembly District 66: Al Muratsuchi*

CA Assembly District 70: Patrick O’Donnell*

US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

U.S. House District 23: Kim Mangone

Long-shot Democratic challenger to the awful Republican leader in the House, Kevin McCarthy.

U.S. House District 25: Christy Smith

Assemblywoman Christy Smith is on the ballot to retake this seat that was held by Democrat Katie Hill until she resigned and a Republican, Mike Garcia, won a special election in March. I expect that a November General Election will give Democrats the edge they need to win back this seat.

U.S. House District 27: Judy Chu*

U.S. House District 28: Adam Schiff*

U.S. House District 29: Angelica Maria Dueñas

This is my district and I have gone back and forth, but I think this year I will vote for Dueñas. The incumbent, Tony Cārdenas, is a solid backbench Democrat who has been good enough on the issues, but maintains membership in the centrist New Democrat Coalition. I don’t like that Dueñas most recently ran as a Green Party candidate before coming to the Democrats, but I am willing to overlook that to get a progressive voice in Congress from my side of town. I think Cārdenas will win though, he has solid name recognition and good constituent services.

U.S. House District 30: Brad Sherman*

U.S. House District 32: Grace Napolitano*

U.S. House District 33: Ted Lieu*

U.S. House District 34: Jimmy Gomez*

A lot of other progressives are supporting David Kim. He’s great. So is Gomez. Either vote is good.

U.S. House District 37: Karen Bass*

U.S. House District 38: Michael Tolar

U.S. House District 39: Gil Cisneros*

U.S. House District 40: Lucille Roybal-Allard*

U.S. House District 43: Maxine Waters*

U.S. House District 44: Nanette Barragan*

U.S. House District 45: Katie Porter*

U.S. House District 47: Alan Lowenthal*

LAUSD MEASURE

LAUSD Measure RR - $7B Bond for School Upgrades: Yes

Measure RR would extend a current property tax assessment to fund school capital projects that was initiated through 2008’s Measure Q up to 2055.

COUNTY STUFF

L.A. County District Attorney: George Gascón

TLDR: Jackie Lacey has got to go. She has failed to prosecute killer cops, she has overaggressively prosecuted defendants, she refused to proactively dismiss marijuana sentences until it was an election year. Her husband pulled a gun on BLM protestors in March! George Gascon has a track record as a progressive prosecutor (once an oxymoron, now a chic branding statement) in San Francisco - he was the only DA to support Prop 47, he has promised to prosecute bad cops, he supports AB 392 (The Use of Force bill), and he has pledged to end the use of the Death Penalty in L.A. County. He’s endorsed by the L.A. Democratic Party and basically everybody in town now because the writing is on the wall: he’s gonna win.

L.A. County Supervisor 2: Holly Mitchell

I have some beefs with Holly Mitchell’s voting in the Senate on housing issues, but she’s a better choice than Herb Wesson, who is currently the Chair of the L.A. City Council. Look at L.A. in the past 8 or so years and ask: has Herb Wesson done a good job? Do you want him as one of the FIVE County Supervisors? Vote accordingly.

L.A. Judge Seat 72: Myanna Dellinger

L.A. Judge Seat 80: Klint James McKay

L.A. Judge Seat 162: David Diamond

L.A. County Measure J - "Re-Imagine L.A.": Big Yes

County Measure J will divert a minimum of 10% of the County budget (about $400M annually from the Sheriff's Department) to housing, employment, and rehabilitation programs. Thanks to Black Lives Matter-LA and their allies for this golden opportunity. Vote yes, then tell your friends to vote yes.

BURBANK INITATIVE

Burbank Measure RC - Rent Control: Yes

Measure RC would create rent control for Burbank multi-family housing built prior to 1995. Affected housing would see annual rent increases limited to 7%, require just cause for evictions, revert rents to 2019 levels, and create a rent control board to administrate.

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITIONS

CA Prop 14 - Funds for Stem Cell Research: No

In 2004 California created a bond issue to fund stem cell research at the height of the Bush Administration’s attack on scientific research. Today stem cell use is far less controversial. I believe in funding this research, but I don’t think we should be giving $7.8B in funding for research without checks in place to make sure that a California investment results in treatments that are accessible and affordable. If there were more here to guarantee affordability for research funded by our taxes, I’d vote yes. Otherwise I’m saying make it a no.

CA Prop 15 - Commercial Property Tax Split Roll/Schools & Communities First: Emphatically Yes!

In 1978, a much different California passed Prop 13, giving property owners enormous tax breaks and massively underfunding education and local services as a result. This year’s Prop 15 would end the tax break for commercial property owners, raising as much as $12.5 billion to help fund schools and local services. Vote yes, then tell your friends to vote yes.

CA Prop 16 - Restore Affirmative Action: Yes

In 1996, a much different California passed Proposition 209 to end affirmative action in higher education through an amendment to the California Constitution. Prop 16 would undo this by repealing Prop 209. Affirmative action’s absence has hurt people of color’s chances of getting better education and higher paying contracts. The existing law prevents government institutions from doing what is needed to ensure hiring takes history into account. Recent protests demanding racial equity make it clear that reinstating affirmative action is the right way to go.

CA Prop 17 - Allow Parolees To Vote: Yes

Prop 17 would let residents who have already served their time and are on parole the ability to participate in the democratic process that shapes their lives, and is absolutely necessary considering the racist nature of the criminal justice system. To be clear, NOBODY SHOULD EVER LOSE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE. But that’s not on the ballot this year. Vote yes.

CA Prop 18 - Allow Some 17 Year Olds To Vote In Primaries: Yes

Prop 18 would allow residents who will turn 18 before a general election to participate in the primary election in order to help determine the options they will be voting on. This is an easy yes.

CA Prop 19 - Let Retirees Transfer Their Low Property Taxes: No

Prop 19 closes one Prop 13 tax loophole while opening another - in this case allowing homeowners to take their artificially low tax rates to move to new homes while closing a loophole that allows heirs to keep a low tax rate on properties that are not used as a primary residence (google “Big Lebowski Tax” for more on this). Some people think this is a bargain worth striking: the idea that homeowners would free up existing housing in cities to retire to cheaper parts of the state while sticking it to people who pay insanely low taxes on what are rental properties. I don’t begrudge that analysis, but I think in the end the bargain isn’t one worth striking and I am encouraging a no vote.

CA Prop 20 - Repeal Criminal Justice Reforms: No

A proposition being pushed by LA police unions that needs to be handily rejected by the voters as we talk about the carceral state and racial equity. Prop 20 seeks to undo 2014’s decriminalization effort (Prop 47) and 2016’s expansion of parole opportunities for non-violent crimes (Prop 57). If nothing else, the implementation of this would cost us millions of dollars a year to throw more people in prison. Just a hard no.

CA Prop 21 - Allow Limited Rent Control: Yes

Why is rent control on the ballot again? 1) because the state legislature keeps fucking up on housing and 2) because one very wealthy man wants the law to change. Prop 21 would allow cities to enact rent control on properties that are over 15 years old if they chose to modify their existing rent control laws. An easy yes if you’re concerned about renters in one of the worst housing markets in the nation.

CA Prop 22 - Modify AB5 to Remove Protections for Gig Workers: No

$181M is being spent on this by Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other “sharing economy” companies to carve out an exception to AB5 through this proposition. You’ve probably gotten texts, mailers, etc from drivers who support the amendment. Don’t buy it: this is about preserving their employers’ (I USE THAT WORD DELIBERATELY) shady abuse of the independent contractor status to keep their bottom lines artificially low. On top of all that, the law adds a 7/8 supermajority requirement to modify in the legislature. Look, even if you think AB5 is flawed, this isn’t the answer. Vote no.

CA Prop 23 - Regulate Dialysis Centers As Medical Facilities: Yes

Kidney Dialysis Centers have long operated in a grey area outside of the kind of regulations that medical facilities do. Getting medical professionals who are bound by the Hippocratic Oath on hand and requiring reporting is necessary and overdue.

CA Prop 24 - Consumer Privacy Rules: No

California already has strict existing privacy rules for Internet companies; this proposition would expand them because one wealthy person decided they don’t go far enough. The ACLU has raised concerns about some of the loopholes in the bill (notably allowing companies to use loyalty programs to get tracking permissions). This isn’t a bad one, and I have a lot of friend and allies encouraging a yes vote on it; for me the fact that it could be addressed in the legislature means we should look to that avenue before taking it to the initiative process.

CA Prop 25 - Approve Reform of Bail Industry: No

This pains me. I want to end cash bail, and I fear that defeating this proposition will strangle any hope of doing so in the legislature. That said, the reform that this would enshrine is problematic and is opposed by too many groups (ACLU, Knock L.A.) that I trust on the issue to make me comfortable voting yes. Vote no, then organize for real bail reform.

THE BIG CHEESE

President & Vice President: Joe Biden & Kamala Harris

If you don’t want to vote for Joe Biden you’re reading the wrong guide. Trump is a monster, the third party candidates aren’t worth your time. This is the second most consequential presidential election of our lives (the most consequential election was 2016 and WE FUCKED THAT ONE UP BOY HOWDY). Don’t be an ass. Vote for Biden, then keep writing letters and making calls to hold him to his promises.

* = Denotes incumbent

Thanks for reading! Here’s a list of voter info, other voter guides, and comments on ballot initiatives I recommend you check out. I am indebted to many of these guides for shaping my own thinking, and feel that my guide is kind of redundant these days - but I’ve been asked about it a few times so I will keep on doing it.

Voting Info:

LA County Registrar/Recorder Voting Info: https://lavote.net/home/voting-elections

Voter’s Edge ballot info: https://votersedge.org/ca/

Non-mail ballot drop-off options: https://www.democracydocket.com/2020/08/usps-delays/

Voter Guides:

Michael MacDonald’s Voter Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DP1rWZNR5ymOOxArGJm-abs7CGIN9-HluH_TduMAn0Y

KNOCK.LA: https://knock-la.com/los-angeles-progressive-voter-guide-november-general-election-2020-fe6e286b3feb

LA Podcast: https://thelapod.com/posts/la-podcast-voter-guide-2020-general-election/

TheLAnd Magazine: https://thelandmag.com/voter-guide/voter-guide-2020-california-los-angeles/

Amélie Cherlin’s guide: http://yeskelsey.com/lavoterguide/

Bike The Vote L.A: https://www.bikethevote.com/voter-guide/

Sunrise Movement endorsements: https://twitter.com/RamblingCameron/status/1313012830992441344/

LA League of Conservation Voters: http://lalcv.org/current-endorsements/

California League of Conservation Voters: https://www.ecovote.org/elections/current-endorsements/

Calbike: https://www.calbike.org/take_action/bike-the-vote/

DSA-LA: https://dsa-la.org/2020voterguide

Niall Huffman’s guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M6IJyLpoS9P6rMIiZtcd8dHHPR4MdbSB68Bdc-frjsk/

Two Evils (Tracy Jeanne Rosenthal): https://voterguide.la

Hector Huezo’s guide (propositions only): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dUMLL50Ic-2pFEruYKR4vd_ExoJlRvZ5V9PJiD7V9a0/

Guides to Propositions:

LA Voice proposition endorsements (bilingual): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQBoKJL3RKmJ-Rjex77s1UOc481P9n5la_-Y9Zvdqd8/

Courage Campaign guide to propositions: https://progressivevotersguide.com/california

Streetsblog proposition endorsements: https://cal.streetsblog.org/2020/09/30/streetsblog-endorsements-for-the-november-2020-election-statewide-propositions-and-local-measures/

Better Institutions (Shane Phillips) breaks down Prop 15: http://www.betterinstitutions.com/blog/2020/9/20/yes-on-proposition-15-common-concerns-and-responses

Alfred Twu shows who is paying for propositions: https://twitter.com/alfred_twu/status/1312298651390103552

Black Women for Wellness guide to propositions (pdf): https://bwwactionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Propositions-2020-BWWAP-small-file-size.pdf

JusticeLA Coalition guide to propositions (pdf): https://justicelanow.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Coalition-Voting-Guide-2020-9-21.pdf

CalMatters guide to propositions: https://calmatters.org/election-2020-guide/

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heidiluo · 5 years ago

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ethanalter · 7 years ago

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ATX Television Festival Founders on the Lessons They've Learned

In most parts of the world, you don’t have to look very far to find a film festival. But a television festival? That’s a rarer genre. At least, it was before the ATX Television Festival flickered to life in Austin in 2012. The brainchild of TV lovers Emily Gipson and Caitlin McFarland, this four-day celebration of all things televised has quickly grown from its humble freshman year origins to become a major destination for people who might otherwise be loathe to leave the company of their DVR.

Staging reunions for such beloved shows as Friday Night Lights and Gilmore Girls has vaulted ATX into the pop-culture consciousness in a big way, and has shown other festivals the power and popularity of including television in the program. Sundance, Toronto, and Tribeca are just some of the film festivals who have made room for TV premieres in recent years, and in May, the storied Cannes Film Festival screened episodes of Twin Peaks and Top of the Lake: China Girl to great acclaim. We spoke with ATX’s founders about being the Peak TV Festival in the era of Peak TV, and what they’re most excited to present at the sixth edition of the festival, which runs from June 8-11 in Austin.

ATX Television Founders Emily Gipson and Caitlin McFarland (Photo: ATX)

Before this interview, I stumbled upon the Kickstarter campaign you organized to help launch the first-ever ATX Festival in 2012. It’s an amazing contrast between where you were then and where you are now.

Emily Gipson: Every once in a while I come across that page, too. We had one year with that original logo, and then every other year since has been our current logo. I think of all the people who helped us make that Kickstarter video, some of whom we’ve never met. At the time, nobody knew what they were going to or promoting. It’s kind of amazing.

2012 was just before the Peak TV era. Did you have a sense of where the industry was going, or did you launch the festival purely out of passion for the medium?

Caitlin McFarland: It was a mixture of things. We’ve talked about how part of the reason for creating a TV festival was us wanting to go to one or wanting to go work for one, and not finding it. Emily and I originally became friends when we were out in L.A. working as assistants at Fox. We loved to talk about movies and pop culture, and we just found ourselves talking about television more than film. Even five years ago, we were so much more excited about the things that were on our DVR rather than what was playing in movie theaters.

Then I was unemployed, and went to look for work at a television festival specifically and was really shocked that they didn’t exist when there were thousands of film and music festivals. How could there not be the same community and event environment for television? That was when Emily said, ��Write it down. What does it look like? What do you want to go to?” Together we created this thing, and took baby steps towards the Kickstarter page. We launched it in January 2012, the campaign ended in February, and then we had the festival in June! So whenever I feel like I’m behind nowadays, I remember that we practically planned the whole thing in three months the first time and I feel better about life. [Laughs]

Did you both originally go to L.A. with the intention of being part of the industry?

Gipson: We definitely moved out there wanting to create, whether it be film or television. That was our passion when we went to school, knowing that we loved storytelling and really wanted to be part of that process. At the time we moved to L.A. — this was 2004 or 2005 — film was what you went there for. People weren’t really going there to start TV careers. Funny how things change so quickly!

McFarland: Emily and I were on either side of the Fox lot, and oftentimes we’d walk by the sets for Bones, How I Met Your Mother, House, and Arrested Development. There were a lot of Buffy cast members around, too, which is Emily’s favorite show.

Gipson: It would be like, “David Boreanaz is blowing something up on the lot — come on down!” [Laughs] I decided what my role in the creative process was going to be through the process of elimination. I knew I didn’t want to be an actor, I slowly figured out that I liked to write, but probably shouldn’t be a writer. So it landed closer to producer, for me. And producing the festival is kind of like producing a season of television.

McFarland: It really is. We both still have this huge passion for story, and have a production arm that we’ve been in the process of launching for the past year. We have a “Pitch Competition” at the festival and we’re attached as producers for the winner that’s announced every year. So we still have this huge love for [telling stories]. Five years ago, we never dreamed we’d be sitting here about to plan Season 6 of the festival. I don’t think that we even knew how much we were going to love doing this, and love bringing these people out to talk about TV and experience TV together. We’re television fans to our core, but we’re also part of the industry.

Jesse Plemons and cast members attend the Friday Night Lights Tailgate and Pep Rally Reunion at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, TX on June 10, 2016. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)

Do you point to one particular edition as a turning point?

Gipson: When we did a Friday Night Lights panel [in 2013] and surprised the audience with Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler, I felt us being Tweeted for the first time. You just feel the energy in the room. After that, I would say the Gilmore Girls reunion in 2015. That was something we had been working on for over a year, and the timing lined up with [the original run] being released on Netflix. The build-up and intensity leading into it, you could already feel it was different. We doubled in size that year, and launched to a new level in terms of awareness. And each year’s programming is bringing us a new audience. We’ll get people [this year] who are coming for a Battlestar Galactica reunion or the premiere of Glow and the hope is they’re going to be exposed to something else they didn’t come for and understand that good TV is good TV, and there’s a lot of it to be discovered.

McFarland: One big lesson we learned from the Gilmore Girls reunion is because we knew that people were obviously coming for that show, we couldn’t lose Amy Sherman-Palladino, Lauren Graham, or Alexis Bledel. If we lost one of them, there could have been riots!

Gipson: There was so much pressure on us [that year] that we took the mantra of creating a festival that’s so well-balanced that if any one person drops out, the festival can still stand and be strong. We’re always super sad when someone can’t come, and there were a couple of reunions that had to go away this year. That’s sad, and we’re sad to tell our audience, but at the same time, we feel we’ve got such a great balance that it’s still a strong festival. We keep telling people over and over and over again, “Don’t come for one thing. Come because you love TV.”

America Ferrera, Ana Ortiz, Eric Mabius, and Vanessa Williams attend the Ugly Betty Reunion at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, TX on June 11, 2016. (Photo: Rick Kern/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)

The older shows programmed at the festival tend to be rooted in the ’90s and ’00s era — Alias, Battlestar Galactica, and Northern Exposure are all represented this year. There’s also a tribute to Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, who created such ’80s favorites as Designing Women. Are you interested in programming more series from earlier decades?

Gipson: It’s harder to do reunions of much older shows. In our third year, we added our Achievement in Television Excellence Award, which we’ve given to Henry Winkler, James L. Brooks, and Norman Lear. This year, we’re not presenting an award during the festival, but we’re looking to do an event in L.A. in a couple of months. We also hope to start having current creators, producers, and writers talk about the television that inspired them. We’re always looking for ways to get past the ’80s, basically. If we could do an I Love Lucy reunion, we would!

McFarland: Our audience is a little more female, and the age range is 17 to 70. My mom keeps throwing out these shows she watched in the ’60s that were on for 24 episodes and then went away. I say, “I don’t know that we can do that, but we can always use your help.”

In terms of your own TV influences, what are some of your formative shows?

McFarland: My parents were pop-culture junkies, so I really did grow up on I Love Lucy and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Those shows are still my happy places, and I laugh at all of them. In the ’90s we were WB viewers, so Buffy, Dawson’s Creek, and definitely Felicity. I watched Lois & Clark with my mom, and in college, my mom was mailing me VHS tapes of Gilmore Girls and Friends. With the exception of those shows, I have a black hole of TV viewing during my college years.

Gipson: It’s funny, because my parents were not pop-culture junkies at all. I grew up on old movies, but I didn’t really grow up on a lot of TV shows. The first shows I really remember are Saved by the Bell and Home Improvement — that was the one show my family all watched together. Buffy was the first show that I discovered that was mine. And Buffy was a year older than me in the show, so I grew up in my teen years with her.

So your personal TV tastes are already very diverse and wide-ranging. Early on in the life of ATX, did you have to make a conscious choice whether to prioritize genre shows, which often come with a devoted fanbase, or series that you weren’t necessarily as sure people would turn up for?

Gipson: It’s funny because when Buffy was on, I didn’t even know that it was a genre show. To me it was a high school show that happened to have vampires. It’s been a lesson learning that there are these shows that have these really cult fanbases. But the thing that we realized the first year of the festival was that Firefly fans were just as devoted as Parenthood fans. Those two screenings were up against each other that first year of the festival, and people were super-excited and crying in both of them. So I think that’s what we realized coming out of that first festival; there are these other shows that people love so much and they don’t have a place to go. I think all of the excitement around Gilmore Girls was that was never a show that was going to have a convention or that kind of fan gathering, because people who want to celebrate non-genre shows don’t have the place to do it. Genre shows have a place, and we’d be in heavier competition with Comic-Con or their show-specific conventions.

McFarland: To add on to that, I would say that we do not consider ourselves a convention. So even when we do genre shows, we’re trying to do it differently than others. We are shifting into trying to figure out the best ways to honor them in ways that don’t compete with Comic-Con, which happens the month after us.

Gillian Alexy, Ryan Hurst, Christina Jackson and Executive Producer Peter Mattei at Sony Pictures Television and WGN America’s Outsiders Q&A at the ATX Television Fesitval on June 11, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photo: Sarah Kerver/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Television)

Speaking of competition, I’m sure it’s not lost on you that film festivals like Sundance and Cannes have started to screen TV shows. Do you credit yourselves with spurring that on a little bit?

Gipson: They would have gotten there on their own, but I think it’s great. We spent a few years convincing people that television would work in a festival format, and that people would want to watch TV on a big screen together. There’s room for many more television-specific festivals as well as television in traditional film festivals, it’s just about figuring out how they’re going to showcase them. I know that South by Southwest has a pretty hard rule that the TV shows they showcase are mostly first episodes of first seasons. They may do conversations about other shows, but in terms of their screenings, they mainly show first episodes of brand new series.

The Split Screens Festival hosted its inaugural edition in New York earlier this month. Did they reach out to you for advice in organizing a television-specific festival?

McFarland: They did not reach out, but we did hear about it. I think that it’s really interesting. New York is going to be a different audience and, I think, a different showcase. That’s part of it, too, when you’re creating an event: what kind of community are you creating? We talk a lot about how our festival feels like TV camp for grown-ups. It’s a destination, and our goal is to create a physical community of TV. If you meet somebody on the street [at the festival] and you love the same show, you feel like you’ve found your people. So for Split Screen, I am really interested to see how it goes, how many people go, and the flavor and tone going forward. We joke all the time that we actually didn’t know what we were starting. It almost seemed to define itself.

For this year’s program, is there one panel or series that you’re particularly excited to present to people?

Gipson: There’s a couple. I’m excited about a panel called “Complex, Not Complicated,” which is about strong female characters and the people who create them. Kyra Sedgwick and Mary McDonnell, who I’m big fans of, are on that, along with Casual‘s Liz Tigelaar, and Tayor Dearden and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson who did Sweet/Vicious. We sometimes have to go searching for panelists, but that group came together very organically, because they all wanted to talk about this topic, and I think it’s a nice balance between actors and creators. We also created a “Directors & Showrunners” panel, where pairs of directors and showrunners talk about how they work together. If TV is a writers’ medium, but you have recurring directors, how does that work for the vision of a show?

In terms of the show panels, I’m really excited about The Leftovers, because it’s happening four days after the finale aired, and I think that all I want to do is sit in that panel and ask questions. We love that show so much here in the office. We’re also doing a script reading of the Suits pilot with the entire Suits cast to celebrate their 100th episode. Suits was our first-ever Opening Night screening in 2012, so it’s really cool for a number of reasons.

McFarland: The fact that they took that chance on us in our first year, and now the script reading is the second-to-last piece of programming six seasons into the festival is really nice for us. It kind of says, “Look where we’ve come.”

The ATX Television Festival runs from June 8-11 in Austin, TX.

#battlestar galactica #_revsp:wp.yahoo.tv.us #TV #Gilmore Girls #ATX Television Festival #Friday Night Lights #Suits #_lmsid:a0Vd000000AE7lXEAT #Emily Gipson #_author:Ethan Alter #ATX Festival #_uuid:06ac7f36-6bd3-3ea9-b545-2826f3f5cf58 #Caitlin McFarland

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luspecialcollections · 8 years ago

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Recent Transfer from the History Department

Special Collections has recently processed a new transfer from the History Department. The material in this collection is now open to researchers. More detailed information about this collection and its contents can be found in the ArchivesSpace finding aid. Special Collections also houses and has made public the personal papers of Professor Lawrence Henry Gipson. The Department of History and…

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#Archives #History Department #lehigh history

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allbestnet · 8 years ago

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Best Books of the 20th Century (322 books)

Lord of the Rings [trilogy] by J. R. R. Tolkien

Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Peter and the Wolf by Sergey Prokofiev

Call of the Wild by Jack London

Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust

Ulysses by James Joyce

Peanuts by Charles M. Shultz

Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence

White Fang by Jack London

Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Dubliners by James Joyce

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

Trial by Franz Kafka

Sea Wolf by Jack London

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Stranger by Albert Camus

Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence

Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann

Plague by Albert Camus

Rebecca by Dame Daphne Du Maurier

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

Pearl by John Steinbeck

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham

Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler

Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Castle by Franz Kafka

Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco

Nostromo by Joseph Conrad

Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

Virginian by Owen Wister

Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy

Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham

My Ántonia by Willa Cather

Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis

Victory by Joseph Conrad

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Garfield by Jim Davis

Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Death in Venice by Thomas Mann

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery

Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter

Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder

Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence

Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Finnegans Wake by James Joyce

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne

Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck

Passage to India by E. M. Forster

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson

This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Sanctuary by William Faulkner

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Red Pony by John Steinbeck

Light in August by William Faulkner

Lost Horizon by James Hilton

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren

Ambassadors by Henry James

Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers

O Pioneers by Willa Cather

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Look Homeward Angel by Thomas Wolfe

Room With a View by E. M. Forster

Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis

Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

Howards End by E. M. Forster

Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

Curious George by H. A. Rey

Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carré

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin

Good-bye Mr. Chips by James Hilton

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Dune by Frank Herbert

Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Horse and his Boy by C. S. Lewis

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

Last Battle by C. S. Lewis

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Wings of the Dove by Henry James

Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien

Firm by John Grisham

Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Roots by Alex Haley

Native Son by Richard Wright

Stuart Little by E. B. White

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Absalom, Absalom by William Faulkner

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller

Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry

Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey

Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

Time to Kill by John Grisham

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen

Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy

Rainmaker by John Grisham

Sula by Toni Morrison

Borrowers by Mary Norton

Where's Waldo by Martin Handford

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Giver by Lois Lowry

Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

Pelican Brief by John Grisham

Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Color Purple by Alice Walker

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Separate Peace by John Knowles

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Sounder by William Howard Armstrong

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

Summer of the Swans by Betsy Cromer Byars

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien

Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Runaway Jury by John Grisham

Incredible Journey by Sheila Every Burnford

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

Painted House by John Grisham

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

Client by John Grisham

Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema

Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

Tar Baby by Toni Morrison

Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Chamber by John Grisham

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Partner by John Grisham

Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

Holes by Louis Sachar

Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy

Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White

Cider House Rules by John Irving

Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Superfudge by Judy Blume

Jazz by Toni Morrison

Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Slave Dancer by Paula Fox

Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Brethren by John Grisham

Testament by John Grisham

Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary

Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy

Street Lawyer by John Grisham

Left Behind by Tim F. Lahaye

Patriot Games by Tom Clancy

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

Timeline by Michael Crichton

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel

Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt

Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Prince Caspian the Return to Narnia by C. S. Lewis

Chosen by Chaim Potok

While My Pretty One Sleeps by Mary Higgins Clark

Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans

Plains of Passage by Jean M. Auel

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy

Lost World by Michael Crichton

Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Daniels Cornwell

Loves Music, Loves to Dance by Mary Higgins Clark

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Last Precinct by Patricia Daniels Cornwell

Southern Cross by Patricia Daniels Cornwell

Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt

Cause of Death by Patricia Daniels Cornwell

Valley of Horses by Jean Auel

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Cardinal of the Kremlin by Tom Clancy

Death in the Family by James Agee

Shipping News by Annie Proulx

Tribulation Force by Tim F. Lahaye

Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger

Point of Origin by Patricia Daniels Cornwell

Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

Black Notice by Patricia Daniels Cornwell

I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven

"O" Is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton

Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

Paradise by Toni Morrison

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon

Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

"N" Is for Noose by Sue Grafton

Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor

#books

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