#historical curriculum collection

[uwmspeccoll]

Greek Child's Play

Published in 1945 by Little Brown & Company, Adventures with the Gods by Catharine Sellew and illustrated by George and Doris Hauman is a charming primer created for young children. It contains sixteen stories featuring the heroes of Greek mythology as well as the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus. The book even includes a handy index of all the characters' names and how to pronounce them. This delightful collection of stories provides an accessible introduction to the fascinating world of Greek mythology, making it an enchanting read for both children and adults.

Catharine Sellew, an American author, has a talent for turning ancient myths and legends into children's stories. Written using simple language and ideas, her stories create an almost fairytale-like experience for readers. It's no surprise that her works are captivating and beloved by many.

George and Doris Hauman were a married couple and American children’s book illustrators. They are perhaps most well-known for illustrating the popular 1954 edition of The Little Engine That Could. The couple decided to collaborate on projects because they had so many customers in common. They also used a joint signature for all of their illustrations.

View other Classics posts.

View our other posts on children's books.

-Melissa, Special Collections Classics Intern

[the-travelling-witch]

when i was in high school, french was one of the three advanced courses that made up my final exams and bc not a lot of people took french as a main subject, our class was relatively small. we also got along well with our teacher, so over the course of three years we goofed off quite a bit.

for example, at the beginning of our last year, there was an exam where all of us mentioned the concept of “l’épanouissement personnel” in our literature analysis after discussing it in class, which our teacher commented on with a chuckle.

so naturally, for the entire rest of the year (yes even in our finals), there was the unwritten law to incorporate “l’épanouissement personnel” into every exam, no matter the context.

now imagine the first years all taking the collective challenge to sneak the same arbitrary word into their history exams. maybe it’s a word trein used that ace thought was hilarious or one he stressed the importance of so strongly that deuce had it written down five times on the same page (for which ace obviously clowned him). or perhaps it’s not a word but a historic date or event, which is now brought up in every exam.

it’s definitely ace’s idea, so he eggs deuce on immediately. epel is always here for some mischief and so is ortho. jack and sebek turn their nose at the idea, but at the accusation of running from a (human) challenge, they change their tune real quick. after a test it becomes as important as discussing the answers to ask where the others mentioned the agreed upon word/event.

maybe there was a concept/book/statement so dumb covered in the second year curriculum, azul, jade and jamil couldn’t help tearing it apart in a discussion. and bc nrc students are petty by nature, they all referenced it in their exams as well.

riddle didn’t want to but bc it was discussed at length beforehand, he used it as a negative example subconsciously before he even realised it. ruggie, again, is here for the mischief and kalim and floyd “studied” with jamil and jade, so they actually remember it being discussed and just wrote it down.

we all have that one teacher who hammers home the same key phrases every year to the point where you could recite them in your sleep. and at this point, the third years have listened to professor crewel repeating the same chemical principle since year one.

it’s always the exact same words and intonation, leaving some students to mumble along when he recites it in class. no wonder then that it becomes second nature for all of them to scribble it on their tests at least once. at the end of the day, crewel notes it with a “good boy”, so there’s only upsides to this.

i guess the only fitting conclusion to this post is to say that goofing of with your classmates is important for l’épanouissement personnel—

[volturissideslut]

Lmk if you want a part 2 where they take you to see things and show you their hobbies

Yes Please

𝖁𝖔𝖑𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖎 𝕶𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 (𝕻𝖔𝖑𝖞)

Part 1

"This way, Cara Mia" Aro's arm is linked with yours as he gives you a tour of your home. You had spent many days like this, being choeffered around by your mates as they helped you navigate the maze of hallways they lived it, but this time was different.

This time, they could show you. You could see the marble details that run throughout,you could see the historic relics they had collected and put on show, and you could see the many portraits of the members, your mates and you.

"This one os my favourite" Caius whispers, chin resting on your shoulder as he shows you the newest one he put up. It was you, in a swarm on blues pinks and greens - a distinct redness to your eyes as you stood side by side with Marcus in the gardens.

"When did you have time to make this?" you turn to kiss his cheek, only for him to face you and make you miss and kiss his lips instead.

"this morning" his voice is smug from the affection and the adoring look you give his work.

"You said you paint a lot... Can I see your studio?" there's an excitement on your face that makes him feel alive again, only to leave him pouting when Marcus answers for him.

"Of course you can, Tesoro. But first, it's my turn to show you something, " his smile of warm, a contrast to Caius' blank stare at having the moment interrupted. "would you like to go and see a play? It's something I think you'd enjoy, given your love of stories"

Aro, stealing the thunder, claps and gasps in the background "Oh, Cara Mia! You'll just love what we've picked!"

Somehow, it's becomes twisted and turned into a competition between the three men, Marcus offering to show you all the flowers in the world, Caius offering a global expadition, and Aro insisting he take you to see the stars and tell you about them all.

And though your heart is dead and unbeating, it has never felt so warm.

(you take their bickering as an opportunity to sneak away and put face to name with the guard, sneaking back in just in time for them to tell you the curriculum they've come up with for you. It's great, really, but you may need to convince them that you don't need to see everything in a day. You have all of eternity together)

[ausetkmt]

Newsweek: Ron DeSantis Accused of Being 'Pro-Slavery' Due to New Florida Curriculum

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is facing new criticism over his state's new curriculum for African-American history in which some say is "pro-slavery."

DeSantis, a Republican who is running for president in 2024, has made his embrace of right-wing social causes a cornerstone of his style of politics. He has decried "woke" education, signing into law requirements about how race can be taught in Florida schools as educators across the United States grapple with conservative efforts to limit discussions of diversity, including African American history, in public schools.

Advocates for more restrictive lessons on race have argued all sides of a political or historical debate should be presented in schools. Critics, however, are accusing DeSantis and other Republicans of attempting to erase the history of slavery, and that students should learn about this topic in its entirety.

This standard has sparked criticism from educational and civil rights leaders, who have accused Florida Republicans of seeking to whitewash the history of slavery.

Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, accused DeSantis of being "pro-slavery" over the educational policy.

"Please keep this simple: If you require schools to teach the 'personal benefits' of slavery you are pro-slavery. Ron DeSantis is pro-slavery," the Democratic lawmaker tweeted on Saturday.

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) July 22, 2023

DeSantis defended the standards when pressed by a reporter, saying that he "wasn't involved" in writing these standards, which were "not done politically."

"I think what they're doing, is I think that they're probably going to show some of the folks that eventually parlayed, you know, being a black smith, into doing things later in life," the Florida governor said. "But the reality is all of that is rooted in whatever is factual."

Newsweek reached out to DeSantis' office for comment via email.

Still, many others also condemned the new standards.

Will Hurd, a former congressman from Texas who is also running in the GOP 2024 presidential primary, tweeted on Friday, "Unfortunately, it has to be said – slavery wasn't a jobs program that taught beneficial skills. It was literally dehumanizing and subjugated people as property because they lacked any rights or freedoms."

Unfortunately, it has to be said – slavery wasn't a jobs program that taught beneficial skills. It was literally dehumanizing and subjugated people as property because they lacked any rights or freedoms.https://t.co/4JjIgeDhKX — Will Hurd (@WillHurd) July 21, 2023

Jaime Harrison, the chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), slammed the policy as "disgusting."

"The much anticipated DeSantis reset: Teaching our kids that slavery had its benefits," he tweeted on Friday. "Disgusting."

Vice President Kamala Harris, during a speech at Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.'s 56th national convention in Indianapolis on Thursday, described the standards as an attempt to "gaslight us."

"Just yesterday, in the state of Florida, they decided middle school students will be taught that enslaved people benefitted from slavery," she said. "They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us and we will not stand for it. We who share a collective experience in knowing we must honor history in our duty in the context of legacy. There is so much at stake in this moment."

[strqyr]

Tbh of all the stories in Fairytales of Remnant, I think The Infinite Man is the most fascinating one bc it's such a good read into Oz's belief system (old and new), what he's asking for now, and overall character. Granted, all of the stories are, I believe, good reads into Ozpins character, cause the whole book seems to be one big character study, but The Infinite Man is so INTERESTING.

I think it's set before Oz found out Salem is unkillable and thus before he gave up on his task. And that's really interesting bc you kinda get an insight into how he thought during this time period, seemingly only doing it because it would allow him to rest and that it was the 'only thing' he was here for, aka the only thing he's worth without Salem (It's mentioned that they will "make way for the final judgement" and that, as their message spread through Remnant, "This was what he was here for, he thought. Perhaps, in the end, he would be able to rest." <- probably lying to himself, he wasn't here for the task, he was here for Salem. Without her, what is he worth?).

Also the Circle is repeatedly stated to be a mistake he made, and if he was Still working towards his task, I'm pretty sure he'd say it was his greatest achievement, not a huge mistake. Also, he acknowledges that his task isn't what people want by including in that it (at least likely) WASN'T Salem who sent people to kill him ("Did someone send you to kill me?" He asked through gritted teeth. "Your mere existence makes you a target.").

And. I just. Gestures wildly at this: "I can't help what you've heard about me." The man shot the woman a pointed look. "But in my experience, Gods are far less than the stories told about them. I assure you, I am no God, and I don't want to fight you."

ALSO loudly gestures at "Some people still worship Gods, while others insist we must be our own salvation. But the world doesn't work in absolutes, so why can't it be both?". Oz knows the world isn't black or white, he knows Gods are fallible and imperfect, and he knows humanity can accomplish great things and replace the Gods with their own creations and ingenuity [gestures at The Gift of the Moon as well as The Infinite Man].

Also. Points at Ozpins notes at the end of The Infinite Man. He's pretty blatantly asking for forgiveness, for hurting Salem and for getting people killed during his old crusade. He's trying to say that he doesn't believe in that anymore, that he knows he did wrong; he had good intentions, but he was a fool and still got people hurt.

Sorry I'm clinically insane over Ozpin. I'm gonna turn this into a post

honestly i have nothing to add to this, gotta just appreciate how the whole idea behind the fairy tale book is oz not only making a collection of fairytales that's included in the curriculum of the academies, but getting some of his friends / colleagues to record some of them as well, and then the whole thing is just. oz telling on himself in multitude of ways lmao love that for him ✌

even in the introduction of the book he's like "i have discovered in this lifelong pursuit that if you wish to fully appreciate a story, you should consider its source and attempt to unravel and understand the storyteller's intentions. why did they tell this story? why now? yes, stories may be shared for entertainment alone; however, they also can disguise lessons, moral guidance, important historic records, moon-shattering revelations—and even dire warnings of hidden dangers in the world and difficult trials yet to come." <- dude's literally telling everyone to bring an extra oxygen supply because we're going Deep with this one!!

[yugocar]

Disputed Histories // Vahida Ramujkić

"With the breaking up of Yugoslavia during the '90ies wars and with the formation of the new states consensus about collective history has also fallen apart. Different versions of history textbooks started proliferating in the same geographical area where once, during Socialism, only one version served as a reference and stood as 'unquestionable truth'. Revisions of official historic curriculums show us historic narratives as powerful tools in engineering collective (national) identities and maintaining power positions in the new liberal-capitalist order. These revisioned histories now designed from national perspectives (Serbian, Bosnian, Croat, Slovenian, Macedonian, Montenegrin and Albano-Kosovar), are not only different from the previous Yugoslav version, but also they are differing from each other, so prolonging the situation of conflict or inciting new ones. Aim of this project is to through creative practice examine the shift that took place in conceiving the official historic narratives from the position of personal histories and identities and open a space for thinking new position(s) from where more consequential official historic narratives could be told (and identities concieved), beyond national perspectives."

Today I'm sharing with you an amazing project by Vahida Ramujkić which has collected an abundance of history textbooks and contributed incredible research based on said textbooks. An invaluable resource for anyone interested in the topic of revised histories in the countries of former Yugoslavia. The website itself is in English, as well as some texts on it, but all the scanned textbooks are in the languages from their countries of origin. I would like to thank @balkanica for inspiring me to look for this resources I thought I lost.

[historicalfightingguide]

"The Historical Fencing Channel is an organization that disparate historical fencing groups come together and, through agreement, to collectively validate and recognize the efforts of their individual members. In doing so a "common ground" and sense of community is created within, through which ideas, methods, and knowledge may be shared in order to promote the growth of both groups and their members beyond what would otherwise be separately achievable. This Channel is a common ground for members to submit videos of their interpretations, to create a library of techniques from differing groups"

More specifically we can see Adam Franti of the Lansing Longsword Guild in all the videos of this playlist - covering a lot of the basic strikes, guards and concepts of Meyer Dussack(effectively a form of medieval/renaissance central-european saber that usually had a (semi)complex hilt but was often practiced with leather and wooden practice weapons with simpler guards).

On that note here’s a masterpost of sorts of Meyer content on this blog

You may also remember Adam from the earlier methodology and murderhobos posts.

The provoker-taker-hitter tactical concept and its uses are quite relevant to dussack as a weapon.

You may also enjoy this general one-handed sword according to Meyer video as well

(and keep in mind the dussack is used by Meyer within his 1571 book as a basis for all one-handed weapons).

As well as these videos on how to apply the Meyer square to a dussack, and some other dussack-handling drills.

Lastly you might find the dussack tag of the blog relevant too.

For anyone who hasn’t yet seen the following links:

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Some advice on how to start studying the sources generally can be found in these older posts

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Remember to check out  A Guide to Starting a Liberation Martial Arts Gym as it may help with your own club/gym/dojo/school culture and approach.Check out their curriculum too.

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Fear is the Mind Killer: How to Build a Training Culture that Fosters Strength and Resilience by   Kajetan Sadowski   may be relevant as well.

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“How We Learn to Move: A Revolution in the Way We Coach & Practice Sports Skills��  by Rob Gray�� as well as this post that goes over the basics of his constraints lead, ecological approach.

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Another useful book to check out is  The Theory and Practice of Historical European Martial Arts (while about HEMA, a lot of it is applicable to other historical martial arts clubs dealing with research and recreation of old fighting systems).

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Trauma informed coaching and why it matters

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Look at the previous posts in relation to running and cardio to learn how that relates to historical fencing.

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Why having a systematic approach to training can be beneficial

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Why we may not want one attack 10 000 times, nor 10 000 attacks done once, but a third option.

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How consent and opting in function and why it matters.

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More on tactics in fencing

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Types of fencers

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Open vs closed skills

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The three primary factors to safety within historical fencing

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Worth checking out are this blogs tags on pedagogy and teaching for other related useful posts.

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And if you train any weapon based form of historical fencing check out the ‘HEMA game archive’ where you can find a plethora of different drills, focused sparring and game options to use for effective, useful and fun training.

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Check out the cool hemabookshelf facsimile project.

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For more on how to use youtube content for learning historical fencing I suggest checking out these older posts on the concept of video study of sparring and tournament footage.

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The provoker-taker-hitter tactical concept and its uses

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Approaches to goals and methodology in historical fencing

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A short article on why learning about other sports and activities can benefit folks in combat sports

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Consider getting some patches of this sort or these cool rashguards to show support for good causes or a t-shirt like to send a good message while at training.

[thesumeriancontrarian]

The core relationship between humanity and the gods in Mesopotamian Polytheism is devotional in nature and we are called upon to perform several principal duties to honor and elevate the name and nature of our deities at regular intervals. Worship techniques are, for the most part, homogenous, meaning the same ceremonies, rites, and rituals can be used for any deity. The following sections outline our general responsibilities. — Provide a sanctuary for our deity within which all acts of veneration can be performed. Historically, sanctuaries were temples maintained by a hierarchy of administrators, clergy, and other workmen, each of whom had a predetermined set of duties. Today, we are expected to fulfill most of those duties. Some of us will specialize in specific curriculums, such as gala/kalû, who recite songs and lamentations in the eme-sal sociolect, or gudu₄/pašīšu, who specialize in the care and feeding of deities. When first beginning a devotional practice it is advised to dedicate a small space to the deity of choice, usually a table or countertop. This will initially serve as a shrine, used to collect objects associated with the deity. During this stage there is no obligation to provide libations or offerings, the goal is to create an image of the deity in your mind and a "feel" for them through the stimulus of objects collected. When you are ready, an oath of service can be sworn to the deity. At this point the shrine expands into an altar, where ceremonies, rites, and ritual associated with the deity will be performed, including the regular presentation of libations, offerings, and sacrifices. At this time it is also necessary to dedicate a larger space to the deity, as our oath of service redefine the relationship between deity and devotee as that of a parent/master to their child/servant. We can, should we choose to, name our sanctuary in the manner of ancient temples. Some examples include: e₂-an-na, “House of Heaven,” for Inana; e₂-kur, “Mountain House,” for Enlil; e₂-ninnu anzud₂-mušen-babbar₂, “House of Fifty White Thunderbirds,” for Ning̃irsu. We can also create our own title based on what kind of service we provide or how the deity has chosen to reveal themselves to us

[alivesoul]

Poet, playwright, activist, educator, and essayist June Jordan was born in Harlem, New York City, in 1936. An only child, she was raised by her Jamaican immigrant parents in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. She began writing poetry at only seven years old. Jordan attended high school at the Northfield School for Girls in Massachusetts and university at Barnard College, which she left without a final degree due to her alienation from the strictly white and male literary curriculum there. She married and later divorced Columbia student Michael Meyer, with whom she had one child. Despite anti-LGTBQ+ stigma at the time, Jordan’s writing openly acknowledged her bisexuality.

The author of 27 books—including essay collections, libretti, and children’s books as well as volumes of poetry—Jordan was also a lifelong activist who fought fiercely for civil rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and anti-war causes. She taught at CUNY’s City College, Yale University, Sarah Lawrence College, and SUNY Stony Brook before being appointed professor of African-American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where she founded Poetry for the People. Jordan’s many accolades include grants and awards from the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, PEN America, the National Association of Black Journalists, and numerous other institutions. She died of breast cancer in 2002. A widely influential poet who worked in accessible language to convey deep truths around identity, Jordan is celebrated today for both her literary writing and her dedicated advocacy for social justice and historically excluded groups.

Why are you posting this @alivesoul?

Because June Jordan taught a class at the University of California Berkeley called Poetry for the People and that class has been permanently cancelled. A shame. Teacher/Poets are essential to any higher learning experience as poetry informs us in every way of the world around us. I can't imagine my college experience without the poetry of Nikki Giovanni, Quincy Troupe and so many others. Beyond that, June is a truth hunter, a truth gatherer, and a truth provider---a modern day griot. I truly hope she finds a safe space within the diaspora to continue her work as she represents the very best of what it means to be Black in this country. The attack on Black intellectuals from Ta-Nehisi Coates to Claudine Gay is truly one of the great academic and cultural crimes of my lifetime and cannot continue to go ignored. Never have I seen so many highly educated and accomplished black men and women so unfairly attacked and discredited. These men and women are literally trying to save the soul of country by shining a light on the FACTS of our history, present AND on those who would profit from lies, greed and violence. If there is one thing I would implore those who read this blog to do, it is to read, study and protect not only our history but those who make it their business to make sure it is never forgotten.

We are excellence.

Peace.

[roxannarambles]

title: tesoro

ship: nemona x juliana (fluff, pre-romance)

summary: mr. jacq’s students give their final reports on their treasure hunt

notes: edited the story, tweaked a few things, I like it better now! (also, it’s in second-person POV now. apologies if second person isn’t your thing. but I kept accidentally slipping into that pov a zillion times so I just went with it)

It was time for the class to give their oral reports on the Treasure Hunt, and you were nervous as heck.

Yes, the time spent during your independent study had been incredible, but it did come with one downside. It was still technically part of your class curriculum, so every student was expected to write and submit a paper about their experiences, as well as deliver an oral report to the class. Honestly, it wasn't particularly difficult. Most students simply went up there and rambled a bit about whatever they spent the past six months doing.

A lot of students talked about trying out the gym circuit, or about the different towns they'd visited, or about a really cool and rare pokemon they'd stumbled across while out hiking, or what-have-you. One student loved fishing so they talked about all the different places they'd fished, another student was obsessed with hunting shiny pokemon, another student had researched the historical ruins scattered throughout Paldea. It was actually kind of fun hearing about everyone's experiences.

Or at least, it would have been, if you could have focused at all. But you were too busy feeling anxious about your own presentation. Giving talks in front of a class had never been one of your strong suits. Your stomach was tied up in knots, and you were trying very hard to ignore your nausea. Beside you, Nemona gave a sympathetic smile and patted your shoulder. In a quiet voice, she said,

"It's gonna be fine, Jules. Just imagine it's like a pokemon battle! You don't get nervous when everyone's watching you battle, right?"

You gave her a weak smile.

"Actually, that makes me kinda nervous too."

Nemona's eyes widened a little.

"Wait, seriously? No way. I had no idea. You always seem so calm and collected."

"Mmm," you mumbled, closing your eyes. Nemona patted you again, reassuring you,

"You'll do maravillosa, I know it."

You hadn't been paying any attention to the student currently talking, but they must have finished their report, because the class abruptly launched into polite applause. You snapped your eyes open and politely applauded along with everyone else, watching the student return to their seat as Mr. Jacq praised their efforts.

"Thanks again, Lorenzo, for such an engaging review of the restaurants of the west province. I definitely learned of some new places to try when I'm in the area! Now, let's see . . ."

The professor glanced down briefly at the clipboard in his hand.

"Ah! Yes, it looks like it's Juliana's turn next. Wonderful!"

You felt her heart give a sudden lurch and you swallowed, feeling the eyes of the class drawn to you. Ok, well, at least you're finally getting this over with, right? Timidly, you stood from your seat and brought over the little flash drive that had the slides for your presentation. It only took you a minute or so to plug into the computer and launch the file, but you had to focus to try and keep your hands from looking jittery.

Once the first slide appeared on the overhead projector, you turned and gave the class a nervous smile. You forced out,

"H-hi everybody . . . my name's Juliana. As. Most of you already know."

Well, yeah. You'd all spent the entire semester together by now. Not to mention you were the youngest Champion in all of Paldea, too, that kinda had been announced to the whole school.

You coughed, stammering out,

"A-anyway! Eheheh, this, is my report on my Treasure Hunt!"

From the middle of the room, Nemona gave a spirited,

"Whoo!"

There was an awkward silence. You laughed nervously before changing the slide.

"R-right, anyway . . ."

You did your best to just focus on your notes and get through the material you'd prepared. You started by talking about all the gyms you had visited and challenged, and the things you'd learned from your successive battles, each of the gym leaders offering interesting new perspectives on pokemon battling and on life in general. The same was true of the Elite Four and the Top Champion. Then you delved a little into your adventures with Arven, tracking down and battling the massive Titan pokemon and locating their secret dens with rare, exotic herbs. The battles themselves were noteworthy, but you also talked about the stuff you learned about backpacking across the wilderness and roughing it in the wild, as well as getting to know Arven better. You dedicated a portion of your talk to Koraidon, as well, because he was your precious baby boy and you loved him more than anything (well, your whole team was dear to you, too, of course). You also talked about the experience of finding and helping out the members of Team Star. It took time to earn their trust, but eventually you learned about them and about the history of Naranja Academy, both the good and the unpleasant. Eventually, you were able to help the members of Team Star gather the courage to face their pasts and return to school, mending the bridges they had thought had been burned and unmendable.

The events that had transpired in Area Zero had to be omitted from your talk, of course, but even glossing over all that, there was plenty to talk about. It had been a very, very busy six months, packed to the brim with adventure and excitement. And to your relief, the report went fairly smoothly. Once you'd gotten into things, it had become much easier to just focus on what you wanted to say and get through the talk you'd carefully practiced.

However, the main portion of the talk wasn't really the thing that had caused you the most anxiety. It was the ending of the speech that truly worried you. The ending that was now rapidly approaching.

You flipped the slide, struggling to keep your cool. You glanced at the bullet points on your slide and continued talking.

"So, ah, as I've been explaining, a lot happened during my independent study! And there are a lot of things I found that I would call my treasure. Like, for instance, my friends. I met so many new friends on this journey and they've all been so amazing. Also, my pokemon. I've raised these little guys from the itty bitty babies I found toddling around in the wild and . . . honestly, I'd do anything for them. We've been through so much. And, of course, all the experiences I had. The big exciting moments, but also all the calm, soft ones. Just having picnics out in the South Province, or walking on the beach, or seeing the sunsets from Levincia, all that stuff. I treasure all of those things. I've been really lucky."

All right, here it comes. You pulled in a nervous breath and hesitated, glancing around at your audience. Were you really doing this? Truthfully, it was probably gonna be fine. You were probably worried about nothing. It's not like there was anything weird about what you wanted to say or anything. But, well, part of you was still scared it might come off as too . . . too sappy or something.

Urgh. You just needed to quit second-guessing yourself and just do it.

Clearing your throat, you say,

"B-but, uhm, when I asked myself what my greatest treasure was, uh, there was something that . . . did come to mind. That's not to devalue any of the other things I've mentioned, of course! They are all deeply important to me. But there is something that makes me feel the most excited, that feels . . . that feels the most precious to me."

Ah, jeez. As the students watched you with intent curiosity, you could feel your heart picking up speed and a blush began to creep onto your face. Okay yeah maybe this was too sappy, but it was too late now, oh god.

You forced yourself to reach over to the laptop and hit the button, changing the slide, and a large photo of Nemona appeared, her auburn eyes bright and her grin positively jubilant, as usual. Doing your very best to speak in a normal voice, you squeaked,

"A-and t-that's my friend Nemona!"

You tried very hard to not make eye contact with anyone in the classroom and just stay focused on your report, although you couldn't help but hear a startled little gasp from somewhere in the middle of the room, which definitely sounded exactly like Nemona.

Okayjustfocusjustkeeptalking

You opened your mouth and forged ahead, the words tumbling out.

"T-the truth is, I've had a lot of difficulties in my life with anxiety and, other mental health issues. Most people don't know that, probably none of you do, I don't really talk about it. But yeah, when I first moved here, Nemona was so welcoming the moment I arrived, and she, she was . . . willing to get to know me and see me for who I am, I guess is the best way of putting it. And she actually liked that person she found? And it meant so much to me, and she became my best friend, but to be honest, she was also my first friend, the first one I was close to,  I mean-- like, truly close to. And I can't even begin to say how special that is to me."

You paused to suck in a breath, the thoughts swirling in your head, and continued ardently,

"And she's such a wonderful person. She's full of so much love for life, so much contagious energy, you know? She reminds me of the important things in life, of the stuff that matters most-- which is going after the things that you love, the stuff that makes you feel alive, and pursuing it no matter what! I feel like I'm a better person around her, like she brings out the best in me. And I admire her so much."

You had no idea if your thoughts were coming out coherently or not, but you could only hope so.

"That's not even going over how she re-ignited my interest in pokemon battles and a bunch of other stuff, but I don't wanna ramble or anything, heh . . . I just, uh . . . well, knowing that we're always gonna be there for each other, it's . . . it's the best feeling in the whole world."

You cleared your throat and glanced to the floor, adding quietly,

"S-so, um, yeah. She's. My greatest treasure."

There was a pause, the room completely silent, and you felt like you could hardly breathe. You turned and smacked the button on the computer, flipping to your end slide, and blurted quickly,

"Anyway that's my presentation, the end, thanks everyone, okay bye!"

You were about to just bail, but a smiling Mr. Jacq stepped in the way before you could, so you remained rooted to the spot.

"Thank you, Juliana! That was wonderful! Such an insightful and heartfelt report. Wouldn't you agree, class?"

There was an enthusiastic smattering of applause from the class, and you ducked her head, embarrassed but relieved at the same time. Your teacher continued to praise you for a bit, and you took the first opportunity to quickly return to your seat and exit the spotlight.

Although, returning to your seat was certainly a little awkward, considering you were returning to sit beside Nemona. You didn't have the guts to look at her during the presentation, but you could now see Nemona was blushing quite the intense shade of pink, her eyes glued to her desk, while the students around you casted glances and giggled. You sat down, feeling terrified you may have upset your friend. Did you embarrass her too much? Or . . . god, you should have asked her first if she'd be okay with this, damn it, damn it. Feeling awful, you turned to Nemona and stammered quietly,

"S-sorry if that was embarrassing, I uhh I was just, well, I was trying not to ramble or anything but I just, w-wanted to-- I'm sorry, I should have asked if you--"

Nemona's eyes darted up to yours, wide and disbelieving, and she quickly cut you off.

"Don't say sorry, Jules, that was, it was-- so sweet, I-I-- nobody's ever said anything that nice about me before! Don't you dare apologize for that, that was incredible!"

Nemona's voice had sounded so raw, and she looked nearly on the verge of tears. The fear gripping you immediately evaporated, and you released a breath. With a shy smile, you stammered,

"Oh, o-okay, good! I'm-- I'm glad you liked it . . ."

Nemona huffed, grabbing your arm and leaning in close, muttering so the class couldn't overhear;

"You're lucky I have the self-restraint to not make a big ole' scene in the middle of class, cos I am going to hug the stuffing out of you the second I get the chance, you know that? I'll be sobbing and it's gonna be sooo embarrassing."

You felt a grin edging onto your face.

"I mean, if you wanna make a scene right here, I wouldn't exactly mind . . ."

You hesitated, and then the words slipped out softly,

". . . mi tesoro."

Nemona's pretty auburn eyes went completely wide, her fingers tightening around your arm, and her entire being seemed to positively shake from the force of trying to keep quiet. Her voice was rough and squeaky when she uttered,

"Wh-what-- Jules, I-I--"

You felt worried Nemona was going to break down right then and there; her eyes were watering and she looked as though she was seriously considering picking you up and carrying you right out of the classroom, but a voice suddenly interrupted the moment, causing you both to jump.

"A-hem, now, class, I know you're excited to talk about these wonderful presentations, but I'll need to remind you to save most of that for the end of class, okay?"

You turned to see Mr. Jacq was side-eyeing you both with an amused expression.

"Y-yessir," you say, while Nemona nodded mutely. Slowly, as if it was physically painful to do so, Nemona detached herself from you. She looked so sad, like an excitable puppy that had been scolded for jumping up on someone.

Mr. Jacq had already moved on, checking his clipboard.

"I believe that Isabella is next? Do you have everything ready to go, Isabella?"

"The second after class, Jules," Nemona's whisper in your ear was so terse it practically sounded like a threat, although with the way she was struggling to maintain composure, it was a very emotional one. You suddenly felt very bad for flustering her so much, but the truth was you hadn't really intended to. Unfortunately, there were still like ten or so students left to give their reports, so you both had to keep quiet and behave for just a while longer.

Although you weren't gonna lie, you couldn't focus much. Nemona maintained a facade of listening to your fellow classmates, but she kept shooting you lingering glances, her warm eyes full of such soft adoration, and it was honestly really distracting, because you felt like your heart was melting into goo. You were pretty sure you did not absorb a single thing the presenters were saying, and boy it felt like they were taking forever.

The funniest part was, Nemona had yet to give her presentation. Which you had completely forgot. Until Mr. Jacq checked his clipboard and announced,

"And it's finally time for our last student! Nemona, are you ready?"

Nemona bounced up from her seat faster than you'd ever seen her move, as if struck by a live wire. She gave an exuberant,

"You bet I am!"

Some of the class laughed and you struggled to quash your startled expression, because how in the heck did you forget Nemona hadn't gone yet? You'd been the one to help her work on her rough drafts for weeks, jeez!

Now you felt especially bad for distracting Nemona so much before her big talk. However, as it turned out, it didn't seem to be a problem. As Nemona bounded to the front of the class, she seemed perfectly focused on giving her report. She quickly fired up her slideshow, eyes gleaming.

You felt a flash of admiration at her ability to focus so sharply. Perhaps it was all of her experience with pokemon battles. It would make sense, honestly.

Nemona proceeded to launch into her talk, positively brimming with energy.

"All right, class, time to strap in! Because we're about to take a trip on the Nemona Roller Coaster, guaranteed to be full of the biggest ups and downs and shocking turnabouts you've ever seen on a Pokemon Gym circuit since 2021! (That was my first time to complete the gym challenge) It all started when I met Jules and Director Clavell gave me Sprigatito, to build a new team from scratch! As you'll see from this slide, here are little Spriggy's stats, and here's his nature, which is Jolly. Now, Jolly's a great nature for this pokemon, especially if you take a look at these IVs. . ."

You glanced around at the rest of class, amused by their mixed responses. Some students looked excited and interested while others were clearly mentally checking out already. Nemona had a reputation of getting down into the nitty-gritty details of pokemon battling, including some rather lengthy blow-by-blows of her battles and strategies, which some students found to be intensely boring. However, she also was very good at making the battles seem very dramatic and exciting, so plenty of other students seemed to really enjoy it when she had the spotlight. You didn't care whether Nemona was recounting an especially pivotal moment of a match or presenting spreadsheets on her EV training; whatever she was discussing, she did with a passion that was peerless, and you could listen to her for hours. And even though you'd already seen most of this presentation content while helping her out, you still enjoyed seeing her recite it for the class, covering an incredible amount of material packed into such a short timeframe. Nemona's focus was her journey re-challenging all the gyms, although she highlighted other significant battles along the way, too, including especially feisty trainers she'd met at random or her battles with you, of course.

You knew what the pièce de résistance, the crowning jewel of Nemona's talk was. She had built her presentation's narrative carefully, to climax with the battle that the two of you had shared in the middle of the Mesagoza square; the very first time Nemona had gone at you with everything she had. During this portion of the talk, Nemona dropped most of her technical analyses, opting instead to focus more on the drama and the feelings elicited by the battle, which managed to draw in even the most bored of students in class. Nemona was practically vibrating as she recounted things, and you couldn't help feeling swept up again in the memories, the way your heart pounded, the way your hands shook when you took the pokeballs from your belt, the way your chest squeezed when you saw the fire burning in Nemona's eyes as bright as a Volcarona from across the battlefield.

When the last pokemon in Nemona's story had been felled, she rolled into her final slide, providing a conclusion that was short but sweet.

"And that's when I realized; I'd found my greatest treasure. A true rival. I'd gotten so used to holding back whenever I battled, because I was so worried about making sure people were having fun, and making sure people actually wanted to keep battling me. But it was never really satisfying, deep down. And now, I've finally found someone who can meet me exactly at where I am, an equal. Someone who really gets me!"

She looked across the classroom at you, beaming. With absolute convinction, she said,

"A battle partner for life. Mi tesorita. That's Juliana."

You blushed at her words, glancing away from her intensity. Aughhh, she was trying to kill you, you should have seen this coming.

The students began to clap enthusiastically at the report's completion, but Nemona's voice piped up over the applause.

"But wait wait wait, that's what I put in my report, that's how I ended it, but Juliana's talk, she made me realize my report isn't entirely complete!"

The class quieted down again and you watched as Nemona stepped forward, ignoring her slides and speaking off the cuff.

"Yes, I'd finally found my rival, that's true, and that's fantastic! But it's more then that. Juliana's not just an amazing rival, she's someone I trust more than anything and someone who makes me stronger, makes me better! And she always keeps me on my toes and is always surprising me, no matter how much I get to know her! And she's someone who shares my burning passion, and she makes me laugh, and she makes my heart race, even when we're not battling! Heck, just being around her is exciting, it kind of reminds me of that one time I was exploring the Alfornada cave and I had a team of like level 20's but I accidentally ran into a level SIXTY Garchomp, and it terastallized and I was shaking and--"

At this point, quite a number of students where giggling and whispering, shooting you glances, and you were quietly trying to sink into the desk, face hot and cheeks red, but Nemona kind of had a hard time noticing social cues, so she remained blissfully ignorant of her classmates. Fortunately, Professor Jacq was more perceptive in that area and coughed, stepping in.

"R-right, well, we're running a bit short on time, but thank you, Nemona, for such a beautiful talk! Class, let's thank Nemona for her incredible effort and the perfect conclusion to our Treasure Hunt reports!"

You kept your head down as the class dissolved into applause; a few moments later, the school bell chimed. Shouting over the suddenly rowdy noise of the students eager to leave, Mr. Jacq called,

"All right, class, that'll be it for today, but don't forget Monday's reflection paper, due at the start of class! Check the website if you need a reminder of the guidelines. And have a great weekend!"

Nemona returned to her desk like a streak of light, grabbing up her backpack and then seizing your hand.

"You're coming with me, tesorita. I think if I gotta wait any longer to hug you I'm gonna actually die."

You grab your backpack as she pulls you along, your heart fluttering, and you answer,

"O-okay, haha, Nemona, I'm coming, I'm coming!" Your classmates kept shooting you both glances as Nemona hauled you quickly down the halls, and you knew they were gossiping, but you couldn't seem to bring yourself to really care.

The moment you step outside, she swings you into the promised hug with such force she actually lifts you into the air a bit, and you can't help but dissolve into laughter. She squeezes you tight, so tight it almost hurt, but it's lovely and it's fierce and you don't want it to stop, but eventually you have to beg her to let you breathe again.

She released her death-grip, but switched to kissing the top of your head, over and over, and you squirmed and laughed. She eventually paused to say,

"That's for using the most adorable nickname on me in the history of ever in the middle of class! You're terrible, you know that?"

You grin up at her, and it's like gazing into the sun, her energy always filling you entirely whenever she was around, almost too bright to handle. You answer,

"To be fair, I think you managed to get pretty decent revenge during your report."

Nemona laughed, shifting into a satisfied smirk.

"True! I think I did a pretty good job, considering how hard you were trying to distract me."

Your mind echoed back the tangent that Nemona had gone on at the end of her report, and you felt a blush threatening to return at the thought of it. Before you could think the better of it, you blurt,

"U-uh, about that . . . stuff you said at the end, about the Garchomp and everything . . ."

She lit up with a smile.

"Oh, you wanna hear more about it, yeah? Of course! So, it all started when I was visiting Alfornada, and I heard people talking about a nearby cave with really strong pokemon--"

"N-no, not that," you interrupt, feeling mildly exasperated, because of course that's the part she'd focus on.

"I meant, um, the part when you said that . . . uh . . . being around me felt like facing down the level 60 Garchomp?"

You felt embarrassed repeating it, because maybe you misunderstood, maybe you were just making a fool of yourself-- but her expression shifted, just a little bit, and she hesitated for a half-second.

"Y-yeah! Well, you know! It's always an adventure with you around. You and me, we can take anything on when we work together, and it makes me so jazzed. You know what I mean, right?"

And then she was back to normal. It had been so subtle, just the briefest of hesitations, the slightest waver in her voice, it was entirely possible you'd just imagined it.

You nodded,

"Yeah, of course."

You had a funny, prickly feeling, then, like someone was watching you, and you glanced around. Almost immediately, you spotted some of your classmates, who had probably exited the building around the same time as you. They were loitering suspiciously nearby and looking kinda entertained.

Oh, right. Forgot about them. It seemed Nemona's efforts to not make a scene may not have entirely worked out. To be fair, she did tackle you the second you left the building, pretty much right in the central path everyone took, so. Um.

You quickly suggest,

"Maybe we could continue this conversation somewhere else?"

Nemona was unconcerned with your classmates (or perhaps unaware), but still seemed to love the idea.

"Sure! Y'wanna grab some ice cream? We can go hang out on the rooftops!"

That sounded perfect, so you agreed. 

She grabbed your hand and you were off, to enjoy the rest of your Friday afternoon, and to make some more treasured memories.

[duckprintspress]

Announcing: The Contributors to Our Next Anthology, Aether Beyond the Binary

Duck Prints Press’s next anthology, slated for crowdfunding during the fall of 2023, is Aether Beyond the Binary. This innovative and unique collection includes 20 stories featuring characters outside the binary exploring modern-ish Earth aetherpunk settings where the technology is fueled by magical aether. Stories range from fluffy to dark (but we guarantee happy endings!), in settings where aether was just discovered and those where it’s been known about for centuries. 

What is aetherpunk? Imagine a world where there’s technology not unlike what we have in the modern world, except that instead of that technology operating using the principals that we, now, would call “science,” that technology operates using magic! That’s aetherpunk—the awesome union of technology and complex magical systems in magic-suffused worlds to produce unique settings that resemble modern-day Earth but are also very, very different. With aetherpunk stories, the impossible becomes possible, and new solutions to the world’s problems become available!

We’ve been hard at work on this anthology since February, and currently the stories are being edited to polish them up. 

For this collection, we recruited 20 authors – 9 who’ve written for Duck Prints Press before and 11 who haven’t. We’re thrilled to have some folks returning from our earliest anthology Add Magic to Taste, and we also have some work-with-the-Press-but-this-is-their-first-anthology contributors. It’s a really wonderful group of people, and getting to know them all has been a lovely part of working on this collection. And – the stories are g.r.e.a.t. You’re not gonna want to miss this one.

And now for the fun part…

MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS!

boneturtle

boneturtle (they/them) comes from the other side of the portal and is still looking for their home in this world. in the meantime they write softhearted villains and dangerous heroes making breakfast, saving the world, falling in love, and everything in between. boneturtle is not, contrary to previous assertions, an archelon. 

Links: Personal Website | Archive of Our Own | Tumblr

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Ellen Faye

Ellen has been a dreamer and designer of worlds all her life. She has been involved in many fandom environments over the years but most recently jumped with two feet into Supernatural, and never surfaced. She has shared many stories online (as Ellenofoz), but she’s grateful to be able to take the leap into published works with the Aether Beyond the Binary anthology. 

Ellen lives in Brisbane, Australia, and spends her days writing code. By night, she reads and writes stories, watches shows, and plays games involving magic, science, historical adventures or romance—sometimes all at the same time. She co-hosts a podcast about Supernatural fanfiction, but can also be found enjoying Star Wars, Marvel, Doctor Who and other assorted fandoms.

Links: Archive of Our Own | Twitter

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Scarlett Gale

Scarlett Gale is the author of His Secret Illuminations and His Sacred Incantations. Long ago, under another name, she was the co-author of Needles and Artifice (Cooperative Press; 2012), featuring a rollicking romantic steampunk adventure novella and associated knitting patterns, of which she also designed several. She writes and produces fringe theatre plays based on B-movies, such as Bodacious Barbarian Babes vs. The Indigo Empress and Showgirls of Beast Island. She is a co-producer of the Alison-Bechdel-approved Bechdel Test Burlesque, which in 2017 was included in the Women and Gender Studies curriculum at the University of Oregon. She lives in Seattle with her wife where she gardens, knits, reads, and drinks warm beverages. Unsurprisingly, she also has cats. 

Link: Personal Website | Tumblr | Twitter

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Rhosyn Goodfellow

Rhosyn Goodfellow is an author of queer romance and speculative fiction living with her spouse and two dogs in the Pacific Northwest, where she is sad to report that she has not yet mysteriously disappeared or encountered any cryptids. Her hobbies include spoiling the aforementioned dogs, drinking inadvisable amounts of coffee, and running unreasonably long distances very slowly. She’s secretly just a collection of loosely-related stories dressed up in a meat suit. 

Links: Personal Website | Instagram | Mastodon | Tumblr | Twitter

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Catherine E. Green

Catherine E. Green (pronouns: xe/xem/xyr or they/them/their) is an agender person, one who’s had an on-again, off-again love affair with writing. Xe began writing when xe was a wee thing, when xyr other major pastimes were playing xyr mother’s NES and roughhousing with the boys next door. It’s only in the past few years that they have begun writing consistently and publishing their writing, fanfiction and original writing alike, leading to their first published short story titled “Of Loops and Weaves.” 

Outside of writing, xe is a collector of books and sleep debt and an avid admirer of the cosmos. Playing video games, reading a variety of fiction genres (primarily fantasy, queer romance, and manga and graphic novels of all kinds), and working on wrangling their own personal data archiving projects occupy most of their free time. Xe has also started meeting up with a local fiber arts group and is excited to be crocheting xyr first scarf.

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Elior Haley

Elior has spent much of the past few years primarily writing for fanfic exchanges. Currently, he’s in the process of slowly working his way through university. When not writing or studying, he can be found binding books, drawing, ice skating, and—very occasionally—playing the violin. His story in Aether Beyond the Binary is his first published work.

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Zel Howland

Zel (they/she) is a writer and artist currently living in Los Angeles with their partner. When not writing, they spend their time painting, embroidering, analyzing literature and tv shows, and playing Dungeons & Dragons. They are the author of many a fanfiction, as well as the novel The Shadow of Ophelia Walker.

Links: Archive of Our Own | Tumblr

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ilgaksu

Full-time fandom cryptid, Furby enthusiast, and the human embodiment of that one gif of Elmo on fire, ilgaksu was born and raised in an undisclosed location, living in several others, and now currently residing in [REDACTED]. Their interests include collecting haunted toys, using their artistic practice as an excuse to forget to do their laundry, and playing with fictional men like Bratz dolls. They have not unclenched their jaw yet today, but they do remember to drink lots of water.

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Bettina Juszak

Originally from Germany, Bettina has (so far) spent time in the US, the UK, and Canada. She is particularly interested in exploring questions of music and language in imaginary worlds, aided by degrees in linguistics and literature. When not writing, she loses herself in hobbies such as archery, cross-stitch, attempting to learn yet another language, and complaining about the amount of space her book and notebook collection takes up. Her first published work appeared in the Upon a Twice Time anthology published by Air and Nothingness Press, and she is working on a second original novel – despite the first one not having seen the light of day yet.

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Nicola Kapron

Nicola Kapron has previously been published by Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine, Rebel Mountain Press, Soteira Press, All Worlds Wayfarer, Mannison Press, and more. Nicola lives in British Columbia with a hoard of books—mostly fantasy and horror—and an extremely fluffy cat.

Links: Personal Website

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Kelas Lloyd

Kelas is a disabled, trans, bi author and artist currently (unfortunately) living in Texas. They graduated from the University of Central Florida with an English degree and love cats, tea, and all things speculative fiction. A lot of their writing features magic or disability or both, and they’re often found in Star Trek, Mass Effect, Babylon 5, and Untamed spaces. You can also find them in a lot of bead and resin spaces, because they love making sparkly jewelry of all sorts. 

Previously published pieces include an article on disability in The Last Of Us, short stories in two publications by Shacklebound Books, a pair of poems about being trans, an essay on disabled life, and a whole bunch of pieces about San Diego Comic-con. They’re single, an Ernie looking for their Bert, but they have a found family that stretches around the globe and some of their birth family accepts them for who they are. 

You can find out more about them at kelaslloyd.com.

Links: Personal Website | Archive of Our Own | Twitter

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Lyonel Loy

Lifelong maladaptive daydreamer, finally working up the courage to write those daydreams down. Spends time cosplaying as a Responsible Adult With A Job.

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Mikki Madison

Mikki Madison has been writing stories since she was seven years old. While she is most prolific in fanfiction and has works scattered among more than a dozen fandoms, she has been making strides into original fiction. Her favorite genres to read are romance, fantasy, and cozy mysteries.

When she isn’t reading, writing, or falling headfirst into a new fandom, she can be found baking, doing puzzles, walking her foster dog, doting on her niblings, or playing Pokemon Go. She has also written under the name M.K. Mads.

Link: Tumblr

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Sebastian Marie

Sebastian Marie (he/him) is an engineering student with a lot of opinions about dragons, pirates, and sword fighting. Track him down on Ao3 or Tumblr and he’ll share these opinions gladly, just be prepared for music and some excited shouting. His original works often combine fantasy and dystopia into what he calls “queer fantasy hopepunk,” something that will be explored in his future novels. He loves to write conflicting traditional and non-traditional family dynamics, especially where they intersect with queer relationships. And if he can throw werewolves and brujas into the mix? So much the better. When not writing, frantically studying, or reading, he can be found singing loudly, sewing impractical coats, and going on long rambling walks while plotting stories (and occasionally falling into rivers). 

Also, he’s also the guitarist and one of the lyricists of folk punk band Here Be Dragons, who hope to have their debut EP out near the end of Fall, 2023. 

This is his third time writing for Duck Prints Press, having previously contributed to Aim For the Heart and She Wears the Midnight Crown. This brings his grand total of published works up to three! He’s looking forward to more, as soon as he gets some sleep. 

Links: Archive of Our Own | Tumblr

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Alec J. Marsh

Alec lives in the Pacific Northwest, where they write romantic adult fantasy and self-indulgent fanfiction. They make candles inspired by their favorite characters.

Links: Etsy | Instagram | Twitter

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Flore Picard

I’m a linguist and translator who lives in France and I have been itching to write since I learned how to. I started writing (fan)fiction more regularly when I was procrastinating on my PhD dissertation, and I haven’t looked back since. I’m also an artist who loves drawing both fanart and original art, and I have a passion for patterns and systems, for the beauty at the edge of chaos and the complexity of being human. I tend to write about queer and disabled characters finding themselves and each other and learning to take up space in the world.

Link: Instagram | Twitter

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S. J. Ralston

S. J. grew up in a distinctly weird, distinctly southern hometown, then hied out West for grad school before landing in Texas, where they currently work as a planetary scientist. They’ve been writing original works and fanfiction since they could hold a pencil semi-correctly, and continue to write both whenever possible (as well as still holding a pencil only semi-correctly). In their clearly copious spare time, S. J. enjoys hiking, tabletop RPGs, jigsaw puzzles, and enthusiastically crappy sci-fi. 

Link: Personal Website

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Em Rowntree

Em Rowntree’s first foray into the world of writing was with a story called The Magic Land that featured a unicorn and a flying carpet the size of a country, and they’ve been chasing that high ever since. They’ve been sharing their writing online for almost seven years, and have had poems and short stories published in anthologies. They live in the UK.

Links: Twitter

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Terra P. Waters

Terra is a scientist by day who lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. She has been writing fiction as long as she can remember, and has always told her partner of 17 years that if she wasn’t a scientist, she would be an author. During grad school, she discovered fanfiction and immediately began writing her own. After many years and several fandoms (including Teen Wolf, Hawaii Five-0, and Stranger Things), she returned to writing original fiction. To date, she has self-published two novellas in a 90s-nostalgia polyamory comedy series and has drafted two YA/NA sci-fi novels. When not doing science or writing, you can find Terra indulging her yarn addiction and knitting. 

Links: Archive of Our Own | Tumblr | Twitter

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Cecil Wilde

Tea enjoyer, knitter, dead language enthusiast, self-warming cat bed and future eccentric lit professor Cecil Wilde has also written and published, in various forms and guises, nearly 3 million words to date. They do not plan to stop until Death intervenes, should it dare. 

Links: Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter

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Want to be sure you don't miss out on this awesome anthology when we formally launch our crowdfunding campaign? Make sure you keep an eye on our many social media accounts, subscribe to our newsletters, and follow our Kickstarter profile!

[uwmspeccoll]

French Fairy Treasures

Around the World Treasures: Famous French Fairy Tales by the father of the French fairy tale Charles Perrault (1628-1703) and collected and adapted from the original Perrault by David Stone, was published in New York by Frankin Watts Inc., a division of Grolier, in 1959. The book includes The Picture Story of Perrault's Famous French Fairy Tales, illustrated by British artist and teacher Charles Mozley (1914-1991), a book illustrator and designer of posters, book covers, and print. Along with these striking color drawings are black-and-white illustrations depicting key moments within each story. Noel Streatfeild (1895-1986), an English children's book author, provides an introduction to the book. In it, she details the essential moments in Perrault's life that led him to write these stories. According to Streatfeild, before Perrault's Contes, nobody had ever read a fairy tale! Before that, these stories were passed down and enjoyed through oral tradition.

Perrault played a significant role in the literary controversy called the "Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns." At 23, he became a lawyer, following in his father's footsteps, before embarking on a political career, which led him into the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV of France. Spending time in his court is where Perrault garnered inspiration to write his stories. His simple, unaffected style breathed new life into half-forgotten folk tales. Interestingly, some of his versions influenced the German tales collected by the Brothers Grimm more than a century later.

So, whether you find yourself wondering in the woods like Little Red Riding Hood or dreaming of glass slippers like Cinderella, Perrault's timeless tales remain a delightful part of our childhood imagination, capturing the magic and wonder of storytelling for generations to come!

-Melissa, Special Collections Graduate Intern

-View more posts from our Historical Curriculum Collection

[nyupreservation]

Preservation Week 2023

Virtual Presentation: Conservation of Balinese Shadow Puppets from the Mabou Mines Archives 

Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2023, 1:00 - 2:00 PM (EST)

Location: Virtual Event/Zoom 

Registration: https://nyu_preservation_week_2023.eventbrite.com

Image: a Balinese shadow puppet from the Mabou Mines Archive, NYU Special Collections.

Since last November, Conservation Center student Peiyuan Sun has been conducting research and conservation treatment on a group of Balinese shadow puppets from the Mabou Mines Archive (MSS.133). In this presentation, she will talk about the information that she has discovered regarding the history and manufacture of these materials and the ways in which she is actively working to make these items more accessible to future users.

Peiyuan Sun received her B.A. in Art History from NYU in 2018. She is in her final year at NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts, where she is a candidate for an M.A. in Art History and M.S. in Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Since fall 2022, Peiyuan has been working as an Andrew Mellon Fellow at the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation and Conservation Department for her curriculum internship under the supervision of Preventive Conservator Jessica Pace.

This event is presented in celebration of Preservation Week, an annual initiative of the American Library Association aimed at connecting our communities through events, activities, and resources that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections.

[kojoty]

as a potential MLIS student… i want to hear your thoughts in the library science majors 👀

It's a great major and if I go back to grad school, I will absolutely be applying for / fulfilling a library science masters. There is true and serious heart in this profession, and our local communities are bolstered and supported tremendously with people who choose the dedication of library sciences.

My gripes come less from the major itself-- though, which I'm sure is probably covered in the curriculum, we really need to be cognizant of the political pitfalls of libraries as an institution, and the power they wield over more disenfranchised populaces, as well as the historical beds of racism, classism, etc that produced the structure of libraries. Far more than most fields, I've seen a concentrated effort to decolonialize where able, to connect to community, to rectify these situations, but it's still there and needs to be acknowledged.

My gripes are very anecdotal tbh. I've just found such a privilege in a lot of people pursuing this major. Privilege is not inherently a bad thing, it can be a neutral descriptor. But if you are in a position to wield privilege, you must be cognizant of it. A lot of higher learned academics in general have a tendency to forget/not learn how to deal with less educated populations and it shows particularly in libraries a lot. Because our jobs are to assist and help disenfranchised members of the population, if you lose sight of what it feels like to be a lower class individual who is not as savvy at tech, research, etc, you can absolutely contribute to the failure to give proper community outreach. I unfortunately see this vibe from a lot of students and also people who go on to he librarians. MOST DON'T AND AREN'T LIKE THIS, but enough are that it's left a.... Taste in my mouth, I'll say that.

Also, anecdotally, I'll have students who will cut me off as I'm explaining how my library works to tell me they know already, always with this caveat of 'I'm a library student' or whatever in this tone of voice that is very patronizing. As though I should thank them for their willingness to pursue an academic career. As though I am not the one actively working in a library. As though every library functions the same. As though I'm not just doing my job and also, as someone intimately aware of some of the more unique aspects of my own library, I might have information that your classes will not tell you. I just don't like being cut off tbh, esp when it's.... You know. Patronizing.

The big thing is just the accountability of privilege and what your goals are. 80% of a library job is front facing (unless ur acq/collections or archives) with people who need help. You have been granted the academic training to help them but you still need to cultivate a desire to communicate with people. It's great that you memorized the Dewey decimal system and can rote spit out a call number! I'm still learning that. But equally if not more important is learning the instinct to anticipate someone's needs who does not know these things. How to apply for jobs. How to find material they need. Making them feel warm and welcome and NOT PATRONIZED to. Again, I know the major has classes specifically designed to account for this training. But if you go into this job thinking 'I know more than these people I'm helping' you've lost empathy points lol.

[gutterpede]

Thinking about my modernisms art history class and how for the final we had to create some sort of map detailing any part of the material discussed in class, and submit it with an essay explaining and detailing your work. And even though the essay counted for like 2/3 of that final grade, I decided to collect aspects and details from the entirety of the curriculum and amass them into one massive unreadable map, to showcase how interconnected and complex history is.

Anyways here’s how I did it first I went over every unit and gathered names of artists, movements, historical events/conditions, and other influences, wrote down all of them and how they connected to one another, and made four different webs on transfer paper that layered one another

PS this is by no means meant to cover all aspects of modernisms or art history this is just what we looked at that semester. Also I miss research and learning with others. I guess I miss school. Whatever

[beguines]

The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum in Matewan, WV is raising money to buy the building they've been renting and create a permanent home. If you can, consider donating to support the invaluable work they do. Here's a few paragraphs from their website about their mission and work:

Our independent people's museum is the result of years of work by historians, archaeologists, storytellers and artists, descendents and mine workers -- many of them residents of coalfield communities. Positioned at the intersection of historical and contemporary struggles for justice in the coalfields, we bring visitors into a powerful reckoning with the unique history of human labor in the privatized coal camps of Central Appalachia -- and what it took to build dignity and respect where none was given.

Proudly offering the largest exhibition of Mine Wars history anywhere in the United States, we walk visitors through this legacy with compelling exhibits of archival photos and videos, first-person accounts, rare artifacts and replicas, and detailed timelines placing the events of the Mine Wars era in a global context.

Our work reaches beyond our exhibits to include an expanding archive dedicated to researching the Mine Wars and coalfield life. Curated online exhibits pull from our expertly photographed collection to bring our archives to life for the public. The new Solidarity Gallery bridges creativity and history through artists' interpretation of Mine Wars memory. New generations learn powerful truths through our growing collection of educational curriculums and teachers' resources developed with educators from across the region.

We have proudly built a people's museum up from the mountain soil.

The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum is a vital part of the legacy of human rights and justice in labor for working people, in Appalachia and globally.