#kate braverman

[mournfulroses]

Kate Braverman, from her poetry collection titled Lullaby for Sinners; Poems; "There Will Come a Sunset,"

[theaskew]

Lithium for Medea, a novel by Kate Braverman, 1979. [New York : Harper & Row]

[ladymazzy]

Five years ago I would not have imagined feeling this ambivalent about Labour winning uk elections after so many years of tory hellishness, and yet here we are

Tories getting slapped to oblivion is great, but a huge chunk of the party that did it have proven themselves over and over again to be racist, transphobic, anti-palestinian, islamophobic, anti-immigration and pro dismantling public services

Rather than actively challenging any of the tories crackpot 'culture wars' talking points, Keith haphazardly leaned into them, giving them further legitimacy. Wittering on about 'stopping the boats' as if it's a normal, sensible proposition (that's centrists for you)

And of course the other reason that the tories got slapped to oblivion is because a huge portion of their voters are racist as hell and voted for reform

This one goes out to every lefty who still says 'it's not race, it's class'; Fuck You

Wake up and recognise that, yes the working classes are routinely fucked over by the state. But if you're from another marginalised community *on top of that*, we'll, the state has many creative ways to ensure that your very existence is precarious

This country has been *loudly* shifting to the far right for years. Black and Asian people *have been dying* because of racist polices on immigration, and structural inequalities that lead to worse outcomes for us.

Disabled people *have been dying* because of inhumane, contradictory, ableist policies that claim to be intended to 'give people the dignity of work' whilst stripping them of the means of working and/or attacking those who cannot work.

Trans people keep being reduced to a 'debate' talking point, riddled with wild nonsense from a platform lead by a random woman who happens to be very rich having written some kids' books. The lived realities of trans peoples lives routinely ignored in favour of supposed concerns for women's rights from people who increasingly seem to have nothing to say about the actual issues affecting all of us. Trans people are dying and we're expected to believe that the biggest threat comes from schools accepting kids for who they say they are, and people using a toilet

And the response to the genocide in Gaza - so hot on the heels of Russia's invasion of Ukraine - speaks volumes. Where the UK opened up the means for Ukranian refugees to seek sanctuary (which was, of course completely reliant on the humanity of the public and not an actual government thing because, you know; tories), the leading UK political parties have studiously ignored the mass murder and displacement of Palestinians by Israel, bombed Yemen for trying to support Gaza and provided military assistance for Israel in their genocidal campaign via base's in cyprus. And continued to arm israel

I've never seen so, so many horribly dismembered and maimed children as I have in the past 9 months. Absolutely horrific images of atrocities being meted out relentlessly day after day on a besieged population (who were betrayed by the British in 1948) who have been forced to film their own genocide because the west, by and large, continues to deny their very existence. And, once again, far-right Israelis have been given platforms to disseminate their lies in the same way Farage, Braverman, Meloni, Le Pen, Wilders, Modi Trump and others have been legitimised

No one should ever ask 'how was the Holocaust allowed to happen' because we live those conditions every day

Keith suspended Labour MPs for merely calling for a ceasefire back in November. How the party has treated Faiza Shaheen, Diane Abbott, Kate Osamor and others is beyond disgusting. The fact the Labour would rather tories - IDS himself no less - took the Chingford seat than let Shaheen win as an independent speaks volumes

To say we've got work to do is an understatement

[agrippinaes]

books I read in 2024

i read 185 books in 2024. it was an odd year for me, and though i know that this number of books is really impressive, reading often felt like a struggle this year. i set myself targets to read more out of my comfort zone but struggled with this, in particular to try and read more physical books, and ended up not meeting my target.

i think the big thing i'm taking away from reading this year is to read more of what i enjoy and accept dnf'ing books more, to be honest; i think i wasted time this year trying to get through books i wasn't enjoying and, ultimately, i'm not sure what the point of doing that is. next year i want to read things i enjoy, and though i still want to read more out of my comfort zone, i'm not going to set myself targets to read more physical books this year because i don't think format matters that much to me.

some other stats:

cassie mint was my most-read author for the second year in a row - thank goodness for her novellas!

my most-read genre was romance

i read 154 fiction books and 31 non-fiction books

i read 126 ebooks, 54 physical books and 5 audio books

i mostly read contemporary romance, with 81 books on my list

my most-read trope was, again, forced proximity, followed by hate-to-love

below is a list of the books i read this year. rereads are italicised, 5 star reads in bold.

great and horrible news!: murder and mayhem in early modern britain by blessin adams

temp by noelle adams

the rule book by sarah adams

the player in new zealand by liz alden

son of prophecy: the rise of henry tudor by nathen amin

well bred by adriana anders

breaking the ice by amy andrews

known to the victim by k.l. armstrong

northanger abbey by jane austen

fangirl down by tessa bailey

the au pair affair by tessa bailey

gathering of strangers: why museums matter by maria balshaw

a reckless match by kate bateman

fix the system, not the women by laura bates

the ruin of evangeline jones by julia bennet

a christmas spark by diana biller

bloom by e.j. blaise

welcome to the hyunam-dong bookshop by hwang bo-reum

lady audley's secret by mary elizabeth braddon

the devil is a marquess by elisa braden

small game by blair braverman

hawk o'toole's hostage by sandra brown

regarding the duke by grace callaway

underneath it all by kate canterbary

hard pressed by kate canterbary

the killing kind by jane casey

keep me by sara cate

don't swipe right by l.m. chilton

in too deep by jade church

breathtaking: inside the nhs in a time of pandemic by rachel clarke

a natural history of ghosts: 500 years of hunting for proof by roger clarke

what katy did by susan coolidge

manchester at war, 1939-45 by glynis cooper

ashes of you by catherine cowles

fragile sanctuary by catherine cowles

at first spite by olivia dade

do your worst by rosie danan

cinderella is faking it by dilan dyer

rapunzel is losing it by dilan dyer

passenger princess by morgan elizabeth

taming rafe by suzanne enoch

london's perfect scoundrel by suzanne enoch

good earl hunting by suzanne enoch

the black duke's prize by suzanne enoch

after the kiss by suzanne enoch

the fake mate by lana ferguson

the diary of a young girl by anne frank

wives and daughters by elizabeth gaskell

dust storm by maggie gates

what heals us by maggie gates

being mortal: medicine and what matters in the end by atul gawande

nanny for the neighbors by lily gold

make her stay by ella goode

come closer by sara gran

the wager by david grann

the reno by maggie grant

don't look back by rachel grant

their last resort by r.s. grey

britain's ghosts: a spine-chilling tour of our most haunted places by anna groves

alive and wells by bailey hannah

seeing red by bailey hannah

small town swoon by melanie harlow

ten things about writing: build your story, one word at a time by joanne harris

you're the boss by emma hart

say yes to the boss by olivia hayle

womb: the inside story of where we all began by leah hazard

bride by ali hazelwood

cruel winter with you by ali hazelwood

taken by a sinner by michelle heard

beauty tempts the beast by lorraine heath

the woman in black by susan hill

queens consort: england's medieval queens by lisa hilton

keanu reeves is not in love with you: the murky world of online romance fraud by becky holmes

the ornithologist's field guide to love by india holton

tame the heart by ava hunter

if you hate me by helena hunting

untie my heart by judith ivory

say yes to the duke by eloisa james

river kings: a new history of the vikings from scandinavia to the silk road by cat jarman

the plantagenets: the warrior kings and queens who made england by dan jones

twisted deeds by mila kane

bound to submit by laura kaye

the unraveling by vi keeland

my wrong number by r.l. kenderson

body check by elle kennedy

the graham effect by elle kennedy

homestead by claire kent

the hollow places by t. kingfisher

a dark and secret magic by wallis kinney

the skull by jon klassen

marrying winterborne by lisa kleypas

the halloween bet by abby knox

a date with demons by abby knox

yellowface by rebecca f. kuang

trail of the lost: the relentless search to bring home the missing hikers of the pacific crest trail by andrea lankford

there are no sinners by sophie lark

there is no devil by sophie lark

the catch by amy lea

filthy rich vampire by geneva lee

knot the one they want by hannah lennox

my roommate is a vampire by jenna levine

love and other scandals by caroline linden

fortune favors the viscount by caroline linden

what i did for a duke by julie anne long

uproar!: satire, scandal and printmakers in georgian london by alice loxton

empire state enemies by rosa lucas

love to loathe him by rosa lucas

power play by maria luis

sin bin by maria luis

play with me by becka mack

assistant to the villain by hannah nicole maehrer

above the shop by chloe maine

father of the bride by chloe maine

dominated by marni mann

hate mail by donna marchetti

relight my fire by c.k. mcdonnell

attack warning red!: how britain prepared for nuclear war by julie mcdowall

kenna's dragon by leigh miller

tangling with the boss by cassie mint

grump gone bad by cassie mint

guarded by a broody biker by cassie mint

fight dirty by cassie mint

hard knocks by cassie mint

mistletoe mobster by cassie mint

zeta rodgers needs to relax by elanna moon

crave by monica murphy

the bossy one by leslie north

a rivalry of hearts by tessonja odette

every wrong you right by j.e. parker

failure to match by kyra parsi

dark matter by michelle paver

dining for love by valerie pepper

where the dark stands still by a.b. poranek

desire by amanda quick

match point by katherine reilly

reckless by stella rhys

buried: an alternative history of the first millennium in britain by alice roberts

into the uncanny by danny robins

white holes by carlo rovelli

the scenic route by katie ruggle

swift and saddled by lyla sage

the catcher in the rye by j.d. salinger

the worst best man by lucy score

fake law: the truth about justice in an age of lies by the secret barrister

who owns england? by guy shrubsole

off to the races by elsie silver

a photo finish by elsie silver

touching the void by joe simpson

forty years of murder: an autobiography by keith simpson

the bossy billionaire by samantha skye

for the record by juliana smith

almost pretend by nicole snow

a history of the roman empire in 21 women by emma southon

silver fox by stevie sparks

the white ship: conquest, anarchy and the wrecking of henry i's dream by charles spencer

slumming it by sabrina stark

one good crash by sabrina stark

when grumpy met sunshine by charlotte stein

everyone on this train is a suspect by benjamin stevenson

everyone this christmas has a secret by benjamin stevenson

dead rinker by ruth stilling

the lamplighters by emma stonex

mine to take by jennifer sucevic

the shadow network by deborah swift

you shouldn't be here by lauren thoman

nero by s.j. tilly

hans by s.j. tilly

latte darling by s.j. tilly

spurred by vanessa vale

hannah and the hitman by vanessa vale

misadventures with my billionaire boss by vanessa vale

ultra-processed people: why do we all eat stuff that isn't food...and why can't we stop? by chris van tulleken

the suffragettes by various authors

possessive heart by brighton walsh

playing the field by becky ward

run posy run by cate c. wells

the tyrant alpha's rejected mate by cate c. wells

the wild wolf's rejected mate by cate c. wells

secret santa by kati wilde

bourbon and lies by victoria wilder

think again by jacqueline wilson

oranges are not the only fruit by jeannette winterson

p.s. you're intolerable by julia wolf

iron flame by rebecca yarros

beyond the thistles by samantha young

[candiedspit]

Kate Braverman on her process while writing Pagan Night (one of my favorite short stories of all time)

[bratspike]

Can we get a list of the books you're displaying so we can read them?

absolutely!!!

ones i’ve already read and recommend:

a certain hunger by chelsea g summers (CANNIBALISM GIRLS READ THIS BOOK)

small game by blair braverman

beauty queens by libba bray

on my tbr/strongly recommended by coworkers:

the magus by john fowler

this delicious death kayla cottingham

lord of the flies by william golding

nightbitch by rachel yoder

bones and all by camille deangelis

wilder girls by rory power

don’t know too much about but yj vibes!

what lies in the woods by kate alice marshall

the ritual by adam nevill

alive by piers paul read

the cheerleaders by kara thomas

hunted by darcy coates

sacrifice by rin chupeco

reckless girls by rachel hawkins

these silent woods by kimi cunninham grant

squad by maggie tokuda-hall

the grace year by kim liggett

a lesson in vengeance by victoria lee

the troop by nick cutter

[enbycrip]

Thank *fuck*; Humza Yousaf has won the SNP Leadership election.

I seriously hope he doesn’t make me eat my words. But even if he turns out to be a mealy-mouthed centrist, at least he actually has a belief in basic human rights, as opposed to the other two candidates, one of whom was an active GC cult paid-up TERF who has been making life incredibly difficult for sex workers of all genders by trying to introduce the Nordic model in Scotland, and the other who was a member of a fringe Christian cult with *incredibly* misogynist, transphobic, homophobic and anti-sex worker views.

He has also publicly promised to fight the incredibly dodgy Westminster block of the democratic GRA, which is another point in his favour.

From a somewhat more abstract viewpoint, it is actually pretty cool that both the UK Prime Minister and Scottish First Minister will be brown people from non-Christian faith and cultural backgrounds; Yousaf is Muslim and Rishi Sunak Hindu. Much as both Sunak and Suella Braverman have given us all *ample* evidence that being members of oppressed groups is no barrier to pushing highly racist policies as well as those incredibly oppressive in pretty much every other way.

[medium-observation]

DECEMBER RELEASE

Boop! The Musical - Chicago Tryout

December 3, 2023 - Medium Observation

Video | Matinée

Cast:

Jasmine Rogers (Betty Boop), Faith Prince (Valentina), Ainsley Anthony Melham (Dwayne), Erich Bergen (Raymond), Stephen DeRosa (Grampy), Angelica Hale (Trisha), Phillip Huber (Pudgy), Anastacia McCleskey (Carol), Lawrence Alexander (Ensemble), Colin Bradbury (Ensemble), Tristen Buettel (Ensemble), Joshua Michael Burrage (Ensemble), Gabi Campo (Ensemble), Daniel Castiglione (Ensemble), Rebecca Corrigan (Ensemble), Josh Drake (Ensemble), RJ Higton (Ensemble), Nina Lafarga (Ensemble), Morgan McGhee (Ensemble), Aubie Merrylees (Ensemble), Ryah Nixon (Ensemble), Christian Probst (Ensemble), Ricky Schroeder (Ensemble), Gabriella Sorrentino (Ensemble), Brooke Taylor (Ensemble)

Notes: Nice video from the second week of previews and Version 3.0. Some scenes are majorly wideshot due to the nature of the show, along with usher activity. Some washout can be seen at times but it's not too bad.

NFT DATE: June 6th, 2024

Screenshots: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB5Cro

Video is $20

Six - Second US National Tour (Boleyn)

November 19, 2023 - Medium Observation

Video | Matinée

Cast:

Cassie Silva (s/b Catherine of Aragon), Zan Berube (Anne Boleyn), Aryn Bohannon (s/b Jane Seymour), Terica Marie (Anna of Cleves), Taylor Pearlstein (s/b Katherine Howard), Courtney Mack (t/r Catherine Parr)

Notes:

Excellent video of a fantastic group of alternates and Courtney's unexpected final performance as Parr!

NFT DATE: December 1st, 2024

Screenshots: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB3Ye3

Video is $20

Mrs. Doubtfire - First US National Tour

November 16, 2023 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Rob McClure (Daniel Hillard), Maggie Lakis (Miranda Hillard), Giselle Gutierrez (Lydia Hillard), Cody Braverman (Christoher Hillard), Emerson Mae Chan (Natalie Hillard), Aaron Kaburick (Frank Hillard), Nik Alexander (Andre Mayem), Romelda Teron Benjamin (Wanda Sellner), Leo Roberts (Stuart Dunmire), David Hibbard (Mr. Jolly/Ensemble), Jodi Kimura (Janet Lundy/Ensemble), Alex Branton (Ensemble), Jonathan Hoover (Ensemble), Sheila Jones (Ensemble), Julia Kavanagh (Ensemble), Marquez Linder (Ensemble), Alex Ringler (Ensemble), Lannie Rubio (Ensemble), Ian Liberto (s/w Ensemble), Lauryn Withnell (Ensemble), Julia Yameen (Ensemble)

Notes:

Near perfect capture of the tour! Some washout is seen in wideshots due to primary robs doubtfire outfit being so Bright.

NFT DATE: June 6th, 2024

Screenshots: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB3Z7Y

Video is $20

Frozen - First US National Tour

November 29, 2023 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Caroline Bowman (Elsa), Lauren Nicole Chapman (Anna), Erin Choi (Young Elsa), Annie Piper Braverman (Young Anna), Jeremy Davis (Olaf), Dominic Dorset (Kristoff), Collin Baja (Sven), Preston Perez (Hans), Jack Brewer (Oaken), Evan Duff (Weselton), Tyler Jimenez (Pabbie), Renée Reid (Bulda), Kyle Lamar Mitchell (King Agnarr), Katie Mariko Murray (Queen Iduna), Natalie Wisdom (s/w Head Handmaiden), Jack Brewer (Bishop), Kate Bailey (Ensemble), Kristen Smith Davis (Ensemble), Jason Goldston (Ensemble), Natalie Goodin (Ensemble), Zach Hess (Ensemble), Adrianna Rose Lyons (Ensemble), Alexander Mendoza (Ensemble), Nick Silverio (Ensemble), Daniel Switzer (Ensemble), Peli Naomi Woods (Ensemble), Michael Allan Haggerty (s/w Ensemble), Jessie Peltier (s/w Ensemble)

Notes:

Absolutely gorgeous video of this tour! Lots of wideshots and close ups.

NFT DATE: June 6th, 2024

Screenshots: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB5mqB

Video is $20

Videos can be purchased through me at mediumobservationtrading@gmail.com

[jazz4breakfast]

We become the landscapes we inhabit, she thinks, the molecules in the air we allow to enter our lungs. There is nothing random about this. It's volitional. We consort with textures and fragrance, the shadows they cast and what they imply. We are infiltrated and redesigned. Of course there are spirits of rock and sky, reasons to worship eagles, hawks, the flight of geese and cycles of the moon, all moons, those named and charted and those still encased in their unmolested and hidden sleep. But this is only a partial explanation.

– Kate Braverman, from “Feeding in a Famine,” A Good Day for Seppuku: Short Stories (City Lights Books, 2018)

[mournfulroses]

Kate Braverman, from her poetry collection titled Lullaby for Sinners; Poems; "Journey/Prayer," (edited)

[monriatitans]

The Neverending Reading List: Book L

"The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories" Edited by Ben Marcus

“Minimalism… maximalism… at least three different flavors of Southern Gothic. … There are stories here that won’t let themselves be put down.” – The New York Times

“A collection of entertaining, moving and sometimes shocking fiction, and as such, deserves to be read by everyone.” – Salon

Contributors:

Rick Bass

Padgett Powell

George Saunders

Wells Tower

William Gay

Aimee Bender

David Foster Wallace

Joe Wenderoth

Matthew Derby

Jhumpa Lahiri

Mark Richard

Joanna Scott

A. M. Homes

Anthony Doerr

Lydia Davis

Dawn Raffel

Gary Lutz

Deborah Eisenberg

Christine Schutt

Brian Evenson

Mary Caponegro

Ann Cummins

Sam Lipsyte

Mary Gaitskill

Aleksandar Hemon

Kate Braverman

Stephen Dixon

Diane Williams

Ann Carson

—

Ben Marcus is the author of Notable American Women and The Age of Wire and String. His stories have appeared in Harper’s, The Paris Review, McSweeney’s, Conjunctions, Tin House, and elsewhere. The recipient of three Pushcart Prizes, a Whiting Award, and a National Endowment for the Arts grant, he is an Associate Professor in the School of the Arts at Columbia University and lives in New York City.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interested in the book? Snag it real quick here! I call my book collection The Neverending Reading List! To see why, and the list of books I’ve already shared, click here! Enjoy what I do? Please consider supporting via Buy Me a Coffee! Like what you see and want to know when there’s more? Click here to subscribe for updates and/or hit the Follow button! For more about MonriaTitans, click here! Watch MonriaTitans on Twitch and YouTube!

[bookclub4m]

Episode 186 - Suspense Fiction

This episode we’re discussing the fiction genre of Suspense! We talk about crime, mysteries, horror, and even suspense!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Things We Read (or tried to…)

Ascension by Nicholas Binge

The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023 edited by Lisa Unger and Steph Cha

Malice by Keigo Higashino

Dead Woman Walking by Sharon J. Bolton

Alice in Borderland by Haro Aso (Wikipedia)

Night Fever by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

Reckless by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson

Read But Not Mentioned

Find Me by Anne Fraser

Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman

The Midnight Line: Jack Reacher #22 by Lee Child

The Phantom Scientist by Robin Cousin, translated by Edward Gauvin

Wyrd, vol. 1 by Curt Pires and Antonio Fuso

Colorless, vol 1 by Kent

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry by Mary Higgins Clark

Other Media We Mentioned

Scalped by Jason Aaron, R.M. Guera, and others 

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft (Wikipedia)

Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman

Small Game by Blair Braverman

Links, Articles, and Things

Hark! Podcast

Category:Fiction about death games (Wikipedia)

What Matthew described as “escape room fiction”

Final girl (Wikipedia)

20 Suspense Novels by BIPOC Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji

Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose

A Person of Interest by Susan Choi

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

Sleeping with Strangers by Eric Jerome Dickey

The Between by Tananarive Due

Shutter by Ramona Emerson

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

We Lie Here by Rachel Howzell Hall

The Mantis by Kotaro Isaka

My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa

The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

Are You Sara? by S.C. Lalli

Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow

The Man in My Basement by Walter Mosley

Ride or Die by Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu

Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight by Riku Onda, translated by Alison Watts

Sinister Graves by Marcie R. Rendon

There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh

In the Dark We Forget by Sandra S.G. Wong

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

Join us again on Tuesday, December 19th it’s time for our Favourite Reads of 2023!

Then on Tuesday, January 2nd it’s time for trains, planes, and automobiles (and bicycles) as we discuss non-fiction books about Transit and Transportation!

[eunoiareview]

Meeting a Palm Reader Before Migrating to the U.S.

      after Kate Braverman You will drift through endless boulevards, and breathe new languages. You will make love to most of them, and bear children to some. For years, their cries will make you scramble for the taste of milk and honey, and other fables about wealth and abundance. The mathematics of human demands fascinate you. This will be your constitution in America. Your intellect…

[cavenewstimes]

Train fruit pickers and truck chauffeurs to cut migration, states Suella Braverman

Train fruit pickers and truck chauffeurs to cut migration, states Suella Braverman, The house secretary will argue that is “not racist” to wish to manage borders, in a speech later on …, 2023-05-15 10:30:00, Image source, PA Media By Brian Wheeler & & Kate Whannel BBC Politics There is “no great factor” the UK can not train its own truck motorists and fruit pickers to bring migration down,…

[candiedspit]

Can anyone find Pagan Night by Kate Braverman? It’s a short story I read a while ago and can’t find the link….one of the best I’ve ever read