#marissa alexander

[simplegenius042]

Music Monday, WIP Wednesday & OC Picrews

Tagged by @atomsace @voidika @imogenkol and @josephseedismyfather

Tagging @socially-awkward-skeleton @inafieldofdaisies @aceghosts @cloudofbutterflies92 @cassietrn @direwombat @noodlecupcakes @adelaidedrubman @raresvtm @derelictheretic @davrinsgriffons @shallow-gravy @strangefable @statichvm @carlosoliveiraa @g0dspeeed @wrathfulrook @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @alypink @shellibisshe @josephslittledeputy @skoll-sun-eater @afarcryfrommymain @strafethesesinners @turbo-virgins @florbelles @minilev @justasmolbard @yokobai and @seedsplease + anyone else who want to join.

Got music for The Silver Chronicles, Life, Despair & Monsters and my Wings And Horns WIP, WIP snippets for The Silver Chronicles and Life, Despair & Monsters, plus picrews for an A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore OC, picrews include Christmas stockings, regular OC looks and 1880's aesthetic/design. Without further ado, listen and read below the cut:

Silva is defined by both "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and "still pretty traumatizing experience though". It's a balance that I'm trying my best in keeping steady, and I don't think I'm doing that bad of a job at. Even if we exclude the AUs (which Silva is just put into MORE situations), one thing is clear, Silva is tough. She survives. Her father, the Tumultite Massacre, the journey at sea till she and her small family make it to America, Paul and the Apostles of Zachariah, the hopelessness and grief she felt after Persephone's death, the Reaping and Eden's Gate, Adam's Guard, the Collapse and the five to seven years in that bunker with Faith and Azriel (in addition to Mercy), the 11-13 years spent on the surface of Montana post-Collapse, the Highwaymen and Paul's return. Silva living in itself is a massive blatant "Fuck You" to both her father and the Voice's efforts in trying to kill her (or at least make her suffer). Anyway, listen to Kelly Clarkson killing it below:

"You know the bed feels warmer Sleeping here alone You know I dream in color And do the things I want

You think you got the best of me Think you've had the last laugh Bet you think that everything good is gone Think you left me broken down Think that I'd come runnin' back Baby, you don't know me 'cause you're dead wrong

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone What doesn't kill you makes a fighter Footsteps even lighter Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger Just me, myself and I What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

You heard that I was starting over with someone new They told you I was moving on, over you

You didn't think that I'd come back I'd come back swinging You tried to break me, but you see

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone What doesn't kill you makes a fighter Footsteps even lighter Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger Just me, myself and I What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

Thanks to you, I got a new think started Thanks to you, I'm not the brokenhearted Thanks to you, I'm finally thinking 'bout me You know in the end, the day you left was just my beginning In the end

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone What doesn't kill you makes a fighter Footsteps even lighter Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger Just me, myself and I What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger Just me, myself and I What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

When I'm alone."

Funny how this FNAF song can fit Poppy Playtime and this unnamed WIP I've made for it. Throughout the game and this WIP, Poppy encourages the protagonist to continue further down into the factory. Honestly not surprising she leads the protag of this WIP into Frederick Rosemary's industry of pure horror:

"What's the story in all this clutter Give me more than exotic butters! Some cryptic lines will be fine Keep your innards, and I'll keep mine She's pulling strings, but I'm trying To figure out what kinda puppet I've been Never gonna let her get under my skin!" "Heard of Frederick Rosemary*? You're gonna like him!

Can't help but feel like you belong here." "But I wanna leave, I just gotta leave." "You know that something's going wrong here." "And she's watching me, now she's onto me." "Come find out what's been going on here." "Has my progeny caught up to me?" "You know you're nothing but a pawn here." "Am I part of them? Are they/you part of me?"

[* Purple Guy, or William Afton from FNAF, doesn't exist in the Poppy Playtime universe, and in this WIP, Frederick is the major antagonist]

And lastly, a funky upbeat remix that hints towards what kind of past Xiang Ba'al, a sloth demon from the Sloth Ring of Hell, had in his youth and now in his adult life. Learn how he became such a great quick-draw that even gives Archangel Metatron trouble when fighting him:

"All the other kids with the pumped up kicks You better run, better run, outrun my gun All the other kids with the pumped up kicks You better run, better run, faster than my bullet All the other kids with the pumped up kicks You better run, better run, outrun my gun All the other kids with the pumped up kicks You better run, better run, faster than my bullet

Daddy's* got a quick hand He'll look around the room He won't tell you his plan He's got a rolled cigarette Hanging out his mouth He's a cowboy kid Yeah he found a six-shooter gun In his pa's** closet, in a box full of fun things I don't even know what But he's coming for you, yeah he's coming for you

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks You better run, better run, outrun my gun All the other kids with the pumped up kicks You better run, better run, faster than my bullet (Hit it!) All the other kids with the pumped up kicks You better run, better run, outrun my gun All the other kids with the pumped up kicks You better run, better run, faster than my bullet

Faster than my bullet Faster than my bullet

Daddy works a long day He be coming home late, and he's coming home late And he's bringing me a surprise Cause dinner's in the kitchen and it's packed in ice I've waited for a long time Yeah the sleight of my hand is now a quick-pull trigger He reasons with his cigarette*** Then says "Your hair's on fire, you must've lost your wits, yeah?""

[*Name changed justified as it goes from Xiang's POV recalling his gangster father. **Xiang only ever recalls his father calling his own dad "pa". ***Xiang doesn't smoke but obviously his father does. Also a moment of "noticing your son has a natural hand for this weapon much like yourself, even if held back by hesitancy". Seeing himself in Xiang essentially and stoking the flames of curiosity with a tease to continue those damn familial/generational cycles, y'know?]

Here's some more Vengeful!Silva AU snippets where Jacob's gonna attempt to capture Silva after she makes a concerning number of head ways and nearly successful assassination attempts towards Joseph. He and Alexander's ambush gets intercepted by Silva's new guardian angel Margarett (whom she and Azriel have granted an additional... helpful augmentation):

Jacob lowered to his knees as he placed the barrel of his rifle onto the log they too cover behind.

Alexander and two of their Chosen caught up to him; his right-hand crawled up next to him, stationing his crossbow alongside Jacob's rifle. One Chosen took cover behind a tree stump to the right of the log, while the other stood hidden behind the foliage on Alexander's left.

Jacob lifted a hand up in an open palm to signal to his present men. They waited as he looked through his scope onto their target's location; the back of a small abandoned home, more like a cabin, that had belonged to one of his effective if stranger men. Dansky, he recalled Alexander mentioning.

They lost contact with him after overhearing what seemed to be a break-in.

Through his scope's lens, Jacob noted the window was blocked, leaving the only entrance way the door. A foolish decision, leaving them open for attack. He could hear no activity as well, leaving Jacob frowning.

Jacob glanced at Alexander beside him, catching the brunette's attention. He gestured to the other man's bag, which Alexander nodded in affirmation, unlatching the hood so Jacob could see the contents; some minor explosives, strong enough to remove the obstacle to the window.

Jacob shared a smirk with Alexander, giving an affirming nod. He began formulating the plan; two to the door, two to the window, destroy the window, move in through both at the same time. Hopefully they'd be able to take down the defector's bodyguard that Terry had described to them after they found the man.

Then they can take the "unruly child" back to her "Father", just as his brother requested.

Jacob huffed and shook his head, but this had been one of the few things Joseph remained adamant on.

As Alexander began to tweak the explosives so they'd be ready, Jacob looked towards the Chosen to his left and closed his hand into a fist, then pointing towards the direction of the door. He then turned to Chosen on his right for the same thing, but paused when the Chosen was inspecting something he found on the ground.

The Chosen looked toward Jacob, and handed him the small object.

On Jacob's scarred flesh, he could feel the bits of ash and dirt that covered the crushed paper roll. Jacob brought it up to his nose, inhaling the foul scent that mixed with the dry earth; a cigar. There was still a surviving warmth to it, meaning it was recently put out.

He glanced to the stump, and when looking at it, he took notice of the deep cuts ingrained into the wood. He looked down to the log, and realized it was the same color as the stump, and the serrated end of it had chunks split across it.

This is a set up.

Then he heard it. The stomping footsteps rushing up behind them.

Grabbing onto Alexander, he hoisted the surprised younger man over the log, barely hopping over it himself before a behemoth-sized woman in large ragged cloaks broke through the foliage and slashed across the log.

She managed to cut down the Chosen on the right, and before the Chosen had enough reaction time to aim his bow at her, she spun her staff, hitting him in the stomach with it before bringing her other weapon over his head.

Jacob and Alexander rolled down the short steepness, before they collected themselves. The bag of explosives had been left behind the log, same with Alexander's crossbow, but Jacob still had his rifle on hand.

The taller woman, older and more scarred than Jacob himself, glared down at them with her one amber eye, firmly thinly lined lips quirking up into a smirk once she recognized Jacob.

Jacob look down to the blade in her other hand, but realized it wasn't just a blade; where he expected to see flesh holding onto it, instead was a metal prosthetic that's wrist had an axe head attached to it.

With the window no longer an option, Jacob glanced to Alexander, cocking his head towards the cabin's doorway around the corner; the brunette would need to retrieve Silva himself.

Alexander glanced between Jacob and his leader's approaching opponent, flabbergasted but accepting the task.

With Alexander leaving just the two of them, Jacob's cold blue eyes narrowed into the hungry amber of his newest enemy.

Another WIP draft for the first of three Arcane: League of Legends fics I'll be working on, after gaining a better idea on what to do with this after the much needed second season to close things off. Below is a rough draft of the prologue where Silco visits pre-Singed's lab for anything useful to his cause against Piltover, especially with the proliferation of Shimmer. He finds a... peculiar and uncanny creation of the Doctor's just collecting dust and begging to be used:

The clicks of the mechanisms inside the door set off in one loud groan as the sounds echoed in the wet cave, the unlocked door to the Doctor's lab widening open.

Silco gestured his subordinates, Ran and Licker, to guard the front as he followed his companion inside, walking with a lazy sway as his good eye took in the state of the Doctor's laboratory.

It was vastly different from the one they were setting up at the aquarium; at least there, everything was clearer and more organized. Here, the Doctor's base of operations was a mess and far cruder; pages of paper spread out chaotically on tables, pinned to boards and across lines, vats of organs and other insides unrelated to another stocked on top or next to each other, as well as the preservation chamber that held a giant salamander like creature in stasis.

Silco couldn't remember what the Doctor named it, and frankly couldn't care; all it's use came from the component within it that allowed them to manufacture their newest weapon, Shimmer.

"You may browse if you wish," the Doctor told him, walking off towards one unorganized section of his lab, "Retrieving the last of my research shouldn't take long."

Silco grunted out a hum in acknowledgement as he looked around the laboratory.

Holding his hands behind his back, he surveyed all the illicit materials the Doctor had collected over the years. Besides the Shimmer research, there wasn't much inside the lab that could prove useful in their fight against Piltover and their independence for Zaun.

Most of the materials didn't even seem ready, making the Doctor's permission even more useless in hindsight.

Until something in the corner caught his glance.

It looked slouched over, non-organic. More mechanical than anything. It's figure was almost human like.

Another of the Doctor's pet projects? Silco wondered, curiosity sinking its teeth on his skin. He wandered closer towards the deactivated machination, cautious but hungry to know what it was.

Though it was slouched over and he was standing above it, the sheer height of the machine reached up to his chest. He noted that, were it standing, it would be taller than him. Its entire body was clearly designed to be feminine.

The metal features was dark and sleek, even if the welded material was jagged and sharp at the edges. The face was smooth, with various small streaming lines cascading down its features and body, unfilled like the Lanes when Enforcers made their presence known. Though the darkness of the metal made it hard to determine certain features unless closely inspected, like the closed mouth.

The inside of the eyes was nothing more than a dark abyss, though he took note of the frames that were barely visible inside the hollowness. Perhaps a mimicking irises.

The limbs were lean yet welded with a thick and muscular robustness near the thighs and biceps, although the half a chunk of the arms seemed to be missing. Silco wondered for a moment how fitting rapid-fire weapons would look on this creation.

The hair, if he could call it that, was like an anchor reel, with the "braids" being four chain-like appendages with curved blades at the end of them.

He looked long and hard at it, his mind trying to make heads and tails of what and why.

Although when it came to the Doctor, there also came the indifference of leaving those questions unanswered and the mercy of not knowing. Though the reason behind the creation of such a thing wasn't worth the headache, Silco did find himself still standing there, observing the deactivated and motionless being.

There was something about it that was... off to Silco. Naturally he'd expect that by now when working with the Doctor, but there was a personal intrigue too. The thing was uncanny. It looked familiar and unfamiliar. Like it's supposed to be alive and moving, not inactive and still. A disturbing distortion of something real, with morbid beauty attached to it's contradictory state; like sleeping, and yet dead.

"Beautiful, isn't she?"

Silco broke his focus away from the slouching hunk of junk, glancing to the Doctor, who'd quietly crept beside him. Silco glanced from his secret observer's face to the research documents held in a folder tucked closed to his chest.

"You can take her, if you wish..." the Doctor permitted, licking his lips while ignoring how Silco raised a brow towards him, "I have a variant of Shimmer that acts as fuel for certain technologies. It still needs to be worked on, but it should work for her."

Silco turned back to the humanoid machination before him, thinking.

"I know how much you fancy your monsters," the Doctor commented, as he made his way towards the laboratory door, leaving Silco to reach a decision.

A monster, huh? Silco pondered over the comment, his eye tracing up and down the unnaturally smoothness and roughness of the machine, how frightening it could be for an enforcer to face such a machination. With a few minor modifications... it doesn't sound half bad.

And lastly a few picrews for A Radioactive Calamity of Love, Bombs & Gore OC. That being the magnificent glory of Ress Bishop:

MARISSA "RESS" BISHOP

[dorothy16]

w4emusical “When they call places, there is this ritual we all do together as a company before the curtain goes up,” he says. “There is a line in the show: ‘Step right up and put some wind in your sails.’ So we form a circle and say ‘step right up’ over and over again until everyone has joined in.” - @grantgust for @townandcountrymag

[cappadocius]

[kerfootswife]

KERFOOTTTTTTTTTTT RAHJHHH

[lurking-lilibeth]

Cassandra's birthday is very simple as well. It's late, and they all had a busy week, so she's happy to celebrate by not celebrating.

[yourdarlingness]

✦ Our Life: Beginning & Always ~ themed　NPT

╰　DAY 5 of @rumblepumm ' s event !

NAMES ︙　cove . seashell . shoal . shoaliette . sholiene . ocean . oceanide . lake . river . riverine . aqua . aqua(mu)rette . aquamarine . coralle . coralette . creek . everett . evelyn . eve . teary . tearie . tweary . tearfall(e) . teardrop . poppy . popp(i)ette . poppeine . lee . lily . leslie / lesley . lynn . francine . jackie . ari . aria . arielle . claire . elizabeth . liz / lizzy / lizzie . lizette . elyssa . elysia . reagan . noe . lain . macy . baxter . bax . baxley . barley . oakley . alexander . oliver . ollie . spade . mono . vince . victor . vincent . vinny . chester . derek . darren . dylan . daryl . darcy . darlene . devon . jaime . jamie . james . jay . taylor . harper . ash(e) . paula . pamela . pauline . miranda . randy . marissa . margot . sage . faith . melissa . terry . alex . robin . radley . marshall . max . chase . jeremy . archie . jayden . jonathan . misery . miserine . miser(i)ette . kyra . kyla . kylie . kyrelle . kier . sydney . chantel(le) . eleanor . shiloh . scout . asher . willow . adam . scott . jude . jade

PRNS ︙　sea . wa / wave . sea / shell / seashell . sea / foam / seafoam . sea / bun / seabun . wae / water / waterfall . pud / puddle . su / surf . ae / aqua . tea / tear(y) . shy . cry . fi / fish . swi / swim . co / cor / coral . pop / poppy . li / lily . da / dance . ste / steps . rhy / rhythm . mo(e) / mono . wa / waltz . fe / fetch . fri / friends . mie / mis / misery . si / silly . lo / love . ado / adore . he(a) / heart . 💧 . 🌊 . 🐚 . 🦈 . 🦑 . 🦞 . ⛴️ . 🚢 . ⛵ . 🎹 . ♠️ . ♣️ . 🖤 . 🎧 . 🎵 . 🎶 . 🎼 . ⚽ . 🏈

TITLES ︙　the alluring mermaid/merman/merperson . the heart of the sea . the [x] / prn who was washed ashore . prns graceful/tidal wave . prn whose soul is pure . the [x] with a peaceful life . prn who surfs . the lady / maiden / [x] of the deep sea . the one who sets sail . the [x] in the sea of stars . prns aquatic adventure . the [x] in coral reefs . prn who swims with fishes/sharks/etc (any aquatic animals) . the [x] of the blue waves . the seashell collector . the master of waltz . the born dancer / prn who is a born dancer . the ballroom dancer . the divine dancer . the charming dancer . the Victorian-era emo man . the one of all smiles . prn who is monochromatic . prn who moves flawlessly . the dancer of arts . the one with conflicting feelings . the [x] whose story begins . prns prologue . prns beginnings . prns start of dreams . prns opening acts/chapter . the [x]'s new beginnings . prns new chapter . prns divine plot twist

[x] — any nouns　;　examples below

the angel who was washed ashore

the ghost whose story begins

the boy of the blue waves

sorry that its long :3

[toastedcinnamonflakes]

Guide on How to Improve Your Reading Level

So. You want to improve your reading level. You currently read only “easy” stories – for example Colleen Hoover. But you want to challenge yourself. You want to read more.

Well, let me help you. I am compiling a guide for you here to help you get more advanced with your reading. I have sorted literature into different levels, and will give you suggestions for each level. This is not an all-encompassing guide, more like a guideline – obviously I don’t know every single author. I will try to stick to authors that are all also available in English, but if one or two sneak in that are not available in English, or your main language, I apologise. I encourage you to seek suggestions outside of this, too. A good place to get good recommendations and not just the same five #BookTok books over and over again are actually newspapers and magazines with a Feuilleton! You can also message me for some tips, or find other book blogs on tumblr. I am sure most are glad to help.

I am not sorting these books by categories like “Children’s books”, “Young adult” or similar, because I find that within those loose categories, books can vary wildly. Instead, I am focusing on complexity, length, necessary existing knowledge and other factors. Without further ado, let me begin!

Level 1: Books that are short, to the point, without complex vocabulary. There usually are no metaphors there, and if there are, you do not necessarily HAVE to dive into them, the story makes sense nonetheless. You do not need to have any pre-existing knowledge to understand them, either. They are also either stand-alones or can be read as stand-alones, so you do not have to commit to a long series.

Such books are:

Most books by Dyanna Wynne Jones, especially her Fantasy novels

Books by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Most books by Leigh Bardugo (although is STRONGLY discourage you from reading the Shadow and Bone trilogy, those books are messy, unimaginative and kinda sexist. She found her literary footing after that.)

Books by Michael Ende

Most books by Erich Kästner (his few excursions into adult literature are more complex and require some previous knowledge about the Weimar Republic)

Books by Alexander Kielland Krag

Books by Walter Moers

Most books by V.E. Schwab

Books by Axie Oh

Books by Naomi Novik

Books by Casey McQuiston

Books by Kai Meyer

Books by Marissa Meyer

Books by T.J. Klune

Level 2: Now we are coming onto books that, while mostly still short, use a bit more complex vocabulary and/or metaphor. So, you might be required to not take everything literally and do a bit of interpretation. Occasionally, you might need to do a quick Wikipedia read to get context for the book. The characters are becoming a bit more complex, too, but often the text itself explains character’s motivations/thoughts directly.

Books that fit that description are for example:

"Convenience Store Woman" by Sayaka Murata

“Swimming in the Dark” by Tomasz Jędrowski

“Kim Jiyoung, born 1982” by Cho Nam-Joo

Books by Phillip Pullman, in particular his “Golden Compass” Trilogy

“Iron Widow” by Xiran Jay Zhao

“Fire and Hemlock” by Dyanna Wynne Jones

Books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Books by Celeste Ng

“The last Unicorn” by Peter S. Beagle

Level 3: Now we are reaching books that use complex vocabulary, maybe you even need to look up a word or two (but this is how you expand your own vocabulary). The sentences are more complex, the stories are constructed in a more complex way (but still usually follow one narrative string), the characters are most of the time nuanced. You will need to pay attention to the subtext and do some interpreting of your own. Some of these books have the labels “classic” attached to them, but don’t let that scare you – in fact, for most classics, you will be able to look up information/interpretations online if you are struggling. We also have some books now that are either parts of a longer series or parts of a bigger canon (not all of them, some are still stand-alones).

Such books are for example:

Books by Agatha Christie

Books by Selma Lagerlöf (although I have to say, she very often uses metaphors, dream-sequences and similar narrative devices)

Books by Terry Pratchett

Andrzej Sapkowski’s “Witcher”Saga

“The Shadow land” by Elizabeth Kostova

Books by Joan Lindsay

“A hero of our time” by Michail Lermontow

“Sauhund” by Lion Christ

Most books/short stories by Nikolai Gogol

Some of Stanislaw Lem’s books, like “The Star Diaries”, “Tales of Pirx the Pilot”

Books by Hanne Ørstavik, particularly the books before “Love”

Books by Gerd Brantenberg

“Revolutionary Road” by Richard Yates

“Carmilla” by Sheridan Le Fanu

The “Sherlock Holmes” Stories by Arthur Conan Doyle

Level 4: On this level, the vocabulary is advanced and the sentence structure is complex. The characters are multi-dimensional, complicated and explored on a psychological level.

The books want to say something, and often say it through the use of metaphors. You need to be attentive while reading, maybe even take some notes, if you really want to get to the bottom with your interpretation. Still, the books follow a (mostly) clear plotline and while there are occasionally some “non-realistic” elements in them like Dreams, they are still somewhat grounded in a fictional reality that mostly mirrors our own. Many of these novels are also long.

Jane Austen’s books

Fyodor Dostoevsky’s books

“Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier

“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte

“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte

“Agnes Grey” and “The Tennant of Wildfell Hall” by Anne Bronte

Plays by Friedrich Schiller

Plays by Henrik Ibsen

Most books by the Strugatzki brothers

“War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina” by Lew Tolstoi

“Dracula” by Bram Stoker

“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley

books by Jeannette Winterson

books by Charles Dickens

Short stories by Anton Tschechow

Books by Michail Bulgakow

Level 5: Now we have reached the territory of the truly advanced reader. These books are not simple by any stretch of the word. These novels are not always more complex than the ones on level four vocabularly-wise, but they require you to have pre-existing knowledge of other works of literature (they often make references). You need to pay close attention while reading, perhaps re-read passages multiple times. The structure of these novels is often non-linear and/or experimental. They are mostly not “realistic”, rely heavily on metaphors, symbols and signs within the text. They can be confusing at times. Often, they play with the language and experiment. The meaning of these novels is multi-layered, and interpretations can differ wildly.

Such books are:

“If on a winter’s night a traveler” by Italo Calvino

“The experiment” by the brothers Strugatzki

Almost everything by Karen Blixen (“Out of Africa” is a bit easier, though still very complex and there are many symbols in that novel, too)

Books by Jon Fosse

“The Key” by Junichiro Tanizaki

Books by Osamu Dazai

“Catherine House” by Elisabeth Thomas (okay, I was conflicted where to put this – the vocab is not that difficult, but the structure is very unclear and dream-like and it puts a lot of emphasis on symbols. Maybe it would be good to start your journey to Level 5 novels with this one, if you are not very confident in your reading abilities)

Books by Han Kang

“The futurological congress” by Stanislaw Lem

Books by Günter Grass

“The Man Outside” by Wolfgang Borchert

Books by Slavenka Draculic (specifically her novels, her essays have a different style, obviously)

Books by Sjon

Short stories by Edgar Allan Poe

Books by Vladimir Sorokin

Books by Angela Carter

“Kult” by Ljubko Deresch

Most books by Vladimir Nabokov

Tales by E.T.A. Hoffman

The differing factor between these last two levels often is the STRUCTURE of the novels. I am making this distinction because I have seen that quite a few people struggle with experimentalist/surrealist/non-linear structure.

Others of these stories have a more linear structure, yes, but require you to dig deep beneath the surface to find out the meaning of various symbols in order to interpret the story.

Also, pay attention to the language! Many of these authors, like Nabokov, play around with double-meanings, similar sounding words (homophones) and even more than one language.

I hope this guide helps. Obviously, it is not perfect, but it should give you an idea where to start and where to progress. It is important to have fun while reading, and there is no shame in jumping between the levels. But, you should challenge yourself: You are smart! You can understand difficult things! Yes, it might be hard at first, but precisely because of that you should keep trying. If you never challenge yourself, you will never get better.

I wish you all the best on your reading journey <3

[gatheringbones]

[“The stories of criminalized survivors can be hard to read. The violence they have experienced, both at the hands of individuals and the state, is extreme. Narratives about and from those who are directly affected convey that violence in a visceral way and bring to light what many criminalized survivors have struggled with and continue to endure. These stories are offered not because they are sensational but because they are ordinary— they capture the violence inflicted on criminalized survivors every day.

The criminal legal system’s treatment of survivors of gender-based violence raises broader questions about the intersection of the criminal legal system and the antiviolence movement. The antiviolence movement was built through grassroots organizing. Survivor defense, as in the case of Joan Little, was very much a part of that grassroots effort. But the anti-violence movement was also an early adopter of criminal system reforms, advocating for mandatory arrest and strict prosecution policies as early as the 1970s. Some in the antiviolence movement championed VAWA not despite, but rather because of, its support for criminal responses to gender-based violence (and funding to implement those policies). Others swallowed concerns they may have had about forging close alliances with the criminal legal system to ensure VAWA’s passage. Advocates then championed VAWA reauthorizations that required the antiviolence movement to formalize its relationships with the criminal legal system to be eligible for funding.

Over time, antiviolence organizations and law enforcement have become increasingly enmeshed, so much so, Bierria has observed, that it is “rare for folks who are in direct service organizations to have the capacity to imagine a response outside of the usual paradigm of either direct services or pro-criminalization.” Even as antiviolence organizations recognized the harms done to victims of gender-based violence because of criminalization, most continued to advocate for and benefit from VAWA and related criminal laws and institutions. Bierria and organizer Hyejin Shim have noted that mainstream domestic violence organizations were reluctant to join survivor defense campaigns for criminalized survivors Marissa Alexander and Nan-Hui Jo. In Alexander’s case, prosecutor Angela Corey actively pressured antiviolence organizations to withhold their support. Although Shim was not certain that similar pressure was exerted in Jo’s case, she did “wonder if the reliance of domestic violence orgs on the DA to prosecute batterers and thus legitimize domestic violence work is a barrier” to publicly supporting criminalized survivors.”]

leigh goodmark, from imperfect victims: criminalized survivors and the promises of abolition feminism, 2023

[blackcrowing]

Blackcrowing's Master Reading List

I have created a dropbox with pdfs I have gathered over the years, I have done my best to only allow access to documents which I found openly available through sites like JSTOR, Archive.org, or other educational resources with papers available for download.

That being said I ALSO recommend (I obviously have not read all of these but they are either in my library or I intend to add them)

📚 Celtic/Irish Pagan Books

The Morrighan: Meeting the Great Queens, Morgan Daimler

Raven Goddess: Going Deeper with the Morríghan, Morgan Daimler

Irish Paganism: Reconstructing Irish Polytheism, Morgan Daimler

Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom, Erynn Rowan Laurie

Celtic Cosmology and the Otherworld: Myths, Orgins, Sovereignty and Liminality, Sharon Paice MacLeod

Celtic Myth and Religion, Sharon Paice MacLeod

A Guide to Ogam Divination, Marissa Hegarty (I'm leaving this on my list because I want to support independent authors. However, if you have already read Weaving Word Wisdom this book is unlikely to further enhance your understanding of ogam in a divination capacity)

The Book of the Great Queen, Morpheus Ravenna

Litany of The Morrígna, Morpheus Ravenna

Celtic Visions, Caitlín Matthews

Harp, Club & Calderon, Edited by Lora O'Brien and Morpheus Ravenna

Celtic Cosmology: Perspectives from Ireland and Scotland, Edited by Jacqueline Borsje and others

Polytheistic Monasticism: Voices from Pagan Cloisters, Edited by Janet Munin

📚 Celtic/Irish Academic Books

Early Medieval Ireland 400-1200, Dáibhí Ó Cróinín

The Sacred Isle, Dáithi Ó hÓgáin

The Ancient Celts, Berry Cunliffe

The Celtic World, Berry Cunliffe

Irish Kingship and Seccession, Bart Jaski

Early Irish Farming, Fergus Kelly

Studies in Irish Mythology, Grigory Bondarnko

Prehistoric Archaeology of Ireland, John Waddell

Archeology and Celtic Myth, John Waddell

Understanding the Celtic Religion: Revisiting the Past, Edited by Katja Ritari and Alexandria Bergholm

A Guide to Ogam, Damian McManus

Cesar's Druids: an Ancient Priesthood, Miranda Aldhouse Green

Animals in Celtic Life and Myth, Miranda Aldhouse Green

The Gods of the Celts, Miranda Green

The Celtic World, Edited by Miranda J Green

Myth and History in Celtic and Scandinavian Tradition, Edited by Emily Lyle

Ancient Irish Tales, Edited by Tom P Cross and Clark Haris Slover

Cattle Lords and Clansmen, Nerys Patterson

Celtic Heritage, Alwyn and Brinley Rees

Ireland's Immortals, Mark Williams

The Origins of the Irish, J. P. Mallory

In Search of the Irish Dreamtime, J. P. Mallory

The Táin, Thomas Kinsella translation

The Sutton Hoo Sceptre and the Roots of Celtic Kingship Theory, Michael J. Enright

Celtic Warfare, Giola Canestrelli

Irish Customs and Beliefs, Kevin Danaher

Pagan Celtic Ireland, Barry Raftery

Cult of the Sacred Center, Proinsais Mac Cana

Mythical Ireland: New Light on the Ancient Past, Anthony Murphy

Early Medieval Ireland AD 400-1100, Aidan O'Sullivan and others

The Festival of Lughnasa, Máire MacNeill

Curse of Ireland, Cecily Gillgan

📚 Indo-European Books (Mostly Academic and linguistic)

Dictionary of Indo-European Concepts and Society, Emily Benveniste

A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principle Indo-European Languages, Carl Darling Buck

The Horse, the Wheel and Language, David W. Anthony

Comparative Indo-European Linguistics, Robert S.P. Beekes

In Search of the Indo-Europeans, J.P. Mallory

Indo-European Mythology and Religion, Alexander Jacob

Some of these books had low print runs and therefore can be difficult to find and very expensive... SOME of those books can be found online with the help of friends... 🏴‍☠️

library genesis might be a great place to start... hint hint...

My kofi

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🎂 Birthday Book Haul 🎂

❓ What was the last book mail you received (if it was from a fellow Bookstagrammer, tag them to voice your appreciation!)?

🦇 Hey there, bookish bats! Today I want to send a huge thank you to the friends who made my birthday extra special this year by sending these stunning, amazing books to me for my birthday! Every purchase, which were all through Bookshop.org (link in bio!), supported Charis Books and More! Thank you to Sareen, Amy, and Taz for these amazing gifts!

📚 Books featured: ✨ Special edition of Cinder - Marissa Meyer ✨ A Novel Love Story - Ashley Poston ✨ How You Get the Girl - Anita Kelly ✨ Truly, Madly, Deeply - Alexandria Bellefleur ✨ Triple Sec - TJ Alexander ✨ Hearts of Darkness - Jana Monroe ✨ Mooncakes - Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu ✨ I'll Give You the Sun - Jandy Nelson ✨ The Wrath & the Dawn - Renee Ahdieh ✨ The Rose & the Dagger - Renee Ahdieh

[simplegenius042]

Stupid Ass Ship & Silly Ship Templates

Tagged by @imogenkol

Tagging @direwombat @spookyrares @derelictheretic @inafieldofdaisies @socially-awkward-skeleton @noodlecupcakes @voidika @cassietrn @adelaidedrubman @aceghosts @josephseedismyfather @icecutioner @shallow-gravy @strangefable @statichvm @cloudofbutterflies92 @carlosoliveiraa @wrathfulrook @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @minilev @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @justasmolbard @alypink @shellibisshe @josephslittledeputy @skoll-sun-eater @g0dspeeed @afarcryfrommymain @strafethesesinners @turbo-virgins @softtidesworld @florbelles and @yokobai + anyone else who want to join.

Just two silly little ship templates for two lesser known ships that I don't yap about so often. First the Stupid Ass Ship for Ress and Piper from my Fallout series A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore and a Silly ship template for John and Nadi from FC5 and my The Silver Chronicles series. You can find them below the cut:

[Translation for the unreadable:

What brings them together?

Ress isn't entirely human (her words and actions make that very clear) so there's already a pique of curiosity there, she's also been around in other parts of America + is a daughter from the Bishop Crime Family, so Piper gets a really good scoop here. Also the Occult and the Institute are threats that need to be exposed. So common interest (even when both women get on each other's nerves sometimes).

What is keeping them/kept them apart?

Both have insecurities and fears. Piper's been ridiculed and ostracized by her community even when she's been well-meaning, and she's afraid that friends and family find her annoying and want her to go away. Ress has lost friends and family, one of whom (her brother Ore) was the only one (like her) who could also live past the expected lifespan. So its less she doesn't want to be with Piper, and more she doesn't want to experience the pain of losing her so quickly. So Ress puts up a overconfident douche front to keep Piper at arms length.

Describe their meet-cute poorly:

Nigh-Immortal woman finds a journalist yapping outside Diamond City's walls, decides to help her get inside using poorly disguised fake mustache, glasses and wigs to trick the guard to let them in. Somehow, it works.]

[Translation for the Unreadable:

(John's) Quote about [Nadi]:

"Nadi is an exceptional follower of the Project, and one of my most loyal faithful. She's come so far in overcoming her sins."

(Nadi's) Quote about [John]:

"John is the reason I'm here today. He gave me purpose, a home and something worth believing in."

Here are the blank templates below:

[themakeupbrush]

List of Met Galas since 2001

I've gotten a few asks for a list of Met Galas. Technically, the gala has existed since 1948, and been themed since 1973, but I started at 2001 to keep it short (there was no gala in 2000 apparently). If you're interested in every theme that's ever existed, there's a chart on Wikipedia.

Most lists online start somewhere around 2011-2013, since it wasn't covered by the press the same way before then.

2001 Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Christina and Lindsay Owen-Jones, Annette and Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera Caroline Kennedy and Edwin A. Schlossberg

Sponsor: L'Oreal

2003 Goddess: The Classical Mode

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Tom Ford, Nicole Kidman

Sponsor: Gucci

2004 Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Renée Zellweger, Lawrence Stroll, Silas Chou, Edgar Bronfman Jr. Jacob Rothschild, Jayne Wrightsman

Sponsor: Asprey

2005 The House of Chanel

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld, Nicole Kidman Caroline, Princess of Hanover

Sponsor: Chanel

2006 AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Christopher Bailey, Sienna Miller Rose Marie Bravo, The Duke of Devonshire

Sponsor: Burberry

2007 Poiret: King of Fashion

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Cate Blanchett, Nicolas Ghesquière François-Henri Pinault

Sponsor: Balenciaga

2008 Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Giorgio Armani

Sponsor: Giorgio Armani

2009 The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Kate Moss, Justin Timberlake Marc Jacobs

Sponsor: Marc Jacobs

Ticket Price: $7,500

2010 American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Oprah Winfrey, Patrick Robinson

Sponsor: Gap

2011 Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Colin Firth, Stella McCartney François-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek

Sponsor: Alexander McQueen

2012 Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Carey Mulligan, Miuccia Prada, Jeff Bezos

Sponsor: Amazon

2013 Punk: Chaos to Couture

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Rooney Mara, Lauren Santo Domingo, Riccardo Tisci Beyoncé

Sponsor: Moda Operandi

Ticket Price: $15,000

2014 Charles James: Beyond Fashion

Co-chairs: Aerin Lauder, Anna Wintour, Bradley Cooper, Oscar de la Renta, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch

Sponsor: AERIN

Ticket Price: $25,000

Theme Announcement: September 4th, 2013

2015 China: Through the Looking Glass

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Jennifer Lawrence, Gong Li, Marissa Mayer, Wendi Murdoch, Silas Chou

Sponsor: Yahoo

Ticket Price: $25,000

Theme Announcement: September 11th, 2014

2016 Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Taylor Swift, Idris Elba, Jonathan Ive Nicolas Ghesquière, Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada

Sponsor: Apple

Ticket Price: $30,000

Theme Announcement: October 13th, 2015

2017 Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady, Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, Rei Kawakubo

Sponsor: Apple, Condé Nast, Farfetch, H&M, Maison Valentino

Ticket Price: $30,000

Theme Announcement: October 21st, 2016

2018 Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Rihanna, Amal Clooney, Donatella Versace Christine and Stephen A. Schwarzman

Sponsors: Christine and Stephen A. Schwarzman, Versace

Ticket Price: $30,000

Theme Announcement: November 8th, 2017 (currently the latest they've announced the theme)

2019 Camp: Notes on Fashion

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Serena Williams, Alessandro Michele

Sponsor: Gucci

Ticket Price: $35,000

Theme Announcement: October 9th, 2018

Planned for May 4, 2020 (canceled) About Time: Fashion and Duration

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Meryl Streep, Emma Stone, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Nicolas Ghesquière

Sponsor: Louis Vuitton

September 2021 In America: A Lexicon of Fashion

Co-chairs: Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman, Naomi Osaka, Tom Ford, Adam Mosseri, Anna Wintour

Sponsor: Instagram

Ticket Price: $35,000

2022 In America: An Anthology of Fashion

Co-chairs: Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Regina King, Tom Ford, Adam Mosseri, Anna Wintour

Sponsor: Instagram

Ticket Price: $35,000

2023 Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty

Co-chairs: Anna Wintour, Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penélope Cruz, Roger Federer

Sponsors: Chanel, Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld (brand)

Ticket Price: $50,000 (most expensive to date)

Theme Announcement: September 30th, 2022

[izzy-mccalla]

Water for Elephants - Broadway - March 3, 2024

Gregg Edelman (Mr. Jankowski), Stan Brown (Camel), Wade McCollum (Wade), Joe De Paul (Walter), Sara Gettelfinger (Barbara), Paul Alexander Nolan (August/Charlie), Isabelle McCalla (Marlena/June), Grant Gustin (Jacob Jankowski), Antoine Boissereau, Rachael Boyd, Paul Castree, Taylor Colleton, Isabella Luisa Diaz, Keaton Hentoff-Killian, Nicolas Jelmoni, Caroline Kane, Michael Mendez, Gabriel Olivera De Paula Costa, Samiel Renaud, Marissa Rosen, Charles South, Sean Stack, Matthew Varvar

do not repost

[dwsavideos]

My WATER FOR ELEPHANTS Opinion • The Big Top on Broadway!

Going into this show, I already liked the songs, but I didn’t know the story at all because I haven’t read the book or seen the movie (I just knew there was a circus lol). I went into it fairly blind, and what I saw on that stage for two and a half hours was nothing short of whimsical. I’ve gotta give a review of my experience without giving too much of the plot away- so this is gonna be kind of informal. I’m basically just gonna talk about what I love about this show because it definitely has flaws like any show does, but I genuinely think people are being too hard on this show. It has so much potential, so much insane superhuman talent, and it is so well designed. Just because there aren’t 50 Cirque du Soleil-esque acts or Grammy winning pop songs in it doesn’t make it bad. Not to mention that the original source material was difficult to work with for sure! I think that while this show is far from mainstream, it still has that classic flashy Broadway show vibe- and what a relief that is. I could talk about this show and the talented people in it for ages. My messages and asks are always open, so if you want to share an opinion or experience, or wanna chat about the show, I’m here for it! Okay, time to dive in:

For some background information, Water For Elephants is set in America during the 1930s, (I think 1931) and of course, at a traveling circus called Benzini Brother’s Circus which is in great financial trouble and is definitely not the most spectacular circus during that time. They manage to stay afloat under the management of the ringmaster, August played by Paul Alexander Nolan. Throughout the show, we see signs that the circus performers and workers (Kinkers and Rousts), and the animals are not treated fairly by August.

Jacob Jankowski played by Grant Gustin is a young man on the run from his personal troubles and jumps onto the nearest train, not knowing or caring where it was going. He meets some dodgy characters who reveal themselves as Rousts or circus stagehand workers (Wade being the main, scariest one, played by Wade McCollum). Jacob soon meets an older Roust named Camel, played by Stan Brown. Camel convinces Jacob to stay at least one day. Jacob doesn’t love the idea, and neither does Wade. They come to an agreement and all parties reluctantly decide to work together for one day only. One day turns into a lot longer- and now the fun begins.

The ensemble had great dancers and amazing circus artists (who also all danced). The circus artists in this show are unnamed ensemble characters, so I will call them by their actual names (There were a few swings on the night I saw the show): Antoine Boissereau, Gabriel Olivera, Isabella Diaz, Keaton Hentoff-Killian, Nicolas Jelmoni, Harley McLeish, Sam Renaud, and Alex Royer.

The ensemble of dancers who play Kinkers and Rousts were: Brandon Block, Paul Castree, Caroline Kane, Marissa Rosen, Charles South, Sean Stack, Matthew Varvar, and Michelle West.

The understudies and swings who were on as leads and featured characters for this performance were: Samantha Gershman as Marlena, Taylor Colleton as Barbara, and Michael Mendez as Walter. The ensemble and circus swings were Brandon Block, Michelle West, and Harley McLeish. As usual, Gregg Edelman played Mr. Jankowski. Almost every single one of these performers was a puppeteer at some point in the show.

The great circus stunts start right off the bat in the second number “The Road Don’t Make You Young” when the cast sets up the big top tent. Needless to say, their Tony Performance of this song does not do this cast justice at all. Seeing this live was awesome. Especially Gabriel Olivera, Isabella Diaz, Keaton Hentoff-Killian, and Alex Royer doing impressive (and kinda scary) tricks on the Chinese Pole and then also singing and dancing with the rest of the company like it was nothing. The number also included many hand to hand tricks where Alex and Isabella were thrown and flipped and caught by their porters. They made it look effortless. Some other big circus numbers were “The Lion Has Got No Teeth”, “The Grand Spec”, and “Zostań”. In the span of these numbers, there were flips, hand to hand tricks, aerial acrobatics, juggling, Chinese pole, Cyr wheel, hula hoops, and more! There were even several quick scenes that was just a few circus performs on stage doing their thing!

Also, I have to say that Grant Gustin was great! He has a great voice and he portrayed Jacob brilliantly considering his character is pretty bland. Paul Alexander Nolan stole the show as many good villains tend to do. Samantha Gershman didn’t miss a beat as Marlena, and her voice was stunning! Wade McCollum as Wade was one of my favorite performances as far as acting goes (plus he has one hell of a voice). And the ensemble of both the dancers and circus performers were out of this world. The choreography was so fun to watch and the way it was mixed perfectly with the circus tricks had me on the edge of my seat every time there was a big group number.

My favorite three moments in the show:

3: The Stampede: For a show with lots of fun tricks, colorful costumes, and flashy numbers, things got pretty dark towards the end. I won’t get into the really dark part, but one scene near the end that was really well done was a scene without any singing or dancing- the Stampede. This scene was staged incredibly, and it was very haunting. The cast turned into puppeteers and their movements along with the lighting design, sound design, and Gregg Edelman’s narration caused it to be impossible to even blink during this scene. In particular, Caroline Kane did a fantastic job portraying Rosie the Elephant for this scene and throughout the show. She was one of the six people who puppeteered Rosie. Caroline controlled Rosie’s trunk and also conveyed Rosie’s emotions with her facial expressions. At times, she was the sole person responsible for making us believe there was an elephant on stage- and she was brilliant. She portrayed Rosie’s joy, pain, fear, and anger so so well!

2: The Dream/“Go Home”: This moment was before the stampede scene, and it was so cool to watch. Once again, the lighting design and staging was very well done, and Grant Gustin was excellent in this scene as he grappled with his inner thoughts. In Theatre, a dream sequence scene could sometimes be corny, but this one was necessary. Another very haunting moment in the show, this dream sequence came at a pivotal time in the plot, and gave us a deeper look into Jacob’s mind, along with a major choice that he had to make. The beginning of the scene was like something out of the 2013 Pippin revival, with the circus performers nightmarishly taunting Jacob on a dimly lit stage. August made an appearance too, also taunting Jacob- who’s conscience was trying to tell him to murder August. During this dream, the circus performers become an ensemble of Jacob’s fears and desires. They do daring stunts, walking and sliding backwards on tightropes, twirl in aerial hoops, two performers juggle knives- tossing them back and forth while Jacob stands still in between them. Jacob grabs a knife from midair and contemplates if he should use it. August cracks his whip at the lion, puppeteered by Gabriel. Soon Marlena and Rosie appear in Jacob’s dream as his only two comforting companions. During this nightmare, things start to get real for Jacob. The opening guitar of “Go Home” begins, and Jacob stands by and watches helplessly as his parents parish in a car accident. The way this car accident is staged is not loud or gruesome, but kind of peaceful- maybe since Jacob didn’t witness it when it happened, it’s how he imagined it or hoped it was like. There is no car at all, but it was easy to tell what’s happening due to the blocking and great choreography. Jacob’s parents are portrayed by Keaton and Alex- Keaton pretends to hold on to the wheel until blaring headlights flash in their faces and disaster strikes in slow motion. The other circus performers are assembled behind Jacob’s parents, staged as if they’re pushing them into their demise. After impact, Keaton and Alex are physically pulled out from that reality by the others, and back into the circus troupe. The movement and choreography in this scene is what carries the story as Jacob sings the song “Go Home”. The song ends with the ensemble softly singing “there’s nothing you won’t do/there’s nothing you can do” over and over as Jacob holds a knife, hovered over a sleeping August. The song ends with the characters back in reality. All in all, this scene was a great mesh of musical theatre, physical theatre, and circus.

1: “Easy”: When Jacob and the audience first meets Marlena. Here, she’s caring for her beloved injured horse Silver Star, puppeteered by two circus performers Antoine and Keaton. The horse puppet timidly approaches Marlena, limping. As Keaton left the scene, Antoine smoothly handed off the Silver Star puppet (head) to Marlena, who sang as she simultaneously soothed and controlled the horse’s head while it rested on her lap in pain. Then Antoine’s aerial silk act began. It was an outstanding and elegant thing to watch. He perfectly portrayed the spirit of Silver Star longing to be healthy and free. He swung over the audience in an aerial dance, and at one point, he swung out as the silks held him by his neck. His skills during that beautiful routine along with the emotional song that Samantha Gershman sang perfectly was a highlight for sure. Antoine was a standout circus artist and dancer, and was really fun to watch the whole show. If you haven’t gotten the chance, listen to “Easy” on the cast recording- it’s the best song in the album.

Some details I enjoyed:

One of the things I noticed while reading the playbill was the amount of Non-Binary performers in this show! There are five NB performers in W4E. (Let me know of you want to know who they are, because I don’t necessarily name drop here). Interestingly I noticed that every costume that one of the female presenting NB performers wore could be considered gender-neutral such as pants and overalls which looked just like the outfits the men and male presenting cast members wore in the show. I just thought that it was a nice touch that one of the NB performers got to wear gender-neutral costumes in a show that takes place in an era when those who were female presenting rarely wore pants or overalls (especially as a performer). Even the leotard they wore in circus scenes was the same as the male presenting circus performers! I’d love to think that this was a conscious choice by the costume designer and director to put the cast in costumes that they are comfortable in regardless of gender.

Every puppet was so intricate and beautifully designed. I sat fairly close but not too close, and I was able to see so many details of the puppets. They were so colorful, lively, and still so different from puppets in shows like the Lion King or Frozen. But like the Lion King, the actors controlling the puppets are very much included in the puppet’s identity. Their facial expressions and physical movements of their entire body, and even their costume colors play a huge part in each animal’s portrayal. However, in Lion King, many of the puppets are more costume than puppet. In W4E, the only animal that is worn as a costume is an Orangutan played by Alex. Overall, I think this was such a cool and original take on animal puppets on stage.

References to other songs in “Go Home” lyrics: Listening to the cast recording over and over, I realized that there are many melodic and lyrical references to other key songs in “Go Home” which I guess can be considered as the 11 o’clock number of W4E. In the song, there are melodic and lyrical references to the following songs: “Anywhere”, “Easy”, and “What Do You Do?” (GO LISTEN!!) I just love when songs that aren’t a Reprise have references to other songs in musicals. It’s very classic Broadway and great storytelling!

Personally, I loved Water For Elephants! The circus parts were the most fun to watch, and everyone in the cast was so amazing and seemed to be super tight-knit. You’re not going to W4E to delve into some deep subject in a contemporary musical and leave with a bitter sweet feeling and a great message, but does every new musical have to be like that nowadays?? I definitely recommend this show, especially for families or people who love the circus, puppets, or depression-era shows! Water for Elephants is a whimsical spectacle with so many fun moments. I think Broadway needs more of that.

If you’re still here, thank you for reading this entire thing lol!

[dear-indies]

Hi Cat I hope you're having a good day! I'm looking for a female fc who is between 21-30 who has spoken up for Palestine who can play a superhero, please? thanks so much for your time <3

Mina El Hammani (1993) Moroccan.

Raveena Aurora (1993) Punjabi Indian - is pansexual.

Devery Jacobs (1993) Mohawk - is queer.

Sinem Ünsal (1993) Turkish.

Ebru Şahin Osman (1994) Turkish.

Asia Jackson (1994) Ibaloi Filipino and African American.

Hager Ahmed (1994) Egyptian.

Nemahsis (1994) Palestinian.

Rose Williams (1994)

Jasmin Savoy Brown (1994) African-American / White - is queer.

Little Simz (1994) Yoruba Nigerian.

Ahsen Eroğlu (1994) Turkish.

Huda Elmufti (1994) Egyptian.

Bruna Marquezine (1995) Brazilian.

Juliette Motamed (1995) Iranian.

Jessica Darrow (1995) Cuban - is a lesbian.

Hannah Dodd (1995)

Gazini Ganados (1995) Palestinian and Bisaya Filipino.

Luca Hollestelle (1996)

Myha'la (1996) Afro Jamaican / White - is queer.

Josefine Frida Pettersen (1996)

Florence Pugh (1996) - resources in Hawkeye.

Jessie Mei Li (1995) Hongkonger / English - is a gender non-conforming woman who uses she/they.

Grace Van Dien (1996)

Lauren Jauregui (1996) Cuban [Spanish, possibly other], likely some Basque - is bisexual.

Thea Sofie Loch Naess (1996)

Tavi Gevinson (1996) Ashkenazi Jewish / Norwegian [converted to Judaism].

Zara Larsson (1997)

Alisha Boe (1997) Somali / White.

Melis Sezen (1997) Turkish.

Alison Oliver (1997) - donated an auction to Cinema4Gaza.

Bahar Şahin (1997) Turkish.

Lori Harvey (1997) African-American.

Sisi Stringer (1997) African Australian.

Piper Curda (1997) Korean / English, Scottish - is apsec.

Iman Meskini (1997) Tunisian / White.

Janella Salvador (1998) Bisaya Filipino.

Esmeralda Soto (1998) Mexican.

May Elghety (1998) Egyptian.

Ethel Cain (1998) - is a trans bisexual and autistic woman.

Joanna Arida (1998) Jordadian.

Benedetta Porcaroli (1998)

Isabella Gomez (1998) Colombian.

Angel Guardian (1998) Palestinian and Filipino.

Máiréad Tyers (1998)

Jessica Alexander (1999)

Kenna Sharp (1999) - is queer.

Samara Joy (1999) African-American.

Sherry-Lee Watson (1999) Arrernte.

Noor Taher (1999) Palestinian and Lebanese.

Sab Zada (1999) Chinese, Filipino, and Hispanic.

Anthony Lexa (2000) - is a trans woman.

Marissa Bode (2000) African-American - is disabled.

Maisie Peters (2000)

Odessa A'zion (2000) Ashkenazi Jewish, English, some Irish, Northern Irish, Welsh, German.

Reneé Rapp (2000) - is a lesbian.

Nazlı Çetin (2000) Turkish.

Cat Burns (2000) Liberian - is queer, autistic and has ADHD.

Frida Argento (2000)

Andria Tayeh (2001) Jordanian and Lebanese.

Freya Allan (2001)

Rachel Zegler (2001) Colombian / White.

Amybeth Mcnulty (2001)

Nora Dari (2001) Moroccan-Belgian.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (2001) Tamil.

Asena Keskinci (2001) Turkish.

Kei Kurosawa (2001) Bisaya Filipino and Japanese.

Rhea Norwood (2001) - has type 1 diabetes.

Asher Yasbincek (2001/2002)

Denise Julia (2002) Filipino - is pansexual.

Yara Mustafa (2002) Jordanian.

Jenna Ortega (2002) Mexican and Puerto Rican.

Hope this helps!

[sandybrett]

WOE.BEGONE Character Playlists, Part 2

Here are all my character playlists for WOE.BEGONE characters who are not, have never been, and will presumably never be Mike Walters. Listed in order of first appearance. Cut for length and possible vague spoilers.

Matt

"The Magician" by Dizzy "The Winding Stair Mountain Blues" by the Turnpike Troubadours "Cuyahoga Canal" by The Taxpayers (suggested on the Discord) "Down Here" by the Turnpike Troubadours "Research Me Obsessively" from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Anne

"She Lives (In a Time of Her Own)" by The Judybats "A Shot in the Arm" by Wilco "Bravado" by Lorde "We Can Build a Fire" by Autoheart (from a collaborative Ty/Mike playlist) "Shot at the Title" by Curtis McMurtry "The Bonnie Dell House" by Sarah and the Safe Word (from @fortunechaos's Cowgirl Anne playlist)

Ryan & Cannonball

"Turn The Lights Off" by Tally Hall (suggested on Discord) "Blast Doors" by Everything Everything (from Percival's playlist)

Hunter

"So-Called Friend" by Uncle Tupelo "Hanging Tree" by Tim Easton "Heel Turn 1" by The Mountain Goats (suggested by @solipsistful) "Chaplinesque" by Curtis McMurtry "Harvest" by I See Hawks In L.A. "Heel Turn 2" by The Mountain Goats (from @solipsistful's playlist) "Burning Bed" by The Backsliders "When Will You Die?" by They Might Be Giants "Gaucho" by Steely Dan "Can't Cheat Death" by The Ballroom Thieves (from @fortunechaos's Mikey playlist) "my tears richochet" by Taylor Swift "A Fond Farewell" by Elliott Smith

Chance & Shadow

"Emmylou" by First Aid Kit (suggested by @woebegonepod on Discord) "Trouble's Here" by Jann Browne "Don't Follow" by Shelby Merry (from @auxilion's playlist)

Marissa & Charlie

"Old Slew Foot" by Rose Maddox "Miss Marissa" by Reckless Kelly "The Girl I Can't Forget" by Fountains of Wayne "Wilder than Her" by Dar Williams "Don't Follow" by Shelby Merry (from @auxilion's playlist) "it's time to get good at darts" by Brian David Gilbert

Edgar

"What A Heavenly Way To Die" by Troye Sivan "Flaws" by Bastille (from Scholastic Arson's Edgar playlist) "FOOLS" by Troye Sivan "Don't Ask Me Why" by The Backsliders "Body Paint" by Arctic Monkeys (suggested by @fortunechaos) "Out of the Picture" by Son Volt "When Anger Shows" by Editors (from Scholastic Arson's Edgar playlist) "Happiness Will Ruin This Place" by San Fermin (from @ante--meridiem's Mike/Edgar playlist) "I Saw It Coming" by Reckless Kelly "A Lifetime to Find" by Wilco "In Our Bedroom After the War" by Stars (from Scholastic Arson's Edgar playlist) "Mesa, Arizona" by Jeffrey Foucault "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" by Paula Cole "Expert in a Dying Field" by The Beths "IDK You Yet" by Alexander 23 (from @auxilion's playlist) "Ours" by Joe Pug (suggested by @woebegonepod on Discord) "Somewhere in Time" by Reckless Kelly

Ty

"This House Is a Circus" by Arctic Monkeys (suggested by @fortunechaos) "Erase" by They Might Be Giants (from @solipsistful's playlist) "I Love You for Psychological Reasons" by They Might Be Giants (from a collaborative Ty/Mike playlist) "My Ugly" by Cloudfodder (from Scholastic Arson's Ty/Mike playlist) "Skullcrusher Mountain" by Jonathan Coulton (from a collaborative Ty/Mike playlist) "Cowboys are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other" by Ned Sublette "Panoply" by WOE.BEGONE (from @fortunechaos's Tex/Outlaw playlist) "Otters" by Ryan MacIntyre (from @fortunechaos's Tex/Outlaw playlist) "Expert in a Dying Field" by The Beths "Pot Kettle Black" by Wilco "Outlaw Ty" by WOE.BEGONE "Jenny" by the Mountain Goats "It's All Part of the Plan" by the Punch Brothers "Sway" by The Rolling Stones "Blood Orange Morning Light" by Andrew Montana (from finch's Tex/Outlaw playlist)

Felix

"This House Is a Circus" by Arctic Monkeys "Parallel Universes" by Dan Warren (from @ante--meridiem's Mike playlist) "3 AM" by Matchbox Twenty "Working for the Knife" by Mitski

August

"Cowboys are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other" by Ned Sublette "Seven Shells" by Fred Eaglesmith "Almost (Sweet Music)" by Hozier "IDK You Yet" by Alexander 23 (from @auxilion's playlist) "I Saw It Coming" by Reckless Kelly "The Curse of the Blackened Eye" by Orville Peck (from Icarus is Falling's Michael/August playlist) "Mostly Major Chords" by Shayfer James (from @fortunechaos's Mikey playlist)

Jam

"Goody Two Shoes" by Adam Ant "Fun" by Troye Sivan "Gaucho" by Steely Dan "Tonight's the Day" by Wilco "ilomilo" by Billie Eilish "Ours" by Joe Pug "The Ballad of Cowboy Jam" by WOE.BEGONE

Eagle

"Kill a Man" by James and the Shame (from @auxilion's playlist) "Eye" by The Scarring Party (from @auxilion's playlist) "War on War" by Wilco "Epithet Erased: Countdown" by plasterbrain and Dawn M. Bennett (from Percival's playlist)

Songs that I desperately want to put on *someone's* playlist but I don't think they currently fit anyone

"Leavin' Yesterday" by John Howie Jr. and the Rosewood Bluff "Tired of Walking" by James McMurtry "Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But..." by Arctic Monkeys "Man Out of Time" by Elvis Costello "Broken Bed" by James McMurtry "Twist the Knife" by Neko Case