#my personal Bloomsbury group

[legendarydragonperson]

tortured poets department

[blueshistorysims]

February 1923, Henford-on-Bagley, England

Byron’s 28th birthday passed with little fanfare. He didn’t even invite his mother to visit. Instead, he’d spent the last two months holed up in his house, writing correspondence with linguists, philologists, archeologists, etc. He’d taken up Samson’s suggestion and buried himself in his passions, and when someone asked for a person in the UK who could read and translate Akkadian and Aramaic along with fluency in Arabic, he’d eagerly volunteered himself, acting as an additional translator for recently found tablets. He’d gotten so into it that he’d even had replicas made so he could study them.

When he wasn’t doing that, he’d decided to pick up translating books again, though he used a different name for publishers, but after learning there were no official English translations of the complied tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh that included recent discoveries, he’d thrown himself into it, spending nearly all day in his study and library all day, only leaving to sleep, eat, or bathe. It was an obsession, overtaking every other thought he had, but he supposed it was better than being depressed and drinking, even if it was still isolation

A week after his birthday, Byron received a short letter from Wilhelmina. 

Byron,

I haven’t heard from you in months. I hear you’ve been busy with all sorts of translation work, and I am interested to see what you will do with it—I doubt it is a coincidence that you are writing to the same publishing company my husband uses. Jack is about to publish his third book of poems, and we’re throwing a party to celebrate, and not to flatter myself, but I am a very good hostess, and most of our friends aren’t snobby little lords and ladies, but people I think you would like to get know, writers, artists, scholars, etc. both well known and unknown. Although Jack’s not a member of the Bloomsbury Group, he spends enough time with them I think he should be! It will be on the 2nd of March, Friday evening. The party starts at six, but I implore you to come early and stay with us for the week—there is a new exhibit at the British Museum featuring pre-Anglo-Saxon Celtic Britain, and with your knowledge and mastery of Common Brittonic, I fancy you would make a lovely guide and perhaps we’ll find a dirty phrase or two. I expect a telegram within the next two days once this letter arrives.

Warmest Regards (unless you fail to reply),

Wilhelmina Porter

He laughed, setting the letter down and shaking his head. Wilhelmina, he learned, was something of a hostess, and he’d heard of parties thrown by Jack Porter and his wife, though he’d never known it was her. But it wasn’t what he was thinking about. This, alongside being a letter from a friend, was also the first invitation he’d received since getting divorced, and in truth, he missed his heavy social life in New York, and while he wasn’t accepted among men of his noble rank, she was right. He longed to be in the social circles with the beliefs he held—so it didn’t take very long before he left the library to pack a suitcase for London.  

[internatlvelvet]

hi!! welcome to my blog x

i’m charlie, short for charlotte, 18. this blog is mostly my own posts. i have an extensive and very helpful tag system, so if you’re going to do any searching or any kind on my blog, click ‘read more’ to see it.

i speak french, english, and italian, and am learning korean as well as other languages. interests and posts include:

ANDY WARHOL AND HIS FACTORY, mainly susan bottomly. under my susan bottomly tag you will find my archive of every photo of her i’ve ever found.

MANIC STREET PREACHERS, 90s welsh rock band

THE BLOOMSBURY GROUP, an early 20th century group of writers and artists including virginia woolf, vanessa bell, duncan grant, and rupert brooke

OLD HOLLYWOOD, mainly loretta young, tyrone power, charles “buddy” rogers, and jean harlow

other actors including bruce robinson, drew barrymore, jane seymour, hugh grant, and scout taylor-compton

THE CRANBERRIES, mainly dolores o’riordan

HISTORY, mainly english medieval and tudor

LOONA—there will be the occasional kpop post but don’t be frightened lol x

thanks for stopping by!!! i’d love to be friends and am open to all interaction :) dms are open!!!!!

TAGGING SYSTEM: ⬇️

each person on my blog follows the rules of my tagging system… very helpful if you’re looking for a specific photo or specific kinds of photos!! i.e., nicky wire with black hair, vogue magazine scans, side profiles, etc. rules below:

anyone and everyone on my blog is tagged with the hair color and style they’re wearing in each photo. i.e.:

haseul black hair

susan long hair

drew short blonde hair

nicky red hair

dates are also categorized, both broadly and specifically…

2020s

1966

susan bottomly 1970s

nicky wire 1990s

may 2024

6/05/24

main colors in the photo are also tagged, i.e….

black and white

loretta young black and white

purple

choerry purple

people are tagged….

nicky and richey

jinsoul and choerry

vanessa and duncan

vanessa and angelica

often, magazines, photographers, etc are tagged…

photographer: billy name

elle france

us vogue

photographer: helmut newton

hair: jean louis david

makeup: way bandy

a new system i’m tagging is the way faces are positioned in the photo, and various expressions and odds and ends…

susan bottomly profile

loretta young profile

jinsoul 3/4

jinsoul 3/4 left

tyrone smile

richey edwards candid

all of these types of tags listed can be used for anyone you see here on my blog. have fun exploring!

my tag system is ever-evolving and old posts that aren’t tagged properly are constantly being updated! if you have any questions, shoot me a message or an ask

thank you ❤️❤️❤️

[richincolor]

As I was coming up with a shortlist of books to review later this year, I noticed that there were some really great looking fantasy books headed our way in 2023. Here are three that caught my attention, all by Black authors:

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker Tor Teen

Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen.

On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau—the sixteen-year-old twin heirs to the powerful, magical, dethroned family—are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover their mother isn’t sick—she’s cursed. Cursed by someone on the very magic council their family used to rule. Someone who will come for them next.

Cristina, once a talented and dedicated practitioner of Generational magic, has given up magic for good. An ancient spell is what killed their father and she was the one who cast it. For Clement, magic is his lifeline. A distraction from his anger and pain. Even better than the random guys he hooks up with.

Cristina and Clement used to be each other’s most trusted confidant and friend, now they barely speak. But if they have any hope of discovering who is coming after their family, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other and their family's magic, all while solving the decades-old murder that sparked the still-rising tensions between the city’s magical and non-magical communities. And if they don't succeed, New Orleans may see another massacre. Or worse.

That Self-Same Metal (Forge & Fracture Saga #1) by Brittany N. Williams Amulet Books

Sixteen-year-old Joan Sands is a gifted craftswoman who creates and upkeeps the stage blades for William Shakespeare’s acting company, The King’s Men. Joan’s skill with her blades comes from a magical ability to control metal—an ability gifted by her Head Orisha, Ogun. Because her whole family is Orisha-blessed, the Sands family have always kept tabs on the Fae presence in London. Usually that doesn’t involve much except noting the faint glow around a Fae’s body as they try to blend in with London society, but lately, there has been an uptick in brutal Fae attacks. After Joan wounds a powerful Fae and saves the son of a cruel Lord, she is drawn into political intrigue in the human and Fae worlds.

Swashbuckling, romantic, and full of the sights and sounds of Shakespeare’s London, this series starter delivers an unforgettable story—and a heroine unlike any other.

Sing Me to Sleep (Sing Me to Sleep #1) by Gabi Burton Bloomsbury

Saoirse Sorkova survives on lies. As a soldier-in-training at the most prestigious barracks in the kingdom, she lies about being a siren to avoid execution. At night, working as an assassin for a dangerous group of mercenaries, Saoirse lies about her true identity. And to her family, Saoirse tells the biggest lie of all: that she can control her siren powers and doesn't struggle constantly against an impulse to kill.

As the top trainee in her class, Saoirse would be headed for a bright future if it weren't for the need to keep her secrets out of the spotlight. But when a mysterious blackmailer threatens her sister, Saoirse takes a dangerous job that will help her investigate: she becomes personal bodyguard to the crown prince.

Saoirse should hate Prince Hayes. After all, his father is the one who enforces the kingdom's brutal creature segregation laws. But when Hayes turns out to be kind, thoughtful, and charming, Saoirse finds herself increasingly drawn to him-especially when they're forced to work together to stop a deadly killer who's plaguing the city. There's only one problem: Saoirse is that deadly killer.

Featuring an all Black and Brown cast, a forbidden romance, and a compulsively dark plot full of twists, this thrilling YA fantasy is perfect for fans of A Song Below Water and To Kill a Kingdom.

[musingsofmonica]

February 2024 Diverse Read

February 2024 Diverse Reads:

•”My Beloved Life” by Amitava Kumar, February 27, Knopf Publishing Group, Historical/Literary/World Literature/India

•”Whiskey Tender: A Memoir” by Deborah Taffa, February 27, Harper, Personal Memoirs/Women/Cultural, Ethnic & Regional/Native American & Aboriginal

•”I Love You So Much It's Killing Us Both” by Mariah Stovall, February 13, Soft Skull, Contemporary/Coming of Age/Friendship/African American/Women

•”Private Equity: A Memoir” by Carrie Sun, February 13, Penguin Press, Personal Memoirs/Women in Business/Business/Finance/Wealth Management/Investments & Securities

•”Village in the Dark” by Iris Yamashita, February 13, Berkley Books, Mystery & Detective/Police Procedural/Thriller/Suspense/Women

•”Redwood Court” by Délana R. a. Dameron, February 06, Dial Press, Literary/Coming of Age/Women/African American/Southern

•”Wandering Stars” by Tommy Orange, February 27, Knopf Publishing Group, Literary/Cultural Heritage/Native American & Aboriginal

•Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop

Hwang Bo-Reum & Shanna Tan (Translator), February 20, Bloomsbury Publishing, Contemporary/City Life/World Literature/Korea

•”Dreaming of Ramadi in Detroit: Essays

Aisha Sabatini Sloan, February 20, Graywolf, Essays/Cultural, Ethnic & Regional/African American & Black/LGBT/Anthropology/Cultural & Social

•”The Things We Didn't Know” by Elba Iris Pérez, February 06, Gallery Books, Literary/Coming of Age/World Literature/Puerto Rico/20th Century

•“The Fox Maidens” by Robin Ha, February 13, Harperalley, Comics & Graphic Novels/Historical/Fairy Tales/Folklore/Legends & Mythology Fantasy/Romance/LGBT/World Literature/Korea

•”Hope Ablaze” by Sarah Mughal Rana, February 27, Wednesday Books, Magical Realism, Poetry/Religious/Muslim/Social Themes - Activism & Social Justice

•“ASAP” by Axie Oh, February 06, Harperteen, YA/Romance/Contemporary/Coming of Age/Asian American

•”Smoke and Ashes: Opium's Hidden Histories” by Amitav Ghosh, February 13, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Nonfiction/Historical/Travelogue/Memoir/Family History/Essay in History/Globalism/Capitalism

•”Fathomfolk” by Eliza Chan, February 27, Orbit, Fantasy/Action & Adventure/Dragons & Mythical Creatures/East Asian Mythology 

•”Ours” by Phillip B. Williams, February 20, Viking, Literary/Historical/African American/Magical Realism

•”Neighbors and Other Stories” by Diane Oliver, February 13, Grove Press, Short Stories/Literary/Historical/African American & Black

•”Greta & Valdin” by Rebecca K. Reilly, February 06, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, Literary/Romcom/Family Life/LGBT/Cultural Heritage/World Literature/New Zealand/Cultural, Ethnic & Regional/Russian-Maori-Catalonian/Indigenous/Polynesian 

•”The American Daughters” by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, February 27, One World, Historical/Civil War Era/Saga/African American/Women

•”My Side of the River: A Memoir” by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez, January 13, St. Martin's Press, Personal Memoirs/Cultural, Ethnic & Regional/Hispanic & Latino/Public Policy - Immigration

[whimlen]

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ i sometimes post about things ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

⁺₊⋆ personal / fandom blog ⁺₊⋆

banner: Lilies of the Valley by Duncan Grant, 1943

my art is posted under #whim art

some of my long lasting interests include:

~marauders [fuck jkr], lps, greek mythology, the bloomsbury group

I’ll probably also be posting about whatever show I’m currently into or whatever book I’m reading. And like every thought I ever have.

(my personal tag is #on a whim)

[sea-owl]

So this is gonna sound majorly angsty but imagine in the Into the Colinverse, the group finally notices another Colin that they hadn't before. He looks a bit older than Show Colin but younger than book Colin. And when they finally ask about what his world is like he just smiles sadly.

It turns out was the one who made the wish to meet the other Colins because he wanted to know that there was at least one universe out there where he ended up with Penelope. Because in his universe, she is now forever beyond his reach (death,married happily to someone else, etc.) before he ever spoke of his feelings to her or realized them. But at least it seems like in every other universe they are destined to be together which brings him some comfort.

I could probably make it more angsty. Who remembers some of my earlier crack shipping posts, partically this one. Link

Well to sum it up in that post Daphne and Penelope fell in love before Penelope's first season. They come up with an idea for a lavender marriage for Daphne to a husband who wants an heir and after that does not care what Daphne does. When the season starts the girls start hunting for a sperm donor.

Taking into account that by the books Colin was gone for roughly a year before the Duke and I, I can easily see it sliding into place in the No Pen Colin's world. Because wouldn't that be something, not only do you lose the love of your life to someone else but that someone else is your favorite sister. Then you can't discuss with anyone because that would put two people you love in danger and No Pen Colin would never risk either of their lives like that.

So, No Pen Colin stays silent after he figures it out. He stays silent as Penelope takes employment as Daphne's companion, as their children's governess. He stays silent as he watches the two women raise their children under a lord who has no care what his wife does so long as the heir to his estate is alive and able to take over. He stays silent as at their hidden joy when Daphne's husband dies so they no longer have to hide in their own home.

No Pen Colin stays silent, becoming their silent protector because despite his personal heartbreak he loves these two women, and they love him. Their happiness is enough for him. If he has to travel sometimes to tend to his heartbreak so he can continue he self-assigned duty, he thinks nobody could fault him.

It's during one of these trips that he learns about concepts like reincarnation, and how one choice can completely change your life path. No Pen Colin wonders if at least one of these worlds have him married to Penelope.

When wakes up in a house in Bloomsbury with so many different versions of himself, all of them married or together with Penelope, No Pen Colin finds himself given a comfort he didn't have before, and maybe his heart heals just a little.

[lindsaywesker]

Good morning! I hope you slept well and feel rested? Currently sitting at my desk, in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day. Welcome to Too Much Information Tuesday.

‘Catch-22’ was rejected for publication 22 times.

The Candy Crush app makes about $850,000 per day.

Is an argument between two vegans still called a beef?

Great sex can temporarily wipe a woman's memory clean.

When the economy is better, short skirts are more popular.

Over 20,000 people have purchased alien abduction insurance.

The Champagne region of France is home to the village of Bouzy.

There's no word in the English language that rhymes with 'month'.

The Monkees’ Michael Nesmith‘s mother invented correction fluid.

The most isolated tree on Earth was hit and killed by a drunk driver in 1973.

"It's okay" and "I'm fine" are the two most common lies spoken in the world.

MTV's show ‘16 And Pregnant’ caused a 4.3% reduction in teen births in the US.

The dinosaur noises in ‘Jurassic Park’ were made from recordings of tortoises having sex.

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on the same day he established the Secret Service.

In an early draft of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ the song was titled ‘Mongolian Rhapsody’.

William Shakespeare was the first person to use insults about people's mothers.

The smell of doughnuts can increase blood flow to the genitals and stimulate an erect phallus.

About 40% of the ants in an ant colony are lazy and spend most of their time just sitting around.

85% of the world's population makes less than $200 a month. Bill Gates makes $290 per second.

85% of people have experienced a dream so real that they were not sure if it happened in real life or not.

Studies show that men who help their wives with household chores are happier and tend to have more sex.

Being dumped often leads to ‘frustration attraction’, causing the person who got dumped to love their ex even more.

In 2002, the average user spent 46 minutes a day on the internet. In 2012, that average had increased to four hours a day!

In 2011, a 46-year-old man tracked down and choked a 13-year-old boy who had been taunting him in ‘Call of Duty’.

Robert Pattinson was expelled from school at age 12 for stealing explicit magazines and selling them to his classmates.

The person that invented the stop sign, the pedestrian crossing, the traffic circle and the one-way street never learned to drive.

OMG is an acronym for a real medical condition: Oversized Male Genitalia, the technical term for men born with huge penises.

J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, was rejected by 12 publishers before Bloomsbury Publishing decided to publish her book.

In 1979, mathematicians David A. Cox and Steven Zucker wrote a joint paper about an algorithm that is now known as the ‘Cox-Zucker Machine’.

People who prefer Twitter over Instagram tend to be more educated, are less likely to be narcissists, but more likely to suffer from insomnia.

Eating chocolate makes you happy because it contains phenylephylamine, the same hormone the brain triggers when you fall in love.

In 2013, India's army spent six months watching what they thought were Chinese spy drones violating its air space, only to find out they were actually Jupiter and Venus.

2021's Ig Nobel Prize in medicine was given to a group of researchers who proved that having an orgasm is as effective at relieving nasal congestion as taking a decongestant medication.

When Ian Fleming’s ‘Casino Royale’ came out in paperback in the U.S., it was retitled ‘You Asked For It’, because of the fear that American readers wouldn’t know how to pronounce the word ‘royale’.

Top event names for 2024: Soul Gangbang, Soul Sewer, Crocheted Soul, Soul Stink, STS (Sexually-Transmitted Soul), Soul Toilet, Soul O, Soul Dungeon, Soul Cemetery, Soul Abattoir, Soul S, Soul Hole, and Aaah, Soul!

Richard Phillips survived the longest wrongful prison sentence in American history. He was locked up in 1972 at the age of 26 and wasn't released until 2018, aged 72. He spent 45 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit.

US states having the most sex: Top 5 States: Alaska: 2.806 times per week, New Mexico: 2.064, Vermont: 1.702, Arkansas: 1.666, Indiana: 1.531. Bottom 5: Colorado: 0.420 times per week, Maine: 0.500, Michigan: 0.511, Nebraska: 0.545, West Virginia: 0.638.

In 1186, it was agreed that the Sibylla of Jerusalem (eldest daughter of King Amalric) would become queen of Jerusalem as long as she divorced her husband, Guy de Lusignan. She agreed, on condition that she alone could choose her next husband. Once crowned, she promptly chose Guy de Lusignan.

Okay, that’s enough information for one day. Have a tremendous and tumultuous Tuesday! I love you all.

[romilly-jay]

COSY CATASTROPHE: An arbitrary selection of candidates (recent reading)

*** mild spoilers ***

This is the full ranking from my jokingly named index. Full size versions of the slides will be posted over the next few weeks.

Everything I’ve included I consider acceptably readable – including The Road, which *I* haven’t read and have no intention of reading. It's clearly a masterpiece BTW, and the problem, yes, it's me.

[Perhaps one day, when I’m ready for a ‘harrowing, anti-cathartic experience’, I’ll be able to go there. That day is – not yet.]

Doing the exercise – and deliberately keeping it personal – reinforced for me that moral judgements are not universal. For example, I very much enjoyed The Luminous Dead – I found the dilemmas compelling and I could engage with the characters despite seeing that one of them is taking extreme risks and the other has committed herself to some morally reprehensible actions. There’s a vocal online group who consider the power dynamic too suspect and the controller character’s actions too repugnant, to the point it ruined the story for them. Not so for me, but I understand where they are coming from. They probably wouldn’t have this book on their list.

Some might say that the entire exercise was ‘arbitrary’. I prefer to call it 'subjective'', by which I mean that my individual taste is a leading factor but I feel that in places it is still possible to make an externally verifiable case from the texts for certain characteristics.

The disposition and mental health of the respective viewpoint characters, for instance, in my view makes Harrow the Ninth an 'observably' darker novel than Gideon the Ninth.

Genre texts mapped on the cosiness/catastrophe "index":

§El-Mohtar, A. and Gladstone, M. (2019) This is how you lose the time war. London: Jo Fletcher Books.

§Jemisin, N.K. (2016) The fifth season: the broken earth book one. London: Orbit Books.

§McCarthy, C. (2007) The road. London: Vintage.

§Muir, T. (2020) Gideon the Ninth. New York: Tor.com.

§Muir, T. (2021) Harrow the Ninth. New York: Tor.com.

§Sanderson, B. (2023) Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. London: Gollancz.

§Scalzi, J. (2022) The Kaiju Preservation Society. New York: Tor Books.

§Starling, C. (2019) The luminous dead. New York: Harper Collins.

§Turton, S. (2024) The last murder at the end of the world. London: Bloomsbury.

§Weir, A. (2014) The Martian. New York: Crown Publishing.

§Weir, A. (2022) Project Hail Mary. New York: Penguin.

§Wells, M. (2017-8) The murderbot diaries (first four novellas: all systems red; artificial condition; rogue protocol; and exit strategy). New York: Tordotcom.

[eperezart]

Final outcome:

Overall this project has been a very personal one to me, through it I was able to create an outcome that conveys a message to something I really struggled with as a child and still do to this day. I was able to explore a new illustration style and create imagery that I did not know I was capable of. While sticking to my strengths I was also able to take myself out of my comfort zone and attempt a medium in which I hadn't before. I am very happy with the final outcome of my FMP. I was able to create illustrations that were both soft and dreamlike yet still captivating and original and I was able to convey a message that truly meant something to me and that I know will be a comfort and reassurance to a lot of people.

Constantly researching throughout this project has helped guide my practice to a strong and supported outcome. I kept my pathway open and explored multiple different outcomes, including apps, video games and board games. I researched the importance of bedtime routines, why nightmares occur and how they occur. Not only was this research important to my work but it also answered my own questions and helped with my own personal development on the nightmares I was facing and did face as a child.

Studying the right language for certain age groups helped me to get a better idea of how to write future stories and understand the different development ages for young children. Unfortunately, my attempts to speak to sleep experts went unanswered however, I was able to speak to primary teachers and get their guidance throughout my project. "The Bloomsbury Guide to Creating Illustrated Children's Books" by Desdemona McCannon, Sue Thornton and Yadzia Williams was an especially important part of my research. Through it, I learnt about expression, storyboards, typography and children's book design. It was so beneficial that I wish to buy my own copy so that I can continue to learn and grow my skills in illustration and creating illustrated children's books.

While I could not get the feedback and information from sleep specialists that I had hoped for I was able to rely on other peoples feedback to help guide my research and outcome. Primary school teachers were able to give me feedback on my story as well as my illustrations and how they were loved by their class. My tutors and peers were both able to give me critical feedback that I was able to adapt from and guided my project to the outcome I created. All of this research and feedback guided every decision, illustration and message that I tried to convey in my final outcome and because of it I was able to create something that I am truly proud of.

Throughout these 13 weeks, I feel as though I experimented more than I have in any other project. I explored multiple different pathways and mediums and made sure to keep my approach playful. I tend to be quite repetitive when it comes to designing, keeping within grids and guides and sticking with what I know but this project I allowed myself to explore and be more playful. Allowing my illustrations to speak for themselves and the typography to be free flowing.

Unfortunately, I have had a lot of personal incidents that have interrupted my timeline for this project. They delayed my work and ability to work, eventually leading me to apply for an extension. Despite this, I feel as though I have been more orgnaised than I ever have in previous university projects. I have explored and created things in far more detail than I usually would have and all while being a lot less overwhelmed with work then I usually am.

From creating a children's book once before I really believe my skill and design have developed so much since then. Attempting a different style and the way I designed the pages showed a lot more confidence in myself and I was able to produce a more professional outcome. This project has allowed me to see confidence in myself that I didn't have before and has made me feel better about being able to go into an industry that allows me to continue my passion for children's book illustrations.

[studio-4-lilla]

Texts

Rani, S., Jining, D., & Shah, D. (2021). Embroidery and Textiles: A Novel Perspective on Women Artists’ Art Practice. Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v13n4.37

‌              Feminist artists can put so much meaning into the work based on materials alone. In the past art made by a woman was instantly deemed worse, feminine art practice were often never acknowledged as art but rather it was called crafts. Now women are learning to embrace feminine  practices and I am learning to incorporate textile art into my practice.

Parker, R., & Pollock, G. (2020). Old Mistresses: Women, Art and Ideology. In Google Books. Bloomsbury Publishing. https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Sm3-DwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&dq=female+art&ots=NXqfJrkTkA&sig=R_7-OMiDsurhLDLdzNnMn-qhDAs&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=female%20art&f=false

In University we have a more diverse curriculum or teachers that make it that way however women artists are often neglected in curriculums. This book brings up important questions such as why when something is great do we always assume it was a man?  Art has always been made by women and we need to recognise and teach this.

Nochlin, L. (2018). Women, Art, And Power And Other Essays. In Google Books. Routledge. https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=TJVLDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT5&dq=female+art&ots=krUdcMl7UP&sig=IvdHofDLJvXL4UlcaMhES4VjfN4&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=female%20art&f=false

Women are by no means a small group as they represent 49.58% of the population. However, their views and human experience have been overlooked. As women become part of the art world their opinions are important and must be recognized. Women exist beyond the needs of men. 

Bain, A. L. (2004). Female artistic identity in place: the studio. Social & Cultural Geography, 5(2), 171–193. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649360410001690204

The studio space is one for personal identity and growth. It is particularly important for women to have a space where they are uninterrupted and can exist alone within a male dominated field. It has made me reflect on spaces I have had in the past and what my current situation is.

Kirschenbaum, R. J., & Reis, S. M. (1997). Conflicts in Creativity: Talented Female Artists. Creativity Research Journal, 10(2-3), 251–263. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.1997.9651224

One of the struggles female artists is having children along with other factors such as income and support a domestic lifestyle slows female artists’ practice. This is one of the many factors that makes me think I never want children. Female artists have adapted to an interrupted practice to cater for others.

[alexi-01]

🌻 If you get this, answer with 3 random facts about yourself and send it to the last 7 blogs in your notifications, anonymously or not! Let's get to know the person behind the blog 🌻

1. i spent 6 weeks in hospital when i was 4 years old because i somehow dislocated my hip at school falling off a balance beam that was only about 6 inches off the ground and then spent 3 months having to learn how to walk again, at 4 years old i had a godamn walking frame 😭

2. i’ve had my photography work displayed at charleston house twice, charleston house is where the bloomsbury group used to live (vanessa bell, duncan grant and virgina wolff) and was known for many sexual and erotic parties and art pieces

3. i have dyed my hair every colour you can think of and until recently, i never had a hair colour longer then 3 months

[junkshop-disco]

What would be your ideal home — type, location, as few or as many details as you may want to share?

I love character, period places that are in need of a little love to bring them back to life. I don't particularly have a favourite era or even style or size, I like cottages and Georgian townhouses, I like Regency apartments and farm houses with abandoned Victorian greenhouses, I like houses built into cliffs with hidden caves and old factories with chandeliers in odd places and former churches with gargoyles in the bathroom. I just like a building with its own personality and foibles, which I can fill with my own collection of weird stuff, books, and plants, and I'm constantly trawling property sites for old windmills, fallen down barns, or (my current fave) former libraries in need of restoration. One of my fantasy alternate lives it to set up artist and writer communes and host retreats in inspiring and interesting buildings, create some sort of roaming Bloomsbury Group-esque pack of arty types and history nerds who see home as a moveable feast, a feeling not a place.

As to location, I crave greenery but having lived near the sea, I'm now kind of wedded to it. I love hearing the sea when I'm trying to fall asleep and that would be very hard to give up.

[richincolor]

We have four books to close out June! Which ones are on your TBR list?

The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade Sourcebooks Fire

Sutton going missing is the worst thing to happen to Casey, to their family. She’s trying to help find her sister, but Casey is furious. And she can’t tell anyone about their argument before Sutton disappeared. Everyone paints a picture of Sutton’s perfection: the popular cheerleader with an entourage of friends, a doting boyfriend, and a limitless future. But Sutton manipulated everyone around her, even stole an heirloom bracelet from Casey. People don’t look for missing Black girls--or half-Black girls--without believing there is an angel to be saved.

When Sutton reappears, Casey knows she should be relieved. Except Sutton isn’t the same. She remembers nothing about while she was gone—or anything from her old life, including how she made Casey miserable. There’s something unsettling about the way she wants to spend time with Casey, the way she hums and watches her goldfish swim for hours.

What happened to Sutton? The more Casey starts uncovering her sister’s secrets, the more questions she has. Did she really know her sister? Why is no one talking about the other girls who have gone missing in their area? And what will it take to uncover the truth? -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend by Brandon Hoàng FSG

As one of only two Asian American kids in his entire high school, Gary is used to being ignored and excluded by his classmates. So when the most popular guy in school offers him the opportunity to break into the inner circle, Gary jumps at the chance. All he needs to do is acquire the prized possession of the most beautiful and untouchable girl they know—Gloria Buenrostro.

But as Gary gets to know Gloria, he begins to truly understand her, and she accepts him for who he is—before long, they're best friends. Being part of the "in crowd" has always been Gary's dream, but as he comes closer to achieving infamy, he risks losing the first person who sees him for all he is, and realizes that amount of popularity is worth losing a true friend. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Sing Me to Sleep (Sing Me to Sleep #1) by Gabi Burton Bloomsbury

Saoirse Sorkova survives on lies. As a soldier-in-training at the most prestigious barracks in the kingdom, she lies about being a siren to avoid execution. At night, working as an assassin for a dangerous group of mercenaries, Saoirse lies about her true identity. And to her family, Saoirse tells the biggest lie of all: that she can control her siren powers and doesn't struggle constantly against an impulse to kill.

As the top trainee in her class, Saoirse would be headed for a bright future if it weren't for the need to keep her secrets out of the spotlight. But when a mysterious blackmailer threatens her sister, Saoirse takes a dangerous job that will help her investigate: she becomes personal bodyguard to the crown prince.

Saoirse should hate Prince Hayes. After all, his father is the one who enforces the kingdom's brutal creature segregation laws. But when Hayes turns out to be kind, thoughtful, and charming, Saoirse finds herself increasingly drawn to him-especially when they're forced to work together to stop a deadly killer who's plaguing the city. There's only one problem: Saoirse is that deadly killer.

Featuring an all Black and Brown cast, a forbidden romance, and a compulsively dark plot full of twists, this thrilling YA fantasy is perfect for fans of A Song Below Water and To Kill a Kingdom.

Invisible Son by Kim Johnson Random House Books for Young Readers

Life can change in an instant. When you’re wrongfully accused of a crime. When a virus shuts everything down. When the girl you love moves on.

Andre Jackson is determined to reclaim his identity. But returning from juvie doesn’t feel like coming home. His Portland, Oregon, neighborhood is rapidly gentrifying, and COVID-19 shuts down school before he can return. And Andre’s suspicions about his arrest for a crime he didn’t commit even taint his friendships. It’s as if his whole life has been erased.

The one thing Andre is counting on is his relationship with the Whitaker kids—especially his longtime crush, Sierra. But Sierra’s brother Eric is missing, and the facts don’t add up as their adoptive parents fight to keep up the act that their racially diverse family is picture-perfect. If Andre can find Eric, he just might uncover the truth about his own arrest. But in a world where power is held by a few and Andre is nearly invisible, searching for the truth is a dangerous game. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

[dreamwritesimagines]

Jane and Mr Sinclair

I know that they are like little minor characters, but I really do like the pairing of Mr Sinclair and Jane.

I like to think that Jane herself is an artist, more specifically a painter. She prefers portraits to landscapes and watercolours to oils and for as long as she can remember she has dreamt of having her own gallery opening. Her fingers are stained with ink and paint, but for all her passion Jane is well...her art is just terrible. All art is subjective of course, but Jane seems to be an exception to that rule.

Throughout the years her family and friends have tried to subtly hint that her talents lay elsewhere - her friends wanted to protect her, her family were embarrassed by her (I also headcanon that Jane is overlooked to the point of neglect by her parents) - but it was only when she heard two of her peers mocking her work that Jane finally put her paintbrushes away. She gave up on her dream. Now she only paints at home and her art only hangs in the privacy of her bedroom.

However, during their courtship Jane accidentally lets slip to Sinclair that she was an artist. Now normally Sinclair wouldn't badger a fellow creative into showing their work. He knows how personal art is, but he is so enchanted by Jane that he manages to convince her to show him her work. Jane cannot say no.

She trusts Mr Sinclair completely but she is still terrified when she shows him her portfolio. To Jane, Mr Sinclair is a genius, in all possibility the greatest living poet. She dreads the awkward silence and polite but empty words that come when others view her work. She is expecting the same reaction from Mr Sinclair.

And there is silence. Moments that seem to drag on forever. Jane cannot look at him, finding the clock on the mantelpiece suddenly very interesting. Finally though Jane gathers up the courage to look up.

Sinclair is sitting in the chair opposite holding her work as if it was made of glass, mouth agape and stars in his eyes for Sinclair has never seen such beauty put on paper before. He has seen the great classics, visited the Sistine Chapel, but for the first time he feels he is looking at true art. And then when he looks up at Jane he knows he is looking at perfection.

The rest of the afternoon is spent with Sinclair asking her question after question - her inspiration, what draws her to art - and begging her to let him see more of her creations. He tells her that he would think it a privilege to sit for one of her portraits, a confession which makes Jane blush all shades of red. Sinclair never lies so Jane knows he is not shamelessly flattering her.

When Jane admits to him that he is the first person to ever like her work he is gobsmacked.

"My dear Miss Longmore, the greats are never appreciated in their time."

The next day Mr Sinclair asks for Jane's hand in marriage. He cannot spend another day not having her in his arms. He wants to hold her, kiss her and to unashamedly worship her. He wants to boast that she is his wife.

I just imagine that Jane had an unhappy childhood where she was overlooked in favour of her more talented prettier siblings. It is this HC that makes me want her to find love and to be accepted for who she is, and for Sinclair to be accepted for who he is too.

Just a happy marriage for these two innocents in a home with Jane's paintings on proud display throughout the house and Sinclair reading poetry and asking for advice from her on a daily basis. It sounds cheesy but they are each others muse.

I also like the idea of them finding other artists and establishing a group of like minded creatives (like a Regency-era Bloomsbury set) but all the members - writers, artists, actors, musicians - are all terrible in their chosen crafts. "Not appreciated". It is only the other members who can see the beauty in their work.

Phew! And now I have finally shared this odd headcanon of mine with you.

OMG OMG-

HONEY, YOU’RE A GENIUS! 😱

I’m literally gawking at the screen because this is such a great idea and it gives both of them so much depth and now I wanna hear more about Jane and Mr. Sinclair! ❤😍

First of all, Jane as an artist –an underrated artist- makes so much sense! ❤ Like, that could definitely be one of the reasons why she was drawn to Mr. Sinclair, and why she never really made a move on him! Because –and it’s connected to your other wonderful headcanon as well- if Jane’s parents neglected her and didn’t support her art, of course she wouldn’t be able to even hope to make a conversation with Mr. Sinclair whom she idolizes as an artist❤

Omg poor Jane, being mocked by her peers for her art😭 I’m so protective of her now❤😭

Sinclair is sitting in the chair opposite holding her work as if it was made of glass, mouth agape and stars in his eyes for Sinclair has never seen such beauty put on paper before. He has seen the great classics, visited the Sistine Chapel, but for the first time he feels he is looking at true art. And then when he looks up at Jane he knows he is looking at perfection. THIS IS SUCH A SOFT MOMENT AND YOU DESCRIBED IT PERFECTLY-

I’m going to cry, he loves her so much! 😍❤❤

"My dear Miss Longmore, the greats are never appreciated in their time." HE IS RIGHT AND HE SHOULD SAY IT😱🥰

They need to marry asap, they’re so cuuuute!😍 And I love that they’re each other’s muse! 🥰

I also like the idea of them finding other artists and establishing a group of like minded creatives (like a Regency-era Bloomsbury set) but all the members - writers, artists, actors, musicians - are all terrible in their chosen crafts. "Not appreciated". It is only the other members who can see the beauty in their work. I love this idea as well! And your amazing HC made me get a HC of it, and like, what if their little group was actually praised for all their work a century or two later?! 😱 Especially Jane 😍

Honey I cannot thank you enough for this, you’ve made me so happy with this HC! ❤ Thank you so so much, I totally see this as canon now!😍🥰❤❤❤

[bookofmirth]

Hi Lele! Fan of your blog here, I am reaching you because I am a bit confused with Helion's race. I've seen people drawing and depicting him as a black man but yesterday I saw on reddit a post of the artist who worked with SJM to create the coloring book. There she said that Sarah told her Helion was middle eastern.

Maybe it's cultural differences but where I live middle eastern is not the same as black, so I was wondering if people in english say "black" when talking about middle eastern people too (you know, to talk about POC in general). So, in my head, Tarquin is black and Helion is middle eastern. I remember that the first time Sarah described them, I thought they both where black because she used similar language. In general, races in ACOTAR confuse the hell out of me... I know that's a topic we've discussed before in the fandom so I know I am not the only one confused.

Sorry if sound dumb, I don't mean to offend anybody, I just want to educate myself.

Hello dear anon,

I saved this for a bit because it is quite a tricky topic. I want other people to chime in as they see necessary!

Yes, the artist who did the coloring book in 2017 stated that they were using Middle Eastern features, with input from Bloomsbury, when creating the art of Helion. He is described in acowar as being "sun-kissed", which may have as much to do with him being "the personification of the sun" as anything else, though later Feyre notices that Lucien is "golden brown" compared to his brothers.

In the U.S., Black and Middle Eastern aren't the same thing; Black is a race and Middle Eastern is a region that refers to different ethnic groups (which of course people act like is one homogeneous group, even though it isn't). There can be Black people from all over the world, regardless of their origins. In my experience, people wouldn't use those terms interchangeably, but then again it's not as if certain regions are exclusively one race or the other. Could someone be Black and from the Middle East? Yes, they could. Is that what SJM was going for? Ehhhh... I doubt she put that much thought into it, tbh.

I think the main thing to consider is just not whitewashing a character. There isn't that much representation in books, and so if we have any reason to believe that a character isn't white, we definitely need to be mindful of that. Some people might find Helion as Middle Eastern rep very important for personal reasons, and some people might find him being Black important for other personal reasons. I don't think that those are mutually exclusive, but I also have no horse in this race - this isn't something that impacts me personally, and so I would rather that discussion and decision happen amongst others to whom it is personal, and I will take my cues from them.