#reza does art

[killthemwithdoodles]

28 years after the invasion of the Krang in 2044, Hamato Yoshi stole four tiny test subjects, little mutated turtles that he hid away to keep safe from all the terrible threats looming over New York City.

However, he can’t keep them safe forever, and eventually the boys venture to the surface. Who will they meet? What friends will they make? What enemies will they fight?

And who is the Stargazer?

[silverview]

maybe the details of art are common knowledge, but i only read up about it yesterday. it's interesting! it opened in the west end in 96 & was something of a popular hit

it's about three old friends who fall out when one of them buys an expensive painting that's an almost-blank white canvas (a quiet night in); one of them aggressively disapproves, calling it pretentious; and the third is caught in the middle trying to keep the peace

had a ton of casts – a new one every three months. (the effect of this is interesting – more on that below.) tlog were selected to be the last lot before it closed in 02. if you don't already know, who do you suppose played each role? it has nothing to do with the weirdly deceptive promo pics. answers & more below the cut

mark played the friend who buys the painting, steve played the one who disapproves, and reece played the guy caught in the middle. i wonder how that decision was made. i wonder if they considered any alternative configurations (bf had steve & reece switched, which i think makes a lot of sense). as always i'm like. but what does the character say about YOU

they got mixed reviews. nearly every review singles out reece's delivery of this monologue, though they disagree on whether it was good or not. perhaps surprisingly, they don't uniformly characterise it (or his performance in general) as particularly angry. not to be dramatic but i would kill and die to have seen it, just that monologue alone

so below i've collected the most interesting parts of surviving reviews. the last one is my fav. some of them have interesting things to say on the effect of the rotating cast, sort of the opposite of the in9 meta-character effect, which i think is pretty funny & fitting

BBC

Reece Shearsmith is a little too giddy with Yvan's furious diatribe about his impending wedding - the laughs are landing so hard that some others are being lost in the process. But he is a particularly touching and vulnerable go-between, desperately sitting on the fence in the conflict that erupts between his friends Serge (Mark Gatiss) and Marc (Steve Pemberton), and finding - as you do - that those who sit on fences are liable to get splinters.

GUARDIAN

[A] play as bland and flimsy as this requires actors who are not only heroically talented but who also have formidable technical skills. Pemberton, Gatiss and Shearsmith don't. They are likeable, even mildly engaging but you are always aware that they are putting on a performance. What's more, they are far less funny than the two other casts I've seen. Shearsmith, for example, flunks the timing of his long monologue so instead of making an audience rock with waves of laughter, he gets only one big laugh right at the end. The silences in the evening, in particular the famous olive scene, are not eloquent, just empty.

THEATREGUIDE

I've heard, though, that other casts have had other dynamics. With some, it plays as light comedy, satirising everyone's pretensions to high passions. Others make it a touching study in the fragility of friendship and all three men's hitherto-unrealised need for it. The cast changes every three months or so [...] Just be prepared for the fact that the show you see will be different in tone and effect from the one your friends saw last year, and will probably be a glib skating over the emotional issues and implications it raises. [...] And while the laidback, indeed colloquial, approach of Mark Gatiss (perky Serge), Steve Pemberton (laconic Marc) and Reece Shearsmith (wickedly neurotic Yvan) may not be to everyone's taste, it's undeniably perfect casting to complete the spectrum of wall-to-wall talent that's made the show such a feature of London's theatrical landscape. [...] Playing cheekily with rhythms of speech and timing, they create a very English rendition of what is essentially a French play, substituting the de rigueur dramatic devices and flourishes with frighteningly real personalities that transcend the dramatic crutch of Yasmina Reza's Continental-style philosophizing text and sub-text. Admittedly the first ever cast of Courtenay, Finney and Stott all those years ago set the benchmark for the production (though I found them yawnsome and wooden) - and the League have the advantage of tapping into the accumulated performances that followed.

i think "laidback," "colloquial," "cheeky," "English" and "real" might be euphemisms for northern – more on that below

CIX

Having now seen Art three or four times (to be honest, I forget which), I've begun to muse that in some strange way it's a metaphor for itself. It's not just the performance dynamics, our impression of the trio's relationship, that varies from cast to cast... it's the very sense of how much real content there is in Reza's play, of whether it takes its thematic concerns about inherent versus attributed qualities (whether of a painting or a person) very far or not. In a sense, the performers are the series of diagonal white lines painted on to the white canvas of the play. And like the lines in the painting on stage (or so we're told), they're not pure white: some are vaguely yellow, some are sort of ochre-ish... In the case of the League, the bizarrely unrelated publicity images make clear that what's hoped for is a kind of fake-blood crimson tinge. So although there's no real indulgence, director Jennie Darnell allows the three to turn in a slight caricature of the naturalism with which the piece has usually been played, that little unreality often seen in the kind of sketch comedy where the group cut their teeth. The elegant apartment set is a world away from the League's fictional town of Royston Vasey, but the casting of the individual members plays to respective strengths familiar from their various screen guises. As Serge, who has paid 200,000 francs for the picture, Mark Gatiss exudes an appropriately smug and supercilious cleverness. As Marc, who faces off against Serge by declaring the canvas "shit", Steve Pemberton is more mercurial, with an air of suppressed violence. Reece Shearsmith, the relatively cuddly one [sic], succeeds in focusing audience identification on Yvan, the less smart piggy-in-the-middle. All three are of course skilled performers, and you can see the rapport gained from up to fifteen years' collaboration in, for instance, the way Gatiss and Pemberton trade facial "mugs" as they first consider the painting. However, this very affinity with each other enables them to skim over deeper elements in the play. When Shearsmith gabbles out Yvan's great bewildered set-piece about the complications of his wedding arrangements, we applaud the high-speed delivery but don't pick up enough of what he says to engage with Yvan's travails.

kissing this reviewer on the mouth for specifically describing what he thinks their respective strengths are & especially for describing reece as THE CUDDLY ONE like... idk if it shows but i'm obsessed with how people see them, and how they see themselves & each other

EVENING STANDARD

Not so much a piece of headline-grabbing stunt casting as three trained actors flexing their thespian muscles [...] bona fide drama graduates, not comedy chancers. This immediately shows, from their poise, projection and presence. Only the dimple-chinned Pemberton as intolerant Marc comes close to his rogues' gallery of BBC2 personae during moments of rage when he cannot come to terms with Serge's purchase of an overpriced minimalist painting. By contrast, Mark Gatiss as the punctilious, pretentious Serge is the epitome of restraint, as cool as his sharp, charcoal suit. The comic moments are all in context. Shearsmith, as the boyish Yvan, is increasingly troubled by his imminent nuptials. This eventually spills out in a breathless pseudo-Pythonesque rant against marriage that is as funny to witness as it is difficult to say. But throughout, the trio respect Reza's text, sidelining their insatiable appetite for the grotesque that has made their their brand of humour so distinctive. This may, however, be problematic. Having sold out in the West End with their sketch show a couple of years ago, some of the threesome's intensely passionate fans may see Art as a follow-up and feel shortchanged. The eye-catching poster may compound the deception, the chopper, axe and chainsaw being wielded suggesting some Grand Guignol flourishes which never materialise.

BBC AGAIN

The northern accents do not quite ring true in the sophisticated setting of a Paris apartment and often lead to flat performances, where one gets the feeling their brand of wit is not quite enough to portray Parisian conceit. The strongest display by far comes from Mark Gatiss (Serge) - the eerie butcher in League of Gentlemen - as the tall, slightly effeminate doctor who acquires the painting, striking just the right balance of preciousness and acerbic wit. The diminutive Reece Shearsmith is adequate in his portrayal of Yvan, the put-down-upon soon-to-be-married stationer caught in the middle of the feud between his two friends. But the biggest disappointment comes from Steve Pemberton, who plays Marc, the critical compadre who takes Serge's indulgence for contemporary art as a personal slight. Pemberton, normally the trio's strongest performer, well-known for his brilliant turn as Pauline in the League of Gentlemen, seems ill at ease in the role. His northern persona cannot quite stretch far enough to inhabit the part of Marc, an angry homeopathic freak whose insecurity finds it hard to cope with his friend's show of independence over the painting. Like the painting, the play does not remain colourless throughout however. One of the highlights is Shearsmith's 10-minute tirade about the difficulties of coping with the women in his life ahead of his impending wedding.

yeah this one is definitely my favourite. casually calls them ALL scallies, then calls each of them out INDIVIDUALLY for being a) gay b) short c) shit. absolute legend. did they ever find this reviewer's body

related, from this article in the guardian:

"When we first did Art, a review said 'Yes, but can they act?' and that made me angry," said Shearsmith. "I remember thinking 'What have we been doing in The League of Gentlemen? It's not standup."

in 2013, reece said art was his favourite ever play to do. highlights from the replies

[covetflowers]

     “And while you’re at it, don’t look at another woman in your life ever again.”

Today's art came from a fanfic I have found while scrolling on this beautiful app and I was immediately caught because the author ( @rekenemee ) draws the scenes that take place in the story and you see them as you scroll. (Hugest green flag imo)

You can read Our Lives on Saturn on AO3

Reasons why you should in my opinion are under the cut!

Edit: If you do don't forget to comment if you have thoughts about it, comments are more often than not author fuel and they add to the discussions about the work!

Not only that the protagonist is really relatable to me, the writing is well paced and entertaining (AND WELL FORMATED) and the points that stood out to me are:

1. The main character (Reza) has flaws that do tie with his strenghts and he feels very well rounded. So it's not the usual kind of OC that I see around, it feels like the story does go a bit deeper than what you would expect from (character) x OC

2. Even though the main couple IS very well set from the start, Reza still doesn't fall for the dude at the start and has some interactions with other bachelor/ettes that don't feel like they're there just to stall the main couple. It feels like it has more of a purpose.

It's definitely by design that everything is that well placed, picked and written since the fic was in development for quite a while! And it definitely shows through and I can't really reccomend it enough.

DISCLAIMER: I may or may not have exaggerated the scene in my head and Reza does NOT actually grab Alex by the collar and pointed at his face while shouting angrily.................................. I just really wish he did now.

But like I finished reading that at 2 am so don't blame me

Edit 2: I ALSO LITERALLY MISREMEMBERED THE MOON THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST NOTICEABLE THINGS ABOUT THE SCENE BECAUSE IT'S ALSO DEPICTED IN ONE OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS I WILL OFF MY EXISTENCE HOW WAS I SO HIGH OFF MY TITS TO FORGET EVEN THAT ????

[straightplayshowdown]

Art: Set in Paris, the play revolves around three friends—Serge, Marc and Yvan—who find their previously solid 15-year friendship on shaky ground when Serge buys an expensive painting. The canvas is white, with several fine white lines. Marc is horrified, and their relationship suffers considerable strain as a result of their differing opinions about what constitutes "art". Yvan, caught in the middle of the conflict, tries to please and mollify both of them.

Born With Teeth: An aging ruler, an oppressive police state, a restless polarized people seething with paranoia: it’s a dangerous time for poets. Two of them—the great Kit Marlowe and the up-and-comer Will Shakespeare—meet in the back room of a pub to collaborate on a history play cycle, navigate the perils of art under a totalitarian regime, and flirt like young men with everything to lose. One of them may well be the death of the other.

Propaganda under the cut!

Art:

This play is overwhelmingly funny and witty. It's clever to a fault and all 3 of its only characters are so deeply neurotic you can't help but find them endearing. It's a wonderful, short read, and YES it gets pretentious but that's part of the charm to me. I love it. everyone should read it and i think it should get performed far more often than it does. Also in the 1998 broadway production the cast was Alan Alda, Victor Garber, and Alfred Molina which is STACKED, to say the least.

Born With Teeth:

two-hander featuring william shakespeare and kit marlowe and it does it all. it's gay, it's witty, it's heartbreaking, there's spies & political intrigue, there's flirting via writing a play together. um it opens with a torture fake-out. and it has some banging monologues. read it rn

[nishantdoshi]

CLOSED STARTER for @logan-jones location ; good duck art gallery

Begone Gay thoughts!

Nishant thought as he saw a group of very handsome artists (hopefully not students) rush into the gallery loudly talking as they showed off their cool outfits. He bit his lower lip, taking a sip from the glass of bubbles he’d gotten from Ezhil. He wasn’t sure if the other Werewolf was trying to win his approval or just being nice. He saw one other council member around with alcohol. Most people were careful with drinking around the artwork. 

He too, though it was hard, with how his body was reacting to everything around him. Well, every man at least. He could barely keep himself from trying to find Reza. 

Luckily, he wasn’t dealing with this alone. 

“Is it just me, or does this art remind you of a couple entangled together?” he asked, before taking another sip from his drink.

[aboutanancientenquiry]

"BMCR 2009.10.48

Ancient Greece and Ancient Iran: Cross-Cultural Encounters. 1st International Conference (Athens, 11-13 November 2006)

Seyed Mohammad Reza Darbandi, Antigoni Zournatzi, Ancient Greece and Ancient Iran: Cross-Cultural Encounters. 1st International Conference (Athens, 11-13 November 2006). Athens: National Hellenic Research Foundation; Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO; Cultural Center of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2008. xxix, 377. ISBN��9789609309554. €60.00 (pb).

Review by

Margaret C. Miller, University of Sydney. margaret.miller@usyd.edu.au

[Authors and titles are listed at the end of the review.]

The volume commemorates a landmark occasion, when the national research centres of Iran and Greece collaborated in a multi-national interdisciplinary conference on the history of exchange between Iran and Greece. Its nearly 400 pages reflect a strong sense of its symbolic importance. Papers span the Achaemenid through the Mediaeval periods and address the theme of exchange from the perspective of many disciplines — history, art, religion, philosophy, literature, archaeology. The book thus brings together material that can be obscure outside the circle of specialists, and in a manner that is generally accessible; the wide range of topics and periods included is a strength. Excellent illustrations often in colour enhance the archaeological contributions, as does inclusion of hitherto unpublished material.

The volume commences with a brief section on what might be called Greek textual evidence (Tracy, Petropoulou, Tsanstanoglou), followed by papers on interaction in Sasanian through mediaeval Persia (Azarnoush, Alinia, Venetis, Fowden), four papers discussing Achaemenid, Seleucid and Parthian history (Weiskopf, Ivantchik, Tuplin, Aperghis), aspects of the archaeology of Persepolis and Pasargadae (Stronach, Talebian, Root, Palagia), and ends with essays on the receptivity to Achaemenid culture in the material culture of the western empire and fringes: Cyprus, Turkey, Greece (Zournatzi, Lintz, Summerer, Paspalas, Ignatiadou, Sideris, Triantafyllidis), followed by a paper on traces of Greek material culture in the archaeology of (Seleucid) Iran (Rahbar). The wealth of vehicles, contexts and levels of exchange attested through the ages is both eye-opening and exciting. While there is unfortunately little attempt at globalizing synthesis or theoretical modelling, the analytical methods and collections of data in the individual contributions will aid future work in the area.

Stephen Tracy starts the volume with a synchronic analysis of the ways in which first Aeschylus, then Homer, play upon the prejudices of their audience against ” barbaroi” and then show the human quality of the enemy. In Persai, the Athenians are anonymous in contrast with the delineated personalities of the Persian royal family; in the Iliad, Achilles is “not very likeable” but learns humanity from the sorrow of Priam. Both poets focus on common humanity that transcends short-term hostilities.

Angeliki Petropoulou offers a detailed analysis of Herodotus’ account of the death of Masistios and subsequent mourning (Hdt. 9.20-25.1). Herodotus played up the heroic quality of Masistios’ death, stressing his beauty and height, qualities appreciated by both Greeks and Persians. The fact that Masistios seems to have gained the position of cavalry commander in the year before his death, coupled with the likelihood that his Nisaian horse with its golden bridle was a royal gift, suggests he had been promoted and rewarded for bravery.

Kyriakos Tsantsanoglou discusses the Derveni papyrus’ mention of magoi (column VI.1-14). Though the papyrus dates 340-320, the text was composed late fifth century BC, making the apparently Iranian content especially important. Both the ritual described and the explanation for it cohere with elements known from later Persian sources as features of early Iranian religious thought. While the precise vehicles of transmission of such knowledge to the papyrus are unknowable, the papyrus is the first certain documentation of the borrowing of Iranian ideas in Greek (philosophical) thought.

On the Iranian side exchange of religious ideas is documented by Massoud Azarnoush in the iconography of a fourth-century AD Sasanian manor-house he excavated at Hajiabad 1979.1 Moulded stucco in the form of divine figures included dressed and naked females identified with Anahita. The very broad shoulders of the Hellenistically dressed Anahita fit an Iranian aesthetic; the closest parallel for the slender naked females is found not in the cognate Ishtar type but in the Aphrodite Pudica type. Reliefs of naked boys, of uncertain relationship with Anahita, have attributes of fertility cult in the (Dionysian?) bunches of grapes they hold and in the ?ivy elements of their headdress.

Sara Alinia offers a brief but fascinating account of the development of state-sponsored religion hand-in-hand with state-sponsored persecution of religious elements that were deemed to be affiliated with another state: the Christian Late Roman Empire and the Zoroastrian Sasanian Empire. She documents the rise of religion as a tool of inter-state diplomacy and vehicle for inter-state rivalry; religion was but one facet of the political antagonism between the two.

Evangelos Venetis studies the cross-fertilization between Hellenistic and Byzantine Greek romance and Iranian pre-Islamic and Islamic romantic narrative. Persian elements are found in Hellenistic romance; Hellenistic themes contribute to Persian epics. The fragmentary nature of texts ranging 2nd -11th/14th c. AD and the lack of intermediary texts are serious impediments which may yet be overcome. The Alexander Romance, known in Iran from a Sasanian translation, contributed to the form and detail of the Shahname, as well as to other Persian epics.

Garth Fowden outlines the complex history of the creation, translation, wide circulation and impact of the pseudo-Aristotelian texts on religious thought. Aristotle’s works were translated into Syriac in the 6th c. and in the mid 8th c. into Arabic. Arab philosophers, attracted to the idea of Aristotle as counsellor of kings, updated him. Owing to his remoteness in time, “Aristotle” offended neither Muslim nor Christian. The Letters of Alexander, Secret of Secrets and al-Kindi’s sequel of Metaphysics, the Theology of Aristotle, contributed significantly to the philosophical underpinnings of both Muslim and Christian theology; the last remains an important text in teaching at Qom.

Michael N. Weiskopf argues that Herodotos’ account of the Persian treatment of Ionia after the Ionian revolt constitutes “imperial nostalgia” — the popular memory of how good things were under a past regime, in the context of a new regime. Herodotos 6.42-43, stressing the administrative efficiency and fairness of Artaphernes’ arrangements, allows a reading of Mardonios’ alleged imposition of democratic constitutions (so dissonant with the subsequent reported governing of Ionian states) as imperial nostalgia, to be contrasted with the inconsistent and unfair treatment of the Ionians by the Athenians of Herodotos’ own day.

Askold I. Ivantchik publishes two Greek inscriptions from Hellenistic Tanais in the Bosporos (and reedits a third). Evidently private thiasos inscriptions, they confirm that the city was already in 2nd or 1st century BC officially divided into two social (presumably ethnic) groups: the Hellenes and the Tanaitai, presumably Sarmatians, on whose land the city was founded in the late 3rd century BC. A thiasos for the river god Tanais includes members with both Greek and Iranian names, showing that private religious thiasoi were an important vehicle for breaking down social barriers between the two populations of the city.

Two papers offer contrasting interpretations of the evidence for Seleucid retention of Achaemenid institutions. That there were parallels between structures of the different periods is uncontested; the question is whether the parallels signify a deliberate programme of Seleucid self-presentation as the “heirs of the Achaemenids.” Christopher R. Tuplin argues that acquisition of the empire involved adoption of the Achaemenid mantle in some contexts and maintenance of those structures that worked, but that the balance of evidence suggests no conscious policy of continuation, and considerable de facto alteration of attitude and form. He suggests that the evidence of continuity of financial (taxation) structures — a major part of Aperghis’ argument — is ambiguous, at best. The treatment and divisions of territory, most notably the “shift of centre of gravity” from Persis to Babylonia, argue more for disruption than continuity.

G. G. Aperghis gives the case for a deliberate Seleucid policy of continuation of many Achaemenid administrative practices. He points to the retention of the satrapy as basis of administrative organization; use of land-grants (albeit to cities rather than individuals); continuing royal support of temples; maintenance of the Royal Road system (n.b. two Greek milestones, one illustrated in this volume by Rahbar); the retention of two separate offices relating to financial oversight. He suggests that the double sealing of transactions in the Persepolis Fortification Tablets metamorphosed into the double monogram on Seleucid coinage. Further field work in Iran, like that outlined by Rahbar (see below), will settle such contested matters as whether the many foundations of Alexander had any local impact. At present, Tuplin offers the more persuasive case.

David Stronach, excavator of Pasargadae, gives his considered opinion on the complex nexus of issues relating to the date of Cyrus’ constructions at Pasargadae. Touching upon the East Greek and Lydian contribution to early Achaemenid monumental architecture in stone and orthogonal design principles, Cyrus’ conquest chronology and the Nabonidus Chronicle, Darius’ creation of Old Persian cuneiform, the elements of the Tomb of Cyrus, and new evidence confirming the garden design, he argues that the chronology of the constructions at Pasargadae indirectly confirms the date of the conquest of Lydia around 545.

Mohammad Hassan Talebian offers a diachronic analysis of Persepolis and Pasargadae, starting with a survey of the Iranian and Lydian elements in their construction. Modern interventions include the ill-informed and damaging activities of Herzfeld and Schmidt at Persepolis in the 1930s, the stripping away of the mediaeval Islamic development of the Tomb of Cyrus, and the damage to the ancient city of Persepolis in preparation for the 2500-anniversary celebrations in 1971. Recent surveys in the region compensate to some degree. Talebian urges the importance of attention to all periods of the past rather than a privileged few.

Margaret Cool Root continues her thought-experiment in exploring how a fifth-century Athenian male might have viewed Persepolis.2 Sculptural traits such as the emphasis on the clothed body and nature of interaction between individuals would have seemed to the hypothetical Athenian to embody a profoundly effeminate culture. Yet Root’s study of the Persepolis Fortification Tablet sealings, their flashes of humour and playfulness in their utilisation on the tablets, reveals a world in which oral communication — idle chit-chat — perhaps bridged the cultural divide. She concludes that a visiting Greek might well have learned how to read the imagery like an Iranian.

Olga Palagia argues that the most famous Greek artefact found at Persepolis, the marble statue of “Penelope”, was not booty but a diplomatic gift from the people of Thasos: its Thasian marble provides a workshop provenance. The “Polygnotan” character, seen also in the Thasian marble “Boston Throne,” possibly from the same workshop, suits the prestige of the gift: Thasos’ great artist, the painter Polygnotos, is also attested as a bronze sculptor. A putative second Penelope in Thasos, taken to Rome in the imperial period with the “Boston Throne,” would have served as model for the Roman sculptural versions.

Antigoni Zournatzi offers the first of a series of regional studies documenting receptivity to Persian culture in the western empire and beyond, with a look at Cyprus. Earlier scholarship focused on siege mound and palace design; receptivity can be tracked in glyptic, toreutic, and sculpture. Western “Achaemenidizing” seals may be Cypriote; Persianizing statuettes may reflect local adoption of Persian dress (or Persian participation in local ritual). The treatment of beard curls on one late 6th century head may reflect Persian sculptural practice. Zournatzi suggests that Cypro-Persian bowls and jewellery were produced not for local consumption but to satisfy tribute requirements.

Yannick Lintz announces a project to compile a comprehensive corpus of Achaemenid objects in western Turkey, an essential step in any attempt to understand the period in the region.3 Particular challenges lie in matters of definition, both of “Achaemenid” and “west Anatolian” traits. The state of completion of the database is not clear; one is aware of a volume of excavated material in museums whose processing and publication was interrupted and can only wish her well in what promises to be a massive undertaking.

Lâtife Summerer continues her publication of the Persian-period Phrygian painted wooden tomb at Tatarli in western Turkey with discussion of the different cultural elements of its iconographic programme.4 The friezes of the north wall especially present Anatolian traditions; the east wall friezes of funerary procession and battle (between Persians and nomads) offer a mix of Persian and Anatolian. New Hittite evidence clinches as Anatolian the identification of the cart with curved top familiar in Anatolo-Persian art; it carries an effigy of the deceased. Alexander von Kienlin’s appendix expands the cultural mix presented by the tomb with his demonstration that its Lydian-style dromos was an original feature.

Stavros Paspalas raises questions about the vehicles and route of cultural exchange between the Persian Empire and Macedon through analysis of Achaemenid-looking lion-griffins on the façade of the later fourth century tomb at Aghios Athanasios. He identifies a pattern of specifically Macedonian patronage of Achaemenid imagery also in southern Greece in the fourth century in such items as the pebble mosaic from Sikyon and the Kamini stele from Athens. Enough survives to suggest independent local Macedonian receptivity to Persian ideas rather than a secondary derivation through southern Greece.

Despina Ignatiadou summarises succinctly the growing corpus of Achaemenidizing glass and metalware vessels in 6th-4th century BC Macedon. Three foreign plants lie behind the forms of lobe and petal-decoration on phialai, bowls, jugs, and beakers: the central Anatolian opium poppy, the Egyptian lotus (white and blue types) and the Iranian/Anatolian (bitter) almond. The common denominator is their medicinal and psychotropic qualities; Ignatiadou suggests that their appearance on vessels has semiotic value and that such drugs were used in religious and ritual contexts along with the vessels that carry their signatures, perhaps especially in the worship of the Great Mother.

Athanasios Sideris outlines the range of issues related to understanding the role of Achaemenid toreutic in documenting ancient cultural exchange: production ranges between court, regional, and extra-imperial workshops, not readily distinguishable. The inclusion of little-known material from Delphi and Dodona enriches his discussion of shape types. He works toward identification of local workshops, both within and without the empire, based especially on apparent local preferences in surface treatment. The geographical range of production is one area that will benefit from further international research collaboration.5

Pavlos Triantafyllidis focuses on the wealth of material from Rhodes, both sanctuary deposits and well-dated burials, that attests a history of imports from Iran and the Caucasus even before the Achaemenid period. Achaemenid-style glass vessels start in the late 6th century with an alabastron and petalled bowl, paralleled in the western empire, and carry on through the fourth century. An excavated fourth-century glass workshop created a series of “Rhodio-Achaemenid” products that dominated Rhodian glassware through the early third century. This microcosmic case study brilliantly exemplifies a much broader phenomenon.

Mehdi Rahbar outlines and illustrates archaeological material, some not previously published, that will be fundamental in future discussions of Seleucid Iran. The as of yet limited corpus includes: modulation of Greek forms perhaps to suit a local taste (Ionic capital from the temple of Laodicea, Nahavand, known from an 1843 inscription of Antiochus III; fragmentary marble sculpture of Marsyas?), amalgam of Iranian and Greek (milestone in Greek with Persepolitan profile), Greek import (Rhodian stamped amphora handle ΝΙΚΑΓΙΔΟΣ from Bisotun);6 and Iranian adoption of Greek decorative elements (vine leaves, grapes, and acanthus patterns, for which compare Azarnoush’s stucco).

The volume concludes with a brief overview of ancient Iranian-Greek relations and their modern interpretation by Shahrokh Razmjou.

The inclusion of the texts of the introductory and concluding addresses made on the occasion of the conference in particular allow the reader to comprehend its aims: hopes of exchange in the modern world through assessing exchange in the past. A number of the papers make it very clear that collaboration between specialists of “East” and “West” in both textual and archaeological research could yield great gains for all periods of history and modes of analysis. The conference and its publication, therefore, succeed at a variety of levels.

Editing such a volume must have been a real challenge and it is to the credit of authors and editors that throughout the whole volume, I found only a handful of minor infelicities and typographical errors, none of which obscure meaning.7

Contents: Stephen Tracy, “Europe and Asia: Aeschylus’ Persians and Homer’s Iliad” (1-8) Angeliki Petropoulou, “The Death of Masistios and the Mourning for his Loss” (9-30) Kyriakos Tsantsanoglou, “Magi in Athens in the Fifth Century BC?” (31-39) Massoud Azarnoush, “Hajiabad and the Dialogue of Civilizations” (41-52) Sara Alinia, “Zoroastrianism and Christianity in the Sasanian Empire (Fourth Century AD)” (53-58) Evangelos Venetis, “Greco-Persian Literary Interactions in Classical Persian Literature” (59-63) Garth Fowden, “Pseudo-Aristotelian Politics and Theology in Universal Islam” (65-81) Michael N. Weiskopf, “The System Artaphernes-Mardonius as an Example of Imperial Nostalgia” (83-91) Askold I. Ivantchik, “Greeks and Iranians in the Cimmerian Bosporus in the Second/First Century BC: New Epigraphic Data from Tanais” (93-107) Christopher Tuplin, “The Seleucids and Their Achaemenid Predecessors: A Persian Inheritance?” (109-136) G. G. Aperghis, “Managing an Empire—Teacher and Pupil” (137-147) David Stronach, “The Building Program of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae and the Date of the Fall of Sardis” (149-173) Mohammad Hassan Talebian, “Persia and Greece: The Role of Cultural Interactions in the Architecture of Persepolis-Pasargadae” (175-193) Margaret Cool Root, “Reading Persepolis in Greek—Part Two: Marriage Metaphors and Unmanly Virtues” (195-221) Olga Palagia, “The Marble of the Penelope from Persepolis and its Historical Implications” (223-237) Antigoni Zournatzi, “Cultural Interconnections in the Achaemenid West: A Few Reflections on the Testimony of the Cypriot Archaeological Record” (239-255) Yannick Lintz, “Greek, Anatolian, and Persian Iconography in Asia Minor : Material Sources, Method, and Perspectives” (257-263) Latife Summerer, “Imaging a Tomb Chamber : The Iconographic Program of the Tatarli Wall Paintings” (265-299) Stavros Paspalas, “The Achaemenid Lion-Griffin on a Macedonian Tomb Painting and on a Sicyonian Mosaic” (301-325) Despina Ignatiadou, “Psychotropic Plants on Achaemenid Style Vessels” (327-337) Athanasios Sideris, “Achaemenid Toreutics in the Greek Periphery” (339-353) Pavlos Triantafyllidis, “Achaemenid Influences on Rhodian Minor Arts and Crafts” (355-366) Mehdi Rahbar, “Historical Iranian and Greek Relations in Retrospect” (367-372) Shahrokh Razmjou, “Persia and Greece: A Forgotten History of Cultural Relations” (373-374)

Notes

1. The site is fully published in: M. Azarnoush, The Sasanian manor house at Hajiabad, Iran (Florence 1994).

2. The first appears as “Reading Persepolis in Greek: gifts of the Yauna,” in C. Tuplin, ed., Persian Responses: Political and Cultural Interaction with(in) the Achaemenid Empire (Swansea 2007) 163-203.

3. Deniz Kaptan is similarly compiling a corpus of Achaemenid seals and sealings in Turkish museums.

4. Other studies: “From Tatari to Munich. The recovery of a painted wooden tomb chamber in Phrygia”, in I. Delemen, ed., The Achaemenid Impact on Local Populations and Cultures (Istanbul 2007), 129-56; “Picturing Persian Victory: The Painted Battle Scene on the Munich Wood”, in A. Ivantchik and Vakhtang Licheli, edd., Achaemenid Culture and Local Traditions in Anatolia, Southern Caucasus and Iran: New Discoveries (Leiden/Boston 2007: Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia 13), 3-30.

5. Considerable progress is being made, e.g., in Georgia: V. Licheli, “Oriental Innovations in Samtskhe (Southern Georgia) in the 1st Millennium BC,” and M. Yu. Treister, “The Toreutics of Colchis in the 5th-4th Centuries B.C. Local Traditions, Outside Influences, Innovations,” both Ivantchik / Licheli, edd., Achaemenid Culture and Local Traditions in Anatolia (previous note), 55-66 and 67-107.

6. For early 2nd c. date of this fabricant, see Christoph Börker and J. Burow, Die hellenistischen Amphorenstempel aus Pergamon: Der Pergamon-Komplex; Die Übrigen Stempel aus Pergamon (Berlin 1998), cat. no. 274-286; one example has a context of ca. 200 BC.

7. Except possibly the misprint on p. 357, line 8 up, where “second century” should presumably be “second quarter” (of the fourth century)."

[travelinglibrariansdesk]

Picture books with an international focus

A mom came in today with an astounding heap of children's books. Every one was "presumed lost", so her kids had been enjoying them for quite a while. She wanted to see if the returned pile cleared the card they had been checked out on, but to my amazement, it didn't. She still had about a Benjamin in overdue fines on her card, so we checked her daughter's, which had almost as much in overdue fines! Then she asked me to check her husband's card, where we found about $20 in overdue fines, and she decided to just pay that one. Wow. It reminded me of the women who used to come into Lord & Taylor's handbag department: when one of their cards failed, they'd pull out another until they found one that wasn't maxed out. You'd think if one of your credit cards were maxed out, that would be a warning to stop shopping, but apparently not. At least in this scenario, it's about kids reading books - which I ALWAYS wish to encourage. And she apparently does, too - she returned with another HUGE stack of books to take out on her husband's now-clear card.

In her stack, I found three intriguing items: Reza Dalvand's Mrs. Bibi's Elephant, Minfong Ho and Saphan Ros's The Two Brothers, and Duncan Tonatiuh's The Princess and the Warrior. I'm delighted that she's teaching her children to read about other cultures!

Mrs. Bibi's Elephant is adorable: a simple story with a surprisingly cryptic ending. My favorite page showed Mrs. Bibi having tea with her elephant, the teacup balanced perfectly on the end of its trunk. The story pits people who have and love pets against people who like things (chandeliers, jewelry, the stock market). The town's children, who love the elephant, oppose the town's adults, who don't care about pets. A delightfully furry (or scaly, or feathered) Marxist message from Iranian illustrator Reza Dalvand.

I thought I would write about Ho and Ros's The Two Brothers, but there's not much to say about this one, unless you're simply into Cambodian stories. It's a classic fairy tale of the 1001 Nights style; unfortunately, the artwork is pleasing but unremarkable. I much preferred the startling art of Duncan Tonatiuh's The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes. No fable with a lesson here: the princess and the warrior's adventure is remarkable and traditional, but bittersweet and unresolved. The art really sets this story apart. Although I'm sure it exists elsewhere, this is the first time I've seen an artist employ precisely the style seen on artifacts, tombs and temples of the Aztecs, placing them in action sequences like cartoon characters. It's gorgeous, unusual, and faithful to Aztec art.

[hannahhook7744]

Badun Detective Agency Detective Profile (Mystery Noir):

Name: Mystery Conundrum Noir.

DOB: Exact date is unknown but it was around at least 6 years ago.

Status: Living.

Last Known Address: Carlos’ treehouse behind Hell Hall. 

Previous Address: Somewhere in Auradon. 

Country of Origin: Auradon.

Race: Mixed turtle breed.

Gender: Male.

Dental:? (Profiler does not know what dental is and thus cannot answer the question). 

Height: 4 to 6 inches.

Weight: 5.8 oz. 

Hair color: N/A.

Eye color: Black.

Languages: Turtle speak.

Title: The Mascot, The Snapper, and the Nunchuck wielding turtle.

Identifiable markings: Black, brown, and biege circles on shell.

Family: Hadie Olympian of the Underworld (Owner)(Living),

Hermie Bing (Owner)(Living),

Eddie Balthazar (Owner)(Living),

Reza Vizer of Agrabah (Owner)(Living),

Yzla Sorcerer of Enchancia (Owner)(Living),

Harry Badun (Owner)(Living),

And Jace Badun (Owner)(Living).

Education: N/A.

Employment: N/A.

Badun Detective Agency Employment: Mascot and Detective.

Skills/abilities: Stealth, breaking and entering, dancing, limited martial arts, climbing, etc.

Signature:

Agent is a turtle and therefore cannot write.

Notes:

—Agent is a turtle and thus cannot do much.

—Agent is good at offering moral support.

—Agent is good at sneaking around.

—Agent is excellent at self-defense and knows some martial arts.

[eye-of-enigmatic-thought]

[ID: A digital art ref of the character Father Clement. Clement is a Scottish Iranian man in his early 40s who works as a priest. He is of a chubby build, has light brown skin, grey curly hair thats tied to a pony tail, a tooth gap, and a large bumped nose and has heavily scarred hands. On the ref are three different fits Clement can be in, the first one being his black and yellow cassock, he also is holding a bible with a worried expression. Second fit is his casual clothes which is a red plaid button up shirt and wears grey trousers with dark grey boots, his expression is tired and exhausted. Third fit is how Clement looks when he’s out murdering, he wears a spare cassock, long brown gloves, and a ram’s skull with a cross painted on its forehead, his cassock is bloody and he is holding a chained hook as a weapon, but he can use a variety of weapons as well. End ID.]

Another ‘forgot to actually post even if I had already posted it on artfight’ art ref, this time of my murdery priest Clement. Despite the murder aspect he’s actually sweet and kindhearted, but not if you’re a corrupt bigot or abuser.

More details under the cut! (WARNING! Backstory includes themes of violence, abuse, and bigotry)

Father Clement is a priest for a local church in a rural community in America. He was born in Scotland, but immigrated to America, he does not talk about why he immigrated or much about his past. He is a kind and well liked man for his compassion and patience, and has also helped many people in his community out of difficult and hard situations, such as housing and hiding victims from abusers. However, Clement deals with a lot of stresses, especially from his own church due to how fundamentalist and conservative it is. As he originally trained to become a priest to help those in need, he was broken at how corrupt it actually was and how many of the other priests were either bigots, abusers, or both. Angry at this corruption and with a need to make things right, Clement has come to do whatever it takes to fight against it, including sending these abusers, and not just of the church, straight to hell himself if he can get away with it. Clement wears a ram skull when doing his dirty work, he initially found it in some woods near a local farm, and he decided to take it as a mask to cover his identity and also as a way to let his victims guess where he'll send them with whatever weapon he has... The one person he is most closest is Reza, a fallen angel who also has many secrets. The two of them connected over being both ostracised and their more destructive natures, and they have become a formidable team if not even lovers. Clement is a character based on various things I wanted to see or thought was cool, I am a big fan of slashers and wanted to try my hand at a Iranian slasher, and I also like 'scary priest' kind of characters, so I thought it would've been fun to merge the two. Hopefully this isn't too sacrilegious...? Also I imagine him to sound kinda like Peter Capaldi.

[rekenemee]

Hey I've noticed that Reza has some pretty strong ethnic traits such as his name and his skin color, does he have any other more specific ones that aren't as noticeable like face proportions? (eyes, nose, lips, the underchin fat, eyebrow width yadda yadda) I need it for something...

It was a favorite moment of mine, I'm not going to lie

(even though I completely missed some of the nuance by accident and I did reread it like a few times to see if I catch it and yet...)

(I'll be doing some research tonght tho that's for sure)

OH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE DRAWING IT THANK YOU THAT'S INSANE 😭

At the end of Chapter 1 I linked to a Tumblr post of mine where I explained more about the fic! Reza's parents are from one of the Fern Islands, which I'm loosely basing off maritime Southeast Asian and Oceanian countries! He specifically is supposed to be Javanese Indonesian-coded, since that's what I'm most familiar with :]

I'd say he has more rounded, less-pointy nose with a low bridge. Fuller eyebrows, upturned almond hooded eyes, and not that strong of a jawline (at least not as sharp as my render of Alex and Leah lol). Apologies that I don't always depict it very well in my anime art style especially when I'm just trying to get the drawings done and over with hahah

Thank you so much for your interest and taking the time to ask 😭💗The drawing is looking great wow!!! Highest props to you because my ass would have avoided doing perspectives at all cost

[killthemwithdoodles]

Meet the boys!

Raphael: A leatherback sea turtle. He studies more defensive arts than his brothers, learning to use his differently baked body to his advantage. His flipper-feet make it hard for him to walk normally, so Donnie designed him some specialized leg braces. The material is also stick-resistant, so he can cover it in new stickers constantly!

Leonardo: A painted turtle, Leo’s coloration makes him feel anxious when sneaking around and so his brothers gifted him a specialized ninja cloak to wear. The definition of a mom friend, he always has snacks with him, though he often forgets which pouch has his snacks and which one holds his shuriken/kunai and may or may not have thrown a Snickers bar or two at some villains in his time.

Donatello: A diamondback terrapin, Donnie assumes the role of “eldest” in their family and leads the team. He does his best to help his brothers with anything he can, but suffers from severe anxiety and struggles not to let anxiety attacks prevent him from fighting alongside them.

Michelangelo: A map turtle, Mikey is the troublemaker. He loves to annoy his brothers and even their father, sneaking out to the surface to goof off and cause problems. He’s unfortunately gullible, falling for most pranks and tricks pulled on him, and struggles with noticing when he’s being lied to…

[belphiesreverie]

HEYY omg youre back i havent sent anything here in forever love your ocs they look so cool!! your art is so good AAAA

what are reza and variyas personalities like? i love their designs -🦥

Omg hi hi!!! Sorry I disappeared for like… months I honestly was going through a time tbh 😭✋ but I’m doing much better now and am happy to be posting again, and it’s so nice to see you in my inbox!! 🫶

And tysm!!! I’m so glad you like them 🥹🥹

Variya is a very… relaxed person. Or in less nice terms he’s super lazy hwbajdbwkdn. He can seem pretty unbothered or indifferent about everything, but he gets super talkative if you bring up something he does like, such as video games! He’s very stubborn tho and you have to convince him to do anything that involves getting up or heaven forbid going out somewhere 😭

Reza’s personality is kinda hard to describe too much without giving away a plot point that’ll come up later, but outwardly he’s a pretty chill guy! He’s super loyal to the people he likes, the kind of friend you could go to when you’ve killed someone and he’d help you no questions asked (…/hj). He’s much more of a listener than a talker, doesn’t ever really say too much about himself, but will remember everything you tell him.

Variya and Reza actually work at the same cafe, which is how they become friends! Reza is the main person who convinces Variya to come into work so he doesn’t lose his job tbh, without him he’d probably be broke and homeless atp 😭

[ishikawayukis]

wenas otra vez JAJAJA que buena playlist tho, que vivan las canciones de los 90, 00 y 10’s porque ya no las hacen igual 😔🫶🏽 no es que toda la música sea mala ahora pero, pues tengo attachments supongo JAJAJAJ

omg yes please do share theories and memes (when it’s not a spoiler lol) I wanna know everything 🤲🏽 sorry I came late to the scene and have so much to catch up on LMAO hope you enjoy my reactions at least:’)

ITS SO GOOOOD once again it had me invested throughout the story “okay but are the ghosts related to this invisible man? Is the doctor the main bad guy? Is Brook even here or nearby?” the plot is pretty good and exciting!! and yes definitely more silly BUT THATS THEIR CHARM THIS IS WHY THEY GIVE ME LIFE<3 y no es paja, o sea entiendo que hay peleas wow y también me impresionan a veces pero gente vivamos el plot por favor🙏🏽

ALSO WOW THE WAY BROOK’S STORY CONNECTS WITH THEM AND THE BEGINNING OF THEIR JOURNEY???? Oda a veces hace que mis neuronas tengan que hacer gimnasia para acordarme de ciertos personajes JAJAJJAJA pero es bien genial como se conecta todo, I loved this arc<3 let’s see how we do with Sabaody Archipelago🫡✨

Zoro niñera, diciendo que no le reza a ningún dios y venciendo a un samurai de Wano es mi imperio romano JAJAJAJJAA PLUS oh god is so hard to avoid spoilers (so far so good I think?) but I have seen many fanarts based on a Wano arc(?)/saga(?) style and when they mentioned it I was like OH SHOOT FORESHADOWING!!!

f*ck Blackbeard too me vale si le hacen un redemption arc o no o si revive después de una batalla pero espero al menos una vez lo hagan tragar tierra y sufrir JAJAJAJA

estaba hablando con una amiga que es de China y me dijo que se hizo un piercing hélix con pistola y yo 😳 JAJAJAJA pero claramente le fue bien porque sigue teniendo la oreja JAJAJAJAJA justin wasn’t lying when he said never say never 😔✋🏽 pero si ojalá nos sanen sin problemas<3 cuéntame cuando te lo hayas hecho!!

nooooo Belleee😭 peor combinación posible, pero al menos ya estás mejor no?? :’) Thankfully I haven’t gotten sick yet but the weather where I am is trying to test me fr bc this winter is going wild😭😭

OH BTW JAJAJ SANJI RESCANTANDO A NAMI!!! el “skip skip skip” ES TAN ADORABLE JAJAJAJAJA literally every time I see him and he does something cool or silly or adorable I just think of you<3 JAJAJA hoy si mucho texto perdón 🫶🏽

WHAT DO YOU MEAAAAN LATE TO THE SCENE i've literally been here for maybe 4 months we're all in this together i just went a little insane about it LMAO let me know when you finish impel down so that i can share it because it honestly makes me go ?? you guys are kinda nuts

VIVAMOS EL PLOT EXACTOOOOOOO todos los dudebros q les encanta hacer powerscaling simplemente no entienden lo divertido q son estos arcos más misteriosos AJAJ thriller bark my beloved you were so goofy and had so many questions. AND BROOK' STORYYYYY i know that if you were to compare it to robin's is not as sad but man, it made me fucking Sob like i literally couldn't stop crying especially during the las song like woah oda you are a little fuck aren't you. and yeha him connection brook's story to laboon was just :')) he truly is thinking about everything LMAO

dude the wano art style is soooooo good as well, i don't think you can avoid spoilers when it comes to the names of the arcs but as long as you avoid like, actual plot spoilers you're doing a lot better than me LMFAO

naa blackbeard se puede ir a la real chucha perdón lo chilena AJJJAJA top 10 personajes q más odio en one piece literal compitiendo contra gecko moria y a ese weón yo lo quería matar JAJAJ

el hélix con pistola nooooo q valiente de su parte AJAJA y ya me lo hice lleva dos semanitas y está ahí bien bonito y sin problemas ejeje

yeah i'm better already but still haev a lingering cough that is honestly so annoying, but luckily it didn't affect my uuuuuuuuuh stamina? like i can exercise without wanting to die after the first round of things

SLGHDL i'm loving this people seeing sanji and thinking of me that's my stupid dumbass most beloved little guy

[nityarawal]

Sent to new fake boss on chauffer bad check scam at PNC bank & BBVA artificial Intelligence Centers.

To my family after the 6 year apartheid war. 

Do you care? Lol

Probably not. 

But this is reason to work. 

Do you have kids?

Peace,

Nitya

#4BillionMothersStrong 

Going to bed for first night in my art shack! Laundry clean! 

Wish you were here! I love you! Xo

Nitya

PS Mom- There's another 1 bedroom available for $500. 

Would you be able to send Anj & Isha? He can have the bigger one or kids together? 

This can be moved next to it! 

Or we can make one bedrooms & one living quarters? 

Miss you! Xo 

Nitya

Hey y'all have you googled mom's name lately?

Mitra with Sun!

Wow- There's thousands of wonderful new stories since last we checked. Haydn didn't believe it meant Sun.

Isn't that bizarre someone who knows Farsi, studies planets, went to Iran etc would say something so dumb? He doesn't appreciate nor understand Persian poets either. Mind Boggling.

Bobba knows he's Varuna! Lol

Every Christmas the lovers celebrate their anniversary.

It's divine.

I miss you so much. Mitra got me.

Thankyou Mommy.

You know she's even compared to Christ? Some mythical jealousy with Mitraism.

A mystical knowing that rivaled Christianity.

We are so very lucky mom. I pray you're all feeling ok.

I enjoyed first night in my dressing trailer!(: 

It's getting very cute and I'm enjoying paint box possibilities.

I left a patched wall rustic with board and want to paint an American flag on it.(:

Swedes do these barn house style paintings that are really epic.

Helen's sis had one in the only black Swedish house in the village.

Do you remember?

Do you hear from any of my bffs & sisters.

Worried for Zivit.

Any news I'd be grateful for.

I lost touch with many loved ones in lame Facebook wars.

Elon has a divine new Joe Rogan pod f/ yesterday you must hear!

He's doing AI conference & praying he heard the prudes and our beloved family.

It was King Reza Shah's II birthday yesterday.

Great party.

Persians brought it celebrating their beloved King.

It felt like the globe danced and rejoiced for our lineage.

He's only leader never criticized.

Amazing.

Georgia says no American leader ever spoke to her so Elon finally gave their country Starlink.

That was nice.

We see it but only the privileged use it apparently in apartheid! LOL

Praying He's doing a savoy shuffle in UK and sorting it all out.

He seemed very strong. Did you know he does Jiu Jitsu?

Could Gracie studio help Isha get his rights back?

I was sad to see another 14yo boy- little Quazi- caged by Space x and estranged from mom in daddy detention; am worried Isha was sold out?

I don't appreciate the way Sunil Carved me out of my family. We are not for sale nor barter.

Justice is undoubtedly going to be served.

It gets worse with every passing moment.

Elon says the price just goes up.

Make today a peace day like everyday.

I love you so much. Can you send me pictures here?

Isn't there anyway for y'all to shake a dead woman's Gag orders and embrace freedom of speech? RIP Queen Elizabeth & Barracuda Mamma Lori Clark Viviano AKA Sharkbait. 

Amen. 

Look at Elon squirm with BBC pod next. 

They have terrorized us over lame religious shit we didn't even know of from Roman times.

It's a history of wars.

Is Sunil an existentialist?

I never fully understood his superstring theory.

Do you Isha?

Please look and let me know.

I think he probably is.

Do you remember when he'd set up little villages of cards in living room; and video while Romeo knocked them down to find the treats?

There's lots of ways you can groom in war.

It's just not the Huntley way.

I don't believe it was Gautama's way of the Rawal Gotra either. Buddha loves his mom so much and is overflowing with Empathy and compassion.

We've all cried and Sung you home.

Megxit home.

Reza home.

Do you want to visit today and trick or treat?

I want to play Halloween; hug/eat and celebrate with my beloved family. 

Norooz.

It's sad Britney and her family broke. Praying they forgive each other- for her heart and everyone's involved.

Between us all, we've probably been targeted by over a million Jewish attys capitalizing on our family. 

We must always trust our enlightened elders.

That's why what Sunil did was a mind "F." ):

I'm sorry.

I know it wasn't good for anyone's Psyche.

Come home.

Shall we tie up the other trailer?

It's just for now.

Hopefully Elon really will get Reparations.

I'm grateful for all the time I have to enjoy the globe, you, and choose to enjoy it.

Maybe it's rude to laugh in face of tragedy; rude to defy cancer; disobedient to angry British leaders in rages over silencing for their organized criminals kink…..

I really feel Elon could rise through this. Please hold him in light of your heart. I just want the microcosm to reflect what my family can create. 

Jyoti Nitya

Light Eternal

Mitra Nitya

Friend Eternal 

Anjali Nitya

Grace; Offering To God Eternal

And grateful for our mighty Varuna Eternal. 

Ja Nitya 

We are a Tribe of peace, light and love. 

Prosperity is Gravy. 

I feel I paid more for Twitter's freedom of speech on X than anything in my life as a citizen journalist. I had to. For the word. It's very important to us. Vows. Faith. Simple human structure honoring heart values. Lovers. Boppa doesn't believe in divorce. Nor do I. It's Barbaric for one's soul. I'm sorry. Forgive me. Please. 

$44b wasn't what it really cost & I think Elon gets that.

We all worked.

Got taxed in alienation warfare. 

Every home I had was raided by Nazi Sheriff on bribes.

It was creepy.

I never broke the law. 

My job is to be a mom, a full disclosure journalist and realtor. The word means more to me than the buck. That's rare. 

I might not look like Miss Ambition but it's because priority of my life is you. To some being a mom might not bring the Britney billions they want to tax our family with. 

As far as I'm concerned my billions are voting in an arena of violence we don't appreciate. 

Return all. Elon knows this is on to-do list. 

We won't have blood money on our hands. 

We worked to hard as yogis to allow Sunil Rawal to violate our sacred family. 

My stomach is actually quaking at what nasty things hrs done. Let it go. It's just not worth it. We choose love. With you. Every day.

Every minute. 

Mitra Nitya is the eternal friend. 

We all know that's true. 

We all will be paid.

I got my X tip button. (:

This won't ever happen to another family on my time or dime. 

4 billion mothers are strong.

Peace. 

Merci,

Hugs. Xo

With all Love,

Mom

Nitya Eternal 

#4BillionMothersStrong 

(Mitra Moezzi's daughter of the Persian Qajar dynasty.)

Mom- Whom I miss with all my heart. Shouldn't we all have access to the psyche geniuses of our era? Especially loved ones. I know so many people have suffered.

(Peace is so much easier. Royals are fun and I feel lucky to be half princess getting a little crumb of respect in Woman Life Freedom Baraye Global awakening about apartheid in Tehrangeles regions too.)

"In the end, all debts must be paid, just a question of when. Later makes it worse."

| Elon Musk

[repurposedmeatlocker]

I remember a long while back, seeing a web-weaving style post that had to do with conflicts in friendships or relationships, and it had either focused entirely or included dialogue from "Art" by Yasmina Reza. Does anyone else recall seeing this, or am I just delusional?

[futurelibrariansstuff]

Bibliographic Data: Like a Love Story by Nazemian, Abdi. Balzer + Bray 2019. ISBN 0062839365.

Plot Summary: It's 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing. Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. He's terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows he's gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media's images of men dying of AIDS. Judy is an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle Stephen, a gay man with AIDS who devotes his time to activism as a member of ACT UP. Judy has never imagined finding romance...until she falls for Reza and they start dating. Art is Judy's best friend, their school's only out and proud teen. He'll never be who his conservative parents want him to be, so he rebels by documenting the AIDS crisis through his photographs. As Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won't break Judy's heart--and destroy the most meaningful friendship he's ever known.

Critical Analysis: Like a Love Story tells the stories of three teenagers as they navigate their way through the tumultuous times of the 1980s, each facing their own unique challenges. Abdi Nazemian develops each character's perspective and weaves them together to create a vivid and engaging narrative.

The author does a great job of exploring the complexities of human relationships, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. For example, readers will both love and be frustrated with Reza as he leads on his best friend, Judy, while really being attracted to other boys. Although Reza is clearly hurting his friend, it is difficult not to sympathize with him as he yearns for “normalcy” and deals with the fear of being found out.

This novel is a beautifully written and deeply moving story that will resonate with readers of all ages. Nazemian has created a wonderful story that teaches the importance of accepting and loving yourself for who you really are.

Review Excerpt(s): “Nazemian paints a picture of late ‘80s queer life in New York City that’s neither romanticized nor viewed as only tragic…. [His] latest will remind readers that first love is isolating and unifying, exhilarating and terrifying, and every paradox in between.” - ALA Booklist (starred review)

“Three characters discover their inner truths at a time that sometimes feels apocalyptic for their community and loved ones…. The intense and nuanced emotions evoked by the characters’ journeys help to give this powerful novel by Nazemian a timeless relevance.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“As with the novels of Benjamin Alire Saenz or Randa Abdel-Fattah, Daria’s thought-provoking journey will resonate with teen readers of all backgrounds.” — Booklist (starred review)

“The ferociously authentic Daria is a memorable protagonist.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Connections: Other books that teach similar themes: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo Pet by Akwaeke Emezi This is Not a Love Story by Suki Fleet