#she is a STRONG independant young woman named TINA!!!!!

[br1ghtestlight]

my personal headcanon is that jimmy jr is absolutely CONVINCED that tina hates being called nicknames/pet names despite her literally Never saying that and it also not being true. out of respect he only calls her tina and thinks its bcuz he Knows her so well he knows she would never wanna seriously be called babe/honey/sweetheart/etc which maybe is true. tina thinks its very funny when she realizes this

tina doesn't really use petnames for jimmy jr and she finds it soo awkward trying to come up with nicknames too but she would try stealing a few of zeke's and realize they sound extremely unnatural coming from her. she sticks to jimmy jr for the most part

they are not a pet names or nicknames type of couple </3 too awkward for both of them

Another day, another discussion question! 🕺🏻💖📓

Remember : No pressure, no stakes, just share how you feel! :)

Day Three: Would they have any pet names / nicknames for each other? If so, what would they be?

[vavuska]

Who changed Lola Bunny?

Malcolm D. Lee explained, “This is 2021. It’s important to reflect the authenticity of strong, capable female characters. … So we reworked a lot of things, not only her look, like making sure she had an appropriate length on her shorts and was feminine without being objectified, but gave her a real voice. For us, it was, ‘Let’s ground her athletic prowess, her leadership skills, and make her as full a character as the others.'”

(See the complete interview here: X)

So, gone are her curves, thigh-high drawstring shorts and midriff-baring crop top. Instead, Lola Bunny now takes on a sportier look wearing a more standard basketball vest and leggings under her track shorts.

But, let's see more deeply what determinated this choice:

1. Being mad at a fan art is sad, people.

Before, a sad 50 yo guy starts complaing about how "cancel culture" or "politically correct" ruined his life - Really? Changing a cartoon bunny from a movie you didn't see for a decade ruined your life? Wow. Someone should really review the list of their priorities -, let's see how really Lola looked in the 1996 original Space Jam.

Here we have original Lola Bunny:

(Here you can see all Lola's scenes in Space Jam: X)

Yes, Lola walked in a sexy way that show off her curves, or at least she seemed to have curves (a little breast, tight waist, long legs, bootie), but those are not big as in the fan art you are seeing around, and Lola's curves are not evidenced during the match or when she played. Is more her attitude and posture that made her look sexy. However, althought her curves clearly changes every time she is doing something different, from action to action, there are some scenes in which she is purposely made sexy, with saxophone music as soundtrack and male-gaze sections that ends in the same way, Lola surrounded by a bunch of horny and howling cartoon guys.

That's appropriate with Jessica Rabbit: she is purposely made and designed as a parody of the femme fatale from old hard boiler movies, in which attractive, mysterious women were portrayed as evil and manipulative gals who hide criminal intentions. Jessica, with her intentionally exaggerated body, subverted the misogyny of 40s and 30s detective movies: she is kind-hearted, truly loves her naive and goofy husband Roger and uses her powers (beauty and cunning) to protect him. Her body too is used for comic sketches, while this not happens for Lola, that's just a serious and indipendent basketball player. So, the male obsession for her body is out of place, expecially because she reacted with anger at being misconsidered only for being an attractive female bunny. “Don't call me doll” is her catch phrase. So, it seems strange she didn't react at all at the very sexualized presentation at the final basketball match: Lola simply shows her basketball skills, ignoring or accepting passively the reaction of the honey crowd of wolves around her. (Please, notice the association: Lola “admirers” are wolves, predators, while Lola, their object of desire, is a rabbit, a prey)

This is the cartoon version of cat calling: they are like a group of men who sit on their porches and whistle at girls everyday when they walk in from of them. A normal girl or woman would pass over this thing, even if they are bothered, unconfortable or embarassed, because they are more scared by a possible violent reaction of this whistling horny guys at their legitimate anger objections. But here, we are talking of Lola, a strong Looney Tunes bunny, and she could smash that damn basket ball on wolves' face, breaking all their teeth. That would be very a Looney reaction. But Lola doesn't react at all at this situation. Here, on my opinion, screenplayers missed an opportunity, but probably they thought to have already did too much with Lola's personality and “girl power”.

Remember also that Lola is the only young cartoon female character we see in the whole movie. So we can't do a proper comparison with other female relevant characters' rapresentation. (See here for a deeper analysis of Lola's origin and development: X)

However, compared with Bugs, Lola looks more fit, more humanized than Bugs. Lola has clearly a definited breast and booty, but it looks like is more her posture that makes them relevant. Lola has clearly shoulders back to show the rack. Bugs is anthropomorphic but remains an animal, has no shoulders or pectorals more like a human and looks a bit over-weight (fat belly). And his posture don't keep that stomach in, chin up, and march forward.

Lola, on the other hand, has a more human structure. That's why I say she has curves. An example are Mickey and Minnie who are two beans in the same way it is not that Mickey is a bean and Minnie has small tits, they are structurally alike.

Lola's body remembers highly No-Ribs-Jasmine from Aladdin (see the gif for reference). That unrealistic Barbie-like waist that was so popular in the 90s and 80s. (See here for references: X and X)

Now, we are changed a lot from the past 24 years. Barbies didn't have that impossible, unrealistic waist-line anymore, Disney princess concept has changed (see Merida and Moana).

Lola concept is changed in 2012: her design for the new cartoons is totally different and her personality too. She wear a blue or violet dress, almost flat-chested and she was made annoying and silly, just to make a contrast with Bugs smarter. Just like Daffy Duck is dumb as hell and his new girlfriend, Tina Russo (no more dear old Melissa Duck), is way smarter than him. Tina is tough, street-smart, rebellious and feisty. But we will see this thing in the next point.

2. People on the upper floors hated Lola personality.

Lola Bunny had only few lines in Space Jam, but she definitely passed the first impression that she was draw only for make male characters fall in love. Lola was a good basketball player and show it off, in front of a skeptical and then astonish bunch of cartoon guys and also Michael Jordan. She also had a strong personality and said it clear to Bugs she didn't like being called "doll". Lola was beauty and curvy, but not a cheerleader. Lola was a basketball player. Remember this part, because we will talk about basketball in the next point.

If at the box office Space Jam was a success, at Warner Bros there were those who turn up their noses, and they are important people, from the upper floors, who accused the film with Michael Jordan of having completely distorted the philosophy of the Looney Tunes. They blamed Lola Bunny more than everything else. Producers of Warner Bros said she was too perfect for the moody group of Warner cartoons: she was too sensual, provocative and independent, totally alien to that core of crazy characters that act as an exaggeration of the vices of 'man.

And fans hated her too. Chuck Jones, creator of the Merrie Melodies said: "Lola Bunny is a character with no future, she’s a totally worthless character with no personality."

So, Lola Bunny was deleted. Lola would make only some brief apparitions in some comics edited by DC Comics, in Baby Looney Tunes, in which she was a toddler with a very similar personality and resemblance to Space Jam adult version, and also as playable character in some unsuccessful videogames.

Years passed and projects for a sequel of Space Jam never become reality, so in 2003 Warner Bros relased Looney Tunes Back in Action. But Lola wasn't here, because the movie purposely want to make a deep cut with what we saw in Space Jam, according to what said it's director Joe Dante. This movie was a totally failure, but it gave back to Looney Tunes their craziness.

Years passed again, but this time is 2011, 10th of May on Cartoon Network was relased the second episode of The Looney Tunes Show. The series aimed to strongly relaunch the Looney Tunes, long gone from the glories of the past, updating the stories of Bugs Bunny and associates in a sitcom key, with the rabbit sharing a house with Daffy Duck in a suburb of Los Angeles. All interspersed with sketches by Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner done in CGI and the updated return of the Merrie Melodies. But the big news of the second episode is that LOLA BUNNY RETURNED.

And Lola was a character with some relevance within the series, even if something didn't seem right with her. Lola looked different, she was no longer the rabbit version of the femme fatale seen in Space Jam: she was naive, talkative, with her head in the clouds, crazy to the point of becoming Bugs Bunny's stalker. Bugs after having fallen in love with her at first glance understands on the first date that he absolutely can't stand Lola. She is no longer the Lola we used to know, even if the appearance is similar and the name is the same. Lola is effectively a Looney Tunes now. And the fans like her, the public like her, Warner Bros like her.

(See Lola in The Looney Tunes Show here: X)

But this is a big walk in behind from the indipent character we used to know in Space Jam. Lola was turned into the stereotype of the crazy girlfriend for a while. And this is not a surprise, if we remember that in 2012 were popular the "overly attached girlfriend" meme template. (See here for references: X)

However, in The Looney Toons Show Lola has some very funny moments, while in Space Jam she was more serious and a little out of space among the other characters. (See here for references: X)

3. What women wear when they play basketball?

Women's National Basketball Association was only created in 1996. So, women's basketball were not considered - and still is not considered - as important as men's basketball at the time Space Jam was filmed.

In Space Jam 2 there will be WNBA players with a significant role, for example Diana Taurasi and Nneka Ogwumike.

Professional female athletes aren't that curvy because curves are determined by body fat and they have a little.

As a busty volleyball player, I can say, dear people, breats could be very annoying during sport activities: it could be a pain, when you run or jump. That's because a lot of women wear sport bra to compress and support their breast. Sports bra may also include layered cups or a high neck to keep everything in place and protect from painful hits, so women can be safe and comfortable during workouts.

Female basketball players didn't wear crop-tops and tight shorts to play. They wear exactly what Lola wears in the picture above: long sleeveless tees, large shorts and maybe protective gears such as knee pads, sleeves or braces to reduce chronic pain caused by the immense burden put on the knees in basketball, to prevent bruises caused by collisions and hard fall and to provide support after a significant knee injury like an ACL tear. They could wear also compressive arms sleeves to help muscles that are sore or overworked to recover faster. The sleeve enables your blood flow to circulate quicker to the heart, which helps you heal and recover quicker.

Wow. WNBA wears Exactly what wear NBA players. So surprising.

4. This is only a promotional character sketch, not what Lola would look in the movie.

Space Jam 2 would be developed in CGI and there are a little preview frames going around, included one showing Lola jumping and you can see her breast shape. But she totally looks like a comic cartoon character. It's not humanized. It's not designed to be the sexy love interest. She doesn't look out of space among the others anymore, expecially because seems that there would be also Tweety's Granny and Melissa Duck or Tina Russo as players too.

5. Reality.

Really? You want a human anthropomorphic rabbit? Well, Lola as a rabbit would have something like six nipples, but no human-like breast. And, also, real life girls have ribs. No one in real life is that thin. Oh, well, if you don't considered Pixee Fox, a model who had surgically removed six ribs and wears daily a compressive bust corset (yes, like the one that made Elizabeth Swan faint in the first movie of Pirate of the Caribbean) to look like a cartoon fairy (Tinkerbell, you are the one to blame for this).

(See here for references: X)

In conclusion, we can say that all this controversy is based only on a porny fan art and that Lola “new” graphic isn't change too much from the original Space Jam movie. It's just a little more cartoonish.

We can also firmly remeber that Space Jam 2 is going to be developed for children, to relunch Looney Tunes among new generations of children, who are the largest buyers of merchandising (including Happy Meals surprises) and consumers of new cartoons that surely would be developed, if Space Jam 2 would be a success.

However, we should admit that those kids probably know better the 2011 version of Lola than her original version and that 2011 version was more appreciated by fans and producers. Lola's voice actress, Kristen Wiin won BTVA People's Choice Voice Acting Award in 2012 and was nominated for that prize also about three times in the following years. Also Rachel Ramras, Lola's voice actor was nominated for BTVA People's Choice Voice Acting Award in 2016 for her role in Looney Tunes: Rabbit Run.

We don't know anything about Lola's personality in Space Jam 2, so we can't do a proper comparison or a prevision, but, according to what Malcolm D. Lee said, we can assume that original personality of Lola would be preserved.

The controversy is relevant only for Lola's body and not for her personality, and that's is highly rappresentative of what impressed more this bunch of grow-up kids. They grow up to be like the horny wolves and they are howling because their prey is not available anymore.

And, to be honest, being so obsessed with the breast and the body of a cartoon character (that is clearly made up for kids) it's not sane at all. Sorry to say that, but sometimes people need to drink from a bottle of truth.

[ukendeavour]

Name: Tina Kennard Actor: Laurel Holloman Show: The L Word, The L Word Generation Q Family: Mother, father and sister (all unnamed) Angelica Porter Kennard (Daughter). Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Relationship: Eric, Bette Porter, Helena Peabody, Josh, Henry Young, Kate Arden, Brenda, Bette Porter (again), Carrie Occupation: movie developer, housewife, volunteer, movie executive, TV executive Personality: when we first met Tina she’s a bit of a hippy and a bit lost. She’s the mother of the group. She has lost her identity and is very wrapped up in Bette. Bette’s affair and the birth of Angie changes things for her and we watch as she turns into a strong, independent woman who knows what she wants. She’s scared of losing herself in Bette’s shadow. Tina left Bette to find herself. She is devoted to her daughter and hates that she’s away from her so much but she will support her hole heartedly. #tinakennard #thelword #thelwordgenerationq #laurelholloman #tibette https://www.instagram.com/p/CiJ78fLNQ5m/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[comeondowntosouthparkrpg-blog]

Bebe Stevens

Is she still playing truth or dare in treehouses? Bebe has been accepted! Please submit your blog to the main, and a faceclaim to be featured on the main blog!

out of character info

Name/Alias: Grace

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 23

Join Our Discord: Yes - [REDACTED]

Timezone: GMT

Activity: 8 (at least every other day)

Triggers: N/A

Password: jimmy can fast pass my ass 

Character that you’re applying for: Bebe Stevens

Favourite ships for your character: Bebe/Chemistry!!

in character info

Full name: Barbara “Bebe” Stevens

Birthday: 11th August 2000

Sexuality, gender, pronouns: Female, She/Her, Bisexual

Age and grade: 18

Appearance:

Face of angel, body of a goddess, posture of a queen. That’s what she’s been told will get her far in life, and that’s what Bebe strives for. She’s slim build but – with thanks to frequent gym tips (for the Instagram likes) and rigorous cheerleader training – Bebe is toned, tanned and seriously strong. Her fair falls halfway down her back and, without proper styling, it’s a big nest of yellow frizz. Since hitting puberty, Bebe’s mom has enforced regular trips to the salon to tame her curls and highlight her tips, meaning only those really close to her have seen how much of a disaster it’s natural state is.

She has brown eyes, plump lips, and dresses largely in sportswear – crop tops, sports bras, leggings, shorts, high tops and hoodies. On nights out, she likes to ‘Go Ho’ with tight dresses and her signature red lipstick. Bebe is rarely seen without makeup; since entering High School, she’s grown to dislike her natural face – pale and imperfect, with dark patches under her eyes and freckles on her arms. Fake tan, foundation and fad diets are a necessity, if only to get her mom off her back.

Personality:

Bebe doesn’t let anyone see more than her outward appearance. Since childhood, discouraging comments about pursuing an education and becoming an independent career woman have twisted her dreams and shattered her personal image. She works hard at school, but often struggles more than her classmates and is too stubborn to ask for help. Bebe wants to follow Wendy to an Ivy League School, become a Marine Biologist, and change the world for women in STEM. Constant reality checks from failed exams and her mom’s patriarchal view of the world have made that goal unobtainable, so now she’s relying on Instagram fame, a rich college boy proposing, and being widowed at 35 with diamonds to spare.

Bebe is bold, to the point, and surprisingly witty. However, she often disguises her wit behind ditzy or vain observations and a vapid obsession with whatever’s fashionable at the time. She’s driven, though, and even with the world seeing her a certain way, she’d like to become a bigger, brighter person. At parties, she’s a loud personality; she likes drink, dick, drugs and dancing in any order, and isn’t afraid to announce it. She’s also a natural born leader. People are drawn to her, be that because she’s got great boobs and bad reputation, or because she knows how the world works (a little too much) and isn’t afraid to grab it by the balls.

History:

Deborah Thornton met Harvey Stevens when she was 17 and he was 25. Harvey was everything Deborah wanted: well-dressed, well-spoken, and heir to a successful stationary company. Her dating strategy was relentless; Deborah knew what she wanted, and she was damn well going to get it – but how was she going to keep it? That much was easy: have his baby.

Bebe knows she’s not a child born of love, but of circumstance. Her parents like each other well enough, but there’s no spark, just a dull-witted woman who dresses nicely for her boring, business-minded husband. Luckily, their poor parenting techniques have resulted in Bebe getting almost everything she asks for, and Deborah encourages that want-all attitude with pride. Bebe is the spitting image of her mom at 18: voluptuous body, sweet voice, and unwavering social status. Now all she needs is a husband.

The world has blessed Bebe, but as a ten-year-old, that wasn’t enough. She wanted everything she could get her hands on: all the boys, all the power, and all the shoes. Sure, stealing her dad’s gun and pointing at her best friend wasn’t her proudest moment, especially when it was just to keep her hands on Clyde fucking Donavon, but that decisiveness has remained to this day. She’ll dress slutty if she wants to, snort coke if she wants to, and get down if she wants to. Nonetheless, not even Deborah could have planned for Bebe’s independence. Bebe Stevens wants the world.

Sample paragraph:

There’s a riot going on outside, and Bebe can see most of her class in the middle of it. Knowing that lot, they probably started it. A few look worried, the majority bored (oh, a riot in South Park? Must be, like, a Tuesday) but they all know it’ll die down tomorrow when the next bullshit scenario rears its ugly head.

At least they’re involved, right? Bebe hasn’t been dragged into any non-squad drama for months. Sometimes, the guys will give Wendy a taste of their bizzare-o world, and Wendy will complain and call them assholes, but Bebe has this secret feeling that all those whacko, dangerous shenanigans might be kinda … fun.

Fuck. All she wants is the chance, just once, to take the wheel and get fucking WILD with it. Unfortunately, she has a reputation to uphold, an Instagram to keep active, and no one really trusts her after the whole, like, ‘pointing-a-gun-at-her-best-friend’ business.

Bebe blames some of it on society. That’s what Wendy would say to to cheer her up (and, thanks girl, but a pair of shoes or some ice cream would do a better job of it).

She blames the rest of it on her mom. Her mom, who’s dragged Bebe to yet another salon, because “you won’t marry rich with dry skin and crusty cuticles, honey.” Bebe’s fingers fucking ache after the trials they’ve been put through today, just for a French manicure and a couple gems on the thumbnail.

“Hey, mom,” she ventures, and her mom looks up from her copy of The Boob Job: Use your Tits to get Hitched to address her little girl.

Her mom only cares about two things: potential boyfriends (and how Bebe can use her body to bag them), and any girl-gang gossip that’ll make her feel young again.

“Can I go outside? I think I see Annie out there..”

“And ruin your nails, baby? What if that Clyde boy sees you acting like a common whore? Or Token, he’s rich, right?”

“Then they’ll be more likely to fuck me, right? Come on, mom. I can see robots out there.”

Bebe knows that the idea of her daughter becoming just another white-trash, Tomboy Tina terrifies Deborah to the core. But they’re in South Park, and the alternative options are pretty slim. 

“Fine,” her mom says, “but I want you to get three good selfies and at least one date out of it, you here? Tell them you’re a cheerleader, they like that. And look out for college boys - they’re smart.”

This town is tiny and suffocating, Bebe wants to say, they all know I’m a fuckin cheerleader. But instead she says, “sure mom, whatever, kisses,” and bolts out the door, wondering if she’ll be brave enough, today, to break a nail.

Head canons:

Bebe still has her fluffy white cat, Thumper, who she adores, even if half of his fur has gone and his legs don’t work anymore. Deborah hates the thing, but Harvey still makes sure its fed if Bebe’s away.

Bebe has some lingering drug issues. She rarely goes out now without dropping some MDMA or a line of coke, and she sometimes sneaks out at night to smoke a joint at Stark’s pond. It’s got the point that she thinks it’s a necessity to be the ultimate party girl, and she’s got no plans to stop anytime soon. It’s what Paris Hilton would have wanted.

Bebe has MAD body-image issues and will not let anyone see her without her makeup on. The only exceptions are Wendy and her dad.

Anything else: nope, nada!

[wazafam]

Sitcoms have long been one of the cornerstones of the television medium. While some have suggested the new era of television has seen the beginning of the end to traditional sitcoms, there have still been plenty of great examples in the 21st century that have delivered some iconic television characters.

RELATED: 10 Most Expensive Sitcom Episodes Ever Made (& Why They Cost So Much)

While some comedy series, like Atlanta and Fleabag, received huge acclaim by delivering laughs and playing around with tone and structure, these recent sitcoms have proven the simple approach can still work, as long as there are some truly great characters for the audience to fall in love with.

10 Tracy Jordan - 30 Rock

From creator Tina Fey, 30 Rock is a sitcom that explores the behind-the-scenes action of a sketch show similar to Saturday Night Live. It makes sense then that SNL vet Tracy Morgan was cast as the wild star, Tracy Jordan.

Tracy is the wildcard of the series, an impulsive and childish celebrity whose lifestyle added a real energy to the show. He is such an outrageous character that he allows the show to be completely absurd because that's the only way someone like Tracy would make sense in this world.

9 Charlie Kelly – It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Though it took a while to find a solid audience, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has become one of the longest-running sitcoms on television. As its success has grown, so has the love for the show's character, Charlie Kelly.

RELATED: The 10 Best It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Seasons, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Charlie is the janitor of Paddy's Pub. He is repulsive in his eating and general lifestyle habits, but there is also a childish naivety to him that is somehow charming. And given the people he hangs around with, the fact that he is somewhat likable is an accomplishment.

8 Sheldon Cooper – The Big Bang Theory

There are some that see The Big Bang Theory as the kind of show that gives sitcoms a bad name. Despite what one might think of the overall series, it's impossible to argue against its success and the impact of the character of Sheldon Cooper.

The socially awkward and abrasive Sheldon is a character who could have gotten very annoying very quickly. Yet, the show manages to make him an entertaining character who feels unlike any other character on television. His success has even grown beyond the series and into the prequel, Young Sheldon.

7 Gloria Pritchett – Modern Family

Given the ensemble nature of Modern Family, it's hard for one character to stand out among the rest. But quite quickly it became clear that Gloria Pritchett was going to steal the show. Though she is seen as the trophy wife to Jay, Gloria revealed herself to be a much more interesting character than that.

She is a strong and independent woman with an interesting background and her relationship with Jay is very sweet. The great chemistry and storylines she has with the other characters as well make her hilarious and entertaining to watch.

6 Captain Raymond Holt – Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Throughout its run, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has become one of the best feel-good shows on television thanks to its lovable characters. But with all the wacky characters involved in the show, it is the grounded and serious Captain Holt (who is the MVP).

RELATED: Brooklyn Nine-Nine: 10 Most Heartwarming Scenes Of The Entire Series

Holt earns the biggest laughs in the show largely due to his perfectly deadpan performance. His lack of emotion makes every line hilarious and it makes it even funnier when he does have those rare outbursts.

5 Eleanor Shellstrop – The Good Place

The Good Place is one of the cleverest sitcoms of the 21st century as it deals with the afterlife. While that is a brilliant setup for a comedy series, it is really about discovering how to be a good person, as seen through the journey of the show's main character, Eleanor Shellstrop.

Eleanor is a rude and self-centered person and her horrible personality is partially why she is so funny. But it is very impressive how the show is able to gradually have her grow and become a better person without the audience losing interest in her.

4 Larry David – Curb Your Enthusiasm

After being behind-the-scenes of the ground-breaking sitcom Seinfeld, Larry David stepped in front of the camera for Curb Your Enthusiasm, which very much feels like a successor to his previous series.

David plays a (slightly) exaggerated version of himself, living in Hollywood and making enemies with everyone he meets, thanks to his brutally honest observations. What makes Larry such a great character is the freedom of not caring that the lead of a sitcom is a completely unlikeable person.

3 Moira Rose – Schitt's Creek

One of the greatest television success stories in recent memory has been Schitt's Creek. The Canadian comedy gradually built its audience over its run and made Emmy history in its final season.

RELATED: Schitt's Creek: 5 Characters We Wanted More Of (& 5 Who Overstayed Their Welcome)

Among the many awards it has won, Catherine O'Hara has been rightly showered with praise for her performance as Moira Rose. It's hard to describe what O'Hara is doing with this character and it might even take a couple of episodes to get used to, but she is hilarious and captivating with every line of dialogue. This will go down as an iconic television performance.

2 Ron Swanson – Parks And Recreation

Though Parks and Recreation was initially seen as a knock-off of The Office, at first, it soon established its own identity as a great sitcom. While the character of Leslie Knope deserves recognition, Ron Swanson has become one of the greatest television creations in recent memory.

Ron's serious and anti-social demeanor might seem hard to love, but the more he leaned into that persona, the more endearing he became. From his meat-centric eating habits to his lifestyle to his disdain for the government, Ron was a joy to watch and could even be quite sweet at times.

1 Michael Scott – The Office

With the acclaim of the original The Office, the American version had the daunting task of making it a worthwhile remake. Luckily, the show had a secret weapon in the form of Michael Scott. While David Brent was hilarious himself, Michael nailed the awkward boss position with a good amount of heart.

Michael's endless faux pas and failure to understand social boundaries made for countless hilarious moments. He is one of the reasons the show remains so rewatchable and it explains the drastic dip in quality when he left.

NEXT: The Office Vs. Parks & Rec: Which Workplace Comedy Is Funniest, According to Reddit

10 Best Sitcom Characters Of The 21st Century | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/2Q7c6M0

[bigyack-com]

The 46 Most Anticipated Movies of 2020

2019 was a landmark year for movies, especially for Disney, which propelled past its own box office record thanks to Avengers: Endgame — the biggest movie of all time — The Lion King, and Frozen II. In 2020, the start of the new decade promises a bit of a clean slate, with no big mash-up movies or remakes in store. Of course, there are still plenty of big hitters around. We've got two entries apiece in Marvel Studios, DC, and Sony's Marvel universes, including the return of Black Widow and Wonder Woman. There's a new movie in store from Christopher Nolan, in addition to the return of Fast and Furious, Minions, King Kong, and Ghostbusters.And after a year filled with Disney's remakes of past hits, we will be treated to three original efforts from Pixar and its own studio in 2020. Speaking of animation, there are also upcoming movies involving Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, and Sonic the Hedgehog. And oh, James Bond is back after five years, though in terms of time, nothing can beat the return of Tom Cruise's Top Gun after over three decades. Closer to home, we've got a few historical dramas, Aamir Khan remaking a Hollywood movie, and Farhan Akhtar in a boxing film. Kabir Khan will give us a film on India's 1983 Cricket World Cup success, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali has roped in Alia Bhatt to play a red-light district matriarch.Note: for Hollywood movies, most release dates are for the US, except wherever specifically mentioned.

January

ChhapaakRelease date: January 10, 2020Deepika Padukone plays an acid-attack survivor in a film inspired by the life of Laxmi Agarwal, from Raazi and Talvar writer-director Meghna Gulzar.TanhajiRelease date: January 10, 2020Based on the 17th-century Battle of Sinhagad, in which the Marathas fought the Mughals, respectively led by General Tanaji Malusare (Ajay Devgn) — serving Chhatrapati Shivaji — and Udaybhan Rathod (Saif Ali Khan). Kajol stars as Tanaji's wife.DolittleRelease date: January 17, 2020In his first role since Avengers: Endgame, Robert Downey Jr. is a Victorian England-era doctor and veterinarian who can speak to animals and prefers them over humans, but is forced to set sail on an adventure to find a cure for Queen Victoria's grave illness.The GentlemenRelease date: January 24, 2020After Aladdin, Guy Ritchie returns to his action crime roots with this story of an American immigrant (Matthew McConaughey) who has decided to cash out his marijuana empire in London. Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant star alongside.Bad Boys for LifeRelease date: January 31, 2020 (India)Seventeen years later, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return to wrap up their buddy cop trilogy, which reunites the detectives after a mob boss desires revenge close to their official retirement.The Rhythm SectionRelease date: January 31, 2020Blake Lively, Jude Law, and Sterling K. Brown star in this spy thriller from the producers of James Bond, which follows a woman who discovers that a plane crash that killed her family wasn't accidental. You know where this goes.

February

Birds of PreyRelease date: February 7, 2020In this Suicide Squad spin-off set in the DC film universe, a Joker-less Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) teams up with three more female vigilantes to save a young girl from a brutal, iron-fisted crime lord (Ewan McGregor).Watch the First Trailer for Birds of PreySonic the HedgehogRelease date: February 14, 2020Delayed to make time for the redesign of its blue speedster in the face of criticism, this video game adaptation follows Sonic (Ben Schwartz) visiting Earth, teaming up with a former cop (James Marsden), and evading Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), a scientist interested in world domination.Watch the New Trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog

March

OnwardRelease date: March 6, 2020Pixar's next film is set in a suburban contemporary fantasy world and follows two elf brothers (Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) who set out on a quest to rediscover magic so they can spend one day with their father.Watch the First Trailer for OnwardA Quiet Place: Part IIRelease date: March 20, 2020John Krasinski returns as director on this sequel to the 2018 hit, which forces the family — Emily Blunt and her two on-screen kids — to venture out into the world, where the creatures that hunt by sound aren't the only threats.MulanRelease date: March 27, 2020Disney's wave of live-action remakes continues with this Chinese folklore tale about a young woman who takes her ailing father's place in the army. It's got an all-Chinese cast, thankfully, and it's one of the most expensive movies of all time, with a reported buget of $300 million.SooryavanshiRelease date: March 27, 2020You know we've hit peak “cinematic universe” when Rohit Shetty crafts one for his over-the-top cops. Akshay Kumar is the new eponymous entrant as the chief of an anti-terror unit, with Katrina Kaif as his love interest, and Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh cameoing as Singham and Simmba.

April

The New MutantsRelease date: April 3, 2020Delayed several times, this last entry in Fox's erstwhile X-Men world is about five young mutants — including Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams — trying to escape a secret facility while discovering the extent of their abilities.No Time to DieRelease date: April 3, 2020 (India)Daniel Craig returns as James Bond for the fifth and final time. Set five years after Spectre, a semi-retired Bond must find a missing scientist after a new villain (Rami Malek) poses “a danger the likes of which the world has never seen before.”Watch the First Trailer for No Time to Die‘83Release date: April 10, 2020India's surprising success at the 1983 Cricket World Cup is told through the eyes of captain Kapil Dev (Ranveer Singh) in this biopic from director Kabir Khan.Black WidowRelease date: April 30, 2020 (India)The first Marvel movie since Avengers: Endgame jumps into the past — shortly after Captain America: Civil War — and follows Scarlett Johansson's titular character as she is forced to confront her past. David Harbour, Florence Pugh, and Rachel Weisz also star.Watch the First Trailer for Black Widow

May

Scoob!Release date: May 15, 2020The first feature animated Scooby-Doo movie is going to be an origin tale for the gang, telling us how a young Scooby and Shaggy met, and then teamed up with Fred, Daphne, and Velma to form Mystery, Inc. Warner Bros. hopes it will kick off a Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe.Fast & Furious 9Release date: May 22, 2020This ridiculous franchise somehow continues with Fast Five director Justin Lin returning to (hopefully) reinvigorate it. Most of the old gang is back — including Jordana Brewster and Charlize Theron — and they are joined by new faces in John Cena and Michael Rooker.Artemis FowlRelease date: May 29, 2020Pushed from last year, Eoin Colfer's 2001 novel of the same name is getting the big-screen treatment 19 years after it was first announced. It involves a 12-year-old criminal mastermind, fairies, and a possible robbery.

June

Wonder Woman 1984Release date: June 5, 2020The second DC film of the year reconnects with Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) seven decades on in the eighties, where she's (somehow) reunited with her old love (Chris Pine) while going up against two new enemies (Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig).Watch the New Trailer for Wonder Woman 1984SoulRelease date: June 19, 2020In Pixar's other original movie in 2020, a music teacher's (Jamie Foxx) soul is accidentally separated from his body and transported to a realm where souls develop and gain passions before passing into a newborn. There, he meets a soul-in-training (Tina Fey) who has been trapped for years.Watch the First Trailer for SoulTop Gun: MaverickRelease date: June 26, 2020For more than thirty years — as much time since the first film — Tom Cruise's Navy aviator has avoided promotion to remain in the air as a test pilot. The man with no future is forced to reckon with the ghosts of his past after he encounters his late best friend's son (Miles Teller) in training for a special mission.Watch the First Trailer for Top Gun: Maverick

July

Minions: The Rise of GruRelease date: July 3, 2020This sequel to the 2015 billion-dollar hit follows the tiny, yellow creatures as they encounter a young Gru — their eventual leader — for the first time.Free GuyRelease date: July 3, 2020A video game character (Ryan Reynolds) finds out he's in a video game and then tries to make himself the hero. Wait, isn't this the plot of Wreck-It Ralph? Anyhoo, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, and Taika Waititi star alongside.Ghostbusters: AfterlifeRelease date: July 10, 2020After a critically and commercially unsuccessful reboot, Sony rejigs the machine to produce a direct sequel set 30 years after Ghostbusters II. It follows two children and their mother (Carrie Coon) who discover their link to the original gang — most of whom are retuning — after moving to a farm. Paul Rudd is new to the cast.TenetRelease date: July 17, 2020Christopher Nolan's next film involves time travel and finds an agent traversing the world, including Mumbai. John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clémence Poésy, Himesh Patel, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh star.Watch the First Trailer for TenetMorbiusRelease date: July 31, 2020Sony's own Marvel universe expands with this tale about a scientist (Jared Leto) suffering from a rare blood disease who attempts to cure himself and instead becomes afflicted with a form of vampirism. Adria Arjona, Matt Smith, Jared Harris, and Tyrese Gibson part of the cast.ShamsheraRelease date: July 31, 2020Ranbir Kapoor plays a father and his titular son who are part of a dacoit tribe that fought for their independence from the British colonialists in the 19th-century. Sanjay Dutt, Vaani Kapoor, Ronit Roy also star.

August

Bhuj: The Pride of IndiaRelease date: August 14, 2020Set during the 1971 Indo-Pak War, the story of a squadron leader (Ajay Devgn) in-charge of the Bhuj airport who helped reconstruct an air force base with the help of 300 local women. Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, and Rana Daggubati have supporting roles.

September

Gangubai KathiawadiRelease date: September 11, 2020Alia Bhatt will play the titular brothel owner and matriarch in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's next venture, based a chapter of S. Hussain Zaidi's book, “Mafia Queens of Mumbai”.The King's ManRelease date: September 18, 2020This period prequel to the Kingsman series follows Ralph Fiennes as Duke of Oxford and his protégé as they put a stop to tyrants and criminals. Gemma Arterton, Matthew Goode, Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance are part of the cast.Last Night in SohoRelease date: September 25, 2020After Baby Driver, Edgar Wright's next film is a London-set psychological horror starring Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones), and Terence Stamp.

October

Sardar Udham SinghRelease date: October 2, 2020Shoojit Sircar's dream project about the titular revolutionary freedom fighter (Vicky Kaushal) comes to life. Udham is best known for taking revenge for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre by killing Punjab's then-lieutenant governor in 1940 London, for which he was subsequently hanged by the British.ToofanRelease date: October 2, 2020Farhan Akhtar and director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra reunite for another sports drama — after 2013's Bhaag Milkha Bhaag — about a fictional boxer. Paresh Rawal, Isha Talwar, Mrunal Thakur, Rishi Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, and Soni Razdan are part of the cast.Venom 2Release date: October 2, 2020The first film was total carnage, so it makes sense that Tom Hardy's journalist and the titular symbiote are next taking on a serial killer (Woody Harrelson) and his own alien symbiote who is actually called Carnage. Andy Serkis directs.Death on the NileRelease date: October 9, 2020The story of Agatha Christie's detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) continues on holiday in Egypt, where a love triangle spills into murder. Gal Gadot, Letitia Wright, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Rose Leslie, and Ali Fazal also star.

November

The EternalsRelease date: November 6, 2020The second Marvel movie in 2020 spans several thousand years, following the titular immortal alien race as they battle their evil counterparts to protect humanity. Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Gemma Chan, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Don Lee, and Kit Harington star.

PrithvirajRelease date: November 13, 2020Chanakya and Pinjar director Chandraprakash Dwivedi helms this epic historical drama about the life of Prithviraja III, who ruled parts of north-west India in the 12th century before his defeat and execution at the hands of the Ghurids. 52-year-old Akshay Kumar will play a man who died in his mid-20s.Godzilla vs. KongRelease date: November 20, 2020This is what it's been building to since the 2014 Godzilla reboot, and the film's title tells you all you need to know. Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Eiza González, Jessica Henwick, Julian Dennison, and Zhang Ziyi will play the humans.MaidaanRelease date: November 27, 2020Ajay Devgn plays coach Syed Abdul Rahim in this sports biopic, who is considered the architect of modern Indian football and sparked the national team's golden era between 1952–1962. Badhaai Ho director Amit Sharma is behind the camera.Raya and the Last DragonRelease date: November 27, 2020Disney Animation's first original film in four years — since Moana — is about the titular warrior (Cassie Steele) who's looking for the last dragon in the world. Little does she know that she, a water dragon (Awkwafina), is trapped in a human body.Here's the First Concept Art for Raya and the Last Dragon

December

DuneRelease date: December 18, 2020Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem lead the star-studded cast of Denis Villeneuve's ambitious two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi classic, often termed unfilmable.West Side StoryRelease date: December 18, 2020Steven Spielberg is behind this remake of the multi-Oscar-winning 1961 film adaptation, though it's said to stick more to the original Broadway musical script. It's about two young adults, associated with rival street gangs, falling for each other in 1950s New York.

Laal Singh ChaddhaRelease date: December 25, 2020Aamir Khan stars in Tom Hanks' role in this remake of Forrest Gump transported to Bollywood, which will hence run through the events of India's history. Kareena Kapoor plays the love interest, played by Robin Wright in the original.Tom and JerryRelease date: December 25, 2020The second 2020 film based on a Hanna-Barbera cartoon is a live-action and animation hybrid. It follows a young adult (Chloë Grace Moretz) who teams up with the titular cat to stop the titular mouse from ruining an important event. Strangely not a part of the aforementioned cinematic universe.The Tomorrow WarRelease date: December 25, 2020In the near future, humans figure out how to draft soldiers from the past — Chris Pratt among them — to fight a losing war against alien forces. Yvonne Strahovski, J. K. Simmons, and Betty Gilpin also star. The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay at the helm. Read the full article

[buckygirl-fanfiction]

Sparks Chapter 9

Pairing: Bucky(POV) X Reader(POV) ft. other characters from the avengers team

Word Count: 2.2K

Summary: Bucky volunteers to be y/n’s date at a prestigious scientific gala y/n is invited to speak at. Bucky’s feelings for y/n grow and he catches himself gaping at her. After the gala they go back to y/n’s apartment for take out, a movie, and a sleepover. They share a bed once again but this time y/n feels different. After a violent attack with an intruder Bucky saves y/n’s life and realizes he would do anything for her: including kill.

A/N: This is a story about two people building a great friendship and then slowly falling in love. y/n is a strong, independent, and smart scientist. She meets Bucky when she wakes him up from cryo sleep and they become friends. This is going to have all the angst / best friends falling in love / fluff / drama / & eventual smut ;) that I can possibly fit in it. This fic is going to be looong! So far my document is like 80 pages. So editing is hard If you catch any grammatical or formatting errors let me know.

November 13, 2015

y/n’s POV

“Don’t be late,” I say holding the phone to my ear.

“I won’t be late. When have I ever been late?” Bucky replies. “I am the essence of punctuality.”

“This is really important,” I say putting the phone on speaker and picking up my curling iron again.

“I know, you know what I just got out of my briefing right now. I’m going to go back to my place and put on the best tux money can buy and meet you at the museum in 1 hour.” He says. “You’ll have the hottest date there.” I roll my eyes and end the call.

“Hey y/n, do you have some perfume,” Cho asks from behind me. We are in my bedroom back at my apartment getting ready for the scientific gathering of the season. It’s being held at the Museum of Natural History here in New York. It’s basically award season for scientists and I’ve been invited this year to deliver the opening address. Which is very prestigious because only leaders in their fields are invited to speak.

“Yeah, on my nightstand,” I say and Cho walks over and picks up the bottle. We’re invited every year. Well every year since Cho and I started working at the tower and we usually we go together. But, this time I decided to invite Bucky who happily volunteered to be my date. Cho was going to invite Steve, but superhero business kept him tied down. I curl the last piece of my long hair and put the curling iron down. I stand up from my vanity and walk over to the mirror to make sure I look put together. I’m wearing a long sleeveless silver silk dress and I look awesome, if I do say so myself.

“You’re definitely going to turn some lab nerds heads tonight,” Cho says jokingly to me.

Bucky’s POV

I arrive, exactly on time, at the museum. I walk into the large hall with people buzzing around and champagne glasses being clinked. I spot y/n and Cho at one of the front tables and walk towards them. She looks beautiful. Like always. She’s wearing heels again, I like it when she wears heels because then we’re almost the same height. She’s standing around the table with Cho looking around the room probably waiting to yell at me for not being here earlier. Not my fault that Stark is so insistent on his mission updates. I walk towards the table and she spots me. She’s wearing a shiny grey dress and it clings to her body. She’s smart, beautiful, and fun I didn’t know someone could have it all, but she does. Man, i’m really smitten aren’t I? I think to myself. I need to stop. These are clearly some misplaced feelings that i’m secretly harboring. They will fade away eventually. I don’t want to open a can of worms I can’t close and destroy a perfectly great friendship.

“You’re on time,” she says looking at her watch.

“I told you I would be,” I say.

“Well, Bucky don’t you look smart,” Cho says looking at me.

“Thank you and both of you look… well… wow,” I say looking at y/n with a loss for words. Stop it, I say to my brain. She’s your friend. I tear my gaze away from y/n and look at Cho. Man poor Steve I think to myself. He’s really disappointed that he couldn’t be here.

“Nice bow tie,” y/n says smiling at me. We take a seat and soon the hall begins to fill up quickly with people. Mostly old men and their wives. Some young lanky looking kids in suits way too big for them. The night proceeds smoothly and y/n gives her speech and I do my best not to gape. She gets a lot of visitors at our table: donors who congratulate her on her success, company heads who try to recruit her, and fellow scientists gaping at her prowess. After a couple more glasses of champagne and hearing way too many science jokes that I don’t understand we finally decide to leave.

y/n’s POV

I have my fur jacket tightly wrapped around me. It’s cold. Its mid November and it’s way too cold for my liking. We walk outside the front of the museum and down the many stone steps. Cho hails a taxi and gets in, “I’ll see you guys later.” She yells out the window as her taxi pulls out into the traffic.

“Did you have fun?” I ask Bucky who yawns. I don’t think this was really his scene but i’m so glad he came.

“Yeah,” he says with a bright smile plastered on his face. We stand outside the museum waiting for another cab to pass by.

“Dr. y/l/n” I hear someone call my name. A tall woman with short platinum hair walks towards me with her date, a relatively older man I recognize but can’t seem to place at the moment.

“Yes?” I say looking at her.

“I’m Dr. Linda Highworth,” she says putting her hand out. I take it and her handshake is firm.

“I just wanted to introduce myself. You’re currently heading the Bio labs at Stark Tower correct?” She asks.

“Not heading, just overseeing” I correct. Tony asked Cho and I to step in and take Axelrod’s place. But I certainly wasn’t the head of anything. I still had to report to a boardroom of old men. A board, that’s where I knew her date from. He’s on the board. Doctor something Highworth. It must be her dad.

“Well, either way, you’re a rising star,” she says to me and I can’t quite place whether her tone is genuine or not.

“Dr. Highworth,” I say turning to her companion. “You’re on the board correct?”

“I see, you remember my face,” the old man says in response. “My days of scientific practice are over. I leave the field to young new stars like you and my daughter now,” the old man coughs cutting himself off in the middle of his sentence. “Linda here will be collaborating on some defense projects for Stark. I just wanted you two to meet.” Hmm, I think to myself. I’m not one for nepotism.

“Yes, I work for private defense contractor. But father here though I would be valuable to the Stark team,” She says her fake platinum blonde shining in the moonlight. “It was pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” I say nodding my head at her and they make their way to a black car that’s waiting for them at the curb.

“He looks familiar,” Bucky says nodding in the old man’s direction.

“You’ve probably seen him around the tower,” I say shrugging my shoulders.

“Probably,” Bucky repeats. A cab passes by and I stick my hand out to hail it. Bucky opens the door and I slide in and he gets in after me.

“Were to?” the cabbie asks me.

I turn to Bucky and ask, “Take out, my place?” and he nods, so I give the cab driver my address.

…

We’re sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table with boxes of chinese food around us watching tv. I changed out of my lovely dress and i’m sporting a tank top and a pair of hello kitty pink pajama shorts. I gave Bucky his grey shirt back, the one I took ages ago, he swapped his dress shirt for it and is still wearing his black pants. We’re watching some alien horror movie. Where a crew of unsuspecting space travels enter a planet with killer lifeforms.

“Pass me the shrimp,” I say to Bucky and he hands me a container. “Are you staying over tonight?” I ask in between bites.

“Sure,” he replies.

Its nearly 2 am when the movie finishes and Bucky is already knocked out on my tiny sofa. His legs hanging off the ends.

“Hey,” I tap him. “Wake up,” and he mumbles something before going still again. “Fine then sleep on the sofa, don’t blame me when your back hurts in the morning like last time.”

“Mhhhh,” he says getting up and rubbing his eyes. Now two friends sharing a bed shouldn’t be something so scandalous I think to myself. So why does it feel scandalous this time. Bucky’s slept over before. Bucky’s slept over in my bed before, after complaining that my sofa hurt his back. But ever since our almost moment during halloween. I don’t know, doing anything remotely intimate with Bucky seems scandalous. I mean for god sakes we are on completely opposite sides of the bed, it’s not like we cuddle. Why does this feel so different? Honestly, these are questions that I don’t want to explore right now. So, i’m just going to pretend everything is normal until it is again. I close my eyes and turn my body so it’s facing my window and drift off to sleep.

I wake up around 5 am according to my bedside clock and toss the covers to the side and get up. My throat is so dry, I need a glass of water. I walk to the kitchen through semi darkness the only light is moonlight coming in through my windows and flooding the living room. I yawn on my way to the kitchen and take out a glass from the cabinet. I hear a thud coming from the living room. Probably that damn cat knocking something over again. It always finds a way to sneak in here. I make a mental note to return it to my neighbor, Louise, tomorrow morning. Hmm, thinking back I don’t remember seeing it around when Bucky and I got back last night. I scratch my head and walk out of the kitchen into the living room with the glass in my hand. I don’t see her. I squint in the darkness and walk around looking under my sofa. I place the glass on my coffee table and I see a shadow behind me. But, when I turn around it’s not Tina the cat. It’s Maddox. Well I haven’t seen his face in a while, I think to myself before ducking out the way of his large fist. He lunges at me with an impressively sharp switchblade. I kick him as hard as I can but he seems relatively unaffected and continues to walk towards me. I grab the closest thing resembling a weapon I can see, which happens to be a heavy iron bookend and I swing at his head. In the process he lodges his impressively sharp switchblade into my forearm. And that’s when I let out the scream that wakes Bucky up. Now why hadn’t I just thought of that earlier I think to myself while a knife sticks out of my arm.

Bucky’s POV

I hear a loud scream come from the living room and I jump out of bed. I grab the gun I stashed under y/n’s nightstand and run out into the living room to find her struggling with a tall dark figure. He pushes her down and I find my opportunity and take the shot effectively taking him out. With a thud his body falls to the floor.

“Ahhh,” y/n cries out in pain. It’s still dark but I can see a lot of blood and a switchblade sticking out of her left forearm. I run to her side kneeling next to her and pull her into my arms. I grab my phone from the coffee table next to us and send out a SOS. I’m on the floor leaning on the couch with y/n in my arms.

“y/n your arm,” I say as I pull her closer towards me and onto my lap. She reaches for the knife, “No don’t pull that out,” I say, but before I can stop her she fearlessly pulls the knife out of her arm. There’s a lot of blood. I grab her arm trying to hold the blood pouring out back.

“Keep pressure on the wound,” she says panting and out of breath. “He tried to kill me,” she says. “Thank you,” she’s winded and so am I.

“The others are on their way,” I say. “I got you, just relax. Just trust me alright, i’ll take care of you… Shhhh” she leans into my embrace still breathing heavily and I can’t help but repeat, “I’m right here, i’ll take care of you, i’m not going anywhere.” I kiss the top of her head that’s resting against my chest. “I got you,” I say. I sit holding her small body in my arms. We are in the dark, the only light illuminating the blood on my hands is the moonlight streaming in from the windows. She’s in my arms and only a few feet away is the man I just killed. I haven’t killed in a long time, since i’d woken up from cryo in fact, I don’t like doing it. But i’d kill for her… I would kill FOR her… In that moment I realize I would do anything for her. I pull her closer to me, my chin resting on her head, and whisper, “I got you, baby”.

[wellesleyunderground]

Wellesley in Art: Interview with Tina Romero '06 a.k.a. DJ TRx

(Tina Romero. Photo by Amber Gress.)

Tina Romero ‘06 is a filmmaker, DJ and dancer living in Brooklyn, New York.  At Wellesley, Tina was a double major in Cinema and Media Studies and French. She was also an active member of the dance and theater community. In 2006 Tina moved to NYC to attend NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Film program, where she received an MFA in Film Production. She has written and directed several short films and music videos. Her film, “Rainbowarrior” was shot at Wellesley and featured Wellesley students and alums. She also DJ’s all over Brooklyn and New York City. DJ TRx (pronounced “trix”) spins regularly at Hot Rabbit and Bad Habit, parties created by fellow alum Emily Hall Smith ‘06. She even DJ’d at Wellesley for her 10 year reunion in June 2016!  In addition to creating her own films and DJ-ing, Tina teaches students both in the US and abroad about film and photography. A true renaissance woman, we are thrilled to get a chance to talk to Tina!

WU: We are so excited to interview you, Tina! You are truly a polyglot in the world of art as a DJ, filmmaker and writer, professor, and dancer. Where did your interest in these areas of art first begin?

Both of my parents are artists, which meant neither of them wanted me to become an artist. Nevertheless, they always supported my creative "endeavors," be it sitting patiently through an epic, plot-free fairytale performance piece in our living room or helping me make a video letter to a far away friend. When my dad wasn't working, he would unwind with crafting, puzzles, magic tricks, music, and I would join him. Of all the things my dad and I did together, what inspired me most was the experience of watching movies with him.  My dad would weep when we watched films—not at the sad endings, but at the opening notes of a film score he found perfect, or as the camera swept through the choreography of West Side Story. He showed me that movies can move people, that fictional people can stir real-life empathy, that made-up worlds tell us about the essence of being human. I can’t remember a precise moment of realizing I wanted to be a filmmaker, but I knew even as a child that my goal was to move people.  

WU: You were a Cinema and Media Studies major at Wellesley and went on to get your M.F.A. from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in Film Production. How does your educational background help and inform your work?

Well, I can't see myself cozying up to a blanket and a bowl of popcorn for a Friday night viewing of "Birth of a Nation," so I'm grateful Professor Viano screened it in CAMS 101. It was a gift to be guided through film history in slow, thoughtful steps.

Nowadays we have all this digital gear at our fingertips when we shoot a movie, but a fancy camera doesn't necessarily make a good movie. Looking back at pre-CGI (computer generated imagery) movie magic is inspirational, especially when working with a small budget. With strong content and execution, you can do a lot with the basics.

Writing numerous analytical essays on movies certainly taught me to be thoughtful about the details; to ask myself how to enhance thematic ideas using mise-en-scène.  Film school, on the other hand, showed me that nothing goes the way you plan it and to roll with the punches.

WU: Your short film, Rainbowarrior, premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2009.  It’s a silent film for the most part and portrays a class of school girls under the thumb of a stringent headmistress (with a penchant for leather bustiers/corsets).  One student craves color, music, and movement but is reprimanded for seeking these things out.  Tell us about the film and the inspiration behind it.

I started NYU the fall after I graduated from Wellesley and the transition was...shocking. At Wellesley, if I left my backpack on a Severance commons couch, it would still be there three days later. Within a month of moving to Brooklyn, someone stole my laptop bag from a bar.  Surviving my first year of grad school AND the avalanche of adult responsibilities that I didn't see coming was overwhelming. I remember thinking nothing will ever be as good as Wellesley. I was anxious, existential and going through a bad breakup. But I was also determined to take control of my life. This is the headspace from which Rainbowarrior was born. To me, the film is about a revolution of spirit and how inner strength can spark change in others.  

(On the set of Rainbowarrior in Founders Hall. Photo by Jonathan Young.)

The first images marinated in my mind to the tune of a song called "Rainbowarrior," by Coco Rosie.  I knew I wanted the film to be dialogue-free and feature movement/dance. I could picture the world, but I struggled to get my ideas down on paper, so I set up an emergency meeting with Amy Fox, a writing professor I trusted deeply. She encouraged me to lean into the images in my head no matter how weird or non-narrative. (This meeting happened to take place on the same night Amy's family brought home Leah, a German Sheppard mix with a shitty past. Leah and I were instant buds. I dog-sat, took her on camping trips, used her as flirt bait in the summertime…) With Amy's encouragement, I eventually had a script. Thanks to Wellesley, my family, and a magical cast & crew, I was able to bring it to life.

WU: In addition to the film Rainbowarrior, several of your works involve our alma mater, alums, and students. Soon after your graduation in 2006, you returned to Wellesley as a guest choreographer for Wellesley College Dancers. You choreographed high school musicals at  Automotive High School in Brooklyn alongside Wellesley alum Julia Duncheon ‘06 and brought students to perform at Wellesley in the group FreeStyle’s annual JOI (“JAM ON IT”) Fundraiser. How and why does Wellesley serve as an inspiration to you? What activities and experiences at Wellesley inspired you the most?

I got involved in the dance community as soon as I got to Wellesley. I was a dedicated member of both FreeStyle and Wellesley College Dancers throughout my time there. In both groups, I had the opportunity to choreograph a new dance piece every semester. Because I have an affinity for spectacle, I always packed as many dancers as I could into my choreography. I did numbers featuring roller skaters, fog machines, flashlights....even Campus Po made an appearance at the end of my "Thriller" piece. I think it's safe to say that no one goes to Wellesley College to pursue a career as a dancer (I didn't expect any of this to be a part of my college experience). There was no cut-throat application process to be a choreographer because there simply weren't that many of us doing it. As a result, I could play with the big ideas I had.

(Julia Duncheon, Bethany Winkels & Tina Romero (all class of ‘06) moved from the short hall Shafer to 16th Street in Brooklyn, NY. Photo by Photobooth.)

One Winter-Session, I stayed on campus to choreograph the musical, "Into the Woods." Luckily my friend, Bette, was also on campus, taking math, so when our friend, Julia decided to stay too, it was a party. Little did she expect to be cast as Rapunzel in the musical...I giggle every time I think about her in that wig. That same Wintersession I also taught an intro level hip hop dance class to a few of the professors who were on campus and interested in learning.

I also participated in Ken Loewit's theater work study. In addition to keeping up with general maintenance in Alumnae Hall and the Ruth Nagel Jones (RNJ) black box theater, we also assisted with whatever set build was happening. Ken taught me how to use a drill, which has turned out to be one of the most life-applicable skills I learned during College.

Everything came together my senior year during an independent study I did with Nora Hussey. I created a show called "Move This," which was my first foray into something I call "aesthetic storytelling". "Move This" was an intimate theatrical dance show in the RNJ. There was no dialogue, no character names, no particular setting. I wanted to evoke a sense of the emotional journey in the audience using lights, music, color, and movement. "Move This" is still my favorite project I've ever created. I'll never forget the way Nora supported me and championed my experimentation with the fusion of dance and theater.

I spent a lot of time in Alumnae Hall. It was a safe and creative space for me. I used to go to the ballroom late at night, put music on and dance my heart out until I had my next idea. It was heaven. Wellesley made it possible for me to create so much over my four years there, which shaped my ability to work with people and honed my voice as a director.

WU: Most recently you have been collaborating with the band, Shirley House, filming, editing and directing their music videos. How did the collaboration come into being?

Emily Hall Smith ('06), master party promoter and one of my closest friends in the world, connected us. Emily has always been one my biggest supporters - she never missed a WCD or Freestyle performance. Because Emily knows me and my work so well, she knows when a project is right for me. Needless to say, I clicked instantly with Shirley House and their music.

Fun story: when I shot my first film at NYU, Little Girl Blue, Emily carried 25 red balloons through the subway- one of those things that's more challenging than it sounds- and delivered them to our set.    

Check out some of the videos Tina directed for Shirley house here and here.

WU: What is the difference between working on a film versus a music video? Is there one you enjoy more?

I feel in my element when I’m making a music video. The process of conceptualizing a music video is easier for me than writing a narrative screenplay. Ideas about movement, style, color and light flow much more freely from my head to the paper than those about than plot, conflict, dialogue, etc.

I also enjoy shooting to playback music (vs.shooting scenes with dialogue or live sound FX). Not only is it useful to have the option of directing aloud during a take, but it's also fun to play with the way a track can impact the vibe on set. I’ve often used music on set to shape the mood of a scene.

WU: You have also been writing a screenplay for the film, “The Lost Girls,” which is currently in pre-production. Tell us about the film, what it’s about, and when you find time to write!?

Finding time to write is a struggle. If I have stuff scheduled later in the day, I have a hard time getting into a good flow. I write best when I do marathon sessions- big chunks of time when I step away from the constant interruptions of today’s real world. I call my iPhone a tiny distraction box - it’s amazing how much more I accomplish when I turn it off.

I’m working on the “articulation of my creative process,” as my therapist calls it. Creating a routine based on what works best for me rather than what Lifehacker says I should try. I’m not a morning person- I’ve tried to force myself into a morning writing routine time and again, but it never works for me. It’s not easy, and I’m still exploring how to most effectively “set myself up for success”.

Writing doesn’t always happen on screen or paper. I’m “writing” in my head all the time. Riding the subway, doing laundry, dancing at a party. Embracing this has been essential to the continued improvement of “The Lost Girls”.

With respect to the film itself, I can’t give away too much about my feature, so I'll leave you with this:

“The Lost Girls” is a contemporary, queer take on Peter Pan.  It’s a story about Wyn Kelly, a melancholy teenager, who runs away with a renegade girl gang, and learns how to embrace the challenge of growing up with newfound courage. “The Lost Girls” is an updated fairy tale- instead of pixie dust, they take ecstasy; instead of flying past Big Ben, they ride pink motorcycles.

(DJ TRx at the Rock Shop in Brooklyn, NY, moments after hearing the news of Emily Smith-Maresca’s (‘06) engagement to her fiancé, Nina. Photograph by Grace Chu.)

WU: As we mentioned in your introduction, you are not only a filmmaker and dancer but you also DJ! When and how did you first begin DJ-ing in Brooklyn and New York City?

I woke up one day and decided to go for it. I had a gut feeling it would be something I’d love. I took a couple of lessons and started doing house parties for tips, and things took off from there.  

WU: Do you have a favorite venue?

Recently, I’ve been obsessed with everything that happens at The McKittrick Hotel, home to the immersive choose-your-own-adventure-style show, ‘Sleep No More’. The venue has two bars, a restaurant, and a ballroom. Every month, the creative team hosts an epic themed party - coming up is the May Fair Masquerade, advertised as “one night of surreal, decadent, costumed revelry.” One of my aspirations in 2017 is to be a guest DJ at one of their big soirees.

(DJ TRx at The Manderlay Bar in The McKittrick Hotel. Photo by Giselle Peters.)

WU: You even DJ’d at your 10 year Wellesley reunion! What was that experience like?

The thought of DJing didn’t occur to me until a few weeks before reunion so it was too late to schedule it into the weekend officially. I decided to throw my gear in the car and figure it out guerilla-style once I got there.

Our class dinner was on the Wellesley College Club lawn, which was the perfect spot to set up a pop-up dance party. I tracked down some available speakers, Campus Po lent me some extension cords, the dinner catering team hooked me up with a table, and we pulled it off.

It was such a highlight for me.

I was thrilled to contribute to the weekend in this way, and it was particularly special spinning for my Wellesley girls. We went hard on throwbacks.

(DJ TRx spinning Fiona Olamina (‘07) & Jonathan Trimby’s wedding at the Wellesley College Club.  Photo by Marika Litz.)

WU: In 2011, you co-founded a Confession, a monthly queer dance party in Park Slope. What led to you starting Confession?

Rainbowarrior, in fact!  Margaret O’Connor, who plays Headmistress Cursula, connected me to her husband, Scott O’Connor. He’d just become a co-owner of a new bar called, Mission Dolores, in Brooklyn and invited me to start a queer monthly party. Knowing I needed an event planner I brought Emily Smith on as the promoter. Inspired by the bar’s namesake, we called the party Confession and had a confession box that I pulled anonymous submissions from and read aloud throughout the night.

WU: Why do you think it’s important to have queer spaces like Confession?

This has been on my mind lately. After Confession, Emily went on to create Hot Rabbit, a weekly queer party in Manhattan. HR quickly became a staple of queer nightlife, and now Emily hosts Bad Habit, a bi-monthly spin-off party in Brooklyn. In the LGBTQ community bars and clubs are essential. I’m grateful I have safe spaces I can rely on; spaces to rally, connect, and unabashedly be myself. We truly are stronger together.

WU: What is the significance of the intersection of sexual orientation/queerness and music/dance to you? What about the intersection of queerness and film?

My goal is to make films in which queerness isn’t an event or plot point, but just part of the world.

WU: In addition to creating and producing your own art, you teach film at the School of Visual Arts in New York as an adjunct professor, and you’ve taught photography, film, and multimedia to students at the University of New Haven Foundation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. New York. Do you enjoy teaching film?

Yes. I love teaching film. I’m not ready to do it full-time yet, but I certainly plan to do more of it.

WU: How do you find a balance among all your varying projects and interests?

I’ve yet to find it.

But I have learned some of the ingredients: sleep, exercise, and dancing.

WU: What’s next for you?

I'm not sure exactly what's next for me, but I think that's part of being an artist. I have a few pots in the burner, some film, some DJ. So we'll see which one boils over first.

WU: What advice do you have for alums and students interested in entering the world of DJing, film, and dance?

Don’t be afraid to charge people for what you're worth.

I spent a decade allowing myself to be severely underpaid doing freelance work that I subconsciously de-valued because it wasn’t “official grown-up work.”

Keep going, keep moving, keep creating from a place of passion rather than perfectionism. Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done. Done is the engine of more.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Jean Renoir said, “Art is in the doing of it”.

(DJ TRx, 2017. Photo by Amber Gress.)

[blackkudos]

Jamaica Kincaid

Jamaica Kincaid (/kɪnˈkeɪd/; born May 25, 1949) is an Antiguan-American novelist, essayist, gardener, and gardening writer. She was born in St. John's, Antigua, which is part of the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. She lives in North Bennington, Vermont, during the summers and teaches at Harvard as the "Professor of African and American studies in Residence" at Harvard during the academic year. Kincaid is an award-winning writer whose work has been both praised and criticized for its subject matter because her writing largely draws upon her own life and her tone is often perceived as angry. In response, Kincaid counters that many writers also draw upon personal experience, and thus to describe her writing as autobiographical and angry is not valid criticism.

Biography

Early life

Jamaica Kincaid was born Elaine Potter Richardson in St. John's, Antigua, in 1949. She grew up in relative poverty with her mother, a literate, cultured woman and home-maker, and her stepfather, a carpenter. She was very close to her mother until the first of her three brothers were born in quick succession when she was nine years old. After their births, Kincaid felt that she was neglected by her mother, who thereafter focused primarily on the needs of her younger brothers. Kincaid later recalled, “our family money remained the same, but there were more people to feed and to clothe, and so everything got sort of shortened, not only material things but emotional things. The good emotional things, I got a short end of that. But then I got more of things I didn't have, like a certain kind of cruelty and neglect.” In a New York Times interview, Kincaid also said that “The way I became a writer was that my mother wrote my life for me and told it to me.”

Kincaid was educated in the British colonial education system, as Antigua did not gain its independence from England until 1981. Although she was intelligent and frequently tested at the top of her class, her mother removed Kincaid from school at age sixteen to help support the family when her third and last brother was born because her stepfather was ill and could not provide for the family any more. In 1966, her mother sent her to Scarsdale, an upper-class suburb of New York City, when she was only seventeen to work as an au pair. However, after this move, Kincaid refused to send money home. Additionally, "she left no forwarding address and was cut off from her family until her return to Antigua 20 years later.”

Family

In 1979, Kincaid married the composer and Bennington College professor, Allen Shawn, son of The New Yorker's longtime editor William Shawn and brother of actor Wallace Shawn. They divorced in 2002. They have two children: a son, Harold who is the music producer/songwriter Levelsoundz, and a daughter, the singer/songwriter Annie Rosamond. Kincaid is the President of the Levelsoundz fan club, which is the official fan club for her son Harold Shawn.

Kincaid is a keen gardener who has written extensively on the subject. She is also a convert to Judaism.

Career overview

While working as an au pair, Kincaid enrolled in evening classes at a community college. After three years, she resigned from her job to attend Franconia College in New Hampshire on a full scholarship. However, Kincaid dropped out of school after one year and returned to New York. In New York City, she started writing for a teenage girls' magazine and changed her name to Jamaica Kincaid in 1973 when her writing was first published. She described changing her name as "a way for [her] to do things without being the same person who couldn't do them—the same person who had all these weights". On her choice of first and last name, Kincaid explained that Jamaica is an English corruption of what Columbus called Xaymaca as well as it is the part of the world that she is from and Kincaid appeared to go well with Jamaica. Kincaid became a writer for The Village Voice and Ingénue. Kincaid's short fiction appeared in The Paris Review and The New Yorker, where her novel Lucy was originally serialized.

The New Yorker

As a result of her budding writing career and friendship with George W. S. Trow, who wrote many pieces for The New Yorker column "The Talk of the Town", Kincaid became acquainted with The New Yorker's legendary editor, William Shawn, who was impressed with Kincaid's writing. He employed her as a staff writer in 1976 and then eventually as a featured columnist for "Talk of the Town", which lasted nine years. William Shawn's tutelage legitimized Kincaid as a writer and proved pivotal to her development of voice. In all, she was a staff writer for The New Yorker for twenty years. She resigned from The New Yorker in 1996 when the editor Tina Brown chose actress Roseanne Barr to guest-edit an issue as an original feminist voice. Even though circulation rose under Brown, Kincaid was critical of Brown's direction in making the magazine less literary and more celebrity-oriented.

Kincaid recalls that when she was a writer for The New Yorker, she would often be questioned, particularly by women, on how she was able to obtain her position. Kincaid felt that these questions were posed to her because she was a young black woman "from nowhere...I have no credentials. I have no money. I literally come from a poor place. I was a servant. I dropped out of college. The next thing you know I'm writing for The New Yorker, I have this sort of life, and it must seem annoying to people."

Talk Stories was later published in 2001 as a collection of “77 short pieces Kincaid wrote for The New Yorker's ‘Talk of the Town’ column between 1974 and 1983”.

Writing

Her novels are loosely autobiographical, though Kincaid has warned against interpreting their autobiographical elements too literally: "Everything I say is true, and everything I say is not true. You couldn't admit any of it to a court of law. It would not be good evidence." Her work often prioritizes "impressions and feelings over plot development" and features conflict with both a strong maternal figure and colonial and neocolonial influences. Excerpts from her non-fiction book A Small Place were used as part of the narrative for Stephanie Black's 2001 documentary, Life and Debt.

One of Kincaid's contributions according to Henry Louis Gates, Jr., African-American literary critic, scholar, writer, and public intellectual, is that:

She never feels the necessity of claiming the existence of a black world or a female sensibility. She assumes them both. I think it's a distinct departure that she's making, and I think that more and more black American writers will assume their world the way that she does. So that we can get beyond the large theme of racism and get to the deeper themes of how black people love and cry and live and die. Which, after all, is what art is all about.

Themes

Her writing explores such themes as colonialism and colonial legacy, postcolonialism and neo-colonialism, gender and sexuality, renaming, mother-daughter relationships, British and American imperialism, colonial education, writing, racism, class, power, and adolescence. In her most recent novel, See Now Then, Kincaid also first explores the theme of time.

Tone and style

Her writing has been crir. As works such as At the Bottom of the River and The Autobiography of My Mother use Antiguan cultural practices, some critics say these works employ “magical realism”. “The author claims, however, that [her work] is ‘magic’ and ‘real,’ but not necessarily [works] of ‘magical realism.’” Other critics claim that her style is “modernist” because much of her fiction is "culturally specific and experimental". It has also been praised for its keen observation of character, curtness, wit, and lyrical quality. Derek Walcott, 1992 Nobel laureate, described Kincaid's writing: "As she writes a sentence, psychologically, its temperature is that it heads toward its own contradiction. It's as if the sentence is discovering itself, discovering how it feels. And that is astonishing, because it's one thing to be able to write a good declarative sentence; it's another thing to catch the temperature of the narrator, the narrator's feeling. And that's universal, and not provincial in any way". Susan Sontag has also commended Kincaid's writing for its "emotional truthfulness," poignancy, and complexity.

Influences

Kincaid's writing is largely influenced by her life circumstances even though she discourages readers from taking her fiction too literally. To do so, according to the writer Michael Arlen, is to be "disrespectful of a fiction writer's ability to create fictional characters". Arlen, who would become a colleague at The New Yorker, is whom Kincaid worked for as an au pair and the figure whom the father in Lucy is based on. Despite her caution to readers, Kincaid has also said that: "I would never say I wouldn't write about an experience I've had."

Criticism

Writing in Salon.com, Peter Kurth called Kincaid's work My Brother the most overrated book of 1997.

Reviewing her latest novel, See Now Then in The New York Times, Dwight Garner called it “bipolar," “half séance, half ambush” and “the kind of lumpy exorcism that many writers would have composed and then allowed to remain unpublished. It picks up no moral weight as it rolls along. It asks little of us, and gives little in return.”

List of works

Novels

Annie John (1985)

Lucy (1990)

The Autobiography of My Mother (1996)

Mr.Potter (2002)

See Now Then (2013)

Uncollected fiction

"Ovando" (1989), Conjunctions 14: 75–83

"The Finishing Line" (1990), New York Times Book Review 18

"Biography of a Dress" (1992), Grand Street 11: 92–100 and at The Short Story Project

"Song of Roland" (1993), The New Yorker 69: 94–98

"Xuela" (1994), The New Yorker, 70: 82–92

Short story collections

At the Bottom of the River (1983)

Non-fiction books

A Small Place (1988)

My Brother (1997)

Talk Stories (2001)

My Garden Book (2001)

Among Flowers: A Walk in the Himalayas (2005)

Uncollected non-fiction

"Antigua Crossings: A Deep and Blue Passage on the Caribbean Sea"(1978) Rolling Stone: 48–50.

"Figures in the Distance" (1983)

"On Seeing England for the First Time" (1991), Transition Magazine 51: 32–40

"Out of Kenya" (1991) New York Times: A15, A19, with Ellen Pall

"Flowers of Evil: In the Garden" (1992) The New Yorker 68: 154–159

"A Fire by Ice" (1993) The New Yorker 69: 64–67

"Just Reading: In the Garden" (1993) The New Yorker 69: 51–55

"Alien Soil: In the Garden" (1993) The New Yorker 69: 47–52

"This Other Eden" (1993) The New Yorker 69: 69–73

"The Season Past: In the Garden" (1994) The New Yorker 70: 57–61

"In Roseau" (1995) The New Yorker 71: 92–99.

"In History" (1997), The Colors of Nature

My Favorite Plant: Writers and Gardeners on the Plants they Love (1998), Editor

Children's literature

Annie, Gwen, Lilly, Pam, and Tulip (1986)

Interviews

Selwyn Cudjoe, "Jamaica Kincaid and the Modernist Project: An Interview," Callaloo, 12 (Spring 1989): 396–411; reprinted in Caribbean Women Writers: Essays from the First International Conference, ed. Cudjoe (Wellesley, Mass.: Calaloux, 1990): 215–231.

Leslie Garis, "Through West Indian Eyes," New York Times Magazine (October 7, 1990): 42.

Donna Perry, "An Interview with Jamaica Kincaid," in Reading Black, Reading Feminist: A Critical Anthology, edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr. (New York: Meridian, 1990): 492–510.

Kay Bonetti, "An Interview with Jamaica Kincaid," Missouri Review, 15, No. 2 (1992): 124–142.

Allan Vorda, "I Come from a Place That's Very Unreal: An Interview with Jamaica Kincaid," in Face to Face: Interviews with Contemporary Novelists, ed. Vorda (Houston: Rice University Press, 1993): 77–105.

Moira Ferguson, "A Lot of Memory: An Interview with Jamaica Kincaid," Kenyon Review, 16 (Winter 1994): 163–188.

Awards and honors

1984 Morton Dauwen Zabel Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters for At the Bottom of the River

1984 Shortlisted for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for At the Bottom of the River 1984.

1985 Guggenheim Award for Fiction

1985 Finalist for the International Ritz Paris Hemingway Award for Annie John

1997 Shortlisted for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Friction for The Autobiography of My Mother

1997 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for The Autobiography of My Mother

1999 Lannan Literary Award for Fiction

2000 Prix Femina étranger for My Brother

2004 American Academy of Arts and Letters

2009 American Academy of Arts and Sciences

2010 Center for Fiction's Clifton Fadiman Medal for Annie John

2011 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Tufts University

2014 Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award for See Now Then

2015 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Brandeis University

Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Award.

Wikipedia

[hermitlibrarian]

I knew there’d be a good reason to share my favorite Ghibli movies with Kate awhile back. She’s since created her own fantastic Ghibli tag centered around their body of animated films that deserve just as much attention as their contemporaries (i.e. Disney/Pixar). Thank you so much for tagging me, Kate! I’m happy to participate in this tag.

THE RULES:

Please pingback, rather than link to me as Heather @ The Hermit Librarian. I will only know if you’ve done this tag if you pingback.

Tag as many people as you want. Ghibli movies aren’t as popular as Disney or Pixar, so be careful that those you tag are at least somewhat familiar with Ghibli.

You can use examples from books, movies, TV shows, anime/manga, and webcomics.

As this tag celebrates heroines, please name either a piece of fiction or a female character, if you’re able.

Have fun!

Nausicaa, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: (Even though this isn’t technically Ghibli, it’s still marketed that way). Nausicaa is a princess in a post-disaster world. She is compassionate and brave, a daring explorer who is capable and selfless.  Name a strong female leader. 

Note: I always consider Nausicaa a Ghibli movie, but if I remember correctly it came out shortly before the actual formation of the company.

Lada Dragwyla is a strong female leader in a number of ways. Not only does she have to survive in a world in which women are little more than property, but she has to contend with the fact that her father has abandoned her and her brother to a rival court as part of a political bargain. Ruthlessness is the only thing that will save her and she uses the courage she’s had all her life to not only survive, but to gain the power to conquer.

Based on the legend of Vlad Dracul, Lada can be vicious at times, but above all, strong.

Sheeta, Castle in the Sky– Although Sheeta may have a quieter demeanor than other Ghibli heroines, she is not a damsel in distress. She’s royalty, but doesn’t stay on the sidelines; she is involved, kind, and despite a sad past, hopeful. Name an inspiring member of royalty. 

Alanna, whom I’m pretty sure is a princess or something of the like, is inspiring because she fights for her destiny to become a knight. As a girl in a medieval setting, she’s expected to learn magic in a convent, respectable work for a girl. However, she craves the adventure of being a knight and so, colluding with her twin brother, she switches places and seizes her future in her own hands.

Satsuki and Mei, My Neighbor Totoro- Before Anna and Elsa, before Lilo and Nani, there was Satsuki and Mei. Satsuki  was incredibly young when their mother was hospitalized, and with their father at work, she has to take care of Mei. And Mei is only four, with a big imagination. Name a pair of siblings (or two friends who act like siblings).

While the Weasleys are a large and loving family, the twins Fred and George are by far the closest. There were only two or three times in the entire series when they were apart, none of them happy but let’s focus on the good. They were the jokers of the family and actually made quite a good living off this talent later in life. Never ones to shy away from a challenge, they fought against the establishment at school and out of it once the Second Wizarding War began.

Kiki, Kiki’s Delivery Service– Kiki has to go off on her own to live alone, as is the custom among witches. She goes through many things that newly independent young adults face, like money problems, finding a place to stay, job searching, and loneliness, before finding her way thanks to her special abilities. Name a female character who has supernatural gifts.

Nell, the primary main character of this novel, starts out as a character who doesn’t think she has any power. She’s escaped from an abusive relationship by faking her death and crossing the country. However, through the personal interactions she has on the island, she comes to terms with the inner strength she has as well as the supernatural gifts and destiny that drew her to this new home in the first place.

  Gina and Fio, Porco Rosso- Gina and Fio are both heroines in this film, and they couldn’t be less alike. Gina is a young woman who is very feminine, a singer and a restaurant owner. However, she is very resourceful and capable. Fio is a teenage mechanic who is independent, goes against the flow, and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. She may be one of the best mechanics  of her time. Name two inspiring heroines; one who is  unabashedly feminine, and another who is more of a tomboy. 

Tina and Queenie Goldstein are both heroines from the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. While Tina gets more screen time because she is the American counterpart to British wizard New Scamander, Queenie is just as important because she is Tina’s sisterly support and saves her & Newt from a wizarding execution squad at MACUSA. Tina’s clothes tend to lean more towards trousers and jackets that have a tomboyish look to them, while Queenie wears more traditionally feminine dresses made from light, airy fabrics in fair colors.

Angel, On Your Mark- On Your  Mark is a music video that Ghibli helped a music group with. It may not have much of a story, but it’s beautiful and interesting, and not may people are aware of its existence. Name an underrated heroine. 

There are two characters in this book that I think fit this prompt: the main heroine Margie and her best friend, or secondary heroine, Reenie. The story opens in the 1920’s and Margie is making the best of her life, trying to be better than her parents, which is hard for a woman of her class in those days. She keeps an optimistic attitude for much of the novel and I admire that.

Reenie is in a similar circumstance/class to Margie, but she’s different in that she doesn’t care what others think, which comes in useful as she falls in love with Sal, the son of Italian immigrants, which her mother disapproves of. When she becomes pregnant out of wedlock, she makes the best of things and marries Sal, who luckily loves her and is a decent person. Reenie converts and is welcomed by her new family, though her mother disowns her because of the conversion.

Both of these women bear a lot because of their times and situations and neither get recognized as worthy heroines, unlike Betty Smith’s most well known heroine, Francie Nolan, from her book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Shizuku, Whisper of the Heart– Shizuku is an eighth grade student who can’t quite focus on school as much as on her favorite books. However, through encounters with an ambitious boy who seems to have a likely chance at meeting his goals, a cat who rides trains, an antique shop owner, and a cat statue called The Baron, Shizuku is determined to meet her own goal and become a writer. Name your most relatable character. 

Cath from Fangirl is very relatable to me. She’s a huge fangirl, obviously, and she finds quite a lot of comfort in her chosen fandom when life gets to be too much for her. I get that and I’ve got my fandoms, the ones that I turn to when I’m feeling overwhelmed or depressed. I felt like I understood Cath’s struggle with mental illness, hers as well as her father’s, as well.

San, Princess Mononoke- San has been raised by wolves her whole life. When  humans begin to invade her home forest to make towns and use the resources for themselves while killing the spirits and animals within, San refuses to let it be. She takes a stand and becomes the village’s  greatest obstacle. She is such a force to be reckoned with that they even give her a name: The Princess Mononoke. Name a female character who is physically strong.

#gallery-0-12 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-12 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-0-12 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-12 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Michelle, Maggie, and Anita, aka the Paper Sisters from R.O.D. Read or Dream, are physically strong because the two eldest (bookworms is too light a term for them) lug enormous book hauls around all the time, strengthening their muscles, and all three of them are adept at fighting. While, yes, they use their paper powers for most of their fighting, they have to be able to run and jump and all kinds of physical activity. Anita, if I remember correctly, is even trained in kung fu.

Chihiro, Spirited Away– At the beginning of Spirited Away, Chihiro starts off as a whiny, spoiled ten year old girl. However, during her time working at the spirit’s Bath House, she discovers parts of herself she didn’t know she had. The story is about her finding the strength she already had but was unaware of. Name a character who has an amazing character journey.

David, caught up in a terrible sadness over the loss of his mother and the formation of a new family, is sent to a new world that has some familiar elements in the form of fairy tales. However, while navigating them, David comes to realize that there’s more danger than he ever realized, because while there may be elements of the familiar, the journey proves that these fairy tales are twisted and are darker than he remembers.

Haru, The Cat Returns– Haru is a typical high school girl; kind, clumsy, and a little forgetful. But she soon finds herself involved in events that are out of her control. In a way, it is because of her normalcy that she can find her way out of her situation and become stronger because of it. Name a female character who may not have any supernatural abilities herself, but is memorable anyway.

Tohru encounters the supernatural in her series, Fruits Basket, but has no supernatural abilities herself. This doesn’t stop her from being the heroine of the series, bringing a much needed breath of fresh air to the Sohma family and the first chance of hope they’ve had in a long time at breaking their curse. Her joy for life, her stubbornness against the hardness of life, makes her a sweet and memorable character in spite of the characters around her that change into animals when hugged by members of the opposite sex.

Sophie, Howl’s Moving Castle– Sophie doesn’t think much of herself for a lot of the story. She doesn’t think she’s pretty or memorable, especially when compared to her younger sister, Lettie. It gets even worse when she’s cursed to look like an old woman. When she finds a new life that involves the mysterious wizard Howl, a fire demon, Howl’s apprentice, and many others, she is shown to be resilient and intuitive. Name an emotionally strong character.

This might seem like an odd choice, but my pick is Samantha from Every Last Word. She has Purely-Obsessional OCD and while it makes her life a struggle, I think she’s stronger emotionally that quite a lot of heroines because despite the struggle, combined with the toxicity of a high school clique she’s in, she continues to live. That is a huge to me.

Ponyo, Ponyo- Ponyo is  one of the youngest Ghibli heroines at only five years old. But she still  gets a lot done, including becoming human, discovering things, finding a best friend, and saving the world. Name a hero who happens to be a child.

Farah has to go on a journey into the steampunk board game, not unlike Jumanji, to safe her younger brother with her wits and her two friends to assist her along the way. It’s a lot to ask of children, but their adventure was a lot of fun to read and I think the audience for this book will only get bigger the longer it’s out.

Arrietty, The Secret World of Arrietty- Arrietty is a Borrower; she is tiny and survives by stealing small things that humans  won’t miss. Yet she’s curious about the human world, and does braver things than most humans would be incapable of doing, despite her tiny size. Name an unlikely hero.

Despereaux, a mouse who loves music, book, and the princess. He’s the latest of his mother’s children and often forgotten or pushed around. What he becomes in spite of this is nothing sort of admirable.

I mean, c’mon, his sword is a needle. ❤

Nahoko, The Wind Rises- Nahoko has tuberculosis during World War 2. However, she doesn’t allow this to cripple her, and enjoys life to the fullest anyway, which includes painting and falling in love. Even being placed in a sanitarium doesn’t break her. Name an inspiring  character with some sort of obstacle. 

Andrew may not at first seem on the same level as Nahoko, but I think that by the end of his story, he deserves to be. Andrew’s obstacle is internal: it’s his own guilt, really, over the fact that he survived a tragic accident that killed his father, mother, and sister. An accident that there is more to learn about before the end of the book.

His guilt has him retreating into himself, hiding out in the hospital where his family was brought, working in the cafeteria and sleeping in a forgotten supply closet. The antagonist of the book, Death, haunts him at every turn as the hospital’s counselor (I believe that’s her job, but it’s something like that if not exactly).

He slowly starts to think of a future, of a life outside, when Rusty, a boy supposedly attacked and burned for being gay, is brought into the hospital. Becoming friends and something more starts to turn the darkness into hope, bringing out a side of Andrew long thought gone.

Kaguya, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya- in a time where women were expected to follow social norms such as blackening teeth, shaving eyebrows, and being forced into arranged marriages, Kaguya refuses to play along. She would much rather be outside, dance, and play with friends. Name a female character who challenges social norms.

Mariko, the main character of Renee Ahdieh’s Flame in the Mist, is expected to conform to her Japanese family’s traditional values, which for her means marrying someone that will further their standing in society, regardless of whether she loves him or not. While she was willing to do this, when her convoy to her future husband’s home is attacked, rather than conform and seek out the help of a man or return to her family, Mariko summons her courage and the mind she has cultivated to discover the truth behind the attack.

Her taking up a male identity in order to do so is evidence of her bucking the norm in the course of the book, but there’s also evidence of her doing so before the main story even starts. As a girl, her education would have been centered around certain topics, but she made sure to find ways to educate herself in the same topics her twin brother was privy to. She wanted more, even if she thought that her future lay along a somewhat more traditional path. Hopefully, in book two, we’ll see her future come to pass in all its beautiful glory.

I Tag:

Anyone who’d like to do this that loves Ghibli as much as I do! 😀

      All pictures, quotes, and videos belong to their respective owners. I use them here solely for the purpose of review and commentary.

Studio Ghibli TAG I knew there'd be a good reason to share my favorite Ghibli movies with Kate awhile back.

[trendingnewsb]

The 20 Most Inspiring Books from the Last 10 Years That Every Woman Should Read

I am woman, hear me roar!

Oh yes, I am wise, but it’s wisdom born of pain

Yes, I’ve paid the price, but look how much I gained

If I have to, I can do anything

I am strong

I am invincible

I AM WOMAN!

~Lyrics from “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy

Women are strong, sexy, intelligent, resourceful, nurturing, intuitive and resilient. Sometimes being all of these things (and more) comes at a price. As women there are times when we become depleted and we need to be inspired, rejuvenated and our fire needs reigniting.

Reading is one of the most empowering things any person can do for themselves. A good book–I mean a really good book–can touch your soul, heal your heart and stir your creative juices.

Below is a list of 20 books that every woman should read. They will inspire, educate, transform and bring back your roar!

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I had to begin with this epic and well penned story. To be more exact, this isn’t just a book, it is an emotional journey.

Katniss, this book’s title character, epitomizes Helen Reddy’s anthem for women. As a protagonist, she exhibits strength during her weakness. She is outwardly fearless while inwardly she is petrified. She is you in hero form. You may have seen the movie but the movie is vastly inferior to this work of art by Suzanne Collins. This book is a timeless classic. You will cheer and cry. You will walk away inspired.

2. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

This New York Times bestseller is set in the 1970’s and is described as being, “A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing…[it] is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.” It is a story that shows how to survive loss and tragedy without losing yourself.

3. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Bad Feminist is as a sharp and funny funny collection of essays that provide an accurate look at the ways in which our culture consumes us and snatches our identity. Roxane Gay takes us on her journey and describes life from the lens of a black a woman. She comments on trends and recent events and how they have effected feminism. In the end, this book is really an inspiring call-to-action and highlights areas in which we as women need to do better.

4. The Goldfinch by Donna Tart

The New York Times describes “The Goldfinch” as “a rarity that comes along perhaps half a dozen times per decade, a smartly written literary novel that connects with the heart as well as the mind…. You keep waiting for the wheels to fall off, but in the case of “The Goldfinch,” they never do.”

This is a historical fiction story that recounts the experiences of a young boy loses his mother in a terrorist attack at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This story is perfect for women as it explores the meaning and purpose of art as well as love, friendship, and the pain of loss.

5. The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

This New York Times Bestseller is a practical guide for helping women gain and maintain self-confidence. The principles in this book are based on time tested research on gender, behavior, cognition and genetics.

6. Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

Set in the 1950s, Boy, Snow, Bird opens on the Lower East Side of New York City, with a young white woman named Boy Novak running away from her violent father. She finds her self in Massachusetts where she meets a widower, a jewelry craftsman, Arturo Whitman, in Flax Hill, Mass. They marry and she becomes obsessed with her new stepdaughter, Snow.

This novel is a remake if not hugely reminiscent of the famous fairy-tale, Snow White. The interesting twist in this novel is that Boy’s husband is a very light-skinned black man, who “passes” as white. This novel poetically discusses the the themes of color and race relations, self-love and acceptance wrapped in the familiarity of a well-known tale.

7. Knowing Your Value: Women, Money and Getting What You’re Worth by Mika Brzezinski

This New York Times bestseller is a collection of interviews from the world’s most successful business women. This book uses the stories and success of other women to show you how to thrive in your career and financially and understand your self-worth as a woman.

8. Drink by Ann Dowsett Johnston

Drink is part research reporting and part memoir that delves into the realities of the rising rates of women alcoholics. This book looks at the psychological and social pressures extreme and risky drinking behaviors has had on women in general. This book, while addressing alcoholism in women, is a picture of how society can shape and manipulate the behavior of an entire species.

9. The Financial Fast by Michelle Singletary

The 21-Day Financial Fast, written by award-winning writer and The Washington Post columnist Michelle Singletary, challenges women to look at finances differently. For twenty-one days, participants will put away their credit cards and buy only the barest essentials. The challenge is designed to not only change how you view and manage your money but also why you do what you do. Michelle challenges you take an introspective look at your relationship with money. It will end your dysfunctional relationship with money.

10. The Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

This book is the ultimate motivational tool. Once you put it down, you will feel inspired to tackle that project, write your book, open a bakery or change careers. Elizabeth Gilbert is the award winning author of the wildly popular Eat, Pray, Love. She is all about unlocking your creativity and living fearlessly.

11. The Life Boat by Charlotte Rogan

This is a poignant novel is a gritty, naked look at what being a survivor really means. This book opens with a newly married couple being ripped apart by a horrible accident at sea and only half of the couple survives. This book follows the perils of what the survivors must do in order to survive. It shows the inner strength that lies within all of us. But it also shows that we are all capable of being horrible sadists.

12. I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This by Kate White

Kate White, who is also the author of Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead…But Gutsy Girls Do, has written another wise, witty and straight-shooting career guide for women. In this book, Kate inspires women to chase their career goals–no matter how lofty. She serves as a champion for high- achieving career- driven women.

13. Ask For It: How Women Can Use Negotiation To Get What They Really Want by Linda Babock and Sarah Laschever

This book tackles and explains the art of negotiation from a woman’s point of view. Negotiations look and flow differently for women in the workforce and this book gives a four-phased approach to negotiations. It is designed to teach women how to maximize their bargaining power and how to silence their negative inner self-talk. You will become a more confident and powerful go-getter.

14. Swamplandia by Karen Russell

Karen Russell has struck gold with her first novel. This tale about a girl’s courageous effort to preserve her grieving family’s way of life, is infused “with humor and gothic whimsy.” The New York Time’s praises Russell’s “exuberantly inventive language and her vivid portrait of a heroine who is wise beyond her years.”

15. Becoming Wise: An Inquiry Into the Mystery and Art of Living by Krista Tippett

This book is a culmination of wisdom gained from years spent interviewing scientists, philosophers, theologians, activists and poets on her award winning NPR podcast. She has taken all that she has learned, condensed and distilled it down to create a “master class on living.” This book encourages and instructs women how to live, love and exists on their own terms.

16. The Immortal Life of Henerietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Described by NPR as “a remarkable feat of investigative journalism and a moving work of narrative nonfiction that reads with the vividness and urgency of fiction. It also raises sometimes uncomfortable questions with no clear-cut answers about whether people should be remunerated for their physical, genetic contributions to research and about the role of profit in science.” This book will cause you to think and it may just cause a shift in your worldview.

17. Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring For Yourself by Melody Beattie

This wildly popular, Amazon best-seller is what every woman needs to shake loose of codependency and to have healthy, drama-free relationships. Through a series of interactive activities and funny anecdotes, Melody Beattie, walks you through her simple and direct approach that leads to a path of independence, wholeness and satisfaction.

18. Bossypants by Tina Fey

Who doesn’t love Tina Fey? And this is all Tina Fey. This book is a light yet deeply insightful easy read. In this memoir of sorts, Tina takes us into her life and dishes the “tea” on what it’s like to be a woman in the male dominated comedy business. Expertly told, this book is full of the witt and humor you’ve come to expect from Fey but it is also a heroic tale of a woman who found success in the face of numerous obstacles.

19. Better Than before by Gretchen Reuben

This book is written by the New York Times’ bestselling author of The Happiness Project. This book is all about helping you to change by addressing your habits. She offers women a methodical approach to recognizing and changing dysfunctional behaviors, attitudes and habits that sabotage their success and rob them of happiness. She shows women how to tackle their number one enemy: herself.

20. Come To The Edge: A Love Story by Christina Haag

Every woman loves a good love story and Haag definitely delivers with this book. Christina details her five year romance with John F. Kennedy Jr. The Washington Post says that Haag’s story “lyrically and precisely recaptures the frenetic ecstasy of early love.” This book shows how true love surpasses wealth, status and fame. We all desire to love and be loved passionately and Haag expertly captures and exposes this all encompassing love in this well written story.

The post The 20 Most Inspiring Books from the Last 10 Years That Every Woman Should Read appeared first on Lifehack.

from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2qepTOl via Viral News HQ

[trendingnewsb]

The 20 Most Inspiring Books from the Last 10 Years That Every Woman Should Read

I am woman, hear me roar!

Oh yes, I am wise, but it’s wisdom born of pain

Yes, I’ve paid the price, but look how much I gained

If I have to, I can do anything

I am strong

I am invincible

I AM WOMAN!

~Lyrics from “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy

Women are strong, sexy, intelligent, resourceful, nurturing, intuitive and resilient. Sometimes being all of these things (and more) comes at a price. As women there are times when we become depleted and we need to be inspired, rejuvenated and our fire needs reigniting.

Reading is one of the most empowering things any person can do for themselves. A good book–I mean a really good book–can touch your soul, heal your heart and stir your creative juices.

Below is a list of 20 books that every woman should read. They will inspire, educate, transform and bring back your roar!

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I had to begin with this epic and well penned story. To be more exact, this isn’t just a book, it is an emotional journey.

Katniss, this book’s title character, epitomizes Helen Reddy’s anthem for women. As a protagonist, she exhibits strength during her weakness. She is outwardly fearless while inwardly she is petrified. She is you in hero form. You may have seen the movie but the movie is vastly inferior to this work of art by Suzanne Collins. This book is a timeless classic. You will cheer and cry. You will walk away inspired.

2. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

This New York Times bestseller is set in the 1970’s and is described as being, “A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing…[it] is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.” It is a story that shows how to survive loss and tragedy without losing yourself.

3. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Bad Feminist is as a sharp and funny funny collection of essays that provide an accurate look at the ways in which our culture consumes us and snatches our identity. Roxane Gay takes us on her journey and describes life from the lens of a black a woman. She comments on trends and recent events and how they have effected feminism. In the end, this book is really an inspiring call-to-action and highlights areas in which we as women need to do better.

4. The Goldfinch by Donna Tart

The New York Times describes “The Goldfinch” as “a rarity that comes along perhaps half a dozen times per decade, a smartly written literary novel that connects with the heart as well as the mind…. You keep waiting for the wheels to fall off, but in the case of “The Goldfinch,” they never do.”

This is a historical fiction story that recounts the experiences of a young boy loses his mother in a terrorist attack at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This story is perfect for women as it explores the meaning and purpose of art as well as love, friendship, and the pain of loss.

5. The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

This New York Times Bestseller is a practical guide for helping women gain and maintain self-confidence. The principles in this book are based on time tested research on gender, behavior, cognition and genetics.

6. Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

Set in the 1950s, Boy, Snow, Bird opens on the Lower East Side of New York City, with a young white woman named Boy Novak running away from her violent father. She finds her self in Massachusetts where she meets a widower, a jewelry craftsman, Arturo Whitman, in Flax Hill, Mass. They marry and she becomes obsessed with her new stepdaughter, Snow.

This novel is a remake if not hugely reminiscent of the famous fairy-tale, Snow White. The interesting twist in this novel is that Boy’s husband is a very light-skinned black man, who “passes” as white. This novel poetically discusses the the themes of color and race relations, self-love and acceptance wrapped in the familiarity of a well-known tale.

7. Knowing Your Value: Women, Money and Getting What You’re Worth by Mika Brzezinski

This New York Times bestseller is a collection of interviews from the world’s most successful business women. This book uses the stories and success of other women to show you how to thrive in your career and financially and understand your self-worth as a woman.

8. Drink by Ann Dowsett Johnston

Drink is part research reporting and part memoir that delves into the realities of the rising rates of women alcoholics. This book looks at the psychological and social pressures extreme and risky drinking behaviors has had on women in general. This book, while addressing alcoholism in women, is a picture of how society can shape and manipulate the behavior of an entire species.

9. The Financial Fast by Michelle Singletary

The 21-Day Financial Fast, written by award-winning writer and The Washington Post columnist Michelle Singletary, challenges women to look at finances differently. For twenty-one days, participants will put away their credit cards and buy only the barest essentials. The challenge is designed to not only change how you view and manage your money but also why you do what you do. Michelle challenges you take an introspective look at your relationship with money. It will end your dysfunctional relationship with money.

10. The Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

This book is the ultimate motivational tool. Once you put it down, you will feel inspired to tackle that project, write your book, open a bakery or change careers. Elizabeth Gilbert is the award winning author of the wildly popular Eat, Pray, Love. She is all about unlocking your creativity and living fearlessly.

11. The Life Boat by Charlotte Rogan

This is a poignant novel is a gritty, naked look at what being a survivor really means. This book opens with a newly married couple being ripped apart by a horrible accident at sea and only half of the couple survives. This book follows the perils of what the survivors must do in order to survive. It shows the inner strength that lies within all of us. But it also shows that we are all capable of being horrible sadists.

12. I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This by Kate White

Kate White, who is also the author of Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead…But Gutsy Girls Do, has written another wise, witty and straight-shooting career guide for women. In this book, Kate inspires women to chase their career goals–no matter how lofty. She serves as a champion for high- achieving career- driven women.

13. Ask For It: How Women Can Use Negotiation To Get What They Really Want by Linda Babock and Sarah Laschever

This book tackles and explains the art of negotiation from a woman’s point of view. Negotiations look and flow differently for women in the workforce and this book gives a four-phased approach to negotiations. It is designed to teach women how to maximize their bargaining power and how to silence their negative inner self-talk. You will become a more confident and powerful go-getter.

14. Swamplandia by Karen Russell

Karen Russell has struck gold with her first novel. This tale about a girl’s courageous effort to preserve her grieving family’s way of life, is infused “with humor and gothic whimsy.” The New York Time’s praises Russell’s “exuberantly inventive language and her vivid portrait of a heroine who is wise beyond her years.”

15. Becoming Wise: An Inquiry Into the Mystery and Art of Living by Krista Tippett

This book is a culmination of wisdom gained from years spent interviewing scientists, philosophers, theologians, activists and poets on her award winning NPR podcast. She has taken all that she has learned, condensed and distilled it down to create a “master class on living.” This book encourages and instructs women how to live, love and exists on their own terms.

16. The Immortal Life of Henerietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Described by NPR as “a remarkable feat of investigative journalism and a moving work of narrative nonfiction that reads with the vividness and urgency of fiction. It also raises sometimes uncomfortable questions with no clear-cut answers about whether people should be remunerated for their physical, genetic contributions to research and about the role of profit in science.” This book will cause you to think and it may just cause a shift in your worldview.

17. Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring For Yourself by Melody Beattie

This wildly popular, Amazon best-seller is what every woman needs to shake loose of codependency and to have healthy, drama-free relationships. Through a series of interactive activities and funny anecdotes, Melody Beattie, walks you through her simple and direct approach that leads to a path of independence, wholeness and satisfaction.

18. Bossypants by Tina Fey

Who doesn’t love Tina Fey? And this is all Tina Fey. This book is a light yet deeply insightful easy read. In this memoir of sorts, Tina takes us into her life and dishes the “tea” on what it’s like to be a woman in the male dominated comedy business. Expertly told, this book is full of the witt and humor you’ve come to expect from Fey but it is also a heroic tale of a woman who found success in the face of numerous obstacles.

19. Better Than before by Gretchen Reuben

This book is written by the New York Times’ bestselling author of The Happiness Project. This book is all about helping you to change by addressing your habits. She offers women a methodical approach to recognizing and changing dysfunctional behaviors, attitudes and habits that sabotage their success and rob them of happiness. She shows women how to tackle their number one enemy: herself.

20. Come To The Edge: A Love Story by Christina Haag

Every woman loves a good love story and Haag definitely delivers with this book. Christina details her five year romance with John F. Kennedy Jr. The Washington Post says that Haag’s story “lyrically and precisely recaptures the frenetic ecstasy of early love.” This book shows how true love surpasses wealth, status and fame. We all desire to love and be loved passionately and Haag expertly captures and exposes this all encompassing love in this well written story.

The post The 20 Most Inspiring Books from the Last 10 Years That Every Woman Should Read appeared first on Lifehack.

from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2qepTOl via Viral News HQ