#short story poetry by rs

[angelluvrs]

I crave a deep breath of cold air

I crave a burning cup of tea

I crave a sharp punch to the face

I crave laying in bed until I’m thirty

I crave blood all over my hands

I crave a sweet escape

I crave to know whatever I can

I crave a better way

I crave a car hitting against my side

I crave falling hard and bad

I crave pity, I crave understanding

I crave having all I had

I crave going back in time

I crave changing everything

I crave laying in the hospital

I crave being all you need

I crave freedom

I crave a better life

I crave love

I crave more time

[lucidityisabsent]

what/has/happened/here

maybe another time/a different distance/ how i miss you/you are poetry.

thoughts of you/art you made/another time/my request my request.

a different distance/a mere existence/my imagination/floats on clouds.

how how how/will you wake/ for one more day/art you made.

perhaps some moment/you look here/in be-tween/it is all all make believe.

-

this part is a very personal note: i hope you like it. peace

-

[simply-pure-garbage]

this room

they say you are about to be home.

who is they?

those angels there in the corner of this room.

i saw them earlier, no this is a different they.

oh, we should sit down. i need to scan the files catch up some process all this happening right now, you?

yes, that is a smart idea. i shall sit here too. you, close your eyes and scan the files.

how about we invite those angels over here?

oh, wise move.

wait until you hear them sing, then.

-

[fearandhatred]

taking an intro to lit module and a critical reading module this semester... i am going to eat this shit up

[colorsoundoblivion]

Open call for contributions for a new zine. If you’ve been following me for a while, you have an idea about the relevant subject matter (Sub/Counter Culture, Outsider/Industrial/Noise Music, Experimental Everything, Mental Health Struggles, Queerness, etc.). No firm dates for anything… whenever the 1st issue’s done, it’s done.

Looking for…

Music Reviews, Live Show Reports, Photography, Painting, interviews (both interviewers and those willing to be interviewed), indie film makers, queer activists/artists, anything that defies convention, short stories, poetry, anyone willing to share honestly their struggles with mental health or other health issues, anyone into body modification, anyone with an unconventional body structure comfortable showing their body and discussing it, anyone willing to share terrifying personal experiences they’ve overcome, comedic works as prose or illustration. Anything & anyone who deserves their “15 minutes” currently denied by surface culture.

***NOT looking for…

Pornography, edgelord shit for the sake of edgelord shit, right wing/conservative bullshit, Racists, animal cruelty, white nationalist propaganda, Nazi sympathizers, homophobes, transphobes, sexists, and other generally shitty human garbage. ***This doesn’t mean journalistic articles about such things can’t find inclusion, just that I don’t want to print the actual things themselves.

My plan at the moment is to create a digital version (Free) and a limited print version (slightly above whatever actual cost is to keep the thing going). Including CD-Rs of music or video or data files for the Print versions isn’t out of the question for those looking to contribute things that can’t be printed on a page.

Any of this sound interesting to you?

Get in touch.

PS: Yes, I’m having some kind of high energy episode and I was up all night coming up with ideas for the zine as well as design elements and beyond.

PSS: I’m tagging a bunch of creatives on here, and please feel free to reblog/spread the word to anyone else who may be interested. Don’t feel any obligation to be involved… I just think you may have an interest in some of the above and would probably be an amazing contributor in varying capacities. Involvement once isn’t a commitment for future issues, either. Contribute as much/little as you want. I just want to help lift up good art. @justmakesuresheeatsthemouse @womenofnoise @illustratedtourniquet @bitter1 @conceptalbum @dmoure @musicktoplayinthedark @postpunkindustrial @raycastelo @skatalite @sacramence @trulyunpleasant @spectral-neophiliac @garv-painter @azulumbra @vosus @jkflesh @jgthirlwell @amuletsmusic

[pooma-today]

The National UN Volunteers-India

World Hindi Day - 10 Jan 2025

Date: January 10, 2025

Location: Govt UPS, Kadakkal, Kollam District

In a vibrant celebration of World Hindi Day, the National UN Volunteers-India organized an Essay Writing Competition in Hindi at Govt UPS, Kadakkal, Kollam District. The event saw enthusiastic participation from around 25 teachers, who showcased their literary skills under the expert guidance of teachers Manoj SS, Lovely George, and Shanisa S.

🔘Event Highlights

Essay Writing Competition:

The competition provided a platform for teachers to express their thoughts and creativity in Hindi. The participants demonstrated exceptional writing skills, reflecting the richness and depth of the Hindi language.

Guidance and Mentorship:

The teachers, Manoj SS, Lovely George, and Shanisa S, played a pivotal role in guiding the participants, ensuring the smooth conduct of the competition and providing valuable insights.

🔘 Recognition and Appreciation

Winners Honored:

The winners of the competition were awarded Certificates of Appreciation, recognizing their outstanding contributions and achievements.

Honoring Guide Teachers:

The guiding teachers were honored by Deepu RS, a dedicated UN Volunteer-India, for their invaluable support and mentorship. Their dedication to promoting the Hindi language and nurturing talent was duly acknowledged.

The celebration of World Hindi Day at Govt UPS, Kadakkal, was a resounding success, highlighting the importance of Hindi in fostering cultural unity and literary excellence. The event not only celebrated the linguistic diversity of India but also emphasized the role of educators in shaping the future of language and literature.

🔰

The National UN Volunteers-India

Indian Army Day - January 15, 2025

Army personnel are honoured by Deepu RS, UN Volunteer-India at Chadayamangalam, Kollam District, Kerala.

In a heartfelt tribute on Indian Army Day, The National UN Volunteers-India honored army personnel in Chadayamangalam, Kollam District, Kerala. The event, led by Deepu RS, UN Volunteer-India, celebrated the bravery and dedication of our armed forces.

🔘Honorees

Mr. Rahul: A native of Chadayamangalam, currently serving as a Havildar in Army Signals, Delhi.

Mr. Alex Kutty: An ex-serviceman working as a Home Guard at Pooyappalli Police Station. He retired from the BSF as a Head Constable after more than 15 years of service, most notably in Gurdaspur, Punjab.

🔘 Event Highlights

A short yet meaningful function was organized in front of Gems HS Poonkod, Chadayamangalam, in the presence of local police personnel. The gathering aimed to recognize the service and sacrifices of these esteemed individuals.

Presentation of Books: Deepu RS honored Mr. Rahul and Mr. Alex Kutty by presenting them with his short story book, expressing his appreciation through inspiring words.

🔘 Special Guests

The ceremony was graced by several police personnel from the local community, adding to the spirit of camaraderie and respect.

🔰

National UN Volunteers-India

National Birds Day - January 5, 2025

Report on National Birds Day Celebration

Event: National Birds Day Celebration

Date: January 5, 2025

Location: Govt PUS, Kadakkal, Kollam District, Kerala

Report by: Deepu RS, UN Volunteer-India

On National Birds Day, Govt PUS, Kadakkal, hosted a vibrant event celebrating the avian diversity of Kerala and India. The program featured an educational documentary on Kerala birds, captivating the students and enriching their knowledge about the region's avian inhabitants.

Highlights of the Event:

1.Educational Documentary: A comprehensive video showcasing the diverse bird species found in Kerala and India was displayed in the classroom.

2.Interactive Session: Deepu RS, a writer, humanitarian, lyricist, and UN Volunteer, engaged the students with an informative session, explaining the different types of birds and their unique habitats.

3.Poetry Recital: Deepu RS also recited his poem "Kerala Kilippaatt," which beautifully narrates the various birds found in India, their habitats, and their nature.

The event also featured a short seminar where Deepu RS further elaborated on the subject. The children showed immense enthusiasm, expressing their eagerness to feed birds and create new shelters for them at home.

Program Details:

🦩Welcome Speech: Lovely Teacher

🦩Presidential Speech: Swapna G Nair

🦩Inauguration: Deepu RS

🦩Greetings Addressed by: Shanisa Sandhya Teacher & Rajesh VR

🦩Vote of Thanks: Sree Manoj (Teacher)

The program was a resounding success, inspiring the students to appreciate and care for the avian life around them. Their enthusiasm for the subject was evident, and many pledged to take active steps in supporting and nurturing the birds in their environment.

[blacknerdproblems]

About a year ago, I interviewed Rorie Still about her self-published prose and poetry book Flashbang: Sci-Fi Stories That Will Blow Your Mind, an Afrofuturist collection of short stories. Now she’s back with a graphic novel adaptation of that book. We talked a bit about adapting her own work, working with a lot of moving parts, and the rewards of owning your work.

Flashbang

Black Nerd Problems: For those that haven’t read your first book, what is Flashbang all about?

Rorie Still: The Afrofuturist short story collection is about an unseen but heard benevolent trickster Goddess who is giving wayward blessings to people in an alternate Philadelphia.

BNP: What’s the relation to your first book which was prose, and this new one that is a graphic novel?

RS: The first edition of Flashbang is written in both poetry and prose. The graphic novel is based on the first edition of Flashbang, and it utilizes both poetry and prose as well.

BNP: What are some short synopses for a few of the stories within Flashbang?

RS: Taking Wing: A teenage girl, must find the courage to face her heroine, a public guardian angel doing bad to do good!

Read on here. [x]

[writerscompetition]

Splash - Writers Competition

Calling all writers/poets: Are you a writer interested in gaining more exposure and a bigger audience for your creative work? Would an extra Rs.50,000/-, Rs.35,000/-, Rs.15,000/- in your pocket be a great thing right now?

If so, our Splash That Ink Writer’s Award is the perfect way to achieve both. For this award, any genre or theme of the poem, short story, long story, novel, essay any other form of writing is accepted. All applicants should submit their original unpublished work, 10,000 words or fewer, to be considered. Along with receiving an award of Rs.50,000/-, Rs.35,000/-, Rs.15,000/-, all the writers will have their writing featured within our blog, which reaches thousands of readers per month. Rules and exclusions apply. Additional info found at Splash That Ink Writer's Competition.

The Northern Beaches Library Service is holding its Splash - Writers Competition, a competition for young writers from Year 8 to 12. The theme of the competition is "splash." Submissions are open to all students in school from kindergarten to year twelve and library members. You can learn more about the Splash - Writers Competition and how to enter below. To enter, simply click on the link below.

The event is organized by Axis Bank and is a great opportunity for writers of all genres and levels. Its jury panel includes educationalists and mentors from leading schools and colleges. The top two national winners will receive a Scholarship worth Rs.1 lakh and a laptop, as well as digital certificates. There will also be mentors for the 100 shortlisted contestants. The competition is in association with WhiteHat Jr., Radio Mirchi, Sony YAY, and the Lockwood-Matthews mansion museum.

The competition is open to both children and teens. All submissions must be original. For children's and youth categories, original poetry and artwork will be accepted. The winners are required to give credit to their mentors in the writing process. Once they have been chosen, they will receive a monetary prize worth Rs.1 lakh. The winning entries will also receive a laptop and Digital certificates. For the competition, Axis Bank has partnered with WhiteHat Jr, Sony YAY, and Radio Mirchi.

Axis Bank has invited educationalists and mentors from top schools to serve on its jury panel. The winning national contestants will receive a Scholarship worth Rs.1 lakh and a laptop. Axis Bank is also sponsoring the 100 shortlisted participants with guidance from a mentor. Axis Bank is an important partner in the Splash - Writers Competition. It is one of the biggest literary competitions in India.

The Splash - Writers Competition is open to children and teenagers. Original artwork and poetry is encouraged, but all entries should be original. Those who win should give credit to their mentors. The judges will also be looking for original work from children. The judges will be judging all submissions based on their work, and the best entries will be announced in September. The winner will receive a scholarship of Rs.1 lakh and a laptop.

The Splash - Writers Competition is a great opportunity for budding authors. It allows young writers to showcase their creativity. You can even enter children's and youth poetry in the youth category if they have a mentor. The judges will look for the best entries for these categories and award the winners. This competition is open to all ages and can help you reach new heights. It is a good opportunity to start your own writing career and become published.

[angelluvrs]

Fantasize

I dreamt a perfect fantasy of you

My knee touched yours

and you didnt pull back

You rested your hand

and gave me your eyes

I melted inside

You tell me you could tell

by the way I talk to you

I didnt pull away

Entangled in eachother

When you touched me so tenderly

You healed the wounds other men had left in me

I woke up longing

for a moment nonexistent

Broken once again

I went back to sleep

[lucidityisabsent]

in a gentle rain

Mary says to Alice let us go to the ocean shore. Alice takes Mary by the hand and leads the way. there are all their friends waiting scurrying shell to shell. hundreds of sandpipers form a moving circle to surround Mary and Alice. the sky is orange pink blue tiny clouds swirling mermaids in the water twirling. Mary reaches down to pick up a very pretty shell kisses the shell hands it to Alice. all the birds scurry away shell to shell along the shore. by then Mary is loving Alice. mermaids in harmony are singing, tiny clouds low landing on Mary then Alice. at the ocean shore on tuesday at dusk. -

[simply-pure-garbage]

your eyes

Alex: asks questions -

that look, in control. i need someone in control.

Alex: of you?

no, in control of themselves.

Alex: do you control yourself?

no, i need someone in control.

Alex: have you gone outside today?

i have.

-

[will-work-for-music]

* 2017 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

two thousand + seventeen birthed fantastic records that found me like friends, over + over again. these masterpieces lead me to people + experiences on adventures far better than i could have dreamed. these collections songs kept me company through the highest highs, the lowest lows + the walking in between of this year marked by hardship + madness, for most of the world. these are the tunes i smiled + screamed + cried + danced to the most, this year. i’m wildly grateful for each artist + the remarkable melody-wrapped memories they’ve gifted me. here’s to the songs that stay. 🖤

loved in no particular order:

* LOVELY LITTLE LONELY - the maine

brilliant + poetic + free. this band has been liberating me since i was seventeen. before lovely little lonely was even born i jumped at the chance to celebrate 10 years of this band of brothers who’ve grown up alongside their family of fans. to truly live the lyric: “let’s fall back in love with the world + who we are + do the things we talked about but never did before..” i’m grateful to the maine for adventures i only ever dreamed + for the soundtrack to them all.. she’s a masterpiece.

* THE SEARCH FOR EVERYTHING - john mayer

“And that ends an era. August ‘14-April ’17. I made this record for *you*. May you hear and see and feel yourself in these songs.” 🌊♥️🌊 - @johnmayer

she’s stunning from beginning to end.. i kept telling everyone this show felt like experiencing a film.. it’s surely safe to say JM has made another stellar, artistic set of songs for the soundtrack of my life. wow, wow, wow.. as he kept saying to us, “thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“[On The search for everything, Mayer] succeeds because he’s not donning a new costume: instead, he’s settling into a groove he can claim as his own, and it feels like he’s at home.” - AllMusic

* HARRY STYLES - harry styles

(on album release day) every once in awhile, a record comes along that surprises you in a great way. as i put it to my best friend, [on release day].. “oops, i think i like harry’s album.” THE cameron crowe recently wrote a truly stunning, intriguing rolling stone cover story with styles as the subject.. (the cover that my mom thought featured “a young mick jagger,” without a clue about the previous week’s SNL sketch, ha). as someone who was never into one direction (sorry, rob sheffield), i likely wouldn’t have given this album a shot, but it’s everything you wouldn’t expect to hear in a “former pop star” solo record. thanks to two of my favorite writers (rob sheffield, who penned the RS review like only he can, + crowe) for encouraging me to see harry for more than the kid from the boy band.. as crowe put it (on the RS music now podcast), “he’s a music geek, in the best way..” his love of classic rock shines through, while still capturing a sound all his own. well done, HS. “from the dining table” + “two ghosts” are early favorites.. which i chose just before ryan adams tweeted it.

Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield put HS at number 3 on his 2017 album list: “What a revelation to see Styles live the same week as Paul McCartney – a tutorial on the connection between joy and brilliance. So is this album. The songs are built to last, standing up to months of ridiculously heavy listening. The only rock star who can come on like Macca and Mick at the same time. The only rock star who could earn all six minutes of "Sign of the Times.” The only rock star using his hard-won artistic freedom to craft the kind of hilariously anti-commercial old-school personal statement where every song counts, making big guitar moves everybody else this year was too timid to try. The only rock star who thinks cigarettes in New York are “cheap.” The only rock star.“

* PRISONER - ryan adams

"i think ‘prisoner’ has so much more hope + sensuality in it—to me, it’s liberating. those songs are more a celebration of becoming something as it’s broken apart.”

a note to ryan, as tour came to a close:

i feel the most alive inside of these songs.. the ones that break me open + somehow heal me, all at once. RA, i know this time out on the road stole your health + your joy, at times, but the wonder with which you kept playing was magic to witness. i’m grateful for your pursuit of growth + grace, no matter what comes your way. be it bronchitis, haters or heartbreak, you never let anything keep you down. thank you for not one, but two flawless dates in two sparkling cities on the prisoner tour. rest up + stay weird.. xo

* ONLY THE LONELY - colony house

just shy of two weeks into 2017, franklin, tennessee born + bred band of brothers colony house released a creative, impactful collection of songs for the soul. the rocknroll band’s strong sophomore effort landed them spots in the year’s finest festivals across the country (homegrown pilgrimage fest, chicago’s lollapalooza, new orleans’ voodoo experience). it will be exciting to see where these driving, honest story songs take them in the coming year.

* WONDERFUL WONDERFUL - the killers

the fifth studio album from brandon flowers + co has been called their strongest in over a decade. the frontman said the lead single, “the man,” was written through the lens of what his 20-something self thought it was to be a man..“being tough + bringing home the bacon, when really it’s about being compassionate + empathetic.”

For NME, Flowers shared that the lyrics of the album are “the most personal and bare” that he has ever been: “I’m looking in the mirror on this record and focusing a lot on my own personal experiences. Instead of just drawing upon all these experiences and maybe using them in other songs, I am going straight for it with this and singing about my life and my family and that’s something different for me.” The track “Rut” was inspired by the struggle of Flowers’ wife Tana with PTSD. He said: “Usually I feel protective of her but I decided to take it head on. So 'Rut’ is about her submitting to it. That doesn’t mean that she’s gonna let it beat her, but rather that she’s gonna finally acknowledge that it’s there and promise to break this cycle.” Flowers also added that putting his wife’s battle into a song helped him understand better what she is going through. “Have All the Songs Been Written?” was originally the subject line of an email Brandon Flowers sent to Bono, in the midst of a bout of writer’s block, before the latter suggested it would make an excellent song title.“

'wonderful wonderful’ is altogether driving + poignant + strong, intricately crafted for the artist + his listener.

* METAPHYSICAL - the technicolors

as soon as i experienced the technicolors–friends/labelmates/co-creators of the maine–live, i knew they would be in my life from that day forward. it seemed previous projects couldn’t quite capture the passion + enthusiasm of that short set, so 2017’s "metaphysical” was highly anticipated by many.

the title’s defined as “relating to the transcendent or to a reality beyond what is perceptible to the senses. beyond ordinary experience.” the aptly named project evokes a raw, ethereal energy that draws outside the lines, while remaining true to a rock solid focus. “sweat,” “imposter!” + “congratulations you’re a doll” would be welcome additions to any playlist, however it’s recommended listeners follow the sparkling sonic story from start to finish.

* CONCRETE + GOLD - foo fighters the ninth record from foo fighters is born + it is a freaking force. dave says it’s motörhead meets sgt. pepper’s. i sure do dig the super crunchy guitars + layered vocal melodies. paul mccartney plays drums + justin timberlake sings bgvs, just cause he wanted to + it makes me the happiest human.

“I feel an earthquake coming on,” Dave Grohl sings on “Dirty Water,” a moment of fragile guitar poetry from Foo Fighters’ ninth album. Of course, keeping things steady amid chaos has been one of Grohl’s signature themes since the Foos were born from the wreckage of Nirvana a couple of forevers ago. Musically and emotionally, Concrete and Gold is their most balanced record yet – from stadium-punk dive bombers like “Run” and “La Dee Da” to the acoustic soul that opens “T-Shirt,” in which Grohl gets his Nina Simone on, singing, “I don’t wanna be king/I just wanna sing a love song.” “Sunday Rain” is a guitar weeper so late-Beatles great it even has Paul McCartney playing drums on it.

Adele co-writer Greg Kurstin’s production adds big-studio texture without diluting the band’s raw tumult; even Justin Timberlake’s appearance – as a backing vocalist on the space-truckin’ “Make It Right” – is subtle rather than ostentatious. The highlight is “The Sky Is a Neighborhood,” a hulking dream-metal anthem: “Trouble to the right and left,” Grohl sings, driving into the darkness with a Bic lighter raised to the heavens.“ - Rolling Stone

* HALLOWEEN - ruston kelly

ruston kelly captured me, years ago, with the single release of his flawlessly raw, haunting "black magic.” ever since, like a ghost itself, the song was never far from me.

Rolling Stone writes, “Black Magic” is a crescendoing rocker that ponders the bewitching pull of romance –and how it can easily disappear in a cloud of smoke.“

"Kelly is just as adept at making catchy country grooves – Tim McGraw and Josh Abbott Band have cut his tracks –as he is capturing life’s darkest, most introspective moments. The songwriter’s debut EP, the Mike Mogis-produced Halloween, is a solemn meditation on the inevitable end of things, and the spirits that tend to haunt us. Kelly came to Tennessee as a last-minute decision after attending high school in Belgium (he jokes that his father might have been a spy). Once he landed in town, he held tenure in the jam band Elmwood and battled addiction, writing songs on Music Row while exploring his demons on Halloween and his forthcoming full-length. Current single "Black Magic” shows a powerful grasp on storytelling gleaned from his love of the Carter Family and Townes Van Zandt, but also a more ragged rock & roll soul: it’s Americana, if your Americana is Bruce Springsteen with an acoustic guitar, sung by someone who spins a little heavy metal too. “Sometimes I wear both a cowboy hat and a Slayer T-shirt, just to throw people off,” Kelly says.“

* REPUTATION - taylor swift

"hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you” at her core, i still believe taylor to be the fiercely strong, quietly brilliant songwriter she’s always been. the power of the song comes through when you strip it down + it still shines just as bright. thank you for making music that meets me where i am + takes me away, since that very first day, at fifteen (2006). thank you for this one + for playing it for jimmy fallon + his momma (go watch that performance + weep!) i look forward to growing into this record as i have the five that came before.. i’ve never doubted her prowess as a storyteller.. + i won’t start now.

see also: Rob Sheffield’s glorious write up. i wholeheartedly agree. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/taylor-swift-reputation-sheffield-review-most-intimate-lp-w511359

rob is my favorite RS writer/author on all-things music. from his books on life through the lens of pop music–bowie, beatles + duran duran songs, respectively, i wouldn’t trust anyone else’s TS review. he articulately captures how i feel, as a fan from album one.. i look forward to better understanding 'reputation’ with each spin, though i can’t help but miss the classic introspective ballads.

* DIVIDE - ed sheeran

a fantastically diverse record. once again, sheeran proves he can break all of the boundaries + stay true to himself as an artist. he does it all so well, without appearing to care what anyone else thinks. “dive” is a bold, beautiful statement i continue to come back to + feel just the same. the record punches + dances in all the right places, from beginning to end, begging to be played on repeat.

* LIFE CHANGES - thomas rhett

thomas rhett gifted us the quintessential road trip singalong soundtrack record of the year. the day after it was born was spent on a bus from chicago to nashville, so when it wasn’t playing through my earbuds, it was spinning on repeat in my mind. the title track still stands out clear + strong, though i thoroughly enjoyed a live taste of the addictive early maren morris duet–“craving you”–back in february on the hometeam tour. it’s no wonder his career has catapulted with his seamless versatility in blending country’s storytelling with pop music’s neverending ear candy likeablity. this record excellently showcases rhett’s range from anthemic radio jams to heartbreaker ballads and true-to-life tales in between.

* FROM A ROOM (vol 1 + 2) - chris stapleton

stapleton released music this year in two parts, dubbing them “from A room” volumes 1 + 2–not just any room, “'A’ room” being nashville’s historic RCA studio A. some songs included in the collection were written up to a decade ago; ones chosen as they still ring true to the bearded, believable-as-they-come singer/songwriter.

on the authenticity of his craft, stapleton says, “I can’t really speak to why people like what we do. Hopefully, they know what we do is authentically us, and that goes over no matter what kind of music you’re playing. People will kind of hear that and connect with that in ways they wouldn’t if you were trying to be something that you think might be popular; I think that’s always a mistake in music, maybe even in life. Do something 'cause it’s in your heart, do something 'cause it’s what you’re supposed to be doing.”

“broken halos” + “second one to know” will, to me, always conjure up memories of seeing him open for tom petty and the heartbreakers at wrigley field, on their 40th anniversary tour, this summer. music is medicine and these honest-to-the-bone tunes are instant classics as well as a balm for the soul.

* FIRST CIGARETTE - travis meadows

“we rise. we climb. we shine like broken stars.”

the above is perhaps the defining statement of next-level nashville singer/songwriter, travis meadows’ 2017 studio album, 'first cigarette.’ the veteran of a different kind of war, there’s not much meadows hasn’t faced in life–cancer, heartbreak, addiction, depression.. and no story is off-limits for the wonderfully raw-voiced, honest-as-they-come artist. each song stays true to travis’ heart, some a little more uncomfortably authentic than accessible (ie radio-friendly), but that’s the way meadows prefers his craft.

“underdogs,” “pontiac,” “hungry,” + “better boat” stand out from first listen, yet each track was chosen to land where they do in the lineup + in the heart of the listener.

Rolling Stone writes, “To his most ardent fans and peers, including Eric Church, Dierks Bentley and Jake Owen, who have all cut Meadows’ songs for their respective albums, his open-book approach to his craft is his greatest gift. But Meadows lives in fear of rejection. That ever-lingering sense of distrust remains…

[On having label support backing a project for the first time]:

"It validates all of the suffering that I went through to get here,” Meadows says. “It gives it purpose.”

“I try not to be too hard on myself,” Meadows continues, “but I don’t deserve any of this. So I’m grateful for every inch I get walking that mile.”

* STEEL TOWN - steve moakler

steel town had only been out for nine days + i’d woken up with these songs in my head, every morning. i’m partial to “wheels” + “gold” + “summer without her” (co-written with + ft. my favorite-for-so-long, sarah buxton!!) + the title track, but i cannot pick a favorite, friends. the long wait from 'wide open’ to this one was oh-so-worth it. thanks for another heartfelt record filled with story songs i can spin for years + years to come. seriously, don’t sleep on this love letter to a historically hardworking hometown.

* BRETT ELDREDGE - brett eldredge

“Brett Eldredge’s self-titled third album is the Number One country album this week. The Illinois native also scored the highest all-genre chart position of his career, landing at Number Two on the Billboard 200, behind Kendrick Lamar’s LP Damn.” - Rolling Stone (August 15)

eldredge is both effortless + earnest, perfectly showcasing his ability + personality on the record he calls, “the most [himself].” from the playful first single, “somethin’ i’m good at” to the heartfelt vulnerability of “castaway,” listeners experience all-sides of the equal parts smooth sinatra, fun-loving country crooner. the standouts are story songs–“the long way” is dreamlike while “no stopping you” is wistful–both shine brilliantly on studio LP number three.

[neeliepsrecs]

On-line Wizarding Library Awards Round 3 2007

Since the archive owl.tauri.org shut down in 2012, the winners of the awards have been recovered from fanlore.org

Fire & Ice (Snape/Granger fanfiction)

Denial (M) by little beloved

The Love You Take (RS) by Subversa

Mists of Time (PG) by amr

The Common Room (General HP stories)

Altered Perspectives (RS) by SnarkyWench

To Know Who I Am (RS) by firefly124

About Snape (PG) by septentrion

Parseltongue (Award is for story translator)

Floresta de Dean (pt) (G) by ferporcel

Mestre do Encantamento (pt) (RS) by Subversa and translated by Bia Regina

Ilusões (pt) (M) by BastetAzazis

Draconian Measures (Draco-centric stories)

The Witch Bower (RS) by Bambu

Heart and Soul (M) by sshg316

Family Ties (G) by Annie Talbot

Realm of the Half-Blood Prince (HBP-centric stories)

One Last Request (G) by sshg316

Requiem For A Death Eater (M) by Rakina

The Path of the Alchemist (PG) by HumanTales

Hogwarts: A History (Pre-serial stories)

Unseen (M) by Subversa

Where Would I Be If I Didn't Know You? (PG) by Yemeron

Shack (M) by talloaks

Something the Dark Lord Made (Darkfic stories)

Between the Lines of Fear and Blame (RS) by hogwartshoney

Death Eater's Wife (M) by irisgirl

Tin Angel (G) by Spiderwort

Moonlight & Madness (Remus Lupin-centric stories)

A Cord of Three Strands (PG) by Subversa

Eyes (PG) by ferporcel

The Banebrewer (RS) by Grace has Victory

Snarry (Snape/Harry slash stories)

Help Wanted: God and Executioner (RS) by pir8fancier

The Winter of My Content (G) by magalud

This Boy's Life (RS) by pir8fancier

The Deathly Hallows (Book 7-based stories)

Forest of Dean (G) by ferporcel

And Madam Pomfrey Cried (G) by talloaks

What Might Have Been (PG) by snarkyroxy

Action/Adventure

A Gathering of Angels (M) by Annie Talbot

Mists of Time (PG) by amr

Looking for Magic (RS) by Hypnobarb

A Most Important Element in Water (M) by sylvanawood

A/U stories

Denial (M) by little beloved

The Love You Take (RS) by Subversa

Southern Magic (RS) by lapita

Angst

The Love You Take (RS) by Subversa

Unseen (M) by Subversa

Tabula Rasa (M) by ayerf

Challenge (Fics written for a challenge)

Denial (M) by little beloved

Send Not to Know (RS) by Subversa

A Fresh Start (PG) by richardgloucester

Crossover (Stories with non-HP characters included)

To Know Who I Am (RS) by firefly124

Oh, Boy! I'm a Wizard! (PG) by HumanTales

Harry Potter and the Eagle of Truthiness (G) by Potion Mistress, who accepts the award on behalf of C. Morgan

Drama

Denial (M) by little beloved

Mists of Time (PG) by amr

Unseen (M) by Subversa

Humour (Humourous and parody stories)

Phoenix Feathers (M) by Camillo

A Most Unlikely Correspondence (G) by little beloved

A Fresh Start (PG) by richardgloucester

Hurt/Comfort

Saving a Death Eater (PG) by Bambu

Send Not to Know (RS) by Subversa

Because the Phoenix Sang (M) by LoneButterfly

Poetry/Filk/Song Fic (Poems, filks, Song-based stories)

The Song the Summer Sings (PG) by sshg316

Johnny Has Gone (PG) by Soul Bound

The Winter of My Content (G) by magalud

Romance (Romantic stories)

Denial (M) by little beloved

Improbable Felicity (M) by Subversa

Mists of Time (PG) by amr

Snapshot/Drabble (Short, one-shot stories)

Virgin on the Ridiculous (RS) by melusin

A Good Morning (G) by Keladry Lupin

Forest of Dean (G) by ferporcel

Best cliffhanger

Ladder (RS) by ubiquirk

The Curtain Falls (M) by Bambu

Looking for Magic (RS) by Hypnobarb

Best death scene (Yes, there has to be a death in this.)

Match Made In Heaven (PG) by LoneButterfly

Resurgam (M) by ayerf

In Death (G) by Anastasia

Best new spell (Best newly-invented spell)

The Love You Take (RS) by Subversa

Southern Magic (RS) by lapita

Improbable Felicity (M) by Subversa

Best original character (Best new non-canon character)

Mr Alister Comes Home: A Master of Enchantment Christmas Story (PG) by Subversa

Tayet (G) by Annie Talbot

To Know Who I Am (RS) by firefly124

Best tearjerker (Minimum 2 tissues....)

In Apple Blossom Time (G) by Annie Talbot

Unseen (M) by Subversa

What Might Have Been (PG) by snarkyroxy

Best snog (A romantic one, duh)

The Love You Take (RS) by Subversa

Ladder (RS) by ubiquirk

Heart and Soul (M) by sshg316

[rachelswirsky]

Silly Interview with Anaea Lay (who wants to read your hate mail)

Rachel Swirsky: You were in Women Destroy Science Fiction--a project I greatly admire. What appeals to you about the project? What was your story like?

Anaea Lay: The Destroy series has been so phenomenally successful and huge that it's hard to remember that it started as an announcement that basically went, "You know what?  Screw this.  We're going to do a thing. Details forthcoming, let us know if you're in."  I'm both irritable and prone to scheming wild projects, so an announcement like that is a perfect recipe to pique my interest.  I sent them my info: i actually volunteered to read their hate mail for them since I get a bit of a kick out of getting hate mail.  I have a weekly quota of cackling I have to meet and reading hate mail makes it really easy for me to hit it.

They did not take me up on that offer, but did ask me to write a personal essay for a series they were putting up on their Kickstarter page.  There's less cackling involved in that sort of support, but I was game.  It's pretty short and you can still read it online if you want.  It's mostly about how I found SF at just the right moment for it to assure me that I wasn't as alone or strange as I thought I was.

What I like most about the Destroy project as it's grown and developed is how conversations around it have grown and developed.  A lot of voices that were always there, but usually at the edges or hard to go find have been amplified and brought closer to the main stream of the conversation.  That's the kind of effect that stretches beyond a single anthology or project.  Twenty or thirty years from now, I'll get to be the pedant droning on in convention hallways about how this and that other thing taken for granted ties back to this project and here see all the ways I can tie them together.  People will humor me and act like I'm being terribly interesting, and when they finally escape, I'll cackle.  (I'll probably still have a quota to meet.)

RS: You have an unpublished novel. You quote what John O'Neill had to say about it: "…an unpublished novel set in a gorgeously baroque far future where a woman who is not what she seems visits a sleepy space port… and quickly runs afoul of a subtle trap for careless spies.” Can you tell us more? How did you come up with the idea, and did it surprise you where it went?

AL: That novel was a bit of an experiment.  I had a big, sprawling space opera universe that I'd been building in the back of my head for years while working on other things.  It was time to start actually working on things there, but while I knew a lot about it, things in the back of my head tend to be squishy and hard to work with.  So I decided to do a safety novel first, something that would let me touch on the major set pieces  without any risk of pinning myself in later or breaking something I'd need.

Which meant I had no idea what I was going to do with it when I sat  down.  I knew I wanted a pair of sisters as the protagonists, and I wanted the younger sister to do some protecting of the older sister, then just kept throwing things out there to see what happened.

I'm in the process of re-working on of the plotlines from that novel into a game for Choice of Games.  It's serving as a learning workhorse for me again because I'm using it to experiment with all the things I learned while doing my first game with them.  Clearly pirates, spies, and snarky computers are the learning tools every modern writer needs in their workshop.

RS: You used to podcast poetry--how do you go about figuring how to give a poem voice?

AL: I hosted the Strange Horizons poetry podcast, but I did as little reading of the poetry as possible; that's our venue for getting in a variety of voices and it seems to me that if people are particularly invested in my voice, they can get plenty of it in the fiction podcast.

That said, I would step in when we were short on readers or there was a poem that particularly caught my eye.  (Editor's privilege is a marvelous thing!)  Reading poetry is both easier and harder than reading prose; poems are frequently crafted with a very deliberate ear toward how they sound, which means you're not likely to find the text dull to interpret vocally.  At the same time, you then have to do justice to the choices made in how the poem was put together, and justify it being you doing the reading rather than any given reader's interior head voice.  So I look for the tools the poet gave me, then look for the ways I'm best suited to using those tools and build my performance around that.  I'm a complete sucker for consonant clusters and sibilants.

RS: What was wonderful about running the Strange Horizons podcast?

Running the Strange Horizons podcast is fantastic.  I've given the poetry podcast over to Ciro Faienza, who was one of our staff readers for the poetry podcast and the single most common provocation of fanmail the podcast has gotten.  That podcast takes a lot of work, and I'd gotten to the point where I was very aware of a lot of ways it could be better, but realistically wasn't ever going to have the time to implement any of those improvements.  Ciro immediately made some great changes and I'm really looking forward to what he does as he gets into his groove.

The politic, and mostly true, answer to what's fantastic about doing the fiction podcast is getting to read the stories early and then pull them apart and put them back together in order to give a good reading.  The slightly more true answer, which has been growing over the course of the podcast, is the responses I get to the podcasts from the writers and the audience.  I pretty much only consume short fiction in audio form these days, which leaves me very grateful to all the places that are making it available.  Every time somebody reminds me that I'm one of those people is really great, especially when they're reminding me because they liked what I did.

But also, I really like getting to pull the stories apart and put them back together.

RS: So, on your website, you claim that the rumors I am a figment of your imagination are compelling. What are those rumors and why are you compelled by them?

AL: I actually exist as a multi-bodied individual quietly working to bring the world under the rule of a mischievous alien intelligence through widespread distribution of coffee and sunlight.  We've already conquered most of California and are making great headway in Washington.  Every sip of coffee you take, and every day with bright, clear skies, our agenda advances that much further.

Once, upon being informed of this (it's no fun to subvert an entire civilization if they don't know it's happening - you have to advertise) the person I was warning expressed skepticism about the veracity of my claims.  Apparently, according to them, the very concept of a multi-bodied individual is imaginative speculation and the idea of being one even more so.

There's not a lot I can do in the face of such claims.  There are people who don't believe in the moon landing.  There's not a lot I can do about people who insist on remaining skeptical about coffee and sunshine powered conspiracies.  But I do find such relentless denial of obvious reality to provide a fascinating insight into human psychology, especially when the stakes are this high.

The projects question: got anything you'd like to mention to readers?

The biggest thing I'm in the middle of right now is the Dream Foundry, which is a very cool new organization that's connecting different types of creative professionals all across science fiction, fantasy, and the rest of the speculative world.  We're running useful articles on our website and starting up some very fun programming on our forums.  We've got really big plans for the future (Contests! Workshops! Assimilation of the entire industry into our standards for compensation and professional conduct!) but we're already doing some very neat things, which is great for an organization that's less than a year old. In the short fiction realm, I just had "For the Last Time, It's not a Raygun," come out from Diabolical Plots. It's a tiny bit a love letter from me to Seattle, though I'd understand if it looks more like hate mail to some people. Much larger, my first game with Choice of Games, "Gilded Rails," came out late last year.  It's a huge (340k) interactive novel where you're trying to secure permanent control of a railroad in 1874, during the very early days of the labor movement and age of Robber Barons.  You get to choose between fixing markets or helping out small scale farmers, you've got a possibly-demonic pet cat, and a supreme court ruling over inheritance law for a big tent revivalist operation accidentally turned society into a more egalitarian alternate history where just about the entire cast might, depending on what you choose, be female.  Also, I snuck in hot takes about the contemporary theater and poetry scenes, which is exactly the sort of timely, incisive commentary everybody needs in their business sim.  I spent roughly forever, and also an eternity, working on this, so I'm really thrilled to have it out in the world.  It could be said that I'm cackling over it.

[stupidjewishwhiteboy]

Some things I’ve learned while reading through a collection of all of HP Lovecraft’s poetry:

* As a poet, I can see why he’s largely known as a short story writer

* He was at least somewhat aware of his lack of abilities, as the notes in this book include some of his comments of some of his poems where he essentially calls them doggerel

* Despite being born 25 years after the Civil War and in New England, he was a hardcore supporter of the Confederacy and he has several poems talking about the Lost Cause (i.e. “the Confederacy was noble to defend slavery”)

* He wrote a poem called “On The Creation of N****rs” (without the censoring bits). No comment I think is necessary here.

* Apparently in response to the Italian American community in his hometown of Providence petitioning to get a street renamed “Columbus st.” he wrote a satire in which a descendant of Rhode Islanders driven from America by the horders of foreigners comes back to visit in the year 2000 and proceeds to bitch about how all the streets are renamed after Swedish, Irish, French, Spanish, Italian, Jewish, and Polish things (his Polish street name is literally “Wsjzxypq$?&%$ladislaw” by the way).

* On a non-racist front, he seemed to like writing poems about his friend’s romantic troubles which he transformed into Classical Greek romances about shepherds romancing nymphs and the like

All in all, this has been an experience and I’ve still got hundreds of pages to go.

[risingpakistan]

The Pakistan Monument

The Pakistan Monument in Islamabad, Pakistan, is a national monument representing the nation's four provinces and three territories. After a competition among many renowned architects, Arif Masood’s plan was selected for the final design. The blooming flower shape of the monument represents Pakistan's progress as a rapidly developing country. The four main petals of the monument represent the four provinces (Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh), while the three smaller petals represent the three territories (Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas). The Monument has been designed to reflect the culture and civilization of the country and depicts the story of the Pakistan Movement, dedicated to those who sacrificed themselves for future generations.

From air the monument looks like a star (center) and a crescent moon (formed by walls forming the petals), these represent the star and crescent on Pakistan's flag.

Conception

The plan to build a national monument in the capital city of Pakistan was undertaken by the Ministry of Culture who was Hamad Kashif at that time. In this respect, Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners (PCATP) organised a national competition around the theme of signifying strength, unity and dedication of the people of Pakistan into an icon representing an independent and free nation. 

From a total of twenty submissions, three were short-listed. Finally, the design proposed by Arif Masoud was selected for construction, that revolved around the creation and development of the country.

Structure

The monument is located at the west viewpoint of the Shakarparian Hills, and is spread over a total area of 2.8 hectares. The high location makes the monument visible from across the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The foundation stone was laid on 25 May 2004 and the complex was completed by the end of 2006 for inauguration on 23 March 2007. The total cost incurred was more than Rs.580 million. 

The structure comprises four blossoming flower petals, built of granite, representing the unity of Pakistani people. The inner walls of the petals are decorated with murals. The central platform is made in the shape of a five-pointed star which is surrounded by a water body. A metallic crescent surrounding the star is inscribed with sayings of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and poetry of Allama Iqbal.

Murals

The murals on the inside of large petals are based on Islamic architecture, and were decorated by a team of artists led by Kausar Jahan and Zarar Haider Babri, who spent a total of 119,000 hours on the artwork.  The first petal features the Malki Tombs, Shahjahan Mosque, Rohtas Fort, Gawadar, and Faisal Mosque. The second petal depicts the images of Quiad-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Fatima Jinnah, Minar-e-Pakistan, Badshahi Mosque, Shila Tunnel, Karakorum Highway and a group of cheering people at Jinnah's public appearance. The third petal reflects Allama Iqbal, the Shah Rukn-e-Alam's Tomb, Mahabat Khan Mosque, Indus Valley Civilization, Lahore Fort and Indus River Delta. The fourth petal comprises the images of Sheesh Mehal, Lahore, Shalamar Gardens, the Uch Sharif Tomb, Islamia College Peshawar, the Ziarat Residency, the Khyber Pass and a polo match. Pakistanre