#speaking as someone studying old literature and English

[theflikchic]

JKR really wrote "I am not transphobic! I don't fear trans people! I'm just absolutely terrified that every trans woman I see is a secretly an abusive man waiting to rape me at every turn!" Girl, I- I just- How did this woman ever manage to write a good, narratively coherent series when she can't even keep her damn tweets straight? Like, hot dog, was HP divine intervention because there ain't no way she had that skill and it just vanished like that. This is ludicrous.

[inkedinshadows]

Hello lovely people! 🌸

(snippet of fanfic at the end)

Hi everyone! I'm not exactly new here, but I've never really posted anything before. I lurked in the dark, sometimes appearing in someone's comments, but mainly silently devouring fanfic for Azriel because I'm such a sucker for our shadowsinger 🖤

But now that I've got a lot of free time on my hands, I've decided to give a shot at writing something of my own and share it with anyone who'd be willing (and kind enough) to read it.

And while I work on the final scenes of my first fic, I thought it could be a nice idea if maybe I introduced myself a little a bit? I don't know, maybe no one really cares, but maybe someone does? So here it is.

🌸 I'm Italian, so forgive me if there are some mistakes or some weird stuff, but don't feel bad about calling me out on it so I can improve ✨️ it's my first time writing something other than an essay or dissertation in English after all

🌸 My name is Yennifer (not very Italian, I know), but you can call me Yen or Yenni. Whatever you like works tbh

🌸 I started writing when I was 10 and the first thing I ever wrote was a crossover for Harry Potter and Narnia, in which Peter and Ginny ended up together. I actually rewrote the whole thing at 13, then again at 15, and then I started writing a sequel. When I tell you I made that my whole personality for a few years, I mean it

🌸 I studied Foreign Languages and Literatures in university (and hopefully it helped with mastering English enough to use it for fanfics) and I recently graduated. I'm currently waiting and praying for my admission to the Master program

🌸 I've always wanted to be a writer, but since now I'm old enough (22 lol) to realize I'm not sure I've got what it takes to plan, write and finish (they tell me this is an important part of it) a whole ass book, my dream job is translator: reading, writing and languages all in one. What else could I possibly want?

🌸 My favorite authors are Jay Kristoff, TJ Klune and Jojo Moyes. If we stick to classics, I love Oscar Wilde and a few Italian dudes probably not many know

🌸 I love the color blue in all its shades, so I like to think it as fate that Azriel's color is cobalt 💙

🌸 I am OBSESSED with music. I can't live without it and I'm not even exaggerating. If I'm not listening to music, then there's still music playing in my mind and it never shuts up. Sometimes it can even be a bit frustrating. But whether it's real or just in my head, music is playing 24/7 around here

🌸 In case you couldn't tell, I particularly like this flower emoji. I just think it's really cute and a nice change from the usual lil red heart

Now, before I wrap this up, here's the little snippet I promised. Enjoy!

His shadows lunged forward as if they wanted to reassure her, but he held them back. He approached her slowly, stopping just in front of her. He crouched down next to her and waited for her to meet his eyes before speaking.

“Let me help,” he said, unable to hide his concern any longer. He wanted to erase that haunted look from her eyes and he’d do anything to make her feel safe and protected again.

“You’re not alone, Y/N,” he continued, his tone gentle. In his mind, he was cursing himself for not having thought that she might experience this kind of problem. “I could help you. We can do it at your pace and stop whenever you wish.”

She stared into his eyes and it felt like an eternity passed before she nodded. Relief flooded his chest at her trust, her willingness to finally let someone help her.

[...]

Tears were streaming down her face and she sobbed, drawing her legs close to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She began to rock back and forth and maybe she was begging for it to stop, to never start, maybe she was screaming or calling out for someone, maybe she wasn’t saying anything at all.

As that dark freezing water closed over her and pulled her under, she knew the pain would come soon. And there was nothing she could do to stop it. She was drowning and there was nothing she could do, nothing she could do, nothing she could…

A tender, gentle touch on her cheek. From far away, someone called her name. And among the chaos, the darkness, the crippling fear, she saw a pair of hazel eyes, soft and yet concerned. A male voice assuring her that she was safe, that he was with her.

She wanted to believe that voice, but the water was pulling her under, cold and dark and terrifying. And yet that gentle voice was still talking to her, those hazel eyes still looking into hers, and she tried to hold on to them, to not let it all slip away.

And then someone took her hand and suddenly she felt something thumping beneath her palm. A heartbeat, she realized. Life.

Heartbeat meant life. Not death, not pain.

Life.

Alright, I really hope you liked this and that it sparked your curiosity just enough to stick around to read the whole thing. I'll post it in the next few days, I just have to write the end.

Whether you've read the whole post or just skipped to the snippet, thank you so much and hopefully I'll see you again! 💙🌸🙈

[hypnoneghoul]

okay, so my uni! @jimothybarnes @sexy-sea-basss

under the cut hehehe

for me to be able to do two things at once there's something called IOS here which means basically individual schedule of studies. not everyone can apply for it, you can get approved when youre disabled, are studying more than one thing or are in a bad living situation and need to work a lot for example. me is obviously because of two courses. what IOS allows me to do is mix class groups in a way that adjusts my schedule to my liking and makes me not have to be in two places at the same time lmao. also I can heva up to 6 classes that I do have to pass at the end but I don't have to regularly attend

first faculty is in polish, called culture and practice of text; creative writing and editing. the subjects:

Analysis of text

Creative writing

Copyright

Poetics

Practical rhetorics

Practical text styling

Anthropology of culture and literature

Culture of language

Philosophy of culture and literature

Old literature

Philologists craft

Film and theatre

second one is in english minutes, english philology

Writing skills

Vocabulary

Grammar

Descriptive grammar

Phonetics

Speaking skills

British society

American society

Linguistics

Literary studies

English literature lecture

English literature workshop

History of GB and the US

so yeah that's why I have so many exams lmao I think that's it for the info tho, unless someone is curious and wants to ask about something else

[finalsentence]

hi everyone!! this is going to be a very simple introduction; depending on how this goes i might get fancy and do something nicer in the future!

this is my second or third time trying to create a space for myself in the writeblr community. both times i failed because consistency is hard. but i’d like to put myself out there and make friends with other writers, so i’m giving it another shot!

about me.

i’m nineteen years old and pursuing a ba degree in english literature! i have absolutely no idea what i want to do after that… if i had it my way i would simply spin my favorite characters around in my head for a living but i’ve been told that’s not how it works. :(

i enjoy reading a variety of genres, including literary fiction, horror, and post-apocalypse!

my top favorite books are: the stand by stephen king, frankenstein by mary shelley, and the kite runner by khaled hosseini. (yes, they are wildly different stories, but they all hold a very special place in my heart. <3)

my writing.

so. confession time. i am a fanfiction writer. i know how that sounds, but don’t scroll away just yet! i put a lot of care and effort into my work to make it accessible and enjoyable for everyone; so even if you aren’t in any of the fandoms i write about, you will still be able to follow my work the way you would follow someone’s original novel. all of my work is a study of canon storylines, settings and characters, but i try to present it in a way that does not assume the reader has any prior knowledge of the source. (and if you do, you get to enjoy the little easter eggs hehe.) there’s something for everyone, i promise! <3

generally speaking, i enjoy writing in the same genres that i read! i write a lot of horror and post-apocalypse, but overall i am trying to develop a more literary style. my work tends to focus on anti-heroes and their super dysfunctional relationships. and lots of my favorite characters are queer-coded!

i want to venture into writing original fiction one day, so you can look forward to that!

my wips.

i only have one active wip at the moment, so that’s what i’m going to talk about here. i might introduce some of my future projects later if i’m able to get this blog off the ground!

the book i’m currently working on is a five nights at freddy’s fanfiction suburban horror novel. it doesn’t have a title yet, because i am notoriously indecisive and i haven’t found one that fits, so until i figure that out, i’ll be using temporary tags and referring to it vaguely as ‘my michael novel.’

the story features an unreliable narrator, sketchy family entertainment restaurants, and lots of paranormal activity!

summary:

michael afton is miserable. living alone in a crappy apartment, unable to hold down a steady job, and haunted by nightmares of a tragic event in his past, he starts to suspect that things will never get better. but then, his estranged father reaches out to him with an unexpected and cryptic offer, asking him to return to his hometown and take a job as a maintenance technician at an animatronic rental facility. though he is unhappy about returning to the town where he grew up, michael dutifully follows these instructions, convinced that rekindling a relationship with his father is the key to turning his life around. however, he quickly realizes things in the facility aren’t what they seem. something sinister is hidden inside those walls, and it’s putting michael’s life on the line. in order to discover the truth about his father—and, eventually, to make things right—michael has to come to terms with his own past mistakes.

it’s not a fantastic summary; i’ll probably rework it soon, and hopefully i will have an entire wip intro to share at some point!

aaand that’s pretty much it! if you’re interested in interacting with me at all, please don’t be afraid to reach out! i am always open to chat, especially about your wips—and feel free to include me in dash games, too! i want to interact with people as much as possible, to build a little space for myself on here with some new friends, and have fun. <3

i hope you enjoy my little corner of writeblr!

[opossum-pity-party]

I really didn't want to derail the very valid conversation on this post, but I do have some thoughts. Namely, thoughts on what constitutes a "favorite" book. Go check out that post (and read the article) and then come back here.

In the Atlantic article, one of the professors laments that their students often say that Percy Jackson is their favorite book instead of classic literature. Which, when taken in a larger conversation about declining literacy, is very concerning. Adult college students should not still be reading at a 5th grade level. But that's not what I want to talk about here. This post isn't about literacy.

One of the commenters on that post made a brief comment about students no longer lying about their favorite book. And that got me thinking about the difference between "favorite" books and "influential" books. While similar, I don't believe they are the same thing. Nor should they be.

Favorite books occupy a very special place in people's lives. If they discovered the book early enough in life, it can become so intertwined with the person they grew up to be that its impossible to separate the two. I don't think it's outrageous to assume that for many of those students, Percy Jackson was the book series that made them fall in love with reading in the first place. It was the gateway drug to literature, so to speak.

But I think what that professor was really asking his literature students was "what is your most influential book?" And that is entirely different. An influential book is what got you interested in studying literature in the first place. While children's books like Percy Jackson are great for encouraging reading, they don't necessarily inspire people to pursue college degrees. An influential book is what inspires you to do that. This is where you get Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein, and to To Kill a Mockingbird. This is where classic literature comes into play. Which is not to say that these two categories cannot overlap. Your favorite book can also be influential.

This is not to pit one group against the other. I hope it's obvious, but if not I'll make myself blantaly clear. While populist fiction and classic literature serve different purposes, both are utterly vital and necessary to becoming a well rounded reader.

I never studied English literature in higher education, but I did go to film school, where there exists a variation of this same argument. Favorite films versus influential films had pretty much the same divide. While the film cannon isn't as old and established as the literary cannon, there are still undisputed "classic" films. And there are populist films.

My favorite movie is The Nightmare Before Christmas. An animated children's movie. It has been my favorite movie since I was 4 years old. I watched the DVD hundreds of times as a kid. It is so enmeshed into my personality that I don't know how to give a different answer to that question. But the movie that inspired me to apply to film school is The Sixth Sense. A very different film, arguably one of the classics.

My point to all of this rambling is that we shouldn't judge people too harshly on their favorite anything. Favorite is an incredibly personal label, something I think a lot of people find and establish as children. And just because someone's "favorite" is something made for children, we shouldn't assume that they've never broadened their interaced with more complicated media ever in their lives. But also, if your favorite media is aimed for children you HAVE to broaden your horizons in order to grow as a person.

[grandhotelabyss]

Do I have to read the Bible to write like Faulkner and Melville? I did enough Bible study in primary school and it kind of sucks. Can’t I just read Shakespeare instead?

I don't know; I don't write like Faulkner or Melville. It's important for persons of letters to know the Bible for cultural literacy, since so much literature, right up to Cormac McCarthy and Toni Morrison at the end of the 20th century, is incomprehensible without it. But if you weren't raised on the King James Bible, and I certainly wasn't, you may not have that particular rhythm in your soul. That's fine, because there are many other rhythms, as for instance Shakespeare's, to cite your own example. In my experience: the Bible was de-emphasized in Catholic school, never taught to us as an intelligible whole or world-narrative—Catholics get that from their theology—but only as a repository of pious parables phrased in slack modern English in our "religion" textbooks. When it was taught, the emphasis was on the Gospels, the Old Testament reduced to a few notable sequences—Moses loomed large—but otherwise a compendium of names and narratives you'd never straighten out. It never really occurred to me as a child that it was a book one might read for pleasure and insight, strange as that may sound; I experienced it only as the distant, dull rule-book governing those who governed me. Learning about Greek mythology in "reading" class, which culminated in the redacted but mostly intact version of The Odyssey they gave us in the eighth grade, was much more stimulating. To this day the Greeks speak to me more clearly. (The Greek canon fancifully corresponds, though, to the Bible, which is why I don't ultimately believe in Athens vs. Jerusalem: Homer, Hesiod, and the Pre-Socratics are lawgivers and historians, the Athenian playwrights and poets are wisdom writers and gospellers, and Plato is Prophet and Paul. Not to mention that the New Testament itself belongs to the Greek canon anyway.) Someone should put together, if someone hasn't already, a 500-page King James Bible with just the parts writers need to read.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Literary prizes go to prison inmates," Montreal Star. February 28, 1969. Page 30. ---- By DUSTY VINEBERG The Creative Awards Association yesterday presented awards for fiction and poetry to three inmates of the Special Correctional Unit, the super-maximum security installation at St. Vincent de Paul.

The Association is a private organization only a little over a year old which has been running classes in art, literature, theatre and other activities every week night at Leclerc Institute, another part of the St. Vincent de Paul complex.

The CAA also handed out five prizes to men in Leclerc who produced work in the creative writing program.

All work was read and judged by novelist Hugh MacLennan, Professor of English at McGill University.

To be published On the strength of his judgment that, though sometimes uneven, it has literary merit, program coordinator Mrs. Gertrude Katz is assembling it for publication.

The winning entry. "Stanley P. U. Smart," which brought its writer the $100 award. is about an old man searching for proof of his identity to present to pension authorities. According to Mrs. Katz, it is characterized throughout by skillfully suggested meanings on several levels and evocative descriptive passages.

The awards were presented by Mrs. Kay Lines, president of the CAA, in the Special Correctional Unit. At the time this installation was

built, outcries were raised against its windowless, super-security atmosphere. It has been open only a year, under the direction of War- den Jean Pagé and Assistant Warden Jacques Lessard.

Mrs. Katz said she originally started working with one inmate within its walls. Subsequently she asked poet Irving Layton to give the men a poetry reading which sparked more of them to try this form of self-expression. She says that as soon as an inmate shows signs of producing a sizable amount of work, "I get him someone to work with him."

The volume of work to be read and criticized and the correspondence involved make it difficult for one per son to handle many inmates, she said.

At the moment, poet George Bowering is working with one English-speaking inmate and Leandré Bergeron, Professor of Contemporary French Literature at Sir George Williams University. is handling the work of three French-speaking men. Also in the program is fourth-year McGill University English major René Akstinas, who has taken on two young prisoners.

Not censored Prison authorities permit manuscripts to go back and forth through the mail uncensored. The relationship between the writer and his editor is apt to be intense. The man who wrote the winning story calls Mrs. Katz his "mentor" (sometimes tormentor, he adds.) and has developed a protective attitude towards her while making it clear that "she does not know everything about prisons yet.'

Both the contact with "outsiders" and the feeling that people care are important to inmates.

The CAA group has based their program of studies, taught by talented teachers, on the idea that "it may be superheated but wrongly directed intelligence, in correlation with environment and various sorts of exacerbated sensibilities, that land men in trouble in the first place."

As Mrs. Lines puts it: non-conforming people are usually creative. Criminals are non-conforming. Therefore, criminals may be creative."

CREATIVE EFFORT RECOGNIZED: Mrs. Kay Lines, president of the Creative Awards Association, and creative writing coordinator Mrs. Gertrude Katz give awards to three inmates in the Special Correctional Unit at St. Vincent de Paul.

Staff Photo by Paul Tallleter

[solradguy]

hello solradguy! as someone who is interested in learning how to translate japanese, i was wondering what your approach was to learning japanese! did you go in knowing you wanted to translate writing, and focus your efforts on reading? or did you try to learn all aspects of it at once (ie audio recognition, speaking, pitch accent, etc)

I started learning it because, at the time (2015), I was still doing art in mostly analog formats and a lot of really good inking supplies came exclusively from Japan with fully Japanese packaging. It was really frustrating having to rely on machine translation to figure out things like replacing pen cartridges or pen nibs upkeep/maintenance. My focus then was reading and I never really shifted from that; I can't verbally speak it and my audio recognition is only marginally better haha

Translating Guilty Gear stuff sort of happened by accident, and improved my Japanese more than anything else I was using to study with (which was mostly Duolingo, Wanikani, and Tofugu articles 😬). I couldn't find anyone else that was actively working on getting stuff into English and there was a massive backlog of official literature that hadn't even been so much as scanned, so I was like "Well, if no one else is gonna do it..." lmao It later turned out that there was stuff that had been translated, it was just kinda stashed away on niche websites or Discord servers.

Artworks of Guilty Gear X 2000-2007 captions were my first non-Japanese workbook translation project and got me to really start taking my Japanese studies seriously. There weren't files of pretty much any of the illustrations in that book online that were in decent quality. It was actually faster/easier just scanning a page (at the time) than manually cleaning and upscaling one.

This was the very first Guilty Gear thing I ever scanned (March '22) and the caption that went with it:

They’re half-realistically drawn here. At the time, I wanted to pursue texture in my drawings and used many thick layers of Copic markers to try to achieve that. I don’t think it was pointless, but if it’s going to take too much time to do such things, acrylic paints would be better. - Cover of the August 2000 issue of Arcadia Monthly.

It's a lot clunkier than how I would translate it now haha I've improved so much since then...

I used to physically write out the captions and translate them in a notebook. Here's how the first pass of this caption went:

They were only half realistically drawn. At that time I wanted to pursue texture in my drawings, so I used a thick coat of Copic marker. I don't think it's "pointless," but if it's going to take too much time to pursue such things, I think acrylic would be better.

It's fun going through this notebook and seeing these old translations. Eventually I got good enough at doing it in my head that I stopped writing them out, but sometimes really long sentences still trip me up. Japanese word order.......

These days I get most of my practice by doing Renshuu flashcards/games and reading posts by my Japanese mutuals over on Twitter. Even though I'm still actively translating GG stuff, the projects have gotten much bigger and there isn't anything left that's like the Artworks 2007 captions that I could whip out in about an hour anymore, it's all long paragraphs or manga dialog.

I still don't have much desire to practice speaking or listening skills because I would never get any use out of them where I live in the Midwest USA—they'd get rusty fast if I didn't practice religiously. But I do handle Japanese text very often and am fine with focusing 100% of my study time on just reading/writing instead.

[jellyfishrunaway]

Finally creating my yuusona/yuu insert bc I'm bored

(Notes in parenthesis are things not known by the other characters bc they forget to tell people stuff, + prev. = in their home world, cur. = in twisted wonderland)

PS: the home world/language section is under the impression that twst common tongue is English, including in NRC and that Latin is a dead language there

Slight chapter 5 spoilers in extra!

<Basic info>

BIO

Name: Yu (they haven't told anyone their last name, so just Yu.)

Birthday: During one of the school breaks (July 12, cancer)

Pronouns: he/him (will also respond to they/them) but creator usually refers to him with they/them

Age: 18

Height: 5'2 / ~ 157.48 cm

Dominant hand: right

Homeland: unknown land (US)

Family: unnamed mother, unnamed father, unnamed older half sister

Voiced by/ voiced claim: currently n/a

Other names: Yellowtail rock fish (floyd), Trickster (rook) (couldn't think of anything so... yeah)

SCHOOL

Grade: freshman/first year (but previously mentioned on how they were a third year before coming to twisted wonderland, but because of their magicless-ness, they have to stay a first year, not that they really care all that much)

Class: Class C (no. 15)

Club: n/a or literature club (also debating if they should be in art club, but to my knowledge, neither of these clubs have been confirmed, so...)

Favorite subject: prev. N/A, science cur. Potionology/alchemy

Best subject: prev. Math, social studies cur. Potionology/alchemy

PREFERANCES

Hobbies: Most forms of art including: painting, sewing, jewelry making, Keychain making, ect. Walking in a circle for hours and day dreaming.

Pet peeves: abuse of power, people that make him uncomfortable

Favorite food: prev. Those mf rice n' roonie microwave things cur. Steak

Least favorite food: Moose/chocolate Moose

+ allergic to hazel nuts, avocados, and almond

Talent: if interested enough, can quickly find ways around seemingly impossible things / problem solving

<extra info>

PERSONALITY TYPES

Intp-t

9w8

PERSONALITY (as described by creator)

People pleaser, if you're rude to them, they are rude to you, could beat someone's ass but is literally to nice, madilaptive daydreamer, procrastinator, severely underestimates them self, probly has self esteme issues, but they loyal and genuinely a nice person to people thye like, thinks there is a basic line of respect and people have to earn to be more respected by them/respect is earned, not given,

PERSONALITY (as described by oc)

Pretty boring, procastintor, an asshole sometimes, annoying ig

HOMEWORLD

Past relationships: n/a

Friends: 4 unnamed, mentioned best friend nicknamed Alph but actual name is unknown, old friend named Ellory

Living status: was upper middle class before coming to twisted wonderland

LANGUAGE

Language: Everything is basically the same, but Latin (the dead language) replaces English. This doesn't interfere with the past, but basically, language developed to swap Latin with English, so English speaking countries (America, Canada, Britain, ect?) just speak Latin instead.

"Then how does Yuu know English if it's a dead language?"

Yuu took up learning English because they were interested in it, and they had nothing to do, so they picked it up as a hobby

EXTRA:

During SDC, once Vil was done overbloting, they passive aggressively lectured him in Latin, and to this day, nobody knows what they said

I will answer questions in comments/reblogs, may add to this later (and maybe, I'll draw them them if i feel like it)

+ will add relation chart later

[rosaline-black]

Hi! Can I get an old fashioned with a male stranger things character? I’m 5’3”, female, petite frame with a hourglass shape. I have a classy style with a bit of an edge, long wavy brown hair & green eyes. I’m sarcastic, a bit feisty, blunt, impatient, moody, reserved, confident, protective, stubborn, independent & stylish. I’m an INTJ. I like to exercise, hang with friends/family, study history & english, cook/bake, & travel. my fav music is jazz/rock. I also speak Italian & German (fun fact ig)

Here’s your old fashioned…

I match you with Eddie munson

Idc idc I see Eddie with someone blunt and moody!!

Sunshine X grumpy dynamic

I’ve always headcannoned Eddie as a huge literature nerd. Growing up he didn’t have many friends but he did have books! Maybe you meet at Hawkins high library or something.

He’s immediately enamoured by how blunt you are… in fact it makes him wanna tease you instantly cause that’s the type of little shit he is

Speaking in your other languages just to wind him up because he can’t understand

Him eventually attempting to learn some Italian or German words to impress you but completely butchering the pronunciation

But it’s the thought that counts eh?

[la-pheacienne]

What are your favourite greek classics? or in general from the greek literature canon? I'm not greek so i confess that i only know the ones that date back centuries that i needed to study from my classic greek classes :) I read antigone and i like it

And, aside from les mis, have you read any other french classics? or any that are now encapsulated as "european" (spanish, polish, romanian etc?

Sorry if any questions sound weird. Do not need to answer if they make you uncomfortable

No it's not weird at all, thank you for asking!!!

Unfortunately, I have read far less greek classics than I would like. My first response will be kind of basic, I think one should always, always, start with Homer (with a slight preference for Odyssey). Odyssey is truly magical. There is nothing quite like it. Thematically, conceptually, narratively, stylistically it is just so flawless. It is like a dream of adventure, love, monsters, good and evil, loyalty and treason, and longing for home of course.

Then since you have read Antigone you could try Oresteia, this is a trilogy (I think the first trilogy ever created?), so it's three consecutive tragedies, and it's amazing, I think this one particularly appeals to someone who is looking for a more, let's say, morally dubious world. It's less idealistic, it's a story about a rotten royal family tearing itself to pieces. What's cool is that every single POV has more or less valid reasons for doing what they are doing, and your opinion on the characters really changes when you go from one tragedy to the next. Everyone is partly right and partly wrong (some more than others), but in the end the gods intervene to settle this affair once and for all. It's really cool. Then Oedipus Rex has of course the OG "trying to change my destiny and making it happen instead" arc which is a really powerful theme, used consistently ever since in any type of modern media, films, tv shows and books.

But since you ask about Greece, in case you are interested in reading modern greek literature, I have a soft spot for the Murderess of Alexandros Papadiamantis (you can find it in Amazon), I think it's the best modern greek novel honestly. It's about an old woman who slowly becomes deranged and starts killing little girls, starting with her newborn granddaughter, because she feels that girls bring only misery to their families (and will only experience misery themselves). Then I will also include this quite niche recommendation (this one will be more difficult to find but an english translation does exist), its The End of Our Small Town by Dimitris Hatzis, it's a book with many beautiful and heartbreaking short stories/portraits of different social types of people in Greece during the period between the first and the second World War.

So, from Europe I have read french, russian, and english literature. And also Kafka, that's it. So I can only speak about this. From french literature, I would recommend a less talked about novel of Balzac, Le Cousin Pons, that is one of my absolute favourite books. Balzac is the contrary of Hugo in the sense that Hugo is a Romantic, he talks about society but aiming to inspire people, to put it simply, while Balzac is a Realist, so he wants to present society exactly as it is, and it is not a good portrait. Where Hugo is hopeful, Balzac is resigned, so it is a really depressing book. But still, hands-out the most in-depth portrait of french society, 100 percent relevant today, and the appeal of it is that it makes the modern reader feel akward cause the things he criticizes are still prevalent in the modern way of thinking. I guarantee that you will find people you know that are exactly like some characters in that book. It is the story of an antique collector that is ignored and scorned by his superficial bourgeois family because he's weird and he only cares about his hyperfixation (his collectables) until they realise the true value of his collection and they construct a plan to steal it and basically destroy him in the process.

[lucydriscoll]

Welcome to Aurora Bay, LUCY DRISCOLL !!! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like JOSEFINE FRIDA PETTERSEN. You must be the TWENTY THREE year old LITERATURE STUDENT AT AURORA BAY COLLEGE. Word is you’re STUDIOUS but can also be a bit SHY and your favorite song is REFLECTING LIGHT BY SAM PHILLIPS. I also heard you’ll be staying in AURORA BAY DRIVE. I’m sure you’ll love it!

tw: anxiety

GENERAL DETAILS.

BIRTH NAME:  lucy driscoll AGE: twenty three DATE OF BIRTH: 5th of december 2000 PLACE OF BIRTH: aurora bay, california, usa ETHNICITY:  anglo-saxon GENDER:  cis female PRONOUNS: she/her ORIENTATION: panromantic / pansexual RELIGION: atheist OCCUPATION: english literature student

PERSONALITY.

POSITIVE TRAITS: studious & kind NEGATIVE TRAITS: shy & over-trusting MYERS BRIGGS: INFP

THE RUNDOWN.

everyone in town knows about the levin name, and the various family family members most people would be able to rattle off. lucy grew up the lesser known cousin and neice of the levin family, and honestly, she was glad to stay out of the small town limelight. however, to most who grew up in the town around the same time as she, a young lucy had her own reputation that followed her around.

born lucy marriane driscoll, experienced symptoms of childhood anxiety disorder from a very young age, her parents assuming she was just a shy child and would come out in her own time. at the same time, lucy was delayed in terms of learning to speak, it was almost impossible to get her to vocalise words or sounds, with the exception of rare occasions. her concerned parents took her to as many paediatricians as they could, who all relayed the same information that there was nothing physically afflicting lucy that would prevent her from speaking. it would take several sessions with a paediatric speech pathologist for the driscoll's to finally understand that lucy had selective mutism. essentially, it meant that she experienced a complex anxiety disorder in which she experienced a phobia of speaking and being in social situations. often one to hide behind her mothers skirts and dresses, a little lucy found the big world around her very overwhelming. over the years the driscoll's got straight into cognitive behaviour therapy and desensitisation therapy for lucy, and even began teaching her conversational ASL for better communication. by the time lucy went to school, she was beginning to speak in soft tones, but albeit rarely. she was known in classes as the girl that never talked, and occasionally got picked on for it.

frustrated by her own inability to communicate to the level she wished, lucy discovered her love for writing. all the thoughts and feelings inside of her head could be written on paper. finally, she had an outlet. throughout her early schooling years, lucy would write stories daily, including members of her family and those kindest around her to show her appreciation — her own little love language.

lucy would gradually speak more throughout the years, but it would be around fifteen years old when she truly had the confidence to speak out loud. this was managed through the various therapies and the assistance of those closest to her. however, that didn't mean she stopped writing, her passion for the skills still burned bright. this love of literature brought out a confidence in her studies, to the point she'd spend hours reading and writing for school until she'd fall asleep at the table. for the first time in her life she had a drive to succeed, to get into a university and be someone special. still a somewhat reserved person, lucy see's the world in a very different frame of mind as an adult. she loves people nowadays, and works to build strong friendships and bonds.

CONNECTIONS.

current connections.

Long-time close friend of @aiden-stevens Good friend of @lilynunthapak Book Buddy @emersonxcassidy Bestie of @kyleexanthony Friend to @sullivanxshaw Daughter to @noellexdriscoll Classmate to @pytndyer Cousin to @sterlingxlevin & @thelizaxlevin

wanted connections. ( wip )

High School Bully: Who picked on Lucy’s shyness and aversion to talking. Book Club Members: Read books of the week, and meet to discuss. Childhood Crush: She’d never speak to them, rather watched from afar.

[poemshubs]

What is the Oldest English Epic Poem?

Epic poetry has a long and fascinating tradition in world literature. These lengthy, narrative poems often focus on heroic deeds, grand adventures, and the values of the cultures from which they originated. In the English literary tradition, one of the earliest and most important epic poems is Beowulf. This epic, written in Old English, is considered the oldest surviving piece of English literature and remains a cornerstone of the study of medieval literature. However, the concept of “oldest” is complex. This article will delve into Beowulf as the oldest English epic poem, examining its historical context, themes, structure, and cultural significance.

The Context of Old English Literature

Before exploring Beowulf itself, it is important to understand the context in which it was created. Old English, also known as Anglo-Saxon, was the language spoken in England from around the 5th century to the 12th century. During this period, English-speaking society was greatly influenced by Germanic traditions and mythology, as well as by Christianity, which had begun to spread through the region.

The early Anglo-Saxons were predominantly oral storytellers, passing down their history and myths through oral tradition. Poetry played a significant role in this oral culture, serving as both entertainment and a means of preserving history. These early poems were often composed in a style known as alliterative verse, in which the repetition of consonant sounds helped to create rhythm and make the poem easier to remember.

Beowulf: The Oldest Epic Poem

Among the surviving texts from this period, Beowulf stands out as the oldest and most well-known epic poem. Scholars generally agree that the poem was composed sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries, though the exact date remains uncertain. It was written in Old English, and much of its content reflects the concerns, values, and beliefs of the Anglo-Saxon people.

Summary of the Plot

Beowulf is a heroic narrative that follows the journey of its eponymous hero, Beowulf, a warrior from Geatland (modern-day Sweden). The poem recounts his three major battles: his defeat of the monster Grendel, his fight with Grendel’s vengeful mother, and his final confrontation with a dragon. Each of these episodes explores different aspects of heroism, loyalty, and the struggle between good and evil.

The poem opens with the story of Hrothgar, the Danish king, whose hall is under attack by the monster Grendel. Beowulf, upon hearing of Hrothgar’s plight, sails to Denmark with his men to offer his help. In a fierce battle, Beowulf defeats Grendel by ripping off the monster’s arm. However, Grendel’s mother, seeking revenge for her son’s death, attacks the hall, prompting Beowulf to embark on another dangerous quest. He defeats her as well, before returning to Geatland.

In the final part of the poem, Beowulf is an old king who faces his last challenge: a dragon that threatens his kingdom. Despite his age, Beowulf bravely confronts the creature, ultimately killing it but suffering a fatal wound in the process. The poem concludes with Beowulf’s funeral, marking the end of an era for his people.

Themes and Significance

The central themes of Beowulf are courage, honor, fate, and the importance of kinship and loyalty. The poem portrays the hero as someone who faces challenges and enemies head-on, displaying both physical prowess and moral integrity. However, it also reflects on the fragility of human life and the inevitability of death, particularly in the later part of the poem when Beowulf faces his mortality.

The poem’s depiction of good versus evil is one of its most defining features. Grendel and his mother are monstrous figures, representing chaos and malice, while Beowulf embodies the heroic virtues of strength, loyalty, and selflessness. The dragon, too, is a symbol of greed and destruction, contrasting with Beowulf’s earlier, more honorable battles.

The poem also touches on the tension between paganism and Christianity. While Beowulf was composed during a time when the Anglo-Saxon culture was still transitioning from its pagan roots to Christianity, the poem reflects both pagan traditions and Christian themes. The heroic code that Beowulf follows—focused on honor, loyalty, and bravery—echoes older, pre-Christian values. Yet, there are also references to Christian ideas, such as divine providence, the battle between good and evil, and the importance of humility in the face of death.

Structure and Style of Beowulf

Beowulf is written in alliterative verse, a hallmark of Old English poetry. This means that the poem’s lines are organized according to the repetition of consonant sounds, rather than relying on rhyme or meter as in more modern poetry. Each line of the poem contains two half-lines, with a pause or caesura in between. The alliteration typically occurs on stressed syllables, contributing to the rhythm of the poem.

The poem is composed of 3,182 lines, though the manuscript that has survived to the present day is incomplete, with some sections lost over time. Beowulf is divided into three distinct sections, each corresponding to one of Beowulf’s major battles. The narrative is framed within a larger historical context, with the poet recounting the hero’s story and offering insights into the nature of heroism and legacy.

The style of Beowulf is often described as formal and elevated, fitting for a work that deals with epic themes of heroism, fate, and legacy. The poet uses kennings—compound words or phrases that replace common nouns—as well as other literary devices such as litotes (deliberate understatement) and metaphors to create a rich and vivid language.

Historical and Cultural Significance of Beowulf

Beowulf is not only the oldest surviving epic poem in English but also one of the most important works in the history of English literature. It is an invaluable source of information about the Anglo-Saxon world, offering insights into their culture, society, and beliefs.

The poem is particularly valuable for its portrayal of heroism and leadership. Beowulf is presented as the ideal hero—a man of great strength, courage, and wisdom. His actions and decisions shape the fate of his people and inspire future generations. The poem, therefore, becomes a reflection of the Anglo-Saxon ideal of kingship and the moral qualities that were expected of leaders.

In addition to its cultural significance, Beowulf also plays a critical role in the history of English literature. It is one of the earliest examples of a vernacular literary tradition in England, demonstrating the capacity of Old English to convey complex ideas and stories. The poem’s blend of pagan and Christian elements, as well as its use of alliterative verse, would influence the development of later English poetry, including the works of Geoffrey Chaucer and the poets of the Middle English period.

Beowulf and the Legacy of Epic Poetry

The influence of Beowulf extends far beyond its own time. As one of the earliest examples of the epic form in English literature, the poem set the stage for future works in the genre. The epic poem would continue to evolve in the centuries that followed, adapting to new cultural and historical contexts. In particular, the themes of heroism, loyalty, and the struggle between good and evil would remain central to epic poetry throughout the Middle Ages and beyond.

Later English epics, such as The Song of Roland (French poetry) and The Divine Comedy (Italian poetry), continued to build on the foundations laid by Beowulf. These works shared common themes of moral conflict, divine intervention, and the heroic journey. Although these later works were written in different languages and cultures, they all owed a debt to the epic tradition that Beowulf helped to establish.

In modern times, Beowulf has continued to inspire writers, filmmakers, and scholars. Its themes of heroism, fate, and mortality resonate with contemporary audiences, making it a timeless work of literature. The poem has been translated into numerous languages, adapted into plays and films, and analyzed in countless academic works. Its influence on the development of English literature is immeasurable, and it remains a touchstone for anyone interested in the roots of English literary tradition.

Conclusion

Beowulf stands as the oldest surviving epic poem in the English language, and its significance extends far beyond its status as a literary work. The poem provides valuable insights into the world of the Anglo-Saxons, offering a glimpse into their beliefs, values, and social structures. Its exploration of themes such as heroism, fate, and the tension between paganism and Christianity has made it a foundational text in the study of medieval literature.

In addition to its historical and cultural importance, Beowulf also represents the enduring power of epic poetry. Its themes continue to resonate with modern audiences, and its influence on the development of English literature cannot be overstated. As the earliest example of an English epic, Beowulf has set the standard for all subsequent works in the genre and remains an essential part of the literary canon. For modern-day readers and writers, Beowulf represents a direct link to the roots of British poetry, carrying forth timeless lessons in heroism, legacy, and the human condition.

[counterintuitiv]

Hello, I am asking random Tumblr users some questions for a homework assignment! if you don't mind answering:

who is a person from your past that you think about the most and why?

it always depends on the day. recently i've been thinking about my middle school best friend and how, if we were still in touch today, i bet we'd still be great friends. we were so close, and grew up daydreaming about the same things, and i had never loved a friend like i loved her. we grew up together during some of the most embarrassing years as a girl. i don't have her number anymore and i think she's deleted her socials, but every now and then i'll hear something new about her through old mutual friends and think that we're still not so different after all this time. we only grew apart because we went to different high schools, and at that age you just don't try hard enough to maintain old friendships when you're overwhelmed with the potential of new ones in closer proximity.

i also think often about my first grade teacher. she was the sweetest woman in the world and she would ask to speak with me after the school day to sit me down and give me a new book—typically one at a slightly harder level and thicker than the class was reading. at the time, i had just moved to a new country and was starting to learn english. and maybe she could tell, because it's clear now years later that the kindness she extended to me was in the hopes that i'd improve in the new language. i think that might've been the catalyst for everything. i was obsessed with every book she gave me, and read them over and over. i treasured them so much, i fell in love with reading and i never knew why she took an interest in me specifically. i was just some average kid, but maybe she saw something more. maybe i was her favourite, maybe she had sympathy for my struggles, or maybe i was some teacher goal for her to achieve. either way, i improved in english so quickly, and my vocabulary and understanding of literature grew wider just because of her. and without her i highly doubt i'd be the student i am today, i'm in college now studying quite a hard degree! i think of her every time i read a new book or when i reflect on how i'm able to learn new things. i genuinely credit it all to her, just because someone had hope and showed compassion towards an average kid.

i think about those two often because, as a common denominator, i can't find a way to contact them anymore. and trust me i've tried, because sometimes i just wish i could tell them the effect they had on me and how i always carry the memory of them with me. i'm the type of person who has to let someone know how they've positively changed my life. i can't stand to think that some of the best people i know aren't aware of how impactful and important they are. but because i can't reach them, i think of them. it keeps them close to me and with the freedom of those thoughts i can imagine anything for them—and i like to imagine that they're happy, fulfilled, and fully aware of their brilliance wherever they are.

[ailelie]

🦉Positivity owl reporting for duty! This was sent by a friend who wants you to smile as much as your posts make them smile. Please list five things that make you unique, four things you are super passionate about and why, OR three of your favorite memories. Feel free to send the owl to those who you feel deserve to smile🦉

I don't know who sent you, but thank you for making me smile this Friday morning.

I'll go with Door #2 and answer the 4 things I'm passionate about and why.

One. Stories

Stories hold such incredible power in human society. Anyone studying folklore, literature, or even history will hear at some point some version of the quote about humanity being storytelling creatures. Our need to tell stories sets us apart from other creatures, etc.

Stories shape reality. I don't mean that as in every story is a reflection of or predictor for reality. I do not think we need to police the stories we tell for fear of cultivating "bad" things. Rather, I think the stories we tell ourselves and the stories we convince others to believe shape our perceptions, which then drives our actions. This both helps and harms us.

Stories inspire and challenge us and we continue to reach for and meet those challenges.

...besides which, I grew up on fairy tales. I love falling into other worlds and losing myself in others' trials and triumphs.

Two. Words

This is not cheating. I love words. I love how they sound in my mouth. I love how connotations shade meanings. I love how placing two unexpected words together sparks new meanings.

Naturally, I adore poetry.

But I also like how every word is a time capsule of the societies and languages that formed it. If you break a word, even "word," apart, you find the past.

Old English word "speech, talk, utterance, sentence, statement, news, report, word," from Proto-Germanic *wurda- (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian word, Dutch woord, Old High German, German wort, Old Norse orð, Gothic waurd), from PIE *were- (3) "speak, say" (see verb). [src]

Three. Writing

This is also not cheating. Just because someone enjoys stories and words does not mean they necessarily love aligning their own sentences to tell their own stories. I, however, do.

I have been telling stories for as long as I can remember. I did give up fiction for a short time thanks to a well-meant, but poorly given compliment (good for my age! clearly I was terrible and wasting my time and should never write fiction again! oh past!me...), but what's a few years in the course of a life? And, even then, I tried my hand at poetry (which we also know I ought not write).

Now, embarrassingly, I find myself unable to explain. I do not love only fiction. I even enjoy writing the driest reports for work. I find genuine pleasure in crafting a good sentence. I don't always expend the effort here on tumblr or other social, but I could.

Beyond just sentences, though, I love the structure of things. I imagine essays as images. I see stories as shapes. I love charting how one point or moment leads to another.

And, beyond that, I love communicating. I love taking the mess inside my head, straightening it out on a page, and showing it to others to read. I love being heard and understood.

Even when writing frustrates me and the right words elude me, I love it. I cannot think of a single facet of writing that I do not adore.

I think better with a pen in my hand. I am more me when I am writing.

(Note: That is why, if I stop writing, you should be concerned. Even if I seem all right in every other aspect, an Ailelie who isn't writing at least once a week isn't a mentally healthy Ailelie).

Four. Debate

The struggle with debate is finding someone who is willing to engage without identifying too much with their arguments. If a debate becomes a fight it ceases to be fun. I also dislike pointless debates over important topics. I will not debate an NRA fanatic over gun control unless we have an audience of undecideds. I'm also not going to turn something into a debate or fight when I can tell the issue is a matter of definitions, not true disagreement.

I also dislike debates where I feel patronized. I will not waste my breath on someone who cannot give me the courtesy of engaging fully. It is a matter of respect.

So all those caveats means I have precious few debates, but I was not in high school debate just for something to do. I genuinely enjoy trying to understand someone else's arguments and find the weaknesses in them. I enjoy defending my own points.

And, while it may seem utterly opposite of my initial caveats, I enjoy being right.

Another reason I engage in few debates is a matter of trust. I can get passionate (not loud or emotional/etc, but more insistent) and I have had people pull back because of that, as if they fear I am truly upset, when, in fact, their retreat is the only thing that upsets me. The trust is understanding that my emotions are never at risk. Unless someone is arguing for something I am truly against (e.g., abortion bans), I am not going to think less of them for engaging with me.

I dislike watching most debates, but I do deeply enjoy reading or listening to a well-crafted argument.

[zianramn]

𝐙𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐌 𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐍𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇-𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐓 — ​🇷​​🇦​​🇾​​🇲​​🇴​​🇳​​🇩​ ​🇦​​🇧​​🇱​​🇦​​🇨​​🇰

THIRTY-SIX YEARS OLD; CIS MAN ; ENGLISH & CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSOR AT UNCW; has lived in MIDTOWN since april 2022

"The sky set to burst, the gold and the rust, the colour erupts, you fillin' my cup. The sun comin' up like I lived my whole life before the first light;"

name's pronounced zee-ahn; last sibling to join the Hearst empire although, he would rather eat his own foot to ever be involved in the family business; born and raised basking in the old money ways, zian didn't really have that much attention from either parent growing up. when his mother remarried, his step-father was actually the one to give him love and attention. the pressure of being a hearst and the treatment from his step-siblings caused zian to start a long-term relationship with drugs, especially cocaine and crushed vicodin pills. he spent a lot of his summers in wilmington when younger, because his step-dad had a summer home by the beach. yale alumni zian took a job as an english & creative writing professor in uncw two years ago. although he’s always considered himself a functional addict, a bad break-up had him spiraling down and eventually having an overdose a few months ago, which was really a wake-up call to him, so he’s been trying to get himself cleaned. he’s a romantic soul who will speak poetically when in love and in awe. henley shirts and jeans are his usual attire alongside his camera; often has a book in his hands, too, and will definitely stop you to pet your dog.

information —

triggers for — mentions of drugs & drug usage

Zian was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Not only was their father rich, but their mother also came from old Connecticut money, which meant that anything the young boy wanted, they could have it. However, while the Ramnauth residence had tons of money to spare, it also lacked love and affection. Their father traveled a lot and their mother was often too enthralled in high society parties to pay attention to her own child, and so, Zian was raised by nannies, by piano tutors, violin professors and by the help around the house. As a child, he craved for the attention only parents could give, and only parents could also deny, and so, Zian would often find refuge in old sculptures in museums, in beautiful paintings and in books, often capturing the world through pictures which would allow the young Ramnauth to tell a story only they could know.

When he was fifteen, Zian’s mother divorced his father, which, did nothing much to his life as he barely saw the man to begin with. However, it apparently caused his mother Nandini to seek for the young teenager’s attention, thus making him often confuse her neediness for affection. And just like that, the woman transformed someone who had spent their first fifteen years of their life being neglected, into someone who would do anything and everything for their mother, after all, it was them against the world; or so she said.

By the time Zian had finished high school, his mother had already found a new lover to call her own, a man by the name of Oscar Hearst, who came with three other children and a billion dollar empire to be fought over once he bit the dust. One, Zian couldn't care less about because he already was, as a matter of fact, filthy rich, thanks to his maternal grandparents.

To Zian, that union meant little to nothing. He had already been accepted to study English Literature in Yale earlier that year, so he didn't need the Hearst name to make exceptions for him, he already had picked a career, so he didn't need to battle for the Hearst Co. empire... he already had a father, though a distant one, so he didn't crave for one in Oscar. The only good thing it gave him, was the chance to make him come down to Wilmington during his summer vacations and it allowed him to meet his best friend Julian while there. To Oscar Hearst, however, it meant he’d gotten the son he’d always dreamed of having: nice, polite, responsible and dedicated. It meant he could dote on someone without being shut down, that he could take someone to ball games, spend afternoons chatting over a glass of Brandy, and to take on New York by its horns and steer the fate of his company.

The biggest question about this union, however, remained about his step-siblings. Zian didn’t know whether they were annoyed about sharing their father’s love with the younger man, or, sharing his empire with a whole new family, although, Zian had always made it known that he had not interest in getting in the family business. And yet, he still went on and graduated with a Business minor because his mother had asked him to. Yet, he still started working for Hearst Co. in his early years with an entry job because his step-father asked him to, but God, he hated it.

He started spiralling down and developing a close relationship with illicit drugs in order to escape the hell he kept constantly being dragged to, by the people his mother had brought into his life without any sense of consideration for his boundaries. The more time he spent around his step-siblings family, the more miserable he felt. His spark suddenly being diminished by the companies he would keep, his brightness considered weakness. His love for photography was laughed on, his smart and diplomatic ideas were ignored, so, he stopped trying to please the part of his family who dispised him and started working towards giving himself a taste of happiness.

After spending some time enjoying endless nights hopping from gallery soirees, to parties, and eventually landing in strangers beds in New York City, Zian became attached to the boost of energy certain white powders would give him, despite also knowing that should anything like that reach his step-father’s ears, he would be done for. But, Zian was living for the thrill.

Three years ago, Zian accepted a position at the University of North Carolina, teaching English in the Corporate Communications, Public Relations programs and Creative Writing, too, which, is what actually makes him happy nowadays: the academic life. It’s not as glamorous as being in the line of succession of Hearst Co., but considering how he knows his step-siblings would rather see him dead than in charge of their father’s empire, Zian is more than happy to not be going toe to toe with these people and just living the simple life away from the New York chaos.

Wilmington had always been a place that, ever since getting into the Hearst family, he’d always visited, because Oscar had houses near the beach. And so, one could say that Wilmington was the closest thing he’d ever had for a home, so, it almost felt like coming home again when he decided to take the job at the UNCW.