#which is also something the poem entails

[brickbozo]

You can see Jamie drawing parallels from the poem's official illustration (where Noodle's placement is the Owl, and 2D's is the Cat) as well

What's funny is the portions of the unfinished sequel, "The Children of the Owl and the Pussy-cat" where The Cat dies by falling from a tree and The Owl mourns by playing their music again.

also I'm not one for long winded expositions but Jamie may or may not also be referencing the poem again in the latter phases like in momentary bliss and with Noodle's outfits too

[cabeswaterdrowned]

40 + each Gangsey member

40. Favorite book

but I found actually assigning each of them a favorite book too hard so instead I wrote up headcanons about their general tastes, maybe a couple things they would like and what I would recommend for them to read!

. Blue — well we know that she and Maura would read separate books together side by side at night and I have my headcanon based on that little mermaid line about Persephone reading fairy tales to her in their original forms. In my head I think Blue generally likes reading nonfiction about ecology and other things related to her interests, but also likes reading collections of short stories and poems (she has that poem she copied to the ceiling of her room but we never learn which one it is but based on that saying she likes poetry). I think she reads novels less because they’re less suited to her attention span (I see her as the type of person who likes reading but wouldn’t call herself *a reader* if asked because she feels she isn’t traditionally smart enough or quick enough with it and it takes a lot for her to buy into a story in a way if it’s a novel whereas with nonfiction books and articles she knows it’s about something specific that she likes such as nature or animals) than short form like stories or articles, and it’s rarer for her to find ones she really likes but like the few novels that she truly loves would be really impactful to her. Oh and the short stories and novels she is very into would be fantasy, she’d be like I’ll read total nonfiction or total fantasy anything in between is useless to me. 

 If I was giving her recommendations I’d want her to read Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie Mclemore in terms of novels but really generally her books, and The Lady of the House of Love by Angela Carter for a short story. And I’d rec her some Maya Angelou and Fatimah Asghar poems but come to think of it maybe Where The Caged Bird Sings would be her favorite book I could see it.. 

Adam — also reads a lot of nonfiction compared to fiction, but fiction he does read I think is probably either mysteries or classics. There might be an occasional thing he likes that’s ostensibly a tad too whimsical to be *Adam-like* as he would define it (since he often is drawn into those things and people despite himself) but in general realism over fantasy. I see a younger Adam, in what little time he has outside of working and managing school and his parents and all that entails, spending as much time as possible in the library since it means peace and quiet and escape and also knowledge which he is hungry for independently. I like to think he read like, Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew in terms of books for his age range but also probably some like adult psychological thrillers. 

Obviously if I got to recommend any book to him I’d pick Mr. Ripley just to clown on him, I don’t think he’d love it though I think he’d have a lot of ambivalent feelings about it and maybe say that he hated it but think about passages all the time afterwards. For a book he’d actually enjoy in the typical sense… maybe Gone Girl, I feel like it hits a sweet spot in being a mysery and a revenge fantasy that are not too on the nose / have several degrees of separation from his life but still has enough elements that he could enjoy the catharsis of said revenge fantasy. I almost said we have always lived in the castle for similar reasons but then I thought that Adam might find the ending horrifying not because Mericatt kills her family that he would enjoy, but because she traps and isolate herself at the end and that’s her happy ending so he wouldn’t find be able to find that a victory if he related to her a bit, seeing as to him a victory needs to involve being accepted by society. 

Gansey — obviously he reads a lot of history and also I think a lot of mythology, primarily Welsh but I think he’d go on pipelines to read about other things a lot when they relate because so much mythology and folklore intersects. He and Blue once they get together probably read these together all the time and her background knowledge of certain things from 300 fox way probably impressive and turns him on a lot… also he and Adam probably read these together a lot and Adam was probably attempting a perfect balancing act between making sure he got to point things out to Gansey and seem smart so he would respect him and orchestrating moments for Gansey to read to him / lecture him in That Voice … anyway. But aside from that I also do think he reads a lot of different types of fiction, in every genre really but fantasy historical and classics would be his favorites I think. He’d love things like The Night Circus, I like the idea of him reading a lot of Emily Dickinson when he was 14 and recreating his death all the time, Tolkein obviously, probably some Sanderson I have mixed feelings there but do think Gansey would be a fan. I try very hard not to be too projection-y with chars in these types of hc things because that can be unfun, but I do think his favorite Jane Austen book is my favorite Jane Austen book which is Emma (I do have an idea for an au where Gansey is Emma and Blue is Knightley and Adam is Harriet but also maybe some of their roles interchange or intersperse with each other anyway..). For books he probably wouldn’t have read that I would recommend to him … I think reading some more low brow stuff might be good for him in a sense, maybe I’d put together a Shadowhunter books reading list for him. I do think if he read TID and TDA back to back it could help him figure out he’s bi and polyamorous. 

Ronan — well in this case I think it’s basically canonical his favorite book is Alice in Wonderland. I think Ronan’s taste in books is probably like he almost never reads but when he does he’s a huge snob about it, both ends of the spectrum. So I think like he loved Frankenstein obviously, and The Iliad. Thus if I was given the opportunity I’d rec him paranormal things he probably hates as a concept but I think he could get obsessed with if given the opportunity, maybe The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan or the Mara Dyer trilogy. The former he’d definitely project onto a lot since the first book is about brothers who aren’t dissimilar from him and Ronan, and then he’d be betrayed when the 2nd and 3rd books are about women. The latter he would say he hated but I know that man would devour them don’t ask me how I just do. 

Henry — going to confess that I haven’t actually read A Separate Piece but I read a fic once where it was his favorite book and that feels so correct I took it as canon from then on. I would recommend him The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin. 

Noah — I think would mostly like graphic novels, and I follow one series of graphic novels that I don’t think he would like much (Monstress by Marjorie Liu). Of the other comics I’ve attempted into the other one that I liked enough that I want to continue with at some point was Wicked + the Divine so maybe that.. I think him getting Ronan into it could lead to interesting results too. 

Ty!

[chuuyrr]

Hi! Idk if you also write for Poe but I rlly need some more oneshots or scenarios or fanfics of him 😞😞 but can you do something where we’re scarlet witch and Poe is our boyfriend? How would he react having a s/o who’s really strong and powerful? And how would he and ranpo and maybe other agency members feel about him having us as his girlfriend? Sorry if this isn’t specific enough! Idk what else to put in this request 😭

poe with a scarlet witch! s/o

bungo stray dogs x scarlet witch! reader

masterlist of the series

╰➤ CW(s): spoilers from bungo stray dogs (specifically season 2), headcanons + scenarios, major fluff content

╰➤ PAIRING(s): edgar allan poe

headcanons !

poe is socially awkward and timid by nature, but when he's with you, his dearly beloved, he's a tad different. poe is a lot more confident. his voice isn't as quiet, and it's full of love and respect for you.

i think you and poe are a match made in heaven. even your abilities go together.

poe's ability, black cat in the rue morgue, allows him to create a fantasy world governed by his own set of rules, with his own writings serving as the media.

you, on the other hand, have the ability to alter reality due to your possession of chaos magic as the scarlet witch.

you can even manipulate reality at a molecular level very similar to his, allowing you to recreate the fantasy world he creates in real life, which is incredible.

as the scarlet witch, or as an ability user with chaos magic, you are undeniably strong and powerful.

if you wanted, you could even go head-to-head with the port mafia executive who is renowned for his gravity manipulation abilities. you would win.

it truly astounds and somewhat frightens poe how the same red psionics you possess that can wreak havoc and alter reality can be so domestic and endearing when you use it to leviate him the cup of tea you made for him, or when you use it to leviate all sorts of kitchen utensils in the kitchen while you make him food.

you can be really frightening if you want to, especially if you have to fight. let's say you want to protect poe or another ability user.

poe is astounded by how quickly you transform from a sweet, kind, and somewhat shy darling into a straight-up violent force to be reckoned with.

i feel like poe would definitely be a little scared, because again, you're strong and powerful with such an ability, err, abilities?

but poe is mostly bewitched of his darling—like, you know how dazai stares at chuuya when he uses corruption?—poe has the same kind of gaze towards you whenever you use your chaos magic to the fullest.

oh, and being poe's beloved, he spoils you a lot. if poe sees you staring at a piece of clothing or jewelry, he'll get it for you in an instant. a manuscript worth millions is nothing compared to the things he buys.

i also think poe is a traditional type of lover. again, he lavishes you with gifts, and among them is a bouquet of your favorite flowers, as well as handwritten love letters and poems.

his poems might be cheesy but romantic, making you feel loved at all times. they are all about your smile, beauty, strength, and his vow and desire to love and be with you forever. poe finds your flushed cheeks and the soft giggle that escapes your lips cute as you read his poem or love letter.

being poe's beloved also entails being close to karl, which fills his heart with joy. karl actually likes you a lot. you enjoy cuddling and patting the little fella's head.

however, whenever karl clings to you more, it makes poe a little jealous, but it still amazes him (yet again) that you can easily read karl's thoughts with your special ability and communicate with him in the same way that he can, if not better.

scenario !

"you'll get him this time. i'm sure of it!"

poe had written yet another mystery novel to put his rival, edogawa ranpo, to the test once more. you both came to a halt in front of the office, you knocking because poe was shy, and it wasn't long before the door was opened.

"oh, it's poe-san!" atsushi exclaimed, "you must be looking for ranpo-san. come in, he's here!"

you trailed after poe as he entered the office, and that's when atsushi and the others realized he hadn't come sinply with karl.

all eyes were drawn to you at the same time. however, poe mistook it for everyone staring at him, prompting him to stick closer to your side, with karl, who was on his shoulder, transferring to yours instead, to which you responded by petting the top of karl's fluffy and soft head.

"hello and welcome! you must be poe-san's friend," atsushi said with a friendly smile, but he quickly realized how familiar you were, "hmm, but i feel like i've seen you before miss."

"huh, you're right atsushi-kun.." dazai exclaimed, blinking as he and the others stared at you.

but ranpo raised a brow them, "you guys seriously don't remember the three-way war?"

"three-way war?" kunikida tilted his head only for him to realize it, along with everyone, "!!!"

"i'm [surname] [name]. it's a pleasure to meet you, armed detective agency," you introduced yourself with a slight bow and a friendly smile.

"huh, i do remember seeing you during the guild war. as a matter of fact, we all did. you were there, saving everyone from the onslaught of the mind control ability that had gotten out of hand and rescuing civilians left and right," kunikida furrowed his brows.

"now that kunikida-san has mentioned it [name]-san, you were the one who saved me when i was being attacked while delivering the doll to dazai-san. you made me a forcefield and enhanced my speed with your psychic energy manipulation ability," atsushi recalled.

during the guild war, everyone remembered a young woman with [color] hair who had the ability to manipulate red psychic energy. although it was unclear whether the woman was on the guild's side or not, she had assisted numerous citizens and ability users during the incident. you played an important role in the yokohama incineration.

"ah, that? you guys flatter me too much! it wasn't a big deal. i just like to accompany and help out my boyfriend and people who need it with my wiggly-woos, that's all," you exclaimed, giggling and waving your fingers in the air.

with the exception of ranpo, who already knew the information, the armed detective agency members responded with a series of surprised looks and gasps.

"you're poe-san's significant other?!" atsushi proclaimed before bowing his head, "ah, i'm so sorry [name]-san! i didn't know!"

"mhm!" as you hummed and nodded in agreement, poe was shy by how everyone was reacting. poe blushed and turned away, holding your sleeve instead of your hand.

"well, that's.. certainly a big revelation.." dazai stated, blinking profusely.

"you guys are really idiots. idiots i say!" ranpo sighed, folding his arms across his chest, "how can [name]-chan not be poe-kun's significant other? just look at the way he sticks to her and holds her sleeve!"

"h-how are you the same person you were during the three-way war?" tanizaki asked, his sweat dripping as he remembered you being terrifying with the way your eyes and fingertips glowed red with power, your hair flowing in the breeze as you floated in the middle of the sky, and a serious expression on your face.

"what do you mean?" you tilted your head in confusion, laughing a little at his comment.

everyone was dumbfounded by your cluelessness, their sweat even dropping.

"i agree with you. sometimes my darling can be so clueless at how powerful and strong she can be with her ability," poe sighed, shaking his head as he handed his new manuscript to ranpo, "but regardless, i love [name]."

"heh, that's real sweet of you poe-kun," said ranpo before taking a look at his manuscript with a smile on his features.

[ author's notes ! you inspired me to take on scarlet witch! reader x bungo stray dogs characters, so don't apologize. i also think the request was good, so yeah !! i also think you're right. there isn't much bsd! poe content in here, so let me fix that for you by adding a new one on the list out here hihi. thank you so much. hope you enjoyed reading this <3 ]

[lightsoutletsgo]

hiii could I request a ship?? idm how many you list!! I’m v short for my age … like ariana grande height (5’2”), I’m an aspiring actress and I just starred in my first semi-professional theatrical show today. I also sing, I’m very open minded and a good listener. HUGEEE introvert, the type that would rather spend her day at home instead of go out. fanatic bookworm and I also sketch and write short stories or poems whenever I feel very pressured. my music tastes is very variable, i listen to whatever i like but i mostly listen to miss swift. i love horror movies, and people would describe me as creative and shy. Although I try to step out of my comfort zone whenever I get the opportunity. Love language is physical touch and words of affirmation. Praise kink girlie til I die. ALSO! I do songwriting for fun, lately I’ve been thinking to take it to a professional level, but we’ll see.

SO SORRY IF THIS IS LIKE VERY LONG- But this is probably the best way I can describe myself. 💞💞

-🕰️

ahhh hi gorgeous! thank you for sending your ask! as a fellow theatre girlie - I see you! (my show starts rehearsals in april!) I hope this is okay, I went a little outside the box! happy reading! mimi 🤍

OSCAR PIASTRI ᝰ.ᐟ₊ ⊹ - calls you sweetheart or sunshine (occasionally calls you his star when referring to you in 3rd person or in good luck cards!) - loves how your hand feels in his! has an obsession with comparing them. - his love language is words of affirmation - he loves surprising you with cute dates like picnics or stargazing

oscar is so proud of you! he doesn't know much about your industry or everything it entails. he's learning day by day though! but he knows you have to put in an insane amount of work for what sometimes seems like very little reward. he's always there at every show and you can bet he's sending flowers and a card to you backstage before your show opens! he's there at the stage door to greet your when you've finished, beaming at you and holding out another beautiful bouquet of flowers as you giggle, filled with that aftershow high.

oscar loves hearing you hum and sing around the house and he does his best when he joins in but quickly decides he'll leave the singing to you and instead woo you with his amazing dance moves (which means pulling you in and spinning you round the room until you're both too dizzy to stand anymore)

he's so appreciative that you're a good listener and finds a massive amount of comfort in calling you or coming home to you after a long day and rambling about everything that's happened - good and bad. he doesn't mind that you're shy, in fact he thinks it's cute! but he also likes that he's able to help you and do something for you seeing as you do so much for him!

oscar is always encouraging you to show him your sketches and poems but he also understands that sometimes those things are very personal. he loves bringing home cute stationary like writing paper and washi tape when he's been away and he always checks your art supplies after you've been sketching for a while to make sure you have everything you need for next time because he knows it's your outlet.

he loves listening to music with you in the car and he's more than happy to let you explain all the lore about each taylor swift album (it's actually come in useful sometimes in various conversations) oscar will never admit it to any of the other drivers but he's now a hardcore swiftie and he will not shy away from correcting lando, "it's 'he looks up grinning like a devil', not 'he looks so pretty like a devil', geez mate" (these interactions have kind of exposed his fan status though because he gets so passionate about it!) any road trips whether short or long will have you both belting out your favourite taylor swift tunes complete with facial expressions and acting.

oscar's love and praise doesn't just stop at everyday life though, he finds that watching you squirm and whine underneath him when he calls you pretty just does something to him. he loves taking his time, slowly stripping you of your clothes, praising and kissing each new section of bare skin that's revealed. he relishes in the breathy whimpers he draws from you and the way you grab his shoulders to keep yourself stable as you stand between his legs.

oscar is the tyoe of boyfriend that will do anything for you. even if that means waking up at five am his time to help you run lines after rehearsals before you sleep. despite his busy week, he had assured you he was more than happy to do it and you have to admit, your boyfriend isn't the best actor, but it makes the process fun!

"hey sunshine! how was rehearsal?" you smile at the phone screen as your boyfriend answers your call, his hair all messy and still blinking away sleep as he matches your smile, "it was good! we started blocking act two today and got to see some of the set pieces! was pretty cool." oscar nods, a sleepy yawn escaping, "I got your message with the script sweetheart." you nod, "just need to look at scenes three and seven they were a little sticky earlier," "I gotcha," he stretches and you bite your lip as a flash of his tummy is visible for a second, "hey now..." he grins. busted. "let's work on these scenes first and then we can think about that later."

[mogai-sunflowers]

8, 10, & 21 for the ask game ^^

8. Describe your gender without using typical gender words:

My gender is the way the moon looks at the stars and sings to them, the way the night sky reigns over the dark, the way starust tastes on your breath, the way a red rose meadow sweetly sleeps under the gaze of the stars.

my gender is a Willow whose majesty enchants ones who wander the world in search of something more, a wonderland filled with the sweet songs of a muse who sings softly as she dwells beneath the humble willow, the way a muse’s melody enchants the mind, the whisper of evermore calling you to come home.

my gender is the everlasting beauty of the wisteria who sleeps gently as twilight is beckoned unto the sky, the stars who leave their legacy in the fading light of dusk, the way a candle glows so sweet as the dark of night she greets, the way nostalgia tickles the soul as one lays to rest in a quiet bookshop at night whose only light whispers from a flickering golden candle, the way stardust yearns to paint itself upon a twilight canvas.

my gender is the harmonies of a violin, enchanting themselves through the sky whose destiny is written by the stars I bestow upon her with my poetry, a story whose words take you to the wonderland of which they tell, a poem that speaks soft of a raven’s mysterious majesty, a storyteller who comes to rest beneath the wisdom of a willow.

my gender is black blood dripping from a rose, and it is etched into the memory of the raven who flies into the night.

my gender is the one who writes the destinies of others by arranging the stars in the sky, the one who predicts fate with the legends she writes in the stars, the one who reigns over a wonderland of the muse, the one whose spirit dwells within the magic of friendship and of destiny.

my gender is an elven enchantress whose eyes shine with stars, stars sewn into the seams of her gown, sunflowers floating in her stardusted hair, sweetly singing to the night sky’s peaceful slumber.

my gender is a lullaby and it is serenity, it is magical and it is musical, it is celestial and it is ethereal, it is dark and it is mysterious, but it is me,

10. Something that gives me gender euphoria:

Wearing anything celestial TBH, but also anarchist enamel pins and wearing makeup while wearing a tuxedo. Also birds.

21. What message would you give to your younger self?

You don’t have to fully know yourself to fully love yourself. Not having things figured out doesn’t mean you aren’t whole just as you are- life is about discovery, you will always learn new things about yourself and you can love who you are right here and now without having it all figured out. You don’t need to know exactly how you identify to fit in with the queer community, in fact, you don’t need to fit in at all because the whole point of queerness is to stand out with pride. Be you, even if you don’t know all of what that entails just yet. I promise that whether or not you get to the end goal of true knowledge of who you are, you will be okay just as you are. But I’d Also I’d tell her what genderqueer was lmao.

[altocat]

Why ship Sephiroth and Genesis? They're rivals, and Genesis was a huge dick to him in Nibelheim.

Genesis as he exists in CC is, well, kind of flawed. I think the reason he polarized the fandom so much was his pretentiousness, as well as what a generally shitty friend he is, especially to Sephiroth.

So I sought to change that in what I hope entails actually fleshing him out. Why does he feel the need to compete with Sephiroth? His journal clearly showed that Seph was his hero. There's obviously a lot of history between them, especially if Sephiroth was consistently that reluctant to confront him. There's a ton of jealousy, a ton of bitterness, and a ton of unspoken conflict between them.

So why?

What if Genesis is so desperate to be Sephiroth's equal because he WANTS his hero's aknowledgement? What if the crux of his whole hero mindset is because he WANTS to be the same as Sephiroth? Sephiroth is unattainable, a champion among men, beyond everything and everyone. So what if it turns out that Genesis not only wants to prove to the world that he's just as capable of being a hero on Sephiroth's level, but to also prove himself WORTHY of Sephiroth's affection?

All his life, he's come in second place. His parents only ever fed into his insecurities, and his physical frailty always put him at odds with the poems he read as a child. Then he finds out about Sephiroth --almighty, all-conquering. Flawless. The hero of his stories, of his dreams. That's what he believes in. That's what motivates him to become something more than a rich man's son. Getting close to Sephiroth will validate him. Getting close to Sephiroth is everything.

As for Sephiroth, this is new territory. A friend. Someone he believes to be a trustworthy interpersonal investment, AND someone who has the drive to actually keep up with him! Genesis isn't afraid of challenging him, not mewling and fawning over him, but really working to get on his level. What's more, Genesis' arrogance is just so...novel. He's never seen someone so brave with so much ego. He's never been interested in personal glory and yet here Genesis is working for it at all costs. And Sephiroth WANTS him to try. He WANTS the competition. He genuinely respects Genesis and wants him to succeed.

On top of that, he's always felt different, isolated. Here's someone who goes out of their way to integrate him, but also a tangible connection that he can relate to. Someone who pulls him out of his shell, engages him, isn't interested in studying him like a lab specimen. He's never had someone to be close with like this. He doesn't want to lose it. Not ever.

Together, they're fire and ice, polar opposites from opposite lifestyles who can go one minute being the most dearest of companions, and at each other's throats the next. It's a complete whirlwind, with both idiots completely failing to openly express just how incredibly important they are to each other.

Which brings me to the doomed lovers angle I like writing with them. Their lack of communication and internal insecurities are bad enough, but Shinra's meddling only continues to fuel their rivalry and pit them against each other. Despite the fact that both admire each other so strongly and probably could have come to the conclusion that they would have always been worthy in each other's eyes. But no. Shinra has to keep pushing and pushing and then it all comes tumbling down.

And in the end, Genesis ends up alone, full of regrets, finally realizing that he'd always had what he was looking for. His "gift of the goddess" was always there. Sephiroth, conversely, renounces everything that remotely resembles human attachments and no longer even REMEMBERS Genesis. They broke each other, one way or another. And had their circumstances been different, if they'd actually talked to each other, if they'd just given a little nudge, they could have shared the Banora Whites. They could have been happy.

So yeah. That's basically me rambling and spitballing them lol. I just think they're neat and have a potentially interesting dynamic if fleshed out. Plus it gives them both a bit more tragedy overall, at least I hope so.

[trans-elrond]

okay, I’ve never seen Rings of Power and have no plans too, so talk to me about adaptation theory please??

absolutely, this is one of my areas of academic interest!! :D i'm mostly going to be discussing robert stam's beyond fidelity and thomas leitch's twelve fallacies in contemporary adaptation theory because they're available online, relatively short and sweet and approachable compared to many longer texts, and (leitch especially) written in quite accessible language. but many more people have written about adaptation theory and there's a lot more the field has to offer!

adaptation theory is about texts—which could be novels, films, plays, short stories, songs, operas, paintings, poems, TV shows, video games, and many more—being "translated" across medium and genre; what it entails, what it means, what it is. the novel is, of course, the paradigm: you might get the occasional short story or play translated into film, but it's mostly novels. (if you ask "why", well, that's a good question adaptation studies tries to answer. there's something to be said about a similar length and dramatic shape, but then again why not plays?)

leitch argues (and it's quite apparent from the relative dearth of material & time given to adaptation studies, in comparison to film and literature studies more broadly) that adaptation studies is a very peripheral, provincial pursuit. which is a bit sad and strange, because so much of modern media/literary consumption is adaptation. many (most?) films are adapted from novels (or given this day and age... comic books). fans clamor for worthwhile adaptations. but leitch says that the central question, "what happens when filmmakers set out to adapt a literary text?", is still more or less an unanswered one. leitch discusses dudley andrew's writing on adaptation: that in the future he hopes adaptation studies includes much more than questions of text-to-film, but also all studies of the signification, quotation, analysis of connotation, and reference that make cinema possible.

stam talks a lot about how what adaptation theory exists is mostly highly moralistic. it's almost always couched in terms of fidelity/faithfulness to the source—extreme literalness of translating text-to-other-text as the only way to go. he lists these frequently-used terms when talking about “bad” or unfaithful adaptations: "infidelity, betrayal, deformation, violation, vulgarization, and desecration." but what he introduces instead is a "beyond fidelity" look at adaptation, discussed further in his essay. ever since his essay was published in 2000, it's become a staple text for moving adaptation studies beyond fidelity as the only metric.

it's also important to think about how film is often used as the "spoonful of sugar" (to quote leitch) that helps literature go down—for example a “Shakespeare and Film” course. this is a symptom of the unfortunate truth that adaptation studies as it exists right now (in both academia and popular thinking) is founded on several "fallacious binaries":

literature vs cinema

high culture vs mass culture

original vs copy

there's a wonderful essay by seymour chatman called "what novels can do that films can't (and vice versa)". film can't describe like a novel; likewise a novel can't display a picture like a film can, but must choose which details to include and which to exclude. but in each medium there are different techniques to evoke a similar sense; a close-up in a film may be a rough approximation of a paragraph of description in a novel.

but over-extrapolating the fundamental differences between novels and film is also a tricky area—indeed, one of leitch's twelve fallacies is the idea that "differences between literary and cinematic texts are rooted in essential properties of their respective media." leitch argues very strongly that the differences between media are less than you think. he does this in attempt to break down the false binaries of literature vs cinema, high culture vs mass culture, original vs copy that so pervade cinema studies. i like this line of thinking because culture usually conceives of film as less than a novel, and an original text as superior to a "copy" in an adaptation (as if stories degraded over time like carbon), but it's simply not true. some of the time—much of the time!—adaptations are equal to and can even improve on the original text. either way, they stand on their own; whether or not a film is an adaptation doesn't actually have any bearing on its artistic merits.

that's another one of leitch's twelve fallacies, of course—the fallacy that novels are better than films by their inherent nature. there's a lot of thinking right now that films/TV degrade the brain, while novels improve your thinking. which is kind of dumb. you can read bad, trashy novels and not think about them, just as much as you can carefully analyze and dissect a great film's narrative. i'd argue that "reading" a film can take as much brainpower as "reading" a novel, our culture is just used to paying less attention to films because we're starting from the perspective that they're worth less.

besides, all texts are intertexts, meaning they're all informed by, inspired by, exist because of texts that came before. novels and films both. some are more obvious in their references than others, but it's a spectrum, not a binary.

critics of visual media may also argue that "you don't even have to use your imagination" with films/TV, which i admit was something i as a snide book-reading teenager regurgitated, but leitch (imho rightfully) says that this argument rests on the fallacy that the specific directions of novels don't already usurp the imagination in the same way. in this argument "imagination" as a concept is reduced to mere "picturing", but many other senses (smell, taste being evoked through shots in a film, for instance) are at play in both novels and films.

it's also a tad classist to claim novels are better than films, because this claim proliferated as films became the popular entertainment of choice among lower classes. (and novels were once seen as trashy too! the cycle continues.)

okay, this is getting long, so i'll steer things back to the fallacy of fidelity. stam maintains there's a grain of truth to the fidelity argument because it expresses disappointment in the specific interpretation, someone else's interpretation imposed over and subjugating our own, which is a valid emotional response. but the concept of fidelity remains problematic as a methodology. strict faithfulness is impossible because a novel's text is often symbolic, and details are excluded by necessity. films must always create sets, costumes, and character behavior based on little more than a few details (and really, just the "flavor") mentioned in a novel. novels are told in "single tracks"—text only—whereas films have not only spoken dialog and moving image but music, foley, physical locations and objects, and potentially voiceover, on-screen text, and so on; in its essence it's more complex and a potentially richer source of narrative information. besides, novels are large texts that can generate many meanings; hunting for a "kernel of truth", the text's single essence, is fruitless, because every reader will come away with their own. all this fidelity discussion fits neatly into the false binaries of literary text as superior to cinematic text; films somehow subservient to their literary overlords. but enough of that! films can and should be and do their own thing.

that said, there are still "close" and "distant" adaptations, and an entire spectrum in between; i'm not saying that i'd be happy with a percy jackson adaptation that chucked the texts entirely in the trash. still, putting fidelity behind us, stam suggests the more helpful paradigms of "translation, reading, dialogization, cannibalization, transmutation, transfiguration, and signifying—each of which sheds light on a different dimension of adaptation" (62).

in conclusion, adaptation theory happily put an end to the fidelity-as-sole-metric thing, like, two decades ago, which is why yesterday yours truly had had quite enough, and blazed a tumblr post about really bad and outdated adaptation theory being applied to percy jackson/atla/rings of power adaptations promoting fidelity-first criticisms. robert stam killed that argument in 2000, babes, get with the times :)

this is the saltiest i'll get on the subject but: i really do think there's something very pitiful and wimpily self-protective about endless fidelity arguments for beloved texts—especially now that i'm 25 and not a snotty 14 year old claiming objective knowledge of what art is better than other art. unfortunately it's filtered into hollywood because of fan demand; showrunners now are always covering their butts about being true to the original because people will get mad otherwise. respectfully, fuck that. i want compelling interpretation, not factory-assembled rehashes of the same thing. original texts will always be original texts, and will always be better at being themselves than any adaptation. interpretation and re-interpretation is the nature of narrative.

[laughingsour]

This story is a Fairy Tale...

Those are the words that open the movie Puss in Boots: the last wish. And it can’t be understated how crucial those words are for the entire film.

Because I think that part of what makes this movie work so well, other than the clever jokes and heavy themes of course, is something that Shrek managed to do before and hadn’t been truly replicated anywhere else.

You see, something that isn’t usually brought up, is that for all of it’s ruthless mockery of Disney and fairy tale tropes it popularized, Shrek still plays like a fairy tale with such earnest sincerity that it’s heart warming to think about it.

(Heavy spoilers ahead, don’t read if you haven’t seen this movie yet)

Sure, at the beginning we have the ogre tearing a page from the book to use it as toilet paper. Saying:

But in the same movie we have a truly epic encounter with a fire-breathing Dragon.

A sidekick who sticks with you through thick and thin.

The noble knight riding to save his beloved.

And of course, a romance between two people who seemingly can’t be together but manage to find a way.

It’s surprisingly easy to make fun of something and point out how bad something is. But It takes a special kind of talent to stop the mocking and do something better instead, even with the very thing you were tearing apart not just three seconds ago.

Puss in Boots: The last wish follows this trend and, while some of it’s best laughs are at the expense of Disney, it doesn’t stop it from treating this story like a fairy tale with all the excitment, wonder and heart that entails.

How so?

Well, there’s the first lines I mentioned that appear in the screen, before Puss recites the Star light-star bright poem to wish on stars, then tells the story of the Wishing star. Acompanied by some soothing guitar notes.

It’s relaxing, hopefull and yet exciting and wondrus, like a good bed time story should be.

And this narration not only provides us with the mystique of the movie, it also introduces us to our setting, the Dark Forest, what setting is there more fitting than a forest for a fairy tale?

Speaking of which, while Death is never called the Big Bad Wolf in the film (And there’s already an actual big bad wolf in Shrek), we still have a Wolf, the oldest of fairy tale villians. Played with complete and terrifiyng seriousness for once.

Then there’s the idea of wishing on stars that’s been with mankind for maybe millenia and heavily associated with Disney since 1940′s Pinocchio.

Imagine if one day you heard that a there’s a single star out there that can grant you the thing your heart most desperately desires, it sure sounds like something to get your imagination on fire, right?

And the star never loses that sweetly hopeful aura about it even when confronted with the reality of some people’s selfish wishes.

Although the quest for anything they want was capable of bringing out the worst in some people (Like cowardice, selfishness, perfectionism, etc) What most of the characters want isn’t exactly bad but taken the wrong way. Like wanting to stay alive, a place where people love you for what you are, or someone you can trust.

The star isn’t wiling to give it’s wish to someone like Jack Horner but still subtly pushes the misguided to see what they truly have and want. In the end, those who did deserve it got what would make them happy.

Another rather obvious thing Puss in boots takes from Pinocchio is the concept of a conscience. Which also goes along with the Sidekick.

It made fun of the trope with the apperance of Jimminy Cricket trying to apeal to Jack Horner’s better nature. But long before that it was played straight with Perrito acting as a conscience of sorts to both Puss and Kitty.

While the Cricket fails to bring out the best in Jack, Perrito’s loyalty and kind-hearted nature does win over Puss and Kitty and they become better people.

It has also been noted by many before me, but fairy tales without the Disney filter can be very brutal as they often served as cautionary tales. And Jack Horner certainly provides with that, giving us plenty of hilarious but still haunting ways to go every time he shows up in screen.

Cautionary tales of course can be annoyingly preachy if done poorly, but there are some times in which a good moral is not only well delivered but also enhances the plot. In this case it’s a simple one. Never take your life or what you have for granted, because you won’t like to find out what you have when it’s gone.

[dandelionjack]

via this poll you are now being given the once in a lifetime opportunity to wield the ropes of fate for a random tumblr girl and decide what language they will be learning next (not through duolingo or something, but, like, hopefully, through their uni or a real tutor from next year), which could, by butterfly effect, determine the future of their life path. they’re fluent in russian and pretty decent at french, and, being a Humanities Guy they think it’s embarrassing that they don’t know at least one other language. here are the brief benefits and drawbacks of each

yiddish

as an ashkenazi jew growing up in a completely assimilated, secularised post-soviet family needless to say i’m disconnected from my heritage :)) this is all about reconnecting. it’s also about some fucking awesome songs and idioms and expressions and phrases and poems and stories that i want to know and understand so. cultural reasons. plus, it’s an endangered language that is slowly gaining more and more new learners so why not join the revival. afaik my great grandmother back in belarus spoke nothing but yiddish

hebrew

similar enough reasons, but this is specifically about rediscovering the religious side of judaism, which entails doing a lot of reading books and the torah and finding a synagogue to attend and a community to meet and a lot of googling and a lot of gathering information and also this, learning the holy language of the jewish people. my dad understands it quite well, as do my uncle and cousins, who are currently coloniser settlers in palestine. that’s the downside — learning hebrew may convince my zionist parents that it is now acceptable to begin hounding me once more to sign up for the Free Israel Youth Propaganda Trip (it is not acceptable nor welcome. leave me alone for the love of g-d i want no part in this)

spanish

almost (not going to risk upsetting brazilians) an entire continent and a couple of countries around the globe speak spanish — versatile that way and i wanna travel someday and not act like a Shitty British Tourist…it’s similar enough, being a romance language, to french, which i already know…i’m familiar with at least a couple dozen words and understand some of it quite well…there’s a lot of bomb ass literature written in it, and why read in translation when you are able to Not Do That…also some cool fuckin mexican goth bands that i found on a spotify playlist the lyrics of which i would like to Understand… and i am currently listening to the mabel podcast

german

same point with the bomb ass literature and bomb ass music, emphasis on the music this time, again, what if i ever decide i want to get into berghain and come to the entrance dragging my lousy brit accent along…my family emigrated to germany before england and lived there all through the late 90s…older brother is fluent in it because of that, and so is granny…studied it for about a year in year8 as an extra class but have forgotten almost everything by now, however, it would be quicker to pick up having the basics down

ukrainian

self explanatory, quite. almost feels like an obligation, considering nationality, considering having fled political repression from the country of the aggressor. similar enough to my mother tongue that i can understand around 40% when written/spoken by others. could be useful for joining volunteering initiatives, charity work, mutual aid, translation help for refugees. also, beautiful slavic culture, folk music, art and literature, though i haven't yet read much of it.

[gothprentiss]

yknow rewinding a couple of hours. something worth saying re: this

is that like, on one hand, rupi kaur does have the unfortunate position of being the go-to contemp bad poet example. and the people who are out here like “this is an outsized response to mediocrity which is determined in no small part by her being a young brown woman who came up on instagram” are onto something for sure. but you should never let that awareness stop u from recognizing her as a remarkably bad poet. there are poets who have done wonderful things with simple expression, with personal history and catharsis (i beat my drum in perpetuity for gwendolyn brooks. you might also look into for example “father’s bedroom” by robert lowell). there are poets who have done wonderful things in terms of making us question what counts as poetry, and why we should care about its boundaries and capacities. and there are many poets who have just been shallow and boring and relatively unskilled. like the above is the kind of thought that you could very genuinely make interesting if you had half a commitment to form and expression. for example, if you’ve read anything by zizek, arguably one of the foremost philosophers of our time, you’ve read his very famous thing on toilet hermeneutics, which you might express as a surface-level rupi kaur style poem in the following way: do toilets / whisk away our shit quickly / because we fear / to face our own refuse? and his answer is yes, and then he gets a whole lot of interesting if contestable cultural analysis out of it. like a haiku bot has more of a meaningful commitment to form than this, is my point. what’s made accessible or “democratized” here is just like, the barest possible bone of what a poem might be. it’s tiresome to insist that poetry is too rarefied to be accessible to the common man; poetry’s terms of access are rarely as simple as Wealth Leisure and Education. many foremost scholars of the novel, for example, are also not very good readers of poetry— and they have Wealth Leisure and Education in spades. (more valid, maybe, the way that attention is unevenly permitted.) at some point you simply must admit to yourself that you have confused abstract and challenging with inaccessible. there is not this much criticism and theory and philosophy out here because this material is, if you simply gather enough privilege in the form of social capital, really quite easy. the real answer is that many people simply do not care if what they are reading is good or effective poetry, and that they find forms of expression like rupi kaur’s to be meaningful in their own right, and that’s, you know, literally fine!

[caveat i guess is that i’m pretty biased against the poetry as self expression thing because i think it makes for some technically poor poetry; every time i’ve heard a poet i admire speak about their craft, they’re not talking about how they’ve found themselves getting realer or more vulnerable or more cathartic, they’re talking about how they grew in terms of technical skill and capacity. so i had to decide to get over the rupi kaur thing, because really she’s no poorer poet than anyone else who’s out here doing the social media house style thing where you just add line breaks to a series of purple prose struggle tweets— all of it’s fed by a desire to Do Poetry without any real interest in what poetry entails beyond a mirror of the self. and that’s like, fine, i probably find that more offensive than is normal. i’m cranky about mary oliver, who was a perfectly serviceable poet. but you can just SAY you don’t care about poetic merit but that this thing works for you in x y and z ways and just go on your merry way. i promise u.]

[akenvs3000f24]

BLOG 6: Nature Interpretation Through History

There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things. …. To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it.

(Edward Hyams, Chapter 7, The Gifts of Interpretation)

Unpack this quote.

---------------------------------------------------------------

When it comes to pieces of art and poems, I’m one that enjoys deciphering the messages that are hidden between the lines. This particular quote by Edward Hyams is no exception. I’d like to break this quote down piece by piece, as I believe it holds quite an important message that we should continue to value to this day. 

There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole. And if these parts are scattered through time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things…

This particular sentence speaks volumes to me, as it takes a little bit more interpretation than the latter of the quote to fully understand it. The first part of the quote, “there is no peculiar merit in ancient things”, suggests that being old or ancient doesn’t inherently make something valuable. However, to fully understand this quote, we must first solidify the definition of merit. Referring to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the closest definition that we can relate to this quote is “a praiseworthy quality”, as the quote later mentions there is merit in integrity. It describes how in integrity, we unlock the ability to preserve something whole instead of in pieces. The quote also suggests that even if we do lose it into pieces, by using our memeory and knowledge of our history we can continue to keep it intact. Knowing our history with nature and how we came to be is essential as it allows one to understand how the past contributes to the present.

To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it.

The latter half of the quote is an analogy that tells us that if we make the decision that the past has no impact on the future, it is the same as believing that a railway station loses its existence after the train has already passed through it. We can assume that it suggests that just because we have moved beyond a certain point in time, it does not mean it ceases to exist or hold significance. The present is connected to the past, and to be ignorant enough to disregard it would be ignoring what shaped up to what and who we are today.

This quote holds a significant importance when we connect it to nature interpretation through history. In most high school history curriculums, we learn about the history of Canada’s land, Indigenous cultures, and historical events. The history of wars and colonization in Canada undeniably impacted the environment, displacing Indigenous communities and altering landscapes. But by keeping these parts of history together, we can interpret nature in a way that acknowledges its natural beauty and the cultural and historical contexts that have shaped it.

References

Merit. (2024). In Merriam-Webster Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merit

[chanoyu-to-wa]

The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part I:  Poem 1.

〽 Sono michi ni iran to omou kokoro koso,           waga-mi nagara no shishō nari-kere

     [其の道に入らんと思う心こそ、           我が身ながらの師匠なりけれ].

    “If [I] decide [that I will] not¹ embark on the Way, that must depend on [my own] feelings.  Isn’t it that my own body must be [the thing that] guides² [my decision]?”

    The point of the poem is that the novice should never be forced into embarking on the study of chanoyu as a way to cultivate his samadhi³.  Rather, he should come to that decision by himself, after carefully considering his own situation, in light of the dedication and sacrifices that such an approach will entail.

    As with all of the cultural practices that developed from within religious disciplines⁴, when a desire to enter upon the Path arises (together with the concomitant energy which this desire engenders), it will form the foundation of one’s training.  In the early days, the novice began his association with chanoyu by joining a tea group, and attending their regular gatherings -- usually for a period of at least several years -- before taking his first lesson.  This allowed the beginner to become familiar with the details (and the possibilities) of chanoyu, and so make an informed decision regarding just how far he wished to enter into the thing.

    There is absolutely nothing wrong with approaching chanoyu as a social activity, or because one enjoys the mood, or the food or kashi, or because of an interest in the utensils (whether as historical or art objects, or for monetary investment).  But taking things to the next level, where one approaches chanoyu with an almost religious fervor, is something that demands a commitment that few will be able to make, if they are being honest.  So it is better, at the beginning, to consider this issue carefully, to assess whether one is willing -- and (physically and mentally) capable -- of doing so before announcing the commitment to the group.  This is what this poem is telling the beginner, and at the very moment when he is faced with the decision that will certainly impact his future in many, and unknowable, ways.  Nevertheless, as it has been said, “it is at the very moment when the desire to enter the Way first arises that perfect enlightenment is already attained.”

    It is interesting that this is the first poem in every collection of the Hundred Poems, and that all of the collections include the same version of this poem.

_________________________

¹Iran [入らん] means to not enter; to not embark on, or commit oneself to (a certain course of action).

    Virtually all modern renderings change this negative into a positive -- “the heart that wants to enter the Way” or words to that effect.  In Japanese poetry, this is possible if one uses a Heian period poetic conceit, where iran [入らん] is considered to be a contracted form of iramu [入らむ].  However, this approach to the poem seems to be a case of deciding what you want the poem to mean, and then searching for an obscure poetic device that will allow you to argue for that meaning.

    We must remember that these poems are dōka [道歌], poems that were created to provide guidance to the beginner.  And while, since Jōō, as the creator of the cha-kai*, drew many of his early disciples from among his acquaintances at the Shino family’s kō-kai [香會], as well as poetry gatherings hosted in the mansion of Sanjō-nishi no Sanetaka [三條西實隆; 1455 ~ 1537], we must also recall that the earliest manuscript of the Hundred Poems was written for Matsu-ya Hisamasa [松屋久政; 1521 ~ 1598], who was a young man (and, presumably, not highly trained in the subtleties of poetic diction).  As a result, poems that require a considerable amount of mental gymnastics to be understood, as in this case, would seem especially out-of-place.  Therefore, the more straightforward meaning -- that this poem is suggesting the possibility of a disinclination to enter the Way -- is surely what Jōō intended. ___________ *Jōō derived his cha-kai from the Shino family’s kō-kai by adopting the basic form of the kō-kai (which included the service of tea at the end of the gathering while poems composed during the naka-dachi were intoned and critiqued), and simply shifting the emphasis to the service of tea.  (In its earliest version, Jōō still retained an abbreviated appreciation of incense, following Jōō’s sumi-temae; with this followed by a meal, as the Shino had always been doing things, and the naka-dachi:  Jōō’s principal modification was that he included koicha, as well as usucha, during the goza, while discouraging unnecessary conversation.)

²While the word shishō [師匠] is usually translated teacher or master, it also means instruction, teaching, guidance -- and so refers to someone who guides another person.

    Here, however, shishō is referring to your body, which must guide your decision.  If you are physically (or emotionally) incapable of mustering or sustaining the self-discipline necessary to practice chanoyu, then it is better not to waste your own (or your teacher’s) time.

    While this might strike us as extraordinary, we must remember that the approach to chanoyu taken during the sixteenth century was very different from what it is nowadays.  During Jōō’s and Rikyū’s period, the aspiring chajin participated, as a middling guest*, until he was found (by the senior members of the group who acted as the buffer between the lower disciples and the master) to be completely familiar with everything that was done.  Only then, if he wished to go on, was he invited to begin to learn the motions.  As a result, the course of study could be completed in a matter of months once begun† -- rather than the years and decades required by the modern approach.

    It was during those several years of observation that the beginner could decide whether chanoyu was “right” for him, or not -- and so plan his course accordingly. ___________ *That is, as one of the guests who had no real responsibilities during the gathering other than to pay attention, and follow the lead of the other guests.  Thus he was there to observe, without the necessity of having to perform.

†This is due not only to the complications that are inherent in the machi-shū approach to chanoyu, but also are a consequence of many people embarking on their study of tea without ever having seen, let alone participated, in a gathering.  It is this ignorance of the basics, and how they all fit together, that makes chanoyu as difficult to master as it is in the present.

³The utter foolishness of forcing anyone to study can be seen in what happened to chanoyu during the early 20th century, when hoards of young women were made to study in order to obtain a menjō (certificate) that would, in theory, help them marry above their status.  The result was that, since they had little or no actual interest in chanoyu, every detail had to be laid out and specified (down to which utensils could be used, and in what combination), so that creativity and self-expression were no longer a consideration.  This mindless and disinterested attention to detail is, of course, the antithesis of what chanoyu was all about, and would more likely hinder, rather than enhance, the practitioner’s quest for samadhi.

⁴As has been mentioned before in this blog, chanoyu evolved from within the practices associated with the Ikkō ichi-nen shū [一向一念宗], an Amidist sect that appears to trace its roots back to the Bulgug-sa [佛國寺] in Kyeongju [경주, 慶州], Korea.

    Not only chanoyu, but all of the “zen-inspired” arts -- including incense appreciation*, flower arrangement, nō [能] and bonbai [梵唄] (Buddhist chant, in Korean beompae [범패] -- where it was often coupled with chanoyu and za-zen as part of the threefold approach to the cultivation of samadhi that was favored by the Amidist sects), and so forth.  We must remember that, in pre-modern times, there was no real idea that one approach (such as za-zen) was the exclusive purview of a certain sect of Buddhism.  Rather, monks freely borrowed from the techniques favored by this or that school of Buddhism, since the ultimate goal was always the cultivation of samadhi. ___________ *Not the “guessing games” competitions, in which the object was to demonstrate one’s olfactory prowess (like most of the “authentic” Japanese versions of these activities -- like the earlier tō-cha [鬪茶] gatherings -- were a form of gambling, and so antithetical to the idea of Buddhist training).  This competitive form of incense was exclusively Japanese, and had existed since the Heian period.  Unfortunately, even the Shino school became corrupted in this way once the headship passed into the hands of their Japanese disciples, from 1571, following the death of the last of the original Korean line.

==============================================

◎ If these translations are valuable to you, please consider donating to support this work.  Donations from the readers are the only source of income for the translator.  Please use the following link:

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[leonbloder]

Who Will You Be Expecting This Advent?

In his translation of selected works from the wisdom of Chuang Tzu, the late Christian mystic and theologian Thomas Merton included this poem, which I was struck by and knew I'd write about one day.

The Kingly Man realizes, this hides it in his heart, Grows boundless, wide-minded, draws all to himself. And so he lets the gold lie hidden in the mountain, Leaves the pearl lying in the deep. Goods and possessions are no gain in his eyes. He stays far from wealth and honor. Long life is no ground for joy, nor early death for sorrow. Success is not for him to be proud of, failure is no shame. Had he all the world's power he would not hold it as his own. If he conquered everything he would not take it to himself. His glory is in knowing that all things come together as One, And life and death are equal.

Chuang Tzu's poem was written in the 4th century BCE, hence the non-inclusive gender references, but you get the point.

The intent was to apply this wisdom to everyone who desired to understand what it meant to gain power and wield it well. They also need to recognize a proper leader when they see one.

It would be something to find a leader like this, wouldn't it? Good luck sniffing one out in any level of government in our current culture.

In fact, you'd have to take Chuang Tzu's virtues and invert them to describe most of our elected officials these days. Power and wealth are the only things they care about. Everything else they do is a means to those two ends, no matter their ideology.

Perhaps what motivated Merton to include this poem in his translation is that something within it resonated with him vis-a-vis Jesus himself.

To that point, almost all of the words of the Hebrew prophets found in the New Testament describing Jesus paint a portrait of a leader who gives of himself, even to death, for the sake of the people.

This is the perfect pre-Advent reflection for those of us preparing for the subsequent arrival of the Messiah and all that entails.

As Christians, we believe Advent is a centering point for us as we begin the new year within the historic church calendar. It's a time for us to be made ready and reminded that Christ is always arriving, showing up in whatever moments redemption is needed, resurrection is warranted, and the world needs hope.

But how do we recognize the Messiah when the Messiah arrives? What does that look like? It might look like what Chuang Tzu describes as the "Kingly man." This is the kind of leader, the kind of king, that we long for.

This king acts the opposite way a leader in our culture would work. This king loves sacrificially, gives freely, rejects all the regular notions of power, and simply exists to allow for the flourishing of others and all of Creation.

Any other vision of Christ is off the mark.

A version of Jesus that resembles anyone else, including political figures that far too many people who claim to follow Jesus lionize or describe in reverent tones, isn't Jesus. Period.

Far too often, when Americans look to the Church to try and see Jesus, they see something completely different than what Tzu and the Hebrew prophets described.

They see a combative, pugilistic version of Jesus who is ready to do battle at the drop of a hat, isn't shy about belittling or demeaning others, and has so little regard for the humanity of those outside of the Christian bubble; it's not only alarming but destructive.

As we prepare for the season of Advent and the expectation of the Messiah, let us reframe our understanding of who we're waiting for.

The One we call the King of Kings and Lord of Lords took on the form of a servant and was willing to give his life to save even those who crucified him. He was born into a poor refugee family in the most non-descript way.

He was tempted by power but never gave in to the temptation to wield it, except to heal, resurrect, and restore in the service of others. The only people he chided were the ones who thought they were too close to God to be reproached.

We're expecting Jesus, the Christ.

May those expectations give us hope and joy as we seek the shalom of the world, And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all, now and forever. Amen.

[ashpapash1234]

Blog Post 2

Question 1: TWO (2) real-life issues

Climate change and income inequality are two real-life challenges that make it important to establish an Earthseed community. Natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods are becoming more common and severe due to climate change, posing a threat to people's homes and way of life. Because of income inequality, some individuals may not have access to basic necessities like food, shelter, and healthcare, which makes them more susceptible to natural disasters. In this case, I am seeking shelter from this issue because it needs to be addressed to save humanity from suffering. 

Question 2: two (2) "You change everything you touch. Everything you alter about you alters you.” This poem strongly emphasizes how everything is interconnected and that it is everyone's duty to do something to bring about change. This might be viewed in an Earthseed community as a call to adopt sustainable lifestyles and work towards a more just and equitable society. 

"Change is the only constant truth." This passage emphasizes the impermanence of everything and the necessity of adapting to shifting circumstances. It implies that, in the framework of a community, the community should be adaptable and ready to change over time. The community can also develop resilience and flexibility by accepting change and uncertainty, which will be essential for surviving in a constantly changing world.

Question 3: Creation of a safe Earthseed community

My Earthseed community should be situated in an area with easy access to resources like water and arable land that is generally safe from natural disasters. The community's needs must be satisfied in what can be a rural location with a pleasant climate. 

Question 4: Who can join 

Regardless of ethnicity, gender, or background, anyone who concurs with the principles and tenets of the Earthseed community is welcome to join. However, those who are unwilling to help the community survive or who hold antisocial beliefs will not be accepted.

Question 5: leadership model

The Earthseed community may adopt a democratic leadership style in which members share decision-making authority. An alternative would be to elect a council or leader based on their capacity for leadership and dedication to the community's objectives.

Question 6: Future technology

Vertical farming, which allows for more effective use of space and resources in food production, may be a future technology that contributes to better living in the Earthseed community.

Question 7: Survive

An Earthseed community would need to put sustainability, self-sufficiency, and cooperation as top priority to survive. This might entail techniques like organic farming, water conservation, and waste minimization. To meet each other's needs, the community would also need to build a system of mutual support and assistance.

Question 8: build a better future

A better future will be achieved by investing in education and conservation. Education would help community members develop the skills and knowledge needed to adapt to changing circumstances and create new technologies (Pelletier et al., 2022). Conservation would help preserve natural resources and promote sustainability.

[kaftan]

[Text of a visual poem, with its lines arranged in a circular/spiral pattern.

1. I did not understand the situation pre-existing. I thought I knew but did not know what understanding would entail. 2. I think that what I'm hearing is some sort of sonic undercurrent, a layer that is always there, that maybe has been always there, unheard until now when it can't be unheard. 3. For a long time I understood myself as having at least partial control over what I thought and when I thought it, but that belief has proved to have been ill-founded. I would prefer not to think a particular thought. I think the thought regardless. I think the thought again. And again. And again. And again. 4. Whatever boundaries there are inside, if, that is, there are boundaries inside, if, that is, the inside is not, as it so often seems to be, a region of utter confusion, then those boundaries are, at most, somewhat less than not wholly constant. 5. After a prolonged and fruitless struggle, it began to seem quite clear to me that that which wished to expel was inseparable from that from which I wished to expel it, and that they were indeed part-and-parcel and the same. 6. In order to be rid of the thought, it may be necessary to treat it as an object, as a substance with parts, which parts could be divided, and sub-divided, and so on, and so forth, until all is ground into that which is nearest as nearness can be to something which also is nothing.  

I am thinking of it still, while I try but fail to find a thought with which I might replace it.  I am thinking of it now, while I am trying not to think of it. I try to think of something else, of absolutely anything. I am thinking both of it and of my constant thoughts of it. In trying not to think of it, I am thinking of it doubly. I am trying not to think of it at all. I have been thinking of it constantly. I think of it now.

End poem]

[detritus from an upcoming project with zeno press]

See the instagram for frequent correspondences.

[laine-lulu]

My first thoughts when looking at this page was actually a memory of the terms area of the page. I remember doing these in past classes growing up in some of my English courses. I know more than one of my teachers usually had a poster in their room similar to this, but with terms regarding learning and English vocabulary. So being this struck me first, it really allowed me to see the key words used throughout, the top five were (page, begin, know, man, and life). Although I would disregard “page” being number one since I did do a copy and paste to not have to go back and forth between two web browser pop ups, so I’ll make the importance of the other four words.

I think these words really are seen throughout what Whitman writes. When we read we “begin” our journey into his mind, and what he entails us to acknowledge about life. Which then leads us to “know” which is also something like in my last post with the Bibble meme, and how Whitman is often asking the reader and everyone in general what they know (how they function essentially and their lifestyle; what is known to them in their routine of life). Then we fall into “man” which relates to more man-kind rather than just “a man”. This is also important to point out as again the poem is open for everyone to question life with. The last in the top 5 was “life,” which again would make sense of the higher usage throughout the poem, since we are talking about experience of ourselves and others.

Besides the terms scrambled into a framing way based upon usage, I also looked at the trends graph to the right corner. This caught my eye as it distributed the way the top 5 words were relative. I noticed one word that was at the highest part of the graph and lowest at some point on the frequencies which was “know”. I think this is fascinating, because it sort of could be seen as a visual metaphor on what we know and don’t know as we go through this rollercoaster we call life. We have points where we might feel the most smart or equipped of reality when in a certain room full of people, other times not so much. Which is why I go back to Whitman questioning the reader so much throughout the poem, while also telling his knowledge throughout. Sometimes we might know the most compared to everyone in the room, as almost if we’re an expert, other times we might not have a clue after being questioned more, or asked to break something down and almost feel “defeated”. Though once we get over the defeated stage we become more equipped from taking in that experience and start to grow from it, leading us to a high point again. Of course down the line it can go down, but it’s a frequency, it won’t always stay the same forever.

Seeing these two parts on the page, showed me Voyant is a tool that although might look like a lot going on at first and possibly even feel messy, can tell you a lot about what is the key of focus through whatever you are plugging into it. I think before doing this exercise I feel like I could explain Whitman’s poem to someone else, but it might be a broad meaning to them if they haven’t read it. However, after doing this, it could allow me to breakdown more into detail on what Whitman portrays and tackles into his work and allow me to explain to someone in a better description; since it focuses on things such as terms and the times used, frequencies throughout what is plugged in, as well as other things like the density of vocabulary given, and the readability of it. These are important tools to have when trying to not only explain to others if they want to know or communicate on this piece whether they’ve heard about it or not, as well as for ourselves to dive deeper into the meaning of what we are learning.