#Book summaries

[intersexbookclub]

Actually intersex people review "Wicked" by Maguire

Our read for February 2025 was “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire, originally published in 1995 and adapted into a musical of the same name, as well as a motion picture released in 2024.

This read posed some difficulty for the club. Most members of the club were able to finish it, but we had a great deal of critical commentary on it. 

The intersex representation left us wanting. Although Elphaba is fairly explicitly described as intersex, her intersexuality is treated as monstrous. Because Maguire has refused to confirm she’s intersex in interviews, and her intersexuality has been dropped in the adaptations, it feels like Maguire only gave her ambiguous genitalia for shock value and not as earnest representation.

Michelle had a lot of feels about this read: xe was “A big Maguire stan in [xer] teens, and didn’t really understand the politics [at the time].” Initially, Michelle was more favourably disposed to the book, having nostalgic reasons of fondness for the work, but critical analysis soon made xer wince in dismay at some of the creative oversights. Xe had previously read the work a couple of times, but not since her teen years;With a greater understanding of anarchism and resistance, it strongly affected xer reaction to the text. “Apparently coming back to a book series like 20 years later is pretty much ideal, because you’ve forgotten enough of it that it’s completely new.” 🙃

Elphaba’s Intersex Identity

The way Elphaba was coded intersex was pretty explicit, with mentions of her unfeminine figure and somewhat ambiguous genitalia openly in the text. 👍️ Rylee noticed many little nods to gender issues, like Elphaba’s remark that “I am a female, though not by choice.” There was some possible transmasc coding there.

Michelle found the intersex coding less offensive than expected (again, for 1995, xer expectations were rather low) and resonated with the way Elphaba protested her gender and some of the nuances of that. Xe had a great deal of affection for Elphaba as a character, having a strong fondness in general for strong, thorny female characters. Although it was imperfectly accomplished, Elphaba was depicted as a rebel and an anarchist, fiercely intelligent and questioning of society, all traits that Michelle enjoys both in real people and in fictional characters.

That being said, Maguire apparently has been evasive about whether Elphaba is meant to be intersex or not in interviews, saying that it’s “open to interpretation”, and everyone hated that. 👎️ The text is not particularly ambiguous, especially compared to other books we’ve read. We felt the ambiguity was cowardly, and subsequent adaptations had been able to conveniently erase it from the narrative – denying intersex people a prominent opportunity for representation. 👎️

Furthermore, there was a particularly nasty element with the intersex representation; Elphaba was clearly portrayed in ways indicated to be monstrous to those around her, and it appears that her intersex coding was meant to play into her depiction as “unnatural” or “marked by wickedness,” as it were. Obviously, none of us liked that. 👎️

Michelle felt like treating Elphaba’s identity as a literary device was gross, and that representation should not be “up to the reader”.

Michelle pointed that “it borrowed the trappings of monstrosity theory and queer objectivity theory without delving into what it means to be abject or monstrous.” While there was some value to the character, the depiction “also hurt.” It was something of a wakeup call for xer, and xe thought she might be gentler with future intersex books in terms of how they handle representation, in comparison to this one.

The favourable judgements

Michelle pointed out that the prose, worldbuilding, and queer writing were more inclusive than xe remembered, and was pleasantly impressed by how they held up. For Rylee, however, the book evoked “Blood and Honey”, a Winnie the Pooh satire of the unnecessarily dark and gritty variety. Rylee also had difficulty with the audiobook’s lack of differentiation between the intentional capitalizations of particular words, such as animal and Animal. “Wicked has the one-joke premise, but also has a comprehensive novel on top of it.”

That said, Rylee appreciated the antifascist themes and conservative Christianity versus individual introspection and agnostic musings. Maguire, a gay Catholic, clearly made much use of his background in the work’s uncertain and complex personal theology.

Elizabeth liked the writing for Galinda, and found her character realistic, in terms of people ze’s met. The depictions of colonialism were interesting, as were the scenes where Samira set boundaries with Elphaba. “Forgiveness for the sake of the person who was wronged and not for the person who, like, did her wrong to feel good about themselves.”

Where it didn’t work

Feral absolutely hated the writing style and felt the style impeded its own storytelling; it (Feral) found the politics heavy, yet meaningless, and the dark content felt “weirdly devoid of emotion,” and emotions that were shown felt “forced or inauthentic.” Remy agreed.👎️

Elizabeth found the violence to be simply gratuitous, and really hated the time jumps and the pacing of the story. Feral also agreed. “It felt like finally something exciting was going to happen, and then suddenly, there’s a huge time jump.” It felt that writing technique lowered the stakes drastically, an ineffective choice for a book about fascism. 🫤

Michelle conceded that xe had probably learned some bad pacing habits from this book in particular! “I think this book probably got deep into my DNA as a writer and a reader,” xe remarked, considering her own canon and the book’s influence on xer writing. However, everyone agreed that the pacing was very odd and uneven, and that the ramping of and subsequent diffusion of tension was an unpleasantly unsatisfying read. Xe also commented that “literary fiction sometimes subsists on vibes and symbolism and calls that a plot,” and remarked that it was a bad habit xe was still unlearning for xer own fiction.

Even Michelle, who was initially more defensive of the book, had to roll xer eyes hard at the “male writing” section describing some of Elphaba’s body parts.

We had mixed opinions on the depictions of the fascist takeover. Michelle found the helplessness and ordinariness of life continuing relatable given present circumstances, but Feral found the whole depiction of fascism very frustrating and ineffectual, even meaningless. “The whole book feels like it’s trying to be deep and dark and provocative without ever really having the guts to truly go for it & without putting in the work to provide meaningful commentary on the events being reported.” It described the book as “grimdark for the sake of being grimdark” in places, such as the infamous Tiger Scene, and had no truck with that.

Many of us were frustrated with the abrasively edgy take on sexuality. On one hand, the discomfort with sexuality in the text felt intentional, possibly a commentary from the perspective of the writer’s time in the closet. However, the deployment of sexual assault was repeated, often crass and sensationalist, and felt thoroughly unnecessary at times. It’s a common problem in Literary Fiction that sex or sexual violence are deployed for both shock value and ambiguous artistic purposes – making the sex “weird” is a common odd trope among these books.

Michelle said that, damningly, a lot of the sexual violence could be scrubbed from the book, and it would be a better book, at the end of the day. Rylee and Michelle both compared the TV series “The Boys” favourably to this book in terms of that series’ portrayals of violence and sexual violence, which are more sensitively and seriously handled than in Wicked.

A note on disability representation

Elizabeth also was interested in the way that Elphaba’s sister Nessarose, who also had a birth difference, lacking both arms, played into respectability politics, while Elphaba refused to do the same. However, the depiction of her disability and balance issues felt strange and unrealistic to all of us, since people born with limb differences and other disabilities are used to their bodies, and know how to move around in them. The depiction of disabled villains yet again was very exhausting.

Michelle added, “One of my friends got screamed at in social media recently for pointing out that a bunch of major Marvel heroes are disabled and it doesn't get talked about because they present as successful.”

In addition to the disability coding of villain characters, there were also desirability politics representation issues. Madam Morrible was presented as ugly and unattractive, and the tired coding of “hot people = good, ugly people = evil” was deployed yet again. Everyone was frustrated with the book for this. 🙄

The adaptations and context

Michelle had listened to the musical version of Wicked as well as having seen the most recent movie not too long before reading the book, and consequently, had some thoughts. The book was at the grimdark end of the spectrum, and the original books and movies were on the “candy cane” end of the spectrum, as xe put it; the recent movie adaptation had fallen neatly in the middle. Xe praised the film’s use of cinematic language to evoke the original Wizard of Oz. “In comparison, the book is like not just plunging into a cold, cold bath, but a cold bath with random pieces of broken glass in it.” 🫠

Rylee also mentioned an interesting piece of media that offered further possible insight – Wicked: The Real Story, a documentary that appeared to have origins as a student project. The documentary included interviews with Maguire. Apparently, the book was originally intended as “a sort of Oz-themed Lolita.” (It’s probably fortunate that we did not get that version of the book.) Instead, Maguire found himself drawn to the “loveable outsider” status of the Wicked Witch after writing her early childhood. This lends additional ambiguity to the nature of Elphaba’s depiction as a monstrous person, and suggests unfavourable things about the choice of giving her an intersex identity as well.

An interesting element of the book in general is that it is, very technically, up-market fan fiction. Michelle was critical of the way the book’s “Literary” reputation effectively gentrified fan fiction. It also gave xer insight into how Literary Fiction as a self-declared non-genre genre tends to include, in Canadian and American literature at least, both “genre fiction” that’s gentrified (science fiction, fantasy, horror, etcetera) and “middle class masturbatory stuff”.

This led directly into critiques Rylee had earlier made of the poor handling of sexual violence; the fan fiction community tends to be far more responsible and careful with its depictions of this topic than this book was. We agreed that the book felt like the literary equivalent of “Oscar bait”. We discussed how extreme horror and erotica can have  lot of artistic value by committing to the subject matter, and how Wicked fell short of this. Rylee also compared it to an adaptation sequel called Carmilla’s Revenge, by a descendant of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Mark Williams – but the sequel adequately included trigger warnings.

Feral was frustrated that the book had come out in 1995, during the initial splatterpunk movement, and speculated on how much better the tiger scene would have been if handled by Poppy Z Brite or Clive Barker.

Final thoughts

Over all, Wicked really demonstrates problems and flaws of both literary fiction as a genre/approach and of outsiders writing depictions of disabled groups where those disabilities or other identity struggles are used as plot points or for symbolic vibes, rather than being essential to the character’s identity. We were pretty disappointed with this one, but at least it generated a fantastic discussion as a book club pick. For any perisex authors interested in writing an intersex character we would not recommend this book positively. (Instead see our reviews of Cattywampus and Across the Green Grass Fields for examples of perisex authors can do justice to intersex representation!)

[wronghands1]

[whimsylueur]

SPOILERS FOR SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT (EVERY BOOK)

Since I have caught up with the entire series thus far I would like to provide some commentary in the form of incorrect quotes.

Skulduggery Pleasant Books 1-16, basically:

SP 1- Sceptre of the Ancients

Skulduggery:

Stephanie: You son of a bitch, I’m in

SP 2- Playing with Fire

Skulduggery to Derek: I’ve seen enough, give her Billy-Ray Sanguine.

SP 3- The Faceless Ones

Solomon to Valkyrie: I may have an idea to help you get Skulduggery back, all I want-

Valkyrie, already shaking his hand: Anything.

SP 4- Dark Days

Valkyrie, holding Skulduggery’s skull towards him: Need head?

(🚨🚨THIS IS A JOKE🚨🚨)

SP 5- Mortal Coil

Skulduggery, after Valkyrie spills the beans about Darquesse: (Quietly) Look at us, just two murderous peas in a pod.

Valkyrie: What was that?

Skulduggery: Huh?

SP 6- Death Bringer

Skulduggery to Lord Vile about Darquesse: Oh deuce, the silly goose is loose

SP 7- Kingdom of the Wicked

Kitana to Valkyrie: 6 feet of dirt would look good on you <3

SP 8- Last stand of Dead Men

Billy-Ray to Ghastly about Tanith: If she’s your girlfriend, why is she playing with my mullet?

SP 9- The Dying of the Light

Valkyrie to Skulduggery: I literally love you, you’re everything to me. Don’t do this

Skulduggery, after the most devious prank of the decade: Oh cheer up

SP 10- Resurrection

Valkyrie: It’s so over bros

SP 11- Midnight

Valkyrie: The dog in me has been euthanised

SP 12- Bedlam

Valkyrie: My favourite thing about me is my girlfriend

SP 13- Seasons of War

Valkyrie: WE ARE SO FUCKING BACK

SP 14- Dead or Alive

Valkyrie: Uh

Cadaver, hugging her tightly: Shhhh, I need this

SP 15- Until the End

Darquesse: Today, I’m a serious goose. (Revamps the entire fucking universe)

SP 16- A Mind Full of Murder

Skulduggery to Valkyrie: You mean the world to me. I love you, you make me strong.

Valkyrie: Cornyyyyy

[ramadoodles]

Ego is the Enemy- Day 1. Lessons learned-

Chapter 1- Your belief in yourself should be earned and based in fact, not assumed based on perceived performance. Take a good hard look at your achievements, and see if you have the proof to back them. E.g. if I say I'm a good engineer- do I have the skills to back that? When was the last time I tested those skills?

Chapter 2- Move in Silence. The more you talk about your plans, the less drive you have to achieve them. Your mind begins to confuse goal visualization with actual progress. Learn to live in the Void, eliminating all distractions; you'll get your best ideas there.

Chapter 3- A introduction to the legendary John Boyd. His advice- someday, you'll have to choose between being a good and successful person by conventional standards, and doing good- be it for your country, people, or your world, whatever motivates you. Whatever path you follow, someday you'll have to choose between being corrupted by ambition and staying true to your goals. And as a great blogger on here as said, when you make some choices, it'll close a door. You have to choose what door you're closing, and live with it.

Chapter 4- Always remain a student. Have three people with you to learn- One better than you to learn from, one worse than you to teach, and one the same level as you, whom you can practice with. And constantly, constantly find ways for improvement. There will always be places to improve.

Be open to feedback, however negative, and don't let your ego get in the way of your progress.

[zubidavies]

💸 New Episode Out Now: The Rules of Money — What They Don’t Teach You About Wealth

On this week’s episode of Lit in a Nutshell, we dive into The Rules of Money by Richard Templar — a practical, no-fluff guide that breaks down the unspoken truths behind building wealth, keeping it, and growing it wisely. Whether you’re just starting your financial journey or want to sharpen your money mindset, this book delivers timeless wisdom in simple, actionable “rules.” And in true Lit in…

[crackspinewornpages]

Jim Henson's Labyrinth 19/19 -A.C.H. Smith

14 

Jareth held a few crystals, one of them swirling in the air and flicking it away into a bubble. it drifted and the other three followed outside. The four bubbles approached Sarah, who stared at them entranced. hearing music, the first one had the dancer from her music box. Sarah swayed with the music inside the bubble, dressed in a ball gown, dancing with the others, each bubble had a dancer in it, approaching the other bubble, inside was a ballroom with Jareth waiting. Didymus and Ludo came to the edge of the forest, in the distance the walls of the castle. as Didymus turned to call Sarah she wasn't there, they didn't notice the bubble floating above their heads. 

The ballroom was full of opulence that hard worn away, (100 years of dripping wax candles making stalagmites and threadbare silk tapestries) and the thirteenth hour clock chimed. Sarah watched the bubble dancers and they watched her behind their masks moving in a ring lethargically as they did all night or they lounged against the wall or cushioned pits, (tended to by maids and footmen that had parchment skin so how long have these people been here at this fae party) smiling like knives at Sarah. “She was the picture of innocence in that setting, a picture that excited the dancers, who never took their masked eyes off her,”p.157 Sarah looked in a mirror and saw Jareth pass by dancing with a woman, as she turned he vanished and as she looked for him didn’t notice a young man leering at her. Jareth watched it all, following her in the corrupt ballroom. Sarah was self-conscious now among these strangers who acted like they knew something she didn't and she hurried looking for Jareth, not knowing what to say, just that it was important she found him. 

She saw him whispering to his partner and she looked away in embarrassment to another mirror and saw Jareth now alone (another My Immortal like description of his clothes) and he held out a hand for her. Sarah took it and her dizziness ceased as she spun around the ballroom, she knew she was the loveliest woman of all by the way Jareth smiled at her. She feels it’s like dream but she doesn't remember any dream like this. She saw in his face he was enjoying this moment with no mocking or secretiveness on the others. “And when you’ve found your way in, stay in your dream, Sarah.”-“Believe me. If you want to be truly free, wholly yourself-you do want that, don’t you?”p.159 Sarah did. “Then you will find what you want only as long as you stay in your dream. Once abandoned, and you are at the mercy of other people’s dreams.”p.160 

As she almost kissed him, she closed her eyes but the silence made open them, the music stopped and everyone else was watching, almost laughing. Sarah wrenched herself away from him as he tried to force a kiss, (he’s such a creeper I’m glad David Bowie adamantly refused to kiss the underaged Jennifer Connelly) the clock struck twelve. She ran through the crowd until she saw the membrane and hurled a chair at it bursting the bubble. (yes Sarah get out of that Weinstein Schneider Hollywood party) She was sucked through space and on the ground saw her friends looking up at her. Behind her the ballroom collapsed into junk she recognized from her room. “If this is the debris of the ballroom, she thought, then all my life must have been at that ball, in disguise.”p.161 (hmmm) The sea of junk stretched beyond the horizon spinning Sarah around with it, then it stopped and she was on the ground still holding the rotting peach, she flung it away and fainted. 

15 

Sarah woke up nowhere and could only remember being at the ball ashamed at almost falling for Jareth’s charm and feeling soiled. “Those men who pawed her, Jareth trying so rudely to force a kiss upon her-had she been truly innocent, they would not have behaved like that toward her, would they?”p.163 (Sarah Sarah normally I’d say you acted like a stupid child not thinking but this this you are a child and they are a bunch of creepy adults who took advantage of a child) She looked at the desolate landscape wondering what she was doing. “No one in sight. It was a place where you would soon forget your own name.”p.163 When she stood up the pile of rags she was on moved, the woman told her to get off her back. A little old goblin woman carried a pile of junk on her back, that’s what the other mounds of garbage were. 

Sarah doesn't know where she was going, “You can't look where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re going.”p.164 Sarah didn't argue she just knew she was looking for something, of course she was, they all are, she’s already found lots of things. She gave Sarah things to get started on her own pile, digging through she gave Sarah Lancelot bringing her childish joy like she was a little girl again. Is it what she was looking for, yes, she forgot about it and the old goblin points to her tent for Sarah to look through, inside was her room. 

Sarah woke up in her bed holding Lancelot, it was all a nightmare it was so real and she was still nervous, she opened the door and it led to the wasteland. The old woman asks if she likes the things as Sarah repeats that it’s just a dream, she opens the door again, this time the old woman barged in. She told Sarah it’s best to stay inside, nothing she wants is out there, as she looked around finding things and putting them in Sarah’s arms. She names Sarah things asking if she remembers, “something else was working at Sarah’s feelings, something grey and listless, like despair. She recognized it, but couldn't be sure of its cause.”p.167 (ah this old lady is Sarah’s depression and attachment disorder talking) 

The old woman piled things on her back as Sarah stared at herself in the mirror (she’s also smearing lipstick on her mouth) her shoulders were starting to bow. She starts to think of what she was looking for but the old woman tells her not to talk about it. “It’s all here, everything you’ve ever cared about.”p.168 Sarah stopped listening to the woman or she would have cried and looked for something to distract her off the condescension. On the dressing table was the Labyrinth book, she picked it up and recited the lines and remembered Toby then everything altered, the room was the same but Sarah looked at it with new eyes. “the whole room was a garbage heap, a dead shrine to a spirit that had fled.”p.169 (that spirit being her childhood self) She called it all junk and the woman was taken aback trying to find things and gave Sarah, the music box, (sounds like the ballroom) it’s also junk. “she knew what the grey despair had been. This room was a prison, and she was her own jailor. And so she had the key to release herself, to go and do the thing that mattered.”p.169 (yay she’s breaking out of her arrested development) She had to save Toby and heard her name being called, she stood up shrugging off the junk and the room fell apart. Two hands reached from above and Sarah grabbed on being pulled up to the ground to her friends, behind them was the castle. 

16 

They were at the gates of the Goblin City, Didymus asks if she’s sure she wants to go to the castle. she has to or she’ll lose her little brother. They move forward with Hoggle lingering behind, Didymus shouted at the sleeping goblin guard to open up (that let men in meme) until Sarah begged for him not to make so much noise. Ludo pushed the gate and it swung open (remember the beginning when Sarah was looking for the key to unlocked labyrinth) and it slammed shut as soon as they were in and another pair was open ahead of them but shut before they reached them. At each door was half a set of armor that now formed a titanic warrior called Humongous who wielded two axes. He missed his swing and it hit the wall sending sparks, they dodged his swings trying to take cover. Between a blow Didymus spotted something on the parapet, Hoggle running along toward the inner gate with a purpose. 

Hoggle jumped down on Humongous and kicked his helmet knocking it open revealing a tiny goblin working the controls. Hoggle grabbed him and tossed him out and took over the levers making Humongous go out of control and smoke as Hoggle jumped out. Humongous was on a rampage working his way back to the inner gates, swinging into the arch and breaking down as he overloaded. Sarah asks Hoggle if he’s alright, but Hoggle says he’s not asking to be forgiven. he doesn't care what she thinks, he said he was a coward and not interested in being friends. She forgives him and Didymus says what he did was courageous, Ludo calls him a friend. Sarah gives him back his jewels and Ludo opens the gates and the party heads into the Goblin City.     

The goblins watched Jareth play with Toby, wishing they could play with him, Jareth would tickle Toby and when in range, Toby would punch him in the face. Jareth laughs that he’s spirited, he’ll name him after himself, (is this just for Toby or does he rename all the stolen babies) he has his eyes, and as Toby smacks him in one says his disposition too. Goblins then came running in yelling that the girl who ate the peach is here with a monster, Sir Didymus and a gnome. (his wiki says he’s a dwarf) They got past Humongous and are on their way to the castle, Jareth commands them to stop her. He hands Toby (he calls him Jarethkin unsure if that means he’s now family or all the goblins are considered that) off to one of the goblins to take care of,  Sarah must not get him. As the goblins run off Jareth was left alone repeating she must be stopped from getting the baby. 

17 

Goblin City was a shantytown decorated in Goblin Grotesque style and rotting garbage littered the streets huddled in the shadows of the castle. In the dawn the city seemed asleep, and the party made their way through the marketplace as Sarah and Hoggle tell Didymus to keep quiet. Hoggle calls it a piece of cake as Sarah thinks they're going to make it. Hoggle should have known better the last time that phrase was said and now the danger was a bugle that sounded the goblin army they could only run back into town. (thanks a lot Hoggle you jinxed it) Jareth watched the chaos and winced as the four ran through the city as other goblins popped their heads out of windows to look. Sarah had them run into an abandoned house and bolted the door telling Didymus to guard it while she and Hoggle watched the windows and Ludo the roof. 

As a goblin smashed through a window Sarah brought a plate down on its head, one recognized Hoggle as he used to be with them, Hoggle hit him with a teapot. Sarah and Hoggle were overwhelmed and Didymus wondered if he should disobey orders when the door started to splinter by a battering ram he tried to fend them off with his staff but it wasn't in reach when the door burst open. Sarah and Hoggle were running out of crockery and the horde kept coming, they asked Hoggle what did they do to him, they stole Sarah’s brother, he knows they steal babies. Ludo was knocking down goblins on ladders when canons were called up that misfired. 

Inside Didymus heard the goblins talking about eating Sarah and he was infuriated and charged at the goblins in town, disarming the horde. Sarah saw him surrounded by goblins wielding spears and called for Ludo to summon rocks and for Hoggle to retreat up the stairs. As Ludo roared a distant rumbling followed as bits fell off the castle walls but, in the meantime, Didymus was cornered, and they were trapped on the roof. Sarah calls for Didymus to hold them back as she made a rope out of sheets for them to climb down. Didymus fought his way to the roof and while on the rope, cut it, so the goblins wouldn't follow and fell using the sheet to parachute down. Meanwhile the rocks filled the streets overtaking the army and walling them up allowing Sarah to lead her friends back to the castle and walk inside the throne room. “The chamber was deserted. In the middle of it was a cradle, empty. The clock showed three minutes to thirteen.”p.190 (gasp Jareth you cheating bastard) The vulture sitting above the throne laughed. 

18 

Toby was gone, but Sarah knew Jareth wouldn't abandoned his castle, the only other way was a set of stairs. Sarah ran for it and the others followed but she stopped them, she has to face them alone. “Because that’s the way it’s done.”p.192 All the stories do Sarah felt awful, but she was right and Didymus agreed. “But shouldst thou have need of us...”p.192 (hmm) She went up the stairs and found herself in a hall with many staircases, balconies doors and windows, inside out, backwards and upside down and went on alternating. (so an MC Esher painting Winchester Manor mix with Hogwarts physics) Sarah edged her way along when Jareth calls that he’s been expecting her, Toby is safe in his keep, he’s not keeping him because she’s here. Jareth tells her she’s answered none of the riddles and doesn't even know the questions, she understands nothing. (thank you for calling that out) “You are wrong. I have come to understand one thing very well. You are just putting on a show of confidence. It doesn’t take me in anymore. You are frightened Jareth.”p.193 (yes call his ass out too) They both are. 

They stared at each other for a few seconds then Jareth moved around the stairs calling Sarah cruel and they are evenly matched. “I need your cruelty, just as you need mine.”p.194 Sarah was losing balance watching him then she saw Toby, she had to reach him, Jareth mirroring everywhere she went, laughing. Jareth tossed a crystal ball, Toby followed it over the edge along a wall, defying laws of gravity. Sarah chased after him but he kept getting out of reach at risk of falling off a balcony or stairs. (safe in his keep my ass you don’t even have a single baby gate) Suddenly Jareth spun her around, “It has been a fine game, Sarah, and now it’s time to finish playing, because you cannot ever win.”p.195 Sarah saw Toby near a window, birds were outside, it wasn’t an illusion and she jumped to reach him, Jareth smiled triumphantly. “If he could not keep the baby, nor would she.”p.196  

Sarah opened her eyes and found herself in another part of the hall, something changed, a wing of the castle was in ruins, the stones were gone, grass in the cracks the turrets collapsed growing brambles. The sound around Jareth now had a forlorn ring to it. “Jareth stepped out from a shadowy archway, wearing a faded, threadbare cloak. His face looked older, drawn. In his blond mane was a trace of grey.”p.196 (so what does he really need baby youth to keep himself young and his kingdom running) She demanded Toby, he warns he’s been generous until now, but he can be cruel, he’s done everything she’s wanted. “You asked that the child be taken. I took him. You coward before me, I was frightening.”-”I have reordered time,”-”I have turned the world upside down.”-”And I have done it all for you,”-”I am exhausted from living up to your expectations. Isn’t that generous?”p.197 (he played the role of the villain in her story) 

Sarah starts to recite the lines from the play as Jareth yells at her to stay back and stop, offering another crystal to show her her dreams. She continues and he says he asks so little, just believe in him and she can have everything, when she fumbles the lines again. “Just fear me and love me, “-”and do as I say, and I...I will be your slave.”p.198 And Sarah finally recalled the words. “You have no power over me.”p.198 Jareth and the goblins shouted no as the clock struck, (there’s no way all that happened in three minutes) he tossed the bubble up his face distorted in it and when Sarah touched it it burst. Jareth disappeared, leaving his dusty cloak and at the twelfth chime a white owl flew out from under it, flying circles over her. 

19 

Sarah wiped her eyes saying she needs to get out of the habit of crying and going over the top, (finally some growth) then remembered she hadn't found Toby. The owl was still flying above her but she was on the staircase of her home. The owl flew out an open window and she ran up the stairs shouting for Toby, he was asleep in his crib, she woke him up cuddling him and gave him Lancelot. She watched him sleep for a long time before going back to her room, it was after midnight and her parents would be home soon. She looked around her room, at the old photographs and removed them one at a time, putting them in a drawer including the old family photo and music box. 

Downstairs, Irene called for her and Sarah held the Labyrinth book, “Wait,”-”I am closing a chapter of my life. Just wait.”p.202 And she put the playbook in the drawer and called back she’s there and welcome back, surprising Irene. Sarah thought once was enough for now and pushed the drawer shut, behind her in the window was a reflection of Ludo saying goodbye. When she spun around the room was empty then it was Sir Didymus. “And remember, sweetest damsel, shouldst thou ever have a need...” “I’ll call.”p.203 She told him goodbye and Hoggle appeared. “Yes, if you ever need us...for any reason at all...”p.203 Sarah says she needs them all then the Wise Man appeared. “Sometimes,”-”to need is...to let go.”p.203 Outside the owl watched and waited and flew away unseen. (growing up isn’t leaving childish things behind it’s carrying them with you in different ways)  

FIRST

[blairwashere]

I Leave It Up To You by Jinwoo Chong

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5. 1 minute The 4th book on my 2nd quarter reading goal! Honestly I don’t think I will be finishing the last book in my reading goal because I am busy and don’t have time to physically read a book (no audiobook available that I could find). I only knew one thing about this book before reading it so I was pleasantly surprised by it. Let’s get into it. Our main…

[alt-econ]

Loretta Napoleoni, Technocapitalism

One sentence summary:

This is what the blurb on the back of this book says:

"At the dawn of the digital revolution, the Internet promised to be the great equalizer, a global democratic force. Instead, Wall Street ended up funding a new breed of serial capitalists, the Techtitans, who jacked up their own profits by mining new frontiers and stripping their workers of rights. ... Napoleoni offers us the real story of how we got here and what it will take to redirect our collective will toward the common good."

That was more than enough to get me to pick up this book, and once I picked it up, I couldn't stop. Do you know how the 2008 financial crisis is tied to the rise of Silicon Valley and the privatization of space exploration? I didn't, but after this book, I did.

The story begins with the 2008 financial crisis. How exactly did the U.S. government bail out the financial sector? Through quantitative easing: the Treasury materialized trillions of dollars out of thin air by pressing a few keys on their keyboard. This money was used to buy bonds and securities from banks and financial institutions in order to stabilize them. The financial sector got trillions in cash.

So what did the financial sector do with this money? They invested in Silicon Valley. In the post-financial crisis era of near-zero interest rates, the tech industry was one of the few places that offered high returns on investment. As a result, it wasn't just private investors and venture capitalists that made their way to Silicon Valley, but also institutional investors: pension fund managers, insurance companies, hedge funds, and even banks.

So, that's the story of how Silicon Valley got rich. But there is also another important side to this story, which is the fact that the speed of innovations outpaces regulations: "The time gap between innovations the tech companies implement and the laws that would regulate them has also played a major role in the global growth of companies like Airbnb, Google, and Uber. It creates a gray area, unreachable by the law, where tech companies operate freely, redesigning labor protocols and privacy instruments and payment protocols to their own advantage."

The example she raises is how Uber pioneered the gig economy model. By presenting themselves as a digital platform / broker, they are able to categorize their drivers as freelance / self-employed workers, which means they do not have to provide them with benefits or other protections--despite the fact that drivers are functionally employees. All this, under the guise of the "sharing economy."

As a result? "Far from encouraging an equitable distribution of wealth, the tech industry compounded inequalities. And it did this intentionally, because to a certain degree, the greed that had characterized the financial sector leading into the financial crisis did not die; rather, it emerged, scarred, and produced a cross-pollination between Wall Street and Silicon Valley."

Meanwhile, Techtitans like Google grew rapidly by buying and absorbing new innovations and startups. As Napoleoni describes: "While serial entrepreneurs produce a constant stream of new ideas, the big Techtitans are permanently on the lookout to buy the best ones, secondarily to improve their own businesses, but primarily to prevent any competition." Google Maps was developed by buying up all the startups that provided digital map services. When Google learned that Facebook and Apple wanted to buy Waze, it stepped in and outbid them by nearly a billion dollars. It was clearly a monopolistic move.

[Napoleoni doesn't talk about this but, her book is literally called The Rise of the New Robber Barons. Remember the original robber barons? Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller--these guys are the reason why the U.S. has antitrust laws today. No wonder SIlicon Valley spends so much time and money on antitrust cases.]

Now, the Techtitans have set their eyes on space. Why? Part of it, Napoleoni argues, has to do with the model of infinite economic growth. The human race is outgrowing the planet, so the next frontier is space. Jeff Bezos believes in a future with space settlements, Elon Musk wants to colonize Mars. But more practically, and immediately, the lower Earth orbit promises major business opportunities. The development of nano satellites has made it significantly more affordable to launch satellites. Right now, they're being used to provide satellite internet, e.g. Starlink, or Project Kuiper. Goldman Sachs thinks mining asteroids is a near future possibility. All while leaving behind a trail of space debris.

What makes all of this especially nebulous and hard to fight back against is that so much of this technological innovation is hard to understand. Napoleoni illustrates this point best with stories of fraudulent bitcoins and NFT schemes, but it goes beyond that. Most of us don't understand the wider societal significance of blockchain, let alone the technical mechanism. In the same way, many of us didn't understand the significance of the end of the gold standard or the rise of financial engineering. And now, as the Techtitans seek to transform themselves into Space Barons, we don't understand the significance of the corporatization of the lower Earth orbit or the development of relaunchable rockets.

And when we don't understand these technological innovations and its broader significance, not only do we struggle to foresee how these things will make inequality worse, we also fail to see the beneficial opportunities these technologies, if managed more wisely, could offer humanity. Blockchain could be used to improve food security, facilitate product recalls, to trace the origins of the products we buy. It could allow for secure management of personal data. Bitcoin was originally envisioned by its creator as a way to democratize money, and has already shown its usefulness in situations like wars where ordinary people can get money even when traditional banks are unreliable, without fear of surveillance. In space, satellites could be carrying solar panels (space-based solar power), providing clean and continuous energy for our use.

Napoleoni doesn't explicitly address how we get there, but it is implicit that the first step is education and understanding. And reading this book is a great way to get started.

[withtroy]

"The Path to Wealth Starts Here."

[intersexbookclub]

A lot of thoughts about Cripping Intersex

On 2024-09-29 we met to talk about Chapters 0 and 7-9 of the 2022 book Cripping Intersex by Celeste Orr. This was a book that numerous people had requested we read, and we wound up with deeply mixed feelings about it. 😬

Overall reactions:

Michelle: I found the concept of “hauntology” incredibly compelling. I’m here for some shitposting. 🍵

Apollo: I loved the concept of compulsory dyadism. I found the downplaying of “perisex” as a term to be weird, and the lack of divulging intersex/disability status was weird. 

Elizabeth: the lack of diverging intersex/disability status wasn’t just weird, it was anathema to standpoint theory, and so every time Orr cited standpoint theorists, it made me seriously doubt Orr’s understanding of the theoretical basis that they actively chose to use 🧐. I was disappointed by this book. I agree with its central premise, so I should have been an easy sell. Instead I came out shaking, upset, feeling like Orr was a voyeur to our community, that Orr does not actually view intersex studies as a serious research area, that we’re just a theoretical fascination.

Remy: There were a lot of good points about how disability is socially constructed, but how Orr used “bodymind” detracted from their arguments for me. This book had a lot of uncomfortable conversations, some of them I was happy to read, some I need to come to terms with myself, while others I felt were treated a little too artificially equally such as the section with the phrase "the future is female" and the intersex community being involved in the queer community. 🤔

Bnuuy: it's really jarring how they approach the topic. There are a lot of pieces for a good theory here, but it’s kinda like Orr is just like the completely wrong person to go try to assemble them 🫤

As a collective, we generally were receptive (if not enthused!) about the central message that intersex benefits from disability studies/rights/justice perspectives, and that our community would benefit from more interaction with the disability studies/rights/justice communities! 💜

At the same time, we all agreed that Orr felt like a voyeur to our community. Rather than engaging with the intersex community, they seem to have a one-sided relationship where they read a bunch of things by intersex people but never actually conversed with intersex people. Whether Orr is intersex or not matters a whole lot less to us than whether Orr is actively participating in the community. 

We made a lot of (unflattering) comparisons of Orr’s book to Envisioning African Intersex by Swarr, an intersex studies book by a perisex author. The latter is a great example of how a perisex scholar can do right by the intersex community: Swarr is clear about being perisex, clearly lays out her motivation for writing the book (she saw medical photography of intersex people, thought it was fucked up, later became friends with intersex activist Sally Gross, and then wanted to honour Gross’ memory after Gross died tragically.) Swarr was clearly connected to multiple African intersex organizations and made an explicit, deliberate choice to publish her book as open access so that the work could actually be read by the African activists she has been working with. Swarr’s perisex status matters a lot less than the fact that Swarr writes in a way that demonstrates personal investment in advancing intersex rights/justice.

Orr may or may nor be intersex. We don’t know. We don’t really care, because Orr doesn’t demonstrate personal investment in the intersex rights/justice/studies communities. That’s what actually matters to us, and it's what a lot of this post is going to talk about.

Underneath the cut we're going to go into a lot more detail about the book. There were things we liked about the book, and want to be fair in our assessment. Some of the complaints we had about the book hinge on an understanding of sociological theory and academic practices, so we'll give some context on those issues.

What we liked

This book had a bunch of things going for it.

The one thing this book did better than Swarr was its use of hauntology. Swarr invokes hauntology in her book, but not nearly as effectively as Orr does. Orr gets a lot of effective mileage out of how the spectre of intersex haunts people’s bodies. Not just intersex people’s bodies, but also the bodies of pregnant people who are called upon to exorcise the spectre of intersex through selective abortion should a foetus be identified as possibly intersex.

The haunting metaphor rung true for talking about how we intersex people are haunted by past surgeries, forced treatments, medical trauma, and so on. Even when we’re “done” with receiving gender-altering “treatments” we live with their ghosts every day.

We liked the explicit connections that Orr drew between intersex and disability studies. Elizabeth in particular was warmed by the shoutout to how Garland-Thompson explicitly includes intersex in her disability studies work. We felt that Orr perhaps underestimates how receptive many intersex people would be to their central argument - Orr takes on a tone of “hey bear with my crazy radical argument” that we weren’t sure was really necessary.

Orr is not the first to make the argument that intersex organizing and scholarship would benefit from more alignment with the disability world. This gets into criticisms, but Orr isn’t the first to make this argument yet seems unaware of how regularly the argument comes up. Indeed there’s a whole chapter in Critical Intersex (2009) arguing that intersex is better off allying with the disability community than the queer community. It’s not hard to find intersex people on this very website arguing similar things. Intersex-support even has a whole section on it in their FAQ, though it does cite Orr (lol). Orr does at least seem aware of Koyama’s work making this argument.

We appreciated Orr calling out ableism in a lot of intersex organizing. When intersex people and organizations insist that intersex is NOT a disorder or disability, they conflate disorder and disability. This is an ableist conflation: disability activism tends to start from a place of resistance to the medical model of disability, whether it be by the social model or more recent ones like the political/relational model. 

Intersex activists insisting that intersex is “NOT a disability” reinforce the idea that disability is a negative, tragic thing. It’s the “I’m not like the other girls” rhetoric: putting down people who experience the same oppression you do in an effort to gain some credibility. It holds our movement back, because ableism is a very potent part of how we intersex people are oppressed. Orr does an effective job of laying this out, and we recommend reading the first chapter for this.

Orr coins a term, temporarily endosex, to talk about how people can learn at any age or time that they have had intersex traits all along. (Another way in which intersex can haunt!). For Elizabeth, the idea of temporarily perisex helped zer understand why perisex people can be *so* insistent in defining intersex as something visible at birth: because if intersex is something you can become at any age, this threatens perisex people with the possibility that they too could find themselves on the minority side of the tracks.

Other terms that Orr uses were big hits with the group. Elizabeth loved “curative violence” and ze expects to get future mileage out of the term. Ze also liked the framing of IGM as medical malpractice. Apollo praised “compulsory dyadism” as a concept. Remy shared that the cyborg stuff in the book gave them a lot to think about.

The book features a takedown of eugenicist rhetoric by a bioethicist by the name of Sparrow. We all agreed that Sparrow’s arguments sucked, were grossly eugenicist, and welcomed that Orr had put in the work to rebut his hateful messaging. Michelle praised how they invoked Sparrow’s lists of undesirables that Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis is supposed to prevent: for xem, it evoked monstrosity identification theory and ideas of the abject.

Elizabeth liked Orr’s argument that genital differences are a threat to the heterosexual (perisex) imagination: there’s so much porn out there that incorrectly presents intersex as “typical fully-developed penis plus typical fully-developed vagina” that really reflects how perisex people have a serious lack of imagination about genitals.

Fact Checking

There are a number of things that Orr says that we felt warrant an explicit fact check.

Orr presents the terms “perisex” and “endosex” as though they are contentious within the intersex community. They are not. The general consensus that one’s choice of perisex/endosex/dyadic is a question of personal preference and familiarity.

Orr clearly prefers the term dyadic, and makes a show of casting aspersions on “perisex” and “endosex”. They make it seem like their origins are disputed, and selectively cite Tumblr posts to make this argument. “Perisex” is actually the most common antonym to intersex on this very website, so it feels surreal that they're publishing the rare anti-“perisex” posts on this platform. Orr does correctly cite the Tumblr which coined “perisex”, the issue is they try to discredit it as a means to make it seem like this is not a term embraced by the intersex community.

Orr makes it seem like the origin of “endosex” is a suspicious mystery. It’s not. the term was first used in German in 2000 by Heike Bödeker. Bödeker is controversial for supporting autogynephilia 😬, but we've never seen anybody doubt Bödeker having mixed gonadal dysgenesis. 

Orr clearly prefers the term “dyadic” and makes zero attempt to source the term, and the most minimal attempt at covering its controversy. This term actually does come from outside the intersex community! The term came from gender studies, popularized by 1970s radfem Shulamith Firestone. And it’s controversial for more than just being a laundering of “sex binary”. 

Nobody calls it “ipso gender” anymore. It was coined as “ipso gender” but in actual usage has been “ipsogender” from basically as soon as the term was coined.

Orr uncritically repeats a quote which romanticizes home births in Black & Indigenous communities as that intersex-at-birth babies were accepted and cared for in a way that wouldn’t happen if the baby were born in hospital. This, sadly, is deserves scrutiny. We’re not saying it never happened: one can find stories supporting it. But the historical and sociological evidence show that infanticide of intersex infants has been widespread globally, and this includes traditional Black and Indigenous birth attendants. Collison (2018) as quoted in Swarr, reports that 88 of 90 traditional South African birth attendants they interviewed admitted to “getting rid” of a child if it was born intersex. That very story we just linked to about a Kenyan midwife saving intersex babies made the news because infanticide was the norm. In North America, some First Nations had similar traditions, e.g. the Navajo would leave intersex babies to die in arroyos, and the Halq’eméylem would leave them to die on a specific mountain. 😢

Michelle was visibly upset when talking about Orr’s  repeated comments which insinuate that LGBT marriage equality was an attempt to fit in + liberalism + conformity. In Michelle’s words: “AIDS activists did not watch their lovers die for you to say that marriage equality is conformist bullshit. As a [polyamorous] person who is not legally married to xer spouses, I really felt that one, and I was intensely angry about how Orr was dismissing those activist efforts and the importance of them.”

The Voyeuristic Vibes

The consensus in the group was that Orr’s writing came off as voyeuristic of the intersex community. There were several points in the book where Orr seemed strangely disconnected from the intersex community. Sometimes it was small things, like spelling ipsogender as “ipso gender”, or favouring the term “interphobia” when “intersexism” is actually more popular in the community (it also avoids the potential casual ableism of framing bigots as clinically insane! Which you’d think a crip theorist would be sensitive to…. 👀) 

Other times, it felt like a deeper, conceptual thing. For example, Orr’s top priority in future work was to apply their interpretation of intersex issues to critique how LGBT marriage equality was a homonormative, neoliberal, conformist movement. Not only was this viscerally upsetting to Michelle, for Elizabeth it was galling that this is what Orr seems to think intersex perspectives are good for: pushing down other queer groups. 😬 It added to the sense that Orr saw us as a nifty theoretical lens, and wasn’t particularly interested in advancing the intersex cause.

Another disconnection that was noted was in how Orr rebutted Sparrow’s claims that genital differences are disgusting and will not elicit sexual desire in others. Despite detailed rebuttals to other appalling comments from Sparrow, Orr does not bring up the intense fetishization of intersex genital differences which is uncomfortably familiar to all of us. Objectifying medical photography of intersex people with genital differences are shared widely and known to be used for sexual purposes.

Bnuuy was annoyed that Orr seemingly didn't try to talk to or otherwise get input/feedback from any disabled intersex people for their thesis, given that disabled intersex people are not actually that hard to find! (Indeed, four out of five of us are both intersex and disabled.) Given Orr’s emphasis on intersectionality, it’s notable that when they sought intersex texts to analyse, they focused on texts from nondisabled intersex folks.

Orr does not reveal if they are intersex nor if they are disabled. It sticks out. Whether they’re actually intersex or not isn't actually that important to us. We’ve previously read intersex studies works by perisex authors which we loved, and we believe strongly that it is possible for perisex authors to do right by the community if they take the time to engage WITH the community. (See Swarr as an exemplar!)

What we had major problem with is the faux “objective” tone that the book takes on. Orr seems to be trying to hide behind academic language, the “view from nowhere”, and an expensive paywall. This was noticeable to everybody. But Elizabeth, as the only academic in the call, came in with a lot more context as to why it felt gross.

The Misuse of Standpoint Theory

For Elizabeth, Orr's “view from nowhere” became egregious when Orr cites standpoint theorists like Donna Haraway, Nancy Hartstock, and Pat Hill Collins. In a surreal move, Orr explicitly points to Haraway’s famous paper “Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective”. This paper is an evisceration of the “view from nowhere”, “objective” approach to academic knowledge production. Every view is a view from somewhere, and pretending otherwise feeds into the history of how science has been violently used to gaslight and oppress minority groups.

In short, Haraway says:

Elizabeth explains that as result, feminist methodologies accept subjectivity as part of the process: the researcher is expected to articulate their own standpoint, to be transparent about their subjectivity rather than to hide it behind a pretense of “objectivity”. There’s an emphasis on reflexivity, the fancy word for when scholars reflect on how their own social position affects how they do their research.

Feminist disability studies and crip theory both build on feminist standpoint theory, and Orr claims to be using both. Both frameworks understand disability as socially constructed, and that this social construction is entwined with other social forces such as capitalism, sexism, racism, and so on. Feminist disability studies scholars like Wendell (who Orr cites) clearly position themselves and how their disability (or lack thereof) affects their research. 

Crip theory builds further on feminist disability studies, and acts to subvert ideas of ability. It began in the arts - cripping performance art by having wheelchair users perform as dancers, blind people doing photography, Deaf people making music, etc. It spread into other domains, such as crip technoscience. Crip theorists also inherit the tradition of reflexivity, whether it be Eli Claire writing about their personal experiences of disability or Sami Schalk talking about how being nondisabled affects her work as a disability studies scholar.

We provide all this exposition to emphasize how unusual it is that Orr provides absolutely zero information about their positionality nor their personal motivations to this research. 🧐 They provide zero reflexivity as to how their position may have affected their work. Yet their personal biases and subjectivity seemed obvious to us - we were all, in varying ways, set off by Orr trying to pass off subjective opinion as “correct”. As an example, we mentioned how Orr clearly prefers the term “dyadic” and manufactures controversy about the origins of “endosex” and “perisex”, while at the same time conveniently leaving out the unsavoury origins of the term “dyadic”. 

Elizabeth pointed out that the ironic thing is Orr didn’t even need to invoke standpoint theory to make the argument that intersex studies would benefit from a disability studies lens. Plenty of intersex and disability studies is done using different frameworks.

Indeed, Elizabeth was surprised that this kind of error made it through a PhD thesis defense. In the department where ze teaches, if a student displays a major misunderstanding about their chosen theoretical framework, the student would be asked to redo the relevant thesis checkpoints (e.g. candidacy paper, thesis proposal/defense) until they get it right.

Some background on academia

Elizabeth brought up a structural problem with the book: it looks like it had zero intersex studies scholars review it prior to publication. 💀

This book originated as a PhD dissertation, which anybody can read for free here. A typical PhD programme is structured as a master-apprentice model of education, where a PhD student apprentices to one (sometimes two) professors. These are known as thesis advisors. The culmination of the PhD is a thesis (aka dissertation), which presents original research done by the student. 

To graduate, the thesis needs to pass examination by a committee of professors. The committee acts as a secondary source of support to the student, providing guidance or perspectives to complement the advisors.

Elizabeth explained that when ze assembles a thesis committee for one of zer graduate students, the goal is to ensure any area that the student is venturing into has at least one committee member who is well versed in it. So, let’s say you propose you’re going to do a thesis on “intersex studies meets disability studies” but your thesis advisors are both gender studies people (as Orr’s were). Elizabeth would expect that Orr’s thesis committee would then include at least one disability studies scholar and at least one intersex studies scholar.

Instead, Orr’s thesis committee doesn’t have a single intersex studies scholar on it. Neither the book’s acknowledgements nor the thesis’ acknowledgments acknowledge any intersex studies scholars. Even though Orr is citing intersex studies scholars like Georgiann Davis, Morgan Holmes, and Cary Gabriel Costello, there's nothing to indicate that Orr has ever gotten feedback from any intersex people. This is HIGHLY unusual: normally, intersex studies books have acknowledgments which acknowledge several publicly intersex people, and often one or two intersex organizations. 

Research is a highly social activity: researchers are expected to go to conferences, to be in conversation with people working on similar topics. And Orr is clearly social about their research, acknowledging the feminist/gender studies communities they have been a part of. It just seems like intersex studies scholars weren’t a priority for Orr’s academic socializing. 🙃

Orr’s acknowledgments doesn’t even contain the word intersex, which is unprecedented in our collective experience of intersex non-fiction. This is why Elizabeth says that ze was left with the impression that Orr doesn’t think intersex studies is a serious field of research. It appears that Orr views intersex literature as something to be consumed for their benefit, and not a community worthy of participation and a bi-directional relationship.

Early in the book, Orr points to Lennard Davis’ work with the Deaf community on reframing Deaf activism away from the “we’re not disabled we’re a linguistic minority” rhetoric. It’s a great example of disability studies scholars having an impact. Thing is: Davis openly talks about how he grew up in a Deaf family that was part of the Deaf Community. While Davis is not little-d deaf, he took on the project as a member of the capital-D Deaf community. His writing (including book acknowledgments) reflect this.

Elizabeth also pointed out that there are scripts and precedent in academia for how to handle positionality and reflexivity when you’re questioning or closeted. If Orr were closeted or questioning, they would have an excellent way to talk discreetly about it through their very own concept of “temporarily endosex”: Orr could write they don’t know they’re not perisex, frame it around how few perisex people actually know they’re perisex, and retain plausible deniability. 

Other notes

Bnuuy was frustrated with the implication that disability studies is The Only Right Way to analyse intersex. It’s a useful lens for understanding intersex, but at times it felt like Orr was arguing it was the only appropriate lens rather than one of a collection of suitable lenses. Theories are analytic tools, and social phenomena are complex and fluid - it’s a matter of finding a suitable tool for a given research question, rather than there being One Correct Way to understand things. 

Orr’s use of “bodymind” didn’t quite land. The term was created by Margaret Price to subvert the idea that body and mind are dichotomous: many disabilities cannot neatly fit into “mental” vs “physical”. It’s a term that’s had productive use in disability studies. But Orr’s use of it got a negative reaction. Remy pointed out it felt like it instead it actually reinforced the body-mind distinction. Intersex is, after all, a physical thing, and the idea of “brain intersex” is very poorly received by the intersex community - it’s seen as a way that perisex trans people appropriate intersex and/or live in denial about being perisex. It felt like Orr was using the word on autopilot rather than thinking about when and where it is actually subversive.

Bnuuy was concerned that Orr was reading OII Australia’s information on intersex in bad faith. Orr criticizes them for discursively distancing intersex from disability. Bnuuy points out that OII Australia is not writing for an academic (disability studies) scholarship. This is an advocacy organization speaking to a general audience that understands disability through the medical model. Bnuuy read the quotes from OII Australia as them just distancing themselves from a medicalized understanding of disability.

Elizabeth brought up that Orr’s manufactured controversy of “perisex” may have a classist element.  While endo- does make sense as an antonym to inter- if one has formal science background, the term peri- is not conventionally an antonym to inter-. Elizabeth has personally noticed a resistance from zer fellow academics to perisex on the grounds that it’s “using scientific terminology incorrectly”, and thinks that’s a classist take. 

Michelle brought up that “it also didn't sit great with me that they [Orr] were very condescending about Tumblr like, ‘aww, look at the baby activists trying to do a scholarship," whereas what I'd describe as ‘folk scholarship’ on Tumblr has been very valuable to me. It's not always correct and there can be misinformation, but it has worth.” Remy was unimpressed with how limited/selective Orr’s engagement seemed to be with intersex Tumblr, as well as Orr’s centrist take on “the future is female”.

Closing thoughts

This was a deeply imperfect piece of scholarship. Orr came across as disconnected from the intersex community, and uninterested in working with the community. The work still has some merits: Orr’s first chapter provides an incisive discussion of how ableism is detrimental to intersex advocacy and that trying to distance intersex from disability only adds to societal ableism. Ableism is a serious force in intersex discrimination and we’re stronger off understanding this and explicitly resisting it.

We hope that the stink of Orr’s voyeurism does not sully the important central message of their book. Work needs to be done to teach more intersex people about disability studies. Disability does not mean disorder. Disability does NOT mean medical problem. The disability rights and justice movements are FULL of disabled groups who, just like the intersex community, are actively seeking de-pathologization, bodily autonomy, patient-led care by respectful and well-informed physicians, and fighting neo-eugenics. We are in good company with groups like the Deaf, neurodiversity, and little people communities. 

[wronghands1]

[unraveling-plot]

The Murderbot Diaries was like here's a person. The person doesn't feel like a person.

The person is starting to believe it's a person, and its pronouns are still it/its. It's uncomfortable with eye contact, it hates being touched, it doesn't like social interaction, it doesn't have great control of it's facial expressions. And the person's friends all know this and respect it, and it can show affection how and when it feels and it's ok if it isn't "normal." It isn't questioned or doubted in its care because of this.

The person processes emotions through media, and uses it to figure out what to do in social situations. It has complicated feelings about what it was meant to be and reconciling that with who it wants to be. It doesn't always feel like a person but it's starting to accept that it is one.

Also it has laser weapons in its arms.

[ramadoodles]

Ego is the Enemy- Day 2, Lessons learned-

Chapter 5- Passion does not give you a level head. Failures have just as much passion as successes, but we're attracted to the shiny and don't notice why people fail/the grunt work which makes people succeed. Have purpose and direction, but don't have passion. The difference between the two is- "I'm passionate about X" and "I was put here to accomplish Y.". Passion is about yourself, purpose is for a cause. If you want to achieve a goal, find out the steps to achieve it and then execute them one by one. Don't work too hard and tire yourself out in a fit of passion; work slowly and steadily.

A very simple addendum of my own, which I feel pairs well with this advice- I read some advice by an author, where he advised to not get swept away by creative passion. If you've been seized by a fit of creative passion and have been writing for hours, but it is time to go to dinner, then put the pen down and go to dinner. Trust that the creativity will come back to you later, at the next scheduled time. It's supposed to help with creative blocks.

Chapter 6- At the start of any career, you'll probably be asked to do free work for other, more important people. Don't crib about it if you have no other option, but rather lean into it. No job is beneath you, and your ego is probably not letting you realize that you're not as qualified as you think you are. A lower-level job where you give your work away to other people helps you develop your own skills and prepare you with work experience.

(Obvious exception- If your job isn't paying you a living wage, or any wage for that matter. The job market is an utter travesty these days, but I can support this advice- I lived with my parents while working a truly shitty job, and doing some free work for my friends on top of that, and ultimately that extra experience in my portfolio is what got me my current job. Once again, not everybody has the luxury of living with their parents. Feel free to disregard this advice.)

[egophiliac]

A guy who just wake up from a coma -> what did i miss?

Pomefiore was the last plot i follow before real life made me forget about our silly boys. How bad has the plot become now for our gang? Also who is that Gojo looking guy?

anon, I am so sorry and I mean this in the best way, but I do think episode 5 is the absolute funniest place to have stopped following Twst because shit starts escalating SO fast after that. episode 6 literally starts with a secret government shadow agency breaking down our doors and kidnapping students. zero to a million instantly.

and like...that's not even the zaniest thing so far? Ortho's hacked into the collective human unconscious. there's time travel (sort of). "Crowley might be Malleus' long-lost father" is a serious theory. if you'd told me any of this back pre-episode 6, I would have asked for the link to this unbelievable but highly intriguing fanfic.

also, episode 7 gave us (and then immediately took away 😔) the best character in the whole story:

[crackspinewornpages]

The Screwtape Letters 32/32 -C.S. Lewis

22 

The patient is in love with a girl not on the report also the issue with the Secret Police that was raised in the previous letter has been tided over and Wormwood will pay for that and his other blunders. (ooh somebody got into trouble for talking about how God loves you and he also sends his nephew a book House of Corrections for Incompetent Tempters and it has lots of pictures) He’s looked into it, not only is she a Christian, but a demure, mouse like, virgin, bread and butter one, makes him want to vomit. The Enemy is a hedonist at heart, fasts, vigils, crosses are all a facade, all of it is His pleasure, filling His world with it. Everything has to be twisted before it’s any use to them as nothing is naturally on their side. This woman’s house is one the patient should never enter everything that leaves has a deadly odor (to the demons) the whole place is an obscenity, they must be making a capitol of it just like He does with the secret of love. (they just can’t comprehend it can they) 

Screwtape hates both music and silence, but thankfully, since their Father entered Hell, there’s been Noise that defends them from impossible desires. They will fill the whole universe with it, progress has already been made on Earth. He starts to yell at Wormwood and in his anger turns into a giant centipede and the rest is written by his secretary. A rumor of this transformation has reached earth (thanks to Milton) along with the ridiculous notion that it is punishment from the Enemy rather than being a glorious manifestation of that Life Force their Father would worship if he worshiped anything but himself. (of course the devil is a narcissist) Meanwhile, in his present form he’s anxious to see Wormwood and embrace him. (foreshadowing to how he actually feels) 

23 

Through this girl and her family, the patient is knowing more Christians and in time it’ll be impossible to remove spirituality from his life so they must corrupt it. (they can transform into an angel of light for Hell parades) “A spoiled saint, a Pharisee, an inquisitor, or a magician, makes better sport in Hell than a mere common tyrant or debauchee.”p.116 The best point is the border between theology and politics, many Christian political writers think Christianity began going wrong and depart from its Founder. They encourage this by a conception of a Historical Jesus, and it changes every thirty years distracting man’s minds from Who He is and what He did. To destroy the devotional life the presence of the Enemy they substitute a remote shadow figure who died a long time ago, such things cannot be worshipped. This Historical Jesus depicts a false history, few have been brought to the Enemy by the study of the biography of Jesus, the full biography has been withheld from them the earliest were converted by a single historical fact of Resurrection, a single doctrine, the Redemption and the Gospels came later to edify Christians. (this paragraph was three pages long) 

The historical Jesus is always encouraged but they don't want Christianity to flow in their political life, it would be a disaster, they want men of Christianity as a means of advancement even social justice. Get men to value justice as he thinks the Enemy demands then values Christianity because it may produce social justice. “For the Enemy will not be used as a convenience. Men or nations who think they can revive the Faith in order to make a good society might just as well think they can use the stairs of Heaven as a short cut to the nearest chemist’s shop.”p.120 (well at least they upgraded stairs are easier to climb than a ladder) 

24 

He’s been in contact with the woman’s demon, Slumtrimpet and found a chink, a vice in nearly all women within intelligent circles, the assumption those that do not share this belief are stupid. What she believes is from faith is really from her surroundings, ignorance so large and spiritual pride so small they have hope for her, now what of his patient. A novice always exaggerates, the patient is anxious to imitate this quality of life because he is ion love, have him imitate this defect in the woman and exaggerate it into the vice of Spiritual Pride. This new circle gives many reasons to be proud, education, intelligence, societal and he’s under illusion to his place in it he may think he’s unworthy of the girl but not others, ignorant by how much he’s forgiven because he’s now family. His conversation and opinions, echoes of their own and his joy in them is due to the enchantment of the girl spreading all over her surroundings. He thinks he likes them because of the congruity of shared spiritual states but if he weren't in love he’d be puzzled and repelled. (oh he’s got it down bad for this girl then) 

The Enemy is drawing the patient up by means of sexual love and agreeable people, make him feel these are his people and any other society is dull. “You must teach him to mistake this contract between the circle that delights and the circle that bores him for the contrast between Christians and unbelievers.”p.123 Success relies in confusing him, if he’s too proud of being a Christian you will fail but too little and he’ll be complacent, no natural pride but social vanity, a temporary little sin. What you should do is never let him question why he’s congratulating himself. Teach him being in a secret inner ring is where he belongs, use this girl for him to adopt an air of amusement at unbelievers. Make Christianity seem like a mystery religion that he feels he’s one of the members. Don’t fill the reports about the rubbish war, it’s a matter for the High Command. He’s not interested at all to know how many have been killed or their state of mind he can learn that from the office, he already knew they were going to die sometime. 

25 

The trouble with the set the patient is living in is that it’s merely Christian, they have individual interests but that is the bond, they want them to stay in that state of mind of ‘Christian And-’, Christians but with a difference. The valuable passion of the same old thing, “The humans live in time, and experience reality successively. To experience much of it, therefore, they must experience many different things; in other words, they must experience change.”p.126 (stop repeating the word experience) The Enemy has made change pleasurable, but He doesn't wish them to make change, he balanced the love of it by a love of performance into Rhythm. Now they twist the pleasure of change to a demand for novelty. 

This demand diminishes pleasure and increases desire, continued novelty costs money and the desire creates avarice, unhappiness or both, soon it eats up all innocent sources and passes into those the Enemy forbids. (in other words touching grass is free) Recently they infiltrated the Arts with the horror of the same old thing, low brow and high brows drawn to fresher lasciviousness, cruelty and pride. “Finally, the desire for novelty is indispensable if we are to provide Fashions or Vogues.”p.128 (yes call out fast fashion) Fashions distract men from the real dangers, each generation against these vices and fix approval on the virtue nearest to the vice. “The game is to have them all running about with fire extinguishers wherever there is a flood, and all crowding to that side of the boat which is already nearly gunwale under.”p.129 The greatest triumph is to elevate to a philosophy so that nonsense can reinforce corruption in the will.  

The Enemy wants men to ask questions, is it righteous or prudent, possible now they get them to ask if it’s progressive or reactionary and neglect relevant questions. The questions they do ask are unanswerable as they don't know the future that relies on the choices they make now. (this seems more relevant now than ever) Then their minds are buzzing, and they have a better chance of getting in and bending them to their actions. “And great work has already been done. Once they know that some changes were for the better, and others for the worse, and others again indifferent. We have largely removed this knowledge.”-”We have trained them to think of the Future as a promised land which favoured heroes attain-not as something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whatever he is,”p.130 

26 

“Yes; courtship is the time for sowing those seeds which will grow up ten years later into domestic hatred.”p.131 The enchantment of unsatisfied desire made to mistake for the results of charity and the ambiguity of ‘Love’ make them think they solved the problems only to postpone them under enchantment they become secret and chronic. Substitute negative unselfishness for positive Charity, male and female divergencies build up between the sexes. With women they take trouble for others and a man doesn't give trouble as a result the woman becomes a nuisance (more than any man) and the man will be long before he helps anyone. (simultaneously doing as much work as an ordinary woman does every day) In the confusion introduce a mutual compliance, a degree of self-sacrifice that after the enchantment dies, they won't have enough charity to keep up.  “They will not see the trap, since they are under the double blindness of mistaking sexual excitement for charity and of thinking that the excitement will last.”p.132 (don’t fall for the honeymoon phase) 

After Unselfishness has been established after their emotional resources have died away and spiritual hasn’t grown, delightful results follow. In arguing for the others' choices, it is impossible to find the others' real wishes and do what neither wants and both feel self-righteousness and a secret grudge on the other for their accepted sacrifice. (so passive aggressive BS) Next is the Generous Conflict Illusion, a game involving family and adult children, one suggestion makes the other will disagree with but will do out of Unselfishness the suggestion will be withdrawn through their Unselfishness then the quarrels start with bitter resentment. (a family of doormats self-righteous sacrificers people pleasers and boat rockers) “but each manages to feel blameless and ill-used itself, with no more dishonesty than comes natural to a human.”p.134 A little selfishness is less valuable for securing a soul in the long run than elaborate unselfishness. If they discover it, they’ll notice love is not enough and charity is needed. 

27 

The use of Love to distract from the Enemy is obvious and it is now the subject of his prayers, he should be encouraged to pray for anything else and continue his normal prayer like nothing happened. Accepting the distraction as his problem and laying it before the Enemy puts him closer to the Enemy. There is promise now that he is in love he worries about earthly happiness and urgency about the war and other matters and raises intellectual difficulties about prayer. “False spirituality is always to be encouraged. On the seemingly pious ground that ‘praise and communion with God is the true prayer,’ humans can often be lured into direct disobedience to the Enemy when (in His usual flat commonplace, uninteresting way) has definitely told them to pray for their daily bread and recovery of their sick.”137 Under obedience the patient will continue the prayers but can be worried with suspicion that it’s absurd and has no results. If what he prays for doesn't happen it’s proof they don't work, if it does, he’ll find a physical cause. “and thus a granted prayer becomes just as good as proof as a denied one that prayers are ineffective.”p.137 

As a spirit he’ll find it difficult to understand how a man will be confused, but remember he takes time for ultimate reality and thinks the Enemy sees time the same as he, as their consciousness has them perceive the self-consistent creation as a series of successive events. “Why that creative act leaves room for their free will is the problem of problems, the secret behind the Enemy’s nonsense about “Love.” How it does so is no problem at all; for the Enemy does not foresee the humans making their free contributing in the future, but sees them doing so in His unbounded Now.”p.139 In the intellectual climate of Europe there's little worry about it getting out, they've delt with the learned and they are now the least likely to gain wisdom by old books with the Historical Point of View. The learned don't ask if what the ancient author said is true but what influenced him and how consistent it is and effects later writers or has been misunderstood. “And since we cannot deceive the whole human race all the time, it is most important thus to cut every generation off from all others; for where learning makes a free commerce between the ages there is always the danger that the characteristic errors of one may be corrected by the characteristic truths of another.”p.140 (damn nearly 100 years later and it hasn't changed if anything the generational gap has gotten worse) 

28 

Screwtape reminds Wormwood he doesn’t want war reports unless it concerns the patient's spirituality. (and if you haven’t got it by now Wormwood is a fuck up) The patient’s death needs to be avoided currently as he’s broken off the worldly friends and fallen in love and is immune to their methods of spiritual corruption. As the war draws nearer his worries take him nearer to the Enemy, his dependence will make him lost to them if he is killed. (wonders if the young tempters are infected by sentiment and values by being around humans and that’s a take could a demon be so curious about humans they grow attached and start to change for the better) “They, of course,  do tend to regard death as the prime evil and survival as the greatest good, But that is because we have taught them to do so. Do not let us be infected by our own propaganda.”p.142 (not even demons are immune to propaganda) Keep him alive and he’ll have time to tempt him, it’s difficult for those creatures to preserver through routine and decay of youth when chronic temptations wear on the soul. “Prosperity knits a man to the World. He feels that he’s “finding his place in it,” while really it is finding its place in him.”p.143 Reputation, acquaintances, a sense of importance, it’s what they want, you’ll notice the young are much less willing to die than the old.  

The Enemy destined these animals to life in His eternal world, guarding them from the danger of feeling at home anywhere else. That’s why they want the patients to live long, to unravel their souls, to build attachment to the earth. Make them believe they can turn earth into Heaven in the future by some method. “Real worldliness is a work of time-assisted of course, by pride, for we teach them to describe the creeping death as a good sense of Maturity or Experiance.”p.144 (also taught them to ignore the warning that experience is the mother of illusion) Time is valuable by how little the Enemy gives, the many that survive infancy die in youth and death is another gate to life. He wants very few to have experienced resisting them of their whole earthly life, the smaller the opportunity the better they must use it, so keep his patient alive and safe. (yeah this makes sense the shorter they live the less time they have to change) 

29 

With the Germans bombing the patient's town consider aiming for cowardice or courage with pride or hatred at the Germans. It’s no good to make him brave, the research department hasn't discovered how to make any virtues, even a wicked man needs some virtue, they can only use what the Enemy supplies. They can manage Hatred, the tension of war and fatigue makes them prone to violent emotion, only a question of where to guide it. Let him feel hatred on others’ behalf and not regard their enemies as his own so they’re not to be forgiven as Christianity teaches to. (you know they whole forgive my enemies thing) Hatred works best with Fear, Cowardice is painful in all ways, Hatred has pleasures, and in it, compensates for Fear’s miseries. “The more he fears, the more he will hate. And Hatred is also a great anodyne for shame, to make a deep wound in his charity, you should therefore first defeat his courage.”p.147 

They have made men proud of vices but not cowardice, whenever they’re close the Enemy permits war or calamity and courage becomes so important to humans all their work is undone, and they feel shame. The danger of cowardice is it produces real self-knowledge and loathing and the consequent repentance and humility. In this war thousands discovered their cowardice and consequently the whole mortal world. “In peace we can make many of them ignore good and evil entirely; in danger, the issue is forced upon them in a guise to which even we cannot blind them.”p.148 If they promote justice and charity they play into the Enemy’s hands, promote the opposite He permits a war and the cowardice or courage awakes men from mortal stupor. “This, indeed, is probably one of the Enemy’s motives for creating a dangerous world-a world in which moral issues really come to the point. He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means, at the point of highest reality.”p.148 (is the CS Lewis explaining the question of why does God allow bad things to happen) 

They may lose too much with cowardice as the man could learn about himself but there is a chance instead of shame it produces Despair. It shows he accepted the Enemy’s forgiveness for his other sins because he didn't fully feel their sinliness, but Screwtape fears the patient already knows Despair is already a greater sin. Wormwood must keep him thinking of what he can or cannot do inside his duty that makes him feel a little safer. Superstitions of imagined safe lines keep him thinking he has something other than the Enemy to fall back on. A determination that the worst shall not come, then in a moment of terror rush it out of him. Remember, though they enjoy it, fear isn't a sin, the act of cowardice is all that matters. 

30 

Does Wormwood think he’s been sent to earth for amusement, he’s been informed by the Infernal Police the patient's behavior during the raid was horrible, (so it was good) he felt cowardly, felt no pride and still did his duty and more. “At any rate, you will soon find that the justice of Hell is purely realistic, and concerned only with results. Bring us back food, or be food yorself.”p.151 While he hopes for results from the patient’s fatigue it won't happen, it can lead to gentleness and vision, only anger and impatience from those that already have efficient tempters. “The paradoxical thing is that moderate fatigue is a better soil for peevishness than absolute exhaustion. This depends partly on physical causes, but partly on something else. It is not fatigue simply as such that produces the anger, but unexpected demands on a man already tired.”p.152 Dissapointment can turn to injury after they have despaired and didn't think ahead weariness begins. For the best results feed him false hopes that it will soon be over. “for men usually feel that a strain could have been endured no longer at the very moment when it is ending, or when they think it is ending.”p.153 The fun is to make the man give in just when relief was almost in sight but he didn't know it. (like the ending to The Mist) 

If he meets this girl under that strain make use of it, fatigue makes women talk more and men talk less and secret resentment can be raised up. What he’s going through now can bring an intellectual attack on his faith, but Wormwood’s failures made that invaluable but emotional attacks can be tried, make him see the real world and religion is a fantasy. The meaning of Real being the bare physical facts separated from what else they experienced or it could mean the emotional facts effecting human consciousness, their business is to keep the two going at once and pull on one that suits them. Right now, they established Real are physical facts and spiritual are subjective. “in all experiences which can discourage or corrupt them the spiritual elements are the main reality and to ignore them is to be an escapist.”p.154 

31 

Now that all is lost he asks if all of Screwtape’s terms of affection meant nothing, Screwtape loves Wormwood as he loves himself, the difference is he is stronger. “I think they will give you to me now, or a bit of you. Love you? Why, yes. As a dainty a morsel as ever I grew fat on.”p.156 That lost soul echoes through all the levels down to the Throne and he knows the instant he was snatched away the man’s eyes cleared, and he recognized the part he had in him no longer. Instantaneous liberation one moment it was their world, noise, bombs and horrors, the next it was all gone. “Did you mark how naturally- as if he’d been born for it-the earth-born vermin entered the new life?”p.157 

“As he saw you, he also saw Them. I know how it was. You reeled back dizzy and blinded, more hurt by them than he had ever been by bombs. The degradation of it!-”p.158 That the man could converse with them while he could only cower the gods are strange and not to mortal eyes. He had no concept of how they would look and even doubted their existence, but when he saw them and realized their part in his life when he thought he was alone and recognized them. “Recognition made him free of their company almost before the limbs of his corpse became quiet. Only you were left outside. He saw not only Them; he saw Him.”p.159 (and He wears the form of a man) In the Presence he had clearer knowledge of his sins than Wormwood, but they embrace those pains (the demons feel) for not even the earthly pleasure and delights he was once tempted with. Their greatest curse besides useless tempters is the failure of the Intelligence Department, if only they knew what He’s really up to, that knowledge necessary for Power. 

“All that sustains me is the conviction that our Realism, our rejection (in the face of all temptations) of all silly nonsense and clap trap, must win in the end. Meanwhile, I have you to settle with. Most truly do I sign myself, Your increasingly and ravenously affectionate uncle Screwtape.”p.160 

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