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also WHY does every american lit or american history or w/ever course contain the entire history and writings of england & greater europe up until the colonies but NO documentation of the oral histories and stories from actual native american tribes and look at how that influenced and was influenced by european traditions to create the “american” story. like i KNOW why but christ

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Well now I want to write Azelma Thénardier because I was reminded her life is actually the worst as well ( @flo-nelja , @aflamethatneverdies )

Azelma sits under the elephant. She knows it’s daft, and she knows it’s empty. Been empty for months. And it’s way too cold to be sitting here anyway, but if she looks miserable enough she might get a few sous, so that’s as good an excuse as any, if anybody asks why she’s doing this.

(Nobody’s going to ask; papa never does, he just grabs her arm and tells her she’s late and has she done everything she needed? Is she ready for tomorrow? Doesn’t she want a good, warm bed to sleep in? Good, obedient girls get warm beds.)

(Rebellious girls get killed and their bodies disappear who knows where, to be hand-waved and forgotten like all the events of last June.)

(Mama would have asked; Mama would have cared, in that rough way of hers that means she loves her. But mama’s dead too, rotting now under the hard soil of the prison that Azelma finds herself missing, sometimes.)

But it’s fine, it’s all fine.

 ‘Cause Azelma’s good; ‘course she is. She curls deeper into her shawl, the last gift from the Lark, who’s all grown and pretty and rich now, and didn’t even mock them for their misfortune when they meet her back. (”That’s worse though,” Eponine had bristled, voice hoarse and brows furrowed. “You understand it’s worse, right? We’re not even worth that, to her.”) (Eponine had said that, but Montparnasse had told Azelma, later on; he’d said how Eponine had protected the house) (Azelma wasn’t daft. She’d never been.) (She’d went by the house, one night, out of curiosity. But there was nobody left there either.)

That’s a trend, she thinks, and looks up to the elephant, shivering. She misses Mama, sometimes, and she misses Eponine, because they were strong, even if they were harsh, even if Mama slapped her cheek harder than papa when she was unhappy, even if Eponine looked so exasperated at her most days, thin fingers closing around her own wrist like claws to drag her along on their errands, perpetually saying “faster, Azelma, faster–”

But she misses Gavroche the most, because Gavroche was fun. Gavroche had been a bird who sometimes gracefully lended his wings to her. He always seemed quite pleased, or at least quite unbothered, when Azelma showed up under the elephant. He would say “Well, ain’t that Zelma! What’s the news, then?” and she’d tell everything she could think of as they run all over Paris together for a few hours.

Everything had always seemed so insignificant, when she’d been with Gavroche. How stupid did he have to be, to go and get killed too? 

She could perhaps leave in the elephant instead of him, she ponders sometimes. It’d be a bit awkward, with her long legs, but she could; but then she’d be alone, and she’d always been scared of that. No Mama, no Eponine, no Gavroche. She only had papa left, and he wasn’t a good man, and she knew that, but he was the only one who could make sure she’d be warm, and that had to be enough. 

Azelma doesn’t wish for much, after all, but she knows that she doesn’t want to die.

So she comes here, and she sits under the elephant, and she waits for laughter that won’t ever come again, just for a little bit. But then she’ll get home, after a few appropriate tears, and she’ll help papa with whatever he wants. Like a good, obedient girl.  

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“The purpose of literature is to turn blood into ink.”

— T.S Eliot

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would just like to clarify

fuck jk rowling

Booktober 2017: a book by an author i already love

The Casual Vacancy by J.K Rowling I don’t own this book and have never read it but it was he first one that popped into my head when I read the category for today. J.K Rowling is one of my idols and I absolutely devoured the Harry Potter series so what better book. Btw I do intend to read it at some point

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Staff Pick of the Week

I have long admired Candace Hicks’s  hand-sewn artist book Common Threads Volume LVII created in Nacogdoches, Texas in 2014. The book is a part of a series of books that explore coincidences that Hicks comes across and then documents in composition notebooks. Those paper notebooks are then recreated into cloth objects that Hicks hand embroiders.

An excerpt of Candace Hicks’s artist’s statement from booklyn.org:

“As an ardent reader, I naturally gravitate toward creating books and printing. And taking note of coincidences is akin to the kind of observation a landscape or portrait artist practices. Thus, my observations take the form of hand-stitched texts that I call Common Threads. Sewing every line, letter, and illustration in the books enhances their status as objects. By laboring over a dime store composition book, painstakingly recreating it by hand, I have found a way to express the insignificant as potentially philosophical. Just as a landscape or portrait painter’s observations allow them to reproduce a version of reality, my scrutiny of repetition creates a narrative that navigates fictional universes.”

Coincidentally, this particular book in the Common Threads series speaks to many of my loves in life: bugs, books, and science! As an insect enthusiast, I adore the pattern of bees embroidered all over the slip case. The bees reference Napoleon, the back page reads “Everyone knows that Napoleon’s symbol was the eagle, but his crest also included a field of golden bees.” If you read the text, Candace Hicks explores the themes of the meaning of books, connecting  French poet Stéphane Mallarmé  quote “Everything in the world exists to end up as a book” to Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, and ties in another quote she read of Galileo’s:

“Philosophy is written in this grand book, which stands continually open before our eyes (I say the Universe), but cannot be understood without first learning to comprehend the language and know the characters as it is written. It is written in mathematical language, and its characters are triangles, circles and other geometric figures.”

I love this intense rumination on books and the connections between different thinkers. It is fascinating to read Candace Hicks’s exploration of these topics, and the links she finds between them. It is even more wonderful to read them in a beautifully crafted art object, where each word is hand embroidered!

View more books in the Common Threads series on Candace Hicks’s website.

– Sarah, Special Collections Graduate Intern

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Must Read Bengali Books

This list is not exhaustive and I have missed out on a lot of gems while writing this so please feel free to add few more books in the comments. So here it goes:

Chander Pahar(Mountain of the moon) by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay is a novel based on the adventures of an ordinary young man named Shankar who gets a job at the Uganda Railway services. The story talks about Shankar’s encounter with dangerous creatures and his search for the mountain of the moon along with his companion Alvarez. It is a short and enthralling read. The descriptions are so vivid that you’ll feel as if you’re watching it all unfold in front of your eyes. If you want to start with Bengali literature, you can begin with this one. (English translation is available)

Shei Shomoy and Prothom Alo(Those Days and First Light) by Sunil Gangopadhyay. Read these books for the language, for the beautiful storytelling and to know more about Bengal Renaissance. These books are non-fictional ones but written in a fictional style, the way the story sprawls out is captivating, it offers a detailed picture of the evolution of culture, religion, society and education during the Renaissance. All the main characters in these books are important historical figures and through their story, you get a glimpse of the past. You have to read these two books as they are both fine pieces of Bengali literature. (English translations are available)

Srikanta by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay is a story named after its protagonist who happens to be a young man drifting aimlessly from one place to another, experimenting new things. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay is known as the wordsmith of Bengali literature, and he knew how to weave enigmatic stories. Through his story, we meet various characters and how the characters greatly influence Srikanta’s life. The story also highlights the flaws of our society and the need for radical changes. It is an exceptionally beautiful story written lucidly with lots of layers.

Padma Nadir Majhi (Boatman of the river Padma) by Manik Bandyopadhyay is a heart-touching novel about the people whose livelihood depended on the river Padma. The river plays a pivotal role in the story as the lives of the characters are completely dependent on it. Manik Bandyopadhyay has built up a beautiful story around a small community of people, the characters are simple yet lead very diverse lives. All the characters have different challenges in life and their own way of going about their problems. While reading this, we are all transferred to the small village of Moynakhali beside the Padma and the small world over there. This story is again one of the finest Bengali stories and will break your heart. (English translation is available)

Pratham Pratishruti (The first promise) by Ashapura Debi is a path-breaking novel narrating a story of a child bride, Satyabati and her struggle to survive in a patriarchal society. The story unfolds in the backdrop of the nineteenth century colonial Bengal where women’s conditions were pitiful, in such a situation a young girl aspires to educate herself in a society which weds off young girls and sends them to their in-laws to produce children. In that glorious time, this young girl was brave enough to learn to write, to speak her mind and take her first step to women liberation. This book will stir your soul, especially if you are a woman. It is a beautiful work, please do give this a read. (English translation is available)

Golpo 101 by Satyajit Ray is a collection of short stories written by the legend himself. The topics vary from sci-fi to dystopia. Ray is an amazing storyteller even through his writing. I highly recommend this book to slow readers and people who have just started with Bengali literature, as it is extremely engrossing and written lucidly, you’ll finish this book in no time. (The English translations of these stories are available)

Anandamath by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee is a story set in the backdrop of the pre-independence struggle and the plight of the people of that time. It is one of the most remarkable stories written in Indian literature. It has different dimensions- nationalism, scarcity of food and hunger, rebellion, women’s contribution towards the movement. The origin of the song “Vande Mataram” is this book, which became the slogan for the freedom struggle in the coming years. Despite this being a fictional story, it holds up the essence of the struggle for independence, the exploitation under the British Raj and will remind you about the duties of the people to their motherland (English translation is available).

Gora by Rabindranath Tagore is a story set in Calcutta during the British Raj and covers the political, cultural and religious scenario of that time. This book is fictional and philosophical at the same time and will leave a profound mark in your mind. It is a bit difficult to read this story because of its complex language and its length, but it is a beautiful piece of work. Tagore’s characters are strong and have a diverse way of thinking. They demolish rigid societal norms and prejudicial way of thinking by their rational approach in life. There is a lot to learn from these characters and the story revolving around them, I am sure you’ll enjoy reading this (English translation is available).

These are few go-to lighthearted Bengali books you can read for a good laugh. Narayan Debnath is the creator of some of the best Bengali comics namely, Handa-Bhonda, Nonte-Fonte and Bantul-the great. Tenida Samagra is a collection of stories written by Narayan Gangopadhyay about a group of four boys and their small pursuits. The stories are hilarious because the protagonist Tenida is a very peculiar person who talks about doing great things but does nothing other than eating good food and whiling away his time with his friends. The stories are written in a comical style and are mostly conversations between friends.

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Short Story Recommendations

These all fuck me up to a varying degree of emotions

Crime

Philomel Cottage - Agatha Christie

Lamb to the Slaughter - Roald Dahl

Death and the Compass - Jorge Luis Borges

Horror

The Landlady - Roald Dahl

A Walk in the Dark - Arthur C Clarke

The Wife’s Story - Ursula K Le Guin

The Veldt - Ray Bradbury

The Hanging Stranger - Philip K Dick

The Colour out of Space - H P Lovecraft

The Spider - Hanns Heinz Ewers

Sad

The Life You Save May Be Your Own - Flannery O’Connor

A Small, Good Thing - Raymond Carver

Cathedral - Raymond Carver

The Haunted Boy - Carson McCullers

The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas - Ursula K. Le Guin

The Chef - Andy Weir

The Martyr - Ngugi Wa Thiong’o

Jambula Tree - Monica Arak de Nyeko

The Rats Do Sleep At Night - Wolfgang Borchert

Sci-Fi

Love is the Plan the Plan is Death - James Tiptree Jr

The Last Question - Isaac Asimov

The Nine Billion Names of God - Arthur C Clarke

The Star - Arthur C Clarke

Reunion - Arthur C Clarke

The Commuter - Philip K Dick

Exhibit Piece - Philip K Dick

To Serve Man - Damon Knight

Brothers Beyond the Void - Paul W Fairman

What the Fuck?! 

The Lottery - Shirley Jackson

A Collapse of Horses - Brian Evenson

Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby - Donald Barthelme

Hopeful Monsters - Hiromi Goto

The Box Social - James Reaney

He-y come on ou-t - shinichi hoshi

The Garden of Forking Paths - Jorge Luis Borges

Stories of Your Life and Others - Ted Chiang (just the entire collection bro)

Other

Broken Routine - Jeffrey Archer

A Man Who Had No Eyes - Mackinlay Kantor

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been - Joyce Carol Oates

The Lady, or the Tiger - Frank R Stockton

The Continuity of Parks - Julio Cortázar

The Dinner Party - Mona Gardner

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings - Gabriel García Márquez

On Exactitude in Science - Jorge Luis Borges

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Indian academia

Recently I have seen a lot of excellent posts in the dark academia tags which call out the euro-centrism of this subculture and also give great recommendations for non-white cultural academia. So I decided to put together works of Indian authors that I read growing up in India as a literature student. Please note this list leans heavily towards works centred on Bengal due to my own heritage, and is by no means comprehensive or meant to represent the entire, varied diaspora of India.

Historical/political fiction:

the lives of others by neel mukherjee: chronicling the rise and fall of a bengali family against historical events like the partition, the 1943 famines, the bengal emergency etc. diverse cast of characters retelling history through multiple povs, lyrical prose, incredible research providing an insight into naxalite bengal. talks about how it feels to be a leftist when you are born and brought up in bourgeois privilege.

the lowland by jhumpa lahiri: everything!! written by jhumpa lahiri!! should be savoured!! but this gorgeous book in particular made me UGLY CRY. to summarise without spoilers, it's a story about two brothers, separated by inches and then by miles, a story about student revolutionaries, bengal burning and boston beaches, and it's a story about a beautiful, brilliant, tormented woman who loves and loathes in equal measure.

the shadow lines by amitav ghosh:** intergenerational trauma, dhaka riots and the entwined histories of two families- one in london and the other in calcutta. sharp, bittersweet and sometimes rather scandalous. if you enjoy ggm's works try this.

a flight of pigeons by ruskin bond**: after her father is killed in the 1857 sepoy mutiny, an anglo-indian girl, her mother, and female relatives are given shelter by the muslim family of one of the chief rebels. set in north india near UP, ruskin bond's writing is powerful and explores found families and the price of imperialism and war. chef's kiss.

train to pakistan by khuswant singh: the horrors of post independence sectarian violence as recounted by a fictional village on the indo-pak border with a population largely comprising muslims and sikhs. a harrowing read but evocative and honest.

shalimar the clown by salman rushdie: allegorical story about the kashmir valley unrest, told through the insane, shakespearean revenge tragedy spun out by kashmiri tightrope walker shalimar who falls in love with boonyi, a beautiful pandit girl, a love that dooms him.

a fine balance by rohinton mistry**: four strangers' lives spill into each other as india crumbles under the 1975 emergency. this one has everything political commentary, social satire, depiction of economic hardships and a whole range of characters from diverse backgrounds. side note: it's a pretty heavy and tragic read, please be careful.

Societal stories

the guide by rk narayan: raju, an impoverished, street smart boy in a fictional south indian town takes to conning people as a tour guide but things spiral out of control when he has an affair with a married classical dancer. allegorical writing, funny and eccentric, and there's a LOT of satire about desi stereotypes: fraud religious leaders, scandalous village affairs, neocolonial mindsets and well, dancing. had a great read of this one. don't watch the film, it's inaacurate and the author himself didn't like it :(

malgudi days by rk narayan: set in the same town as the guide, a collection of short stories about the colourful lives of small town dwellers, from astrologers to doctors to postmen. it's funny and poignant in equal measure. there's not a single mediocre story in here, they're all just......charming.

interpreter of maladies by jhumpa lahiri: stories set in boston and bengal about ordinary indian people and ordinary indian lives which are just so, so MASTERFULLY written and in such crystal bright detail it feels all too real. I recommend a temporary matter, when mr pirzada came to dine, sexy, mrs sen and this blessed house.

em and the big hoom by jerry pinto**: a goan family in late 20th century mumbai + their experience when the mother is diagnosed with bpd. I haven't read this book but it was highly recommended by my friends + authors who are greatly esteemed by me

any and every work by ruskin bond because my man literally GREW up around ayahs and tonga drivers and lonely gardeners and sad kite-makers and friends in small places. I recommend road to the bazaar: a collection of short stories about north indian children involving tigers in train tunnels, beetle races, rooftop gardens and the feeling of being home again.

the white tiger by aravind adiga**: epistolary novel that deals mostly with the class struggle in india as told by a village boy, who travels to delhi for work and his slow rise to success through monumental obstacles. a good read to look into the lives and the plight of underprivileged workers and the persisting class disparity in globalised india.

city of djinns by william dalrymple: travelogue/memoir/anecdotes of the author's time in delhi as he researches for the detritus of history in the country capital. non fiction but every bit as riveting as a well spun story.

Retellings/Biographies

rajkahini (transl: stories of kings) by abanindranath tagore: stories about the rajput rulers of western india and their glorious, semi-mythological histories of battles and heartbreaks and visions. the author was often termed a lyrical artist because his descriptive prose is so good it feels like a painting put into words.

empress: the astonishing reign of nur jahan by ruby lal: a feminist biography of my favourite figure from history, nur jahan, and her deliciously satisfying ascent as the sole female sovereign in the line of the great mughals. but wow, what a woman.

the palace of illusions by chitra banerjee divakaruni: retelling of the great epic mahabharata but from draupadi's point of view. poetic and magical, and her descriptions of female rage and the unfairness of society even in mythical canon is SUPERB.

Poetry!

sarojini naidu: patriotism, society, feminism, romance

nissim ezekiel: postcolonial, satire

ak ramanujan: society, classical retellings, folktale inspired poetry

agha shahid ali: socio-political, ghazal inspired poetry

tishani doshi: feminist, contemporary

eunice d'souza: contemporary, gender politics

Pure self indulgent recs

hayavadana by girish karnad: a ridiculous, criminally hilarious play-within-a-play about a love triangle and accidental body/torso swaps and a goddess who couldn't care less and a man with a horse head. yeah.

devdas by sarat chandra chattopadhyay: pls stop shoving the movie down my throat it's the cringiest depiction of bengali culture ever but yeah the novel is 💗💗 and it's about childhood sweethearts dev and paro, the cost of obsessions and lusts and an enigmatic courtesan chandramukhi who keeps loving the wrong things.

any and every work by rabindranath tagore should be considered academia but in particular his short stories, like the kabuliwalah and the postmaster.

the byomkesh bakshi series by sharadindu bandyopadhyay: written in the vein of poirot but in colonial bengal, follows one (1) sleuthy boy and his sidekick as they unravel psychological crimes and murder mysteries. some stories are just genuinely scary and all have eclectic casts. sharadindu said homoerotic/feral women/immoral genius people rights!

Like I said this list is not comprehensive!!! But I tried my best!!! I think we should really try to decolonize our reading tastes. And yes I purposely left out Arundhati Roy (because she is literally the only Indian author ever recommended in lists) Vikram Seth (because I do not like him) and Roshani Chokshi (because any one of the above)

I hope you guys get some good picks from this list :)

[** has heavy trigger warnings]

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Books are a big part of my account so I wanted to put together a little list for my fellow UK-based bibliophiles. Coronavirus has made it difficult for indie business to survive, so instead of going to a big chain, consider ordering from from one of these black-owned shops and support black businesses

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Dark Academia Reading List for Black People/Allies (Including Queer Black Authors)

Reblog to support black writers!

Things Fall Apart: Chinua Achebe

The story of colonialism in Africa from the perspective of an indigenous African man.

Invisible Man: Langston Hughes

A coming-of-age tale told through the lense of a black man questioning his place in a white society.

Their Eyes Were Watching God: Zora Neale Hurston

a story that touches on topics such as femininity, marriage, gender roles, sex and sexuality, and growing up, through the lens of a black woman living in the south in America in the early twentieth century.

Don’t Call Us Dead: Denez Smith (Non-Binary/Trans) (Recent Publication)

This collection of poems is written by a really skilled Non-Binary trans and HIV positive poet expressing feelings on subjects like police brutality and death

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings: Maya Angelou

The first in a seven-volume series, it is a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome racism and trauma

Giovanni’s Room: James Baldwin (Gay)

This book is about and features the experiences of a bisexual man, and his relationship with an Italian bartender named Giovanni in Paris, France.

An Unkindness of Ghosts: River Solomon (Non-Binary) (Recent Publication)

A story that analyzes the black experience through the lense of science fiction and space travel, and brings a black voice to an overwhelmingly white genre

Push: Sapphire (Bi)

The 1996 novel by famous bisexual writer, Sapphire also has a movie adaptation called “Precious” and both are both Massive critical successes for their dark telling of a black coming of age story about a girl escaping abuse and exploring themes of motherhood, love, abuse, and more.

Your Son Is Dead: Persephone Anansi (Trans)

(Yes this is my book 🙃) (Recent Publication)

A new collection of poems from a black, trans woman about her experiences in life with identity, love, and activism, that touch on these subjects in a way that is visceral, raw, at times painful, and at times inspiring.

I took part of this list from a larger video I’m doing on the topic on my YouTube channel Here!

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Enjoltaire Short Fanfiction Recommendations Pt. 1

Pt. 2

1. Love, Yours is the Future by TheLordOfLaMancha (2.8k, T)

Summary:  “Calm down, everyone,” Enjolras addressed them. “I am truly moved by your concern for me, but it’s not what it looks like. It’s just another tattoo. It should be healed within the week.”

What to expect: Well-developed though short plot, Enjolras has incredible tattoos.

2. Everything I’ve ever wanted by besanii (0.6k, G)

Summary: He sighs, resting his cheek against Grantaire’s hair and swaying them both unconsciously. “I guess this means Marius isn’t picking the music when we get married.” “What?”

What to expect: Established relationship, fluff.

3. Words Are All I Have by twilightshadow (4.6k, Not rated but I’d say E)

Summary: He’s not quite sure how it happens. One day he just starts…seeing him. Or, in which Enjolras pines, Grantaire is oblivious, and Combeferre seriously considers putting his head through a wall.

What to expect: Pining, dramatic confession. 

4. Nights Like This Lead to Love Like Ours by butterflybaby91 (2.7k, G)

Summary:  Grantaire meets Enjolras and they become friends, even as Grantaire finds himself hopelessly fascinated with Enjolras and then things get weird.

What to expect: Tense changes, Grantaire is an idiot.

5. If you find someone who loves you with the lights on, you’ve found the one you love by theglitterati (3.6k, E)

Summary:  After someone calls Grantaire ugly during his open mic performance, Enjolras tries to make him feel better.

Comment: Established relationship, protective Enjolras.

6. Wildfire Red by thestarsjustblinkforus (4.7k, T)

Summary:  And this is how he ends up washing Enjolras’s hair, his hands sliding up the back of his skull with Nina Simone crooning in the background and is he still asleep? He must still be asleep, which is really fucking likely because 10 am on a Saturday.

Comment: Idiots in love, excellent music recommendations.

7. A Little Help by captainskellington (1.9k, G)

Summary: Grantaire takes a long look at his body from a different perspective. He surprises himself with what he sees.

Comment: Body image issues, established relationship.

8. oh baby, it’s the clothes you wear by tinyfuriosa (2.1k, G)

Summary: Grantaire buys a leather jacket as part of the Foolproof Plan to Distract and/or Seduce Enjolras. Eponine is no longer allowed to name the plans.

Comment: Graintaire in a leather jacket, asexual Enjolras.

9. I see you, beloved, learning angrily by grantairrible (1.2k, M)

Summary: Grantaire was almost bewildered by how much Enjolras seemed to want his company post-sex. He’d thought it would just be a quick fuck, nothing more, and then Enjolras would be on his way.

Comment: Fluff, post-first-time-sex.

10. In which Enjolras’ mom finds out about his boyfriend by adorablecrab (0.7k, G)

Summary: “I… forgot to tell my mom about us.” He glances back at his phone, still frowning. “She’s upset because she found out through one of my cousins who apparently saw a picture of us on Cosette’s instagram! Why would my cousin know Cosette?”

Comment: Mom goals, established relationship.

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controversial writing tip

open a document and start writing

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Black Literature [1/?]

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When James Baldwin said “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me the most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who had ever been alive.” And when Alan Bennett said “The best moments in reading are when you come across something- a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things- that you’d thought special, particular to you. And here it is, set down by someone else, a person you’ve never met, maybe even someone long dead. And it’s as if a hand has come out and taken yours.”

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Rick Riordan was a teacher who saw his lgbtq+ students and students with adhd and dyslexia (and his own kid with adhd and dyslexia.) He saw how they were treated by other students and teachers with no patience or tolerance. He saw them struggle to relate to characters in literature and he said “you know what fuck this all of you are going to be the heroes in my books.”

The Percy Jackson series gained so much popularity and traction even among kids who didn’t like to read because they could finally see kids like them in the characters and the books have gone on to rival Harry Potter popularity wise.

Fuck JK R*wling. Rick Riordan gave us fun young adult fantasy and representation and put in the necessary effort to not come across as ignorant when he did it.

JK R*wling fucking wishes she could do something like that.

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just found out you have to write if you want something to be written……. feeling shocked, devastated, and blindsided. please respect my privacy and space during this time xx

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god every day, daniel radcliffe gives me a new reason to love him. he just put joke karen rowling on blast for her shitty-ass terf beliefs.