sofisia

[sofisia]

Instead of Depression

by Andrea Gibson

try calling it hibernation. Imagine the darkness is a cave in which you will be nurtured by doing absolutely nothing. Hibernating animals don’t even dream. It’s okay if you can’t imagine Spring. Sleep through the alarm of the world. Name your hopelessness a quiet hollow, a place you go to heal, a den you dug, Sweetheart, instead of a grave.

[sofisia]

i think it's really interesting setting catcher in the rye in the leadup to christmas. in new york city of all places. you've got this holiday season associated with togetherness and family and joy and warmth but it's about this kid who's just wandering around aimlessly and lonely and depressed and isolated. and it's in this city that never sleeps full of crowds who hardly look at each other. it's full of people, but everyone's alone. it really drives home the dissonance of the american experience and all that.

[sofisia]

Maybe its just cuz im a minor too and therefore closer to holden in age than most adult critics but are you all stupid. This 17 year old is not the devil incarnate. All these bitches in their 40s going "this depressed child who lost his brother, is flunking out of school, doesnt have any real friends and is clearly troubled dared to complain about his life in his own journal, put him to death" meanwhile emotionally speaking ive never related to a fictional character more. I too recycle the exact same phrases, am upset by people who bullshit, constantly want to call someone but everyone in my life is usually too busy, have fits of gloominess, etc. Is he annoying? Sure? Is that the whole fucking point? Absolutely.

[sofisia]

i could narrate a book sooooo unreliably. i have that capacity. for instance i am gay and have nothing going on in my life and have a horrible tendency to romanticize the past

[sofisia]

the house md writers rly missed an opportunity with the whole "universal donor/universal recipient" blood types thing by not having a scene where house is dying of blood loss and wakes up to an iv going straight from wilson's arm into his own

[sofisia]

queer rep is "wait... I like boys? but... I am one..." meanwhile queerbaiting is "I need you to tell me that my life was worthwhile, and... I need you to tell me that you love me"

[sofisia]

i really enjoy how pathetic shawn and gus are. they take turns screaming and crying and running away. ideal men tbh

[sofisia]

i really enjoy how pathetic shawn and gus are. they take turns screaming and crying and running away. ideal men tbh

[sofisia]

HE SHOULD BE TUMBLRS SWEETHEART

[sofisia]

psych renaissance when. I think it’s time for a reexamination by the masses. let’s get some fresh discourse and drama. it’s lighthearted and fun and then it’s NOT. there’s halloween episodes. it ask the brave question of “what if a bisexual court jester with adhd was genuis and used his powers as an excuse to run around with bestie everyday (theyre disgustingly (affectionate) codependent) being silly n solving crimes”. grown men screaming in fear like five year olds

[sofisia]

WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?????

[sofisia]

we’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here

[sofisia]

Franny Choi, Soft Science

[sofisia]

Stay alive and active to spite Republicans and Trump.

Trans people stay alive and active to spite Republicans and Trump.

Gay people stay alive and active to spite Republicans and Trump.

People of color stay alive and active to spite Republicans and Trump.

Immigrants stay alive and active to spite Republicans and Trump.

Reproductive care workers stay alive and active to spite Republicans and Trump.

Outspoken women stay alive and active to spite Republicans and Trump.

Pro choice activists stay alive and active to spite Republicans and Trump.

Disabled people stay alive and active to spite Republicans and Trump.

Educators stay alive and active to spite Republicans and Trump.

Union members stay alive and active to spite Republicans and Trump.

Poor people stay alive and active to spite Republicans and Trump.

The only thing we have left is to show that they cannot destroy us. No matter the legislation, the forced power, we will always exist and will continue to exist whether republicans and Trump like it or not. We will not shut up and not accept their tyranny.

[sofisia]

the areas in question being ancient history and Carmen

GOD

[sofisia]

Hey so like many of you, I saw that article about how people are going into college having read no classic books. And believe it or not, I've been pissed about this for years. Like the article revealed, a good chunk of American Schools don't require students to actually read books, rather they just give them an excerpt and tell them how to feel about it. Which is bullshit.

So like. As a positivity post, let's use this time to recommend actually good classic books that you've actually enjoyed reading! I know that Dracula Daily and Epic the Musical have wonderfully tricked y'all into reading Dracula and The Odyssey, and I've seen a resurgence of Picture of Dorian Gray readership out of spite for N-tflix, so let's keep the ball rolling!

My absolute favorite books of all time are The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Classic psychological horror books about unhinged women.

I adore The Bad Seed by William March. It's widely considered to be the first "creepy child" book in American literature, so reading it now you're like "wow that's kinda cliche- oh my god this is what started it. This was ground zero."

I remember the feelings of validation I got when people realized Dracula wasn't actually a love story. For further feelings of validation, please read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. There's a lot the more popular adaptations missed out on.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is an absolute gem of a book. It's a slow-build psychological study so it may not be for everyone, but damn do the plot twists hit. It's a really good book to go into blind, but I will say that its handling of abuse victims is actually insanely good for the time period it was written in.

Moving on from horror, you know people who say "I loved this book so much I couldn't put it down"? That was me as a kid reading A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Picked it up while bored at the library and was glued to it until I finished it.

Peter Pan and Wendy by JM Barrie was also a childhood favorite of mine. Next time someone bitches about Woke Casting, tell them that the original 1911 Peter Pan novel had canon nonbinary fairies.

Watership Down by Richard Adams is my sister Cori's favorite book period. If you were a Warrior Cats, Guardians of Ga'Hoole or Wings of Fire kid, you owe a metric fuckton to Watership Down and its "little animals on a big adventure" setup.

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry was a play and not a book first, but damn if it isn't a good fucking read. It was also named after a Langston Hughes poem, who's also an absolutely incredible author.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a book I absolutely adore and will defend until the day I die. It's so friggin good, y'all, I love it more than anything. You like people breaking out of fascist brainwashing? You like reading and value knowledge? You wanna see a guy basically predict the future of television back in 1953? Read Fahrenheit.

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee are considered required reading for a reason: they're both really good books about young white children unlearning the racial biases of their time. Huck Finn specifically has the main character being told that he will go to hell if he frees a slave, and deciding eternal damnation would be worth it.

As a sidenote, another Mark Twain book I was obsessed with as a kid was A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Exactly what it says on the tin, incredibly insane read.

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin is a heartbreaking but powerful book and a look at the racism of the time while still centering the love the two black protagonists feel for each other. Giovanni's Room by the same author is one that focuses on a MLM man struggling with his sexuality, and it's really important to see from the perspective of a queer man living in the 50s– as well as Baldwin's autobiographical novel, Go Tell it on the Mountain.

Agatha Christie mysteries are all still absolutely iconic, but Murder on the Orient Express is such a good read whether or not you know the end twist.

Maybe-controversial-maybe-not take: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov is a good book if you have reading comprehension. No, you're not supposed to like the main character. He pretty much spells that out for you at the end ffs.

Animal Farm by George Orwell was another favorite of mine; it was written as an obvious metaphor for the rise of fascism in Russia at the time and boy does it hit even now.

And finally, please read Shakespeare plays. As soon as you get used to their way of talking, they're not as hard to understand as people will lead you to believe. My absolute favorite is Twelfth Night- crossdressing, bisexual love triangles, yellow stockings... it's all a joy.

and those are just the ones i thought of off the top of my head! What're your guys' favorite classic books? Let's make everyone a reading list!