#Ernest Gaines

[africanamericanreports]

The U.S. Postal Service has announced many of the stamps it will issue in 2023. Among those stamps will be one honoring author Ernest J. Gaines

[5-turtleducks-in-a-trenchcoat]

I'm thinking about Ernest again.

Imagine you grow up surrounded by a loving family (we'll ignore the kind of fucked up things going on there as well). Then your mother dies and your older brother leaves for university and sure that’s sad but eventually live goes on. But a few years later your younger brother gets murdered, seemingly by the housekeeper who is also your cousin's best friend; someone you thought you could trust. She gets executed for it, maybe you think she deserved it, maybe you wonder if she really could have done it, especially since your brother and cousin are convinced she didn’t.

A while after that your brother's dearest friend, who you likely know very well –he visited so often during your childhood that your house is probably like a second home to him– gets murdered somewhere in Ireland. Your brother is accused of the murder and ultimately aquitted, but when he returns he is like an empty shell of his former self. Maybe you wonder what exactly happened back in Ireland, but even of you do, you will never know.

Your brother and cousin get married as your parents had always wished they did but on the wedding night your cousin gets murdered as well.

Shortly after your father dies broken-hearted.

Now you and your brother are the only ones left. You should stay together, work through all the grief and support eachother after everything that happened, right? Afterall you only have eachother.

But your brother leaves. Packs his bags one day without telling you why. Maybe you ask him to stay, maybe he leaves at night when you're sleeping and you wake up to him being gone.

He never returns. The house is empty, you're the only one left there. Halls that used to be filled with laughter are now echoing the sounds of your footsteps as you wander around them feeling lost and alone.

Maybe you find out what happened to your brother. Maybe one day you receive a letter from Russia or England, signed by someone called Robert Walton, telling you your brother died up in the arctic on his ship.

You wonder what brought him there, what was there that led him to desert you, was there any reason he left or did he just run to leave everything behind, to even leave his only living brother?

Maybe you find out, maybe the letter tells you the entire story, your own brother's narration of a horrifying tale, you wonder if you can even believe it. Maybe he has truly gone mad, but it fits with the events perfectly. You don’t know what to think.

But maybe you never find out, maybe you never even get that letter. Maybe you'll spend the rest of your live wondering what happened. What went wrong, so that you are now alone on this earth, robbed of all those you loved? Maybe you'll never know, maybe you'll never find your peace.

[untouchable234]

[gunthermunch]

sometimes your comfort movie isnt a comfort movie its just hereditary (dir. ari aster 2018)

[cyclone-sally-art]

@fluffffpillow was a big motivator for me making ocs for spooky month, so i drew her oc interacting with my ocs! i think david would think of Father Ernest as a good friend

[seasonofthewitch06]

Jefferson, sweetie, I am so sorry that uneducated and apathetic people such as them would say that about you.

You are a black man in the 40s in Louisiana on death row.

Chile…

Yt people it’s okay to be silent 🤫.

[1000-year-old-virgin]

Books I’ve Read In 2022

This year I read the average amount of books I usually do. I was so touched to read my first book with a LGBTQ+ protagonist. It's embarrassing that it took my library so long to provide access to characters/books connected to the LGBTQ+ community.

But yeah this year was amazing for inclusivity. Most of the books had main characters from the Black community and the LGBTQ+ community.

1. Ariah - B. R. Sanders

A touching LGBTQ+ fantasy that reflects our real life society issues and fantastical issues while displaying a collection of identities.

2. Black Leopard, Red Wolf - Marlon James

This is an amazing Afrocentric fantasy book. Never before have I read a fantasy that focused on Africa instead of the typical European medieval setting with a LGBTQ+ protagonist.

It's written well but a lot of parts were tough to read because they were so disturbing but if you have the guts to read past those parts then its an amazing read that I couldn't put down.

3. Hollow Kingdom - Kira Jane Buxton

Fun! Couldn't put this book down. Love reading books with animal protagonist.

4. The Good Luck Girls - Charlotte Nicole Davis

Thrilling fantasy book with a Black female lead and LGBTQ+ representation.

5. Under the Pendulum Sun : a novel of the Fae - Jeannette Ng

6. Into the Drowning Deep - Mira Grant

A Tense horror/Sci-Fi book with a LGBTQ+ lead protagonist. I also appreciate the X-Men references that are peppered throughout the book.

7. A Gathering of Old Men - Ernest J. Gaines

A book similar to "To Kill A Mocking Bird" that brought out so many emotions. Mostly of rage and deep sadness. Excellent book but definitely hard to read sometimes. I loved it so much though and I'm actually planning on watching the movie now.

8. Lord of the White Hell, Book 1 - Ginn Hale

Another LGBTQ+ lead book in the fantasy genre that takes place at an academy. Loved this book and I'm so excited to read part 2.

9. X-men Chaos Engine: Doctor Doom

10. X-men Chaos Engine: Magneto

11. X-men Chaos Engine: Red Skull

Steven A. Roman

Psylocke is the main character in this trilogy! Nuff said! Plus, they're one of the best X-Men books I've ever read. I must confess this is my second round of reading them and I don't usually read books more than once in my life.

[daniellesreadingnook]

I just posted a new podcast episode about "A Lesson Before Dying" by Ernest J. Gaines. I have some thoughts regarding the book. Click the link above to hear what I have to say. ​Happy Reading!!

[onebluebookworm]

Other 2023 honorees include Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Women’s Soccer, Chief Standing Bear, and Railroad Stations.

[onenakedfarmer]

ERNEST J. GAINES The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Book III

There’s an old oak tree up in the quarters and it has seen much much, and it knows much much. And I’m not ashamed to say I have talked to it, and I’m not crazy either. It’s not necessary craziness when you talk to trees and rivers. But a different thing when you talk to ditches and bayous. A ditch ain’t nothing, and a bayou ain’t too much either. But when you talk to an oak tree that’s been here all these years, and knows more than you’ll ever know, it’s not craziness; it’s just the nobility you respect.

[therainbowwarrior4]

Daily Quote

“Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?”— Ernest J. Gaines

[the-joy-of-knowledge]

Becoming an Intelligent Woman

My Dears,

There is no greater goal than being a fine woman who is intelligent, kind, and elegant. As much as we all want to be described with these adjectives, it takes a great amount of discipline to get there. It is very doable only if you are ready to put in the work.

Here are steps you can add to your routine in the next 4 weeks that will make you 1% more intelligent than you were before. This is a process that should become a habit not a goal. It is long term, however, I want you to devote just 4 weeks into doing these steps first and recognize the changes that follow.

Watch documentaries: This is the easiest step, we all have access to Youtube. Youtube has a great number of content on art, history, technology, food, science etc that will increase your knowledge and pique your curiosity. I really did not know much about world history especially from the perspective of World war 1 & 2, the roaring 20s, Age of Enlightenment, Jazz era, monarchies etc but with several channels dedicated to breaking down history into easily digestible forms. I have in the last 4 weeks immersed myself into these documentaries. Here are a few I watched:

The fall of monarchies

The Entire History of United Kingdom

The Eight Ages of Greece

World War 1

World War 2

The Roaring '20s

The Cuisine of the Enlightenment

2. Read Classics: I recommend starting with short classics so that you do not get easily discouraged. Try to make reading easy and interesting especially if you struggle with finishing a book. Why classics? You see, if you never went to an exclusive private school in Europe or America with well crafted syllabus that emphasized philosophy, history, art, and literary classics, you might want to know what is felt like and for me this was a strong reason. Asides that, there is so much wisdom and knowledge available in these books. In these books, you gain insights to the authors mind, the historical context of the era, the ingenuity of the author, the hidden messages, and the cultural impact of these books. Most importantly, you develop your personal philosophy from the stories and lessons you have accumulated from the lives of the characters in the books you read. Here are classics to get you started:

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

Candide by Voltaire

Paradise lost by John Milton

3. Study the lives of people who inspire you: I dedicate one month to each person that fascinates me. I read their biography (date of birth, background, death, influences, work, style, education, personal life) For this month, I decided to study Frank Lloyd Wright because I was fascinated by the Guggenheim Museum in New York. I began to read about his influence in American Architecture (Organic architecture, Prairie School, Usonian style), his tumultuous personal life, his difficult relationship with his mentor (Louis Sullivan), his most iconic works etc. By the end of the year I would have learned the ins and outs of people I am inspired by through books and documentaries. Here are other people I plan to learn more about:

Winston Churchill

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Ada Lovelace

Benjamin Franklin

Helen Keller

John Nash

Isabella Stewart Gardner

Caroline Herrera

Ernest Hemingway

Catherine the Great

Ann Lowe

My dears, I hope you enjoyed this read. I cannot wait to write more on my journey to becoming a fine woman. I urge you to do this for four weeks and see what changes you notice. Make sure to write as well, it is important to document your progress.

Cheers to a very prosperous 2024!

[richardmurrayhumblr]

Jacinda Townsend Wins 16th Annual Ernest Gaines Book Award for Mother Country Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney, exposing a truth but the media missed the larger point Admitting defeat in Colorado Europe never thought it would be called on to be like the USA https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2162&type=status #rmaalbc

[milkteabinniechan]

♡extra credit - seungmin

MINORS DNI 18+ ONLY commissions // m.list

pairing: college student! Seungmin x fem reader

warnings: angst, slight dom, oral (f. receiving)

a/n: I absolutely love angst, bratty seungmin and this was so fun to write. I'd love to do more with seungminnie in the future<33 thank you for reading!

Seungmin’s pencil rolled back and forth on the table in front of him. You watched his hands push it up and down, right and left. You cleared your throat loudly to get his attention. 

“Shouldn’t we get started?” you huffed.

Seungmin shrugged his shoulders, eyes unbreaking from the table.

“I don’t care. You’re the nerd, can’t you just tell me the answers?”

“That’s not really how tutoring works.” you remarked sarcastically.

Seungmin had failed his last three exams in the literature class you shared. Since you had scored the highest with almost all of the exams, your professor had asked you to help tutor Seungmin for the semester final. You loved literature and the class was your favorite part of the day. But now literature was a chore, it was a headache. Shakespeare had become daunting, Jane Austen had been mocking and Ernest Hemingway felt like you were drowning. Seungmin had fought you at every turn, every moment of your study session.

Can we just follow the lesson plan I made for today? Please?” you pleaded. You softly slid your lesson plan across the table towards him. 

Seungmin’s eyes broke from his pencil and lazily glanced over the paper. 

“God, you are such a nerd.” his words spat out sharp as he pushed the paper back across the table to you.

You felt tears pricking the corners of your eyes. This arrogant bastard. You had reached your breaking point.

“Forget it! You’re hopeless! I don’t care if you fail!” Your words matched his in sharpness and cadence. You could feel the anger bubbling inside of you. There was no stopping it now. You stood up abruptly from the table, your palms flat on the table. “Have fun taking this class again and again and AGAIN. I may be a nerd but at least I am going to graduate on time.”

You let out a deep breath. A breath that felt like it had been trapped there for months. You could feel your knees beginning to buckle from the rush of adrenaline, but you held your ground. Seungmin stayed seated, his eyes wide and glaring. His jaw clenched in frustration while he slowly rose from his seat. Silence hung heavy in the air between you. Your knees were beginning to shake now, but you kept a stern face. You would never show any weakness, not now. Finally, Seungmin opened his mouth to speak. You clenched your muscles bracing yourself for impact.

“That was mean,” his face began to move closer to yours, “like, really mean.” Your eyes locked with his, then down to his lips. You could feel yourself inching closer to him. All of a sudden, his mouth had pressed hard into yours. Your eyes fluttered back as the intensity of his mouth made your knees completely give out from underneath you. You started to lose your balance and attempted to break the kiss to gain your footing, but Seungmin had swiftly wrapped his arm around your waist to steady you. The kiss stayed locked as he lifted you up onto the table. You sat with you legs dangling off while Seungmin eased his waist in between your thighs. A fire was filling your core that was setting out to spread through your entire body. Your hips were starting to move on their own as you pulled Seungmin into you for a deeper kiss. His tongue forced its way into your open mouth with agressive flicks and jerks. Your hands found his fingers and were desperately begging to penetrate the heat building inside of you.

Seungmin unzipped your pants and started to pull down. He licked his lips like an animal ready to devour. Like a starving man lost in the desert, praying for an oasis. He wanted to drown so deep inside of you and never come up for air.

“Wait, I-I…” your words trailed off as Seungmin traced his thumb up and down, left and right over your swelling clit. You arched your back in response, lightning sensations were pulsating through your thighs like a perverted heartbeat.

“I want to make you come,” he growled, his jaw clenching again. “I want to watch you come.” 

You locked eyes with him again. You had your hand in your mouth, biting down hard to keep from moaning too loud. You felt so exposed, but it felt strangely exciting. Seungmin slipped a finger gingerly inside of you, eager to see how wet he had made you. 

“F-fuck…” you squeaked. 

“How does it feel?” Seungmin let his whole finger disappear inside of you now. He turned his hand upward and let his thumb continue to run small, intricate circles around your clit.

“G-good…” you breathed out. You could feel your skin heating up as Seungmin’s finger picked up speed. 

“I could recite a poem if you want? I know you like Plath.” his finger continued a steady pace.

“Yeah like you know any poetry…” you snarkily remarked through heavy breaths.

“If you come for me, I’ll follow your lesson plan.” He smirked up at you, firey eyes between your thighs, his arm moving headily.

You chuckled lightly. You wanted to come. You wanted so much more than a finger inside of you. But Seungmin had a reputation at University. You knew who he was and more importantly, you knew who you were. You were not this type of girl. But at least for this moment, for right now, you wanted to be the kind of girl that Seungmin wanted.

Seungmin’s thumb moved more vigorously as he felt your cunt clench around his finger. You were pulling him in so deliciously and all he wanted in the world was to see your climax. A litany of curse words poured from your innocent lips as your orgasm overwhelmed you. Seungmin could hardly believe how hard he was, watching you writhe and squirm on top of the table. He slid out his soaked finger and placed it in his mouth to get a full taste of you.

“Huh, nerd tastes good.”

taglist: @sugawhaaa @trixiekaulitz @chrizzztopherbang @cassidymb121 @roanns-posts @staysinbloom @yaorzu-blog @bubblebisk @cotton-candycloudz @beautyinhypnosis @domicaru @doohnut @strawberry31 @slxtmeri @newhope8 @tinyelfperson @dandelions-143 @stayyyyyyyyyyyy21 @msauthor @fun-fanfics

[metamatar]

After the first nuclear test at Los Alamos

Many of the scientists and technicians who understood the destructive potential of the atomic bomb felt that the U.S. should first conduct a peaceful demonstration to warn the Japanese of the consequences of refusing to surrender. Szilard and several other Met Lab scientists had collaborated on the Franck Report, issued in June of 1945, which called for a demonstration. However, the Franck Report was rejected by the scientists who served on the Interim Committee’s Scientific Panel – J. Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi, Ernest Lawrence, and Arthur Compton – who wrote, “We see no acceptable alternative to direct military use.”

[...] Szilard toned down his rhetoric over the course of several different drafts of the petition. Between 65 and 150 people signed the various different drafts that he proposed at the Chicago Met Lab and Oak Ridge project site [...]

The petition fared better at Oak Ridge than at Los Alamos. Another Hungarian-American physicist, Edward Teller, brought the petition to that site with the intent to gain signatures there too. However, at the advice of J. Robert Oppenheimer, he ultimately decided not to do so. “Oppenheimer talked me out of it, saying that we as scientists have no business to meddle in political pressure of that kind. We know too little about that. I am ashamed to say that he managed to talk me out of the right intention,”

From the Nuclear Museum

[writingdotcoffee]

The Six Golden Rules of Writing: Read, read, read, and write, write, write.

Ernest Gaines