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theotherackerman · 3 years

Text

My Mind Turns Your Life Into Folklore

NOTES:

Tuesday, January 19th

song: epiphany-taylor swift

chapter twenty-two: epiphany

Zeke was working at his desk when he heard his brother’s voice down the hall. It must have been time for Eren’s appointment. Zeke had been too involved in the paperwork he was doing to even realize the time.

His last patient had been a wreck.

More so than normal. Everything was in order now.

At least Zeke had hoped.

Zeke remembered the words Pieck had said to him. Maybe Zeke already had the family he had longed for.

But he still had unfinished business with one part of his family.

He looked over at the picture of his mother on his desk.

Dina had got the short end of every stick. Her family had mostly passed away by the time she had married Grisha and the living family…

Well, they wanted nothing to do with her.

Zeke thought of Levi.

His mother had been cast out due to being pregnant while Zeke’s mother had been cast out for marrying a man she loved.

Zeke made peace with Grisha, at least in his head.

But his mother’s family?

The ones who abandoned her?

Those he wanted revenge on.

Now he had the perfect opportunity.

Well, at least he thought he did.

He still had a lot of things to get in order before he could.

“Have you read the file yet?” he heard Levi’s voice behind him. It caused Zeke to jump.

“How did you get back here?” Zeke asked as he turned around. “Also I thought Mikasa was bringing Eren.”

“I walked through the door. How else would I get back here? It’s snowing. She doesn’t like to drive in the snow.”

“Right. Parents’ car accident. You mentioned that.”

“So did you read the file?”

“No,” Zeke sighed before standing up and closing the door.

“Why not? You’ve been bugging me about it long enough,” Levi said before taking his usual spot and sitting down.

“Because I know there’s going to be a lot of shit in there from the Reiss family about my mom,” Zeke said before sitting back down at his desk.

“It’s not an opinion. It’s only only facts in there. What would Kenny do with an opinion?” Levi huffed.

“I do not know!” Zeke yelled. He sighed and then took off his glasses. He ran both of his hands down his face before putting his glasses back on.

“Are you doing okay over there?” Levi asked after a moment.

“Yes...no….maybe. I do not know right now. I am worried about Eren. I am worried about my friends. I am worried about that damn file. It may have more information that I am not ready to know about the shitty Reiss family. My mother was the only surviving Fritz. Now she’s gone and the Reiss family couldn’t even be bothered to care about her passing. Just because she married Grisha. Her entire life was ruined by that man.”

“But she did love him.”

“Unfortunately for everyone involved, she went to her death loving him. Have you read the file?” Zeke asked as he looked at Levi.

“Yeah, there’s some very interesting things in there. You should give it a read,” Levi said before he stood up. “And Eren’s fine. He’s better than the last time I saw him. I’d say something if he wasn’t.”

“Yes, I suppose you would.”

“Read the damn file.”

“I will. I will read it this week.”

“Good,” Levi said before he walked out of the door, closing it behind him.

----------

The snow was picking up as Mikasa watched it fall. She still hated the snow. She hated driving in it more than anything. She had been surprised when Levi had told her he was taking Eren to therapy and not to worry about it. After feeding the dogs and taking them on a walk, she had begun her daily chores. They hadn’t taken as long as Mikasa would have liked.

So she sat in the sun room watching the snow. She was worried about Levi and Eren’s return. She was worried if Sasha and Historia had made it to the indoor farmer’s market safely.

“Stop staring at it,” Ymir said before poking Mikasa in the shoulder. “Historia and Sasha are fine. I’m sure Levi and Eren will be back soon.”

Mikasa simply nodded.

“Still having writer’s block?” Ymir asked as she sat down in a chair.

“Yeah, unfortunately.”

“Maybe you just need a break. You don’t have to write a song everyday, you know.”

“I know it’s just...it’s the way I can get my feelings out, you know? Better than a real journal. I can make allegories and no one will know what I’m talking about.”

“I disagree. Some of us know who your songs are about.”

“Really? Then how many songs have I written about you and Historia?”

“I dunno. Like six.”

Mikasa smirked.

“Wait, is it more?”

“But I thought you knew who my songs are about.”

“Did you write a song about all of us?”

Mikasa nodded.

“How many?”

“A lot.”

“Okay, what song is about Levi and Hange? Because there’s got to be at least one I’m guessing.”

“There’s a few,” Mikasa said before she moved over to her keyboard. “There’s a few just about Levi though.”

"Really? You should play one of them,” Ymir said before she moved over and sat down on the piano bench in front of the keyboard.

Mikasa sat down next to her and began to play.

The song sounded melancholy.

“ {lyrics redacted due to copyright}. ”

Ymir’s father had been a soldier like Levi. It wasn’t something she spoke on very much. She wondered if her father had felt like that. She couldn’t remember much about him. Had what he saw been too much for him in the end?

Mikasa and Ymir hadn’t realized that Levi and Eren had returned. They didn’t know that they were in the living room, hearing every word.

“ {lyrics redacted due to copyright}.”

Eren made his way over to the sun room.

It was a good thing as Levi had started to tear up. He looked at Sawney and Bean. Both were sitting there, wiggling.

Sometimes Levi wondered if he had done right by Mikasa, as every parent did. But to have seen her grow, to see her music grow with her. He was proud of her.

He had ideas of who all the songs were about. It wasn’t rocket science for him to figure out. He and Hange had even made a guessing game out of her music.

“Eren! How long have you been here?” Mikasa said as she stopped playing the piano.

“Just got in with Levi.”

Levi wiped the tears away before making his way over to the sun room with the dogs in tow.

“What are we doing for lunch, brats?” Levi asked as he leaned in the doorway.

“It’s your turn to cook, Ymir,” Mikasa reminded her.

“Alright, so what are we ordering?”

“Hey!” Ymir countered.

“Go see what Annie wants,” Levi said as he walked out of the sun room.

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

The Blouse family farm stall at the indoor farmer’s market was doing very well. In fact, due to Historia’s personality, they were doing much better than they had in previous years.

Sasha didn’t speak much about the year with the drought where they almost lost the farm. Connie’s family had helped so much. She would never be able to repay his family for all the help they had given her family.

This year, the winter crops were doing great, they were preparing for spring corps.

Things were looking up for Sasha.

In fact, Niccolo had finally got the guts to actually call Sasha for once.

And it didn't go well.

In fact, it went in a completely bad direction.

They had been chatting about how Connie was searching for something to take on his date with Ruth Kline. Somehow, Sasha had let it slip that Connie had put a lot of effort into their dates especially after he had taken her virginity.

"Wait, Connie was your first?"

"Uh, yeah. Why does that matter?" Sasha asked.

“But you’re still friends…”

“Yeah? Is that a problem?”

“Is that a problem? Yeah, it’s a big fucking problem.”

“Wait, why? I thought you liked Connie! I thought you guys gamed together.”

“Yeah, we do but that’s besides the point.”

“Please inform me of what the point is then.”

“He’s your first. That’s special, right? That means something. He means something to you.”

“Well, yeah, he’s my best friend. Look, I really don’t like what you’re saying right now.”

“I’m just saying that there’s something there. And you could be tempted.”

“Tempted? What because I can’t control myself? Because I’m not loyal to a relationship that has been nothing but sexting and far too little conversation? Let's not forget that you forgot to tell the name of your band and that Eren was in it.”

“How was I supposed to know that you knew Eren?”

“Gee, I don’t know. The photos on my Instagram? The photos on Facebook? Oh, wait. That would require you to take an active interest in what I actually do.”

“I take an interest in what you do!”

“Then why do our conversations only revolve around sex, band stuff, and your culinary career?”

“Well, that’s because...you don’t really do much.”

“Excuse me?”

“Wait, that came out wrong.”

“This conversation is over.”

“Sasha, wait.”

“No. Fuck off, Niccolo. Don’t call me.”

“Sasha…”

Sasha hung up on him, not wishing to hear anything else. She sat down on her bed, frustrated by the whole situation.

Sure, there was a part of her that understood that Niccolo was just jealous.

But there was literally nothing for him to be jealous of!

Her relationship with Connie was nothing more than platonic now. She loved Connie. She truly did and no one would ever come between them.

They had fallen out of love after high school. It hadn’t been a bad break up or even slightly messy.

Some relationships just run their course and they’re over.

That had been Connie and Sasha but despite that, they had stayed the best of friends. Something that would never change. No matter who they dated.

Niccolo though….

Sasha had hoped that he would step up.

Take her on a real date.

Spend time with her.

But he hadn’t.

Then his jealousy right now?

That wasn’t something Sasha was willing to put up. Her friends came first before whatever romantic partner came along.

If Niccolo didn’t like that, then he was free to leave.

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

At band practice, everyone noticed the change in Sasha’s mood.

She didn’t have to say anything. She just wasn’t her normal perky self.

“Alright, spit it out,” Ymir said after they finished playing an older song.

“What?” Sasha asked as four girls stared at her.

“Something is bothering you,” Mikasa spoke up next.

““Yes, no. I don’t know. Things aren’t going with Niccolo,” Sasha said.

“Why?” Annie asked.

“Well, there’s the whole we can barely talk to one another in person factor. Oh and he doesn’t like that I’m very good friends with my ex,” Sasha sighed as she leaned up against the wall.

“Does he not realize how small of a town this is? I mean Annie’s ex is building our studio and Armin doesn’t care,” Historia said as she crossed her arms across her chest.

“I guess not. I’m just not going to talk to Niccolo for a few days. Connie and I were years ago! He just happens to be one of my best friends. He’s been seeing Ruth Kline, you remember her? She was in our geometry class. She doesn’t care that Connie and I are still friends. Niccolo should trust me, right?” Sasha crossed her arms across her chest.

“He should. Maybe you’re right about not talking to him for a bit,” Mikasa said.

“I am. I’m not going to let him bring me down. The farm is doing well. We’re getting a studio.”

“There’s my Sasha!” Ymir yelled as she moved behind the drum set and wrapped her arm around Sasha’s shoulders. “But seriously, say the word. He’ll be dead.”

“Ymir, you can’t solve everything with violence,” Historia said as she rolled her eyes.

“Says the girl who saw me at the supermarket and punched me in the face,” Eren said as he leaned in the doorway of the sun room.

“Okay but you kind of deserved that,” Historia defended.

“Yeah, no. You’re right. So who are you killing?” he asked.

“Considering your friends with the enemy, we cannot reveal our plan to you,” Ymir replied.

Annie rolled her eyes, “it’s Niccolo. He freaked out because Connie and Sasha are friends.”

Eren frowned. “Weird. I thought he knew that. Either way, I’m not getting involved but if you want me to talk to him, Sasha….”

Sasha shook her head. “I’m just going to give him some space and then we’ll go from there.”

“I thought you’d be more of a wreck after therapy,” Annie said as she looked at Eren.

“Huh? Oh. No. I’m good. Magath seems to know what he’s doing sometimes.”

“He was even okay directly afterwards,” Mikasa chimed in.

“Thanks for your confidence.”

“No, it’s just...when I went to therapy, I used to feel emotionally drained afterwards,” Annie explained.

“You went to therapy?”

“I did too. It’s a shitty little thing they force you into when you’re in foster care. So they can say they’re taking care of your mental health. It’s mostly just a therapist who doesn’t want to be there and asking you a shit ton of questions without actually listening to your answers,” Ymir said before she began just playing random chords on her base.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Annie said with a shrug.

“I had to go for a while after my parents died. It wasn’t too bad,” Mikasa shrugged.

“If you get a therapist that actually cares, you’re lucky. The ones assigned by the government...it’s clear they hate it there,” Ymir said before she stopped playing.

“Try being in the military,” Levi called from the living room.

“Does Zeke get paid by the military?” Ymir asked.

“No. He just specializes in PTSD,” Eren explained.

“Why that of all things?” Sasha asked.

“I don’t know. His mentor did too. He’s really proud of Zeke. His name is Tom Ksaver and he had a pretty messed up past from what Zeke told me.”

“Alright, Jaeger. Get out. We’ve got to practice,” Ymir said before playing her bass again.

#mmtylif #my writing

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handeaux · 4 years

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In 1921, Cincinnati’s New Year’s Day Roared In With Guns Blazing

On hundred years ago, Cincinnati’s New Year announced itself with a bang. Several bangs, in fact. The newspapers reported dozens of gunshot incidents, as if the city was a free-fire zone.

Jim Dimson, 34, earned the honor of first person arrested in Cincinnati on 1 January 1921. Patrolmen Harry Breckroege and Peter Schadel arrested Dimson after he fired four rounds from a second-floor window at his home as bells and whistles welcomed the new year.

Bart Marchioni, manager of the American Ice Cream Company on Sixth Street, narrowly missed being struck by a bullet fired through his front window at midnight.

Cryn Stockoff, 26, was struck in the hand by a stray bullet while walking on Apple Street in Northside shortly after 12:00 a.m..

As the clock struck 1921, Patrolman James Fritz found a group of men firing pistols at an electric streetlamp at the corner of Eastern Avenue and Hazen Street. The policeman dispersed the impromptu shooting gallery but one of the shooters, Gordon Cassell, 24, punched Officer Fritz in the head and ran off. Fritz fired five shots from his service revolver at the fleeing miscreant, striking him in the hip.

Ferdinand Moeller, 22, of Newport, and Ernest Wells, 28, of Covington, were both shot while attempting to hold up a truckload of illegal whiskey being transported through Cincinnati. Also shot in the robbery attempt was Joseph Kline of New York City, one of the armed guards assigned to protect the shipment of bootleg hootch.

William Wright, 13, of Meade Avenue in the East End was shot through his right arm by a friend while they played with a pistol.

Arthur Spiegel, beginning a brand-new term as Police Court judge on New Year’s Day, found four cases of discharging firearms within city limits on his docket.

Perhaps Cincinnati was just trying to find a new way to blow off steam. The transition from 1920 to 1921 marked the first New Year’s Eve under the iron thumb of Prohibition. The Cincinnati Enquirer [1 January 1921] noticed a distinct absence of jollity as the year transitioned:

“The new year was ushered in propitiously last night with scores of watch parties and midnight dinners, both large and small, and with the usual accompaniment of noise, but the hilarity and spontaneity that has long been characteristic of the New-Year celebrations was strangely absent.”

According to the Enquirer, alcohol was not totally absent, despite the new federal law, as citizens often had private stocks remaining legally in their own houses, but partiers were still testing the limits of public drinking by sneaking the odd flask or two into a hotel ballroom. Per the Enquirer:

“The lid was on tight and the first day, even the first minute, of 1921 was christened with water, coffee, tea and other safe and sane drinks.”

And yet, four inebriants found themselves in Police Court as the day began, charged with public intoxication.

Part of the somber celebration might be attributed to economic problems as Cincinnati suffered, along with the rest of the United States, through the financial depression following World War I. The papers featured cheery messages from bankers and businessmen promising better days ahead.

Still, newspapers referred so often to the “high cost of living” that it earned its own acronym – HCL – in the editorial cartoons. This, when grocers advertised coffee at 17 cents per pound, eggs at 36 cents per dozen, butter at 54 cents a pound and bread at 9 cents per loaf. The large package of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes went for 10 cents a box.

That a new era was dawning was made clear by the announcement New Year’s Day that President-elect Warren Harding would eschew the traditional horse and carriage and ride to his inauguration in an automobile. The Cincinnati Post announce plans to construct the city’s first parking garage, a facility designed to hold 1,000 motor cars. Within a decade, autos shoved everyone else off Cincinnati’s streets.

The big political debate roiling the otherwise placid demeanor of the Queen City was the prospect of a national Blue Law prohibiting theaters, athletics facilities, concert halls and restaurants from opening on Sundays. Dr. Wilbur F. Crafts, chairman of the International Reform Bureau, issued a public denial that his strait-laced organization had proposed any such thing. Still, dozens of other “progressive” organizations were likely suspects in a movement that faced stiff opposition among a public just beginning to understand the full weight of restrictions imposed by Prohibition.

The Enquirer editorially raged against blue-nosed reformers it labeled a “frenetic minority of alleged purists” who aimed to censor the fruits of human creativity.

“In various localities throughout the country self-styled ‘Christian civic leagues’ are butting their heads against plain and honest American common sense. The activities of these consecrated individuals reach their climax in the demand for the clothing of nude statues and the veiling or destruction of nude paintings.”

Asserting that “throttling art” has historically resulted in an increase in crime, the Enquirer bemoaned the possibility that the Cincinnati Art Museum might be made over “into a home for superannuated spinsters and reformers who have burned out their energies in the labor of clothing this bright world in sackcloth and ashes.”

One good and wholesome endeavor thrived in Cincinnati in 1921, competitive walking. The idea of running long distances had not yet taken root in town, but high-speed sauntering was in its heyday. Sebastian Linehan, champion walker and president of the local chapter of the American Walkers Association, distributed a New Year’s circular, encouraging members “to make the coming year a notable one in Cincinnati in the heel-and-toe game.”

By mid-afternoon on 1 January 1921, the Queen City had settled down to business as usual. The first robbery of the year was reported at 5:00 p.m. that day by West End grocer Markus Sterkin, who reported the theft of two boxes of chewing gum.

#New Year 1921 #New Year's Day 1921 #cincinnati crime #sunday blue laws

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amazingstories · 7 years

Text

The other day I got into a brief discussion of cover mentions throughout the history of the science fiction magazine.

Of course we all focus on the cover image first, but unless it is a really extraordinary sample of the genre’s art (between BEMs and brass brassieres it’s a bit tough to hit “extraordinary”) the very next thing we look at are the names of the authors to be found within.

To the first time buyer, these mean little to nothing. To the aficionado however, they can serve as an instant assessment of the expected quality of the issue. Lots of top names, stands a chance of being an excellent issue. No recognizable authors – well, either the title is on its way out (the editors are scraping the bottom of the submission barrel) or – we’re about to discover the next great thing to come down the genre pike. This latter possibility can only be found in the “vanishingly small probability” box, and represents more of a hope for the reader than a real possibility.

I decided to take a look at how the various magazine titles handled this bit of self-promotion. I then decided to use 1953 as my exemplar year.

Why 1953? Because 1953 was THE banner year for science fiction and fantasy magazines. And because the frenzy surrounding this boom year somewhat resembles what we’ve been seeing for the past several years – an explosion of electronic magazine titles, each of which carefully lists it’s available contents.

1953 was also a year in which the genre was changing; more markets meant that more authors could stretch, had a few more places they could pitch to. Many of the “old guard” were still publishing, and a lot of familiar names had become firmly established. The short story was still the dominant form for the genre and thus, it’s at least as good a year as any other to pick on.

(Wikipedia only lists 219 SF novels published in 1953. There were undoubtedly a handful of others, but this is a pretty good indicator of how few novels were published, as opposed to short fiction in the magazines.)

Here’s a gallery, displaying the magazine covers from 1953, in alphabetical order by magazine title.

AMAZING STORIES

Published by: Ziff-Davids Publishing Company Edited by: Howard Browne Format: Pulp

Charles Creighton, Mallory Storm, Chester Geier, Guy Archette, E. K. Jarvis, Paul Lohrman (2), Jack Lait, Lee Mortimer, Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, H.L. Gold (2), Theodore Sturgeon, Harriet Frank, Walter M. Miller Jr., Kendall Foster, Henry Kuttner, Algiss Budrys, R. W. Krepps, Richard Matheson, Robert Skeckley (2), Vern Fearing, William P. McGivern, Wallace West, Evan Hunter 2/26

ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION

Published by: Street & Smith Publications Edited by: John W. Campbell, Jr. Format: Digest

Poul Anderson (3), H. Beam Piper, John J. McGuire, John Loxmith, Hal Clement, John E. Arnold, Lee Correy, Mark Clifton (2), Alex Apostildes (2), Tom Godwin, Raymond F. Jones

0/11

AVON SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY READER

Published by: Avon Novels Inc, & Stratford Novels Inc. Edited by: Sol Cohen Format: Digest

Arthur C. Clarke (2), John Jakes (2), Alfred J. Coppel Jr., John Christopher, Milton Lesser (2), Jack Vance

0/9

BEYOND FANTASY FICTION

Published by: Galaxy Publishing Edited by: Horace L. Gold Format: Digest

Ted Sturgeon (2), Damon Knight, T. L. Sherred, Jerome Bixby (2), Joe E. Dean, Richard Matheson (2), Roger Dee, Frank M. Robinson, James McConnell, Isaac Asimov, Robert Bloch, T. R. Cogswell, Philip K. Dick, John Wyndham, Wyman Guin, Richard Deeming, Algis Budrys, Franklin Gregory, Zenna Henderson, Ted Reynolds

1/23

COSMOS SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY MAGAZINE

Published by Star Publications Edited by Laurence M. Jannifer Format: Digest

Poul Anderson, Carl Jacobi (2), Philip K. Dick, Evan Hunter (2), Ross Rocklynne, John Jakes, Bertram Chandler (2), Robert S. Richardson (2), B. Traven, N. R., Jack Vance

0/15

DYNAMIC SCIENCE FICTION

Published by: Columbia Publications Edited by: Robert A. W. Lowndes Format: Pulp

Cyril Judd, Raymond Z. Gallun, James Blish, Michael Sherman, Algis Budrys

0/5*

FAMOUS FANTASTIC MYSTERIES

Published by: All Fiction Field (imprint of Popular Publications) Edited by: Mary Gnaedinger Format: Pulp

Talbot Mundy, H. Rider Haggard, Ayn Rand, Kafka

1/4

FANTASTIC

Published by: Ziff-Davis Publications Edited by: Howard Browne Format: Digest

Samuel Hopkins Adams, Joseph Shallit, Kris Neville, Edgar Allan Poe, John Collier, Billy Rose, B. Traven, Stephen Vincent Benet, William P. McGivern (3), Isaac Asimov, Alfred Bester, John Wyndham (2), Esther Carlson, Evelyn Waugh, Ralph Robin (3), Walter M. Miller Jr., Robert Sheckley (2), Richard Matheson, Frank M. Robinson, Rog Phillips, Robert Bloch

2/27

FANTASTIC ADVENTURES

Published by: Ziff-Davis Publications Edited by: Howard Browne Format: Pulp

Frank McGiver, Peter Dakin, E. K. Jarvis, Mallory Storm, Ivar Jorgensen, Alexander Blade

1/6

FANTASTIC STORY MAGAZINE

Published by:Best Books Edited by: Samuel Mines Format: Pulp

Edmond Hamilton, Murray Leinster (3), L. Sprague de Camp (4), Thomas L. McClary, Leigh Brackett, Henry Kuttner, Carl Jacobi, Horace L. Gold, Jerry Shelton, Ed Weston, Kevin Kent, Jack Townsley Rogers, Frederic Brown, Cleve Cartmill, Manly Wade Wellman, Otis Adelbert Kline, Roscoe Clark, Robert Moore Williams

1/23

FANTASTIC UNIVERSE SCIENCE FICTION

Published by: King-Sized Publications Edited by: Sam Merwin Format: Digest

Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Frank Belknap Long, E. Hoffman Price, Evan Hunter, Irving Cox, William Campbell Gault, A. Bertram Chandler (2), Walt Sheldon, Clifford D. Simak, Poul Anderson, Richard Matheson, Eric Frank Russell, Jean Jaques Ferrat, William F. Temple, Wallace West, C. M. Kornbluth, William Morrison, Philip K. Dick, Evelyn E. Smith

1/21

THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION

Published by: Mercury Press Edited by: Anthony Boucher Format: Digest

Fritz Leiber, Mabel Seeley, John Wyndham, Idris Seabright (2), Robert Louis Stevenson, R. Bretnor (2), L. Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt, Oliver la Farge, J. T. McIntosh, Wilson Tucker, Richard Matheson, Anthony Boucher (2), Kris Neville, Chad Oliver, Esther Carlson, Alan Nelson, William Bernard Ready, Poul Anderson, Ward Moore, John D. MacDonald, Edward W. Ludwig, Arthur Porges, Manly Wade Wellman, Winona McClintic, Tom McMorrow Jr.,

4/29

FANTASY MAGAZINE/FANTASY FICTION

Published by: Future Publications Edited by: Lester Del Rey Format: Digest

Robert E. Howard (2), John Wyndham, (Philip K) Dick, Elliot, Fritch, (H.B.) Fyfe, H. Harrison, MacLean, L. Sprague de Camp, Pletcher Pratt

0/10

FUTURE SCIENCE FICTION

Published by: Standard Publications Edited by: Robert A. W. Lowndes Format: Pulp

John Wyndham, Poul Anderson, William Tenn, Gordon R. Dickson, Kriss Neville, Robert Sheckley

0/6

GALAXY SCIENCE FICTION

Published by: Galaxy Publishing Edited by: Horace L. Gold Format: Digest

Philip K. Dick, Damon Knight, H. L. Gold, Willy Ley (3)*, F, L. Wallace, J. T. McIntosh, Theodore Sturgeon, Isaac Asimov

0/10

GALAXY SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS

Published by: Galaxy Publishing Edited by: Horace L. Gold Format: Digest

This “magazine” Doesn’t really count as these are single novel publications. However, for completeness’ sake: John Taine, Isaac Asimov, J. Leslie Mitchell, James Blish (2), Lewis Padgett*, Edmond Hamilton

0/7

IF WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION

Published by: Digest Publications Edited by: Larry Shaw Format: Digest

Walter M. Miller Jr., Ivar Jorgenson, Arthur C. Clarke, Jack Vance, Walt Sheldon, H. B. Fyfe, James Blish, William Tenn, Mark Wolf

0/9

ORBIT SCIENCE FICTION

Published by: Hanro Corporation Edited by: Donald A. Wollheim Format: Digest

Richard English, August Derleth (2), Mack Reynolds, Charles Beaumont (2), Paul Brandts, H. B. Fyfe, John Christopher, James Causey

0/10

OTHER WORLDS

Published by: Clark Publications, later Bell Publications Edited by: Raymond A. Plamer & Bea Mahaffey Format: Digest

H. B. Fyfe, Richard S. Shaver (2), L Sprague de Camp (3), Eric Frank Russell, (William F.) Temple, (Robert Moore) Williams, Edward L. Smith, (Joe) Gibson, (Raymond A.) Palmer, S. J. Byrne, Robert Bloch, James McConne

0/15

PLANET STORIES

Published by: Love Romances Edited by: Jack O’Sullivan Format: Pulp

Bryan Berry (4*), Roger Dee, Gardner F. Fox, Robert Moore Williams, Ross Rocklynne, William Tenn, Ray Gallun, B. Curtis, Gordon R. Dickson, Hayden Howard, Stanley Mullen, Leigh Brackett, Ray Bradbury, Fox B. Holden

1/17

ROCKET STORIES

Published by: Space Publications Edited by: Lester Del Rey, Harry Harrison Format: Digest

(?) Bernard, (Henry) De Rosso, (John) Jakes, (Milton) Lesser (2), (Poul) Anderson, (Algis) Budrys, (?) Cox, (James) Gunn, (A. F. ?) Loomis, (?) Mullen

0/12

SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTURES

Published by: Space Fiction/Future Publications Edited by: Lester Del Rey, Harry Harrison Format: Digest

(William) Morrison (2, (Alan E.) Nourse, (George O.) Smith, (Erik) Van Lhin* (5), (Chad) Oliver, (Algis) Budrys, (Raymond Z.) Gallun, (Theodore R.) Cogswell, (Robert) Sheckley, (Poul) Anderson, (Irving E.) Cox (Jr.) (2), (Samuel) Moskowitz, (Richard) Snodgrass, C. M. Kornbluth

0/20

SCIENCE FICTION PLUS

Published by: Gernsback Publications Edited by: Sam Moskowitz Format: Slick

Eando Binder (2), Hugo Gernsback (2), Philip Jose Farmer (2), John Scott Campbell, Dr. Donald H. Menzel, Richard Tooker, Clifford D. Simak (2), Raymond Z. Gallun, Frank Belknap Long, F. L. Wallace, Robert Bloch, Harry Walton, Murray Leinster (2), Pierre Devaux, H. G. Viet, Gustav Albrecht, Frank R. Paul, Chad Oliver, Thomas Calvert McClary, Jack Williamson, Eric Frank Russell (2), Harry Bates, James H. Schmitz

0/29

SCIENCE FICTION QUARTERLY

Published by: Double-Action Magazines Edited by: Charles D. Hornig, Robert A. W. Lowndes Format: Pulp

Poul Anderson, Philip K. Dick, Randall Garrett, Milton Lesser

0/4

SCIENCE FICTION STORIES

Published by: Columbia Publications Edited by: Robert A. W. Lowndes Format: Digest

Poul Anderson, Raymond Z. Gallun, Robert Sheckley, Algis Budrys, Philip K. Dick, Noel Loomis, M.C. Pease

0/7

SCIENCE STORIES

Published by: Clark Publishing, Bell Publishing Edited by: Raymond A. Palmer, Bea Mahaffey Format: Digest

Jack Williamson, John Bloodstone, S. J. Byrne, T. P. Caravan, Mack Reynolds, Edward Wellen, Richard Dorot

0/7

SPACE SCIENCE FICTION

Published by: Space Publications Edited by: Lester Del Rey Format: Digest

H. Beam Piper, (John) Christopher, (William) Morrison (2), Damon Knight, T. L. Sherred, Lester Del Rey, Poul Anderson

0/8

SPACE STORIES

Published by: Standard Magazines Edited by: Samuel Mines Format: Pulp

Leigh Brackett, William Morrison, Sam Merwin Jr.

1/3

SPACEWAY STORIES OF THE FUTURE

Published by: Fantasy Publishing Co Edited by: ? Format: Digest

Only a movie title is listed.

STARTLING STORIES

Published by: Better Publications Edited by: Samuel Mines Format: Pulp

Damon Knight, Murray Leinster (2), George O. Smith, Sam Merwin Jr (3)., Chad Oliver, Kendall Foster Crossen, Willy Ley, Fletcher Pratt, Noel Loomis, Philip Jose Farmer, Theodore Sturgeon, Edmond Hamilton

0/15

THRILLING WONDER STORIES

Published by: Beacon/Better/Standard Magazines Edited by: Samuel Mines Format: Pulp

L. Sprague de Camp, Kendall Foster Crossen (3), Damon Knight, Katherine MacLean, Wallace West, R. J. McGregor, George O. Smith, Dwight V. Swain

1/10

TOPS IN SCIENCE FICTION

Published by: Love Romances Edited by: Jack O’Sullivan, Malcolm Reiss Format: Pulp

(Ray) Bradbury, Leigh Brackett (2), (Robert) Abernathy, (Hugh Frazier) Parker

TWO COMPLETE SCIENCE-ADVENTURE BOOKS

Published by:Wings Publishing Edited by: Katherine Daffron Format: Pulp

Like The Galaxy SF Novel, these “magazines” only published two full length novels, so it doesn’t really fit the standard pulp magazine cover listings thing. However –

James Blish, Vargo Statten, Killian Houston Brunner, Bryan Berry, Poul Anderson, John D. MacDonald

0/6

UNIVERSE SCIENCE FICTION

Published by: Bell Publications, Palmer Publications Edited by: Raymond A. Plamer, Bea Mahaffey Format: Digest

Theodore Sturgeon, Murray Leinster, Nelson Bond, Robert Bloch, William T. Powers (2), William Campbell Gault, Gordon R. Dickson (2), Mark Clifton, Sylvia Jacobs, Roger Flint Young, Poul Anderson, (Isaac Asimov, (L. Sprague) de Camp, (Eando) Binder, F. L. Wallace, George H. Smith

1/18

VORTEX SCIENCE FICTION

Published by: Specific Fiction Edited by: Chester Whitehorn Format: Digest

(Nobody listed on the cover, probably owing to the fact that this was a terrible magazine.)

WEIRD TALES

Published by: Weird Tales Inc Edited by: Dorothy McIllwraith Format: Digest

Everil Worrell, Joseph Payne Brennan, Leah Bodine Drake, August Derleth (2), (Manly Wade) Wellman, C.(lark) A.(shton) Smith

2/6

WONDER STORY ANNUAL

Published by: Best Books Edited by: ? Format: Pulp

Jack Williamson, Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Henry Kuttner, Isaac Asimov

0/5

***

Text markup key: A bolded name is an author who still resonates today (at least in my estimation); italics indicate a pseudonym – sometimes a house name, sometimes not; a number in ellipses indicated that the author was cover mentioned more than once during the year’s run.

The numbers following the names related the ration of female/male mentions for the year’s run. The best that can be said about this is that Space Stories managed to achieve 33%, while the majority of the magazines featured no female authors.

***

Thirty Eight different titles, if we include serious name changes:

Amazing Stories, Astounding Science Fiction, Avon Science Fiction and Fantasy Reader, Beyond Fantasy Fiction, Cosmos Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine, Dynamic Science Fiction, Famous Fantastic Mysteries,Fantastic Adventures, Fantastic*, Fantastic Story, Fantastic Universe, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction*, Future Science Fiction, Galaxy Science Fiction, Galaxy Science Fiction Novels, If Worlds of Science Fiction, Orbit Science Fiction, Other Worlds, Planet Stories, Rocket Stories, Science Fiction Adventures, Science Fiction Plus, Science Fiction Quarterly, Science Fiction Stories, Science Stories*, Space Science Fiction, Space Stories, Spaceway, Startling Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories, Tops in Science Fiction, Two Complete Science-Adventure Books, Universe Science Fiction, Vortex Science Fiction, Weird Tales, Wonder Story Annual. (*This was a title change) (and I’ve got 32 of the 38 first issues in my personal collection!)

Phew!

Incidentally, if you’d purchased all of these at the newsstand back in the day, it would have set you back a grand total of $55.80. Adjusted for inflation, it would be a bit over $500 bucks today. That’s a bit low. There are 176 issues in question and current asking price for a digest magazine on the stands these days is $7.99. At that price, these issues would have set you back about $1400.00. This suggests that things really were cheaper back then! (It’s also a lot easier to scrape up 25 cents looking for pennies on the street than it is to find $7.99….)

Beyond anything else, I simply can not imagine what it must have been like to be standing in front of the racks of a 1953 news shop. During they heyday of my purchasing magazines from news shops, I had Amazing, F&SF, Fantastic, Galaxy, If, Analog, Odyssey, Galileo, and a handful of reprint mags to choose from, as well as a number of “graphic” magazines like Heavy Metal and “media” magazines like Star Warp. I’d have been overwhelmed and terribly frustrated to find 38 different titles – I wouldn’t be able to choose which ones to spend my nickles on!

Truth be told, though, the regularity of these magazines was anything but regular. If you averaged out their production over twelve months, there’d only be 15 titles to choose from at any given time.

No doubt quality suffered to some degree, but the chances of finding good stories was also increased.

Note, interestingly, that only 45 percent of these titles include the identifier “science fiction” in their name. Among those that don’t include “science fiction”, seven consist of a descriptor and the word “stories”: Amazing, Planet, Rocket, Science, Space, Startling, Thrilling Wonder, and two a descriptor plus “story” – Fantastic and Wonder.

I think it safe to say that the majority of magazines back in 1953 still felt the need to be very specific about what they were offering readers. The cover image was apparently not quite enough, though I’m sure they worked hand-in-hand: the outre image would catch your eye and the properly worded title would confirm your suspicions: rocketships plus “Amazing” equals “science fiction”. (Anyone seeing a scantily clad “space babe” and hoping for titillation was going to be sorely disappointed, and unlikely to be interested in anything “science stories”.)

Those two elements were probably believed to be sufficient come-ons to new customers, none of whom had a computer or databases to consult. (In fact, whether or not you ever even saw a particular title on the newsstands was often hit or miss: if the magazine distributor didn’t cover a particular territory (or deliver to that territory that month), you’d never see the issue(s).

But then, most of the magazines also went ahead and put two other items on their covers. Frequently a statement about the contents was made -All New Stories!- and the title and author of at least one story listed on the table of contents.

I find it interesting that they felt a need to proclaim “All Stories Complete!” “All New Fiction!” and even “A Selection of the Best Stories of Fantasy and Science Fiction, new and old.” This was of course due to the fact that there were numerous reprint magazines on the stands (Famous Fantastic Mysteries among them) and woe to the reader who spent that hard-earned quarter, only to discover contents they’d already read!

Another thing regularly stuck on the cover of these ‘zines was a sort of sub-title: Strange Adventures on Other Worlds…Preview of the Future…Stories of the Future…Science Fiction…Best in Fantasy….

If you stand back and take a look at all of the covers shown previously, you may notice that there seem to be two general format layouts – “framed” and “unframed”, and further that the unframed titles break down into two sub-groups – boxes or no boxes.

Framed layouts present the cover image, untouched, and surround it with (usually) an inverted ‘L’ shaped border (Galaxy, Space Stories), while unframed titles print a full-sized cover image and slap text directly over the image. Some of these restrict the listing of contents or highlighted story in an opaque box (which is printed over the image).

It seems that two different schools of design thought were expressing themselves. Both have advantages: unframed present a larger image, framed present one that lets you see everything, no textual interruptions, please, but are small in area.

Also note that 1953 was a year of transition for magazine format: some of the titles shown were published in “pulp” format (about 9 inches tall), such as Two Complete Science-Adventure Tales and Fantastic Adventures, while most had or were switching to the familiar digest (about 7 inches tall) format – such as Fantastic Universe and Galaxy.

The larger format almost exclusively utilized an unframed layout, while many of the digests went with the framed format, though not exclusively. Notably, Amazing Stories seems to be all over the place.

Now, with all that being said…why’d they put those names on the cover?

These magazines had three basic markets they were trying to reach – the educated fan, the fan who didn’t know they were a fan, the casual reader.

The publishers didn’t really have to worry about the educated fan too much; chances were they were a subscriber, or belonged to a club that subscribed, or had fellow fans who shared issues around. Fan readers of SF&F were always hungry for more and needed no other motivation than “the new issue is on the stands” to go and seek it out.

Further, this kind of consumer had already developed their tastes and would have been pretty familiar with the regularly published authors and those who were considered to be headliners. Any given name on the cover stood a 50-50 chance of attracting or deterring that reader. You could get a lot for a quarter and a dime back then – almost a beer, almost a movie ticket; Mark Watney would probably like to know that ten pounds of potatoes cost the same as a magazine.

I ponder the wisdom of a promotional campaign that runs the risk of turning your potential customer off, up to fifty percent of the time.

On the other hand, publishers, at least in regards to this demographic, were probably counting on a few other things as well: most fans were rabid fans by necessity. Even if every single author in a given issue was disliked, there was still the editorial and the letter column (often worth the price of admission alone), whatever other features might be included and, of course, the cover, along with the interior illustrations. (Remember those?) Having probably already been through the demise of many prior titles, the experienced fan back then probably had a well-honed sense of historical preservation. All of which would tend to encourage them to ignore front cover unpleasantness.

One thing is for sure though: this segment of the market didn’t have to be sold. They were already bought and paid for. The only competition a magazine faced with this particular buyer was whether or not a competing title was more “attractive” this month. Which suggests that one purpose of the names on the cover was to play one-ups-manship with the other titles.

This then leaves us with two segments – the unrealized fan and the casual reader.

The only difference between these two market segments is that the unrealized fan reader might have heard of an author or two. I stress might, since the novels they might have been exposed to were few and far between and no one was advertising SF magazines on television or radio, nor even in the mass-circulation magazines of the day. You weren’t going to see Isaac Asimov on a Wheaties box (though this might not be a bad idea…), Jack Parr wasn’t interviewing Ray Bradbury and the movies they might have caught rarely, if ever, mentioned the origin of their script.

Space Patrol, Tom Corbett, Tales of Tomorrow (ended this year), some fans might have caught Atom Squad, some kids were maybe watching Johnny Jupiter, Rod Brown was competing with Tom, and it would be several years before Science Fiction Theater, The Twighlight Zone and Men Into Space would grace the small screen; these 1953 television shows did little to elevate the profile of the science fiction author.

Likewise, radio (still a popular medium) wasn’t producing much of serious fan interest either: Dimension X had been off the air for a couple of years, and it would be a couple more before X Minus One would air (both prominently featured stories largely drawn from Astounding Science Fiction). The radio companion for Space Patrol was airing, but, again, any author involved probably tried to keep as low a profile as possible.

The only real benefit any of the magazines might have derived from these other media might have been creating the initial interest in the subject matter. Given the right circumstances, it is entirely possible that a consumer walking past a newsstand would make the connection between a television show featuring outer space and the image of a rocketship on the cover of one of the magazines.

This works, potentially, for the unrealized fan, though it begs a question: why didn’t any of the magazines attempt to capture this television show audience with various forms of tie-in? (Tom Corbett Isn’t the ONLY Space Cadet. We’ve got space cadets in every issue! A New Short Story by the author of the latest Tales of Tomorrow episode!) It could be suggested that most of SF on television back in the day was focused on “kids”, and that the magazines were going after an older audience, but most of the magazines on sale were perceived, at least by the general public, as being kid-stuff too. I can imagine a well-meaning parent, noting their child’s interest in Space Cadets, picking up a copy of Universe, or Science Fiction Plus, or Science Fiction Adventures (check out the cover art) as an attempt to support the kid’s interest. But then again, we’re talking about an era that generally despised science fiction, so it’s more likely that mom or dad would be scheduling homework time during Corbett’s 15 minute episodes….

The casual reader…the only thing I can imagine that would attract them to an SF pulp (or digest) would be the cover art, perhaps reinforced by one of the come-ons. But certainly not the names.

This of course brings us back full circle. It’s pretty well established that the names on the cover did little to help market these titles. Existing fans knew the titles and would pick them up regardless of who was featured; unrealized fans could make no informed judgement about the content, and the casual reader would be attracted by art and possibly blurbs.

So why? Why go to the trouble to select the names, why the belief that doing so was beneficial? There’s probably only two reasons: tradition (magazines had been printing the contents on the cover from the beginning) and ego boo: ego boo for the authors (who were getting paid very little and had only two sources of fan interaction – letters and conventions. Not to mention wanting to keep valued authors on the submission hook. And ego boo for the editors and publishers who got to brag among themselves and play a game of one upsmanship.

So what have we got? Here’s the list, most cover mentions to least, in alphabetical order. There are quite a few names we still engage with these days…and quite as many we have forgotten.

14 Anderson Poul 11 de Camp L. Sprague 8 Leinster Murray 7 Dick Philip K., 7 Sheckley Robert 6 Asimov Isaac, Budrys Algis, Matheson Richard, Morrison William, Sturgeon Theodore, Wyndham John 5 Berry Bryan, Blish James, Bloch Robert, Brackett Leigh, Bradbury Ray, Crossen Kendall Foster, Gallun Raymond Z., Knight Damon, Lesser Milton, Lhin Erik Van, 4 Chandler A. Bertram, Clarke Arthur C., Derleth August, Dickson Gordon R., Gold Horace L., Hunter Evan, Jakes John, Ley Willy, McGivern William P., Merwin Jr Sam, Oliver Chad, Russell Eric Frank 3 Binder Eando, Christopher John, Clifton Mark, Cox Irving, Farmer Philip Jose, Fyfe H. B., Hamilton Edmond, Jacobi Carl, Kuttner Henry, Miller Jr. Walter M., Neville Kris, Robin Ralph, Simak Clifford D., Smith George O., Tenn William, Vance Jack, Wallace F L., Wellman Manly Wade, West Wallace, Williams Robert Moore, Williamson Jack, 2 Apostildes Alex, Beaumont Charles, Bixby Jerome, Boucher Anthony, Bretnor R., Byrne S. J., Carlson Esther, Cogswell Theodore R., Dee Roger, Gault William Campbell, Gernsback Hugo, Heinlein Robert, Howard Robert E., Jarvis E. K., Jorgensen Ivar, Kornbluth C. M., Lohrman Paul, Long Frank Belknap, Loomis Noel, MacDonald John D., McIntosh J. T., Mullen Stanley, Piper H. Beam, Powers William T., Pratt Fletcher, Reynolds Mack, Richardson Robert S., Robinson Frank M., Rocklynne Ross, Seabright Idris, Shaver Richard S., Sheldon Walt, Sherred T. L., Storm Mallory, Temple William F., Traven B., 1 Abernathy Robert, Adams Samuel Hopkins, Albrecht Gustav, Archette Guy, Arnold John E., Bates Harry, Benet Stephen Vincent, Bernard (?), Bester Alfred, Blade Alexander, Bloodstone John, Bond Nelson, Brandts Paul, Brennan Joseph Payne, Brown Frederic, Brunner Killian Houston, Campbell John Scott, Caravan T. P., Cartmill Cleve, Causey James, Clark Roscoe, Clement, Hal, Collier John, Coppel Jr. Alfred J., Correy Lee, Cox (?), Creighton Charles, Curtis B., Dakin Peter, De Rosso Henry, Dean Joe E., Deeming Richard, Del Rey Lester, Devaux Pierre, Dorot Richard, Drake Leah Bodine, English Richard, Fearing Vern, Ferrat Jean Jaques, Fox Gardner F., Frank Harriet, Fritch Elliot, Fyfe H.B., Garrett Randall, Geier Chester, Gibson Joe, Godwin Tom, Gregory Franklin, Guin Wyman, Gunn James, Haggard H. Rider, Harrison H., Henderson Zenna, Holden Fox B., Howard Hayden, Jacobs Sylvia, Jones Raymond F., Judd Cyril, Kafka , Kent Kevin, Kline Otis Adelbert, Krepps R. W., la Farge Oliver, Lait Jack, Leiber Fritz, Loomis (A. F. ?), Loxmith John, Ludwig Edward W., MacLean Katherine, MacLean Mabel Seeley, McClary Thomas Calvert, McClary Thomas L., McClintic Winona, McConne James, McConnell James, McGiver Frank, McGregor R. J., McMorrow Jr. Tom, McGuire John J, Menzel Donald H., Mitchell J. Leslie, Moore Ward, Mortimer Lee, Moskowitz Samuel, Mundy Talbot, Nelson Alan, Nourse Alan E., Padgett Lewis, Palmer Raymond A., Parker Hugh Frazier, Paul Frank R., Pease M.C., Phillips Rog, Poe Edgar Allan, Porges Arthur, Pratt Pletcher, Price E. Hoffman, R. N., Rand Ayn, Ready William Bernard, Reynolds Ted, Rogers Jack Townsley, Rose Billy, Schmitz James H., Shallit Joseph, Shelton Jerry, Sherman Michael, Smith Clark Ashton, Smith Evelyn E., Smith George H., Smith Edward L., Snodgrass Richard, Statten Vargo, Stevenson Robert Louis, Swain Dwight V., Taine John, Tooker Richard, Tucker Wilson, Viet H. G., Walton Harry, Waugh Evelyn, Wellen Edward, Weston Ed, Wolf Mark, Worrell Everil, Young Roger Flint

Resources for this article were obtained from Galactic Central and the Internet Science Fiction Database.

On Cover Mentions The other day I got into a brief discussion of cover mentions throughout the history of the science fiction magazine.

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lousylark · 7 years

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blue lace

Part 1.5 out of approximately 16. Read part 1 here. Klaus X Minori, Story of Seasons. Please like, reblog, or leave a comment if you like it. Enjoy!

Winter 31st. Oak Tree Town Square. 6:50 PM.

Elise stood at the very edge of the festival grounds. She was cold, but she needed to be able to see everything that was going on — and one thing in particular.

“Someone’s tense.”

The voice made her jump. She looked and saw that Nadi had somehow snuck up on her. Her mouth curled into a scowl.

“I am not tense,” she grumbled. “I just do not like people.”

He smirked and leaned against the small fence behind them. “Well, we already knew that.”

“Yes, thank you, Nadi, for another excellent display of your stunning observational skills. Now leave me alone.”

As per her wishes, he fell silent, and Elise returned to her people-watching. Or, rather, her important-people-watching.

A little ways across the square, Minori, her rival, stood in a small circle with Jenkins, Pierce, and Holland. Minori looked awkward standing there, like she didn’t know what she was doing. And, if Elise was right — and she almost always was about these things — she probably didn’t know what she was doing. After all, Minori had probably never been interviewed like this in her life.

Her frown deepened. After Veronica had explained the New Leaf Competition to her, she hadn’t managed to get very far with the FAS board before they had been surrounded by adoring fans and curious spectators. Even before the crowd had arrived, they had been all aflutter about finding Minori.

“Nadi,” she said, cutting off her own rambling thoughts, “is there something terribly more appealing about Minori than there is about me?”

He looked at her strangely for a moment. “What do you mean by that?”

She tugged her coat tighter around her body. Her silly, childish dress may have been made of silk worm’s thread, but it did nothing to keep her warm.

“I simply mean,” she said, “that if you were interviewing for a job, what would make you pick her over me?”

He let out a breath, obviously relieved. Then, crossing his arms over his chest, he replied, “Well, there are a couple of things.”

She raised an eyebrow. “A couple of things?”

“Yeah. First of all, she’s way more genuine than you are. She’s also nicer. Then there’s the fact that she does all of her work herself, she doesn’t just make other people do it. She has a sense of humor, that’s another good one. She doesn’t use sarcasm negatively like you do, she doesn’t —“

“Very well, that’s enough.” Elise glared at him. “I understand. She is the girl next door. I am the spoiled brat of a rich politician.”

He shrugged. “I mean, at least you acknowledge it.”

She looked at the sky. It was starting to get dark. “I may not be the girl next door, but I am self-aware.”

“Yeah, well, Minori’s both.”

She barely resisted the urge to whack him with her purse.

Somewhere nearby, a man let out a hearty laugh. The festival attendees seemed to be having a good time, though Elise thought the party was too full. It was almost seven and there were still people flowing in through the gate, either for noodles or fireworks or just friendly conversation. She had seen several babies — really, who thought to bring infants in this weather? — and many young children. Veronica wouldn’t be disappointed with the turnout.

“So, why are the FAS board members here?” Nadi, too, was watching the crowd, but the question was directed at her.

Her frown reappeared. “To select an agricultural representative for the New Leaf Competition.”

“Yeah, that’s what everyone keeps saying. But what does that mean?”

She could, of course, reveal everything Veronica had told her to Nadi. Nadi was a simple landscaper. If it had been any other servant, she would have kept her mouth shut without a second thought. Most of her servants, even her best ones, were squirrelly and liked to talk. She knew from experience that there was nothing worse than a household with a gossip network instead of hard-working servants.

But she knew Nadi was more reserved, and more calculating, than most of her servants. Even if he was irritable, he was terribly intelligent for a field worker. Perhaps, in this instance, it would do her some good to work through her news with a trusted confidante — though, she used the term loosely.

She relented with a heavy sigh. “This year, the FAS board has decided to put together a competition for the small farming communities that surround Norchester. The whole premise is to honor a farming community that has ‘turned a New Leaf’ in terms of their economic and social prosperity, so to speak.”

“Okay, cute. So what else?”

“I was getting to that,” she said through gritted teeth. “Each town involved has a business mentor and three representatives — the agricultural rep, the publicity rep, and the mayoral rep. The mayoral rep is, obviously, the mayor —“

“So Veronica.”

Elise nodded. “Yes, it will be Veronica. But the business mentor, publicity rep, and agricultural rep are both chosen by the FAS board. They already chose Kassie Kline from The Norchester Report to be our publicity rep, so now they just have to choose an agricultural representative and a business mentor. The business mentor will be from out-of-town because we don’t have anyone qualified. But the agricultural representative must come from Oak Tree Town.”

“Well who’s to say they won’t choose Giorgio, or even Fritz?” Nadi asked.

“The agricultural rep has to be only a farmer,” she explained. “So Giorgio isn’t in the running because he’s also a model and a part-time journalist. As for Fritz…” she trailed off, and looked at Nadi with one eyebrow raised.

He smirked. “Yeah, okay. You’re right. So it’s between you and Minori?”

“Correct.” Her fingernails dug into the fur of her coat. “The agricultural representative is supposed to be the farmer who has made the greatest impact on the town.”

Nadi looked straight at her. “Well that’s Minori, hands-down. Elise, you just don’t —“

“I know what you’re going to say,” Elise interrupted, “and yes, it is true. Minori has worked harder for the town itself; she is more friendly with the citizens and she even landscapes as a hobby. She also cares for this town with all of her being, which I find perplexing but have given up trying to understand.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “But you are ignoring an important factor: I bring more annual revenue to this town. My farm is bigger and better. Hers is impressive, of course, especially for someone with her small background. Mathematically, however, my farm does more good for the town, and that’s an equally important factor as being the ‘girl next door’ to the FAS board.”

“Well, that may be true,” Nadi said, “but what’s the big deal, anyway? What makes this a competition?”

“The competition culminates in a festival, like this one,” she explained, “but bigger. Much, much bigger. The FAS is calling it a Revitalization Festival, and it’s supposed to showcase both the town’s culture as well as the impact of farming on that town. The criteria for the festival are incredibly broad, but the winning town is chosen on a combination of ticket sales and three secret critics’ reviews. Each festival has to take place in the first week of Fall this upcoming year.”

Nadi shook his head. “That’s so little time for something so huge. Is there any reward?”

Elise nodded. “A million dollar grant to the town, and five hundred thousand to each individual representative.”

He let out a long, low whistle. “High stakes.”

She sighed. Her gaze had drifted back to where Minori stood with the FAS members.

“High stakes, indeed.”

Winter 31st. Oak Tree Town Square. 7:00 PM.

By the time Klaus, Marian, and Del Cossa arrived in Oak Tree Town, the festival was well underway. But thankfully, Raeger had yet to start dishing out the noodles, so not all hope was lost.

Klaus and Marian walked side by side into town, with Del Cossa ambling slightly behind at a gentler pace. Klaus hadn’t before realized how old Del Cossa was. He looked much younger when he was made up to judge the fashion shows. Klaus wondered how he and Marian became friends when such an age difference existed — not that he was judging. After all, he himself was several years older than Raeger, who was arguably his best male friend after Marian.

Immediately upon entering the Trade Depot, Klaus was struck by just how many people were crowded into the square. He had expected Oak Tree Town to be much more peaceful than the city. Instead, it was like someone had taken every occupant of Norchester’s central park and shoved them in the festival grounds.

Marian gasped. “My goodness, I haven’t seen so many people here in…well, ever.”

“I haven’t either,” Klaus said. “Why are there so many?”

“Veronica opened up this festival to the public,” Marian explained. “You know, to further the town’s shining reputation. I knew there would be more people than usual, but this is incredible.” He looked around at the trade depot again, smiling widely. “Veronica must be elated.”

Del Cossa caught up to them and let out a hefty sigh. “Yes, this is quite remarkable, though I could very much use somewhere to sit down.”

Marian laughed. “Yes, I thought you might say that, Del.” He wrapped an arm around Del Cossa’s shoulders. “Klaus, would you like to find somewhere to sit with us?”

Klaus was half-tempted to say yes. It had been a long day, so he wasn’t too keen on the idea of trying to navigate through this giant crowd. But he hadn’t seen his other acquaintances and friends in quite some time due to the perfume convention. He wanted to catch up with Raeger, and perhaps Iris, before Marian suckered him into too many drinks.

“I’ll pass for now,” he said. He straightened the scarf around his neck. It seemed even colder in Oak Tree Town than it had been in Norchester. “I’d like to find Raeger, and maybe Iris, and say hello.”

“And Minori?” Marian asked. Mischief sparkled in his eyes.

Klaus shrugged. He was too used to Marian’s teasing to take the bait. “Perhaps.”

“Well, suit yourself. Del and I will go paint the fairgrounds red!”

Del Cossa straightened his glasses, a faint, youthful smile gracing his otherwise elderly features. “Something like that.”

“We’ll catch up with you later!” Marian called, and then he and Del Cossa disappeared into the crowd.

Klaus took a deep breath. People flooded the Depot, but he hadn’t felt this alone in days. He wanted to enjoy the moment while it lasted.

He was in no rush. He skirted the outside of the crowd for a while, passing clumps of people deep in conversations. To his right was Maurice’s daughter, Melanie, chattering excitedly with Lutz.

Not too far from them stood Elise. She was leaning against the outer fence, a dour expression painted on her pale skin. They made brief eye contact. She managed a polite nod, which surprised him. They hadn’t spoken more than a few words to each other since she arrived several years ago, though Klaus knew her father well. He and Mr. Buchanan had a complicated relationship; one that Elise probably wasn’t even aware of. That was part of the reason that Klaus tried to keep his distance from her.

“Klaus!”

He recognized that voice.

Iris stood to his left, closer to the crowd. Some of her girlfriends surrounded her. They bubbled with laughter and merriment. He didn’t have a particular interest in interrupting them — not because any of the girls were unfavorable company, but because he could never think of much to say to women other than Iris.

Iris must have realized that he didn’t feel much like talking to her friends, because she quickly excused herself from the group and started making her way toward him.

They exchanged a quick hug. “How was the convention?” she asked. “It’s so good to see you again!”

“The convention was exceptional,” he replied. “A little unorganized at times, but there were some very prestigious perfume connoisseurs there.”

She lowered her voice slightly. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

He patted his breast pocket absentmindedly. “I did, as a matter of fact.” After running a hand through his hair, he asked, “How was your holiday? Get much writing done?”

She nodded. “I finished that chapter I was stuck on. You remember, with the girl and the rotting apple?”

“Ah, and the worms?”

She smiled. “Yes, and the worms.”

“How could one forget such a chapter, Iris?” he teased.

In the distance, he could see that Licorice was watching them closely. She wasn’t suspicious, she was simply curious. Licorice had been in town little more than a season. He wondered if she was aware that he and Iris were not, in fact, a couple.

Many years ago, they actually had attempted a relationship. It had lasted only one regrettably awkward season, and had been filled with only surface-level conversations and formal dates — none of the casual, coquettish spontaneity that he had known once in his youth. Both had agreed that the relationship wasn’t going anywhere, and they had parted ways as close friends.

Many of the townspeople, however, weren’t convinced that they wouldn’t someday be married. Klaus was firmly against the idea. In fact, he was rather firmly against the idea of any sort of romantic relationship, at least at this point. He carried too much baggage.

Perhaps — perhaps, if he dared hope, he could change that with his findings from the convention. Perhaps he could finally move on. But it was a long shot, and he was too old to dream of finding happiness in love, anyway.

Iris followed his gaze to see Licorice. She gave her friend a small smile, but didn’t acknowledge her staring. Instead, she turned back to Klaus and asked, “Did Marian drive you here?”

He nodded. “Yes. We brought Del Cossa from the train station, as well. Apparently he’s just returned from a trip in Europe.”

“Del Cossa the fashion designer?” she asked. “I wasn’t aware he and Marian were close. Though Angela did say Marian was going to pick up a friend from the train station.”

“Yes, well, he ended up picking up two,” Klaus explained.

Iris folded her arms over her chest, a coy smile donning her expression. “That’s right! I seem to recall you saying that you weren’t coming home from the convention until after New Year’s Eve.”

Her eyes sparkled in a way that told him she knew more than she was letting on. Though he and Iris had been a dysfunctional couple at best, she had always been very good at seeing through his words to his heart. Though he would deny it out loud, he always wondered if it was one of the reasons he had been okay with breaking things off. Her unnerving ability to see through his facades made him feel uncomfortably vulnerable.

He smiled, giving into her game. “Ah yes, well. My sentimentality got the better of me, it seems.”

“Really?” She appeared genuinely surprised — and that didn’t shock him. It was one thing for her to notice his true feelings; it was another for him to admit to them. “Well, that’s nice, Klaus.”

He straightened his back in an attempt to feel more guarded again. “I suppose so.”

Both fell silent for a time. Klaus scanned the crowd. He still wanted to see Raeger, and perhaps he would check in with Otmar or Mistel before returning to Marian.

“Have you seen Raeger?” he asked. “This crowd is so thick I fear I won’t find him by myself.”

“I’m not too sure where he is, but I know he’s here,” Iris replied. “His catering company cancelled on him, so he’s probably still setting up right now.”

Klaus raised an eyebrow. “Really? How unprofessional.” He looked across the square. Usually Raeger’s setup was stationed at the north end. “Maybe I’ll go help him set up, then.”

“Well, good luck finding him.” She pushed a long piece of hair away from her eyes. “I’ll go back to my girls, then. I’m glad you’ve come home!”

He raised a hand in farewell. “I’m glad, too. Happy New Years!”

“Happy New Years to you, too!”

Iris gave him one final squeeze on the shoulder and then turned away and started back toward her friends. Klaus watched her go for a moment, then returned to searching the crowd. He had come in through the east end of the Trade Depot, so Raeger would likely be somewhere to his right.

“Well, here we go,” he mumbled to himself. He straightened his jacket and started at a quick pace into the crowd.

As a perfume maker, he had a very trained sense of smell. Tonight, with all of these people, he was slightly overwhelmed by all of the scents. Everywhere he turned there was something new: a woman heavily doused with lavender; an old man who smelled — rather unfortunately — of mold; a young girl who cried loudly but smelled like chocolate chip cookies.

He was so distracted by all of the smells that he didn’t see the person moving toward him until they smacked straight into his elbow.

“Oh, goodness gracious,” he murmured. Then, louder, he asked, “Are you alright, miss?”

The girl didn’t respond. Instead she seemed to wobble on her feet a bit before finally raising her head to look up at him.

Minori’s eyes didn’t quite focus on him. She seemed not really to be focusing on anything, but she had raised a mittened hand to cover her nose, which appeared to be where he had hit her with his elbow.

“Klaus?” Her voice, though muffled because of the mitten, held obvious traces of confusion. “I thought you were in Redford for a perfume convention?”

He shifted his feet, still staring at her nose. “Er, yes, I was. But now I’m here.”

“Oh!” She took the hand away from her face. “You must be who Marian picked up at the train station!”

“Yes, but — oh, Minori, your nose is bleeding.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Oh, goddess. It is?”

Part of him wanted to laugh, but another part of him felt terrible for causing her pain. Already, there was blood dripping down her nose and onto her lips.

“Yes, and fairly badly,” he said. “We should go find Marian. I’m sure he’ll have something to help. I have a handkerchief, if you’d like to use it.”

She snorted, and then winced — probably because doing so hurt her nose. Still, her tone was good-natured when she teased, “Of course you have a handkerchief. Classic ‘I’m-an-old-man’ Klaus.”

He put his hand on her shoulder, and together they navigated through the crowd. She refused his handkerchief at first, but once they saw her blood dripping down from her face onto the snow, she acquiesced.   “I have several more at home,” he said, hoping to comfort her. “You can keep that one.”

She smiled, though he noticed her eyes watering and felt another rush of pity.

He scanned the crowd for Marian, figuring that his pink hair wouldn’t he hard to find. Still, he imagined they wouldn’t have traveled far from the entrance of the Trade Depot, so they went in that direction.

He looked down at Minori, who was a good foot shorter than he was. Her hair was curlier than usual. Even with a nosebleed, he found her rather lovely. More often than not, that seemed to be the case — whether she was covered in dirt, sweat, or she was sunburned from a long day outside, she somehow always managed to look radiant.

He cleared his throat, grateful that Marian and Iris seemed to be the only ones who could read thoughts in Oak Tree Town.

He finally spotted the doctor sitting in one of the up lawn chairs around the edge of the square. Del Cossa sat to his right. A little table stood between the chairs with two glasses of wine sitting atop it.

Klaus waved them down. “Marian!”

Miraculously, his friend noticed him over the buzz of the crowd. Before Marian could say anything, Klaus called out, “Do you have a first aid kit with you?”

Moments later, Minori was sitting in one of the lawn chairs while Marian checked her nose. Del Cossa and Klaus both watched, though Klaus felt too restless to sit down.

Marian gave Minori a more absorbent material to hold up to her nose. “How did this happen, exactly?”

Minori blinked. “Well, I was —“

Marian brushed her lips with his forefinger. “No, no. Not you, honey. Let Klaus explain. You just relax.”

Klaus put his hands in his pockets and let out a breath. “I was trying to find Raeger and I just wasn’t paying much attention to my surroundings, I suppose. I remember I reached up to try and fix my hair, and then I felt something hit my elbow.”

Marian pursed his lips. “Way to go, Klaus.”

He scratched his neck sheepishly. “Sorry, Minori.”

Minori’s eyes were less watery now. She granted him a broad grin. “It’s fine. Kind of funny, honestly.”

Marian sighed and straightened up so that he wasn’t hunched over Minori. “Well, you’re lucky, Nori. Your nose isn’t broken. You’ll have a nice bruise for a few days, but other than that you’ll be fine. Do try to be more careful. You and Fritz would be neck and neck in a contest for the biggest klutz.”

“That’s not true!” She objected, daintily touching her nose. When her pointer finger made contact with the bruise, she winced, dropping her hand back onto her lap in defeat. “I’m not clumsy,” she clarified, “I’m just kind of spacey sometimes. I didn’t see Klaus coming.”

“And to be fair, I was walking quite fast,” Klaus added.

“Yes, well, walk slower next time!” Marian quipped. He carefully placed the remaining gauze in his first aid kit. Then, in a softer voice, he asked, “Minori, dear, how are you? We haven’t talked in some time. Didn’t you travel to see your family for the holidays? How was it?”

She nodded. “Yeah I did. It was great. I hadn’t seen my older brother in person since I came here three years ago, so that was really nice.”

Klaus wasn’t as close to Minori as he was to Raeger or Iris, but he would consider her more than an acquaintance. As far as he had observed, it was hard for anyone who knew Minori for more than a week not to consider her more than an acquaintance. She carried herself well and was always outgoing and helpful — all qualities that made her popular with the townspeople.

Everyone knew that Minori valued her family very highly — especially her brother. They were a rare case of siblings who actually got along; the only other example he knew offhand was Lillie and her sister, Melanie.

Klaus realized that the conversation had shifted. Marian was reintroducing Minori to Del Cossa.

“Yes, we’ve met many times.” She shook Del Cossa’s hand. “It’s good to see you again, sir. Giorgio told me you’ve been in Europe?”

Del Cossa nodded. “Yes, I have.”

The fashion designer seemed oddly distracted. Minori seemed to detect this, because she dove straight into a conversation with Marian about how busy the Norchester train station was. No sooner had they started speaking, however, did Del Cossa suddenly interrupt.

“Excuse me, are those the board members of the Farmer’s Appreciation Society?” He pointed into the crowd, toward three people that Klaus had never seen before.

Minori nodded. “Yeah. That’s actually who I was talking to right before I bumped into Klaus.”

“Do you know why they’re here?” He pushed his glasses further up on his nose.

Minori dug one of her shoes into the snow. Her expression appeared thoughtful, even a tad bit nervous. “Kind of. They’re trying to select an agricultural representative for the New Leaf Competition.” She stumbled over the words, as if she wasn’t sure what they meant. “They asked me a bunch of questions for some sort of survey.”

Del Cossa shook his head. “Oh, I highly doubt that it was for ‘some sort of survey,’ my dear.” He stood from his chair. Klaus could have sworn he heard one of the man’s knee joints pop. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to speak to them.”

He handed his wine glass to a surprised Marian, and then ambled straight for the trio of board members.

“Odd,” Marian said. He turned to Minori. “What’s this about a competition?”

Minori stood from her lawn chair. “I’d really love to explain, Marian, but I promised Raeger I’d help him cater and it’s almost seven-thirty. His company cancelled on him, and I’m already late because of this whole nose catastrophe.”

“I heard about Raeger’s issues,” Klaus said. “Do you think he needs another set of hands? I’d love to help.”

“Oh, definitely.” She smoothed out her jacket, and went on, “The team he was supposed to get was six people strong, so I’m sure he’d really appreciate it. Lillie and I are his only helpers right now.”

“Off we go, then.” He offered his arm to her, and she giggled before taking it.

“You two be safe!” Marian called as they left. “No more nosebleeds!”

Klaus saluted to Marian over his shoulder. “Yes sir!”

“And don’t forget we have an appointment tomorrow morning, Klaus!”

He directed a two-fingered salute toward his friend. “I’ll be there, Doctor!”

Winter 31st. Oak Tree Town Square. 11:45 PM.

The evening passed much quicker than Minori expected it to. Helping Raeger dish out noodles was a much-welcome break from her tangled thoughts about the FAS members’ interview. She was able to lose herself in the work. Each person who came up to the table for noodles had a different face, a different voice, a different life. She liked to imagine each person’s life outside of the Trade Depot. It kept her mind working.

And, of course, there was no shortage of conversation as they worked. If she wasn’t concocting a backstory for a festival-goer, she was talking to a patron or her friends. Some of the townspeople were surprised to see her behind the counter; others had already heard about the fiasco with Raeger’s catering company and were grateful he had helping hands.

Sometime around eleven the crowd of noodle-eaters finally thinned. Lillie and Klaus excused themselves to meet with their families — or, in Klaus’s case, with Marian. Minori stayed behind with Raeger to help him pack up the equipment.

More than a half hour passed before they were through. Raeger leaned against one of his carts and let out a heavy sigh.

“Thanks, Nor.” He stretched his arm around her shoulders in a half-hug. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you and Lillie tonight. And Klaus.”

“You’re welcome. It was fun!” she said. “Honestly, I think this is my favorite New Years festival since I moved here. The time passed really quickly. And the work kept me warm.”

He took his arm away from her shoulders. “Yeah, and there’s only fifteen minutes left before midnight.”

“Yeah.”

“Is the long winter gonna affect your crops?” he asked, looking at her with concerned, puppy-dog eyes.

She laughed, despite the subject of the conversation. “Those eyes, Raeger. This is why all the girls love you.”

He sighed. “I should just wear sunglasses everywhere.”

“Sounds good.” Her smile faded, however, when she remembered his question. “But yeah, if the cold lasts too much longer it’ll put a dent in my work this spring. I have a huge load of five-star potato seeds that I wanted to get in the ground right away.”

“Well, you know if you ever need anything, I’m always here to help.” He smiled, and added, “Obviously I’d prefer to make you free meals, but if you need anything besides food I can try to help with that, too.”

She grinned, looking up at the stars. “Hopefully it won’t come to that point. But I wouldn’t mind if you made Half-Off French Toast Wednesdays a thing again this Spring. The cows would get so mad at me last year when I let them out an hour later than usual last year, but that french toast was so worth it.”

Raeger chuckled. “I’m glad, Nor. I’ll think about doing it again, just for you.”

Minori looked out into the crowd. It was less dense, now. Some of the families with younger children and elderly couples had left the Depot to return home. She knew that Melanie and Lutz, as well as Otmar, would still be there, though. This festival was too precious to the townspeople for them to go home early and sleep.

Speaking of younger townspeople, Minori saw a young girl rushing toward them through the thinning crowd. At first she thought it was an unlucky kid coming back for more noodles, but as the girl drew closer she realized it was someone more familiar. The curls in her hair had fallen out, and she had exchanged her cute earmuffs for a too-big knit cap, but it was unmistakably Melanie.

Minori was just about to call out a greeting when she noticed the grave look on Melanie’s face. Her worried eyes stopped her from speaking. Instead, Melanie was the first to speak.

“Minori! Raeger!” she called, rushing up to them.

Raeger looked up from his catering equipment and grinned, but, upon seeing her face, his eyebrows drew together in worry. “What’s up, Melanie?”

“It’s Lillie,” Melanie said, her voice raspy from running. She gulped for air. “There’s some guy, following her. He won’t leave her alone. I don’t know what to do! He looks really creepy. Please help!”

Raeger and Minori exchanged a look. Of course, Minori thought, the festival had been going too smoothly. Opening the event up to the public couldn’t be without consequence. She just wished, maybe selfishly, that it didn’t have to be of consequence to her or her friends.

“Where is she?” Minori asked.

“By the archway,” Melanie replied. “But she won’t leave the festival grounds ‘cause she doesn’t wanna miss the countdown.” Her eyes were watering. “A-And I don’t know where dad is because he’s talking with business people. He said he’d find me but he hasn’t yet.”

“Alright, Lanie,” Raeger said. His words were slow and careful. “Minori and I will take care of it. Go get some water and find Lutz and his parents. Do you know where they are?”

Melanie sniffled but nodded, keeping her head high. “Mhmm.”

She didn’t budge. Raeger reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it. Okay?”

She nodded again, frantically. “Okay. I’ll go find Lutz.”

“Good plan,” Raeger said.

Melanie turned and disappeared into the crowd. Minori watched her go, her stomach churning with worry. Still, she was proud of Melanie. Two years ago this sort of thing would’ve reduced her to a puddle of tears, but she had grown considerably since then.

Once Melanie was out of earshot, Raeger turned to Minori with a frown. “I’ve got a plan. I think it’ll work, but you should come in case I need reinforcements.”

Minori quirked an eyebrow. “Reinforcements? You’re not going to fight this guy or anything, right?”

“No,” Raeger said. He ran a hand through his hair. “But who knows. If it comes to that, I need you to run and get Klaus. I think he’s still hanging out with Marian. Now come on.”

He grabbed her hand and started leading her through the crowd, but she still had more questions. “I don’t think Klaus is the guy you’d want to ask to help you in a fight, Raeger. Shouldn’t I look for Maurice, or even, I don’t know, Nadi or Fritz?”

Raeger snorted. “Trust me, Klaus can hold his own in a fight better than I can.”

Minori tried to get a look at his expression, but his face was turned from her and toward the depot entrance. “If you say so. What’s your plan?”

But before he could respond, they broke away from the beef of the crowd and saw Lillie. Sure enough, she was standing near the entrance of the Trade Depot. A burly man stood only slightly away from her. He was definitely, as Melanie had described, “creepy.” Lillie appeared to be speaking to him, but everything about her posture and disposition suggested extreme discomfort, even from where Minori and Raeger stood twenty feet away.

Raeger increased his pace to a speed walk, letting go of Minori’s hand. She didn’t hang back, though. She walked faster so that she could keep up with Raeger and help her friend.

Lillie paused in her speech when she saw Raeger. Her face flooded with relief.

“Raeger,” she greeted.

“Hey, babe,” he replied, and —

— abruptly swept her into his arms and kissed her.

Minori squeaked with surprise, but, realizing Raeger’s plan, hid her reaction with a violent cough. The burly guy recoiled, simultaneously shocked and disgusted. Minori couldn’t really blame him for the second reaction: Raeger’s kiss was still going strong and, from what she could see, looked a little sloppy.

“Alright, lovebirds,” Minori said, barely able to keep the mirth out of her voice. She didn’t want to raise suspicion, but Raeger’s apparent plan had her nearly in stitches. Lillie would surely complain about him kissing her for weeks. “Melanie’s waiting for us.”

Raeger finally broke off the spit-swapping fest, but he didn’t let go of Lillie. Instead, he wrapped one arm tightly around her waist and started steering her away from the other guy, back toward the crowd.

“Minori’s right, babe,” he said, loud enough for the creepy man to clearly hear. “Let’s get you back to your dad so we’re ready for the count down, okay?”

Lillie’s gaze didn’t seem to be focused on anything, but her eyes were wide with what Minori figured was surprise.

“O-Okay,” she managed to respond.

And just like that, the danger had passed. Minori waited for Raeger and Lillie to pass until she looked over her shoulder at the guy who had been following Lillie. He looked completely put-off and annoyed. Minori stuck her tongue out at him, but only because she knew it was too dark for him to see her do so. She watched as he huffed and then stalked angrily toward the archway, away from the festival grounds and back toward the open field they were using for temporary car parking.

“Good plan,” Minori muttered to Raeger as they walked.

He smiled a bit. “Thanks. Worked a lot better than I thought it would.”

As soon as they were far enough away, Raeger stopped and held Lillie at arm’s length.

“Are you okay, Lillie?” he asked. “Sorry if I surprised you. Melanie came and told us that guy was being creepy, and it was the best and quickest plan I had.”

Lillie nodded, but her expression was still off. “I’m fine,” she said. Her voice was airy and light.

Raeger and Minori exchanged a glance. Then he turned back to Lillie.

“You sure?” he asked. “You’re not scared or anything?”

“N-No,” she said, “really, I’m fine.”

Minori narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “You don’t seem fine, Lillie.”

Lillie didn’t respond. She just stared off into space, seemingly unseeing. Minori’s stomach flipped.

Raeger pulled Minori slightly to the side, and asked in a hushed voice, “Do you think she’s in shock?”

She stared at him blankly. “What?”

“Do you think she’s —“

“No, no, I heard what you said,” Minori said, cutting him off. “Why would she be in shock? You don’t think that guy, like, did something to her…?”

Raeger made a face. “No, of course not!” He ran a hand through his hair. It seemed to calm him down a little. “She just seems off.”

Minori looked at Lillie. She was just standing there, staring into nothingness, her eyes still wide like teacup saucers.

“Okay, maybe, you’re right,” Minori conceded. “Should I get Marian?”

Raeger nodded. “Yeah, that might be for the best. I’ll bring her back over to my catering stuff and you can meet us there.”

“Got it.”

Minori turned away. Someone had turned off the street lamps around the Trade Depot, likely so that it was easier to see the stars and the fireworks that would go off at midnight. Unfortunately, it made her task of finding Marian much more difficult. She figured the best place to start was by retracing her steps from earlier, when she went to get her nose checked out.

She looked up at the sky. Her nose was still buzzing and it was still cold and she was still worried about Lillie, but she couldn’t help but feel incredibly grateful in that moment. Tomorrow, Spring 1st, would begin her third year in Oak Tree Town. After two full years, she finally felt solid about where she stood in town. Goddess knew what the third year had in store, but she had a feeling it was going to be great.

Because the crowd was thinner now that some families had left, it was easier to navigate the festival grounds. When she finally reached her destination, however, she was greeted with two empty chairs and two empty wine glasses. The town doctor was nowhere in sight.

“Looking for someone?”

Minori jumped. She turned toward the voice.

“Oh, Klaus,” she said, her voice little more than a sigh. “You frightened me.”

“My apologies.” He stepped closer to her so that she could see him better. “How’s your nose?”

His words somehow sounded less calculated than usual. She gave Klaus a lot of grief for acting like an old man, which perhaps was unwarranted when she didn’t even know his real age. But when he spoke with the syntax of an English professor and carried a supply of pocket kerchiefs everywhere he went, it was hard not to tease him.

Still, the way he was speaking now made him sound younger. Maybe it was the alcohol —

“Minori?”

She blinked.

“Yes? Oh, my nose. It’s okay. Still buzzing a little bit.” She grinned, and added, “If only your elbow weren’t so hard.”

“Ah, yes.” He reached back to scratch the back of his neck. “And to think I almost wore my sports coat with heavier fabric on the elbows.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Those exist? What’s the point of that?”

Klaus chuckled. “Apparently, to prevent possible nose injuries.”

She couldn’t help but giggle at that. “Well, it was partially my fault, too.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, was it? As I recall, it was my elbow that hit your face, not the other way around.”

“Well, if I were a little taller, maybe I could’ve avoided the hit.”

“Ah, yes.” He smiled at her joke. “Next festival, you should wear shoes with taller heels. Six inches at least. Like that reporter — Lillie’s friend, I believe.”

Minori giggled. “Kassie! Yes, I noticed, too! She had those massive heels!”

Klaus chuckled. His face looked ten years younger when he smiled. He actually looked rather handsome tonight, she realized. While she was sure her face was ten shades of red and pink from the cold, his complexion seemed unbothered by the weather. He didn’t even look tired, even though it was nearing midnight. The bags under his eyes were gone, replaced with crinkles around the corners of his eyes from prolonged laughter.

She wondered what Klaus had been like when he was younger, before the bags around his eyes, and before the crinkles. Just smooth skin and laughter; hair like the night sky and keen, sharp eyes, like a wolf.

Minori cleared her throat to bring herself back to the present, determined not to space out again.

“I’d be so clumsy in Kassie’s shoes,” she said, “I think I’d get a nose injury and then some.”

Klaus nodded. “Indeed. How does she walk in the snow?”

“I have no idea,” Minori replied.

He hummed, his expression thoughtful. “A determined woman is always a force to be reckoned with.”

“Especially a determined woman with six inch heels,” Minori added. “I mean, after all, they kind of double as a weapon, right? She could stab someone’s eye out with those!”

He laughed, and, again, Minori watched his face transform. She wondered why she hadn't noticed this hidden youthfulness before. After all, it wasn’t like he was a normally grumpy human being. He’d laughed plenty of times around her. Maybe it was the pain medicine that Marian had given her for her nose, or the night air. Or perhaps Klaus’s perfume convention had given his soul a break? She wasn’t sure, but she hoped the change stuck around.

The crowd in the plaza suddenly started to buzz. Minori looked over her shoulder, watching as families huddled together or moved across the square to find other friends.

“What’s happening?” she wondered aloud.

Klaus looked at his watch. “Ah. One minute left until the New Year.”

Minori grinned — and then her heart dropped into her stomach.

“Oh, Goddess!” She smashed a hand against her forehead. “I was supposed to find Marian. Do you know where he is?”

Klaus’s smile faltered. “Across the square. Why? What’s wrong?”

“Some guy was following…” she trailed off. “There’s no time to explain. Can you take me to him?”

He nodded. “Of course. Right this way.”

Scarcely had they taken two steps, however, when Marian emerged from the crowd.

“Well, speak of the devil,” Klaus said.

“Oh, thank goodness.” Minori cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone. Marian!” she called out. “We need your —“

She stopped as she realized that Raeger and Lillie were already following behind Marian. Melanie and Maurice trailed behind them.

“No worries, Nor!” Raeger said, jogging up to them. “Marian just happened to pass by after you left.” Once he was next to Minori, he lowered his voice and said, “Lillie’s doing a little better now that her family is here. Marian said she wasn’t in shock, but I’m still not so sure.”

Minori trusted Marian’s judgment, but Raeger’s face looked so dour that she said, “We’ll keep an eye on her.”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

Lillie’s family and Marian joined them to form a little circle.

“Minori, darling,” Marian greeted, grabbing her hand. “How’s the nose?”

“It’s fine, Marian, thank you.”

Minori looked and saw that Raeger was busy comforting Lillie, so she turned back to Marian and asked very quietly, “Lillie’s not in shock?”

Marian, much to her surprise, snorted. “Hardly.” Seeing Minori’s concerned expression, he added, “It’s nothing a good night’s sleep and some girl talk won’t fix.” He winked. “Promise.”

She wanted to ask what Marian meant by that, but before she could, voices rose from the middle of the plaza.

“Ten…Nine…”

It seemed that their time until midnight was nearly up. Marian was the first of their group to join the counting.

“Eight!”

A hand clasped Minori’s shoulder. It was Maurice. He was smiling, counting down along with the crowd.

Minori looked over at Raeger and Lillie. After some coaxing from Raeger, Lillie also joined in on the counting. Melanie followed her sister’s lead.

“…Five!”

Minori breathed in. She thought of the FAS interview. She breathed out.

Klaus, who was standing on her other side, looked down at her. He winked — winked! — at her and joined in on the counting.

“Three!”

Well, if Klaus was going to count, she certainly couldn’t sit out.

“Two…One!”

Cheers erupted from the crowd. Minori found herself looking up. Stars dotted the midnight sky — beautiful and shining and full of potential. To her, this festival somehow always felt sad. This year, however, she would compare it to looking at the night sky.

“Happy New Year,” she said to no one in particular, still staring at the stars.

#blue lace #lousylarksings #story of seasons #klaus #minori #annie #elise #fanfiction #i might edit this more later before i post it other places #don't judge me

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tribalarts · 6 years

Text

Déesse de l’eau tenant des épis de maïs, Aztèque, période postclassique tardive, Mexique, 1325-1521 ap. J.-C. Basalte. H. : 45 cm. © Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, ANT.257072. Inv. ILE2012.1.26. • Josef Albers, « Cadence », 1940, huile sur masonite. Dim. : 72,3 x 71,6 cm. Gift of Anni Albers and the Josef Albers Foundation, Inc. © Yale University Art Gallery. © The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, 2012. Inv. 1977.160.2.

Josef (1888-1976) et Anni (1899-1994) Albers figurent parmi les pionniers du modernisme au XXe siècle. Josef Albers étudie l’art du vitrail, du dessin et de la peinture à Essen et à Munich avant de rejoindre, en 1920, le Bauhaus — la fameuse école d’architecture et d’arts appliqués fondée par Walter Gropius, en 1919, à Weimar —, où il rencontrera sa future femme, Annelise Elsa Frieda Fleischmann, innovatrice dans l’art du textile.Nommé professeur, Albers est chargé du Vorkurs (cours préparatoire) et dirige l’atelier de peinture sur verre, de 1923 à 1933. En 1933, après la fermeture du Bauhaus par le régime nazi, les Albers déménagent en Caroline du Nord, invités par le tout nouveau Black Mountain College, où beaucoup de futurs artistes, écrivains et musiciens reçurent une formation décisive (Willem et Elaine de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Merce Cunninghdeam, John Cage, Cy Twombly, Kenneth Noland, Franz Kline, Arthur Pennet bien d’autres…). Après les années au Black Mountain College, que le couple quitte en 1949, Josef Albers est nommé, en 1950, chef du département du “design” à l’Université de Yale, dans le Connecticut. Son œuvre et son enseignement, tout particulièrement consacré à la complexité formelle née de variations sérielles colorées à partir de surfaces géométriques simples, eurent une grande influence sur de nombreux artistes de l’abstraction géométrique et, plus tard, sur ceux du mouvement Op Art (ou art optique) tels que Sol LeWitt, Frank Stella ou encore Donald Judd. Albers est principalement connu pour son édifiant travail de recherche conceptuel qu’il développa dans une série d’œuvres à laquelle il consacra les vingt-cinq dernières années de sa vie : Homage to the Square.

Josef Albers (1888-1976), « Study for Homage to the Square: Consent », 1971. Huile sur masonite. Dim. : 40,3 x 40,2 cm. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Gift, The Josef Albers Foundation, Inc. 1991/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Inv. 91.3895.

Josef Albers (1888-1976), « Study for Homage to the Square: Closing », 1964. Acrylique sur masonite. Dim. : 40,2 x 40,2 cm. © The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Inv. 69.1917.

Ces peintures (plus de deux mille) partagent un ensemble de paramètres : trois ou quatre carrés concentriques de différentes couleurs positionnés à des distances variables du bord inférieur d’un panneau en masonite (aggloméré). Pour Albers, le carré, austère et neutre, représentait le format idéal pour explorer les phénomènes d’interaction optique entre deux couleurs voisines (marron/bleu, bleu/vert et, dans une moindre mesure, marron/vert). Il s’agit d’une démarche constructiviste qui expérimente une approche intellectualisée de l’émotion sensible et spatiale. Les couleurs sont appliquées à plat et de manière égale en surfaces diminuant de façon calculée, illustration de sa théorie selon laquelle les modifications de position, de forme et de lumière produisent des changements de valeur. En 1963, Josef Albers publia son fameux ouvrage The Interaction of Colors (Yale University Press) dans lequel il expose et démontre sa théorie, allant à l’encontre de celle de son ancien collègue du Bauhaus, Vassily Kandinsky, qui accordait une valeur intrinsèque aux couleurs. Albers oppose à cette approche une étude des relations des couleurs entre elles, établissant que leur perception est en grande partie déterminée par les couleurs voisines. Aujourd’hui encore, ce livre reste une ressource essentielle dans ce domaine.

Josef Albers (1888-1976), « Variant/Adobe, Orange Front », 1948-1958. Huile sur Masonite. Dim. : 59,6 x 68,5 cm. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Gift, The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in honor of Philip Rylands for his continued commitment to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, 1997. © The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Inv. 97.4555.

Bien avant de fuir l’Allemagne nazie, les Albers s’étaient découverts une profonde affinité avec la rigueur géométrique des civilisations précolombiennes en fréquentant, dès 1908, le Museum Folkwang d’Essen, puis le musée de Berlin, riche de cent vingt mille objets préhispaniques dont les premiers furent collectés par Alexander von Humboldt, de 1799 à 1804. Josef et Anni Albers visitèrent le Mexique pour la première fois durant l’hiver 1935-1936. L’ancienne Mésoamérique les captiva et marqua profondément leur esprit au point qu’elle allait nourrir leur imagination et eut une forte influence sur leurs créations (le couple y séjournera treize fois, jusqu’à la fin des années 1960). Se déplaçant en voiture, les Albers étaient souvent accompagnés d’amis et de membres de leur famille, y compris les parents d’Anni, Toni et Siegfried Fleischmann ; Theodore Dreier, professeur au Black Mountain College, et son épouse, Barbara ; l’artiste suisse Max Bill et le psychanalyste Fritz Moellenhoff et sa femme, Anno. Lors de ces parcours, ils visitèrent différents sites archéologiques, étudiant les structures des monuments et collectant sculptures et céramiques. Pour Josef et Anni, le vocabulaire abstrait et complexe des motifs géométriques ornant les façades de ces constructions incarnait les principes auxquels ils adhéraient dans leur travail et leur enseignement.

Josef Albers (1888-1976), « Governor’s Palace, Uxmal », 1952. Photographie argentique sur gélatine. Photo : 11,6 x 17 cm); feuille : 12,7 x 18,1 cm. © Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Gift, The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, 1996/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Inv. 96.4502.39.

Josef Albers (1888-1976), sans titre (grande pyramide de Tenayuca), 1937. Photographie argentique sur gélatine. Dim. : 8,4 x 11,6 cm. © Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Gift, The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, 1996/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Josef Albers (1888-1976), « Mitla », 1956. Photographies argentiques sur gélatine et cartes postales montées sur carton. Dim. : 20,3 x 30,5 cm. © The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Inv. X.2016.10887.

Josef prit des milliers de photos qu’il réunissait en photomontages. Explorant la relation de la lumière et de l’ombre, elles dévoilent l’univers méconnu qui nourrit la vision du peintre et témoignent de son approche novatrice dans le domaine de la photographie. Parmi les sites archéologiques les plus marquants explorés par les Albers, figure Mitla, situé dans la vallée de Tlacolula, dans l’État de Oxaca. Il s’agit d’un complexe religieux construit par les Zapotèques et, plus tard, occupé par les Mixtèques. Son nom vient du Nahuatl « Mictlán » — le monde souterrain de la mythologie aztèque —, ou « lieu des morts ». Composé d’une succession de patios, son originalité provient de l’ornementation qui recouvre l’ensemble des façades, en particulier l’étonnant thème géométrique xicalcoliuhqui (représentation schématique en forme de grecque de la coupe transversale d’un coquillage marin) évoqué par les rectangles emboîtés présents dans la peinture intitulée To Mitla (1940). Les Albers s’intéressèrent tout particulièrement au site de Monte Albán. Surplombant la vallée de Oaxaca, il est considéré comme le principal centre administratif et gouvernemental de la civilisation zapotèque. Ils s’y rendirent six fois, entre 1930 et 1950, montrant ainsi leur profond intérêt et leur admiration pour ses pyramides à gradins, ses escaliers monumentaux et son vaste terrain de jeu de balle. Les photographies prises par Albers, juxtaposées dans certains photomontages, témoignent de l’activité des archéologues et montrent l’avancement des fouilles menées par le mexicain Alfonso Caso. Sa lithographie To Monte Albán (1942) (série Graphic Tectonic), évoque des vues aériennes schématiques des pyramides.

Josef Albers (1888-1976), « Platform of the Eagles, Chichén Itzá », 1952. Photographie argentique sur gélatine. Dim. : 17,7 x 12,7 cm. © The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Inv. X2016.10876.

Josef Albers (1888-1976), « Study for Tenayuca », vers 1938. Huile et graphite sur papier buvard. Dim. : 30,5 x 40,9 cm. – « Platform of the Eagles, Chichén Itzá », 1952. Épreuve à la gélatine argentique. Dim. : 17,7 x 12,7 cm. © The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Inv. X.2016.10967 et X.2016.10876.

Tenayuca se trouve dans la banlieue nord de Mexico. Cette ancienne capitale chichimèque remonte au début du XIIIe siècle puis, cité aztèque, elle fut abandonnée au XVIe siècle, au début de la conquête espagnole. Consacrée au dieu Quetzalcóatl, comme l’indique les têtes de serpent ornant sa pyramide à deux niveaux, son emplacement, près de Mexico, sur les rives de l’ancien lac Texcoco, en faisait une destination fréquente pour les Albers. Les séries de peintures et d’études intitulées Tenayuca (1936-1946) s’apparentent à des représentations schématiques du complexe pyramidal. Les formes en enroulements — motif appelé coatepantli (« mur de serpents » en Nahuatl) — rappellent les sculptures entourant la pyramide principale. Parmi les plus grandes villes de l’ancienne Mésoamérique figure Teotihuacán, dans la vallée de Mexico. Elle fut l’une des premières que les Albers visitèrent, lors de leur voyage initial. Les Pyramides du Soleil et de la Lune, l’Avenue des Morts et l’escalier monumental séduisirent l’artiste qui les photographia à diverses reprises. Les études réalisées par Albers durant cette période suggèrent un nouveau traitement des formes géométriques et des lignes qui s’apparentent à l’élément architectural typique de cette métropole, le talud-tablero. La silhouette si particulière des bâtiments de Teotihuacán est due à cet élément qui sert de base à la construction.

Évocateur des plans architecturaux, Study for Sanctuary (1941-1942), constitue une rupture avec les compositions qu’il a peintes au milieu des années 1930. Les Albers explorèrent le complexe de Chichén Itzá, dans la péninsule du Yucatán, dans les années 1940 et 1950. Fondé au Ve siècle, cet ensemble prospéra jusqu’au XVe siècle, devenant l’une des plus grandes cités maya-toltèque. Albers photographia abondamment Chichén Itzá, accordant une attention particulière aux quatre-vingt-onze larges marches escarpées s’étageant sur chacun des côtés de l’immense pyramide qui domine le site, connue sous le nom de Temple de Kukulcán, ou El Castillo. Comme de nombreux bâtiments mayas importants, le temple a été conçu en accord avec les cycles astronomiques. Aux équinoxes de printemps et d’automne, le soleil projette sur la rampe de l’escalier une ombre sinueuse qui descend au fil des heures jusqu’à se confondre avec la tête de serpent en pierre située au pied des marches. Albers réalisa ses photographies les plus saisissantes à Uxmal, dans la péninsule du Yucatán (en 1940 et en 1952), l’un des sites cérémoniels mayas les plus importants et les mieux conservés. L’agencement de la ville, qui abritait autrefois quelque vingt-cinq mille personnes était organisé en fonction des phénomènes astronomiques, comme le lever et le coucher de Vénus. La grandeur des monuments et la magnificence des styles architecturaux d’Uxmal révèlent l’importance de cette ville en tant que capitale du développement économique et sociopolitique de la civilisation maya préhispanique. La pyramide du Devin, ainsi nommée par les Espagnols, domine l’espace. Richement décorée de motifs symboliques et ornée de sculptures représentant Chaac, le dieu de la Pluie, elle incarne l’apogée de la fin de l’art et de l’architecture mayas.

Josef Albers (1888-1976), « Tenayuca », 1943. Huile sur masonite. Dim. : 57,15 x 110,49 cm. Coll. SFMOMA. Purchase (1984) with the aid of funds from Mr. and Mrs. Richard N. Goldman and Madeleine Haas Russell. © The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Josef Albers (1888-1976), « Detail of Stonework, Mitla », vers 1937. Photographie argentique sur gélatine. Dim. : 24,7 x 17,7 cm. © The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Albers compose les peintures de cette période de polygones asymétriques et d’ouvertures centrales en lien avec les vides de l’architecture d’Uxmal. On retrouve l’influence des séries de carrés “enroulés” de la façade du palais du Gouverneur dans les huiles ultérieures. Albers s’intéressa également à l’architecture des maisons traditionnelles en adobe (terre crue additionnée de paille) et de leurs façades peintes de couleurs vives trouées par une fenêtre, remarquées à Oaxaca, au Mexique, et dans le sud-ouest des États-Unis. La série Variant/Adobe (1946-1966) — composée de plus de deux cent cinquante œuvres —, y fait référence. Dans ses croquis préparatoires — certains s’apparentent plus à des diagrammes mathématiques ou à des formules scientifiques qu’à des études traditionnelles de peintures —, apparaissent les calculs permettant de délimiter précisément les surfaces, ses analyses des couleurs et ses notes documentant le type et la quantité de peinture et de vernis employés. Dans ses premiers travaux, il notait ses formules directement sur les œuvres puis, souvent, au dos.

Urne ornée d’un félin nourrissant ses petits, Chancay, Pérou, 800-1300 ap. J.-C. Céramique et pigments. Dim. : 28,3 x 21,3 cm. © Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. Inv. YPM ANT.257151.

Figure féminine assise, probablement Campeche, île de Jaina, Maya, Mexique, période tardive classique, 600–900 ap. J.-C. Céramique et pigments. Dim. : 16,1 x 9,7 x 6,9 cm. Gift of Thomas T. Solley, B.A. 1950. © Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. Inv. YPM ANT.257063.

Au cours de leurs déplacements en Amérique latine, le couple amassa de nombreux artefacts, témoins de la passion des artistes pour l’art et la culture de ces régions. Près de mille quatre cents objets sont conservés au Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (New Haven). Pour Anni et Josef, les objets mésoaméricains et andins étaient tout sauf « primitifs ». Ils les admiraient pour leur modernité et la capacité des artistes préhispaniques à incarner la forme humaine dans des matériaux élémentaires tels que l’argile et la pierre.

Tissu orné de figures humaines et d’oiseaux, Chimú, Pérou, 1000-1476 ap. J.-C. Coton. Dim. : 63,5 x 58,4 cm. © Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. Inv. YPMANT.232177.

Les techniques qu’Anni utilisait dans ses tissages, trouvent leur origine dans les textiles andins qu’elle collectionnait — près de cent textiles composent la Harriet Engelhardt Memorial Collection (Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven). Le couple s’émerveilla du talent des anciens tisserands qui utilisaient de simples métiers à tisser dorsaux pour transformer le fil de coton ou de laine en riches motifs complexes. Anni Fleischmann a vingt-deux ans lorsqu’elle s’embarque dans l’aventure du Bauhaus. Elle s’intéresse à l’atelier du verre coloré, mais le poste est occupé par Josef Albers, son futur époux. Elle qui voulait être peintre, se met au tissage — section réservée aux femmes —, non sans réticence. Au Bauhaus, pionnière dans le renouvellement de cet art, elle incorpore le langage graphique moderne aux pratiques traditionnelles, et réalise ses premiers tissages aux compositions raffinées et complexes, exécutant des tentures murales dont le dynamisme et les sensations visuelles étonnent par leur attractivité. À Mexico, elle n’hésita pas à approfondir sa compréhension du tissage en assimilant de nouvelles techniques auprès d’artisans locaux.

En 1944, elle créera un rideau pour la maison des Rockefeller, à New York et sera la première artiste textile à avoir une exposition personnelle, au MoMA, en 1949. Dans les années 1950, elle travaillera avec la firme Knoll pour la réalisation de tissus au mètre et, à partir des années 1960, elle explorera des techniques d’impression telles que la sérigraphie, l’eau-forte, la lithographie et l’impression en offset.

• The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, 88, Beacon Road, Bethany, Connecticut 06524. http://www.albersfoundation.org

• Josef Albers in Mexico, Guggenheim Museum, New York (2 novembre 2017-4 avril 2018) – Peggy Guggenheim Museum, Venise (9 mai-3 septembre 2018).

• Small-Great Objects: Anni and Josef Albers in The Americas, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven (3 février-18 juin 2017).

• A Beautiful Confluence. Anni and Josef Albers and the American World,Museo delle Culture (MUDEC), Milan (28 octobre 2015-21 février 2016).

Lee Boltin (1917-1991), « Anni Albers tenant une tête précolombienne », 1958 • « Josef Albers tenant une statuette devant Homage to the Square: Auriferous », 1958. Épreuves à la gélatine argentique. © Lee Boltin. Photos Courtesy the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Inv. 1976.28.926 et 1976.28.923.

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Josef Albers et le Mexique précolombien Josef (1888-1976) et Anni (1899-1994) Albers figurent parmi les pionniers du modernisme au XXe siècle. Josef Albers étudie l’art du vitrail, du dessin et de la peinture à Essen et à Munich avant de rejoindre, en 1920, le Bauhaus — la fameuse école d’architecture et d’arts appliqués fondée par Walter Gropius, en 1919, à Weimar —, où il rencontrera sa future femme, Annelise Elsa Frieda Fleischmann, innovatrice dans l’art du textile.Nommé professeur, Albers est chargé du Vorkurs (cours préparatoire) et dirige l’atelier de peinture sur verre, de 1923 à 1933.

#Albers #Mexique

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bestdaysofarsasi · 7 years

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Hub Dretzka - ‘ My Cousin Fritz’ – August 31, 2017

Fritz as well as other cousins were very close, and hung out together as close as brothers. I would walk into their houses on ‘bake’ days and be welcomed by my aunts as if I was one of their own. Saturday was ‘bake ‘day – warm loaves of bread demanding soaking with lots of butter. At our house, Saturday was ‘coffee cake’ day. Pan after pan of apple streusel or blue berry, which attracted ‘visits’ by relatives of my age. All welcomed, and fed by my mom.

Our relationship also included outdoor activity. On this particular day Fritz (or Frederick) and I were in our backyard sitting on a bench facing each other. I had a ballpeen hammer in my hand for a game we played. Fritz used his turn at the hammer to drive a long nail into a plank in three strokes. It then became my task to drive a long nail into a plank in fewer strokes. I tapped the nail to start if firmly, then raised, it over my head to achieve maximum strength and brought it down on the nail. I felt a slight impact on the way down but did not realize it source until my cousin slumped off the bench onto the grass. I then realized its severity. The edge of the ballpeen hammer had nicked fritz’s head enough to knock him out and down! ‘Why’ was the question.

It seems I leaned forward to kame sure I was striking the nail cleanly and leaned within the radius of the down stroked, which I did not see because of my intense effort to hit the nail in two strokes. Fritz was out for the count on the ground and I was on my knees shouting his name in hope of reviving him.

My shouting brought my mother to the screened window overlooking the rear yard and then to the yard.

It was our relief to see Fritz open his eyes; groan and little bit and sit up. We later found out that Fritz had leaned into the downward radius but first had to face Dr. Kline and Fritz’s mom. And locking up the tool rack, I almost became the youngest kid to almost commit a tragic event. Or would it be Fritz for being a foolish predicament.

Whatever, Fritz and I and our families remained very close. And remain so. Without, I should add, skill at woodworking.

#Hub Dretzka My Cousin Fritz Aug 31 2017

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moosterrecords · 7 years

Link

New from Arrow Video US

Children Of The Corn [Blu-ray] (9/26)

The Suspicious Death Of A Minor [Dual Format] (10/3)

A Fish Called Wanda [Blu-ray] (10/3)

Don't Torture A Duckling [Dual Format] (10/3)

Blood Feast [Dual Format] (10/24)

J.D.'s Revenge [Dual Format] (10/31)

The Voice Of the Moon [Dual Format] (10/31)

via MVD Entertainment Group

Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon

As the nights draw in, it just means more time to enjoy late-September / October's superb lineup from Arrow Video, including some wonderful Halloween treats in the form of a grindhouse classic, an Oscar-winning British comedy classic, classic horror from Stephen King, several superb Italian films, and a blaxploitation chiller. Lavishly packaged and including limited edition items, Christmas has come early for film collectors! Featuring stellar performances from Linda Hamilton (Terminator) and Peter Horton (thirtysomething) and based on a short story by Stephen King, The Children of the Corn is a horror classic that has spawned multiple sequels and imitators, but none as harrowing as this masterpiece of horror. The Dual Format debut of The Suspicious Death of a Minor, a 1975 giallo/'poliziotteschi' hybrid, from the great Sergio Martino (All the Colours of the Dark, Torso) arrives on October 3rd. With a cast that includes Mel Ferrer (Nightmare City), Barbara Magnolfi (Suspiria) and Jenny Tamburi (The Psychic), the lurid murder-mystery sees a cop on the trail of a Milanese criminal gang, and the Dual Format release includes a brand new 2K restoration of the film from the original camera negative, produced exclusively by Arrow Video. October 3rd sees the Blu-ray release of A Fish Called Wanda, the hilarious and irresistible farce from 1988, starring John Cleese, Michael Palin, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline . A box office smash, nominated for three Academy Awards (winning one for Kline's outstanding supporting turn as the psychotic Otto), A Fish Called Wanda has stood the test of time and can be rightfully called a comedy classic. The 3rd also sees the release of a superior Italian thriller. First, deemed shocking at the time for its brutal violence, depiction of the Catholic Church and themes of child murder and paedophilia, Don't Torture a Duckling is widely regarded today as Fulci's greatest film, rivalling the best of his close rival Dario Argento. Arrow Video is proud to present this uniquely chilling film in its North American high definition debut. From Lucio Fulci, the godfather of gore (The Psychic, The Beyond), comes one of the most powerful and unsettling giallo thrillers ever produced. Next up this month is Blood Feast, a brand new restoration of the ground-breaking splatter classic from the Godfather of Gore, Herschell Gordon Lewis, the wonderfully lurid story of an insane caterer killing young women and stealing body parts as part of a ritual to reanimate an Egyptian goddess. The disc also includes late, great Lewis's Sixties sleaze-fest Scum of the Earth. Just in time for Halloween is a stunning UK DVD and Blu-ray debut of of the blaxploitation favourite JD's Revenge, about a man possessed by the spirit of a murderous gangster. Featuring Academy Award-winner Louis Gossett Jr (An Officer and a Gentleman), this is alternately tough and terrifying - a Blaxploitation gem waiting to be rediscovered. And last but certainly not least, is the swansong of the great Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini (La dolce vita, 8½), The Voice of the Moon. This new restoration from the original negative seeks to right that wrong and provide the film with a second chance. Concluding a career that had stretched back more than fifty years, The Voice of the Moon combines the nostalgia of Amarcord, the surreal satire of City of Women and the naïf-adrift-in-a-brutal-world structure of La strada... Plenty for Fellini fans to get their teeth into.

Children Of The Corn [Blu-ray] (9/26)

From the mind of celebrated horror author Stephen King, the man behind such classic terror tales as The Shining, Carrie and It, comes one of his most chilling offerings yet - Children of the Corn. A young couple on a road trip find themselves lost in the backroads of rural Nebraska, eventually winding up in the seemingly abandoned town of Gatlin. But the town is far from empty - as the pair soon discover, it's inhabited by a twisted cult of murderous children thirsty for another blood sacrifice... Adapted from King's eponymous short story first published in 1977 and starring Linda Hamilton (The Terminator), Children of the Corn has gone on to spawn one of the most enduring horror franchises of all time. Features - Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation - Original stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio options - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing - Brand new audio commentary with horror journalist Justin Beahm and Children of the Corn historian John Sullivan - Audio commentary with director Fritz Kiersch, producer Terrence Kirby and actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains - Harvesting Horror - retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Fritz Kiersch, John Franklin and Courtney Gains - It Was the Eighties! - an interview with actress Linda Hamilton - ...And a Child Shall Lead Them - a brand new interview with actors Julie Maddalena and John Philbin - Field of Nightmares - a brand new interview with writer George Goldsmith - Stephen King on a Shoestring - an interview with producer Donald P. Borchers - Welcome to Gatlin: The Sights & Sounds of Children of the Corn - interviews with production designer Craig Stearns and composer Jonathan Elias - Return to Gatlin - a look back at the iconic filming locations in Iowa with host John Sullivan - Cut From the Cornfield - an interview with actor Rich Kleinberg on the infamous "lost" Blue Man Scene - Disciples Of the Crow - 1983 short film adaptation of Stephen King's story - Storyboard gallery - Original theatrical trailer - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Fully illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by John Sullivan and Lee Gambin Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon The Suspicious Death Of A Minor [Dual Format] (10/3)

In the wake of the success of Dario Argento's ground-breaking giallo The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, numerous other directors stepped forward to try their hand at these lurid murder-mysteries. At the forefront was Sergio Martino (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, Torso), whose sensual 70s thrillers starring Edwige Fenech and George Hilton are widely celebrated as some of the best the genre has to offer. The final of Martino's six gialli, The Suspicious Death of a Minor combines conventional giallo trappings with elements of the then flourishing 'poliziotteschi' crime thrillers. Claudio Cassinelli (What Have They Done to Your Daughters?) stars as undercover cop Paolo Germi, on the trail of a Milanese criminal outfit following the brutal murder of an underage prostitute. But a killer-for-hire is also on the prowl, bumping off witnesses before they have a chance to talk... Also starring Mel Ferrer (Nightmare City), Barbara Magnolfi (Suspiria) and Jenny Tamburi (The Psychic), and featuring a script by veteran giallo writer Ernesto Gastaldi (All the Colors of the Dark, Death Walks at Midnight), this unique and lesser-known entry in Martino's filmography serves as an essential link between two different movements in Italian popular cinema. Features - Brand new 2K restoration of the film from the original camera negative produced by Arrow Video exclusively for this release - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations - Original mono Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc) - English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack - New audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films - New interviews with director Sergio Martino and cinematographer Giancarlo Ferrando - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon

A Fish Called Wanda [Blu-ray] (10/3) In 1988, John Cleese, former Python and the mastermind behind Fawlty Towers, teamed up with the veteran Ealing Comedy director Charles Crichton (The Lavender Hill Mob) to produce another classic of British comedy. Cleese plays Archie Leach, a weak-willed barrister who finds himself embroiled with a quartet of ill-matched jewel thieves - two American con artists played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline, Michael Palin's animal-loving hitman and London gangster Tom Georgeson - when Georgeson is arrested. Only he and Palin know the whereabouts of the diamonds, prompting plenty of farce and in-fighting as well as some embarrassing nudity and the unfortunate demise of some innocent pooches... Nominated for three Academy Awards and winning one for Kline's outstanding supporting turn as the psychopathic Otto, A Fish Called Wanda has stood the test of time, earning its rightful place among its creators' remarkable comedy pedigree. Features - Brand-new 4K restoration from the original negative, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation - Original English mono audio (uncompressed LPCM) - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing - Commentary by writer and star John Cleese - Brand-new appreciation by Vic Pratt of the BFI National Archive - Brand-new interviews with composer John Du Prez, production designer Roger Murray Leach, executive producer Steve Abbott and makeup supervisor Paul Engelen - John Cleese's Final Farewell Performance, a 1988 documentary on the making of A Fish Called Wanda featuring interviews with actors Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, Kevin Kline and director Charles Crichton - Something Fishy, a 15th anniversary retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Cleese, Curtis, Kline and Palin, executive producer Steve Abbott and director of photography Alan Hume - Fish You Were Here, a documentary on the film's locations hosted by Robert Powell - 24 deleted/alternative scenes with introductions by Cleese - A Message from John Cleese, a tongue-in-cheek introduction recorded for the film's original release - Gallery - Trivia track - Theatrical trailer FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring writing on the film by Sophie Monks Kaufman Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon Don't Torture A Duckling [Dual Format] (10/3)

From Lucio Fulci, the godfather of gore (The Psychic, The Beyond), comes one of the most powerful and unsettling giallo thrillers ever produced: his 1972 masterpiece Don't Torture a Duckling. When the sleepy rural village of Accendura is rocked by a series of murders of young boys, the superstitious locals are quick to apportion blame, with the suspects including the local "witch", Maciara (Florinda Bolkan, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin). With the bodies piling up and the community gripped by panic and a thirst for bloody vengeance, two outsiders - city journalist Andrea (Tomas Milian, The Four of the Apocalypse) and spoilt rich girl Patrizia (Barbara Bouchet, The Red Queen Kills Seven Times) - team up to crack the case. But before the mystery is solved, more blood will have been spilled, and not all of it belonging to innocents... Deemed shocking at the time for its brutal violence, depiction of the Catholic Church and themes of child murder and paedophilia, Don't Torture a Duckling is widely regarded today as Fulci's greatest film, rivalling the best of his close rival Dario Argento. Arrow Video is proud to present this uniquely chilling film in its North American high definition debut. Features - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations - Original mono Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc) - English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack - New audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films - The Blood of Innocents, a new video discussion with Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film - Every (Wo)man Their Own Hell, a new video essay by critic Kat Ellinger - Interviews with co-writer/director Lucio Fulci, actor Florinda Bolkan, cinematographer Sergio D'Offizi, assistant editor Bruno Micheli and assistant makeup artist Maurizio Trani - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Timothy Pittides FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet with new writing on the film by Barry Forshaw and Howard Hughes Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon

Blood Feast [Dual Format] (10/10) The filmography of late movie maverick Herschell Gordon Lewis brims with the mad, macabre, and just downright bizarre. But perhaps the most unhinged of all his directorial efforts, and certainly the most influential, must surely be his original gore-fest Blood Feast - the first ever splatter movie. Dorothy Fremont is looking to throw a party unlike any other, and she gets just that when she hires the decidedly sinister Fuad Ramses to cater the event. Promising to provide her guests with an authentic Egyptian feast, Ramses promptly sets about acquiring the necessary ingredients - the body parts of nubile young women! Featuring a host of stomach-churning gore gags including the infamous tongue sequence and much more nastiness besides, Herschell Gordon Lewis' Blood Feast more than lives up to its name and remains essential viewing for any self-respecting splatter fan. Features - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard DVD presentations - English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing - Scum of the Earth - Herschelll Gordon Lewis' 1963 feature - Blood Perspectives - Filmmakers Nicholas McCarthy and Rodney Ascher on Blood Feast - Herschell's History - Archival interview in which director Herschell Gordon Lewis discusses his entry into the film industry - How Herschell Found his Niche - A new interview with Lewis discussing his early work - Archival interview with Lewis and David F. Friedman - Carving Magic - Vintage short film from 1959 featuring Blood Feast Actor Bill Kerwin - Outtakes - Alternate 'clean' scenes from Scum of the Earth - Promo gallery featuring trailers and more - Feature length commentary featuring Lewis and David F. Friedman moderated by Mike -Grady - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Twins of Evil Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon J.D.'s Revenge [Dual Format] (10/31)

It wasn't long before the Blaxploitation boom moved into the horror market, bringing the world Blacula, Blackenstein, Abby (Blaxploitation's The Exorcist) and cult favorite J.D.'s Revenge. Law student Ike is enjoying a night on the town with his friends when his life changes dramatically. Taking part in a nightclub hypnosis act, he becomes possessed with the spirit of a violent gangster murdered in the 1940s. Believing himself to be the reincarnation of murderous J.D., Ike launches a revenge campaign against those who had done 'him' wrong all those years ago... Directed by Arthur Marks (Bucktown, Friday Foster) and starring Glynn Turman (Cooley High) and Academy Award-winner Louis Gossett Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman), J.D.'s Revenge is a alternately tough and terrifying - a Blaxploitation gem waiting to be rediscovered! Features - Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation - Original 1.0 mono sound - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing - Brand new interview with producer-director Arthur Marks - More interviews to be announced! - Original theatrical trailer - Arthur Marks trailer reel - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet containing new writing by Kim Newman, author of Nightmare Movies Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon

The Voice Of the Moon [Dual Format] (10/31) The swansong of the great Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini (La dolce vita, 8½), The Voice of the Moon emerged without fanfare: it played the Cannes Film Festival out of competition after its Italian premiere and failed to secure distribution in North America and the UK. This new restoration from the original negative seeks to right that wrong and provide the film with a second chance... Adapted from a novel by Ermano Cavazzoni, The Voice of the Moon concerns itself with Ivo Salvini (Roberto Benigni, Life Is Beautiful), recently released from a mental hospital and in love with Aldini (Nadia Ottaviani). As he attempts to win her heart, he wanders a strange, dreamlike landscape and encounters various oddball characters, including Gonnella (Paolo Villagio, Fantozzi), a paranoid old man prone to conspiracy theories. Concluding a career that had stretched back more than fifty years, The Voice of the Moon combines the nostalgia of Amarcord (the film is set in Emilia-Romagna countryside of the director's youth), the surreal satire of City of Women and the naïf-adrift-in-a-brutal-world structure of La strada. Plenty for Fellini fans to get their teeth into. Features - Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations - Original 1.0 mono sound (uncompressed on the Blu-ray) - Optional English subtitles - Towards the Moon with Fellini, a rarely seen hour-long documentary on the film's production, featuring interviews with Fellini, Roberto Benigni and Paolo Villagio - Theatrical trailer - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Peter Strain FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Pasquale Iannone Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon

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