#They were contemporary movements that influenced each other a lot and if you look at the broader body of work each produced there's this

[mediaevalmusereads]

Possession. By A.S. Byatt. Vintage International, 1990.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Genre: literary fiction

Part of a Series? No.

Summary: Winner of England's Booker Prize and the literary sensation of the year, Possession is an exhilarating novel of wit and romance, at once an intellectual mystery and a triumphant love story. It is the tale of a pair of young scholars researching the lives of two Victorian poets. As they uncover their letters, journals and poems, and track their movements from London to Yorkshire - from spiritualist séances to the fairy-haunted far west of Brittany - what emerges is an extraordinary counterpoint of passions and ideas.

***Full review under the cut.***

Overview: This book has been on my TBR pile for a while, and I was in the mood for something academic, so I picked it up (finally). Overall, I was struck by the "learned-ness" of this book; Byatt is clearly a very intelligent writer who knows how to write beautiful, evocative prose. I very much enjoyed the academic rigor that was put into crafting this story, and I loved the focus on poetry and its influences. While some readers might be put off by this book's density and some might feel in over their head, Possession is nevertheless a masterfully crafted work, and I look forward to discovering more from Byatt in the future.

Writing: Byatt's prose is literary in feel; it moves at a fairly slow yet deliberate pace and is full of descriptions that infuse both the modern day and the Victorian era with a kind of otherworldliness. I really liked how each chapter evoked the senses; I could almost smell Roland's apartment or the dusty books in the library. I could almost taste the rich dinners that Cropper ordered or the salty air by the ocean. It was all marvelously done, and Byatt has a real talent for manipulating language to get the effect that she wants.

I also really appreciated the intertextuality and the way Byatt juxtaposed the mid-19th century with the 1980s. All of the poems, letters, and journals felt like they were written with Victorian aesthetics and sensibilities in mind, and it must have taken a lot of research for Byatt to truly capture the voices of so many 19th century characters (as well as the academic mindset and personal passion many scholars have for their work).

I will say, though, that personally, I found certain parts of the book to drag. Don't get me wrong - I adored this novel, but it took me a long time to read because it was so dense and I wanted to fully engage with it. For this reason, I think some people won't find Possession to be their jam, but if you love academics and literary discovery, a lot of this book will appeal to you.

Plot: The basic plot of this book follows Roland - an early career academic specializing in the poetry of Victorian writer Randolph Henry Ash - as he makes a startling discovery that could upend the field of Ash scholarship. As he pursues his research, he teams up with Maude Bailey - a scholar specializing in the poetry of one of Ash's contemporaries, Christabel LaMotte. Together, they follow literary breadcrumbs that reveal a startling truth about the relationship between Ash and LaMotte, all the while avoiding those who would swipe the discovery away from them.

I really enjoyed the way this book invoked the thrill of academic discovery. Being a former literary academic myself, I could sympathize with the passion the characters had for their fields, and I got excited when the characters did whenever a new clue was unearthed. I don't want to detail to much to avoid spoilers, but I will say that I appreciated how Byatt made this mystery not just about a potential scandal, but about the impact on more academic topics, such as spiritualism, sexuality, feminism, etc. In other words, I liked that this book made me think about more than just historical gossip, and if you're interested in those things, you'll have a good time with this book.

Characters: Roland and Maude, our protagonists from 1980s England, are wonderfully complex in that they have passion for their studies yet also have personal challenges that make them feel more three dimensional. I liked that Byatt didn't romanticize academia and showed Roland struggling with things like funding and an awkward relationship with his adviser, and I liked that Maude was a strong-willed feminist scholar yet was caught up in some of her own insecurities.

Supporting 1980s characters were likewise interesting and varied. Blackadder, Roland's advisor, is grumpy and seemingly distant, but ended up surprising me by the end. Beatrice, an all-but-invisible scholar specializing in the underappreciated diaries of Ash's wife, Ellen, was sweet and it was easy to feel something (pity?) towards her. Even the more boisterous characters had their place; Cropper, an American scholar with the financial means to basically outbid anyone and acquire Ash artifacts, was irritating in his capitalist way, but not wholly unrealistic (as there are many private dealers of manuscripts and the like who act much like him). Leonora, another American academic, was loud and intrusive, yet was dead set on doing the right thing when it came down to it.

Ash and LaMotte, the two Victorian poets, also felt complex in that neither of them acted completely in ways one might expect. LaMotte started out rather shy but later became fairly assertive and powerful in her own right. Ash was surprisingly sympathetic (though could get annoying at times, centering his man pain), and his relationship with his wife, Ellen, felt like it was built on respect and adoration.

All in all, I appreciated the care Byatt took to give everyone a rich inner life, and I found it hard to be completely detached from anyone's motives or desires.

TL;DR: Possession is a captivating novel filled with the thrill of academic discovery and rigor. Reading like a love letter to Victorian poetry, this book is masterfully crafted and will surely enchant readers who enjoy rigorous, scholarly engagement with literature.

[ashleysingermfablog]

Wk 11, 19th of April, 2024 Research

The Female Body in Land Art, 1970's onwards

Beyond Fairway, 1989, soil, grass, flowers 140 x 500 x 300 cm.

“Pain of Cuba/ body I am/ my orphanhood I live In Cuba where you die/ the Earth that covers us/ speaks. But here,/ covered by the earth whose prisoner I am/ I feel death palpitating underneath/ the earth. And so,/ As my whole body is filled with want of Cuba/ I go on to make my work upon the earth,/ to go on is victory.” —Ana Mendieta, 1981

access here: https://www.e-flux.com/announcements/559315/ana-mendietasilhueta-em-fogoterra-abrecaminhos/

"Demeaning and dismissive attitudes like often accompanied challenges in securing professional support and financial patronage for women’s land art proposals. This barrier is evidenced by the markedly high number of sketches and plans for unrealized projects in the show, and the documentation of works that were completed only to be later dismantled or destroyed due to a lack of upkeep. I was especially struck by photos of “Seeded Catherine Wheel” (1982), a curious maze-like structure by Jody Pinto that disrupted the surrounding Pennsylvania suburbs and is one of several projects that no longer exist."- Lauren Moya Ford, 2023

This article unpacks less noticed aspects of the land art movement (1960's) with particular emphasis on the reintegration of the visions of female artists, who were otherwise disenfranchised in making their works by male discouragement and blatant disregard of the seriousness of female vision in Land Art.

I wouldn’t categorise my practice as being within a Land Art context mainly because I love to work indoors in the gallery space and a lot of my pieces using organic matter or the forms of nature couldn't exist without rotting or deteriorating if they were outdoors or they would be almost too indistinguishable from the outdoor landscape, they need to be separated from the outdoor 'nature' to be examined by the viewer. Yet, as a framework for research into nature, fine art, the bodies of those who identify as women and the environment- Land Art is a way in which certain features of nature has come into contemporary art beyond histories of nature in still life painting and other genres of indoor art-making. Seen as the subject for many paintings in art history, the still life and the landscape genre have largely boxed in nature to something that was interacted with as an imagined subject or filtered through the artists eye-not hand. Land Art brought the artist's into the outdoor spaces of nature and allowed influence. For my practice, nature is a great way to look at systems of time, specifically the season. By looking through a seasonal lens in months rather than in days, my practice links up with celestial narratives on nature as well as the cyclic nature of fertility in womanhood through menstrual cycles. The phases of phenology changes significantly over a month (new growth, deadheading flowers, soil composting and weather's influence) can alter the garden dramatically month to month. So that month to month, each phase of the season progresses the landscape.

[independentartistbuzz]

Matriotism Melodies: Deirdre Murphy's Musical Journey of Love and Courage

Singer-songwriter Deirdre Murphy is a dynamic, interdisciplinary artist and musician hailing from Dublin, Ireland. Her new album called “Matriotism” was released earlier this month, and is already making waves in the realm of music and performance. 

With a knack for blending together genres, Murphy is pioneering her unique form of gig theatre which brings together songs, contemporary movement improvisation, and sci-fi spoken word into a vibrant mix of creative expression. 

Her influence reaches wide, with her music earning spots on RTE Radio One’s playlists and notable shows like Ronan Collins and John Creedon. Broadcasting to over 65 radio stations worldwide, her eclectic style of physical movement, spirituality, and music is making a mark on the global stage. 

“Matriotism” explores Murphy’s commitment to championing human rights and challenging norms, all the while infusing her music with a certain humor and energy that both inspires and is captivating audiences worldwide. 

The album is a results of more than two years of dedicated work in its production, as well as 10+ years of songwriting. From the beautiful opening track “Hands Down,” about connection to each other and the natural world, to the delicate “Sweet and Strong,” with its lulling melodies, flirting guitar, cello and percussion, and the gentle “Haunting You,” this album is versatile in both vocals and instrumentation. 

The album seems to advocate for embracing authenticity and fostering meaningful connections within our communities, acknowledging the inherent vulnerability of such a journey. 

Deirdre shares: 

“Each song on the album is an opinion I guess: a statement of how my world seems; a leg of the framework of how I see the world, or what the world has taught me. A lot of it is about love in various contexts - love for self, romantic love, platonic love, love in the bigger picture - for community, for humanity, for nature. Mostly we seem to think about love in a romantic or familial context, but there are so many other ways that love is present in our lives. The story behind Million Sins stands out to me as an example of what bigger picture love looks like - the song is inspired by sea captain Carola Rackete who rescued 53 people from the Mediterranean in 2019. They were denied safe port for more than two weeks, and eventually made port illegally in Italy. She was arrested and detained but eventually got off on all charges. That was someone who looked at a situation and said I'm going to right this wrong, no matter the cost. That is what passionate creative care looks like in community. That is love. That's a strong example, but there are other examples of this all around us, every volunteer position, anything anyone you know does just to be helpful or kind. There is a lot about the album that suggests moving into community and creating the life that feels most true to you. That can be a vulnerable path because it requires a learning curve; a practice of uncovering new ground, and the songs reflect this. Like each of us need to decide, as a spiritual practice, how to celebrate our own lives. I think there is something of that celebration in this album.”

Raised in rural Alaska, Murphy’s artistic vision is deeply rooted in her connection to nature, further enriched with her experiences living and travelling extensively throughout the United States before settling now in Ireland. 

She has an extensive portfolio spanning original works in music, theatre, dance, circus and performance art. Past works include the much celebrated “Capitalism: The Musical,” lauded for its wit, catchiness, and profound commentary, which was welcomed by audiences across Ireland and Italy. 

Grounded in her passion for performance and the human form, Murphy has explored a diverse array of movement disciplines, from social and contemporary dance to yoga, acroyoga, and beyond. A skilled composer on the guitar, ukulele, and loop station, she writes songs renowned for their poetic lyricism and intricate wordplay. And with a repertoire boasting more than 60 original compositions, Murphy’s artistic vision extends far beyond music - she also excels as an international acrobatics instructor and costume and sound designer for theatre productions.

Her album “Matriotism” was produced and recorded by Oli Ryan, featuring Deirdre Murphy on vocals and guitar, Oli Ryan on double bass, guitar, and percussion, Denis McCauliffe on mandolin and violin, Thunderclap Murphy on ukulele, and Claire Fitch on cello. Mastered by Eoghan Tyrell.

Stay connect with Deirdre Murphy on her Website.

Stream music on Spotify and Soundcloud.

[classicalmusicdaily]

Have you ever gone to a classical music concert and wondered what exactly comprised the “Classical period” of music history? If so, then look no further! In this blog post, we will explore everything there is to know about the Classical era of music that spans from the mid-1730s to 1820. We'll get into why it has seen such enduring popularity over centuries since its inception, and how musicians crafted their works during that time. Even if you're not already familiar with classical music, hang around you might just find yourself falling in love with it yet!   An Overview of the Classical Period   Do you know what the Classical Period is all about? It's a period in music history that lasted from 1730-1820 and is known for its elegant style and structured form. It was a time when composers like Mozart and Beethoven were producing some of their most famous works. So, how did it all begin? Well, you can trace the roots of the Classical Period back to the Baroque Period, which preceded it. During this time, composers started to experiment with new forms of music and create complex instrumental works. Eventually, this led to the development of the Classical Period, where composers aimed to create music that was simpler, more accessible, and easier on the ear. This period brought about a new appreciation for melody and harmony, and there's no denying its lasting impact on the world of music.   The Musical Elements That Defined the Classical Period    If you're a fan of classical music, you might have noticed that some pieces sound very different from others. That's because classical music has gone through a lot of changes over the years, and the Classical period is one of the most distinct. So, what sets this era apart from the rest? Well, there are a few key musical elements that define it. First, harmony became much more complex, with composers experimenting with different chord progressions and modulations. Melodies also became more singable and memorable, with clear themes that were repeated and developed throughout the piece. In terms of form, the sonata became a very popular structure, with multiple movements that each explored a different musical idea. Orchestration became more varied and expressive, with new instruments being added to the orchestra and composers using them to create new soundscapes. All of these changes combined to create a sound that was both elegant and powerful, and that still captivates audiences today.   How Mozart and Haydn Shaped the Classical Period Mozart and Haydn were the dynamic duos of the classical music period, shaping the sound and structure of music in ways that continue to resonate today. Mozart's technical prowess and Haydn's innovation paved the way for the symphony, sonata, and string quartet forms. These two maestros were not just content with playing it safe. Instead, they pushed the boundaries of their art form, using complex harmonic progressions, unconventional chord structures, and unexpected rhythm patterns to add depth and complexity to their compositions. Their influence can be heard in the works of many of today's contemporary composers, proving that even centuries later, Mozart and Haydn continue to be a guiding light for artistic expression.   Notable Works of the Classical Period The Classical Period was an era of musical innovation and experimentation, with composers like Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn at the forefront of it all. These musicians pushed boundaries and refined techniques, creating some of the most recognizable and beloved pieces of music in history. For example, Beethoven's Symphony Number 5 is an iconic piece that exemplifies the Classical Period's emphasis on form and structure. Meanwhile, Mozart's opera, The Marriage of Figaro, showcased the era's focus on melody and lyricism. And let's not forget Haydn's Surprise Symphony, which introduced new elements of surprise and humor into classical music.

Each of these composers had their own unique style, contributing to the richness and diversity of the Classical Period's musical landscape.   How Music Has Evolved Since the Classical Period    When we think of classical music, composers like Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven may come to mind. But how has music evolved since their time? To understand the changes, we can look at other musical eras such as Romanticism, Jazz, and Contemporary music. During the Romantic era, composers were inspired by the emotional intensity found in classical music but took it to new heights with sweeping melodies and unpredictable harmonies. Jazz, on the other hand, diverged from classical music by emphasizing improvisation and syncopated rhythms. And in Contemporary music, we see a fusion of different styles and genres, breaking down traditional boundaries. As music continues to evolve, it's fascinating to see how each era was influenced by and departed from the characteristics of classical music.   Conclusion:   The Classical period created a musical canon that would shape the future of music for centuries to come. One can still recognize familiar harmonic progressions, melodic themes, and pieces today that have their origins in the works of these composers from this era making it clear how influential the earlier masters were in the development of music. It's a testament to the brilliance and timelessness of these creative minds that their works are still studied, performed, and enjoyed hundreds of years later. Music continues to evolve since this period incorporating elements from all eras before it but there's no denying that none quite measures up against the classic sound of the classical period. FAQS: Q: What were some of the composers from the Classical period? A: Some great composers from this era include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Haydn, George Frideric Handel, and Antonio Vivaldi. Q: How has music evolved since then? A: Since the Classical period, music has generally moved away from the intricate forms and strict rules of classical composition. Romantic composers expanded on the emotional intensity found in classical music but took it to new heights with sweeping melodies and unpredictable harmonies. Jazz, on the other hand, diverged from classical music by emphasizing improvisation and syncopated rhythms. And in Contemporary music, we see a mix of classical, jazz, folk influences, and modern electronic elements combined to create entirely new sounds. Ultimately, all eras in music have something unique to contribute - and each one builds upon the creativity that came before it. Q: What makes the Classical period so important? A: The Classical period is an incredibly important era in music history for a few reasons. Its composers perfected the genres of symphonies, concertos, and sonatas that are still respected today. Furthermore, it produced some of the most iconic works in music history such as Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11, and Haydn's The Creation - which have come to define the beauty and power of classical music.

[bijoumikhawal]

Been staring at the DS9 station's interior architecture and Cardassian screens and uh the art department really just said "Art Deco/Nouveau and Arts and Crafts" with their entire pussy huh

vs

Tell me I'm wrong

[felassan]

Dragon Age development insights and highlights from Bioware: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development

Some really tasty factoids here.

Cut for length.

Dragon Age: Origins

The continent of Thedas was at one point going to be named Pelledia, a name initially floated by James Ohlen

“Qunari” was a temporary name that ended up unintentionally sticking, much like “Thedas”

Mary Kirby wrote the Landsmeet. To this day, nobody understands how it works, except possibly her. If she’s “really really drunk” she can explain how it works. There’s as many words in it as Sten’s entire conversations put together

Concept art for Thedosian art - as in in-world art - draws heavily on Renaissance-era portraiture, the Art Nouveau movement, religious styles and media like stained glass, and favorite pieces from the golden age of illustrations in the early 20th century

Andrastianism in-world (art-wise) is depicted in wildly different methods depending on who in-world made the art in question. “One religion, 3 different lenses”. There’s the Chantry take, the Orlesian take and the Fereldan take; each with its own different interpretations, different mediums and different stories

The stained glass images were drawn by Nick Thornborrow for DAI, to decorate religious spaces in that game “and beyond”

irl Viking art influenced Ferelden

Greek and Italian art influenced Orlais

The book also had other insights into and anecdotes from the development of DAO, but I’ve transcribed them recently as they’re essentially the stories DG has recently been relating on the awesome Summerfall Studios DAO playthrough Twitch streams. (On those streams he provides dev commentary while Liam Esler plays through DA. The ones with DG are currently once every two weeks. Check them out! Here’s a calendar where you can check when the next one is) Instead of repeating myself I’ll just provide the link to the first transcript. From there you can navigate to the subsequent parts. Note these streams are ongoing. At this point I will also point you to a related post which is cliff notes of the Dragon Age chapter in Jason Schreier’s book Blood Sweat and Pixels.

Dragon Age II

DAO had the longest development period in BioWare history. In contrast DA2 had the shortest

Initially DA2 was going to be an expansion to DAO. A few months in EA said “Yeah, expansions like these don’t sell very well, so let’s make it a sequel.” So it suddenly became DA2 and they had to make it even bigger, although they still only had 1.5 years of time in which to do this

Production of DA2 officially lasted only 9 months, and at the time the team was still supporting live content for DAO! They finished development that January after the design team crunched all the way through the holiday period that year. Then it went to cert 9 times

The limited time they had is why the story takes place mostly in and around 1 city, and over 7 years (so it was temporal, rather than over physical distance, because a more expansive world would have taken more irl time to make)

They had no time to review even the main plot. Mike Laidlaw pitched the idea of 3 stories taking place at different points in the PC’s life, tied together by Varric’s recollections of events. DG rolled with this and made 1 presentation on the idea. This presentation was then approved and off they went

As they were writing DG realized that there was going to be no oversight and that everything was going to be a ‘first draft’. “Because nobody had time.” He sat down with the writers and said “Look, here’s the conditions we’re working under. A lot of what we’re putting out is gonna be raw. We’re not going to get the editing we need. We’re not going to get the kind of iteration we need. So I’m going to trust you all to do your best work.”

Looking back, DG has mixed feelings on DA2. “A lot of corners were cut. The public perception was that it was smaller than DAO. That’s a sin on its own.”

Despite this he thinks DA2 has some of the best writing in the series, especially character-wise. The DA2 chars are his favorite

The pace with which production progressed may in some ways have helped. “When we do a lot of revision, we often file away [as in buff off] some of the good writing as well. Somehow DA2′s whirlwind process resulted in some really good writing”

The pace meant chars landed on the writers in various stages of completion. For example Isabela was fairly defined due to appearing in DAO. In contrast Varric at the start was just that single piece of widely-shown concept art

Varric was conceived as a storyteller not a fighter. His skills are talking and bullshitting. Hence the question became, so what does this guy do in combat? The direction was to make him as different as possible to Oghren, so not a warrior. He couldn’t be a dual-wielding rogue in order to differentiate him from Bela. But you can’t really picture this guy with a bow. “For a dwarf, it would probably be a crossbow. We didn’t have crossbows, or we only had crossbows for the darkspawn. And they were part of the models. We didn’t have a separate crossbow that was equip-able by the chars. They had to like, crop one off a darkspawn and remodel it. And that became Bianca” (quote: Mary Kirby)

“Dwarven mages are exceedingly rare.” [???]

If DAO was a classic fantasy painting, DA2 was a screenshot from a Kurosawa film or a northern Renaissance painting. (Here Matt Rhodes was commenting on art style)

John Epler: “In any one of our games, there’s a 95% chance that if you turn the camera away from what it’s looking at, you’ll see all kinds of janky stuff. The moment we know the camera is no longer facing someone, we no longer care what happens to them. We will teleport people around. We will jump people around. We will literally have someone walk off screen and then we will shift them 1000 meters down, because we’re fixing some bug.” John also talked about this camera stuff in a recent charity Twitch stream for Gamers For Groceries. There’s a writeup of that stream here

Designing Kirkwall pushed concept artists to the limits of visual storytelling, because it has a long history that they wanted to be present. It was once the hub of Tevinter’s slave empire, so it needed to look brutal and harsh, but it also then needed to feel reclaimed, evolved, and with elements of contemporary Free Marches culture

The initial plan was for DA titles to be distinguished by subtitles not numbers, so that each experience could stand on its own rather than feel like a sequel or continuation. (My note: New PCs in each entry make sense then when you consider this and other factoids we know like how DA is the story of the world not of any one PC). Later, DA2′s name was made DA2 in a bid to more clearly connect the game to its predecessor. For DAI they returned to the original naming convention. (My note: so I’d reckon they’d be continuing the subtitle naming convention for DA4)

DA2 was initially code-named “Nug Storm”, strictly internally

The Cancelled DA2 Expansion - Exalted March

This was a precursor to DAI

It was meant to bridge the gap between DA2 and DAI

It focused on the fallout from Kirkwall’s explosion, with Cory serving as the villain

Meredith’s red lyrium statue was basically going to infest Kirkwall and it would end up [with what would end up] the red templars taking over Kirkwall and essentially being Cory’s army

To stop him Hawke would have recruited various factions, including Bela’s Felicisima Armada and the Qunari at Estwatch, forcing Hawke to split loyalties and risk relationships in the process

It was meant to bring DA2′s story to an end and end in Varric’s death. DG was very happy with this because all of DA2 is Varric’s tale. The expansion was supposed to start at the moment Cassandra’s interrogation of him ended in the present. “And we finished off the story with Varric having this heroic death.” It tied things up and would have broken many fan hearts, something BioWare writers notoriously enjoy. But between a transition to the new Frostbite engine and the scope of DAI, the decision was made to cancel EM, work any hard-to-lose concepts into DAI, and in the process save Varric’s life. DG has talked about the Varric dying thing before

Concept art for EM explored new areas previously not depicted in the DA universe, with costumes that reflected next steps for familiar chars. Varric was going to war, what would he have worn? With Anders, if he survived DA2, the plan was to present a redeemed Warden

A char that vaguely resembled Sera in DAI was first concepted for EM. This fact was mentioned near this concept art (see the female elf) and this concept art of Bethany with the blond bob

The writers sketched out plans to end it with Hawke having the option to marry their LI. This included alternate ceremonies for party members like Bethany and Sebastian if the player opted not to wed. There was even a wedding dress made for Hawke. This asset made it into DAI (Sera and Cullen’s weddings in Trespasser). The dress can also be seen in DAI during an ambient NPC wedding after completing a chain of war table missions

The destruction of a Chantry was explored in concept art as it might have happened in EM. This idea ended up carrying over to the beginning of DAI. (My note: Lol, the idea that DA2 could have had 2 Chantries being destroyed in it 😆)

World of Thedas

Sheryl Chee and Mary Kirby started with “a disgusting little dish called fluffy mackerel pudding”. In the middle of DAO’s busy dev period one of them (they can’t remember who) found a recipe online for this, scanned in from a 70s cookbook. “I don’t understand why it was fluffy. Why would you want fluffy mackerel pudding?” MK says. “We loved it so much we included it in a DAO codex.”

This led them to create more food for Thedas, full recipes included, like a Fereldan turnip and barley stew from MK and SC’s Starkhaven fish and egg pie. The fish pie became Sebastian’s favorite. “To me it made sense for it to be fish pie because a lot of the Free Marches are on the coast”, SC says, “It was something that was popular in medieval times, so I thought, let’s make a fish pie! I looked at medieval recipes and I concocted a fish pie which I fed to my partner, and he was like ‘This is not terrible’”

For WoT the whole studio was asked to contribute family recipes which might have a place in Thedas. SC adapted these to fit in one Thedosian culture or another, including a beloved banana bread that localization producer Melanie Fleming would regularly bake to keep the DA team motivated. “Melanie’s banana bread got us through Inquisition”

DAI

It says part of DAI takes place in or near the border with Nevarra [???]

This game was aimed to be bigger than DA2 and even DAO in every conceivable way

The first hour had to do a lot of heavy lifting, tying together the events of DAO and DA2 while introducing a new PC, new followers etc in the aftermath of the big attack. DG rewrote it 7 times then Lukas Kristjanson did 2 more passes

DG: “Our problem is always that our endings are so important, but we leave them to last, when we have no time. I kept pushing on DAI: ‘Can we work on the ending now? Can we work on the ending now? Can we do it early on?’ Because I knew exactly what it was going to be. But despite the fact that it kept getting scheduled, whenever the schedule started falling behind, it kept getting pushed back... so, of course, it got left til last again.”

“The reveal of the story’s real antagonist, Solas, a follower until the end, when he betrayed the player”. “Solas’ story remains a main thread in Inquisition’s long-awaited follow-up” [these aren’t DG quotes, just bits of general text]

Over the course of development they had 8 full-time writers and 4 editors working on it. Other writers joined later to help wrangle what ended up being close to 1 million words of dialogue and unspoken text. While many teams moved to a more open concept style of work for DAI, the writers remained tucked away in their own room, a choice DG says was necessary, given how much they talked. All the talking had a purpose ofc as if someone hit a bump or wall in their writing they would open the problem up to the room

As writing on a project like DAI progresses, the writers grow punchier and weirder things make it into the game. This is especially the case towards the end of a project (they get tired, burned out)

Banter and codexes require less ‘buy-in’ (DG has talked about this concept a few times on the Twitch streams) from other designers. DG liked to leave banter for last as a reward because it was fun. Banter begins as lists of topics for 2 followers to discuss. These may progress over time or be one off exchanges. One banter script can balloon to well over 10k words. “The banter was always huge because we were always like, laughing, and really at that point, our fields of fucks were rather barren, so we would just do whatever”

The bog unicorn happened pretty much by accident. It was designed by Matt Rhodes and was one of his fav things to design. They needed horse variations and he had already designed an undead variant which was a bog mummy [bog body]. irl these are preserved in a much different way to traditional mummies. When someone dies in a bog their skin turns black and raisin-like. The examples we know of tend to have bright red hair for whatever reason. It’s a very striking look and MR wanted to do a horse version of this as he thought it’d be neat. 5 mins before the review meeting for it he had a big ‘Aha!’ moment, quickly looked up a rusty old Viking sword, and photoshopped it through its skull like that was how it died. “And I was like, ‘I just made a unicorn. Alright, in it goes!’” It got approved. “So we built the thing. It fit. It told a little story”

With the irl Inquisition longsword, one of the objects they tested its cleaving ability on was a plush version of Leliana’s nug Schmooples

The concept art team explored a wide variety of visuals for the Inquisitor’s signature mark. It needed to look powerful and raw but couldn’t look like a horrific wound. In some cases, as cool as the idea looked on paper, they just weren’t technically feasible, especially as they had to be able to fit on any number of different bodies

Bug report: “Endlessly spawning mounts! At one point during development, Inquisitors could summon a new horse every time they whistled, allowing them to amass a near infinite number of eager steeds that faithfully followed them across Thedas. “You could go charging across levels and they’d all gallop behind you,” Jen Cheverie says, “It was beautiful.” Trotting into town became an epic horse siege as a tidal wave of mounts enveloped the streets. Jen called it her Army of Ponies”

The giants came from DA Week, an internal period when devs can pursue different individual creative projects that in some way benefit DA. They also had a board game from one of these that they were going to put in but they didn’t have time. It’s referenced though. It was dwarven chess

Josie’s outfit is made of gold silk and patterned velvet, with leather at her waist. She carries “an ornate ledger” and she has “an ornamented collar sitting around her neck, finished by a brilliant red ruby, like a drop of Antivan wine in a sunbeam”

Iron Bull’s armor is leather. His loose pantaloons and leather boots give him agility to charge

On DAI in particular, concept artists took special care to make sure costumes would be realistic, at least in a practical ‘this obeys the laws of physics and textiles’ sense. “While on Inquisition, we thought about cosplay from a concept art perspective. Given how incredible a lot of [cosplays] are, I now am not worried about them. In fact in some cases in the future I want to throw them curveballs like, ‘All right, you clever bastards. Let’s see if you can do this!’”

2 geese that nested on the office building and had chicks were named Ganders and Arishonk (it wasn’t known who was the mom or the dad). Other possible names were Carver Honke, Bethany Honke, Urdnot Pecks, Quackwall, Cassandra Pentagoose, the Iron Bill, Shepbird, Garroose, Admiral Quackett, Scout Honking, HChick-47 and Darth Malgoose

Bug report: “The surprising adventures of Ser Noodles!” DAI was the first time the series had a mount feature, meaning this had a lot of bugs. A lot of the teams’ favorite bugs were to do with the mounts. There was a period of time where the Inquisitor’s horse seemed to lose all bone and muscle in its legs. They had a week or so where all quadruped legs were broken. It was a bit noticeable in things like nugs and other small beasties but the horse was insanely obvious. “The first time we summoned the horse [for this] and started running around, the entire QA exploration room just exploded with laughter.” Its legs flapped around like cooked fettucine, leading testers to lovingly nickname it Ser Noodles. At galloping speeds the legs almost looked like helicopter blades, especially when footage was set to classic pieces such as Wagner’s Flight of the Valkyries

For DAI the artists were asked questions like “What would Morrigan wear to a formal ball? Can Cassandra pull off a jaunty hat?”

On DAI storyboarding became the norm. John Epler: “Cinematic design for the longest time was the Wild West. It was ‘here’s a bunch of content, now do it however you want’, which resulted in some successes and some failures.” Storyboarding gave designers a consistent visual blueprint based on ideas from designers, writers and concept artists

Quote from a storyboard by Nick Thornborrow (the Inquisitor going into the party at the end of basegame sequence): “Until Corypheus revealed himself they could not see the single hand behind the chaos. A magister and a darkspawn combined. The ultimate evil. So evil. Eviler than puppy-killers and egg farts combined.”

A general note on concept art:

In the early stages of any project, before the concept artists are aware of any writing, they like to just draw what they think cool story moments could be. It’s not unusual for the team to then be inspired by these and fold them into the game as the project progresses

– From Bioware: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development

[therealvinelle]

I agree that Aro definitely is not straight, but if he is gay and not bi, why window shop for a wife? If he wanted a partner for some reason, why not find a male one? It was a different era, yes, but are vampires really homophobic?

So, for this meta, we’ll have to get historical. Before we do, keep in mind that while I know Ancient Greece better than most, having studied it (introductory level classes only, mind), I don’t know it well enough to be any kind of authority on the matter. History, more than any other discipline I can think of, is not respected as an academic field, and people with poor to no understanding of historical hermeneutics will make very bold assumptions that they then have too poor understanding of history to realize are bullshit. This is a disclaimer because I don’t want to join in on the chorus of authoritative-sounding people on the internet with no verifiable credentials who spout things about history that are then taken to be gospel truth by readers because the author made it sound good.

More, I say this because your question is asking me to explain the morality and social norms surrounding a character from 14th century BC Greece. And this man would not, for the record have been Ancient Greek, he would have been Mycenaean Greek. Very quick history lesson: Mycenaean Greece was a flourishing society that suffered a downfall, Greek civilization fell into its very own dark ages, until around 800 BC when Greeks began forming what would become the Ancient Greece we know and love. This in turn means that I can’t very well read up on the marital and sexual norms of Ancient Greece when I’m researching for Aro, because he was five hundred years old already when Ancient Greece became a thing.

And your question concerns cultural history. And for that we’re going to have to look at how we know the things we know about history. How history is studied.

Historians have two kinds of sources: archeological findings and written records. (I’m aware that oral tradition, like the one carried by the Aborigine people, isn’t technically one of these, but to my understanding it’ll be treated to similar analysis as written records, which leaves us with the two types of sources standing strong.) These sources are analyzed, and we apply various theories and models onto them to make sense of the context they were written in. The more sources we have, the more we can refine or eliminate these theories or models.

More, history is an ever evolving field. There are movements and schools of thought that influence how history is written (marxism in history, that is, history as a class struggle, was heavy in the 60′s and I think until the 80′s), which means that how a certain culture will be perceived today is not the way it was perceived a few decades ago, nor will it be perceived the same way a few decades in the future.

You see why I am daunted by you asking me to give you an answer about sexual and marital norms for a guy who lived 3000 years ago, and I hope you’ll understand why I feel this word vomit is necessary.

Now, the danger with Mycenaean Greece is that it’s a society it’s easy to feel we know a lot about, because it was the precursor to Ancient Greece, and we know a lot about the latter. But, first of, the reason why we know as much as we do about the Ancient Greeks is the Romans. The Greeks wrote about their history, their philosophy, their government, and they wrote plays and told stories. However, that was two thousand years ago and their writings would have been lost to the sands of time if the Romans hadn’t idolized and sought to emulate their society. This meant preserving their written records. This tradition was carried on by the Christians, in part because Hellenistic philosophy was incorporated into Christian philosophy. We have neo-platonism to thank for Christian asceticism, the “mind over matter” cornerstone.

What I’m getting at with all of this is that we know the insane amount about Ancient Greece that we do because of some very unique circumstances, and so we can make very sophisticated theories about what the Hellenistic world was like. It’s still detective work, but not Pepe Silvia type of detective work. This is not the case for Mycenaean Greece. We know a comparative lot about Mycenaean Greece, considering how long ago it was, but there is very much we don’t know.

With Mycenaean Greece, we are dealing with a lot more uncertainty. We haven’t deciphered one of their two writing styles, and a lot of the text we do have is very fragmentary. Coming up with detailed societal models for Mycenaean Greece, and for the 14th century BC specifically, is... well I don’t know enough about what this society left behind to know what historians have to work with, but I imagine they have their work cut out.

More, I haven’t studied this at all, which means that any attempt on my end to research this would be stumbling around in the dark.

One example: the Illiad and the Odyssey, while composed around the 8th century BC, were set in the early 12th century BC, which is nearly Aro’s time period. The Illiad depicts a homoerotic relationship between Patroclus and Achilles, and both works depict a lot of matrimonies, so I wish I could use it as a source. However, not only would this time gap alone make these sources questionable, but there’s also the matter of the Illiad and the Odyssey being transmitted orally, from bard to bard. Changes were made over the years. For example, the technology described in the Illiad is from several eras, as the warriors will be using bronze weaponry in one book and then switch to iron in the next. This game of telephone is what happens when a story is transmitted orally from person to person. So, while it’s tempting to use these works as a sort of reference point, the possibility, likelihood even, that the bards made adjustments to keep the old story entertaining for their contemporary audience is strong.

For this reason, I can’t give you any kind of historically correct analysis on what the marital or sexual mores would have been like in Aro’s time. Even if the knowledge is out there, I don’t have it.

But I can say this, spouses have for the longest time been partners. Men and women got married, even in the gay, gay, Ancient Greece, not just to have children but because they complemented each other, they were partners. Men needs wives, and women needs husbands. And a partner was canonically exactly what Aro was looking for, feelings had nothing to do with it:

After Caius and Marcus had found their romantic attachments, Aro decided to find his own, although rather than finding his other half in another vampire Aro decided to create his own instead. Aro had a certain type of woman in mind and he found what he was looking for in Sulpicia. He successfully courted her and she came to fall in love with him.

As for vampires being homophobic, I think that is for another post about what culture they bring with them into their new life. But to be brief I’ll say that while the individual vampire can be homophobic, there can be no homophobia at an institutional level because vampires have no institutions. And it’s the institutional homophobia that gets ya. It’s what the whole fight for gay rights has been about: secure legislation against discrimination and that protects gay people. (The right to marry and protection from employees firing LGBT employees comes to mind as examples of this.)

So, no one could force Aro to marry a woman. 

And I’d go into a rant here about how the prospect of gay marriage, of even identifying as homosexual (the labels homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual are very new and, to my recollection, were born off of the Western psychiatric discipline as men who slept with other men were diagnosed with homosexuality. I imagine a man from the Antiquity would be confused at the notion that just because he likes to sleep with dudes he shouldn’t get married to a woman), was unthinkable up until very recently, but I just made this obscenely long rant about how I can’t really make these kinds of guesses, so I’m not gonna.

I think being married to a woman and then banging hot dudes who came along suited Aro just fine.

Also, I can’t believe I’m doing this, but - I’m going to encourage history asks. Because this fandom has a bit of a history problem, as a lot of the characters are from different time periods and many feel unsatisfied with the way Meyer handled that. I am by no means a historian, but I know several of the historical periods the characters of Twilight are from well enough to make educated guesses.

So, hit me with your worst.

[tipsycad147]

The eight Sabbats: Witch's holidays

by Michelle Gruben

Modern Pagans celebrate eight major holidays throughout the year, known as Sabbats. They are based on pre-Christian customs related to the movement of the sun. Most are related to the Celtic agricultural festivals that have given them their names.

Of course, now we know that the sun doesn’t actually move around the earth. And lots of Pagans live far away from the places where our food is grown. But the Sabbats are still a meaningful way to connect with the cycles of the seasons and of human life.

The Pagan Sabbats include the four astronomical holidays (the equinoxes and solstices) and four traditional holidays in between. Together, these eight festivals are known as the Wheel of the Year. They are observed in Wicca and Wicca-influenced forms of neo-Paganism.

Learn about the eight Witch’s holidays and some popular customs for each one:

Samhain

Probably the best-known of the Sabbats, Samhain is celebrated on October 31st. It coincides with Halloween or All Hallows Eve. Halloween is a time when even non-magickal people indulge in spooky activities and ancient superstitions. It's also the time when mainstream culture pays the most attention to the activities of Witches and Pagans.

The word Samhain comes from the Irish Gaelic word for “summer’s end.” The days have become shorter, and the darker half of the solar year is upon us. At this time, farmers would use up the remaining stores of perishable fruits and vegetables, preserving other foods to sustain them through the cold and dark season. They would also slaughter any livestock that they did not plan to feed through the winter. This is why we sometimes refer to Samhain as the Third Harvest, or Blood Harvest.

At Samhain, many people believe the boundary between the words is at its thinnest. Samhain is also known as Ancestor’s Night or the Feast of the Dead. For most Witches, Samhain is the best time to commune with the beloved dead (ancestors and honored spirits). Some also believe that lonely or angry spirits may wander the Earth on Samhain night, looking for humans to annoy.

How Pagans celebrate: For Pagans, Samhain is the beginning of the new year. It is a holiday of reflection and celebration. At Samhain, we cast off the old year’s attachments and turn our attention to the coming scarcity of winter. We feast on the last of summer’s bounty. We contemplate what is worth saving and nurturing during the dark of winter. We try to make friends with Death.

Pagans celebrate Samhain in many of the same ways muggles do: Scarfing down sweets, carving jack-o-lanterns, dressing up in costumes. We decorate with skulls and spiders and go to haunted houses. All of these Halloween traditions are too fun to miss out on—and besides, most of them have their roots in old Pagan beliefs, anyway.

If you’re invited to a Samhain ritual, you may see an ancestor altar. This is a shared altar where participants are invited to pile on their mementos and offerings for the dead. The presiding priest or priestess may invoke a deity who rules over transitions or the migration of souls—Morrighan, Hecate, or Hermes. You may participate in a meditation where you travel into the depths of the underworld, or look departed friends in the eye once more. People will speak the names of loved ones who died during the previous year, or long ago.

Feasting is a component of many Samhain rituals. When we eat sweets, we are savoring the sweetness of life and its impermanence. When we eat meat, we remember that all flesh must die and become nourishment for some creature or another.

We also use food as an offering to the dead—to communicate fond memories, to pay our respects—and perhaps, to appease hungry ghosts. Some Pagans set an extra plate at the Samhain table for spirit visitors. Another contemporary Pagan custom is the “dumb supper”—a silent meal where we invite our ancestors (both known and unknown) to come and dine with us.

Yule

Yule is the Pagan name for the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it falls on or around December 21.

After the winter solstice, the darkest part of the year is over and the days begin increasing in length. This solar holiday is related historically to Christmas—Pagans delight in pointing out that Christians co-opted the date around the third century CE.

In the overarching neo-Pagan mythos, Yule is the birthday of the divine infant who is conceived in the spring. The dark of midwinter is the period of the Goddess’s confinement and labor as she prepares to welcome the solar child. On the longest night, the Sun God is born to the praise and gratitude of all Earth’s creatures.

How Pagans celebrate:

Yuletide is a time for passive, personal magick—for short days of work and long nights of dreaming. We set intentions and incubate our plans. It is a time of preparing mentally and spiritually for the light half of the year. Some Pagans keep a midwinter vigil, awaiting the rebirth of the sun at dawn.

It’s not often that you find large group rituals for Yule—probably because lots of Pagans are busy traveling and visiting with non-Pagan family! Instead, Yule rituals tend toward the home-y and conventional.

We decorate with evergreens and holly. We exchange gifts with friends and family. On Midwinter Eve, we light candles to herald the return of the sun. (The ambitious among us may set a Yule log blazing.) We eat traditional, calorie-rich holiday foods: Tamales, eggnog, rum cake, ham, and chocolate. We give thanks for the life-giving energy of our planet’s sun.  

Imbolc

Imbolc is a festival of purification and the early signs of spring. Imbolc is celebrated on Feb 1. (Not yet spring in most of the world, to be sure—but sometimes spring-like in Britain due to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream.) It is the first of the three Pagan fertility festivals, followed by Ostara and Beltane.

In Old Irish, Imbolc means “in the belly” and was associated with the onset of the lambing season. It was an obscure Irish folk festival until the 20th century, when neo-Pagans revived it as part of the Wheel of the Year. It coincides with the Christian festival of Candlemas and with that old farmer’s oracle, Groundhog’s Day, both observed on Feb. 2.

For our ancestors, the significance of Imbolc would have been the beginning of the ground thaw. It is the time to prepare for the planting season—to survey the land, take an inventory of tools, and make any repairs or modifications that will be needed. For the Witch, it also a time of preparation. We clean and bless our altars, and make sure that the tools of our practice are attuned to their intended use.

Mythically, Imbolc celebrates the awakening of the Goddess after giving birth to the young God at Yule. In the Earth, we observe the first stirrings of life after the frozen winter. (If you don’t know what a frozen winter looks like, ask your grandmother.)  Imbolc brings the energy of creativity and imagination. Projects that were put on hold during the holiday season start to creak into motion again. Our midwinter dreams resolve themselves into their first visible shapes.

How Pagans celebrate:

Imbolc is especially sacred to Brigid—Celtic Goddess of hearthfire, healing, the bardic arts, and smithwork. Many Imbolc rituals honor Brigid with candlelight, poems, and woven ornaments known as Brigid’s crosses. The first light of spring is evident by now, and it is an auspicious time of year for rites of cleansing, healing, and blessing.

Imbolc is a time for spiritual dedication and re-dedication. Some covens—especially women’s covens—initiate new members at Imbolc. For old Pagans, it is also a time to examine and refresh our practice. If we have become lax, Imbolc is an opportunity to purify our intentions and reconnect with spiritual guides. We light candles, open windows, and wash the floors to cast out the last gloom of winter. Some also use Imbolc for divination for the year’s harvest.

Imbolc is not really a feasting holiday, as the season of grains and fruits is months away. The first food of the year is dairy. Butter, milk, and cream are traditional foods for the Imbolc table.

Ostara

Ostara is the spring equinox, which falls on or about March 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. It is opposite the autumn equinox (which Pagans refer to as Mabon). But any desktop calendar can tell you that. Ostara is the Pagan cousin of the Easter holiday, a modern revival of one or more ancient spring celebrations.

Ostara is the second of three fertility festivals, a time when the blessings of spring become more visible in the natural world. Flowers bloom, the birds and the bees do their thing, and grocery aisles fill up with pastel-colored treats. Ancient fertility symbols like eggs and bunnies are everywhere. (Yep, Ostara is the Sabbat with the rabbit!)

Astronomically speaking, Ostara is a midpoint of the year, and day and night are equal at this time. The Sun God (who has been growing and gathering strength since Yule) is an adolescent. The Great Goddess, who has been getting progressively younger since December 21, is in her maiden form. These two lusty youths are now the same age, and will soon conceive the child who will be born at Yule.

How Pagans celebrate:

The original meaning of Ostara as a fertility festival is not lost on modern Pagans. Ostara provides a perfect opportunity to work magick for love, prosperity, and gains of any kind. We harness the energy of the lengthening days to fuel our desires and bring projects to fruition. We honor the gifts of the earth Goddess, who is presently blessing the land with beauty and nourishment.

Pagans also use Ostara as a time to reflect on the principle of balance. Everyone has goals and responsibilities—work, family, art, spirituality—that compete for our time and attention. At Ostara, we take a moment to notice things that may have shifted out of balance. We reset our priorities as the austerity of winter gives way to the exuberance of spring.

Beltane

Beltane is the ancient name for the May Day rite, held on May 1. Originally a fire festival, it was widely celebrated in pre-Christian Ireland and Scotland. The name comes from the god Bel (“the bright one”) and means “Bel’s fire.” It is the second of two principle festivals on the Celtic Pagan calendar, the other one being Samhain. Samhain and Beltane are the two poles of the magickal year, when the gates to Faery and the spirit world are most open to travelers. ­­­

In traditional Wicca, Beltane is a sexual festival, the last of the three fertility festivals. It is the time when the Maiden Goddess takes a lover in the form of the young God. Wiccans enact this drama through the ritual marriage (Great Rite) of a High Priestess and High Priest, whose union will bless the land.

How Pagans celebrate:

Theoretically, Beltane is an occasion of unbridled sensuality and revelry. However, sexual rites are rare in modern covens. If invited to a Beltane ritual, you’re far more likely to dance around a maypole or witness a symbolic Great Rite (with a chalice and athame) than encounter an orgy.

For the social Pagan, Beltane season abounds with bonfires, festivals, concerts, and campouts. Solitary Pagans might celebrate by making an altar to the young God and Goddess or connecting with a lover. Flowers, honey, sweets and wine on the altar echo the sweetness of the occasion. Beltane is also a time for illusion, seduction, and Faery tricks. By the light of the Beltane fire, the real can become unreal (and vice versa).

Since Beltane celebrates the union of the God and Goddess, it is a popular time for proposals, handfastings, and renewing of vows. Magickally, the combined masculine and feminine energies lend a powerful alchemical surge to almost any type of spellwork.

Litha

Litha is the summer solstice, which in the Northern Hemisphere falls on or about June 21. Linguists disagree about the origin of the Sabbat’s name, but summer festivals were common across pre-Christian Europe. People lit bonfires to keep the sun’s light alive for as long as possible. Solstice revels were supposed to bless the crops in the fields and drive away evil spirits.

Litha is the day when the Sun God is at the peak of his power. It is an auspicious day, ruled by the Sun and the element of Fire. After Litha, the nights will begin to grow longer and the Sun will move further away each day. With the fall harvest imminent, Litha is an opportunity for anticipating the (actual or symbolic) crop. Medieval people believed that Midsummer Night was blessed, and that whatever a person dreamed on this night would come true.

How Pagans celebrate:

Outdoor rituals are common at Litha, as Pagans take advantage of the long hours of daylight. It is a joyful Sabbat. Bonfires and summer games brighten the space between earth and sky. We decorate our altars with solar symbols, and honor the God in his aspect as Father.

Litha is an appropriate time for all magick ruled by the Sun. This includes spells of cleansing, protection, charisma, and truth.

Lammas

Lammas is the first harvest festival on the Pagan calendar, observed on or about August 1. It is related to an old agricultural holiday celebrating the reaping of grain. Lammas probably comes from the Old English words for “loaf mass.” Loaves of freshly baked bread would have been prepared from the first grain and blessed in churches around the countryside. Lammas is also called Lughnasadh, after the Celtic sun God, Lugh.

As the summer stretches on and the days grow shorter, the sun God symbolically loses some of his strength. He is not yet dead, but is aware that the dark season will soon approach. The god of summer “dies” in the fields to nourish the people, and prepares for rebirth at Yule.

How Pagans celebrate:

Lammas is a time to welcome the harvest. We give thanks that the year’s work is proceeding as planned, and that we will soon enjoy the fruits of our labor. Grain is the traditional food for the Lammas table, in the form of wheat, barley, beers and ales.

Celtic Pagans celebrate Lammas/Lughnasadh as the feast of Lugh, an agricultural god—but also a patron of poets, musicians, and craftspeople. At Lammas, we may show off the skills we have acquired and trade them for things we will need. It is a traditional time of year for craft fairs and local markets.

Mabon

Mabon is the autumn equinox (or as us Texans call, it “fawwwl”). In the Northern Hemisphere, it falls around Sept 21. Mabon is the pivot point of the solar year when the days begin to shorten and winter is on its way. (The name of the festival is modern and dates from the 1960s or early 1970s.)

Mabon may also be called the Second Harvest, because it is the time when autumn fruits and nuts reach their maturity. It is a time to contemplate what we have worked for in the previous year and what rewards we are ready to reap. We give thanks to the waning sunlight and prepare to store our wealth away for the scarce season. We shift from active to contemplative magick. Mabon season is a fine time for workings of prosperity, gratitude, security, and balance.

How Pagans celebrate:

Mabon is a time for celebration after the hard work of the harvest. Though it is sad to watch the beauty of the growing season fade away, we revel in the mild weather and rest that autumn brings.

Mabon foods are comfort foods, those that evoke fond memories and connect us through sharing. We bake and brew, pickle and can. Offerings of wine, cider, fruits, and boughs may adorn the Mabon table—along with that most Pagan of centerpieces, the Cornucopia.

On the Pagan religious calendar, Mabon represents the turning point to the dark half of the year. We shift our attention from the youthful merriment of the summer Sabbats. At Mabon, we honor the Crone and Sage deities, the cycles of aging and death, and the spirit world.

Mabon is a popular time for large outdoor rituals—in part because the weather is good and it doesn’t conflict with any major mainstream holidays. We gather together to feast and express gratitude for our lovely tilted planet. Many cities host a public Mabon ritual as part of their annual Pagan Pride Day gatherings. Solitary Pagans might celebrate Mabon with offerings at a home altar, or a contemplative walk in the woods.

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/the-eight-sabbats-witchs-holidays

[mediaevalmusereads]

Bringing Down the Duke. By Evie Dunmore. New York: Berkley, 2019.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Genre: historical romance

Part of a Series? Yes, A League of Extraordinary Women #1

Summary:  England, 1879. Annabelle Archer, the brilliant but destitute daughter of a country vicar, has earned herself a place among the first cohort of female students at the renowned University of Oxford. In return for her scholarship, she must support the rising women's suffrage movement. Her charge: recruit men of influence to champion their cause. Her target: Sebastian Devereux, the cold and calculating Duke of Montgomery who steers Britain's politics at the Queen's command. Her challenge: not to give in to the powerful attraction she can't deny for the man who opposes everything she stands for. Sebastian is appalled to find a suffragist squad has infiltrated his ducal home, but the real threat is his impossible feelings for green-eyed beauty Annabelle. He is looking for a wife of equal standing to secure the legacy he has worked so hard to rebuild, not an outspoken commoner who could never be his duchess. But he wouldn't be the greatest strategist of the Kingdom if he couldn't claim this alluring bluestocking without the promise of a ring...or could he? Locked in a battle with rising passion and a will matching her own, Annabelle will learn just what it takes to topple a duke...

***Full review under the cut.***

Content Warnings: graphic sexual content, sexism/misogyny, attempted sexual assault

Overview: I learned about this book while searching around for romances in the vein of The Suffragette Scandal. Overall, I found Bringing Down the Duke fairly fun; it features a badass heroine, a hero who doesn’t give off violent alpha male vibes, and a plot that addresses real issues like class and gender equality. I only give this book 3 stars, however, because I think the plot could have been organized better, and I think the romance gets a little frustrating after about the halfway point. Still, if you’re just starting to read romance and aren’t sure about what level of physical intimacy you’re willing to tolerate, this book might be a good starter.

Writing: Dunmore’s prose is fairly laid-back and easy to understand, so if you’re looking for a light read, this book might fit the bill for you.

I do think, however, that Dunmore could have crafted her narrative and used her prose to reinforce the theme of independence vs safety. While this theme comes up a number of times, I always felt it was an afterthought because so many things were happening in the book, and I would have liked to see Dunmore pull back and really make the whole narrative (and use language, metaphor, etc) about this conflict.

Plot: The non-romance plot of this book follows Annabelle - a bluestocking who is given a full scholarship to Oxford on the condition that she support the suffragette movement. She is allowed to go on the condition that she send her cousin 2 pounds per month to pay for a housekeeper (which he will be lacking if Annabelle goes away), and as she tries to balance school, work, and activism, she is tasked with “infiltrating” the Duke of Montgomery’s home in hopes of winning him to the suffragette cause. Of course, shenanigans ensue from there.

What I really enjoyed about this plot was the ambition. I liked reading about the class and gender barriers that Annabelle had to navigate, and I liked that her political ambitions were at odds with the Duke’s personal ones. However, such a wide range of conflicts meant that not all plot threads were explored to the degree I would have liked. It seemed like characters were pulled in a lot of different directions, and that these non-romance plots took a backseat when it was least appropriate. The Duke’s New Year’s Eve party, for example, is supposed to be this big political move for the Duke to show his commitment to the Queen and the Tories, but we never see him put things in place or pull some social strings to line everything up, and we never see the party used as a crisis point in the political plot. Instead, it passes in the space of only a few pages and is mainly used as an opportunity for Annabelle and the Duke to become intimate. I would have instead liked to see it be this moment where the plot as a whole takes a turn: maybe everything is going well until the Duke realizes his feelings for Annabelle as well as the actions of his younger brother throw the whole party (and his political ambitions) into jeopardy. In short, I felt like events could have been moved around to make them more narratively impactful, rather than everything happening at a somewhat leisurely and meandering pace.

On a related note, I didn’t feel like the plot as a whole had many elements of suspense, nor did they really build on each other. As a result, the plot seemed to lack shape; there wasn’t really a rising action, and I was never sure what characters were going to do next (which was frustrating, rather than exciting). I think this could have been improved if we had seen Annabelle take a more active role in trying to manipulate the Duke. As the book stands, Annabelle seems to simply inhabit the Duke’s house and “wins” him over by being defiant. I think I would have liked to see her try more purposeful techniques, like going through his things to try to get information on him, having more political or philosophical conversations, etc. Something to drive the suffragette narrative forward and perhaps set up a moment when Annabelle has to reveal that she’s been trying to spy on him or something.

Characters: Annabelle, our heroine, is a fun character to follow. She’s smart, hardworking, and generous with regards to her friends. I liked that she wasn’t presented as this superwoman who could do everything, but was doing her best to balance all the demands made on her. While I think all of Annabelle’s actions were believable and she was a fairly complex character, I also think Dunmore was trying to do too much with her. Not only is Annabelle trying to balance her studies and her activism while struggling with poverty, but she also has a secret from her past which must be dealt with. Personally, I found it all a little much. I think Annabelle’s past and her financial obligations to her cousin could have been cut, placing more emphasis on the pressures of staying in school or becoming destitute. The conflict for her, then, would be something like the risks that come with being an independent woman, and how her entanglement with the Duke raises new risks.

Sebastian, our hero, in interesting in that he is stoic and single-minded without being a huge jerk. He’s completely obsessed with winning back his family’s estate, and he lets that obsession compromise his political and moral beliefs (though not to the point where he’s openly hostile towards women or anything like that - more like he’s willing to support the Tory party because he has been promised the return of his estate if they win the election). I liked that much of his personal growth had to do with deciding what it was he valued more: his family’s reputation or his personal happiness and being on the right side of history.

Supporting characters were fun and enriched the narrative. Annabelle’s suffragette friends were a lovely support system, and I adored the moments when they rallied to help Annabelle in moments of trouble. Sebastian’s brother, Peregrine, was a nice foil to the Duke and I liked that he was irresponsible and impulsive without being a total rake. Jenkins, Annabelle’s professor, was also an interesting character to have in the mix, especially when he became more involved in creating points of tension towards the end, and I liked that he was bookish and eccentric without being cold and self-important.

Romance: Annabelle and Sebastian’s romance is... ok. There were things about it I liked, and things I found frustrating. I really liked their banter and that they were intellectual matches for each other. I also liked that the barrier to them being together was rooted in class and the conflict between personal desire and family obligation. I also appreciated that the romance seemed to build naturally; while physical attraction was present, it wasn’t like Sebastian saw her and popped a boner and that’s what set everything off. Their relationship developed slower and I found it much more believable than some other romances.

What I didn’t like, however, was that after about the book’s halfway point, the relationship seemed to plateau and it became a matter of Annabelle and Sebastian splitting up, chancing upon each other in public, feelings erupt, then they do something intimate and split up again. I would have much rather have had something like a clean break at the 3/4 mark in the book: the two realize they can’t be together in the way they want, so Annabelle leaves and focuses on her activism/studies. During that time, things happen that challenge Sebastian’s commitment to his family legacy, but he doesn’t go seek Annabelle out. Maybe Annabelle instead gets an offer that would make her more financially stable (or more secure in her place at Oxford), so then she can go back to Sebastian, etc etc (I’m thinking about how the class barrier is handled in Jane Eyre here, if you can’t tell). It would have gotten rid of the annoying miscommunication incident towards the end, and instead would have forced some more meaningful development and not a “will they or won’t they” string of events.

TL;DR: Bringing Down the Duke is a bit of a narrative mess, but nevertheless fun and entertaining. With likeable characters, a believable romance, and meaningful themes, I would recommend this book for those just starting out in romance or to those who want romances written with contemporary readers (and sensibilities) in mind.

[dillydedalus]

march reading

kinda forgot about this i guess. anyway feat. uh, magical ships, dubious mental health institutions (plural) & a parisian building with 99 rooms. 

the forever sea, joshua phillip johnson (forever sea #1) i firmly believe that more fantasy lit should be set on ships bc ships are inherently a sexy setting & you could have pirates which are extremely sexy. this has ships (and pirates) and also a sea made of grass? a magical plant sea on which ships sail via magical fires, so conceptually i’m very into it all. the plot is fine, but the protagonist kindred has a very bad case of Main Character Syndrome so prepare for mild annoyance throughout. also while i generally enjoy book magic vs wild magic i wish more works would treat them as two ends of a spectrum rather than ~book magic bad and boring, wild magic cool and *~natural*~. but overall i think this series has potential. 3/5

jagannath: stories, karin tidbeck ([partially?] translated from swedish by the author) really cool collection of sff stories by tidbeck, many of which veer into mild horror and some of which are influenced by swedish folklore and especially swedish fey stories. i enjoyed most of these a lot, especially the existential call centre horror story, the ‘god won’t let me die’ one, and a taxonomy of a cryptid that goes a little off the rails. 4/5

annette, ein heldinnenepos, anne weber a novel in verse about anne beaumanoir, a real person who was a résistance member during world war 2 and later supported the algerian national liberation front, for which she was sentenced to 10 years in prison (she escaped to tunisia and later algeria). she’s clearly a very impressive and interesting person & i conceptually enjoyed the idea of writing a modern hero(ine)’s epic, but i feel like the language could have been a bit more stylized to match the form. 3/5

salvage the bones, jesmyn ward (audio) bleak but ultimately hopeful novel about a black family in the days before and during hurricane katrina, although the focus is on the family dynamics, the 14-year-old narrator discovering that she is pregnant, and the kids trying to keep the puppies their dog china just had alive and well. enjoyed this, altho i did it a bit of a disservice but listening to it a lot of short chunks. 3.5/5

regeneration, pat barker (regeneration trilogy #1) set mostly at a military hospital for soldiers with shell shock during world war 1, this novel explores the existential horror of war, psychological treatment (& the horrible absurdity of treating traumatised men just enough so that you can send them straight back to Trauma Town), and the meeting between siegfried sassoon & wilfred owen. i find i don’t really have much to say about it, but it is very, very good. 4/5

how to pronounce knife, souvankham thammavongsa a short story collection mainly about refugees and migrants from laos to canada, many focusing on parent-child relationships and being forced to work in low-paid jobs, often ones that are damaging to their health. the stories are very well-observed and emotionally nuanced and detailed, but with 14 mostly very short stories, the collection as a whole felt a bit samey, which i guess is something i often experience with short story collections. 3/5

faces in the water, janet frame horrifying semi-autobiographical novel about a young woman stuck in new zealand’s mental health system, moving to different hospitals but mostly from ward to (more depressing) ward in the 40s/50s. while there is a shift in attitudes during her stay that sometimes makes the wards more tolerable, mostly the patients are neglected, abused, and the threat of electric shock therapy and lobotomy always hangs over them. 3/5

the upstairs house, julia fine fuck why did i read so many books about mental health conditions this month??? this is another entry in my casual ‘motherhood as horror’ reading project, in which a new mother develops post-partum psychosis & imagines the modernist children’s book writer she’s writing her dissertation on and her poet sometimes-lover haunting her and her child (margaret wise brown & michael strange, who are real people i was utterly unaware of). this does pretty good on the maternal horror front, but i wasn’t entirely sold on the literary haunting. 2/5

1000 serpentinen angst, olivia wenzel a very interesting novel about a woman struggling with grief over her brother’s suicide, an anxiety disorder, the (non)state of a (non)relationship and discrimination/marginalisation based on her identity as a black, east-german, bi woman (while also being, as she notes, financially privileged). much of the novel is written in a dialogue between the narrator and an unnamed (& probably internal) interlocutor, which was p effective for a novel more focused on introspection than much of a plot. 3/5

atlas: the archaeology of an imaginary city, dung kai-cheung (tr. from chinese by the author, anders hansson, bonnie mcdougall) fictitious theory about a slightly-left-of-reality version of hong kong and how maps (re)construct the city, very heavy on the postmodern poststructuralist postcolonial (and some other posts, i’m sure). in many ways my jam. unfortunately my favourite parts of this were the author’s preface and the first part (fictitious theory of mapping alternate hong kong); the rest felt very repetitive and not particularly interesting, altho i’m sure i was also just missing a lot of cultural context. 2.5/5

under the net, iris murdoch .........i liked the other two murdochs i’ve read (the sea, the sea & a severed head) quite a lot so either i was not in the mood for her very peculiar style of constructing novels and characters or, this being her first novel, she just wasn’t in full command of that peculiar style yet but man this was a slooooooooog. don’t stretch out your modern picaresque with an incredibly annoying narrator over more than 300 pages iris!!!! 2/5 bc this probably has some merit & i just wasn’t into it

the impossible revolution: making sense of the syrian tragedy, yassin al-haj saleh (tr. from arabic by i. rida mahmoud) collection of articles and essays saleh (a syrian intellectual & activist who spent 16 years in a syrian prison) wrote from 2011 to 2015, analysing the reasons for, potential and development of the revolution, as well as some background sociological discussion on the assads’ regime. very interesting, very dense, very depressing. wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a first read on the topic tho. 3/5

angels in america: millenium approaches & perestroika, tony kushner the page to tumblr darling quote ratio in this is insane (”just mangled guts pretending” and so on) and also it just really slaps on every level. also managed to get me from 0 to crying several times. brilliant work of theatre, would love to see it staged (or filmed). 4/5

life: a user’s manual, georges perec (german tr. by eugen helmlé) 99 chapters, each corresponding with a single room in a parisian apartment block; some chapters are basically ‘here’s the room, here’s a long list of objects in the room, that’s it bye :)’, some are short insights into the lives of the people living there, some (the best, mostly) are long, absolutely wild tales that are sometimes only tangentially connected to the room in question. why are the french like this. 61/99 rooms 

sisters in hate: american women on the front lines of white nationalism, seyward darby (audio) nonfiction about women’s role in white nationalist hate movements, mainly based on the stories of three women who are or have been involved with various contemporary american alt-right/racist/neonazi hate groups, while also looking at general social trends and the history of white women’s role in white supremacy. interesting and engaging if you’re interested in this kind of thing. if you’re both politically aware and internet poisoned, it’s probably not much that is completely new to you but still worth reading. 3/5

starting in april i will be Gainfully Employed (ugh) & thus probably not read as much or read even more bc i have no energy for anything else 

[aion-rsa]

Why Turner Classic Movies is Reframing Problematic Hollywood Favorites

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Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a movie Alicia Malone fell head over heels in love with during childhood. Seeing it more times than she can remember in her native Australia, the future author and Turner Classic Movies host still recalls failed attempts to launch a high school film club with Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly as the star attraction.

“I thought for sure people were going to get excited about classic movies if they watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s because it has so much life to it!” Malone says today. How could they not fall for Hepburn’s iconic performance, which Malone still describes as luminous? “Holly Golightly is a complex female character, and for the times it was quite sexually progressive.”  Yet there was always another element, even in those halcyon days, which Malone recognized as uncomfortable—that discomfort has only grown to modern eyes.

Beyond the movie’s bittersweet romance between a pseudo-call girl and the kept man living in the apartment upstairs, there’s a grossly racist caricature of Japanese Americans in the movie’s margins, and it’s portrayed no less than by Mickey Rooney in yellowface makeup. It’s technically a small part of the movie, only appearing briefly and sporadically, but each time the character arrives, it’s like a sledgehammer swung across the screen. For decades the performance has been rightly criticized by Asian American advocacy groups, and even Rooney acknowledged late in life that if he knew people would become offended, he “wouldn’t have done it.” Nevertheless, the shadow that character casts over the movie has only loomed larger with time.

“I just kind of hold my breath and half shut my eyes every time Mickey Rooney shows up,” fellow TCM host Dave Karger says during a Zoom conversation with Malone and myself. “Mercifully, he’s gone pretty soon, and I’ve chosen actively not to let that performance ruin the movie for me, because ‘Moon River’ and the party scene, and George Peppard looking so great—there’s just so much to love and appreciate, so I actively choose to focus on that.”

Despite those personal struggles with the movie, Karger and Malone are both unafraid to examine the full implications of Rooney’s Mr. Yunioshi head-on. It’s why they hosted, alongside Ben Mankiewicz, a lengthy discussion of the character’s legacy last week during a special Turner Classic Movies presentation. That conversation was part of TCM’s Reframed series, a new season of content from the network which looks at some of the most beloved Hollywood classics of the 20th century—the crème de la crème, as Karger describes them—and studies why they can also be problematic and, in some cases, stunningly offensive. In the case of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, that can even lead to larger discussions about prevailing anti-Japanese attitudes and stereotypes in American society that persisted in the immediate decades after World War II… and can still be found as echoes in the anti-Asian stereotypes of today.

For Karger and Malone, these are the types of discussions TCM hosts have been having off-screen for years. So bringing those dimensions to the forefront for new generations of viewers felt only natural with Reframed.

Says Malone, “We often talk to each other about how we approach certain films when it comes to writing our scripts for our intros and outros for each individual film. We also talk with the producers about what we should bring up, what we shouldn’t bring up; if we should talk about an actor or director’s problematic past during that particular film, or if it doesn’t go with the content of the movie.”

So the five main hosts of TCM–who also include University of Chicago Professor Jacqueline Stewart and author Eddie Muller–were eager to have these frank discussions on screen while offering historical context from a modern perspective.

“All of us at TCM are watching the world change and watching the culture change,” Karger says, “and even though we show movies by and large from the period of the ‘30s to the ‘60s, we all realized that it doesn’t mean we can’t be part of today’s cultural conversation. It’s not a stretch at all to talk about classic movies from a point-of-view of the 21st century; that’s very possible to do, and I think a lot of our fans are looking for that kind of context when they watch the channel.”

The Reframed series, which was spearheaded in part by Charlie Tabesh, the TCM head of programming, and organized by producer Courtney O’Brien, looks to balance what Karger describes as the push and pull between nostalgia and criticism. Both Malone and Karger are acutely aware of the hesitance some classic movie fans might have about evaluating works from nearly a century ago through a 21st century prism, however the new program is intended to renew engagement with these movies—particularly in an era when there are just as many loud voices that attempt to dismiss or wipe away the legacies of these film’s from the cultural canon.

“That’s really important to remind everyone that this series is not here to shame these movies or to tell anyone that they can’t love these movies,” Karger says. “And if there’s a frustration that I’ve had in this last month, it’s to see some of the reaction to this series be along the lines of ‘you’re part of cancel culture with this series.’ It could not be more the opposite of that. We’re not cancelling anything; we’re showing the films a hundred percent in their entirety, we’re just talking about them.”

Malone further emphasizes this is what can keep so many of these movies vital in an era when sequences like the aforementioned Rooney scenes in Breakfast at Tiffany’s are being deleted from a Sacramento film festival—effectively erased from the collective memory.

“I think everyone at TCM sees this as the way forward,” Malone says, “the way that we can continue to make sure these movies stay alive for younger generations. We can continue talking about them, discussing them, they can change over the years, our feelings can change about them; you can love a film and not be able to justify parts of it at the same time. What’s so important though is just to have the discussion, to talk about these problematic areas and face up to them rather than hiding them. To me, if you take out a film from existence or you just delete parts of a film, you’re in a way saying these problems never existed.”

Indeed, even the opinions of folks as steeped in this history as the hosts of Turner Classic Movies can evolve as the culture does. Ben Mankiewicz, for example, is TCM’s unofficial statesman but he surprised some viewers two weeks ago when he revealed during a Reframed discussion that he can no longer comfortably watch Gunga Din (1939), a rollicking adventure movie set in British India. Based on a Rudyard Kipling poem, that classic film’s influences can still be felt in more modern blockbusters like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). However, Gunga Din is also a movie that glorifies the British Empire at the expense of then-contemporary Indian independence movement, with the villain being a character who Mankiewicz noted is physically modeled after Mahatma Gandhi, who would’ve been seen as subversive by some white audiences in the ‘30s.

“I’ve never been a huge fan of that movie, even though Cary Grant is my favorite actor,” Karger says. “And I was even a little surprised when Ben and Brad Bird included it on [the TCM program] The Essentials last year. Not because it’s not a revered classic movie, but because it’s more than a little offensive. And it was fascinating to be part of that conversation with Ben, talking about the evolution of his feelings for Gunga Din, because he’s been with the network 15 years. I can’t imagine how many times he’s talked about that movie, and it’s just showing you that culture and history are living, breathing things.”

Opinions change. Malone had a similar experience when she joined Mankiewicz and Muller to discuss John Ford’s seminal Western, The Searchers (1956), a movie where the director began reckoning with his depiction of Native Americans on screen. The film is a touchstone to this day for filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and George Lucas. Mankiewicz and Muller note that Ford is grappling with the racism of his earlier films via John Wayne’s lead character, an unrepentant bigot who becomes both the movie’s protagonist and antagonist. However, the film still bathes Wayne’s character in heroic imagery, and still relies on Native American stereotypes.

“Watching The Searchers again with the lens of talking about it during Reframed, I just saw so much,” Malone says. “I know John Ford was trying to have a conversation about racism involving Native Americans, but there’s just no doubt that many of his films contributed to the very dangerous and horrific stereotypes based around Native American people. And I think Native American people have suffered greatly because of the way they’ve been stereotyped in Hollywood films.”

That subject of intent comes up quite a bit during the Reframed series; Karger describes the movies they discuss as running the gamut from mildly problematic to extremely offensive, yet that ambiguity should invite education about the times they were made in, as opposed to preventing audiences from knowing about those eras.

Says Malone, “I think [Reframed] does show an attempted evolution on the parts of the filmmakers, and that’s interesting. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and The Searchers, and My Fair Lady are trying to comment on a particular issue. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers comments on the sexism of the brothers in the film; My Fair Lady comments on the misogyny of Henry Higgins; and The Searchers comments on racism. But at the same time, they are also sexist, misogynistic, and racist.” She ultimately concludes movies can be both progressive and not progressive because of the times they’re made in.

Read more

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From Hitchcock to Star Wars: What Makes a Great MacGuffin

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Was John Wayne High Noon’s Biggest Villain?

By David Crow

My Fair Lady (1964) will be the centerpiece of TCM’s final night of Reframed programming this Thursday. A lavish big screen adaptation of Lerner and Loewe’s Broadway musical, which itself was an adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play, Pygmalion, it deals with the story of cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) being remade into Professor Henry Higgins’ (Rex Harrison) ideal woman through diction lessons. And the fact the musical, written in the 1950s, changed the more transgressive ending of the original play where Eliza leaves Higgins behind, will invariably come up on Reframed.

“Some people would look at that and say, ‘My Fair Lady? What could be the problem with that? It’s a very strong female character who stands up for herself and has so much agency and power in the movie,’” Karger admits. “But then when you really look at specific scenes, particularly the end of the movie, which is what I think we talked about a lot, there are certain things that just kind of make the movie, for me at least, have the tiniest bit of a sour note.”

The question of whether My Fair Lady is a sexist movie or rather a movie about sexism became the heart of its Reframed discussion.

Adds Malone, “We also talk about the fact that that ending has been changed by some stage productions. That is happening now, and we also talk about the idea of the makeover movie. I think the Pygmalion myth is something that’s fairly sexist and outdated when you look at it, but there’s also so much to love about My Fair Lady.”

The opportunity of having these discussions has been a gift for Karger and Malone. They both stress they don’t have the answers to all the questions they raise, and that even with added time for the outros on Reframed, there is no way to cover everything that needs to be said about a film in a handful of minutes.

“I thought about multiple things I wish I said or I forgot to say, or just didn’t have time to say,” Malone says. However, she hopes the series gives viewers the tools to begin engaging more seriously with these films and embrace a greater curiosity about the past. On tonight’s line-up alone, Malone and Karger will both get to engage in discussions of films they lobbied to have included in the Reframed series.

“I had just a brief conversation with Charlie [Tabesh] about including something around the idea of gender identity, or the transgender community, because I wanted to delve into that,” Malone says. “And of course from there, it becomes what do we have the rights to? What’s in license, what can we show? So there are certain limitations on the types of films we can show in the series.” The film they ended up agreeing on is Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

“I love the fact that it is one of the classic movies that everyone should watch, a horror classic,” Malone adds.

Karger by contrast will be discussing another Audrey Hepburn movie, this one dealing with Hollywood’s history of depicting LGBTQ characters on screen.

Says Karger, “I will never forget watching the documentary The Celluloid Closet in the mid-1990s when it was released, and that was one of the seminal moments for me, as far as looking at film critically. This was a history of LGBT characters in film history over the years, and one thing you learn when you watch a documentary like that, there was this trope in films where if there was a character who was gay, that character would not live to survive at the end of the movie. That character would either be murdered, have some kind of horrible accident, or end his or her own life.”

He continues, “So you think of The Children’s Hour in the early 1960s and at first you think, ‘Oh this is something to applaud. Shirley MacLaine and Audrey Hepburn playing two women who may or may not be lesbians. Wow! This is a great thing to bring attention to.’ And then you realize they couldn’t even use the word lesbian in the movie… then the character who ends up being gay also ends up being dead by the end of the movie, and I just think it’s this unfortunate trope that tells people, consciously or not, that you can’t be gay and you can’t be alive in society… It’s a shame, because it came so close to getting it right but you realize it didn’t have the opportunity to get it right in 1961. It couldn’t with all the restrictions in the film industry and society in general.”

It will be the last night that TCM dives so directly into the murkier waters of some of Hollywood’s legacy, although both hosts hope for a second season of Reframed. Karger, who admits he shouldn’t spend so much time on social media, has seen the predictable social media reactions of “you’re ruining these movies” by talking about these elements. But he’s also been heartened by responses from fans who wished TCM provided Reframed discussions on movies that aired later in the evening, like Stagecoach (1939) or Tarzan, The Ape Man (1932). Karger says if he has it his way, they’ll include all those movies in a second season of Reframed.

Meanwhile Malone would really like to continue a thread begun with the screening of the Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy classic, Woman of the Year (1942), from several weeks ago.

“I love having discussions for films where we talk about the representation of female characters,” Malone says. “That’s something I’ve done a lot of work on, so that’s something I’d like to continue—to talk about the way women have been portrayed in films throughout Hollywood history, and we could talk about that in terms of their beauty and how that was seen to be the most valuable quality a woman could have, or the way they could search for love. I love all the women’s pictures that forces the woman at the end to give up everything for love, but for most of the movie she is a fantastically independent woman.”

Other examples of this trope she cites are His Girl Friday (1940), and nearly every movie Katharine Hepburn made after The Philadelphia Story (1940).

Karger conversely would be interested in revisiting movies with extreme age differences between couples.

“I’d love to look at films like Gigi or Love in the Afternoon,” the host says, “because I think there are some people who have issues with the much older man and much younger woman pairing. And I think I’d love to hear what my fellow TCM hosts have to say about that, because you never see it in the opposite direction.” In fact, based on just this one comment, Malone began thinking aloud about all the ageist movies spawned by Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), a camp horror classic that kicked off what Malone describes as “hagsploitation.”

When it comes to revisiting (and reframing) Hollywood classics, the options for learning more are limitless. Not that the lessons should be intimidating.

“I think it’s quite exciting the way things change,” Malone says. “Society changes so quickly, and you learn more and have different opinions, [including] on films. I love being more educated and finding out more of my own blind spots and trying to fix them.”

Reframed continues that search on Thursday March, 25, beginning with My Fair Lady at 8pm EST.

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[bandhyukoh]

[Highsnobiety] Men in Chinos: Musician and Frontman Oh Hyuk Talks Style, Music & Growing Up Between China and South Korea

Disclaimer: This interview belongs to Highsnobiety. Find the original source here. By Jack Drummond, February 20, 2017.

Chinos are a contemporary fashion icon and a wardrobe staple: in our latest editorial project, we celebrate the popular pants and their supreme diversity with heritage brand Closed. Together we selected five avant-garde experts in fashion to style Closed’s expertly designed fits as well as share their fashion insights in the process.

Korean indie music is having a moment. The band that’s at the vanguard of that moment is hyukoh. The group’s lead singer, guitarist and frontman, Oh Hyuk, is arguably at the very center of this movement – as well as being a burgeoning style icon in his own right. The band, and the man, straddle the divide between the underground and the mainstream. hyukoh’s music has a melancholic yet upbeat vibe, like a soundtrack to late summer evenings just before the turn to autumn; it works on many levels. Meanwhile, Oh Hyuk, with sharp eyes and a figure that naturally gets the best out of the clothes he wears, has a distinctive dress sense that straddles between classic menswear yet isn’t afraid to challenge norms and be unshackled by gender prescriptions. Because good clothes are good clothes. It also means he is a perfect fit for our ongoing deep dive into the style staple.

Americana and the workwear look is of course a strong style trend across much of East Asia – from Japanese thrift stores to the upmarket boutiques of Seoul, chinos, MA1 jackets, khaki, military green and denim form a significant backbone to what’s on offer and what’s on the streets. For our latest Men in Chinos installment, we met up at Oh Hyuk’s home in Seoul. Born in South Korea but raised for 20 years across China, the third culture kid’s influences are as diverse as his upbringing and where his life is now. Check out how he styles Closed’s chinos in our editorial shoot, above, for some style inspo. If you like the style, cop Closed’s chinos direct from their online store.

Hey Oh Hyuk, you moved back to Seoul a few years ago after spending pretty much all of your childhood in China. How has the South Korean capital helped you find yourself as an artist?

After I moved to Seoul, the mixed feelings and emotions that I felt in my teens and when growing up were suddenly set against each other. I learnt so much during that time but Seoul has taught me so much too, so I’ve learnt something from the experience and have become who I am now.

Tell us about your journey, both to becoming a musician and now as a professional, successful one.

After I moved to Seoul in 2012, I began rearranging and working on the songs that’d form our first release. A lot of these I’d worked on when and wrote when I was a teenager up until the time I about 21, so that covered my leaving China and my parents and moving to the capital. Then, in 2014, I met all the guys who make up hyukoh’s current members and we released our first EP, 20. In 2015, we released our second EP, 22. Now we’re working on our full-length album.

What’s been your career highlight so far and what are your aspirations?

I think for sure that releasing our upcoming debut album is going to be my career highlight. As for aspirations and where we or I would like to be, I think my ultimate wannabe is Radiohead.

Let’s talk about South Korea and its culture. Perhaps beside maybe Glen Check, you’re pretty much the only music acts coming out of South Korea at the moment with an ‘indie’ sound. How do you try to challenge prevailing fashion, music and the image standards in the country?

We’re just trying to figure out how we can reach the public really. But we don’t want them to be challenged and have difficulty in what we’re doing and our output – music or image or whatever – and just be okay with it. We do our own thing in our own way.

Your dress sense is pretty on point. How would you describe it?

Street. I like it because I feel free.

Chinos have been around for decades yet they never seem to grow old. How does the past influence your style?

What goes around comes around. There are things that never change and chinos are one of them. But to be honest, I think chinos have never been not been a part of OG street fashion which I’ve liked and followed from when I was a kid.

Talk us through how you styled Closed’s chinos, what you wore with them and why?

I mixed the olive chinos with a casual shirt I have and a vintage Stussy mesh cap. I wore them cos I feel comfortable in them.

What do you think upcoming Korean labels can learn from heritage brands like Closed?

And even though the world may have changed so fast these past few years and seems to get busier every day, some things that are cool will always, in some way, be cool and relevant.

[art-thropologist]

Cause & Æffect: art that speaks out, Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis, June 14th, 2020 — August 2nd, 2020.

In celebration of the centennial of women’s suffrage, the State Museum gathered together works from 14 different women artists who have lived, worked, or were born in Indiana. The exhibitions grants space to examine how art is used as a tool to speak out challenging topics such as mental health, the death penalty, migrant labor, and cancer. In doing so, visitors are asked to open themselves to conversations with each work and ponder how they can use art to create emotional affect and real-world effect.

Anila Quayyam Agha’s Flight of a Thousand Birds (2019) consists of a single stainless steel disk suspended before a blank wall, casting three overlapping shadows behind and two brilliant reflections before it.

The piece, in the didactic text, is meant to discuss the mingling of Agha’s multifaith and Pakistani/North American culture. The play between light/shadow embodies how there are identities that glance beneath our actions and our skin and also those that we reflect out to be seen. There is one person but the shadows they cast are indistinguishable as being from separate entities. Yet the identity we chose to show can be distorted by our environment or the situation in which we find ourselves in just as our shadows can. The circular and triadic geometry echoes the all-encompassing yet divisionary aspects of these facets. Though Agha’s piece references religion, these are not religious symbols like the crescent or the cross, choosing instead to preference aniconic influence. Agha gives no definite place to either side of her identity, instead creating a tangled after image of movement. Like a flock of birds taking flight, these patterns are constantly mingling and changing, just as our own sense of self shifts with the sun.

Mary Beth Edelson, on the other hand, takes an iconic masterpiece (Da Vinci’s The Last Supper) and recasts the apostles with (at the time, living) American women artists in Some Living American Women Artists/The Last Supper (1972). 

Surrounding the altered print are the headshots of over 60 more women artists who have historically/culturally/academically not been given place in the art historical cannon. Georgia O’Keeffe takes the honored role of Jesus at the table. While not the first American woman artist by a long shot, she was one to bring them into the status of “Art Star”. Edelson’s piece is controversial in its appropriation of religious imagery for the discussion of feminism. If one is familiar with Linda Nochlin’s essay “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" a secondary interpretation arises; that the only way for these women to hold a place in the museum is for them to recapitulate the styles and performance of accepted male masters. Edelson’s print then can be read as an outcry against the lack of representation of female artists in museums (I personally would not be surprised if Edelson admitted to being a member of the Guerrilla Girls). Notably, none of the 13 artists representing the apostles belong to the traditional painting genre. They span the Expressionist, Surrealist, and Contemporary which is a solid rebuke against the Academic style represented by Da Vinci. It is a critique of the axiological system of the present art historical survey. Edelson also contributed story gathering boxes for visitors to fill out and start a conversation about what our mothers/fathers taught us about our gender and the binary opposite gender.

Lingering in the center of the gallery are two pieces about sexual violence. Lori Miles and Jeanette Johnson-Licon’s The Elephant in the Room (2015) is indeed an elephant in the room. 

It is not obtrusively large or even within sightline when first approaching the gallery. Big, yes. Yet even the didactic calls the sculpture a ‘little elephant’. The pachyderm is made of plexiglass and a rolling wooden cart. The former material supplies a paradoxical presence. Elephants are massive and durable. Glass is typically not. The animal is here, and yet it is transparent. Present and invisible. A specter that haunts college campuses across the country. The Elephant embodies the conversations around sexual violence; the violence itself is ubiquitous, undeniably real, and clear to see, however that same transparency belies the greater reluctance to confront it, instead seeing right through it as if it is not there. The animal is minimized and rendered into slices that when removed from the whole become unrecognizable. One might argue that the choice to use glass is to represent how sexual violence is a delicate issue that must be treated with a feather-light touch. We don’t want to shatter the glass and cut ourselves on the pieces. But plexiglass is one of the strongest forms of glass available. It is used in shielding because of its resistance to fracture underscoring that the issue of sexual violence itself does not warrant such tedious handling. Of course, survivors deserve to be handled carefully. Not in the way a vase does, but in the way a living creature does. With respect, with gentleness and compassion. Afterall, when treated aggressively, elephants are known to stampede.

Beside The Elephant is a participatory installation by Monica Myer. The Clothesline (1978 - ongoing) began in Mexico City and has traveled across the continent to the heart of the heartland.

Its presence consists of two pink drying racks with lengths of nylon line running around the perimeter, pink cards are pinned to the nylon like laundry. The rectangular dimensions recall a child’s twin bed. Each card details the experience of sexual violence of an anonymous participant. A table is provided with blank cards for visitors to contribute their own testimonies. While there are other large installations in the gallery, the near neon pink of the paper draws the eye to it. This piece demands attention. The words scream silently from the paper. The Clothesline comes into conversation with The Elephant, the former laying bare the trauma that the latter represents. Together they take space and make an immovable statement.

This brings me to the only disappointment of the exhibition. Cause & Æffect presents itself as a celebration of the suffrage centennial…online. The gallery itself makes no mention of it. There is no signage, no didactic to clearly state such. 

The lack of discussion around suffrage and the lack of acknowledgement that this is the centennial of white women’s suffrage. Black women would not get the vote until 1964 and First Nations would still be barred in some states until 1962. Given that there are several pieces in the exhibition specifically about elections and ethnicity and the ability of visitors to see the artefacts of suffrage one level down, the absence of any concrete reference to suffrage undermines that aspect of the exhibition as a whole.

Overall, Cause & Æffect challenges visitors to re-evaluate the role of art as a tool of inspiring change. It asks us what we will stand for, what we will speak out against, and how we will speak out for our cause? What visitors are presented with as a whole is a garden of community, pride, and revolution.

Homeschool/Field trip Activities

Elementary: What do you think makes a good neighbor? How can you be a good neighbor to your classmates? (House Life Project, 2017); What is a cause you care a lot about? How would you use art to talk about it?

Middle: Pick a cause represented by a work and write a paragraph about how it relates to one of the displays in the Natural History or Cultural galleries; fill out a form for the gender equality box, then look through other responses and journal your reaction to them; create a piece of art that reacts to the exhibition or a piece within it; you are a member of the suffrage movement, what art do you create to speak out for your cause?

High: Pick a cause represented by a work and write a page about how it relates to one of the displays in the Natural History or Cultural galleries. Include primary sources to support your thesis; write a paragraph about which of these works speaks loudest to you emotionally? Personally? Ethically? Locally?; what other times has art been used as a tool to speak out on a global stage? Why was it effective/affective? How did it invoke such responses? (For example Le Radeau de la Méduse (1818-19) by Theodore Gericault.); react to The Elephant and The Clothesline in whatever medium you feel is best.

[maverixcollective]

DUAL PURPOSE

David Adjaye and A-Cold-Wall’s Samuel Ross on architecture, fashion, Covid-19, anti-racism, and the future of the creative industries

‘Architecture and fashion move away from each other, and then come really close, and then move away again,’ says Sir David Adjaye, on a video call from Accra. He is in conversation with Samuel Ross, stationed in London. It’s mid-summer and the world is in the grips of the Covid-19 pandemic and anti-racism protests. This is a transformative moment for both industries.

The architect behind the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Adjaye was recently commissioned to create Brixton’s Cherry Groce Memorial and Abu Dhabi’s Abrahamic Family House. He continues to work on the landmark Ghana National Cathedral, and champion new African architecture and architects.

Ross, who founded A-Cold-Wall* in 2015, is a rising star of the fashion industry. A natural master of cross-disciplinary collaboration, he has partnered with brands as wide-ranging as Nike (to create emergency blankets upcycled from plastic bottles, with aspirations to make them freely available in parks), Apple, Converse, Diesel, Oakley and Dr Martens, as well as recently establishing a grant fund for Black creatives.

Their discussion covered the impact of technology, localised production, the politicisation of architecture and fashion, anti-racism, the effects of pandemic, and the future of creative industries. Right after, they were photographed – Ross in person and Adjaye via video call – by Liz Johnson Artur, who has dedicated her three-decade career to documenting people of African descent.

Adjaye Associates’ design for the Abrahamic Family House on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island, comprising a mosque, a synagogue and a church.

Collaboration has long been key to Adjaye’s work. Artist Chris Ofili’s Within Reach, the British Pavilion at the 2003 Venice Biennale, designed with Adjaye and engineered by Charles Walker, Arup, featuring a glass sculpture titled Afro Kaleidoscope above the main gallery space.

Wallpaper*: How does the responsibility of creating lasting works – as opposed to ephemeral ideas –influence your designs and process?

DA: There’s a bit of a myth with this idea of permanence, because nothing is really permanent, not even architecture. It all ends up disappearing. Architecture [just] has a larger duration.

SR: It all comes down to having the ability to quantify if a product should exist, which goes back to functionality and use.

W*: As a discipline, architecture can be really slow, whereas fashion feels faster – but that’s not always the case as the after-effects can last a long time.

DA: Fashion seems to be absolutely immediate, but [its] impact might be in the way we look at the bodies of males and females. [Take] for example the work of Yves Saint Laurent: it’s profound, it changes and resonates through generations.

SR: Totally. I kind of look at fashion like a moving slipstream. This idea of [how garments can serve] changes from generation to generation, as times move forwards and as social movements move forwards.

‘I kind of look at fashion like a moving slipstream. This idea of [how garments can serve] changes from generation to generation, as times move forwards and as social movements move forwards.’  — Samuel Ross

W*: How do the materials you use embody the ideas that you want to portray in your work? Does sustainability play into your material choices?

SR: I’ve dabbled with technical and synthetic materials, although I’m moving into more sustainable materials. There is a movement happening within big tech that needs to be integrated into fabrication, which can then define fashion as a whole for the 21st century. Fashion should mean smart materials and patented weaves that are antibacterial, that cling and mould to the body, versus just being about a point of expression.

DA: In the built environment, we spent the 20th century industrialising, making very efficient materials that will get things done fast. With speed came excess and pollution and degradation and destruction. Now we are asking, how do we build responsibly? In architecture, we are talking about microbial issues and creating healthy environments. That’s become much more heightened with Covid-19. We have to look at the things that destroy the planet – pandemics and ecological collapses – and really be responsive. I’m working with communities here [in Accra] and discovering that compressed mud has incredible properties that we totally underestimated. We just assumed that it was primitive, but actually it’s one of the best performing and most abundant materials on the planet.

W*: How much of your work is about educating people in your respective professions, to push your industries forwards?

DA: With all design there is a kind of public role, especially if you’re interested in pushing the limits of your industry. You deliver things to the public, so the public needs to be able to hold you accountable. I taught for about a decade and then I stopped, because I was teaching in elite schools to kids who are already very privileged. Instead, now I mentor and I’m interested in finding emerging voices that are not getting attention, trying to support them or to help them think about their businesses in the early stages.

‘I chose architecture because it was part of a language that I felt was very much under-represented from the position of a person of colour within the global discourse. I felt that I had a lot to say and I wanted to be part of that conversation about how we make the contemporary world.’ — David Adjaye

A look from A-Cold-Wall’s pre-S/S21 collection.

Ross’ Beacon 1, presented at Serpentine Galleries as part of the 2019 Hublot Design Prize exhibition.

W*: How important has the role of mentor or mentee been in your career? When you started out, could you identify Black creatives you related to?

DA: A real hero for me when I started was Joe Casely-Hayford. He was simply a man of colour doing really excellent work. And I thought, ‘Why don’t we have that in other places?’ It actually drove me to want to do it. I have a stubborn disposition. To be faced with ‘You can’t do this because…’, well, the ‘because’ better be damn good! It made me angry when I was younger. I’m much more chilled out these days.

SR: Mentors have been seminal to my journey. I shifted my direction [from product and graphic design] towards fashion to be a little more expressive. At that time, Virgil [Abloh] and Kanye West happened to come across my work, and I started working underneath the two of them. They were great mentors, able to articulate between Western European and North American ideologies, whilst having an intrinsically Black imprint on the work they were producing. They took these references to an industry, cross-referenced them through channels of mass communication, and built a new language and discourse that a lot of designers of my generation now operate within. From these two mentors, I learned how to communicate ideas and to have this ‘scatter diagram’ approach to zig-zagging across industries.

‘For me, the act, the statement, the building, is always political, it’s always making a statement about the world that we are in, it’s always positioning an ideal of some sort. The building isn’t mute, it speaks volumes about a certain world value and morality.’ — David Adjaye

W*: In terms of communication, is fashion more inherently attuned to marketing, whereas architecture is built on letting the work speak for itself?

DA: Absolutely. There’s a desire to depoliticise architecture continually, and I fight against that all the time. For me, the act, the statement, the building, is always political, it’s always making a statement about the world that we are in, it’s always positioning an ideal of some sort. The building isn’t mute, it speaks volumes about a certain world value and morality.

SR: The work I showed at Serpentine Galleries [Ross won the 2019 Hublot Design Prize], and the work I’m soon to do with Marc Benda from Friedman Benda gallery, is about that. I’m pivoting towards the long form conversation, and how we stabilise and re-chisel the playing field for the next generation.

W*: How does collaboration enrich your work?

DA: When I left the Royal College of Art I missed not being in a campus environment. I would collaborate across disciplines, with a scientist or a musician. When I did the Venice Biennale with Chris Ofili in 2003, we flipped roles – I said, ‘you design and I’ll do the visuals’. It was amazing to see my now dear friend talking about architecture, to learn what was interesting to him. It teaches you different ways of seeing the world.

SR: I’m a moderately sized brand, so collaboration offers access to tooling and technology. It’s also about having an opportunity to push forwards a social consciousness. I’m thinking how I can carry as much information through a macro partner, let’s say Nike, without being too cumbersome: can I hijack a community to a certain degree and fix the attention?

Moving forward, the idea of showing collections needs to be completely rearticulated.’ — Samuel Ross

W*: Practically, has Covid-19 affected your business?

DA: I moved to Accra as I’m doing a lot of work in West Africa right now. This decade feels like the decade of Africa to me. This pandemic has unleashed this new connectivity that I’m very grateful for. I have three offices on different continents, and most of my time was spent moving between those. And now it’s become very technologically based. What’s kind of amazing is that it all works! Apart from the amazing aromas that you miss, I love the aroma of construction sites!

SR: We’ve decided not to do two shows a year any more. This idea of a continuous critique to an open market every six months when you’re building and growing didn’t necessarily sit right with me in the first place, but I was willing to participate and spar and win in that arena to show a more intellectual Black approach within fashion design. But moving forward, the idea of showing collections needs to be completely rearticulated. We are looking at more personable presentations, which almost feeds back into the early days, when counter-cultural movements actually began to swirl and churn around fashion brands. I’m becoming a bit more hands on with discourse with consumers. We’ve been able to compress and condense down the modelling of the company. And be more emotive and sensitive to market needs. And take a lot more risk. I’m hoping that it will kick start a few other contemporaries in a similar situation to ourselves. 

[randomvarious]

Hepcat - “Marcus Garvey” Ska Sucks Song released in 1996. Compilation released in 1998. Ska Revival / Third Wave Ska

When ska music first started to pop off in Jamaica in the mid-60s, it was thanks in large part to its first-ever band, The Skatalites. And after fast forwarding more than 50 incredible years, these guys, despite much member turnover, are still playing shows to this day (obviously not at this current moment). Since their founding all those years ago, there have been quite a few groups who have followed in their footsteps. But when ska’s third wave rolled around somewhere in the late 80s and early 90s, the band that has since been known to best replicate that original, Skatalites-cultivated sound has been SoCal’s Hepcat.

From critic Jason Ankeny:

Hepcat was among the most celebrated bands to emerge from the Southern California ska revival scene of the 1990s, winning fans with their infectious Caribbean melodies, soulful harmonies and swinging rhythms, all informed by elements of reggae, rock steady, R&B and jazz.

While ska would catch fire in the 90s thanks to its infusion with punk rock, Hepcat stood atop a sizable, less recognized heap of contemporary bands who strove to authentically recreate that vintage ska sound. And as such, they were adored and admired by Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, who was able to land them on his Epitaph sublabel, Hellcat Records. And following their first Hellcat album, Hepcat ended up on The Warped Tour

But prior to all of that happening, Hepcat released their second album, 1996′s Scientific, on LA punk label Better Youth Organization. Included on that album is a cover of a song called “Where Is Garvey?,” originally recorded by the band that has influenced their sound most greatly: The Skatalites. 

“Where Is Garvey?” is a song that playfully chides at the legendarily polarizing early 20th century civil rights activist who is known for his major influence on the Rastafari movement. Wikipedia gives a small summary of how his legacy has been viewed:

Many in the African diasporic community regarded him as a pretentious demagogue and were highly critical of his collaboration with white supremacists, his violent rhetoric, and his prejudice against mixed-race people and Jews. He nevertheless received praise for encouraging a sense of pride and self-worth among Africans and the African diaspora amid widespread poverty, discrimination, and colonialism. He is seen as a national hero in Jamaica, and his ideas exerted a considerable influence on such movements as Rastafari, the Nation of Islam, and the Black Power Movement.

And The Skatalites manage to paint Garvey on both sides with the song’s two opening lines:

Marcus Garvey was a n****r who was born in Jamaica Marcus Garvey was a hero who was born in Jamaica

During the chorus, they refer to both the spirit and inspiration that Garvey has invoked, seemingly referring to the split of opinion between Rastas and non-Rastas:

Some say Garvey dead-o, some say him no dead-o Some say they know him, some say they don't know him

What Hepcat did with their cover is bring this fun 60s song to a brand new 90s audience, honoring the original version in a lot of ways, but also inserting some noticeable differences. For one, the audio quality of Hepcat’s version is far superior to that of The Skatalites’. Hepcat’s recording is also a bit slower and it has some backing vocal harmonies that The Skatalites’ version doesn’t have at all. The Skatalites’ version also has two solos, one from a sax and the other from a trumpet, whereas Hepcat’s version has a single sax solo, which is much cooler and smoother compared to the jumpiness of the Skatalites’ sax solo. And the last noticeable difference, besides a word or two in the lyrics, is that Hepcat’s percussion is a bit more advanced, featuring rattling cymbals where The Skatalites’ version doesn’t. 

That might look like a long list of differences, but it’s really not when you play the two songs alongside each other. Hepcat do a great job of re-creating and bringing back a great 60s ska track, managing to match it note-for-note throughout a majority of the song.

A fun ska revival cover tune by probably the best ska revival band from the third wave.

[ucflibrary]

In the inaugural entry to Weekend Watching, I discussed director Frederick Wiseman, who makes intimate documentaries that tend to focus on small or otherwise insular communities and the institutions within which they exist. But whereas Wiseman focuses on the micro, without the benefit of commentary or talking-head interviews, documentarian Ken Burns interviews many experts to focus on the macro; on the iconic events, institutions, and mythology that shaped this nation. For July 4th weekend, we’ll take a look at a couple of the latter’s movies.

~

Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991)

I recently saw a meme that said something to the effect of only people of a certain age are old enough to remember that if you missed a show on TV, you basically missed it forever. Our reliance on and preference for on-demand programming comes into ever more stark relief in this time of self-isolation that we forget it was not so long ago that appointment viewing was the norm. Fewer people still remember that once upon a time appointment viewing wasn't even an option, but instead appointment listening, that the giant box the family gathered around in the living room only produced sound and not image.

Empire of the Air focuses on the radio rivalry between three men: inventor Lee de Forest, inventor and engineer Edwin Howard Armstrong, and businessman David Sarnoff. At least from the scientific side of it, Armstrong appeared to be the clear genius. He made several discoveries, including the concepts behind regeneration (which greatly improved amplification), and developing both the superheterodyne (to increase the sensitivity of receivers) and frequency modulation, or FM (which helped eliminate static).

Sarnoff was at first close friends and colleagues with Armstrong. But when business and science collide (Sarnoff was RCA president and founder of NBC), business always wins. Lee de Forest also had legal run-ins with Armstrong and though the former declared himself the "Father of Radio" and later the "Grandfather of Television," many contemporaries and historians alike claim that, despite some real vision, his greatest successes are merely stolen discoveries, particularly at the expense of his chief rival.

As one talking head in the movie claims, radio's heyday was relatively short-lived, particularly after the arrival of the television, spearheaded by none other than David Sarnoff himself. But for that brief time, it was as important in the development of mass communication as any other of its kind. "Broadcasting" wasn't even a term until that point and by 1924, one-third of all furniture purchases in the country were for radios. FDR's Fireside Chats galvanized the country and allayed fears that were bookended by the Great Depression and World War II.

I don't remember the last time I actually listened to traditional radio. But the next time we talk about 5G or complain that our wifi is down, remember that it all started about a century ago when three Americans took Marconi’s invention that was a means of one-to-one communication and brought it to the masses.

Empire of Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991) is available through Alexander Street Press.

~

Jazz: Episode 1 - “Gumbo” (2001)

It might be a good time to talk about Burns' filmmaking techniques. By the time he directed 2001's Jazz, Burns had already codified his style into a signature, both in several standalone features, but also in these epic mini-series, such as Civil War and Baseball. Given that his subjects are often of great historical importance, he has a lot of archival materials at his disposal and the chief medium he uses is the photograph. He has an elegant way of slowly zooming or panning across photographs of his subjects, effectively bringing them to life while actors narrate over them, usually with quotes either about or by the subjects themselves. The camera movement over the photographs have become so synonymous with the director that anyone with an iPhone might recognize the “Ken Burns Effect” feature as an option when creating a slideshow of their own pictures.

The first of this 9-episode behemoth is called "Gumbo," an apt metaphor made by Wynton Marsalis in one of his many appearances in this series for the stew of influences that came together in New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century. Many of the interviewees in this episode also connect the improvisational nature and melting pot features of jazz to the country that made it one of its defining art forms. It's a music that values individual expression but demands selfless collaboration. It has a rich tradition, but each performance is brand new. It was born out of the classically trained Creole's technical proficiency and the blues-inflected sound coming out of the Baptist church of southern Blacks.

Together--several of which are available through the UCF library—Burns' documentaries weave an intricate tapestry of art, politics, nature, commerce, and science upon which this country sits. Our grandness and exceptionalism, as well as our weaknesses and demons, are all there to be revisited, all there to remind ourselves what we were, what we are, and what we could be. But I'll leave it again for Marsalis, as at the end of this first episode he so succinctly puts it:

Since jazz music is at the center of the American mythology, it necessarily deals with race. The more we run from it, the more we run into it. It's an age-old story, and if it's not race, it's something else. But in this particular instance, in this nation, it is race.

Jazz: Episode 1 - “Gumbo” (2001) is available through Alexander Street Press.