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fanfic-me-up · 4 years

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One For The Books || Midoriya Izuku

Synopsis: Kissing you in the middle of a bookstore was worth being late to his own party.

Pairing: Midoriya Izuku x fem!reader

Word Count: 3k

Warnings: None

A/N: This is for @bnhabookclub Celebrating Deku event and bingo event! Prompt: “Kiss me, quick. I promise I’ll explain later.” Bingo Slot: Bookshop AU Thank you @hawks-senseis @todoscript for beta reading! Tagging: @pixxiesdust

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Izuku stumbled into the bookstore by happenstance.

The breeze was particularly strong that day, coming in from the east, and Izuku is naturally attracted to the scent of wilted parchment. The voices of the great authors from before entice him to take a peek into the homely shop. The size and location suggests it’s a family owned business, a hidden gem amongst a sea of overly flashy boutiques. It is the definition of grassroots and Izuku loves patronizing these types of down to earth businesses.

Izuku’s been an avid reader his whole life. He believes everybody has a story to tell and every story is worth being read.

The bell jingles upon opening the door and the place, though small in size, reminds Izuku of a never ending abyss filled to the brim with an infinite amount of stories. He can't wait to dig his fingers into the pages of each and every one of them. He already feels a sense of home with the purposefully decorative clutter - wooden knick-knacks and potted plants mixed with soft acoustic music playing in the background gives the place charm.

He greets the clerk who smiles politely, greeting him by his hero name. Izuku doesn’t know if he’ll ever get used to being treated as a hero. The fame and fortune never appealed to him, preferring a simple life where he’s free to be himself without the weight of expectation. He feels bad for thinking this, and hasn’t told anyone because he doesn’t want to appear ungrateful. Please don’t misunderstand, he loves being a hero and saving those in need, but sometimes he needs to get away.

Izuku peruses the numerous aisles, his finger grazing the spines of books waiting to be opened, when he freezes right smack in the middle of the aisle. You’re tucked in the corner with a book in hand, he can’t make out the title no matter how hard he squints. Izuku feels a bit creepy staring at you from the thin opening of the bookshelf, and you must’ve felt someone staring at you because you look up and meet his eyes causing him to whip his head. A flush creeps along the apples of his cheeks from being caught by you. Despite his embarrassment, Izuku chances a glance back up and he breathes a sigh of relief when your eyes have returned to your book. He doesn’t miss the fond smile gracing your lips now.

And that’s how a bookstore that’s two cities away became Izuku’s home away from home.

He tries to convince himself that he’s only going for the books, but he’s such a terrible liar that he can’t even lie to himself. It sounds ridiculous when he’s been on the train already for an hour, alone, on his birthday. He managed to escape for a few hours, finding time to catch a glimpse of you in between birthday traditions with his mother and hanging out with friends later tonight.

His heart skips at the thought of seeing you tucked in the same corner, a book in one hand and your usual coffee in the other. You dog-ear the pages instead of using a bookmark, and you gasp when you find a quote worth remembering. You dare not take your eyes off the page, like you’re afraid you’ll never feel the same magic you felt when you first read the passage. Izuku always smiles when he sees you have trouble finding your highlighter, feeling your way around the table even though it’s in the same position you always leave it.

He’s talked to you a couple times, if you could call it talking, it’s more like you ask him a simple yes or no question and Izuku proceeds to blubber like an idiot for the next five minutes; your face adorned with a small smile as you wait for him to string words together that make sense. He appreciates your patience. It’s rare to find that kind of patience anymore.

He also appreciates how you don’t openly acknowledge his hero status. Seems like everyone wants something from him nowadays. It’s hard to make friends outside of the hero industry. A part of him wishes to return to the quiet stability, back when he was just Izuku. Maybe that’s why he finds himself constantly coming back to this bookstore, because this is the one place he feels like nobody's watching him and you’re the one person who makes Izuku feel like he doesn’t need to be anything more than himself.

His stomach drops when he takes in the vacant corner. He hoped to catch you today before his party, perhaps he would’ve finally gathered the courage to actually talk to you. This wasn’t how he pictured today would go, but he figures he traveled all this way so he picks up a couple books anyway (a couple to Izuku means a pile that looks ready to tip over) and plops down in his usual spot across from you.

He barely gets through the first paragraph when the bell jingles, signaling a new customer, and you rush in breathless. The few people roaming the aisles turn their heads, including Izuku, and you look picturesque standing in front of the wide-open door, your hair swaying in the wind. Your eyes scan the bookstore, stopping at Izuku, and you walk briskly towards him. Wait, no, that can’t be right, but Izuku feels dumb glancing behind his shoulder because he’s sitting against a wall.

Izuku feels the breath rush out of him in one swoop.

“Kiss me, quick. I promise I’ll explain later!”

Izuku chokes.

“Huh? I- I’m sor-sorry- di-did you- you just- kiss- uhm, I’m sorry, what?”

Izuku misheard that, right? There’s no way… Yeah, he had to have misheard that. His mind tricking him into what he wants to hear. Strangers don’t normally ask other strangers to kiss. Unless it was New Year’s, but it’s the middle of July, so that can’t be right.

You bite your lip, and it’s the first sign of hesitancy you show since making your grand entrance.

“It’s stupid, I’m sorry, you’re right, it’s not New Year’s-”

You heard that?

Sweat prickles the back of his neck at being caught so openly. He’s always had a habit of thinking out loud, and it manages to happen at the worst times.

“I’m just gonna go now, oh god, I’m so embarrassed, pretend you never-”

Izuku never gets to listen to the end because he jumps from his seat and pulls you in. You gasp, the same way you do when you come across a melodic phrase on a page, when his lips touch yours. You’re frozen in place, eyes wide, like you didn’t expect the kiss despite being the one to ask. Izuku has only kissed a few girls, enough to count on one hand, but he gives it everything he’s got.

He traces your bottom lip, asking for permission like the gentleman his mother raised him to be, and he barely holds back a smile when you gain your bearings and shyly open up for him. He can tell from the way you kiss that you don’t normally ask random guys to kiss you in bookstores, and Izuku’s relieved at not being the only one feeling a little awkward about this whole situation.

Izuku explores the inside of your mouth, shyly meeting your tongue, and he feels you wrap your arms around his neck, playing with the small curls at the nape of his neck. Izuku doesn’t know how long the kiss lasts for, but long enough to feel like he might pass out if he doesn’t take a breath. He doesn’t completely pull away though - he makes it halfway, only to take a small gasp of air, before he goes back in to peck you one more time, trying to remember how your lips taste in case this is the first and last time he kisses you.

What is he saying? Of course this is going to be the last time he kisses you. You’re a stranger- a beautiful stranger- but a stranger no less. He doesn’t even know your name! He probably should’ve asked for your name before he stuck his tongue in your mouth. Maybe he’s not much of a gentleman after all.

You open your eyes slowly, still hazy from the kiss. Your fingers are still entangled in his hair, and Izuku doesn’t want to let go of you, but you’re both coming down from the high of kissing one another. You detangle yourselves, stepping back an appropriate distance. There’s a fair amount of quick glances and awkward silence before you both speak up at the same time.

“I don’t normally-” you say.

“S-sorry if that wasn’t-” Izuku says.

Both of you stop at the same time too, laughing off the awkwardness. Izuku rocks on the balls of his feet, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. You glance around, unable to stay in place, until you set your sights on the towering books in Izuku’s corner. Your eyes sparkle as you bounce over to pick up the current book he’s reading.

“I love The War Within!”

“Y-you do?”

The War Within is one of Izuku’s favorite books. His mother would read it to him all the time as a child.

“Of course! My childhood is in these pages,” you say as if you can read Izuku’s mind.

You flip through, careful not to lose where Izuku left off even though he’s still on the first page.

“This story seriously doesn’t get enough love,” you comment after giggling at a passage from the book.

Izuku couldn’t agree more, and the flutter of excitement swirls through him. He finally found someone he can discuss his favorite book with. Although a fantastic book, it’s terribly underrated and anyone he’s mentioned it to looks at him like he has two heads when he gets carried away talking about it, but not you.

“I couldn’t agree more! The struggle between following your head and following your heart is timeless and the author writes it in such a wonderful way, accessible to a younger audience. Everyone comes to that crossroad between choosing to do what is socially expected and going after what you personally want. I can’t believe more people haven’t read this book and-”

Izuku abruptly shuts up, biting his tongue when he realizes he’s rambling yet again to someone about his favorite book. He’s always been a smart kid, but it wasn’t until later in life when he fully grasped the depth of the message. He’s never related more to the protagonist than right now.

You’re not looking at him strangely like everyone else. Instead, your face is adorned with that same soft smile Izuku saw the first time he laid eyes on you.

“What’s the famous quote at the end again?” You skip to the end, eyes scanning for the passage Izuku already knows by heart. He answers your question in earnest at the same time you find the passage. You speak together for the second time today, words flowing in unison.

“To win a war within one’s self is the greatest victory of all.”

You lock eyes at the end. Izuku feels electric, adrenaline coursing through his veins, the same feeling as when he uses One for All. How did he get so lucky to bump into you that fateful day? The chances of Izuku choosing to get off the train when he did and stepping foot into the bookstore was slim to none, and for you to be here when he did…

What he would give to kiss you one more time.

The conversation dies, both of you too caught up in one another to say a word. All is left is the occasional murmur from other patrons and the soft music playing in the background. Izuku opens his mouth as do you, like you’re riding the same wavelength.

“I never got your-”

“Happy birthday!” You blurt, effectively cutting Izuku off.

He’s taken aback. He didn’t expect you to know today was his birthday. You never showed any sign that you knew of him, let alone take the time to look up his birthday.

Oh god. What else did you find about him? The internet is scary and there are plenty of not so pleasant articles about him from media outlets looking to cause a stir.

“Oh- ahem- I, um, heh…” He awkwardly trails off, a simple “thanks” unreachable to Izuku’s poor stuttering heart beating in double time.

He sincerely hopes only good things came up when you searched his name.

“Thank you,” he says, bowing his head slightly to hide the flush on his face.

Neither of you have a chance to continue the conversation when Izuku’s phone pings and he receives a text message from Uraraka that he better not be late to his own party again. Izuku glances at the time, eyes widening; he has to leave in the next five minutes if he wants to make the train home.

“I have to go.”

You glance down like you’re unsure of yourself, until you take a deep breath and face Izuku head on with fierce determination; the same look of a hero about to make a life or death choice.

“I wanted to kiss you.”

Izuku steps back. Not with distaste, but with admiration for your honesty.

“There’s really nothing else to it. I like you, and you probably get that a lot, and I know it’s crazy to say that when this is the first time we’ve had an actual conversation, but.. I thought I’d take my shot because, well, why not?”

You chance a glance up at Izuku who’s staring at you in awe. You shuffle under his intense stare, like you don’t know what to make of his silence after your confession.

Izuku will admit that even he didn’t think he’d have the courage to confess his attraction to a complete stranger; yet here you were in the middle of a public bookstore, putting yourself out there, and opening yourself up to the possibility of rejection.

Or opening yourself up to the chance of a lifetime.

Izuku’s terrified of the strong woman in front of him - and not because he feels his masculinity threatened, but because he knows you’ll push him out of his comfort zone in ways he needs most.

“What’s your name?”

Your eyes flash like you didn’t expect that in the least, but you give him your name like he asks.

“Do you wanna grab coffee sometime, Y/N?”

“Like a date?”

Izuku nods and your eyes widen before shyly replying, “I’d love to.”

He laughs awkwardly, feeling like he missed a step. Don’t people usually start out as friends, go on a couple dates, and then kiss? This happened out of order, and not the way Izuku ever expected an exchange with you would go, but for some reason it feels right.

Izuku counts it as a win when he saves your number and can finally attach your name. He has one more question before he takes off though.

“What if I didn’t want to kiss you? What would you have done then?”

You bite your lip in thought, looking around at the endless tales waiting to be read, before smiling at Izuku.

“It’d be a great story either way. One for the books.”

Izuku finds the way you giggle at your own puns absolutely adorable.

He bids you goodbye with an awkward handshake turned hug- he went for a handshake while you went for a hug. Izuku makes it to the door, ready to leave, but for some reason he stops. His body takes over, shutting off his mind screaming what a terrible idea this is, before turning back around. This time, he’s the one to walk towards you with purpose, with intent to open himself up like you did. You inspired him to risk it all for a single moment, and even though it may be the worst decision he makes.

There’s a chance it will be the best decision of his life.

Your small gasp is music to Izuku’s ears, a song he wants on repeat for the rest of his life, as he pulls you in once more. The moment your lips touch, Izuku can’t help the small sigh to escape him, because the risk is totally worth any rejection that may follow. You wrap your arms around his neck, like your body was made to fit perfectly in his, and you run your fingers through his curls. The kiss is rushed, but not sloppy, like you can’t get enough of each other because you both have no idea what tomorrow brings. It’s over too soon for Izuku’s liking, but he enjoys how a single kiss was able to leave you breathless. A tinge of heat graces your cheeks and your kiss-bitten lips are proof that Izuku didn’t make this up in his head.

“S-so coffee next week?” Izuku steps back, running a nervous hand through his hair.

You smile with that same sparkle glittering your eyes.

“Sounds great. Happy birthday, Izuku.”

Izuku’s breath catches at the sound of his first name caressing your tongue. He bids you goodbye for good this time before taking his leave. The clerk winks at Izuku who flushes, ducking his head down, but the beginnings of a fond smile grace his own lips.

Kissing you was definitely worth being late to his own party.

#midoriya x reader #midoriya izuku #midoriya izuku x reader #bnha x reader #midoriya fluff #mha x reader #izuku midoriya x reader #bnha #mha #bnha imagines #bnha fluff #midoriya imagine

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bookswritinghappiness · 4 years

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Title: Shiny Broken Pieces • Series: Tiny Pretty Things (#2) Authors: Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton • Number of Pages: 384 • Rating: 4/5 Published: July 12, 2016 • Read: February 26, 2021 - March 16, 2021

Content Warnings: eating disorder, self-harm, suicide, blood, vomit, adult/minor relationship, racism

Goodreads Synopsis: June, Bette, and Gigi have given their all to dance at Manhattan’s most elite ballet school. Now they are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company. With the stakes higher than ever, these girls have everything to lose…and no one is playing nice. Ever since June landed the starring role in last year’s performance, she can finally see herself as a prima ballerina. Being the best means making sacrifices, though, and getting what she wants might cost June everything—including the only boy she’s ever loved. Legacy dancer Bette is determined to clear her name after she was suspended and accused of hurting her rival, Gigi. But even if she returns, will she ever regain the spotlight she craves? Or has she tarnished the treasured family name forever? Gigi endured a year of torment from Bette and other dancers who envied her success. It nearly ended her ballet career—and her life—and Gigi is not going to let them go unpunished. But as revenge consumes her, Gigi may be the one who pays the price. After years of grueling auditions, torn ribbons, and broken hearts, it all comes down to this last dance. Who will make the cut? And who will lose her dream forever?

My Review: After reading the first book and watching the first season of the Netflix series, I just really wanted more of these characters and I really wanted to know what happens next, so I checked the second book out of the library. The book and the show are very different from each other and the show deviates from the book quite a bit, but I’m glad I got to find out what happens in the book’s version of canon.

I remember it took me a little bit to become invested in the story when I was reading the first book, but that definitely wasn’t a problem this time since I was on the edge of my seat with excitement to find out what happens. I do think that Shiny Broken Pieces has a different tone than Tiny Pretty Things did; instead of constant drama and fear, there was a greater sense of maturity and the characters realizing that they’re better than their scheming younger selves. Bette especially had a lovely bit of personal growth and while I hated her in the last book, I was proud of her while reading this one. June grew up a lot too; I think between her book persona and her TV show persona, she’s become one of my favorite characters in this series. Gigi had a bit of a regression into petty territory, but she gets the sense knocked back into her and I felt so proud of her by the end. The best moment was seeing a certain character getting the just desserts she deserved at the very end of the book ; ) After the big reveal midway through the book (which I didn’t even think was real at first - I was expecting another twist later on), the book shifted into more of a subdued victory lap for these characters, which honestly after everything they went through in the last book is what they deserve along with their newfound maturity.

As much as I enjoyed getting the closure I was waiting for, I think that the fact that so many little things happened in this book made the plot feel a little rushed and like not enough attention was paid to the big reveals and events in the plot. Specifically, I don’t think enough weight was put on the big reveal midway through the book and the subsequent effects on the school, as well as on the blatant racism in ballet, though Gigi does talk about it a little. The maturing of a certain character also felt quite rushed and out of nowhere, so I would have liked to see that developed more. I also would have liked to see some kind of retribution for the character who is known for having relationships with students.

Overall, I think Shiny Broken Pieces is a great sequel and ending to these characters’ journeys at the American Ballet Conservatory. I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing more of the Netflix series, which I highly recommend if you haven’t already seen!

Shiny Broken Pieces on Goodreads This Review on Goodreads My Goodreads

Shiny Broken Pieces on StoryGraph This Review on StoryGraph My StoryGraph

Purchase this book from Bookshop using my affiliate link to support indie bookstores while helping me earn a commission at no extra cost to you!!

#original #book reviews #shiny broken pieces #sona charaipotra #dhonielle clayton #tiny pretty things #4 stars

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tsgcharlottesvillevirginia · 4 years

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6 Books for Your Summer Reading List

Summer is upon us and one of the things we most look forward to are slower days that allow for more reading time. Here, we caught up with Sarah Crossland, marketing and communications director at New Dominion Bookshop, for the books on her must-read list, from fiction and non-fiction to a cookbook and collection of poetry— plus a few local writers. So whether you’re lazing poolside of finding a shady spot under a tree, there’s a little something for everyone here.

The Lost Book of Adana Moreau By Michael Zapata “The Lost Book of Adana Moreau is the worthy heir to the best fiction of the early 2000s. If you loved Nicole Krauss’s The History of Love, Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Shadow of the Wind, this is the book for you. Set in both the 1920s and 2005 in New Orleans, the novel swirls around the story of Adana Moreau, a Dominican immigrant and science fiction novelist who dies at a young age and passes into obscurity. In vibrant, mesmerizing prose, Zapata leads us on an adventure into a mystery of the past.”

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy By Jenny Odell “In true form, I have been too busy doing things to actually sit down and read How to Do Nothing, but it is at the top of my list for summer reading! Jenny Odell’s book breaks down the ways in which our attention has been infinitesimally divied up over time, and what we can actually do to recapture the brain space necessary to feel present in our lives again. Odell sees “the attention economy” as political and “doing nothing” as a kind of protest. She offers real-world solutions for a pervasive problem. Plus, have you ever seen a prettier book cover?”

Deacon King Kong By James McBride “I can’t tell you how satisfying it was to open up James McBride’s new novel—his first since his National Book Award winner, The Good Lord Bird—and find a new world just as engrossing and absurd. Set in the late 1960s in a housing project in Brooklyn, Deacon King Kong is full of ghosts and mobsters, sinners and supplicants. McBride’s storytelling is as intricate as a stained glass window. After the shooting that opens the novel, each chapter spirals out with characters so real, it feels like they could be sitting right beside you.”

Pie Squared: Irresistibly Easy Sweet & Savory Slab Pies By Cathy Barrow “Every month this year, I’ve been making a new slab pie from Cathy Barrow’s innovative cookbook Pie Squared. What is a slab pie, you ask? It’s basically regular pie’s cooler, sloppier cousin, baked in a standard 9x13 sheet pan. The recipes are forgiving and insanely delicious. One of my favorites, the Cheesy Cauliflower Rarebit Slab Pie, uses a toasty rye crust. Another, the Ham and Gruyere Slab Pie, is out of this world if you fill it with Edwards Virginia ham. Cathy Barrow’s recipes have definitely been one of the highlights of my year!”

Half By Sharon Harrigan “Sharon Harrigan’s debut novel, Half, has a fascinating conceit: it’s the story of identical twin girls, told through their collective perspective, as they look back on their lives from the vantage point of their father’s funeral. Author Porter Shreve has called it “a high-wire act of a novel” and author Bonnie Jo Campbell writes that it is “mesmerizing, a bright and inventive novel like no other.” Harrigan lives here in Charlottesville, and New Dominion Bookshop is partnering with local nonprofit WriterHouse for a virtual event with her this July. More details here!”

White Blood By Kiki Petrosino “Even if you don’t normally read poetry, Kiki Petrosino’s poetry collection White Blood should be on your reading list this summer. Petrosino graduated from the University of Virginia, and her deft, pulse-quickening poems examine our landscape, history, and university through her experiences as a Black, feminist woman. In one poem about the enslaved people who lived, worked, and died at Monticello, Petrosino writes, “I live in language / on land they left.” These are haunting poems that you will come back to again and again.”

To order books through New Dominion Bookshop, please send your order as an email to [email protected] or call the shop at 434-295-2552 during business hours (M-F: 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Sat: 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM, Sun: Closed). The shop is currently offering curbside pickup, contactless home delivery (within 5 miles of the shop), and shipping (normal rates apply). Shop local and support your community bookstore!

#TheScoutGuideCharlottesville #scouted #livelovelocal #summerreading #shoplocal

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allthingslinguistic · 7 years

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All Things Linguistic - 2017 Highlights

In 2017, podcasting turned from a fun new experiment into a real, self-sustaining project, I checked off half of the American states on my have-visited list thanks to conference rotation (lifetime, not just in this year), and I got my book way closer to being a real thing you’ll get to see soon.

Lingthusiasm podcast

My podcast with Lauren Gawne, which launched towards the end of 2016, had a full year of episodes, a sold-out liveshow at Argo Bookshop in Montreal and reached over 100k listens!

4. Inside the Word of the Year vote 5. Colour words around the world and inside your brain 6. All the sounds in all the languages – the International Phonetic Alphabet 7. Kids these days aren’t ruining language 8. People who make dictionaries: Review of Kory Stamper’s book Word by Word 9. The bridge between words and sentences — Constituency 10. Learning languages linguistically 11. Layers of meaning — Cooperation, humour, and Gricean Maxims 12. Sounds you can’t hear - Babies, accents, and phonemes 13. What Does it Mean to Sound Black? Intonation and Identity Interview with Nicole Holliday 14. Getting into, up for, and down with prepositions 15. Talking and thinking about time

We also launched a Patreon for the podcast, and released 10 bonus episodes there:

Swearing and pseudo-swears

How to teach yourself linguistics

How to explain linguistics to employers (text chat)

Doggo linguistics behind the scenes

Hypercorrection

Language play

DIY linguistic research

Hark, a liveshow! So, like, what’s up with discourse markers?

Is X a sandwich? Solving the word-meaning argument

Liveshow Q and eh

In addition, we launched some lingthusiastic merch: scarves with a subtly nerdy IPA print on them, stickers with our logo, and various items that say NOT JUDGING YOUR GRAMMAR, JUST ANALYSING IT.

Book

I did a lot of behind the scenes writing on my book about internet language, which will be published by Riverhead at Penguin. All you got to see about it for 2017 was this update about line edits and a few cryptic tweets, but stay very much tuned for more updates about it in 2018!

You can sign up for very occasional email updates about the book here, if you want to make sure you don’t miss it on social media.

Talks, workshops, and teaching

A linguistics museum called Planet Word was announced for Washington DC. I’m on the Advisory Board, and I went to New York City in October for a planning meeting

Internet linguistics at SpaceWitchCon, in the woods of North Carolina

How I Became An Internet Linguist: Princeton linguistics colloquium talk

At the Linguistic Society of America annual meeting in Austin, Texas:

Stumbling into linguistics via blogs and Wikipedia at a panel on Getting High School Students into Linguistics which I co-organized with Moti Lieberman. Panel slides and abstracts.

How people lengthen words on Twitter, co-authored with Jeffrey Lamontagne – slides at bit.ly/longggg.

Judge for the Five Minute Linguist talks

At South by Southwest in March:

Moderated a panel called Word Curation: Dictionaries, Tech and the Future with Erin McKean (Wordnik), Jane Solomon (Dictionary.com), and Ben Zimmer (Wall Street Journal).

Erin, Jane, and I judged an emoji spelling bee organized by Jenny 8 Lee and other people from EmojiCon.

At the LSA institute in Lexington, Kentucky in July, I taught a four-week class on communicating linguistics or LingComm Here’s the class notes as blog posts:

Day 1: Goals

Day 2: Terminology and the explainer structure

Day 3: The Curse of Knowledge and short talks

Day 4: Myth debunking and in-person events

Day 5 & 6: Events, self-promotion, and charades

Day 7 & 8: Pitching and final projects

I also livetweeted the Lingstitute plenary talks:

Using games to measure how people match the conversational styles of their interlocutor

Children should be educated in a language they actually speak: Haitian Creole and linguistic colonialism

Come for the sociolinguistics; stay for the lumbersexuals

Combatting stereotypes about Appalachian English

Expanding historical linguistics beyond standardized print texts and into non-standard varieties

The linguistics of talking to sheepdogs

“Verbal Gestures” often include sounds that aren’t in a language’s words but which are very important for communication

I did lingwiki Wikipedia editathons at the LSA annual meeting, Lingstitute, and the International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation (ICLDC) in Honolulu, Hawaii in March.

Media

I wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post: Herefefe is why it’s toughfefe to say “covfefe”, which was picked up by the Guardian, Longreads, and El Pais (Spanish).

The first episode of Lingthusiasm was also featured in NY Mag’s Science of Us and on #SciFriLive (Science Friday on NPR).

A few articles I was quoted in:

New York Times: on Snapchat and phatic communication, on the communicative function of emoji (Gaymoji) in Grindr, on how we type laughter online.

NPR All Tech Considered: on the linguistic style of doggo, pupper, and the rest of the dog rates/dogspotting meme, on twitter threads (tweetstorms).

NY Magazine: The Internet Tilde Perfectly Conveys Something We Don’t Have the Words to Explain.

CBC Spark: on digital tools revitalizing minority languages

Al Jazeera The Stream: on emoji (watch here)

The World in Words: on “aliebn-speak” or the linguistic style of jomny sun.

Linguistics jobs

I moderated a panel about careers in linguistics at the annual meeting of the Canadian Linguistics Association in Toronto. Linguistics jobs interviews that aired on the blog:

Jane Solomon, lexicographer at Dictionary.com

Project manager at a language learning software company

Project manager a language tech company.

Librarian

Digital humanities librarian

Speech pathology

User experience research

Text analyst

Communications consultant

Quote from Bringing Linguistics to Work

Selected blog posts

I hit my 5-year blogiversary! Here are a few of my favourite posts from 2017:

Roundup posts:

A list of linguistics and language podcasts

A very long list of linguistics movies, documentaries, and TV show episodes

Linguistics Halloween costume roundup

Linguistics merch gift guide

How to teach yourself linguistics online for free

Linguistics handmade things

Schwa cookies!

Gingerbread wugs and IPA

Knitted IPA door handles and a stuffed wug

A wug-tastic addition to the linguistics baked goods files

An embroidered IPA vowel trapezoid with animals

Example sentences:

Two lobsters, a baby octopus, and 21 vodka oyster shots…before running into the sea

The new Buffalo buffalo… sentence is about a fish called Boops boops

Yahoo Answers takes on the type-token distinction

“Amelia Earhart flies, like, a plane.”

Local man fond of linguistic garden path sentences friends to hearing his boring puns Structural ambiguity: Lindsay Lohan and the snake, who calls their cat toxoplasma gondii?, true self control is waiting until the movie starts to eat your popcorn, ultraviolet wine, “You can’t eat a dumpling wearing a tuxedo!”, the sad and lonely man science has left you

Things about languages:

A longread on whistled languages around the world

RIP the inventor of pinyin

A schematic of why the Korean alphabet is so cool

Irish spelling has its own historical logic

The different versions of “I” in Japanese

The middle finger in American Sign Language

Egyptian hieroglyphs in Unicode

How to revive Massachusetts’s first language

The Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights

Deciphering ancient Incan khipu string code

New paint colours invented by neural network

A great visualization of Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics

Clip of someone whistling a sentence in Spanish

The most common speech sounds in languages around the world

The problems with talking about “oldest languages”

Latin, Ancient Greek, and Sanskrit triplets

Playing wax cylinder recordings of Indigenous languages with lasers

The Vocal Fries does an interview about Rez English(es) and indigenous language revitalization

Native American Hand Talkers fight to keep sign language alive

An exercise for teaching about iconicity in ASL for intro linguistics classes

Google Translate adds gender stereotypes when translating from Turkish

Other linguistics:

Gifs and videos about aphasia

Hidden sounds in English that you don’t realize you’re saying

An interview with Alexandra D’Arcy about why “like” is so interesting

Pink Trombone, an interactive simulation of the vocal tract

“Becoming conscious of previously unconscious phenomena is one of the principle joys of linguistic work”

A sentence containing all the vowels in (some dialects of) English

The linguistics of talking backwards

Three interesting articles by Julie Sedivy in Nautilus Magazine, about the role of linguistics in literature and more

“Lexicography moves so slowly that scientists classify it as a solid”

The relationship between gesture and thinking/speaking

A graph of a kid’s first words

Conlang summer camp for high school students

An intro to the field of computational sociolinguistics

Spenser vs Shakespeare: a response to grammar policing

How to tell apart the two “th” sounds in English

Inclusive and exclusive “we”

Phonemes as Pokémon cards and the first conference on Pokémonastics

Deaf babies, when exposed to ASL, start to babble with their hands

“Linguists are interested in your intuitive sense of grammaticality”

How to type IPA on your computer or phone

When does maluma/takete fail? The language’s sound system matters

Sign languages have accents

Why sign language gloves don't help Deaf people

The strange reason deaf children aren’t taught sign language

Internet linguistics:

“lol” as “this is to indicate that this brief text isn’t hostile”

when you accidentally type a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence

Phoenician letters as emoji

How many times people repeat the “u” when saying “fuck” on twitter

Question mark in parentheses (?)

Winnie-the-Pooh used Ironic Capitals

Memes:

“i lik the bred”, a meme of rhyme and Middle English

you: *cough* me, a linguist: aspirated glottal stop

Is your child texting about phonetics?? meme

OK is a fossilized meme

You’ve heard of Elf on the Shelf, now get ready for…phonemes on the memes

Missed out on previous years? Here are the summary posts from 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. If you’d like to get a much shorter monthly highlights newsletter via email, you can sign up for that on my website.

#linguistics #year in review #roundup #2017 #lingblr #links #summary

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cooperhewitt · 6 years

Text

Hokinson

Helen Hokinson, or “Hoky” as her friends called her, contributed nearly 1,800 cartoons and vignettes and 68 cover designs to The New Yorker. Her long-lasting association with the magazine began just a few months after the magazine launched, when a drawing of a round, middle-aged woman standing on the edge of a dock and enthusiastically waving good-bye to a departing ship was published in the July 4, 1925 issue. She had moved to NYC from Chicago in 1920 to pursue a career as a fashion illustrator and completed work for Lord and Taylor, B. Altman and Company, and John Wanamaker. She had also explored her comedic side in a short-lived comic strip that she created with her friend Alice Harvey titled “Sylvia in the Great City” for the New York Daily Mirror. While studying at the School of Fine and Applied Arts (now Parsons), Hokinson’s instructor Howard Giles was shown her drawing of the waving woman and responded with laughter, encouraging her to try submitting such pictures to magazines that featured cartoons.

Hokinson took an anthropological approach to her assignments for The New Yorker, investigating various locations and events in New York City and recording what she observed. Initially her drawings appeared in The New Yorker without captions, but eventually editors started captioning her drawings and making suggestions for situations to draw. In 1931 she met James Reid Parker, a writer for the magazine, and they began a collaboration that lasted for the next eighteen years. Parker convinced Hokinson to focus her efforts on suburban, upper middle class women, and the “Hokinson Woman” was born. This type of woman spent her hours shopping, gardening, and attending club meetings, theatrical performances, flower shows, and pet shows. She was very concerned about club work and civic duties, unafraid of trying new things or being laughed at, and perplexed at times by modern life. Hokinson Women could also be recognized by their distinctive plumpness, perky noses, and tiny feet.

This drawing, published in the November 21, 1936 issue of The New Yorker, features a typical Hokinson Woman seated on a large chair in the middle of a bookshop, asking an attendant, “Haven’t you got a thin best-seller?” The attendant is holding a copy of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, published in 1936. Working with gray wash and an energetic, fluid line, Hokinson portrays the seated woman with the earnestness and fearless sincerity that is characteristic of all Hokinson Women.

Although Hokinson drew attention to her women’s imperfections, she always portrayed them with affection and compassion. While attempting to write a play with Nancy Hamilton, an author of Broadway comedy hits, her reluctance to have her characters laughed at prevented the project from coming to fruition. Hamilton wanted to add dramatic conflict to the play by making one or two of the women catty, and Hokinson cried, “But my women are honest, they’re good, they’re well-meaning!” Although Hokinson was self-effacing and shy, she began to feel as though people were laughing at her women rather than with them and undertook a public appearance crusade to help explain her work and defend the women from being unfairly ridiculed. While en route to one appearance at the opening of a Community Chest Drive in DC, she died in a tragic plane crash. Although her death was a great loss for New Yorker readers everywhere, her legacy lives on, continually inspiring us with her gentle, affectionate sense of humor and enthusiasm for documenting urban life and interpreting the social scene.

[1] Dale Kramer, “Those Hokinson Women,” The Saturday Evening Post, April 7, 1951, 25.

Carey Gibbons is the Cataloguer in the Drawings, Prints & Graphic Design Department at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

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#cooper hewitt #design conversations

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cathygeha · 4 years

Photo

Winner revealed for

UK’s most prestigious crime writing award

Theakston Old Peculier

UBER DRIVER TURNED INTERNATIONAL SENSATION ADRIAN MCKINTY WINS CRIME WRITING’S PREMIERE AWARD FOR HIS ‘LIFE-CHANGING’ THRILLER THE CHAIN

* THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2020 *

harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward.com | #TheakstonAward | @HarrogateFest | Images & further info here

Adrian McKinty, winner of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2020 for The Chain said:

“I am gobsmacked and delighted to win this award. Two years ago, I had given up on writing altogether and was working in a bar and driving an uber, and so to go from that to this is just amazing. People think that you write a book and it will be an immediate bestseller. For twelve books, my experience was quite the opposite, but then I started this one. It was deliberately high concept, deliberately different to everything else I had written - and I was still convinced it wouldn’t go anywhere… but now look at this. It has been completely life changing.”

Harrogate, Thursday 23 July: Belfast born Adrian McKinty has been awarded the UK’s most prestigious accolade in crime writing, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, for his best-selling thriller, The Chain, that sees parents forced to abduct children to save the lives of their own.

This phenomenal success comes after Adrian’s family were evicted from their home, forcing him to put down his pen and find work as an Uber driver and bar tender to make ends meet. Persuaded to give his dream one last go, Adrian began writing what would become his smash hit sensation The Chain, now an international bestseller with move rights snapped up by Universal in a seven figure deal to bring this chilling masterpiece to life on screen.

Described by Don Winslow as ‘nothing short of Jaws for parents’, The Chain was chosen by public vote and the prize Judges, triumphing against a tremendously strong shortlist – including books from Oyinkan Braithwaite, Helen Fitzgerald, Jane Harper, Mick Herron and Abir Mukherjee – at a time when the UK is experiencing a boom in crime fiction, with the genre exploding in popularity during lockdown and sales soaring since bookshops have reopened.

The news was revealed in a virtual awards ceremony on what would have been the opening night of Harrogate’s legendary Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which was cancelled due to the pandemic. Instead, the announcement of this coveted trophy has marked the launch of the HIF Weekender, Harrogate International Festival’s free virtual festival bringing world-class culture to everyone at home, featuring performances and interviews with internationally acclaimed musicians, best-selling authors and innovative thinkers.

Adrian McKinty – who was previously nominated in 2011, 2014 and 2016 for his Sean Duffy series – will now receive £3,000 and an engraved oak beer cask, hand-carved by one of Britain’s last coopers from Theakstons Brewery.

Executive director of T&R Theakston, Simon Theakston, said: “Looking at the titles in contention for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2020, it is clear to see why crime fiction remains the UK’s genre of choice. Adrian McKinty is a writer of astonishing talent and tenacity, and we could not be more grateful that he was persuaded to give his literary career one last shot because The Chain is a truly deserving winner. Whilst we might be awarding this year’s trophy in slightly different, digital circumstances, we raise a virtual glass of Theakston Old Peculier to Adrian’s success – with the hope that we can do so in person before too long, and welcome everyone back to Harrogate next year for a crime writing celebration like no other.”

For further information, please contact Midas PR:

[email protected] | 07971 086649 | [email protected] | 075 8312 7515

About Harrogate International Festivals

Harrogate International Festivals’ is a charitable organisation with a mission to present a diverse year-long programme of live events that bring immersive and moving cultural experiences to as many people as possible. Delivering artistic work of national importance, the Festival curates and produces over 300 unique and surprising performances each year, celebrating world-renowned artists and championing new and up-coming talent across music, literature, science, philosophy and psychology. The HIF+ ongoing education outreach programme engages schools, young people and the local community with workshops, talks, projects and inspiring activities, ensuring everyone can experience the Festival’s world class programme and the transformative power of the arts.

Established in 1966, Harrogate International Festivals are an artistic force to be reckoned with and a key cultural provider for the North of England.

Find out more at:

- Website: www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

- Facebook: @HarrogateInternationalFestivals

- Twitter: @HarrogateFest

- Instagram: @harrogatefestivals

About Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award

Launched in 2005, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award is the most prestigious crime novel prize in the country and is a much-coveted accolade recognising the very best crime writing of the year. Previous winners include Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, Belinda Bauer, Denise Mina, Lee Child, Clare Mackintosh and last year’s champion Steve Cavanagh, who was awarded the trophy for the fifth book in his Eddie Flynn crime thriller series, Thirteen.

The award forms part of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, staged by Harrogate International Festivals in the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate, and is traditionally awarded on the opening evening of the festival.

The 2020 award is run by Harrogate International Festivals in partnership with T&R Theakston Ltd, WHSmith and the Express. It is open to full length crime novels published in paperback from 1 May 2019 to 30 April 2020 by UK and Irish authors.

The longlist of 18 titles was selected by an academy of crime writing authors, agents, editors, reviewers, members of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Programming Committee, and representatives from T&R Theakston Ltd, the Express, and WHSmith, with the shortlist and winner selected the academy, alongside a public vote and the winner receiving £3,000, and a handmade, engraved beer barrel provided by Theakston Old Peculier.

About The Chain by Adrian McKinty (Orion Publishing Group, Orion Fiction)

Adrian McKinty was born and grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the Troubles of the 1970s and 1980s. His father was a boilermaker and ship’s engineer and his mother a secretary. Adrian went to Oxford University on a full scholarship to study philosophy before emigrating to the United States to become a high school English teacher. His books have won the Edgar Award, the Ned Kelly Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award and have been translated into over 20 languages. Adrian is a reviewer and critic for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Irish Times and The Guardian. He lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

YOUR PHONE RINGS. A STRANGER HAS KIDNAPPED YOUR CHILD. TO FREE THEM YOU MUST ABDUCT SOMEONE ELSE’S CHILD. YOUR CHILD WILL BE RELEASED WHEN YOUR VICTIM’S PARENTS KIDNAP ANOTHER CHILD. IF ANY OF THESE THINGS DON’T HAPPEN: YOUR CHILD WILL BE KILLED. VICTIM. SURVIVOR. ABDUCTOR. CRIMINAL. YOU WILL BECOME EACH ONE. YOU ARE NOW PART OF THE CHAIN.

‘You have never read anything quite like The Chain and you will never be able to forget it. Brilliant. Beautifully written. A masterpiece of tension. It scared the hell out of me but I could not put it down! The Chain belongs in the elite company of world-class thrillers like Gone Girl and The Silence of the Lambs. This is nothing short of Jaws for parents’ - Don Winslow

‘A masterpiece. The Chain is one of the finest novels ever produced in the genre - up there with Marathon Man and Red Dragon. It just doesn’t get any better than this. I may not read a better thriller in my lifetime’ - Steve Cavanagh

'McKinty is one of the most striking and most memorable crime voices to emerge on the scene in years. His plots tempt you to read at top speed, but don’t give in: this writing – sharply observant, intelligent and shot through with black humor – should be savored’ - Tana French

'The Chain is diabolical, unnerving, and gives a whole new meaning to the word 'relentless.’ McKinty just leapt to the top of my list of must-read suspense novelists. He writes with confidence, heart, and style to spare. He’s the real deal’ - Dennis Lehane

#THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2020 #harrogatetheakstoncrimeaward #TheakstonAward #HarrogateFest #Adrian McKinty #The Chain #Orion Publishing Group Orion Fictio #Midas PR

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laurendzim · 5 years

Text

Hex Publishers, Denver’s horror and sci-fi house, brings an end to its grand, national experiment

Joshua Viola has good reason to be excited for Denver Pop Culture Con this weekend.

“I sold more books there than I ever thought I would,” the 36-year-old said of the convention formerly known as Denver Comic Con. “We sold out of everything we brought last year and left the show early.”

Viola, the founder of Denver-based Hex Publishers, and author Warren Hammond have a new sci-fi book to push — “Denver Moon: The Saint of Mars,” a noir-ish, co-authored sequel to 2017’s “Denver Moon: The Minds of Mars” — and plenty of anthologies, graphic novels, young-adult books, soundtracks, T-shirts and other Hex product to sell.

Kevin Mohatt, Special to The Denver Post

Warren Hammond, left, and Joshua Viola stand before a wall of movie props and memorabilia Viola has collected over the years at his house in Westminster on Monday, May 20, 2019.

But despite his success over the last five years, Viola is using the May 31-June 2 convention to bring an end to Hex. Mostly, anyway.

“It’s been very hard trying to balance my time and my personal life over the last couple years, so that’s why I’m slowing down,” said Viola, whose day job revolves around Frontière Natural Meats, a growing north Denver business he runs with father, James, and brother Cody. “Hex developed a following of people who know our stuff, and it’s rewarding when we have them come back for more. But I’ve never been doing it for money. It certainly didn’t pay for what we’re sitting in here.”

Viola is referring to his $2.1 million, custom-built house in a luxury development just west of Interstate 25 in Westminster. The upper levels are contemporary chic, with wood and metal sculptures, minimalist furnishings and work/sleep spaces. The basement is where Viola plays, with a home movie theater, vintage video-game arcade, artist studio, wine room and bar — all decorated with an enviable array of movie, video game and comic-book memorabilia.

“I love it, but I’ll sell it in five years or so,” he said as he poured beers for himself and author Hammond from one of the basement taps. “This is a ridiculous amount of space.”

With a converted vintage-Camaro pool table in the garage and a literal, two-story bridge connecting the main house to the guest quarters, Viola has his playboy affectations. But Hammond, the author of the “KOP” sci-fi series (which won a Colorado Book Award in 2013) and the novel “Tides of Maritinia,” wouldn’t be working with a playboy.

Kevin Mohatt, Special to The Denver Post

Josh Viola’s arcade room is pictured at his house in Westminster on Wednesday, May 22, 2019. Viola had the space custom built to fit a wide range of retro arcade machines, including driving games and pinball.

“I tend to blow off most of the people who approach me in the local scene because I don’t really know them,” Hammond, 50, said. “But there are a few things that set Josh apart, and the first one is that he pays.”

Viola has invested more than $100,000 of his own money into Hex over the years, from clever marketing such as PlayStation 4 dynamic themes (yielding 30,000 paid downloads) to just-plain-fun events, such as a screening of “Total Recall” and a bespoke, themed beer release at the Alamo Drafthouse (to promote the first Denver Moon novel). He’s sold about 30,000 total copies of Hex’s 20 releases — not including two locally sourced, nationally marketed kids books under his Jam Publishers imprint, or Hex’s online zine, WORDS, which has published short stories, interviews and movie reviews.

Hex has never held an open submission process for any of its works. That means sourcing short stories, novels, art, music and design from a smaller pool of established — and definitely more expensive — creative types. But that’s OK, Hex’s contributors have learned over the last five years, because Viola pays everyone on time. Lately, he’s been paying about twice the genre-fiction industry’s standard rate of 6 cents per word. Viola shells out 10 cents per word.

“I had no idea our first big anthology (‘Nightmares Unhinged’) would be mostly local writers,” Viola said. “Most of what you read is garbage, and I was planning on national contributors for that. But it ended up being only two nonlocal writers, and I have to give Dean Wyant credit for that.”

Wyant, the acquisitions editor and co-founder of Hex, connected Viola to a deep network of local authors and booksellers. That led Viola to working with Hammond, Jason Heller, Mario Acevedo, Angie Hodapp, Stephen Graham Jones and other national-quality talents hidden among the stacks of Denver’s bookshops and literary groups.

Through Hex’s anthologies such as “Nightmares Unhinged” and “Cyber World,” graphic novels and even the odd cyberpunk soundtrack, Viola has made a strong argument that Hex is more just than a vanity project — despite the fact that everything on the imprint reflects his personal tastes.

“People talk about genre tropes like they’re bad things,” he said, shaking his head. “And we just embrace the hell out of them.”

Photos by Kevin Mohatt, Special to The Denver Post

From left: A dragon replica, A model of The Joker from Batman, a replica of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Michelangelo and a replica of Abe Sapien from the movie Hell Boy are all on display at Josh Viola’s Westminster home on May 22, 2019.

People have taken notice. “Nightmares Unhinged” was licensed by AMC for promotional use in “Fear The Walking Dead” Season 2. “Cyber World,” “Blood Business” and “Denver Moon: The Minds of Mars” were all nominated for Colorado Book Awards while topping local best-seller charts. “Metamorphosis,” a gorgeous comic drawn by Hex’s shy-yet-vital visual force, Aaron Lovett, made the 2018 Bram Stoker Award preliminaries for superior achievement in a graphic novel. And there’s the aforementioned custom beer — Red Fever, by Black Shirt Brewing — which was produced for the first Denver Moon novel.

“Having done four books with major publishers, I can say Josh has done more to promote ‘Denver Moon’ than all four of those together, by a larger margin,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to quit my day job (as a network engineering instructor), and I don’t want to dog my other publishers, but Josh brings a certain passion to everything he does. It’s allowed me to do some things publishers aren’t really doing anymore these days.”

Your guide to Denver Pop Culture Con 2019: What to do, see, wear and avoid

First look at Breckenridge’s 2019 Denver Pop Culture Con beer glassware

DiNK 2019: Denver’s indie comics expo puts trailblazers in perspective

That includes the latest Denver Moon book’s July 20 signing at the Tattered Cover, and appearances at Denver Pop Culture Con or Denver Indie Comics & Art Expo (DiNK), among other fan and industry events. Viola suspects he’ll keep the Hex flame burning for years to come, even if his new, co-authored novel with Hammond is Hex’s last major promotional push.

“We’ve still got Jeanne Stein’s 10th novel in the Anna Strong series coming out later this year. We were also hired by the Colorado Festival of Horror to do an anthology for their con coming out in the fall of 2020,” he said of the new event, which was hatched by the minds behind StarFest, HorrorFest and DiNK. “That’ll be exclusive to that con, and the theme is ’80s horror drive-ins, which is right up my alley.”

As colorful, surprising and winding as that alley has been for Viola, it’s always been his space. The perfectionist artifacts he’s left along the way were always for him, even if other people enjoyed them, too.

“When you don’t have something you want out in the world, you start to create it to fill that void,” he said. “That’s what Hex is for me. When your nutrition’s not good, you start eating it because your body demands it. I want people to enjoy and respect what I’m doing with it, but ultimately, I’m creating something that I crave.”

from News And Updates https://www.denverpost.com/2019/05/29/hex-publishers-josh-viola-denver-moon/

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travelita · 4 years

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Interview Jen Nilsson

1. Okay, Miss Jen, what was the specific incident that got you to this interview?

The specific instance was Feb. 14, 2018, Valentine’s Day or, as I think of it, diagnosis day. The day that my partner was diagnosed with cancer. He was 40 years old when he was diagnosed and 40 years old when he died not even four months later.

I. Changed. Everything.

I quit my job and took off for London with a one-way ticket, thinking it would be a four-month trip to rest and grieve. I stayed out there for 18 months of wandering through Europe and Asia, coming home only after I walked 500 miles across Spain on the Camino de Santiago where I found some form of peace on the trail.

2. What has earned you the right to be an authority on this topic?

I used to believe I needed a partner to travel. I dreamed of seeing the world, but I always pictured a man beside me, sipping rosé in a Parisian café or learning to surf in Bali.

When Jeff died, I realized that life is too short to wait to follow your dreams. He wanted to travel but made it to Europe just once. I know it was a great trip because I followed in his footsteps as part of my own travels, but he wanted to see so much more, and he just didn’t get the chance.

As he was dying, I promised him that I wouldn’t waste a single day that I am gifted. No more working jobs that suck the soul out of me; no more delaying my dream to see the world; no more postponing my goal to be a writer and an author. Life is too short.

Honestly, that promise was more to me than to him. Jeff was someone who always lived life to the fullest. It’s one of the many lessons that he taught me.

3. What is your brand, your topic exactly about?

My mission is to inspire people to follow their dreams, whatever those dreams may be, and to follow them now. I encourage would-be solo travelers to make that first trip and would-be entrepreneurs to take that first step.

I also remind single people that it’s OK to be single. This is developing into a major platform for me as I am finding this whole group in the world that feels stigmatized and ostracized at times. Like there is something wrong with them because they are single.

I believe it’s far more important to be in a healthy and happy relationship that takes longer to find than it is to be in an “OK” relationship that came about at the right time.

It’s important to seek more from life. To travel deeper, live sweeter, and seek more. Unapologetically.

My motto is: Solo, Sustainable, Seeking. My hashtag is: #WanderWithLove

4. Why is it important?

We so often postpone our dreams until “the time is right” when we do not know if time is on our side. My partner was a robust, 40-year-old, six-foot-three-inch source of laughter and love. Cancer took him in less than four months from his diagnosis. You just never know. The time is right to follow your dreams right now.

5. Now that I know what it is, now that I know why it’s important and relevant, how are you implementing this on your travels? I mean like, is there a process, that you follow when traveling?

When I travel, I now seek to push myself outside of my comfort zone. This started by following in Jeff’s footsteps, tracing his itinerary from his dream trip and what turned out to be his literal trip of a lifetime. I loved experiencing new things and seeing the world in a new way.

Jeff loved festivals, so I started going to festivals and concerts, sometimes solo. Jeff loved to swim, so I took scuba diving lessons (though this turned out to be an epic failure and I am now a scuba-school dropout).

The “old me” would never have considered a pilgrimage across Spain. I had never walked or hiked more than eight miles! But I strapped on a backpack and walked 500 miles on the Camino de Santiago.

I love pushing my own boundaries when I travel. I see so much more of the world and of myself this way.

My process? The key is to say “yes’ to at least one thing that would be a “no” in the “real world” back home. Some quick tips for traveling deeper:

Try slow travel. Stay in one place longer rather than seeing as many cities as possible on a trip.

Stay in a neighborhood rather than in the center of the action and check out the local pub. The bartender always knows the goings-on in the neighborhood.

Check out a local event: a book reading, live music, poetry slam, etc. Find these events on community boards in coffee houses, bookshops, or the local pub.

Learn to shop at the local market from a food tour. I find these on Airbnb Experiences.

Shop for food at the local market and cook at least one meal this way.

Look for offbeat stuff on Atlas Obscura.

See the sunrise at least once (either by staying up too late or getting up very early…both count!)

That’s just a few but there are many ways to get beyond the tourist attraction and travel deeper.

6. What if people took advantage of your tips and steps you are providing? What will happen, how will their travels change?

Life-changing moments seem to exist outside of the comfort zone. That’s why our lives are so defined by our travel experiences. We went somewhere new, saw something new, and became someone new.

7. Now we would like to get just some general information about you and your travels:

– When did you start traveling?

July of 2018

– Do you remember how you felt when you traveled alone for the first time?

Terrified. I was heavy with grief and burdened with a bag that was far too large. But the fog started to clear on that first early morning walk through London. I seemed to get lighter with every step of my travels. (And now I’ve spent 35 days with nothing but a day bag on my back!)

– How did you, or do you deal with fears?

Most of the time, I just push through them. I say “yes,” close my eyes and plunge. It is important to acknowledge those times, though, when pushing beyond your comfort zone has reached a point of pure discomfort. I just couldn’t enjoy being underwater, so I dropped out of my scuba-diving certification. I’m glad I tried it. But I’m at peace with my decision to walk away from it because, for me, it was all fear and no fun.

– Is there a place where you have been and you would definitely not recommend it for women on their own and why?

Deba in Basque Country, an autonomous region of Spain. Beautiful town, but when I was there they had signed up that read: “remember tourist, you’re not in Spain anymore”. It felt threatening.

– Do you still have this excitement, when you go for a trip?

This can be summed up in one word: YES!

– what are your top 5 destinations and why?

Southeast Asia is AMAZING for solo travelers. People are surprised when I recommend Asia over Europe, but it’s so much easier to travel in Asia because the economy is set up to help tourists. And many places are extremely cheap for tourists. You can stay in a really nice hotel in Thailand for $20 USD.

My favorite destinations for solo travelers:

Mae Hong Son Loop in Thailand

Luang Prabang in Laos

Bali in Indonesia

Hanoi in Vietnam

Frankly, everywhere in Vietnam

– The funniest story that happened to you when traveling?

I call it Stickgate, the day when two fellow pilgrims stole our walking sticks when my friend and I were walking the Camino del Norte. Let me just emphasize here that when you are walking 500 miles across Spain, everything that you carry with you becomes very important; walking sticks and hiking boots are just the most important items!

We set out on that morning on the Camino with a mission to find our sticks. Luckily, we were helped by the operator of our albergue (pilgrim hostel) who piled us into his little car and took off along the route, careening around corners at high speeds that sending me sprawling across the backseat.

When we passed by two pilgrims with our sticks, we could hardly believe that we had found the culprits. The moral of the story here is that a kind stranger took what could have been a horrible moment on the Camino de Santiago into a hilarious adventure that is one of our fondest memories from our pilgrimage. The video that I shot (while spilling all over the backseat of a speeding vehicle!) really tells the tale.

8. Call to action – what do you want people to do?

Follow your dreams. NOW. Life is too short to wait.

Thank you for the interview!

Wander with love,

Jen

Find Jen on social media: @lensofjen

http://youtube.com/thelensofjen

Free your travels, be a Travelita! #travelita #iamatravelita

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dulwichdiverter · 5 years

Text

Like a Rolling Stone

WORDS: SEAMUS HASSON; PHOTO: PAUL STAFFORD

Even in the context of a 40-year career as a music journalist, critic and author of no fewer than 20 biographies, 2019 has been an exciting year for Patrick Humphries.

He is currently promoting his new book about the Rolling Stones – titled Rolling Stones 69 – and has penned another called Cradle of Writers, a homage to five different authors who attended Dulwich College.

As a former pupil of the famous public school himself, the book has been a labour of love for Patrick as well as an opportunity to reacquaint himself with some old faces.

I met up with him for a drink at the East Dulwich Tavern to discuss both of his latest literary offerings, as well as his fascinating career in journalism.

I start by asking him why, after so many years in the trade, he waited until now to write a book about the Rolling Stones.

“I’d been writing about music since 1976,” he says, “but I’d never written about the Stones in any detail. I thought, ‘There’s no point doing another biography, there’s already so much out there.’”

Instead, Patrick’s book focuses primarily on one key year in the life of the band – 1969. It was, he feels, the most interesting period in their history, characterised by controversies and triumphs.

“I was interested in the 50th anniversary,” he explains. “I think Let It Bleed is their best-ever album and there was this incredible concert in Hyde Park in July 1969, which I estimate was the largest gathering of people in London since the coronation.

“Honky Tonk Woman was one of their all-time classic singles, which came out at that time. Brian Jones, the founder member, died only two days before the Hyde Park concert and then they undertook this American tour.

“They hadn’t played America in three years and America had changed so much.”

Patrick describes the America that the Rolling Stones returned to as “having gone very dark”. The squealing fans and teenyboppers of their previous tour were less prevalent against a backdrop of protests against the ongoing Vietnam War and the Charles Manson murders.

After the unexpected success of Woodstock that August, the band were under pressure from the American underground press to play a free gig.

“They were at the top of their game and the tour was well received,” Patrick says.

“They were still seen as rebels and the outlaw guys – it was long before they started hobnobbing with Princess Margaret – so they were keen to do it.”

The plug was pulled on the venue that the band had originally lined up for the gig, forcing them to rearrange it at the last minute.

“They ended up at this place called Altamont, it was policed by the Hells Angels and these were vicious, nasty guys,” Patrick says.

At the gig, a young fan was stabbed to death right in front of the stage. “It can all be seen in the film Gimme Shelter,” he says.

“I thought in terms of 12 months in the life of a rock and roll band, that’s pretty incident-packed.”

Reviews of the book certainly concur. Mojo gave it a “nice four-star review”, while Long Live Vinyl magazine awarded it a strong eight out of 10. Even the Spectator has been getting in on the act with a very positive write-up. “I mean, go figure,” Patrick says in a mock-surprise tone.

Patrick was born in Lewisham and apart from a brief spell in Scotland as a youngster, he has lived around south London all his life.

He attended Dulwich College between 1963 and 1969. Halfway through his time there his life took an unexpected and difficult turn.

“I lost my leg to cancer in 1966, which interrupted my schooling. I wasn’t doing very well anyway so I left with two O-levels,” he says.

On leaving school Patrick spent some years working for a government department, and his route into the world of music journalism was unconventional.

An avid pop fan and consumer of the music weeklies, he answered a now famous advert in the NME, which stated: “Hip young gunslingers wanted.”

His reply earned him a regular freelance gig with what was then a national institution. The magazine also took on Tony Parsons and Julie Burchill at the same time.

“They [the NME] knew something was in the air,” Patrick says.

“They knew that the days of Genesis and Yes and Led Zeppelin and all of these big bands playing 20,000, 30,000-seat shows had gone and there needed to be a kick up the arse and that was punk rock.

“And, of course they [Tony and Julie] had their finger right on the pulse, so that was my time at the NME.

“The offices were on the 22nd floor or something of the King’s Reach Tower and they used to go up in the lift with all these people from Yachting World and Country Life.

“I remember Tony and Julie put the filing cabinets and lockers in a square and put barbed wire around them to keep the bloody hippies out. It was very exciting.”

After a couple of years freelancing at the NME, an opportunity came up to join the staff at Melody Maker, the other leading music weekly at the time.

“I got offered the job when I was in my late 20s and I thought, ‘Do I stay with security and the civil service or do I take a bit of a punt and go into rock and roll?’

“I’d always loved music and I went with the Melody Maker.”

While there, he was thrown into the deep end at a weekly magazine, working to tight deadlines and writing about some of the music world’s biggest stars.

He has, it transpires, interviewed three of the four Beatles – only missing John Lennon by a couple of weeks.

“I had a couple of good years [at Melody Maker] but unfortunately musically things had moved on,” he says.

“Punk had been and gone, it had blazed brightly very briefly and then the New Romantics came along, and I had to go and review people like Haircut 100.

“I think when I got to 40 – I was on Vox magazine then – I realised I wasn’t recognising the likes of Oasis or Blur, but I had enough musical history and musical heritage to write about.”

As well as Rolling Stones 69, Patrick has written a number of other critically acclaimed books about music. His first was about a band called Fairport Convention, whom he describes as a sort of folk/rock band of the late 1960s.

That was followed up by a book on Simon & Garfunkel, which came about after a chance meeting with a publisher.

He has also covered the likes of Elvis, Nick Drake, The Beatles, Lonnie Donegan, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen and his all-time hero – Bob Dylan.

“Dylan, I mean he’s virtually Canadian, he comes from right up in the Canadian border and he’s this kid with, you know, not a great education but he was very bright and he just wrote these incredible songs,” Patrick says.

“I’ve never met him, although he brushed against this shoulder once,” he says, pointing to his left.

“It’s not as tragic as it sounds,” he adds. “I was at a press conference and he was making his way to the stage but that’s the closest I’ve been to him.”

Patrick’s easy-going nature has in the past disarmed some of rock and roll’s most difficult characters, including the notoriously moody Velvet Underground singer Lou Reed.

Despite a difficult start to an interview where Reed stated his definition of abject misery was “speaking to an English journalist”, the two eventually bonded over a shared knowledge of the author Raymond Chandler. Reed even requested Patrick for a subsequent interview some years later.

Interestingly Chandler is one of the authors Patrick has featured in his other 2019 book release – Cradle of Writers.

Along with four other authors – PG Wodehouse, AEW Mason, Dennis Wheatley and CS Forester – the book is a celebration of Dulwich College’s rich literary history and its publication coincides with the 400th anniversary of the school.

“I spent about a year on that and it made a really nice change, because rather than trying to track down someone who played bass on the second Nick Drake album, you’re doing deep research into writers whose work you admired,” Patrick says.

“It was a bit weird going back to my old history master Terry Walsh, who died earlier this year unfortunately. He was a very good history master, but he used to terrify me when I was at school.

“We ended up going for drinks in the Alleyn’s Head and I was like, ‘Let me get you a drink Terry.’ It was a lovely book to do actually.”

So, after such an eventful year, does he have any further ambitions left to fulfil?

“If I went home and found a message from Bob Dylan on my answer machine, my life would be complete,” he says with a smile.

Rolling Stones 69 and Cradle of Writers are both out now and available to order or buy in all good bookshops

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tamboradventure · 5 years

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My new book, Ten Years a Nomad, is out TODAY!

Posted: 7/16/2019 | July 16th, 2019

IT’S HERE!

After eighteen months of writing and editing, my new book, Ten Years a Nomad: A Traveler’s Journey Home, is on sale now.

The book is a memoir about my ten years traveling and backpacking the world, philosophy on travel, and the lessons I learned that can help you travel better. It takes you on a trip around the world from start to finish: getting the bug, the planning, setting off, the highs, the lows, the friends, what happens when you come back — and the lessons and advice that come with all that.

It features lots of stories I’ve never told on this blog.

I poured my heart and soul into this book. It’s very personal. In fact, my friends have been really surprised at how personal I got (there’s going to be some awkward conversations after my family reads this book).

But this is not all about me.

This is about what I learned and how you can apply it to your travels. How you can get inspired, work through your fears, meet people, and become a better traveler. Unlike my previous books, this is not a “how to guide” but a collection of tips, advice, and stories from the road that can be used no matter where you are in the world or how long you’ll be away.

This book gets to the heart of wanderlust and what extended travel around the world can teach us about life, ourselves, and our place in the world. (Or at least tries to.)

In this book, you’ll find:

Crazy hostel stories

What it’s like to travel the world for ten years

My philosophy on travel

Lessons learned from the road

How to cope with travel burnout

How to make friends

Inspirational stories and insights

If you want to know what it’s like to travel the world and live out a backpack, this book will tell you. If you want to be inspired to travel and better understand how you can do it too, this book is for you.

If you just want a good travel book to read on the beach, this book is for you.

You can get the book online at the following places:

(Or walk into your local independent bookstore and pick up a copy!)

5 Early Reviews of the Book

So what are people saying of the book?

“In his heartfelt explanation and exploration, Matt runs through just why he’s been out there, backpacking the world for 10 years. By the end we’ve definitely realized, like Matt, how important travel is and how getting out there, on the road, can make you, me and the world a better place. It’s a great pity certain people at the very top of the world’s power pyramid never had just a little taste of the nomadic experience.” – Tony Wheeler, founder of Lonely Planet

“Throughout his ruminations on how travel affected him, Kepnes interweaves his tales of friends, girlfriends, and great loves discovered among exotic backdrops and how starting a blog (nomadicmatt.com) about his adventures altered the way he traveled. His story is one of heartbreak, self-discovery, and the constant travel itch he had to scratch in order to become the man he was supposed to be. An entertaining, quick read by a man who did what many of us only dream about.” – Kirkus Book Reviews

“Inspirational” – Cheryl Strayed

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I’ve got an advanced copy of Matt Kepnes’s new memoir, Ten Years a Nomad, and I’m LOVING it. Not his standard guide to get you off the couch and out into the world (although it’ll surely do that too), but a personal and heartfelt account of his journey. And NOT PREACHY. Might be the first book I’ve read in this vein that doesn’t make me wanna punch the author a little.

A post shared by candicewalsh (@candicewalsh) on Jul 15, 2019 at 12:19pm PDT

Buy a Copy, Get Free Stuff!!

If you order my book within the first week it’s out, you can get free copies of my other books, one-on-one travel planning advice, free attendance at TravelCon, blogging courses, free hostel stays and flights, and more!

The packages are listed below. All you need to do to claim your bonuses is email me a copy of your receipt at [email protected].

The Basic Package (cost: $18, value: $48) Purchase one copy of the book and get:

How to Build a Travel Blog ebook (value: $9.99)

The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking ebook (value: $9.99)

27 Ways to Be a Master Traveler PDF (value: $5)

50 Inspiring Travel Books and Movies PDF (value: $5)

***BEST VALUE*** The Tenner (cost: $182, value: $594) Buy 10 copies of my book and get ALL THE ABOVE plus:

My 12 city and country guides (value: $150)

A signed copy of my book How to Travel the World on $50 a Day (value: $15)

A 15-minute planning call with me (ask me anything)! (value: $100)

The Business of Blogging course (value: $99)

The Bullseye (cost: $900, value: $2,193) Buy 50 copies of my book and get ALL THE ABOVE plus:

One ticket to TravelCon in New Orleans (value: $399)

A 30-minute planning call with me (ask me anything)! (value: $200)

Note: All digital bonuses will be sent when you send the receipt. Travel arrangements will be worked out between you and me and are valid for six months after purchase (i.e., you have to make a booking by then).

The “Ten Years a Nomad” Book Tour

I’m going on book tour! Come join me, talk travel, get a signed book, and hang out! Here are the dates:

July 16 New York, NY: The Strand Bookstore @ 7pm EVENT DETAILS July 17 Boston, MA: The Harvard Coop @ 7pm EVENT DETAILS July 18 Philadelphia, PA: Penn Book Center @ 6:30pm EVENT DETAILS July 22 Washington DC: Politics and Prose at the Wharf @ 7pm EVENT DETAILS July 23 Miami, FL: Books & Books @ 8pm EVENT DETAILS July 24 Tampa, FL: Oxford Exchange @ 6:30pm EVENT DETAILS July 30 Detroit, MI: Pages Bookshop @ 6:00pm EVENT DETAILS July 31 Chicago, IL: City Lit Books @ 6:30pm EVENT DETAILS August 1 Dallas, TX: Half Price Books (Flagship) @ 7:00pm EVENT DETAILS August 5 Austin, TX: Book People @ 7pm EVENT DETAILS August 6 Houston, TX: Brazos Bookstore @ 6:30pm EVENT DETAILS August 7 Denver, CO: Tattered Cover – Historic Lodo @ 7pm EVENT DETAILS August 8 San Diego, CA: Warwick’s @ 7:30pm EVENT DETAILS August 12 Los Angeles, CA: The Last Bookstore @ 7:30pm EVENT DETAILS August 14 Portland, OR: Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing @ 7:00pm EVENT DETAILS August 15 San Francisco, CA: Book Passage at Corte Madera @ 7pm EVENT DETAILS August 16 Seattle, WA: Third Place Books @ 6pm EVENT DETAILS August 19 Vancouver, BC: Indigo (Robson) @ 7:00pm EVENT DETAILS August 22 Calgary, AB: LOCATION TBD EVENT DETAILS August 26 Toronto, ON: LOCATION TBD EVENT DETAILS August 31 Montreal, QC: Indigo (Place Montreal) @ 1:00pm EVENT DETAILS

P.S. – There will be an afterparty in NYC after the initial book launch. It will be at Solas. Click here for details!

Want to Help Me Spread the Word About This Book?

I’m always looking for more opportunities to talk travel. Here’s how you can help me spread the word about the new book:

Want to interview me? If you have a blog, podcast, vlog, or Instagram channel and want to interview me about the book and travel, let me know at [email protected] using the subject line “Book Interview.” I’d love to talk with you!

Are you in the media and want to cover the book? If you work for a major media outlet and want to interview me about the book or would like to review the book, let me know at [email protected] using the subject line “Media Request.”

Know anyone that I should reach out to for promotion? If you have suggestions on people who would love a copy of this book and would be a good fit for promoting the book, let me know in the comments, or feel to email me at [email protected] with the subject line “Book Promotion Help.”

****

Thank you so much for your support and love over the years. I really hope you love this book. I wanted to write something that would appeal to a wider range of readers. Please help spread the word, get a copy, and I hope to see you on the book tour.

– Nomadic Matt

Once again, here are links to get the book today:

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and that will save you time and money too!

The post My new book, Ten Years a Nomad, is out TODAY! appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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josie-wales · 6 years

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Hello, my lovely, loyal readers! Since I haven’t been regularly posting, I figured I’d give y’all an update on my reading escapades!

P.S. Did any of y’all suddenly get that song, “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes stuck in your heads?!

Sweet Reads

If you’re a fan of The Baby-sitters Club like me, you’ve absolutely GOT to check out the Graphix editions by Raina Telgemeier!

I read the third in the series, Mary Anne Saves the Day, and adored it! The Graphix editions totally take me back to the era of Ann M. Martin, the BSC creator.

I also adored and was greatly entertained by Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians! This book is so freaking good and I’m stoked to read the next two books in the series, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems!

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan is a precious, heartwarming read. While a departure from the genres I generally stick to, this story really grabbed me. I highly recommend Colgan’s novel!

Rereading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s childhood classic, Little House on the Prairie, also took me back in time. I’ve made it a mission to reread the entire Little House series this year and I’m so glad I decided to undertake this wonderful journey!

I’m a sucker for a good graphic novel, especially anything by Brian K. Vaughan, who is author of both the Saga and Paper Girls series, both of which I love. The most recent book I read was Paper Girls, Vol. 4 and it was awesome! I’m dying for volume five to come out – I think I have to wait until this fall!

Sour Reads

*A little note – the Sour Reads column typically includes books I rate three stars or less*

For a new book club I’m in, Read Between the Covers Book Club, [please join us!], I listened via Audible to Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu. I enjoyed Mathieu’s story, but I didn’t totally fall in love with it. Review to come!

I’m really disappointed, devastated really, to report that Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli was simply middle of the road for me. I did like the book; I’m super excited to read Albertalli’s follow-up, Leah on the Offbeat!

Currently – In Books

At this time, I’ve got four books on my plate! I’m reading the beautiful – so far – novel by Wally Lamb, I Know This Much is True, the Louisa May Alcott classic, Little Women, The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn, and I’m listening to The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan.

I’m reading Pan’s lovely tale for the book club I mentioned above, Read Between the Covers Book Club, and I chose to read Lamb’s and Alcott’s books for a reading event I’m co-hosting, which I’ll be mentioning later in this post. I picked the Jonestown book because honestly, cults and their leaders are intriguing – in a blows-my-mind sort of way!

Welcome to My Library!

Looking back over my book purchases these past couple months has astonished me – I’ve gotten a LOT more books than I thought! 😀 I guess I’ve discovered many more bookish resources!

I’m really looking forward to reading everything I’ve obtained – especially the remainder of the Geek Girls series by Holly Smale!

Since I obtained books from quite a few sources – and because I’m in the mood to list them 😀 – I’m going to break down my acquisitions by where I got them!

Kindle

An awfully cute and entertaining-looking book, Color Me Murder by Krista Davis, was added to my Kindle collection, as was Let’s Talk About Love [super excited for this one] by Claire Kann.

I also added I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez, Tamora Pierce’s In the Hand of the Goddess [I love this series], The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro, and Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo [which I got for $1.99!].

Kobo

Kobo offered some great deals recently and I got my hands on Kate Carlisle’s A High-End Finish, which I had been continuously renewing through the library, thus my giving up and buying it.

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum is another recent personal library addition. I’ve been very attracted to this book, I think because of the adorable cover!

I’ve been dying to read Agatha Christie and got hold of her first Hercule Poirot tale, The Mysterious Affair at Styles = super excited!

The Real [Digital] Library

I am virtually obsessed with the Overdrive app, enabling me to tap into the resources of the library without leaving my house!

When I began utilizing the app, I checked out as many books as possible; I have since learned to check out a few at a time to avoid rechecking books continuously!

As of now, I have a total of three books checked out, with one due in just a few days! LOL! Laura Ingalls Wilder’s fourth series book On the Banks of Plum Creek, Classified As Murder by Miranda James, and iZombie, Vol. 1: Dead to the World by Chris Roberson I borrowed.

I’m SO excited for the iZombie graphic novel – I had no clue there were books! I adore the show and that name – Liv Moore – tickles the crap out of me!

Book Depository

After reading the Geek Girl debut, aptly called Geek Girl, I fell in serious obsession mode with the series and added to my collection by ordering the rest of the series books!

All That Glitters, Head Over Heels, and Forever Geek moved into my library…err the basket beside my bed. 😀

In addition to Smale’s tales, I got a pretty copy of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman as well as China Rich Girlfriend!

Books-a-Million

I mentioned earlier how excited I am to read Leah on the Offbeat and I get to! I had totally forgotten that I’d ordered it! It’s like Christmas over here! 😀

Also from Books-a-Million, I got Saga, Vol. 8 and Paper Girls, Vol. 4 [which I’ve already devoured], both by Brian K. Vaughan

Challenging

So far, I’m still taking part in The Novel Knight’s Beat the Backlist challenge, the POPSUGAR reading challenge, and, of course, the 2018 Goodreads challenge for the year.

Challenges going on now for short periods of time include the read-a-thon challenge I’m co-hosting with wonderful Twitter friends, Spring Fling, the first installment of Seasonal-a-Thon!

I wanted to participate in Bout of Books 22, but it just didn’t work out for me this round. 😦

So, for Beat the Backlist, I’ve read quite a few backlist books, of which I am very proud! 😀 I’m a member of team Book Bards, and we’re making a comeback! Just because I feel like making a list, here’s a rundown of the books published prior to this year I’ve read!

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Mary Anne Saves the Day by Raina Telgemeier and Ann M. Martin

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

The Walking Dead, Vol. 9: Here We Remain by Robert Kirkman

The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket

The Truth About Stacey by Raina Telgemeier and Ann M. Martin

The Secrets of My Life by Caitlyn Jenner

The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket

Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Moon Knight, Vol. 2: Reincarnations by Jeff Lemire

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 4: Last Days by G. Willow Wilson

Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Saga, Vol. 6 by Brian K. Vaughan

Wires and Nerve, Vol. 1 by Marissa Meyer

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

As for the POPSUGAR challenge, I don’t think I’ve completed any of the categories yet, although I do have a mostly complete TBR list. I’m working on Little Women and I Know This Much is True for our month-long read-a-thon!

I’m really proud of my progress in the Goodreads challenge; my current total read is 29, with my goal for 2018 being 77 books. While I am two books behind schedule, I’m not scared – I’m juggling four books at once, plus, I Know This Much is True is really long! LOL!

Love, Maggie

What’s Going On? Hello, my lovely, loyal readers! Since I haven't been regularly posting, I figured I'd give y'all an update on my reading escapades!

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eccentricandanachronistic · 7 years

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Rendezvous with Atish ji...

Shri Atish Mukhopadhyay is a leading sarod exponent of the Maihar Senia Gharana of Indian Classical Music from the current generation; and besides being an active disciple of Ustad Aashish Khan and a performer of repute himself, also holds workshops, lecture demonstrations and teaches students at some of the most renowned music schools in India and abroad. As part of his visit to Moscow in June - July 2017, along with Debasmita di (senior journalist), I caught up with him post his concert with Ustad Aashish Khan (covered in this post earlier, and saw his class in progress at the Moscow Conservatory. Here is the complete interview, with the state of Indian Classical Music straight from the horse’s mouth...

Q. When did you first come to Russia and how did you come to be associated with the Moscow Conservatory? What was the general idea about the country that you came in with, and has it changed after seeing it for yourself?

Well, this happens to be my tenth visit to Russia! I remember growing up reading these two magazines in the Bengali language that we had subscribed to – 'Soviet Naari' (Soviet Woman) and 'Soviet Desh' (Soviet Life). I had always imagined this to be a very different and mystical country, and it was more so because absolutely none of my acquaintances had ever come visiting this part of the world! I first came performing at a Concert at the St Petersburg Conservatory in 2009. While there, I struck up a friendship with a couple who happened to be part of the Faculty. They then got in touch with me again in 2012, inviting me to perform at the 150th anniversary celebrations. Meanwhile, the Moscow Conservatory folklore group had come visiting the event, and next I knew, I was invited to give a lecture demonstration at the Moscow Conservatory as well. I was again invited in 2013, and this time besides the lecture demonstrations at the Moscow Conservatory, I also performed in concerts at St Petersburg and at the DP Dhar Hall of the Indian Embassy in Moscow. It was around then that Dr Sapkal, then Ambassador of India to Russia and a great music lover, encouraged me to start taking classes, and so I did – in 2014 in St Petersburg, and 2015 onwards in Moscow.

Q. What is your sense of the students here – in terms of their interest, motivation, and sincerity towards learning Indian Classical Music?

Of course I have had students who have dropped out, after having studied for a semester or so; after a brilliant concert, many come thinking they'd be able to start playing at that level rightaway, underestimating the hard work, level of commitment, ear for music, time and discipline it needs. But as for the 25-odd students I do have that are constant, I can see their interest is genuine – they are not here on a whim. It is a challenge for Russian and foreign students to pick up Indian musical notes, scale and style, considering they have grown up listening to the diametrically opposite Western Classical style. That is why I have my students meet at least once a week and practice together, so as to imbibe in them the feeling of being 'guru-bhais' (fellow pupils akin to siblings) to each other, and seeing each other as family. I sometimes also need to be tough so as to be taken seriously. Like I once abandoned a group for a semester, and that instilled a sense of tremendous fear in them. I can teach not-so-talented students, but I expect 100% commitment.

Q. Indian music is generally perceived to be very hard and difficult to learn – what can we do to make it more approachable without diluting its essence?

The question of dilution has never arisen for me – I have always taught students Classical music in its purest form, albeit only in digestible chunks, and in different levels. I truly believe unadulterated Classical music will be appreciated by all, even those who do not understand the grammar, as it touches the soul.

Q. What are your thoughts on the Indian Classical Music scene today? And do you think our authorities are doing enough to promote it?

Very honestly, as an Indian, I feel sad that our ancient and rich culture is not promoted enough, whereas other countries and their embassies do so much to promote theirs. Beyond vocals and tabla, there isn't any recruitment posted of music teachers at state run music schools / Cultural Centres. Now I happen to be empaneled as a musician and teacher with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) – ideally, I should be sent officially by the government to one of its music schools abroad whenever there is a requirement, but so far I have received none. But considering the students I have even as I teach now in my individual capacity, I refuse to believe there was no requirement to begin with. The ICCR does not even offer sarod lessons, only the sitar at most. I was suggested to apply under the 'multitalented' category, i.e., to teach both instrumental and vocal, but even that has yielded nothing, for their policy is to replace a tabla teacher with only a tabla teacher, and not of any of the so many other percussion instruments we have, thus being totally closed to any change or new ideas.

Also, our authorities, the embassies included, are intent solely on expanding the reach of our popular music – cinema, light music, Bollywood, etc, but not real classical music. Classical musicians tend to be sent to insignificant events, bazaars, bookshops, streets, etc, and that dilutes its sanctity. Such performances do not help popularize Classical music at all. I am also wary about fusion because too many Western musicians are interested in taking only the shiny, glossy parts of Indian music, to incorporate these 'exotic' sounds into their songs, and sell them to their audiences. In fact, many years ago Pt Ravi Shankar had written about his disappointment after working with musicians of the West – he lamented that it's selfish on their part, to use Indian Classical instruments and styles to exoticise their own music, yet completely sideline the vast body of art that it is, and ignore its depth of tradition.

Q. Why do you think there is such little audience for Classical Music today?

The generation of today has been misled into believing substandard pop, hip-hop music to be the gold standard in music, and are unaware of what real good music is like. It's only when they come to a spectacular or soul-touching musical performance, or a true master, that they experience an awakening, and learn to tell truly soulful music from the shallow music they hitherto had been subjected to.

Also, another complaint that organisers have is that Classical Music has no takers, no market, whereas Bollywood does; but consider yourself – how much of an investment has goes into creating that market! Zakir Hussain, arguably among the biggest stars in Indian Classical Music, can be brought in to perform at a spectacular concert say here in Moscow for about 30,000 USD – business / first class airfare, 5 star hotel stay, etc included; however, should you try bringing in a Bollywood star of the likes of Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Khan, I don't think they'd entertain you should you be talking any less than at least 10 times that amount! Ustad Aashish Khan and I have performed together globally at packed halls, including at the Moscow Conservatory. I also harbour a desire to perform with Anoushka Shankar at the Moscow Conservatory Great Hall, and there is no reason why that too will not be fully booked out. The audience is very much present, but needs to be tapped properly. Wonders can happen with a little bit of investment. However, the Government of India continues to invest large amounts into Bollywood – an industry which has the ability to support itself without any from the Government! Continuous reinforcement of Bollywood and its music through multiple channels has created its huge audience today, whereas nothing has been done to create that audience for Classical Music. You cannot expect all the rewards without even the slightest bit of investment to promote Classical Music!

Q. So what possible steps do you think can be taken to widen the reach of our Classical Music?

Well, for starters, I have in the past written to Mr Kapil Sibal (when he served as Education Minister) and Ms Sushma Swaraj (Minister for External Affairs). I strongly believe Indian Classical Music should be made compulsory in our school curriculum for students in their formative years. Even if some HATE it, at least they will know what it is about – instruments such as sarod, surbahar, ektara, pakhawaj, etc, and understand the concepts of taal, raga, etc. Sadly, I received no reply. Loud and aggressive styles of music meanwhile continue to push our traditional forms into oblivion. The reason Bhangra, Punjabi Music, and Bollywood are so popular is because of constant reinforcement. We need to reach out to more people – for every 10 people we reach out to, 2 may want to sign up. People should also understand that concerts and occasional performances are like icebergs – what's visible is only 1/10th of its body.

Also, our bureaucracy is highly to blame. Say the Director of the Conservatory approaches the Ambassador asking for support, who, if even a little receptive, would redirect her to the Director of the relevant wing. The Director's post is highly transferrable – before he learns the ropes of his job at a particular location, he is transferred again. The Deputy Director is then put in charge, who then says ends up saying no as he does not usually take such decisions and does not know better. A lot of time is thus wasted running around in circles. We really do need more support – financial, manpower, etc – as right now bodies such as the Moscow Conservatory organize everything independently, and they have limited budgets and freedom. Investors and companies need to be taken into confidence as to the importance of the cause. On their part, they would of course want publicity when they invest, which will be gladly given – an association with the prestigious Conservatory should definitely hold appeal. Advertisements can be put up during Live Webcast of the Concerts, and all of it together would bode well for their CSR in supporting the Arts and Cultural initiatives. All of this, however, needs to be communicated, and communicated well. I sincerely hope people understand and help us out…

(As told to ‘Aaratrika’)

#thoughts #Indian #classical #music #moscow #conservatory #Atish #mukhopadhyay #interview #Embassy #JNCC #culture #preserve #protect #tradition

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krystisyaandwine · 7 years

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I fell in love with this gorgeous and captivating fantasy world from Kendare Blake when I read Three Dark Crowns. From the beautiful magic systems, to the dynamic and interesting characters, to all the delicious plotting and scheming, I love everything about this series. I had very high expectations going into One Dark Throne, and it not only lived up to them but truly surpassed them. If you like Three Dark Crowns, you will love One Dark Throne!

About the Book

Title: One Dark Throne

Author: Kendare Blake

Pub. Date: September 19, 2017

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 464

The battle for the Crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other.

Wine Pairing

I paired this captivating tale of three sisters who must destroy one another in order to obtain the crown and rule the island of Fennbirn with this darkly rich Three Sisters Merlot.

*All wine recommendations are for those of legal drinking age only.*

My Review

Wow! Wow! Wow! ONE DARK THRONE sparkles with magic, action, and intrigue. I fell in love with the concept of this series and the captivating magic systems while reading THREE DARK CROWNS, but ONE DARK THRONE has taken all the elements that I loved in that story and really elevated them.

The battle between the three sisters doesn’t waste any time getting started in this book. The pacing does move quite a bit faster than it did in book one, while still allowing us to see all of the wonderful plotting and political maneuvering happening behind the scenes, which I enjoyed so much in THREE DARK CROWNS.

The action scenes are so intense, both because of the action itself, but also because after going on this journey with each of the sisters, readers truly begin to understand and cheer for each of them. Everything that happens in this story is a double (or triple) edged sword, because seeing one character succeed means seeing the other two die. You end up rooting for and against each of them simultaneously, which makes for such an intense and unique reading experience.

The characters in this story are so well-written. From Arsinoe, Mirabella, Katharine, and Jules to the supporting characters. Kendare Blake uses the third person omniscient tense so brilliantly to give us a look into so many different character’s minds. Each of them has a distinct voice and personality, and getting to see into so many different character’s actions and motivations gives this world so much depth and makes for a truly immersive reading experience.

My favorite sister shifts from moment to moment throughout these books. I find Arsinoe to be the most inspirational, Mirabella to be the most likable, and Katharine to be the most interesting. I truly can’t say which sister I would like to see wear the crown at the end of this, because of the way Kendare Blake constantly throws twists and turns into the story that very effectively sway the reader’s allegiances.

I adore books that have villains who are truly the hero of their own story, and in this series you go from thinking a character is a hero to a villain and back again so many times, because of the fact that we get to see all of their motivations and backstories.

Though the character I’m rooting for changes consistently throughout the book, I will say that the Poisoner Magic remains the most fascinating to me. Though the Elemental and Naturalist Magic are equally deadly, the Poisoner Magic just has this fantastic, sinister feel to it that I just can’t get enough of. I also feel it’s the most unique system of magic of the three. I’ve never read anything like it in other fantasy novels myself and am absolutely enthralled by it.

This series is truly exceptional. Kendare Blake has made this book something unique and special in the world of YA fantasy. I loved the first book, and I loved this one even more. I cannot wait to see what’s in store for us in book three!

Pre-order Your Signed Copy

Kendare Blake will be participating in the Epic Reads Author Meet Up at my favorite local indie The King’s English Bookshop on October 12th, which means, you can pre-order your signed copy by clicking on the book cover below! Be sure to mention in the comments that you would like your copy signed during the event!

One Dark Throne

About the Author

From Kendare’s Website

Kendare Blake is the author of several novels and short stories, most of which you can find information about via the links above. Her work is sort of dark, always violent, and features passages describing food from when she writes while hungry. She was born in July (for those of you doing book reports) in Seoul, South Korea, but doesn’t speak a lick of Korean, as she was packed off at a very early age to her adoptive parents in the United States. That might be just an excuse, though, as she is pretty bad at learning foreign languages. She enjoys the work of Milan Kundera, Caitlin R Kiernan, Bret Easton Ellis, Richard Linklater, and the late, great Michael Jackson, I mean, come on, he gave us Thriller.

She lives and writes in Kent, Washington, with her husband, their cat son Tyrion Cattister, red Doberman dog son Obi-Dog Kenobi, rottie mix dog daughter Agent Scully, and naked sphynx cat son Armpit McGee.

Are you excited to read One Dark Throne when it hits shelves next month? What are some of your favorite YA fantasy series?

Follow me online for more YA and Wine!

ONE DARK THRONE Review and Wine Pairing! I fell in love with this gorgeous and captivating fantasy world from Kendare Blake when I read

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