#diana rubi photographer

[photo-art-lady]

Photographs by Diana Rubi

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 3.3

Beer Birthdays

Jay R. Brooks (1959)

James Ottolini (1969)

Jeff Cioletti (1972)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Julie Bowen; actor (1970)

James Doohan; actor (1920)

Jean Harlow; actor (1911)

Miranda Richardson; actor (1958)

Ronald Searle; illustrator (1920)

Famous Birthdays

Diana Barrymore; actress (1921)

Alexander Graham Bell; inventor (1847)

Edna Best; British stage and film actress (1900)

Jessica Biel; actor (1982)

William James Blacklock; English-Scottish painter (1816)

Margaret Bonds; pianist and composer (1913)

Larry Burkett; author and radio host (1939)

Cyril Burt; English psychologist and geneticist (1883)

Georg Cantor; Russian-German mathematician and philosopher (1845)

Emile-Auguste Chartier; French writer and philosopher (1868)

Paul Clayton; folk singer (1931)

Brian Cox; English keyboard player and physicist (1968)

Ruby Dandridge; African-American film and radio actress (1902)

Gustave de Molinari; Dutch-Belgian economist and theorist (1819)

Bonnie J. Dunbar; engineer and astronaut (1949)

Perry Ellis; fashion designer (1940)

David Faustino; actor (1974)

Tyler Florence; chef and author (1971)

Ragnar Frisch; Norwegian economist (1895)

Ira Glass; radio host (1959)

William Godwin; English writer (1756)

Laura Harring; Mexican-American model and actress (1964)

Robyn Hitchcock; pop singer (1953)

Thom Hoffman; Dutch actor and photographer (1957)

Asger Jorn; Danish painter and sculptor (1914)

Jackie Joyner-Kersee; track athlete (1962)

Tim Kazurinsky; actor, comedian (1950)

Ronan Keating; Irish singer-songwriter and actor (1977)

Arthur Kornberg; biochemist (1918)

Artur Lundkvist; Swedish poet (1906)

James Merrill; poet and playwright (1926)

George Miller; Australian film director (1945)

Sameera Moussa; Egyptian physicist (1917)

John Murray; Canadian scientist (1841)

Thomas Otway; English writer (1652)

Mike Pender; English singer-songwriter and guitarist (1941)

Charles Ponzi; Italian criminal, "Ponzi scheme" (1882)

George Pullman; train car inventor (1831)

Anri Sakaguchi; Japanese actress (1991)

Clifton Snider; author and poet (1947)

Harold J. Stone; actor (1913)

Tone-Loc; rapper (1966)

Buddy Valastro; chef and tv host (1977)

Herschel Walker; football RB (1962)

Edmund Waller; English poet, writer (1606)

Michael Walzer; philosopher (1935)

Jennifer Warnes; singer-songwriter (1947)

Doc Watson; bluegrass singer-songwriter and musician (1923)

Snowy White; English guitarist (1948)

Darnell Williams; English-American actor (1955)

Hattie Winston; actress (1945)

Beatrice Wood; illustrator and potter (1893)

Victoria Zdrok; model (1973)

Ona Zee; porn actor (1954)

[beertonki]

Yellow gold aquamarine rings

Occasionally she was photographed wearing both rings on her left hand. The rings remained in the Princess's collection but were rarely seen in public during her marriage. Prior to her marriage to Prince Charles, she often wore a gold Cartier Russian wedding ring of three yellow gold bands on the little finger of her right hand and a diamond and white gold eternity ring from the family collection on her third finger. 9.5 Collingwood diamond girandole suiteīorn into an affluent aristocratic family, Diana Spencer owned some high quality jewellery.9.1 Sultan of Oman diamond and sapphire suite.8.25 Black and white star bracelet from Butler & Wilson.8.23 Diamond and sapphire cluster link bracelet.8.18 Gold bangle with burnished-set diamonds.8.13 Five-strand pearl bracelet with emerald cut aquamarine stone and diamond flower clasp.8.11 Pair of sapphire cabochon and diamond bracelets.8.9 Tiffany five-row signature bracelet.8.6 Gold weave bracelet and Patek Philippe gold watch.8.3 The Queen's modern baguette and brilliants bracelet.8.1 Diamond and emerald Art-Deco style bracelet.7.2 Badge of the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II.7.1 The Prince of Wales's Feathers diamond brooch.6.14 Emir of Qatar floral pearl earrings.6.13 Pearl, sapphire, and ruby earrings.6.9 Diamond and South Sea pearl earrings.6.6 Butler and Wilson silver bow heart drop earrings.5.6 Cartier Trinity ring and signet ring.4.11 King Khalid of Saudi Arabia necklace.4.10 King Faisal of Saudi Arabia necklace.4.3 Seven-strand pearl and sapphire choker.4.2 The Spencer family diamond and pearl drop necklace.3.2 Queen Mary's diamond and emerald choker.2.1 Frances Shand Kydd diamond earrings.Upon the marriage of Diana's sons, their wives, Catherine and Meghan, have worn various pieces from her collection. Īt formal occasions, such as banquets, the Princess normally wore jewellery lent to her by the Queen, who owned more than 300 items of jewellery. She also had a vast collection of gold accessories which often went unnoticed and became understated by the media. Most of the jewellery dates from the 19th and 20th centuries. Her jewellery was a mix of precious stones and costume pieces, which she sourced from London's Butler & Wilson, often reported by the media as being "priceless" jewels, which the Princess found amusing. Most of her jewels were either presents from foreign royalty, on loan from Elizabeth II, wedding presents, purchased by Diana herself, or heirlooms belonging to the Spencer family. These were separate from the coronation and state regalia of the Crown Jewels. in June 1997ĭiana, Princess of Wales, the first wife of Prince Charles (now Charles III), and mother of Prince William and Prince Harry, owned a collection of jewels, both as a member of the British royal family and as a private individual. Diana wearing a pearl necklace and pearl earrings, featuring double wire of gold with diamonds and four equidistant knots, during a visit to Washington, D.C.

[recycledmoviecostumes]

Goodness do I have a treat for all of you today. Larry McQueen, owner of The Collection has sent me a lovely sighting filled with detailed information. Because the detail is frankly incredible, I decided not to edit it and present Larry’s notes in full below:

In 1936, Travis Banton, head designer at Paramount Studios, began work on the last film he would design for his favorite clotheshorse, Marlene Dietrich. The duo had worked closely together on all her films at Paramount and created the “Dietrich style”-- a look of lavish, smoldering, hard-edged sophistication that was instrumental in creating the Dietrich legend.

 Dietrich had one final film to complete her contract at Paramount and was cast in a typical Dietrich vehicle Angel, a sophisticated Lubitsch melodrama with her in the role of an ignored wife of means who has an affair with her husband’s friend. Banton designed the most opulent dress he had ever created for the star for the under-five-minute opera sequence and preceding scenes in the film. The ensemble was to become known as the “Faberge” gown and consisted of a fitted long-sleeve bodice with peplum, a matching long skirt with train and a six foot stole bordered with sable. The fabric was solidly embroidered with gold beads, pearls, rhinestones, gold bullion, gold sequins and faux ruby and emerald stones in geometric designs. According to W. Robert Levine in his book “In A Glamorous Fashion,” the costume was cost-listed on the wardrobe records at $8,000.00, an exorbitant price in the post-depression era and a price that would be over $100,000.00 by today’s standards. The expense must have caused stirrings in Paramount’s upper management in a time when the government was asking the studios to scale back the unnecessary lavishness in costume design. Banton himself once said it was the most expensive gown he had ever designed.

 The ensemble is given credit in many film costume books as the most spectacular gown ever created. Diana Vreeland, one-time curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art said of the costume in the book “Hollywood Costume– Glamour! Glitter! Romance!” “When I think of detail, I think of Travis Banton’s marvelous beaded dress for Marlene Dietrich in Angel—like a million grains of golden caviar. That is one of the most beautiful dresses ever…”. Margaret J. Bailey in her book Those Glorious Glamour Years describes the dress “It was simple in lines, of Persian design, and looked like a piece of woven jewelry…”  and “… caused no little trauma on the set when producers refused to give it to Dietrich for her private wardrobe.”

 Dietrich had loved the gown and asked the studio if she could keep it. It is said she was so angry of being refused by the company she help save, she stormed off the set. The incident no doubt added to her disharmonious departure from the studio. She left the studio and did not return until a decade later. Acquiring gowns and props from her films- by whatever means- was a general practice of Ms. Dietrich. After her death, The German Film Archive Foundation (die Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek) and The Berlin Film Museum acquired her estate in 1993, which consisted of five different storehouses in Europe and the USA. In the collection were thousands of items from her career including fifty of her most famous film gowns. Her daughter, Maria Riva, once told the curator of the Frankfurt Film Museum, her mother was always in constant fear the studios would someday try to take back her collection and had kept the fact of its existence well hidden.

Paramount, however, retained the piece and began to put it to use. Re-using costumes was a common practice by studios to maintain an opulent look to secondary and background characters without the expense of making new ones. It is unknown exactly how many films the Dietrich gown was used in, but from photos found, it is obvious it was put to work and went through many transformations in the process. Mary Astor wore it, without the stole on the set of Midnight, 1939. The front was reworked and worn by Rose Hobart in the film A Night at Earl Carrolls, 1940. It was used in publicity photos as in that of Loraine Day circa 1944. With the sleeves removed, the stole without the fur was added to the front of the bodice as draping, it was worn by Felicia Atkins in The Errand Boy, 1961. The stole was cut in half to be used as a turban and worn with a sleeveless altered bodice by a model in A New Kind of Love, 1963. In 1974, the bodice was put back together and used by Diana Vreeland in the MET exhibition of films fashion and in 1985, the gown and stole was returned to its original configuration and worn by Barbara Hershey in the TV movie My Wicked Wicked Ways.

With all the different uses, the pieces took a beating. Many of the “re-workings” were fast and crude and some of the attempts to repair the gown involved covering damaged areas with large gold sequins. One previous ‘restoration’ involved applying glue to areas and pushing the beads back together and letting it harden. The fine chiffon backing was weak and starting to split and the patterns were separating.    The costume was so fragile, it could never be worn again, but it is amazing the pieces stayed together.

In December of 1990, Paramount put the gown up for auction at Christies New York as part a larger collection of ‘star wardrobe.’  Larry McQueen and his late business partner, Bill Thomas, who were respected experts in the field of film costumes and had compiled one of the finest collections of the medium under the name “The Collection,” were retained to help inventory, authenticate and price the collection and were overwhelmed to see, what they believed to be, the most exquisite film costume ever created. They were successful in purchasing it for a total cost of approximately $23,000.00, one of the highest prices at the auction. As excited as they were to own the gown, the reality of its condition soon set in. Due to the age of the garment, poor storage and multiple alterations, it could never be dressed on a mannequin because it would not support its own extreme weight.

 In 1999, four years after Bill Thomas died, Larry McQueen began the process of restoring the costume. Museum experts in preservation and restoration were consulted and much debate occurred as to whether the integrity of the gown- however poor that integrity was- should be tampered with. It was finally decided by Mr. McQueen that instead of leaving it as it was- a box of un-showable beads- the ensemble should be restored. Getson/Eastern Embroidery, who was then owned by Annie Dernderian, was approached with working on the gown. The firm had worked on the original costume and luckily had many of the beads, sequins and stones used on the original construction.

But, restoration of the garment proved far more difficult than planned. Even though the gown had only taken weeks to create, it would take years to restore. Every inch of the beadwork would have to be attached to new chiffon backing and the patterns pulled into shape and lightly tacked. Then the patterns had to be permanently hand stitched, replacing any missing stones or beads. Previous poor repairs would have to be removed. Missing areas or areas that had been glued would have to be replaced. Many of the original silk threads that attached the beads were breaking and would have to be reinforced with new silk thread. The stole, which had been cut in half and then stacked on top of its self and re-sewn, had to be taken apart, attached to a new backing and the beading attached and corrected.   Photographs of Dietrich wearing the costume were enlarged to determine what was an original pattern and what had been changed. Luckily, the patterns did repeat themselves, so where a pattern was missing, a template of an existing pattern was made to re-create the missing one. The task would involve going inch by inch and would involve thousands of hours and great expense. But, determined to see the gown restored, Larry McQueen had the work begun.

The gown could not be taken apart and beaded flat as it was originally constructed, so a special frame with a sling had to be constructed to allow access to the inside of the garment to work from the front and the back of the fabric. Beads and sequins that had to be removed were sorted and reattached in to same location if possible. Only a four-inch area could be worked on at one time and each area was photographed before and after to document the work done. The project was daunting.

 The entire fabric of the costume is composed of repeating geometric shapes somewhat like a paisley pattern. Each shape is outlined with small pearls or faceted rhinestones. Beads, pearls or sequins in different combinations fill the center portions of the design. Throughout, are patterns that contain a small grid work of bullion threading and each square filled with small pearls, sequins or a combination of sequins and gold beads. The background is of solid gold rocaille beads and the gown is sporadically studded with emerald and red glass beads. Literally millions of beads were used to create the fabric of the ensemble.

 After one year, only the bodice was approaching completion, most of the work done by Annie Denderian. But the expense was mounting and it was becoming impossible to find qualified people who had the patience and time to spend on the garment. Mr. McQueen decided that if the costume was to be completed, he would have to take over the bulk of the hands-on restoration. Having the background and more importantly the motivation to see the gown completed, he was mentored by Ms. Denderian, learning and perfecting the techniques to painstakingly re-attach the patterns and began work on the dress. Almost one year to the date of beginning the work- working faithfully five to eight hours a day- the skirt and the stole were completed. To add strength, bias tape reinforcing and a new silk chiffon lining was added by the costume house of John David Ridge and the stole was re-bordered by using existing sable by Judith Moss at LA Fur Center.

McQueen stated that he probably would have reconsidered restoring the gown had he know the time, patience and expense it was going to take, but then quickly adds that he would have done it anyway. It was just too important. In working that closely with the piece, McQueen was amazed how in touch you get with the people who originally created the garment (a process difficult to understand unless you have restored someone else’s creation). You could tell when someone was having a bad day and cutting corners. You could tell when someone was struck with genius. You could see the differences in workmanship and technique between the various beaders. You could see the time spent on details in areas that no one would ever see. You become very close to the garment and understand it.

The gown is truly a testament to the artistry of early Hollywood. Mr. McQueen is confident the care, attention and over 3000 hours spent in its restoration would make its original creators proud. He hopes that if he leaves any legacy to the field of film costumes, one of his main accomplishments will be the “Faberge gown” survives in the splendor it was originally created and will be shown and appreciated for generations to come.

Costume Credit: Photos, copy and all the above incredible info provided by The Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design: Larry  McQueen

E-mail Submissions: submissions@recycledmoviecostumes.com

Follow:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

Note: If you’ve not checked out Larry McQueen’s The Collection, I highly suggest you do so. It’s incredible!

[thecrownnet]

The Crown arrived on Netflix five years ago, and since then the royal drama has become a huge title for the platform, with award-winning stars Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and now Imelda Staunton taking on Queen Elizabeth II.

Season four was the last instalment of Peter Morgan’s dramatisation, with Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) and Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) entering the scene – however, all eyes are on season five and incoming members of The Crown cast, who are due to begin filming this summer.

With Jonathan Pryce, Lesley Manville and Elizabeth Debicki inheriting the iconic royal characters for The Crown’s next two series – and rumours of Fleabag’s Andrew Scott being considered for Prime Minister Tony Blair – there’s a lot to get excited about when it comes to  the show’s future.

Here’s everything we know so far about The Crown’s fifth season.[link above]

[...]

What period will The Crown season 5 cover?

Every season of The Crown so far has covered roughly a 10-year period so, following that pattern, we should expect season five to cover 1990 up to 2000.

However, Peter Morgan has confirmed that The Crown will end after its sixth season and has previously said that he has a “20-year-rule”, which means he doesn’t like to write about events or relationships that have happened within the past 20 years. Therefore, if season six is expected to air in 2023, then The Crown may finish around 2003/the mid-noughties, and season five would need to be shorter – from 1990 until 1997, perhaps.

If we’re correct, then these are the potential events in Royal history that season five could cover:

[Spoilers Alert]

November 1990 – John Major is officially appointed Prime Minister by the Queen following Margaret Thatcher’s resignation.

December 1990 – Princess Eugenie is christened.

January 1991 – The Gulf War begins.

February 1991 – Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombs explode at London’s Paddington and Victoria stations.

February 1992 – The Queen commemorates her Ruby Jubilee.

March 1992 – The Duke and Duchess of York (Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson) announce they are to separate after six years of marriage.

March 1992 – Princess Diana’s father – John Spencer, 8th Early Spencer, dies from pneumonia at the age of 68.

April 1992 – Princess Anne announces her divorce from Captain Mark Phillips.

June 1992 – Princess Diana’s controversial biography, Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Morton, is published.

August 1992 – The Daily Mirror publishes intimate photographs of the Duchess of York (Sarah Ferguson) and Texan businessman John Bryan.

November 1992 – Windsor Castle is damaged in a fire, causing millions of pounds worth of damage, shortly after which the Queen describes the year as an Annus Horribilis.

November 1992 – Prime Minister John Major announces that the Queen is to be taxed from 1993 onwards, marking the end of 60 tax-free years for the monarchy.

December 1992 – Princes Charles and Princess Diana announce their plans to separate.

December 1992 – Princess Anne marries Timothy Lawrence.

April 1993 – Stephen Lawrence is killed in South London.

April 1993 – The Queen announces that Buckingham Palace will open to the public for the first time.

November 1993 – Princess Diana sues the Daily Mirror over photographs taken of her whilst at a gym.

December 1993 – Princess Diana announces her withdrawal from public life and the Queen speaks of her hopes for peace in Northern Ireland.

January 1994 – Princes Charles retires from competitive polo.

July 1994 – Tony Blair wins the Labour Party leadership election.

October 1994 – Prince Philip attends a ceremony in Israel where his late mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, is honoured for sheltering Jewish families from the Nazis during World War II.

March 1995 – The Queen and Prince Philip visit Norther Ireland for the first time since the IRA and Loyalist ceasefire, before the Queen arrives in Cape Town for the first royal visit to South Africa in 50 years.

May 1995 – Britain celebrates the 50th anniversary of VE Day.

June 1995 – John Major resigns as leader of the Conservative Party to reassert his authority, and wins the leadership election a month later.

November 1995 – The Queen Mother has a hip replacement operation, becoming the oldest patient to undergo such surgery at the age of 95.

November 1995 – A Panorama interview with Princess Diana airs on BBC One, in which the Princess of Wales addresses Prince Charles’ affair, her own adultery, her depression and bulimia and the future of the monarchy.

December 1995 – The Queen writes to Charles and Diana, urging them to divorce as soon as possible.

April 1996 – Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson divorce.

August 1996 – Prince Charles and Princess Diana complete their divorce proceedings.

May 1997 – Labour Party leader Tony Blair is elected as Prime Minister, beating incumbent John Major.

June 1997 – The auction of dresses owned by Princess Diana raise over £2 million for charity.

July 1997 – The IRA declares a ceasefire.

August 1997 – Princess Diana dies in a car crash in Paris.

September 1997 – The Queen makes a nationwide broadcast tribute to Diana the day before her funeral is held at Westminster Abbey.

November 1997 – The Queen and Prince Philip celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

[simsroyallegacy]

Elissa and Sawyer’s Wedding: Who Was On the Guest List?

Yesterday news broke of a private ceremony held for Her Royal Highness Princess Elissa of Rivenia and Sawyer Quinn, eldest son of the Duke of Andale. While Wilhelm Palace had tried to make sure that no press had been alerted, local Glimmerbrook paps had been able to snap shots of some of the guests arriving!

First up, we have the maid of honor, Eve Quinn, dressed in a lovely, emerald green off-the-shoulder gown that showed off her perfect figure. Her golden locks were swept up into a high ponytail and she kept her jewelry simple with small gold and jade earrings and a teardrop diamond necklace. 

The young actress reportedly flew in from the set of her next project in Sulani, rumored to be her first television role. She was recently even spotted staying with her Uncle River and Aunt Amina...the rumors of the family feud ending must certainly be believed now!

Shockingly, despite the still rocky relationship between Amina and Sawyer Quinn, the best man’s wife Amina and family showed up to attend; in tow were her two eldest children Kaleo and Masina.

(Above: Amina looked stunning in her mint green Channel dress paired with a lovely black fascinator. For her accessories she wore a pair of antique drop earrings belonging to her mother and her wedding ring.)

The mother of three has been working diligently alongside her older brothers for the family business back in Sulani, Braxton Inc., rarely seen outside of her native country nowadays. She was recently featured in OhSim! Sulani magazine as one of the top ten most wealthy businesswomen in Sulani, with a net-worth of almost five-hundred million simoleons! 

(Above: Masina Quinn wore a pale pink, one-shoulder dress which featured a geometric cut-out along with nude pumps and a white fascinator.)

Despite being a part of one of the wealthiest families in Sulani, Amina’s children live a very down to earth lifestyle. The family lives in a modest, beachfront bungalow with three bedrooms instead of one of the many mega-mansions owned by not only the Braxton family but the Quinn family as well and although all of the children attend an exclusive private school for security reasons, they spend plenty of time amongst the general populace in their free time.

(Above: River was photographed arriving after his family as Best Man for his older brother; Kaleo looked relaxed in his more casual suit, reportedly a re-wear from his recent high school graduation!)

Both River and Amina encourage their children to partake in various conservation cleanups run by local charities as well as take an interest in giving back to the less fortunate in their city. Their oldest, Kaleo, was known to frequent a local food drive which offers free traditional Sulanian cuisine to Oa’hu’s homeless population while his younger sister, Masina, volunteers at a pro-bono child minding center throughout her summer breaks. The entire family often is spotted participating in local beach clean-ups during their weekends.

(Above: “Not f–––ing likely,” Mr. Hampton had shouted to a brave reporter who had asked about Nicky’s pending proposal.)

Also in attendance that day were Crown Prince Nicholas of Lunaria and his best friend Elliott Hampton, both of whom we were able to catch sharing a laugh over rumors of Prince Nicky popping the question to someone special sometime soon. Both HRH and Elliott looked suave in their suits –– Nicky in black and Elliott in blue –– as they walked into Dover Chapel as each other’s “dates”.

It was refreshing to see Their Majesties King Dante and Queen Ashli of Windsor in attendance as well, that afternoon. TM have left most of their foreign visits to their eldest son, Crown Prince Kellan, in a rumored attempt to separate him from his high school sweetheart, Julianna Byrd, an unpopular match in Windsor.

King Dante adorably matched his wife with his blue, pinstriped suit while also showing off a few more gray hairs (possibly from the stress his three sons have been putting him through!). Both were cheerful, though, as they entered the chapel with their oldest daughter, Princess Karissa, in tow.

Not much is known about Princess KiKi nowadays, only that HRH is high achieving in her academic studies and may or may not be dating a foreign royal. The young Princess has recently been photographed most often in Bordeaux where her prestigious boarding school, Sainte Marie International Academy, is located. 

(Above: Queen Ashli looked regal in a slim-cut, royal blue, sleeveless dress and matching strappy heels. She accessorized with her trusty Channel pearl encrusted choker, a pair of pearl and sapphire earrings, and her favorite diamond brooch from the Royal Vault.)

(Above: Princess KiKi was a vision in red! She wore her chocolate colored locks in their natural waves, pinned back with a matching red “hatband”. From HRH’s designer dress, custom slingback heels, and to her ruby and gold enamel locket, KiKi’s just like her mom –– an expert when it comes to style!)

(Above: A radiant Duchess of Andale was all smiles yesterday in her lilac dress and pillbox hat. She debuted a beautiful seven-strand pearl necklace that featured a whopping 20-carat diamond as the centerpiece –– a wedding anniversary gift from her husband this year!)

The Duke and Duchess of Andale were also in attendance for the wedding, along with their youngest son, Prince Adrian. The family was all smiles as they entered the chapel while sharing a lively conversation. 

The Duke has been busy as of late, helping represent his brother, King Arden, by touring across Lunaria with the Duchess at his side. His busy schedule has apparently been an attempt to keep focus off of the Crown Prince and all of the drama that follows him, although it hasn’t seemed to work all that well if we’re being honest. But, hey, we’re glad to see Rhys and Claire doing so well!

(Above, left: Prince Adrian is set to finish his final year at Hartfordshire Academy this spring; it’s predicted that he’ll choose to go to UBrite next fall. Right: the Duke of Andale spotted one of our photographers and gave a jovial wave, but didn’t stop to answer any questions.)

(Above: Princess Diana dressed in a cheery yellow floral dress for the occasion with a matching hat and ribbon heels. She accessorized with tiny diamond earrings and her grandmother’s diamond bow brooch.)

From our very own Rivenian Royals we caught when Crown Princess Diana arrived with her new husband Stefon, the Duke of Ariste, by her side. The two were wed early last year and still have that newlywed glow about them, although rumors have been circulating that it’s really a pregnancy glow for the Crown Princess! If it’s true, no wonder TRHs were smiling so much!

(Above: While looking a bit gloomy, Elizabeth still dressed to impress in her all-blue ensemble! With her dark hair pulled back in a sleek bun she showed off some new pearl earrings and their matching necklace!)

With the exact opposite countenance, Princess Elizabeth arrived soon after her older sister, bringing an almost tangible cloud of doom and gloom with her. The second in line to Rivenia’s throne has spent most of her time in neighboring Lunaria, diligently working on running the Montgomery Gallery of Classical Arts and seemingly pining for (or dating?) Crown Prince Nicholas. Although, with his previous reaction to our questions about whether or not he’d be proposing...perhaps we already know the reason for the long face she’d shown at her aunt’s wedding.

(Above: Queen Kirana wore her signature two stranded pearl necklace for the occasion along with gold hoop earrings with delicate pearl drops. Her flowy, off-the-shoulder dress was from a local Rivenian designer and has since sold out of stock.)

The final guests we were able to catch sight of had been none other than Their Majesties the King and Queen of Rivenia themselves! King Grayson was reportedly “unusually excited” to see his younger half sister get married that afternoon.

“He thought she [Elissa] would never settle down to find any happiness,” an insider had shared. “He thought she would work herself to an early grave, cut herself off from the world  and her family.”

It looks like HM has no more need to worry! His younger sister had never looked so blissfully happy than on her wedding day!

[soc-characters-as-songs]

ocs as songs pete wentz wrote about the summer of 2005 ? https://open.spotify.com/playlist/66KPAekQd0PbVf8zM3ZKQB?si=KZaiWdkCSD-6Hp3T4RTeYA

for reference, this playlist is called "petekey"

ivy: the kids aren't alright ("and it's our time now if you want it to be/maul the world like a carnival bear set free/and your love is anemic and I can't believe/that you couldn't see it coming from me/and I still feel that rush in my veins/it twists my head just a bit to think/all the people in those old photographs I've seen are dead/and in the end/I'd do it all again/I think you're my best friend/don't you know that the kids aren't al-, kids aren't alright")

meredith: young volcanoes ("c'mon, make it easy, say I never mattered/run it up the flag pole/we will teach you how to make boys next door/out of assholes (hahaha!)/tonight, the foxes hunt the hounds/it's all over now/before it has begun/we've already won")

diana: the take over, the breaks over ("baby, seasons change but people don't/and I'll always be waiting in the back room/I'm boring but overcompensate with/headlines and flash, flash, flash photography/but don't pretend you ever forgot about me/don't pretend you ever forgot about me/wouldn't you rather be a widow than a divorcee?/style your wake for fashion magazines/widow or a divorcee?/don't pretend it, don't pretend")

alassie: I don't care ("on the oracle in my chest,/let the guitar scream like a fascist/sweat it out, shut your mouth/free love on the streets but/in the alley it ain't that cheap, now/I don't care what you think/as long as it's about me/the best of us can find happiness in misery")

ramona: heaven's gate ("I got dreams of my own/but I want to make yours come true/so please come through/honey please, please come through/go, go out in the world, start over again and again/as many times as you can/and in the end, if I don't make it on the list/would you sneak me a wristband?")

rhea: the carpal tunnel of love ("we keep the beat with your blistered feet/and we bullet the words at the mockingbirds singing/slept through the weekend and dreaming/of sinking with the melody of the cliffs of eternity/got postcards from my former selves saying how've you been/we might've said goodbyes just a little soon/(stomp out this disaster town)/robbing lips and kissing banks under this moon/whoa/we're so miserable and stunning")

cornelia: miss missing you ("I will sing to you everyday, if it will take away the pain/oh, and I heard you've got it, got it so bad/'cause I am the best you'll ever have/baby you were my picket fence/I miss missing you, now and then/chlorine kissed, summer skin/I miss missing you, now and then/sometimes before it gets better/the darkness gets bigger/the person that you'd take a bullet for, is behind the trigger")

kaden: where did the party go ("I'm here to collect your hearts,/it's the only reason that I sing/I don't believe a word you say,/but I can't stop listening/this is the story of how they met,/her picture was on the back of a pack of cigarettes,/and when she touched him he turned ruby red/a story that they'll never forget")

andreia: the calendar ("don't wanna call it a second chance/but when I came back, it was more of a relapse/anticipation's on the other line/an obsession called while you were out/yeah, it called while you were out/put another 'x' on the calendar/summer's on it's deathbed/there is simply nothing worse than knowing how it ends/and I meant everything I said that night/I will come back to life/but only for you")

suzy: fourth of july ("you and I were/you and I were fire, fire, fireworks/I said I'd never miss you, but I guess you'll never know/where the bridges I have burned never really led home/on the fourth of july/my 9 to 5 is cutting open old scars/again and again 'til I'm stuck in your head/head my downward spiral, never mind I'll be drowned/and I'm the holy water you have been without")

samuel: always ("when the world gets too heavy, put it on my back/I will be your levy/you are taking me apart, like bad glue/on a get well card")

bianca: 27 ("are all the good times getting gone?/they come and go and come and go and come and go/I've got a lot of friends who are stars/but some are just black holes/my mind is a safe/and if I keep it then we all get rich")

archibald: I'm like a lawyer with the way I'm always trying to get you off (me & you) ("collect the bad habits that you couldn't bear to keep/out of the woods, but I love/a tree I used to lay beneath/kid's teeth stained red/from a sour bottle, baby girl/with eyes the size of baby worlds/we're the new face of failure/prettier and younger, but not any better off/bulletproof loneliness at best, at best")

raphael: immortals ("sometimes the only payoff for having any faith/is when it’s tested again and again every day/I’m still comparing your past to my future/it might be your wound, but they’re my sutures")

[ileolai]

@denizen-mars

virtually no YA or J books or other media aimed at teens had gay characters in the late 90s and early 2000s. im tired of tumblr kids who have zero idea of what it was like to grow up gay in this time acting like they are authorities on this shit. please shut up and go watch the celluloid closet or something

1. I’m probably older than you

2. i have a degree in this field, buckaroo

3. try reading books besides harry potter

Marion Dane Bauer Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence (short stories) 1994

Tea Benduhn Gravel Queen (young adult novel) 2003

Francesca Lia Block Weetzie Bat (young adult novel) 1989 Witch Baby (young adult novel) 1991 Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys (young adult novel) 1992 Missing Angel Juan (young adult novel) 1993 Baby Be-Bop (young adult novel) 1995 Girl Goddess #9: Nine Stories (young adult short stories) 1996 I Was a Teenage Fairy (young adult novel) 1998 The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold (young adult fairy tales) 2000

Susanne Bösche Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin [translated by Louis Mackay; photographs by Andreas Hansen] (young adult novel) 1983

Aidan Chambers Dance on My Grave: A Life and a Death in Four Parts (young adult novel) 1982 Postcards from No Man's Land (young adult novel) 1999

John Donovan I'll Get There, It Better Be Worth the Trip (young adult novel) 1969

Harvey Fierstein The Sissy Duckling [illustrations by Henry Cole] (picture book) 2002

Jane Futcher Crush (young adult novel) 1981

Nancy Garden Annie on My Mind (young adult novel) 1982 Lark in the Morning (young adult novel) 1991 Good Moon Rising (young adult novel) 1996

Rosa Guy Ruby (young adult novel) 1976

Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland King and King (picture book) 2000

Brent Hartinger Geography Club (young adult novel) 2003

Isabelle Holland The Man without a Face (young adult novel) 1972

James Howe The Misfits (young adult novel) 2001

M. E. Kerr Deliver Us from Evie (young adult novel) 1994

Norma Klein Taking Sides (young adult novel) 1974 Breaking Up (young adult novel) 1980

David Leavitt Equal Affections (young adult novel) 1989

David Levithan Boy Meets Boy (young adult novel) 2003

Elizabeth Levy Come Out Smiling (young adult novel) 1981

Marilyn Levy Rumors and Whispers (young adult novel) 1991

Jesse Maguire Getting it Right (young adult novel) 1991

Carolyn Meyer Elliott & Win (young adult novel) 1986

Lesléa Newman Heather Has Two Mommies [illustrations by Diana Souza] (picture book) 1989 Too Far Away to Touch [illustrations by Catherine Stock] (picture book) 1995

Todd Parr It's Okay to be Different (picture book) 2001

Brian Payton Hail Mary Corner (young adult novel) 2001

Alex Sanchez Rainbow Boys (young adult novel) 2001

Sandra Scoppettone Trying Hard to Hear You (young adult novel) 1974 Happy Endings are All Alike (young adult novel) 1978

Judith Vigna My Two Uncles (picture book) 1995

Michael Wilhoite Daddy's Roommate (picture book) 1990 Daddy's Wedding (picture book) 1996

Diana Wieler Bad Boy (young adult novel) 1989

jk rowling’s one entire gay character was badly written and Frog & Toad are judging you. good day

[anneshirleycuffbert]

Anne’s letter to Gilbert - #3

[for an index to the first two shirbert letters and awae shorts, click here!]

Dearest Gilbert,

Thank you for the chamomile tea. It could not have come at a more perfect time.

Half the girls have caught colds and I am afraid I will be next to fall victim to their sickness, seeing as Diana has contracted it. Nevertheless, I swore to love her as long as the sun and moon shall endure. When I was an orphan staying at the Hammond’s–who had three sets of twins! three!– I nursed them all back to good health when they had croup. A cold is nothing compared to what the Hammond children went through that bitter February, so I’m positively certain we shall all be well in no time.

I believe taking care of someone because of and despite their illness is one of the most beautiful and valiant things a person can do in their lifetime. I suppose that is what began to soften my heart to you that day I came by to drop off your books whilst your father was ill. From the short time I talked to him, I felt that he was kindred. May I ask, do you miss your father terribly?

Marilla and Matthew do their best to hide their aging and all that entails from me, but I know better. They are not getting any younger and I dread the day that will inevitably come when I will not see Matthew feeding the goats or Marilla making her famous plum puffs. When my imagination conjures up the image of an empty Green Gables, I must stop myself then and there lest I plunge into the deepest depths of despair and never escape the nightmare. I’ve never told this to anyone, not even Diana. How my greatest fear is not being able to pursue my passions, which are too numerous to count if I tried, but of losing my dear Matthew and lovely Marilla. I was afraid that no one would understand, but I think you do.

I haven’t made my mind up yet which is worse, for a person to never know love or for them to have known it and lost it. But when I am at risk of letting these pesky thoughts run my heart to the ground, I think on the happy things. Matthew polishing his most unusual radish and Marilla and I buying material for my dress. I think of the day you and I marched to the town hall and protested for the right for freedom of speech alongside our classmates. I think of you, Gilbert Blythe, and how you love me despite my many faults and flaws. I’m still pinching myself.

Bash was most elated to see me when I visited, and Delly has much grown since the last I saw her that you’ll have trouble deciding whether to laugh or cry the day you return. Although she is still a baby, I see dear Mary more and more in her. She possesses an unusual resolute wisdom and I patiently await the day when I can converse with her and unlock all that lies in her imagination and mind. And Elijah– oh, he adores his baby sister. He takes her for morning strolls around the farm so that Bash can sleep in after long days of working. Miss Hazel, Elijah, Delly and I walked all the way to where the stream meets the Lake of Shining Waters and found Miss Stacey fishing with some of her students and Rachel Lynde, of all people! Miss Stacey sends her warmest regards and a reminder to keep the promise you made to her.

Jerry certainly made a point to tease me about you. I asked him about the post script he wrote to you, but he infuriatingly would not reveal its contents, saying that I must learn to accept that I cannot always get what I want and I should thank him for teaching me this lesson. The nerve! I didn’t thank him, of course, but I will keep his words in mind and practice them by refraining from asking you to divulge the information I desire. To answer your question, Jerry had made it a habit to spell my name without an E and one day I was made to believe he did it for the purpose of annoying me, rather than simply being ignorant to the proper spelling–which I may have been able to tolerate–so I might have snapped at him. Okay, I did snap at him but he only found it hilarious. Now he overcompensates with a capital E.

As for your request to visit me at Queen’s and escort me to Avonlea, you have my enthusiastic approval. Please be advised that Mrs Blackmore has strict visiting hours for suitors, who may only visit between the hours of 2:00-4:00pm on Saturdays, in the parlor. (But I wouldn’t be too worried because Mrs Blackmore has already taken a liking to you, and I suspect it’s because chamomile tea is her favorite.) The girls and I have become much acquainted with the parlor, for many students at Queen’s have developed a taste for the Avonlea scholars. Mrs Blackmore, it turns out, has quite a number of redeeming qualities under her intimidating exterior. She has a no-visiting policy for suitors during exam season and when there is sickness in the house. One of the benefits of having half of my housemates ill near exam season, is that we finally have a respite from the boys who’ve made it a habit to visit.

I do feel sorry for Moody and Ruby, who I never knew until recent how devoted they are to each other. Ruby, one of the fortunate spared from sickness, was caught trying to sneak out of the house after hours. We all presume it was to meet Moody under a nearby willow tree, but Mrs Blackmore has no solid evidence and therefore no collateral to prohibit him from visiting again once we’ve all recovered from our colds. I think Mrs Blackmore does not really want to expel Moody Spurgeon from the house, because when he visits he usually plays us a few songs on his banjo and Mistress Mang–our term of endearment for her–dearly loves music.

How are you and Benjamin Frederick Wright getting along? I am intrigued to meet him. Dr Emily Oak, as well, for as you said, she is a kindred spirit. I figure she must be if she’s worked her way, beating all, to become a doctor working at an acclaimed university.

I joined the Poetry Reading Club and the Writing Club and found many kindred people there. Yesterday I was asked by one of my professors to consider joining Theatre and another to think on applying to be one of the editors for the Queen’s Verdict, the college’s newsletter. I’m still thinking on it, seeing as I’m already in two extra-curriculars. And, as you very well know, the last time I was involved with a school newspaper, there were many negative consequences. I don’t think I could bear to disgrace myself in Charlottetown.

I hope you aren’t holing yourself in your books and studies for too long, Gil. It’s important to take time to be at leisure and refresh your soul. Promise me that you’ll take a walk, talk to your classmates, and try something new. Maybe explore the city with your dear roommate. I heard they have a camera at U of T, so if you ever get the chance, have a photograph of yourself taken! In regards to your all-inclusive apology, it is wholeheartedly accepted. The slate has been wiped clean.

As I write this letter, I am sitting under one of my favourite trees in all of Charlottetown. I will introduce you to her when you visit me. Oh, how I wish tomorrow would come sooner than later because then I would be one day closer to seeing you again. But I must admit, I do appreciate our correspondence via letter, as it helps me filter my words and choose them carefully. I’m afraid of how I might act and what I might say when we are reunited, given my horrible habit of callously spewing out the words I think in the moment I conceive them. I miss you terribly and I do not trust myself to act proper when I see you in person. But Mrs Blackmore is determined to make a lady out of me yet, so only time may tell.

Take care of yourself, Gilbert. I love you. Come home someday.

Anne

P.S. word of the day: Retrouvailles - the joy of reuniting with someone after a long separation. (A bosom friend who is studying French is just as handy as any foreign vocabulary dictionary)

P.P.S. Oh, darling Gil, do you not know? In order for a duel to be classified as such, there needs to be a prize. I propose the loser gives the winner a kiss. And as Rachel Lynde says, pride comes before the fall—so pucker up, Slateface. I hereby engage in this long-distance duel.

———————————————————————

lolol I know I said I wouldn’t be posting during exams, but writing this was like a mini-break from studying so I hope you enjoy! I’d love to know what your favorite part of the letter is!

This is Letter #3! for an index to the first two shirbert letters and awae shorts, click here!

[stmaryslibraryios]

Three Bullets by R.J. Ellory - Review

For those of us who are of an age, we all remember what we were doing or where we were when we heard that JFK had been assassinated in November 1963. For whatever reason, even across the Atlantic in GB it had an effect on us. But what if he wasn’t shot, what if the shooter missed or was too late? What if JFK went on as president of USA and was running for a second term in office? This is the basis of this book.

A bullet was found on the floor in a room in the Texas School Book Depository on Elm Street, Dallas, the day the Presidents motorcade went past. JFK, his brother Robert who was Attorney General, and his cabinet were pushing to raise his popularity as he was going for a second term of office. But some of JFK’s personal life were making things a little difficult.

1950’s, Mitch Newman, a freelance journalist and his girlfriend/fiancée Jean Boyd also a journalist in DC had their future mapped out, they thought. But one day Mitch breaks Jeans heart as he tells her he has to go to Korea to report on the war, he felt it was his duty to take photographs to show the world what was going on.

Jean tells him she won’t wait and won’t forgive him if he goes but he feels it is his destiny, his chance to be a great war correspondent.

In less than a year he has returned home a broken man. He writes letters to Jean, to explain how sorry he was for going but Jean doesn’t acknowledge any of his letters and Jean has moved on, moved away from her childhood home, following her career in journalism.

1964, over 10 years have passed since Mitch has seen Jean but he has never forgotten her. Then one evening he gets a phone call from Alice, Jeans mother, telling him that Jean has died, committed suicide. Her mother is distraught, her daughter seemed happy and was working on something which had taken her to Dallas over the past few months. Mitch is also distraught as he wonders if it was his fault she committed suicide, had he stayed they would have been married with a family and happy. He decides to find out what Jean was working on to try and make sense of what drove her to suicide.

He finds himself being followed, Jeans apartment is searched by people alleging to be from the police or the newspaper she worked for. But he won’t give up. The more he digs he finds a trail which leads him to Dallas, Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby, JFK and a conspiracy. He also believes Jean was possibly writing and had found evidence of political corruption.....Two other women associated with the president, who Jean was trying to trace, end up committing suicide and Mitch thinks that it is too much of a coincidence.

It’s a well balanced book with parts being told as if you were part of the staff of the White House and parts with Mitch pursuing the events and a little of their past. I enjoyed this well researched story this trip down memory lane with historical events and names, some of which I hadn’t been aware. The 'House of Camelot' idealism that the Kennedy's created with JFK as captain of an unsinkable ship. The elegance and poise of Jackie, the First Lady (the American Lady Diana) – giving the impression of a perfect family living like royalty in the White House.

a clever mix of real people and events, fictional characters and fictional events, and some threads which are probably based on theories and suspicions about JFK, which add to the enjoyment of the book. Good characters and a cleverly constructed conspiracy story.

Review by Lindy

[photo-art-lady]

*Diana Rubi's Self-Portraits*

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 3.3

Beer Birthdays

Geörg Ziegelmaier (1852)

Jay R. Brooks (1959)

James Ottolini (1969)

Jeff Cioletti (1972)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Julie Bowen; actor (1970)

James Doohan; actor (1920)

Jean Harlow; actor (1911)

Miranda Richardson; actor (1958)

Ronald Searle; illustrator (1920)

Famous Birthdays

Diana Barrymore; actress (1921)

Alexander Graham Bell; inventor (1847)

Edna Best; British stage and film actress (1900)

Jessica Biel; actor (1982)

William James Blacklock; English-Scottish painter (1816)

Margaret Bonds; pianist and composer (1913)

Larry Burkett; author and radio host (1939)

Cyril Burt; English psychologist and geneticist (1883)

Georg Cantor; Russian-German mathematician and philosopher (1845)

Emile-Auguste Chartier; French writer and philosopher (1868)

Paul Clayton; folk singer (1931)

Brian Cox; English keyboard player and physicist (1968)

Ruby Dandridge; African-American film and radio actress (1902)

Gustave de Molinari; Dutch-Belgian economist and theorist (1819)

Bonnie J. Dunbar; engineer and astronaut (1949)

Perry Ellis; fashion designer (1940)

David Faustino; actor (1974)

Tyler Florence; chef and author (1971)

Ragnar Frisch; Norwegian economist (1895)

Ira Glass; radio host (1959)

William Godwin; English writer (1756)

Laura Harring; Mexican-American model and actress (1964)

Robyn Hitchcock; pop singer (1953)

Thom Hoffman; Dutch actor and photographer (1957)

Asger Jorn; Danish painter and sculptor (1914)

Jackie Joyner-Kersee; track athlete (1962)

Tim Kazurinsky; actor, comedian (1950)

Ronan Keating; Irish singer-songwriter and actor (1977)

Arthur Kornberg; biochemist (1918)

Artur Lundkvist; Swedish poet (1906)

James Merrill; poet and playwright (1926)

George Miller; Australian film director (1945)

Sameera Moussa; Egyptian physicist (1917)

John Murray; Canadian scientist (1841)

Thomas Otway; English writer (1652)

Mike Pender; English singer-songwriter and guitarist (1941)

Charles Ponzi; Italian criminal, "Ponzi scheme" (1882)

George Pullman; train car inventor (1831)

Anri Sakaguchi; Japanese actress (1991)

Clifton Snider; author and poet (1947)

Harold J. Stone; actor (1913)

Tone-Loc; rapper (1966)

Buddy Valastro; chef and tv host (1977)

Herschel Walker; football RB (1962)

Edmund Waller; English poet, writer (1606)

Michael Walzer; philosopher (1935)

Jennifer Warnes; singer-songwriter (1947)

Doc Watson; bluegrass singer-songwriter and musician (1923)

Snowy White; English guitarist (1948)

Darnell Williams; English-American actor (1955)

Hattie Winston; actress (1945)

Beatrice Wood; illustrator and potter (1893)

Victoria Zdrok; model (1973)

Ona Zee; porn actor (1954)

[mariacallous]

I can’t wait for Annus Horribilis now

Queen Elizabeth II Ruby Jubilee speech at the Guildhall, 11/24/1992:

1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an annus horribilis.

The "sympathetic correspondent" was later revealed to be her former assistant private secretary, Sir Edward Ford.[3] The unpleasant events which happened to the royal family in this year include:[4]

Separation of the Queen's second son, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, from his wife, Sarah, Duchess of York (19 March)

Divorce of the Queen's daughter, Anne, Princess Royal, from Captain Mark Phillips (23 April)

Death by suicide of her nephew, Prince Albrecht of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (23 April)

Publication of Diana, Princess of Wales's tell-all book Diana: Her True Story, revealing the problems in her marriage to the Queen's eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales, particularly his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles (Sunday Times, 7 June 1992)

Publication of photographs of the Duchess of York sunbathing topless with her friend, John Bryan (20 August)

Publication of intimate conversations between Diana, the Princess of Wales, and James Gilbey from a tape recording of their phone calls (24 August)

Fire in Windsor Castle, one of the Queen's official residences (20 November)

After her speech, one more event transpired that became notable: the separation of her son Prince Charles from his wife Diana (December).

[nerianasims]

Billboard #1s 1973

Under the cut.

Carly Simon – “You’re So Vain” -- January 6, 1973

Knowing who this song is about -- if there even is someone -- would make it a lot less fun. "You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht" is one of the greatest lines of all time. The subject of this song is a grade-A douchebag, and yet his life's kinda enviable, isn't it? He can fly his plane to see the total eclipse of the sun, he hangs out with spies, he seduces his close friends' wives, his horse wins races. But he "gave away the things he loved." He chose to be a movie character instead of having love, which is rather sad. It's a more complex song than it seems at first. And it's a lot of fun.

Stevie Wonder – “Superstition” -- January 27, 1973

Can't write too busy jamming. Okay so this song is great. The sentiment is one we need a hell of a lot more of. The music has my favorite funk beat. It's my favorite Stevie Wonder song, and one of my favorite songs period. Actually this is three in a row of my favorite songs now.

Elton John – “Crocodile Rock” -- February 3, 1973

Well that ends that streak. I don't like Elton John's music. I find it dull and irritating. I can't even pinpoint why entirely, because I can't listen to enough of his music all the way through. I have had to listen to this one all the way through at every wedding reception I've ever been to, though. It's a boring dance song, and boring dance songs are very bad things.

Roberta Flack – “Killing Me Softly With His Song” -- February 25, 1973

Roberta Flack is great, but I prefer the Fugee's version of this song. Flack's version is a little too color-within-the-lines for me.

The O’Jays – “Love Train” -- March 24, 1973

An optimistic, happy song about everyone loving each other and getting along. It's also a good dance song, which makes it easy to get on board.

Vicki Lawrence – “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” -- April 7, 1973

She killed her sister-in-law for cheating on her brother? Really? Really? Well this is where revenge leads -- now her brother's dead too. This song doesn't get at anything interesting and the story is simply unpleasant. The music in this song's not spectacular or anything, but it deserves a better story.

Tony Orlando & Dawn – “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree” -- April 21, 1973

This lounge lizard singing a twangy country-ish song doesn't work. He doesn't know how to do it. Also, it sounds like they were trying to make it into a novelty song. Someone coming home from prison and hoping his wife will still want him is in very poor taste for a novelty song. This song somehow became about soldiers returning home. It's a really bad song for such a poignant and complex topic. It's a really bad song for anything.

Stevie Wonder – “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” -- May 19, 1973

Stevie Wonder and his wife Syreeta Wright were in the process of breaking up when they recorded this love song together. They stayed in each other's lives until Syreeta passed away, though. Knowing that makes this song even more moving.

The Edgar Winter Group – “Frankenstein” -- May 26, 1973

How did a hard rock instrumental reach the top of the charts? The riff is pretty great, and some cool things are going on with the electric guitar. Hard rock instrumentals aren't my thing, though. But I think it's good, even if I don't want to listen to it.

Paul McCartney & Wings – “My Love” -- June 2, 1973

John and Paul both started producing lighter, slower songs after The Beatles broke up. I feel like George was keeping them grounded. Or I guess maybe Ringo -- who knows? This is tolerable, which is more than I normally say about too-light 70s love songs. Actually I think this is also a sex song. For the most soporific sex imaginable. Paul McCartney's bass playing was awesome when he was in The Beatles. I don't get why he didn't build songs around that after they broke up.

George Harrison – “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)” -- June 30, 1973

Another spiritual song from George Harrison, but it's better than "My Sweet Lord" in multiple ways. First, the melody's not plagiarized. Second, it has forward motion. You can actually dance a little to it if you want. Third, there's a bit of anguish there. Spiritual songs are always better when they have the tang of pain to them. And Harrison's guitar is on point. Pretty good.

Billy Preston – “Will It Go Round In Circles” -- July 7, 1973

The last two #1s were by ex-Beatles, and this one is by the man often called "the fifth Beatle." It's the best of these three by quite a ways. It sounds to me like it's about the creative process. A song with no melody, a dance with no steps. And the one I like the best: "I've got a story, ain't got no moral/ Let the bad guy win every once in a while." Sounds like his story's a lot farther along than the song and the dance.  The music is funky and soulful with a lot of different things going on, but without feeling overly crowded. Excellent.

Jim Croce – “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” -- July 21, 1973

Leroy Brown is a big, mean man, and everyone's scared of him. Until he goes after the wrong woman and her husband kicks the everloving crap out of him. Being big and mean doesn't count for much if you're a dumbass. It's sort of a country/funk blend, and I like it.

Maureen McGovern – “The Morning After” -- August 4, 1973

Mneh. I know why this one became a big hit; it was the ballad attached to a hit disaster movie. The Poseidon Adventure, one of the biggest disaster movies. I don't get disaster movies either. This song is schmaltz.

Diana Ross – “Touch Me In The Morning” -- August 18, 1973

Diana Ross sure sang a lot of songs in which she was desperate for a man who didn't want her. This time, she promises to be content with having sex just one more time in the morning with a one-night stand. How low maintenance of her. It's slow. It's boring. It gives me the icks.

Stories – “Brother Louie” -- August 25, 1973

Louie is white. He falls in love with a black woman. When he takes her home to his parents, they explode. I think he probably chooses to stay with her, but the song isn't clear. There's the fetishizing "Danger, danger when you taste brown sugar" line. Interracial relationships were really dangerous then still, so that's something. But I don't like the music, I don't like the singing, that one line is really bad and so I can't like the song at all.

Marvin Gaye – “Let’s Get It On” -- September 8, 1973

After learning about Marvin Gaye's life, I am extremely torn about this song. Marvin Gaye's father was a horrible right-wing preacher who made him think sex was a wicked thing. This song is Gaye's celebration of shedding the guilt instilled in him, and finding how wonderful making love was. But I still can't like this song. It's too light for me. (Marvin Gaye's father ended up murdering him -- he was truly a horrific excuse for a human being -- but at least Gaye was mentally free before that.)

Helen Reddy – “Delta Dawn” -- September 15, 1973

Helen Reddy manages a lot more emotion in this song than she did in "I Am Woman." I get it; I prefer stories to polemics too. That doesn't mean I like this song. A story song should have more than two verses and a repetitive chorus. Also, I don't like stories where women go mad because men promise to marry them and then split. I'm looking at you, Charles Dickens. Everyone's got tropes that make them itch, and this is one of mine.

Grand Funk – “We’re An American Band” -- September 29, 1973

My family moved a lot, but I always spent summers with my Grandmother in her cottage near Flint. So Flint is more my hometown than anywhere else. I'm definitely cool with a band from Flint laying claim to the "American Band" label. That doesn't mean I like the song. It's about touring and drinking and groupies, and then it's about repeating the chorus about a hundred and twelve times. Yeah, the music rocks, but it's repetitive and bores me as much as any soft rock ballad ever could.

Cher – “Half-Breed” -- October 6, 1973

I have a lot to say about this song. Way too much. Therefore I'm going to say nothing, except that nothing changes overnight, and this song is a massive improvement over the previous decade's songs about Native Americans.

The Rolling Stones – “Angie” -- October 20, 1973

I liked when the Stones were nice in "Ruby Tuesday." I don't like it so much in this one. It's a step too far. He's singing about how he still loves "you", Angie, but it's time to break up, and I just can't hear it as anything but insincere, fair or not. I feel like he's got someone else waiting. I do like how Mick Jagger makes "Angie" sound like "Angel" when he sings though.

Gladys Knight & The Pips – “Midnight Train To Georgia” -- October 27, 1973

Diana Ross was jealous of Gladys Knight and the Pips, and undermined them at least once. I am not surprised. Gladys Knight is a better singer than Diana Ross, and who wouldn't want the Pips singing and dancing behind them? This song is about how the singer's boyfriend is leaving on a midnight train to Georgia because he couldn't make it as a star in L.A., and she's going with him. Good for them. I love this song.

Eddie Kendricks – “Keep On Truckin'” -- November 10, 1973

Right into falsetto from the start. Sigh. This is a disco song, and it's not technically about trucking, but there are a lot of truck metaphors in it. I find a lot of disco weirdly hard to dance to -- I can't locate the beat somehow. I can dance to The Alan Parsons Project but not the Bee Gees. This is one of those disco songs I have trouble with. So it doesn't work for me to listen to or to dance to, and it's falsetto. Not bad falsetto, but still falsetto the whole way through. I don't hate it but I don't want to hear it again either.

Ringo Starr – “Photograph” -- November 24, 1973

This song is about looking at photographs of someone and missing them. It sounds a bit like an early Beatles song. George Harrison helped Ringo write it, and some of Phil Spector's collaborators gave it the "wall of sound" treatment. The former is likely why it's got a good melody and some interesting musical touches; the latter is why it gives me a headache.

The Carpenters – “Top Of The World” -- December 1, 1973

The singer is newly in love with someone who loves her, and it makes her feel wonderful. Very straightforward, honest, and unembarrassed, and Karen Carpenter's voice is gorgeous as always. The hook is dangerous; this song is likely to be in my head for a few days. That's okay though, because I like it.

Charlie Rich – “The Most Beautiful Girl” -- December 15, 1973

This is a country song in which the singer realizes he just destroyed his life, and is desperate to salvage it. He's asking if you've seen "the most beautiful girl in the world," because he needs to find her to apologize for the things he said that drove her away. It's sad and sweet, but it doesn't make me feel an awful lot.

Jim Croce – “Time In A Bottle” -- December 29, 1973

When this song would come on the oldies station, my mother would yell "Gah!" and change the channel to anything else. Her graduating class, very much to her chagrin, had decided it would be their song. (I don't remember what my graduating class's song was, but I remember some of us trying to get "I'm Too Sexy" to win and failing. I think we ended up being saddled with "I've Got Friends in Low Places.") In any case, I was prejudiced against this song before I heard it the whole way through. Jim Croce died young in a plane crash, so that is very sad. My reaction to this song is still the same as my mother's. It's glop.

BEST OF 1973 -- "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder WORST OF 1973 -- "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" by Vicki Lawrence

[fmstevie]

              *    ╰              waddup   y’all   ruby’s   back   2   annoy   u   all   w   a   lil   british   fuckboi   action   .   here’s   stevie   ,   inspired   by   matty   healy   n   thinkin   she’s   a   god   among   men   .   i   don’t   recommend   u   read   on   but   in   case   u   do   i   pray   u   forgive   me   enough   2   want   plots   w   that   like   button   .   🤡

                new   york’s   very   own      𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄   ‘   𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐘   ’   𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄            was   spotted   on   broadway   street   in   doc   marten   smooth   leather   chelsea   boots      .   your   resemblance   to   diana   silvers   is   unreal   .   according   to   tmz   ,   you   just   had   your   twenty   -   second      birthday   bash   .   while   living   in   nyc   ,   you’ve   been   labeled   as   being         𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐬   ,   but   also   𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞   .   i   guess   being   a   cancer      explains   that   .   3   things   that   would   paint   a   better   picture   of   you   would   be      erudite   inclinations   informed   by   a   god   complex   ,      melodrama   as   your   magnum   opus   ,   &   the   world’s   most   secretive   love   life         .               (   i   had   a   secret   marriage   that   lasted   6   months   but   ended   due   to   my   fear   of   my   family’s   mafia   ties   getting   in   the   way   .         )      &      (   cis   female   &   she   /   her      )

𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆      :      stephanie   charlotte   greystone 𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔      :            primarily   stevie   ,   although   her   stage   name   is   ‘   grey   ‘   which   has   caught   on   as   a   go-to   nickname   .   takes   little   to   nothing   else   wilingly 𝒂𝒈𝒆      :            twenty   -   two 𝒛𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒄      :      cancer    𝒐𝒄𝒄𝒖𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏      :      professional   musician   with   a   voiceclaim   of   lorde   ,   on   temporary   hiatus   to   write   grey3   .   casual   photographer 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓      𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒚      /      𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒔      :      cis      female      /      she      her      hers 𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏      :      pansexual   w   strong   female   pref   but   tbh   if   u   can   handle   her   energy   she’ll   b   down   WKERWJER 𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕      :      5’10  🤤 𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒔      :      the   hedonist   ,         the      aesthete      ,      the      opaque   ,      the      vainglorious      ,      the      prodigy      ,      the      intangible   concept       𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈      𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒔      :      rhiannon      -      fleetwood   mac      /      WHAT   U   CALL   THAT      -      chase   atlantic    /      iceberg      -      borns      /      UGH      -         the      1975     /      boss   bitch      -      doja   cat      /      elephant      -      tame   impala     /      black   hole   sun      -      soundgarden      /      black   madonna      -      cage   the   elephant      /         this   charming   man      -      the   smiths     /      swim      -      chase   atlantic      /      1999   WILDFIRE         -      brockhampton

tw      drug   mention

𝒊.  𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.

there   is   perhaps   no   more   a   formidable   surname   in   the   organized   crime   circuit   in   all   of   europe   than   greystone   ,   a   name   risen   to   fame   through   countless   court   cases   and   highly   publicized   trials   .   dubbed   ‘   el   chapo   of   the   old   world   ,   ‘   liam   greystone   makes   his   reputation   known   as   a   ruthless   and   conniving   leader   of   a   million   dollar   cartel   business   ,   distributing   to   most   of   the   UK   and   eastern   europe   .   it’s   perhaps   an   even   greater   shock   to   find   even   as   public   enemy   #1   ,   he   takes   a   welsh   wife   by   the   name   of   marissa   and   weds   her   in   a   lavish   and   very   public   ceremony   ,   surmounting   crowds   not   unlike   those   of   the   royal   weddings   .   such   a   decision   is   a   clear   power   move   on   his   part   ,   flexing   the   pure   influence   it   would   require   to   have   such   a   public   family   life   with   no   fear   of   repercussion   from   rivals   or   enemies   .   

it’s   several   months   following   their   wedding   that   james   is   born   ,   with   nicholas   taking   a   few   years   after   .   elite   prep   schools   in   the   most   posh   london   neighborhoods   were   abuzz   with   equal   parts   curiosity   and   concern   to   be   sharing   streets   with   the   most   feared   mafia   family   in   their   whole   country   ,   though   the   elite   nature   of   liam’s   new   societal   presence   meant   he   took   to   his   ‘   dealings   ‘   with   a   but   more   subtlety   than   before   his   rise   to   power   .   something   of   a   media   frenzy   ,   it’s   the   talk   of   the   town   when   marissa   falls   pregnant   another   time   ,   nearly   a   decade   after   nicholas’s   birth   ,   this   time   with   a   baby   girl   ,   something   that’s   all   the   sun   and   mirror   can   seem   to   post   about   in   their   celebrity   tabloids   section   for   weeks   on   end   .   her   birth   raises   questions   of   immense   speculation   :   what   will   the   world   do   with   a   greystone   girl   ?

as   it   would   result   ,   they’d   worship   her   .   stevie   found   herself   raised   in   a   world   that   sought   her   out   at   every   turn   ,   cameras   pointed   towards   her   at   every   outing   .   james   and   nick   ,   now   teens   by   the   time   she   enters   primary   and   just   as   big   of   terrors   as   their   father   ,   view   their   lavish   lifestyle   as   the   result   of   some   bigger   destiny   for   greatness   ,   as   their   father   had   always   fed   to   them   ,   something   they   passed   on   to   their   baby   sister   who   took   it   as   her   mantra   .   one   of   the   earliest   manifestations   of   a   rather   intense   personality   ,   stevie   takes   this   to   an   extreme   ,   turning   her   unwanted   stardom   into   a   fuel   for   an   ever-increasing   god   complex   to   develop   .   the   apple   of   her   father’s   eye   and   every   bit   as   quick   ,   her   instructors   note   a   dedication   to   perfection   and   an   obsession   with   accomplishment   ,   along   with   a   natural   intelligence   that   leads   her   to   blast   through   her   studies   with   relative   ease   .   

she’s   just   16   when   she   completes   her   schooling   and   already   has   a   reputation   that   will   precede   her   ,   just   as   her   surname   had   before   .   relaxed   and   observant   ,   her   voice   never   peaks   higher   than   a   low   alto   with   her   charming   londoner   drawl   ,   a   facade   never   cracking   from   her   knowing   poker   face   .   there’s   something   about   being   so   above   everyone   (   even   if   it   is   a   self-imposed   superiority   )   that   leads   stevie   all   but   to   the   brink   of   isolation   ,   finding   solace   only   in   the   words   of   a   self-deluded   father   and   her   own   scribings   in   a   leather   bound   notebook   .   piano   lessons   since   early   childhood   lend   themselves   to   melodies   following   melodies   ,   and   before   she’s   even   able   to   legally   drink   ,   she’s   released   her   first   album   under   the   moniker   ‘   grey   ’   titling   it   pure   heroine   as   a   cheeky   nod   to   the   inevitable   accusations   of   it   being   her   family   ties   that   got   her   a   record   deal   .   but   as   streams   of   the   melancholy   tunes   begin   to   pick   up   fans   worldwide   ,   the   album’s   themes   of   isolation   ,   abandonment   ,   and   wasted   youth   hit   harder   than   ever   anticipated   from   the   youngest   greystone   .   she   leaves   home   to   tour   the   world   with   the   album   reaching   #1   in   countless   countries   ,   forging   her   own   path   with   a   maturity   beyond   her   years   and   a   vision   beyond   this   world   .   

    the   tour   ends   and   she’s   smitten   by   the   charm   of   new   york   ,   opting   to   move   to   continue   to   pursue   her   music   away   from   the   tangled   complications   of   family   life   in   england   .   barely   18   and   perhaps   intoxicated   with   the   loneliness   of   a   life   spent   in   the   watching   eye   of   others   ,   the   semblance   of   privacy   is   something   she   takes   to   like   an   addict   ,   exasperating   prying   paparazzi   with   her   notorious   refusal   to   comment   on   details   of   her   personal   life   .   she   builds   a   wall   between   herself   and   the   world   ,   keeping   out   prying   eyes   with   a   tight   -   lipped   grin   .   its   at   this   time   that   she   lets   the   first   person   into   her   life   perhaps   ever   ,   a   whirlwind   romance   so   intoxicating   it   results   in   a   courthouse   marriage   done   in   secret   .   never   to   be   seen   together   ,   never   a   word   spoken   to   anyone   else   ,   stevie   relishes   in   the   secret   which   is   soon   to   sour   upon   the   passing   of   their   honeymoon   phase   .   with   her   brothers   expanding   their   reach   into   the   US   for   their   unsavory   dealings   ,   it’s   not   long   after   her   marriage   begins   that   the   conflicts   reach   a   breaking   point   ,   an   annulment   following   barely   6   months   after   they   had   traded   ‘   i   do’s   .   ’

she   takes   to   the   studio   with   a   new   resentment   of   the   concept   of   love   and   even   more   sequestered   heart   ,   producing   melodrama   which   takes   the   world   by   storm   ,   snagging   her   a   grammy   win   for   album   of   the   year   .   fatigued   from   the   constant   go-around   of   keeping   her   secrets   her   own   except   for   when   they’re   taken   to   radio   streams   ,   she   does   a   limited   tour   for   melodrama   and   lands   herself   right   back   in   new   york   at   20   ,   putting   grey3   on   the   backburner   as   she   takes   to   all   the   hedonistic   engagements   she   had   indulged   herself   in   during   her   time   on   tour   .   she’s   kept   herself   busy   between   mindless   flings   and   days-long   benders   with   hobbies   such   as   photography   and   writing   ,   the   former   of   which   is   building   her   a   rather   impressive   reputation   in   the   arts   world   .   

𝒊𝒊.  𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 .

if   y’all   ain’t   tired   of   me   yet   god   bless   u   .   ..   .   bc   i   straight   up   b   tired   of   myself   :/

anyways   dis   is   stevie   ,   also   accepts   grey   the   same   way   ppl   talk   abt   lorde   n   switch   between   ella   n   lorde   !   she’s   not   picky   :~)

major   inspos   are   matty   healy   from   the   1975   n   hayley   kiyoko   if   she   was   less   of   a   try   hard   .   little   bit   of   kristen   stewart   in   there   ,   big   2016   ruby   rose   energy   n   brie   larson   top   me   tomfoolery   as   well   !   

basically   da   fuckboi   of   ur   dreams   ..      ..   .   lil   devilish   londoner   who   stays   thinkin   she’s   the   closest   thing   to   a   god   on   this   green   earth   !

notably   ,   she’s   incredibly   intelligent   and   profound   ,   tends   to   take   on   a   rather   patronizing   and   condescending   tone   bc   she   straight   up   b   thinkin   she’s   usually   the   smartest   person   in   the   room   (   how   annoying   )

so   laid   back   n   observant   ,   rlly   has   no   need   to   raise   her   voice   ever   bc   her   arguments   b   runnin   circles   around   ppl   !   imagine   the   way   harry   styles   talks   low   n   slow   n   calculated.   .   .   .   .   cameron   from   love   is   blind   ,.   ..   .      kristen   stewart   lowkey   sometimes   ..   ..   ..   das   grey   .    sexy   ass   alto   monotone  🤤🤤

i   dont   wanna   use   chaotic   bc   she   rlly   isnt   the   WILDEST   bitch   but   that   god   complex   means   she   deadass   thinks   she   can   get   away   w   what   she   wants   n   she   usually   does   ?   less   of   a   chaotic   evil   n   more   like   a   neutral   evil   lmao   she   can   follow   rules   just   fine   she   jsut   prefers   whatever   suits   her   better

on   that   note   —   OBSCENELY   self   obsessed   .   follows   her   own   natural   whims   n   impulses   bc   that’s   just   what   appeals   to   her   .   is   inclined   to   follow   rules   if   she   calculates   itll   work   in   her   favor   bc   she   also   doesn’t   like   to   look   sloppy   !

super   secretive   and   OBSESSED   w   her   presentation   .   every   movement   is   calculated   n   she   doesnt   want   anyone   seeing   a   side   of   her   that   she   hasn’t   designated   for   them   !   she   doesn’t   care   what   other   ppl   think   but   she   DOES   care   abt   what   she   sees   herself   doing   n   her   vision   .   doesnt   fit   the   vision   ?   will   NOT   happen   in   her   book   .

straight   up   a   WHORRE   lmao   she   likes   2   fill   the   void   left   by   a   lack   of   human   connection   w   sexual   intimacy   n   then   is   like   nice   imma   have   u   leave   now   love   LMAO   .   does   not   discriminate   and   is   rlly   inclined   to   follow   any   sexual   impulse

this   was   implied   but   her   relationships   are   super   messy   ?   does   the   leonardo   dicaprio   thing   where   she   will   never   fuckin   discuss   her   love   life   in   interviews   or   anything   so   ppl   just   gotta   SPECULATE   .   she   lets   ppl   post   all   they   want   abt   her   but   she   wont   say   a   WORD   abt   them   JWHEKJWH   her   socials   r   basically   just   abt   her   n   her   music   we   said   SELFISH   lads   .   she’s   bad   @   bein   tied   down   n   is   probs   polyamorous   as   it   stands   but   im   p   sure   she   has   cheated   on   every   single   person   she   has   ever   been   with   lmao

lowkey   a   shit   friend   most   of   the   time   lMAO   she   can   b   really   unreliable   bc   u   guys   can   have   plans   n   then   she   takes   someone   home   n   misses   yalls   plans   n   then   texts   u   4   hours   later   after   all   ur   missed   calls   n   is   like   my   bad   bruv   i   got   tied   up   AS   IF   THAT   FIXES   IT   KWEJKWJEKWE

chain   smoker   n   its   nastie   but   lowkey   sexy   somehow   :/  ,   will   ONLY   wear   outfits   that   r   equal   parts   thrifted   n   designer   ,   always   has   her   hands   in   her   pockets   n   if   her   jacket   has   a   hood   its   UP   like   a   big   ole   homo   ,   is   rlly   annoying   bc   shes   good   looking   n   KNOWS   it   so   she   uses   it   to   her   advantage   ,   wants   2   get   her   motorcycle   license   ,   judges   u   based   off   the   music   u   play   in   the   car   ,   judges   u   on   everything   tbh.

[nightshade-zoe]

Thoughts while rewatching 3x07

Sorry for the long post

Also I’m incapable of rewatching up through the first scene with Josie but

-I am glad there’s no time jump. I understand why everyone would criticize Anne but I’m tired of her constantly being put down despite having the best of intentions. Also it bothers me the dynamic between Ms. Stacy and Gilbert was “why couldn’t you talk some sense into her” Though at the same time she knows they have a deep connection. ***I realize now she meant “you” as in the class.

-I appreciate that Anne stood her ground against Marilla. Also that Marilla had a moment where she considered what Anne was saying. It reminded me of Marilla when Anne first goes to school and she’s wishing she’d had choices.

-FUCK JOSIE’S PARENTS

-The character growth of Prissy was excellent. She was a beautiful combination of biting retorts and cool logic. You can see her words have an impact both on her mother and Billy so I’m looking forward to seeing how that plays out in later episodes.

-I am a bit confused on why Anne made Josie’s situation worse aside from embarrassing her further. Because Jane already said her reputation was ruined and the engagement was off last episode so it’s not like Anne’s article caused either of those two things. Yes, being used as a scapegoat would hurt, but the fact Gilbert attacked her for “ruining a girl’s life” seems like much. It was Billy who did that. I am still so incensed Gilbert never apologized even if he technically realizes it was Billy who started this.

-I appreciate that Diana and Anne’s friendship is where they can call each other out. It’s an interesting parallel though that when Diana is angry with Anne, Anne heeds her advice. Yet later, when Anne calls Diana out for her treatment of Jerry, Diana just defends herself.

-Josie has a right to be angry. I understand that it’s a realistic dynamic where two girls are sort of friends but one can be mean however it’s unacceptable to me people keep expecting Anne to make things right and be nice with Josie who apparently has been calling Anne trash still. It’s not okay and I’m not okay with how not even Diana has stopped this.

-It would’ve been more powerful if Anne had said “Gilbert, I did try to talk to everyone about it yesterday but you shut me down” instead of attacking him for believing in equality because that was his mistake. He also never actually admits this mistake. It’s an interesting point though about how him bartering for a parcel of land given we didn’t see Gilbert and Winnie interact at the fair really. We saw Winnie’s father offer Gilbert connections to the Sorbonne.

-“before this room spontaneously combusts” cough foreshadowing

-Okay I’m glad for this Ms. Stacy/Anne dynamic. It was a beautiful balance of commending and explaining where Anne went wrong. I did really think Anne was going to mention Josie called her trash though. Side note, I know Anne is banned from the paper and the press is gone but I have a suspicion we will see one more article from her that will actually be impactful.

-It was incredibly poignant to have Mrs. Lynde who most of the time never shuts up and who criticized Anne as soon as she saw the article begin to feel the impact and necessity of the words. Also they focused on the cigar so much like wow props to that foreshadowing.

-Good pop culture reference here with Frankenstein. Diana was rather cruel but it’s been foreshadowed in her initial recoil at the hay on Jerry’s jacket and how she used Jerry’s family, despite their poverty, as an adventure she could slip on for size. I don’t think she’s being malicious though just sighs Jerry’s face. I also think they’re trying to depict unintentional toxicity in relationships and/or being physically attracted to someone but not having feelings.

-YES MS. STACY GO OFF. Also Matthew is the most unproblematic male ever. Also I love how it’s being framed as a learning experience for Marilla too.

-also “what’s next? An ode to cigars?” Cough cough foreshadowing

-I’m super upset on Anne’s behalf but I’m also glad this screaming isn’t for anything as dire as was predicted. Also the poetic justice of her using something Billy destroyed to defend the voiceless. W.R.I.T.

-Um excuse me Moody. Also good on Gilbert for realizing who the actually villain in this story is. I appreciate how this scene is done, showing the importance of male allies while also giving the credit and words to Anne. Also that rather than looking at the article is a whole, Gilbert is taking bits of it that are easier for everyone to swallow and realize they don’t disagree with.

-It is frustrating though he won them over with well reasoned logic but the same couldn’t be said for Prissy.

-I love the parallel of the girls rushing up to Anne and Gilbert smiling. She totally knows he defended her. Also I stan Ruby saying she knows her mind best and also glaring at Moody to agree with jeez

-Ruby saying oh good/Anne having a plan reminds me of Ruby going but you’re NEVER out of plans and also Anne knowing how to save Ms. Stacy.

-Also the music while Gilbert is speaking is the same as when Ms. Stacy defended herself at the town hall.

-The barn scene clowned us butttt Gilbert you’ve got a paint can in front of you. Why do you have to lean over Anne ;)

-Anne said both parties must have feelings and Diana looks stressed hmmm I think they’re going for having physical attraction vs feelings towards someone

-Once again Josie calls Anne trash but this was very well said by Anne. It’s also interesting she says that only you can define your self worth when we saw her last episode question whether anyone could ever love her and this episode question whether her best friend looked down on her :-/

-Josie is totally going to the protest though.

-JERRY AND ANNE . . . Oh no. I love that Anne is really looking out for him. The dialogue is confusing because Anne’s like you have a girl?? And it’s not till later Jerry is like “wait she didn’t tell you”

-I love love love the parallel of Josie taking off her hair ribbons with last season when we first saw them.

-Billy is so abusive like he’s trying to frame this as I still like you despite what you did and just come back to me and everything will be okay. Good on Josie for rejecting him. He clearly took to heart what Prissy said about him having power but not that he’s the one at fault.

-I stan supportive Matthew always always always saying they should let Anne be happy and live a full life and reach her full potential

-Oof the Dianne fight. Once again objects have a lot power. “If you were my friend you would understand” feels like “if I could take it all back I would”

-I’m getting the feeling Diana is just very physically attracted to Jerry and is confused because she thinks that physical attraction and feelings should be the same but aren’t in her case which Anne doesn’t get because she thinks the same way. Anne was right to call her out on her behavior towards Jerry but also/probably will eventually hear Diana’s side of the story. Also yikes at her thinking Diana is going to ditch her.

-I feel like one of my issues with this season of AWAE is that they’re trying to present a ton of relatable teenage experiences but they all get colored by Anne’s past trauma and struggles with self-worth. Fighting with her mother isn’t just a small disagreement, it’s her struggling to remember/figure out if she was/is loved. Having a crush becomes, I just wanted to believe someone could love me that way. Fighting with her best friend is, I’m an orphan who will never be good enough for her. But the fact that her experiences are being tinted this way is never addressed by her or anyone on the show.

-On that note the way Diana says “here we go again Anne Shirley and her tragical tale of woe” bothers me. Has this been an issue before? Is Diana just upset because she feels she has valid problems too, which is very true? Does she not believe Anne? She says “a true story at last”. I never got the sense Anne talked much or at all about her childhood to Diana.

-This is too painful to watch but also they are both so dramatic both when blowing kisses goodbye and fighting that I wouldn’t be shocked if it blows over next episode. I absolutely fought with my best friend like this when I was sixteen only for both of us to call each other sobbing in apology two days later.

-Prissy ❤️❤️ You can see her mother is thinking about what she’s saying. Also I know Jane is under huge backlash right now but I think it’s important that this was included as it’s a perspective a lot of women, even in those that I know, that intelligence and feminism aren’t connected and sometimes those who are privileged can’t see why sexism is an issue

-Gilbert: “just a suggestion not telling you what to do” seemed like a growth in his understanding of Anne

-I loved the little moment between Prissy and Anne showing how they’ve evolved. It was Anne who originally started the scandal about Prissy but they’ve both matured so much and united and ahhh it’s perfect.

-Marilla waving the handkerchief is beautiful. Also the little glance Ruby and Tilly give each other when Anne mentions Diana won’t be joining them.

-THIS MUSIC IS MY FAVORITE MUSIC IN THE SERIES. It’s the hot air balloon music except layered with more instruments.

-I called the freedom of speech AHHHH Good on Josie for taking a stand. Anne smiling at Gilbert reminds me once again of the time they saved Ms. Stacy

-The minister only tries to take boards from the girls.

-That photograph is absolutely going to come back.

-I love the growth of Rachel and Marilla. Rachel crying because this has an impact on her. That proud look matthew gives Marilla for speaking up.

-Also like how did Gilbert rip that paper so perfectly it’s so hard.

-the last frame of this scene is the cigar smoking guy really why didn’t I see this coming the first time

-I love that they have Prissy and Josie talking.

-Also while I perpetually wish we’d seen more of Muriel/Anne that hug was everything.

-Ah I’d missed Gilbert staring longingly at Anne. While he clearly has feelings this season there haven’t been any moments of him just watching her in awe.

-where is this music on the porch from I’ve heard it before someone help

-the spelling. The throwback. The glances of longing. THE MOONLIGHT. The realization they work together well and care about each other deeply and have run out of “misunderstandings”

-Anne did nothing wrong here, as far as she knows, he’s dating Winnie. BUT I am glad we have finally visibly seen Gilbert looking conflicted about there being two girls. And he couldn’t drink his tea.

-They really stole the printing press. I guess the title was “a strong effort of the spirit of good” which fails both in Frankenstein and I guess now also here

-the music overlay is the same as when Anne comes back from Charlottetown terrified of the grifters and grabs marillas hand in 2x03

-really they burned the schoolhouse? Do we have time for this?