#dickens december has been delightful!

[warrioreowynofrohan]

I posted 499 times in 2022

That's 128 more posts than 2021!

250 posts created (50%)

249 posts reblogged (50%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@warrioreowynofrohan

@tolkien-feels

@thearrogantemu

@lifeisyetfair

@theoppositeofprofound

I tagged 492 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#tolkien - 274 posts

#the silmarillion - 235 posts

#the lord of the rings - 74 posts

#fanfic - 51 posts

#dracula daily - 48 posts

#dracula - 45 posts

#a christmas carol - 38 posts

#maglor - 37 posts

#brandon sanderson - 31 posts

#finrod - 29 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#though the section in “a christmas carol” where dickens is rhapsodizing about fruits and vegetables and nuts that we take for granted now

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I knew blood types weren’t discovered until after Dracula was published, but I didn’t realize until this morning’s posts (thanks, everyone!) that they were discovered around 1901, only a few years after it was published.

And now I’m just imagining Bram Stoker reading about that discovery and going “….. welp…. that ruins my plot,” like if you wrote a futuristic book about the Cold War in 1986.

1,496 notes - Posted September 7, 2022

#4

FYI Dracula Daily readers, we’re about halfway through the timspan of the book but about one-fifth of the way through the content.

Emails will be getting longer.

2,211 notes - Posted August 3, 2022

#3

(Dracula) Daily reminder that the boxes of dirt on the Demeter are nailed shut and remain nailed shut, so the captain has a very good reason not to suspect that there is someone hiding in them and coming out and attacking his crew.

(Dracula) Daily reminder that Dracula can turn into mist.

3,108 notes - Posted July 18, 2022

#2

I can no longer read the quote that Sauron “loved order and coordination, and disliked all confusion and wasteful friction” without thinking that the starting point of his fall to evil - not the later stages, but the very first starting point - can be summed up as “this meeting should have been an email.”

4,555 notes - Posted August 31, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I think it would be fun if, along the lines of Dracula Daily, we had Dickens December, with portions of A Christmas Carol sent out daily from Dec 1 until Christmas. It’s a wonderful book, with narration that is by turns humourous, satirical, evocative, idiosyncratic, moving, and passionate, and the joy of the full text and writing can be missed even in the best adaptations. It would be fun to have it done as a tumblr book club the way Dracula Daily was, and see everyone comment on it a little at a time.

Does anyone know if someone is already doing this? I don’t think I would have time to assemble it in the next ten days, but if it already exists I would love to participate!

7,704 notes - Posted November 20, 2022

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[ladamedusoif]

Books (Professor!Ben x OFC Lydia)

A Merry Fic-Mas - December 14

Part of A Merry Fic-Mas: A Holiday Fic Calendar - click for masterlist.

Follow @ladameecrit for my writing updates!

Pairing: Professor!Ben x OFC!Lydia (part of the Visiting universe)

Word count: 848

Warnings: Language, angst, pining

Rating: Teen

Summary: What’s the harm of imagining an alternative future, when you’re lonely this Christmas?

This Fic-Mas story can be read as an add-on/deleted scene to Chapter 8 of Visiting, 'Sister Winter'.

Iceland has this thing called Jolabokaflod - literally, “book flood”. It can mean the rush of new books published for Christmas gifts, or it can mean the tradition associated with them. 

Put simply, the idea is that on Christmas Eve, you exchange books with your nearest and dearest. And then everyone snuggles up in bed, armed with hot chocolate and candy, and reads their new book. 

It sounds like heaven. 

The book flood tradition pops into your mind as you place a neatly-wrapped selection of books under the tree at your parents’ house on Christmas Eve. And with it, a pang, and another thought. 

Ben would love that. 

“Fuck,” you mutter to yourself, trying to fend off the thoughts of him. “I think it’s time for bed.”

You creep up the stairs, last one to turn in for the night, and nestle in with your hot water bottle. 

You wish he was keeping you warm, girl. 

“Fuck.”

Sleep doesn’t come easy. And you begin to imagine, to let yourself daydream (if one can call it that) about an alternative reality, an alternative future, if only for the night. 

It is Christmas, after all. It’s canonically a time for what might have beens, for counter-factuals. What was A Christmas Carol, if not that? And - even more obviously - what of It’s A Wonderful Life?

Alright, you think, maybe it’s not quite the same. Clarence the Angel had to show George Bailey how much better he made the world, and how wonderful his life actually was. And Dickens showed Scrooge terrible things, to help him change - a far cry from the cosy scene you were about to conjure up. 

Still, the point stands. What if things were different? What if things could be different? 

You close your eyes and let your mind wander, telling yourself it’s just idle fantasy. It’s not hurting anyone. Right?

So indulge. Find comfort in thinking about how it might be, could have been. Imagine the comfort of books, of warmth, of him.

You had thought for a long time about the book for Ben. Eventually, you settled on a personal favourite, one that reflected your personality, your interests, yourself: The Belly of Paris, by Émile Zola. You knew he hadn’t read it - “just Thérèse Raquin and Germinal”, he’d told you as you raved about Zola’s books - and you wanted to see what he thought. 

The edition is a recent translation, a handsome paperback, and you wrap it up in brown paper and add a length of dark red ribbon, placing it under the tree to await Christmas Eve. 

The next day, it’s joined by a matching book-shaped gift: this time wrapped in dark green paper, your name written in his distinctive handwriting on an old-fashioned gift tag. 

Christmas Eve is idyllic: mulled wine, old movies, talking and preparing food for the next day’s meal as the snow falls softly outside. By about 8 that evening, you’re settled cosily on the couch and your eyes land on the little packages. 

“Time for book flood, I think.”

Ben smiles as you reach under the tree and retrieve the gifts. “You want to open them here?”

“I’d rather do it in bed, baby. C’mon, grab some hot chocolate.” 

He follows you upstairs to bed, making you giggle as he purrs in your ear: “Gonna make you read soooooo much, Lyd. We’re gonna read so hard.”

You wiggle your eyebrows at him as you join in the suggestive jokes, pulling him close to you. “Well, you know I can keep reading for hours, Benjamin.”

You can. And you do. 

Ben’s book gift to you is a gorgeous vintage copy of Love in the Time of Cholera, which you clutch to your chest in delight. He opens his parcel carefully, a wide smile spreading across his face as he recognises the title. 

“Émile. Of course.”

And now it’s just the two of you, side by side in bed, the only sounds the occasional crackle from the tall candles you’d lit in the bedroom, one or both of you sipping your hot cocoa, and the turning of the pages. 

Without lifting his eyes from Zola, Ben’s left hand finds your right, and holds it: safe, secure. Your thumb traces over his tattoo, making him hum quietly with pleasure. 

“Imagine if we hadn’t figured things out”, you muse, eyes still fixed on Garcia Marquez. 

Ben turns and looks at you, eyes warm and expression most serious. “Not figuring things out was never an option.”

When you wake in the grey light of Christmas morning, it takes a moment for you to remember.

The pain hits you all over again. The fantasy - simplistic and all as it might have been - had been too convincing, and facing reality feels even harder. 

You can hear your family already waking and pottering about the house, little nieces stampeding out of the spare room they’re sharing with your sister and brother-in-law for the holidays. 

Craving the warmth of a familiar hand on yours, you turn over and cry into the pillow. 

[harvey-guillen]

We took our Carol trip!

December 10, 2023, my good friend Sarah and I piled in my small Kia and made the 1 hr 40 min trip from Indianapolis, IN to see Cincinnati and Chevoit, Ohio shooting locations from 2015's "Carol." It's the only winter movie that matters to me. Here are some of the key locations we visited.

Tagging: @belivet, @pacinos, @lesbin

Shillito Center and art deco exteriors in Cincinnati.

Shillito Center was a department store with art deco features including the beautiful clock pictured above. This was the exterior of Frankenberg's in the film. The Shillito's department store has closed but the beautiful building has been turned into luxury loft apartments!

The other buildings of note were the Bell Telephone Company's "Cincinnati Bell" building--my friend noticed that the decorative border on the building is comprised of a stone pattern of old rotary telephones! The exterior of the now-Hilton Cincinnati is another Carol shooting site, which doubled as New York City's Drake hotel.

This is the exquisite Hilton Cincinnati at Netherland Plaza. As you can see, the art deco influence is strong and the rooms are gorgeous and grand. We were hungry and wanted to have lunch but the only available menu was the Dickens breakfast buffet, priced at a formidable $89! So we enjoyed a drink and a bowl of peanuts at the bar. A quartet of professional singers in Victorian costumes sang Christmas Carols beautifully in the background. The bartender was dressed like they used to dress, in a beautiful tailored slacks, shirt, and vest uniform. He did not work at the Hilton in 2014-2015 but was delighted by our quest. The entryway to the hotel is known as the "Hall of Mirrors," inspired by Versailles.

This is the stone bathroom structure at Eden Park, which was the setting for the Christmas tree farm impromptu photography session. My friend watched Carol to prepare (she called it "fun homework") and I prepared by finding a tam o shanter hat at a thrift store. My parents had the scarf, blonde fur coat, faux fur hat, as part of their repository of items from doing over 25 years of community theater together. The rest of my clothing items are a regular part of my wardrobe. I vacillate between eras but I love 40s, 50s, and 60s best of all. I also think it's likely they filmed the scene of Therese and Richard on bicycle going through a park at Eden Park as well, but can't be totally sure.

Finally, Maury's Tiny Cove Restaurant in Chevoit, Cincinnati is the setting of the first lunch between Carol and Therese. The booth they used for shooting has been preserved and I reserved it ahead of time, although surrounding booths also have pictures from filming hanging over them. It's been long enough that the server didn't know much about the film but told us that a group of excited college students ate there once and requested the same meal Carol and Therese ordered in the movie. I had lasagna as we had not eaten much all day, and a Santa Cosmopolitan from their holiday menu. The food was wonderful and it was obvious a lot of people are regulars. We noted that there are glass windows over the booths now, unlike in the movie, probably added during the height of Covid.

Bonus, but a disappointment:

Carol & Rindy's beautiful house at Grandin Rd has been completely re-done and now looks nothing like in the movie:

And, "that's that"! A truly special and memorable experience.

Here is a link to a Google Drive with all of the unedited photos and videos we took if you want to see anything in original quality/detail. We shot video of the photography scene but it was mostly goofy and unusable haha.

We talked about the movie some and Sarah asked me which character was the best fit for my personality. Hands down, Abby. I was wide-eyed Therese once, never glam enough for Carol, but Abby will tell you the truth and not blush from it. My hero!

[cliozaur]

A Dickens December Day 26 The End

Plot-wise, it’s a brilliant decision that Scrooge spent Christmas with his family and devoted the first working day to Bob Cratchit! Bob’s reaction to Scrooge’s transformation, wanting to put him in a straitjacket, aptly symbolizes the dramatic and unlikely change. I wish us all to have employers who appreciate our work and have decency to give timely raises.

Tiny Tim seemed to need nothing more than sufficient food and proper clothing to avoid dying. And I am sure this conclusion makes all the readers happy and satisfied with the ending like nothing else. Moreover, it's reassuring to know that Scrooge's transformation was lasting. Although we're not told how much longer he lived, it’s certain that there were at least several years that allowed him to build a reputation as someone who “knew how to keep Christmas well.” Good for him!

Reading A Christmas Carol has been an absolute pleasure in such delightful and insightful company! A heartfelt thank you to @warrioreowynofrohan for organizing it and to all of you who shared your thoughts and comments—it’s been an honour!

[nancypullen]

Checking In

It's been a wonderful few days here on the Pullen spread. Matt has been in town and he's always such good company. We've had a lot of laughs, eaten too much holiday food, and just enjoyed being together. The Edgewater gang went down to Tennessee for Turkey Day, but I've had two calls from our Little Miss and have seen loads of pictures - they're having a ball. They'll be home on Sunday, Matt will fly out this evening, and we'll all brace ourselves for Christmas. We're getting decorated, my cards have arrived, and I'm ready to start wrapping gifts. The mister and I may wander into D.C. and visit the Christmas market, or we may opt to go to Baltimore's Inner Harbor - they do a big German Christmas village with loads of vendors (and German food!). Chestertown, on our side of the bridge, will have their Dickens Christmas festival the first weekend of December. We'll definitely give that a go. Doesn't look like we'll lack for Christmas cheer. I've volunteered to work the Friends of the Library booth at the Ridgley Christmas shindig, we'll see if they plug me into the schedule. I think that's on the 9th. It's tiiiiime!

In other news....I GOT A JOB! The Caroline County Library looked past my pink fluff (and maybe my age) and offered me a position! Yippee! I'll start January 16th, so come on over and see the nice granny at the library, she'll help you with anything you need. I never thought I'd be starting a new job at age 60, but I truly think it's going to be good for me in many ways. I can't just rot in this house. When the offer was made and salary and start date settled, I was reminded that this was, of course, pending a clean background check. Why is it, that even when you know you haven't had so much as a speeding ticket in decades, you wonder if you'll pass the background check? No one has lived a more vanilla life than I have, but what if they uncover that I skipped school in 1980 and egged a rival high school? I'll bet the people doing my background check weren't even born in 1980. What's the statute of limitations of egging? I may also have knowledge of several toilet papering incidents. That's it, I'm sunk.

Moving right along. I've got several artsy projects going. It looks like a glitter factory exploded in my craft room and that makes me happy. Look at these little chests (don't look at my mess).

Those are going to be tooth fairy boxes! My grandgirl and my sister's grandson are about the same age, both in kindergarten and nearing the snaggletooth stage of life. I''ll touch up the paint on these, glue in a little cushion, and place a little scroll inside printed with a poem I wrote for them: The Tooth Fairy Riding a moonbeam, she enters our land With glittering wings and a pouch in her hand Searching for treasure, a fairy's delight, a child's lost tooth, shiny and white. Upon finding a tooth that pleases her eyes, she leaves that lucky child a surprise So take care of your teeth, do your best When one is lost, use this chest Close your eyes, drift and dream She'll soon arrive on a silver moonbeam When you wake, look inside And see what treats a fairy hides

Okay, it's rough, but it'll work for little kids. It's all about the magic, folks. Make as much magic as you can for as long as you can. If it includes glitter, even better. Okie dokie, time for me to get busy around here. There are decorations to hang, things to sparkle, and cookies to eat. I hope you're doing something fun today, too. Whether that means shopping with the crowds or watching Hallmark movies and drinking hot cocoa, do it! Let's make a pact to send 2023 on its way in a cloud of merriment and happiness. The world is insane, bad news blares at us all day, so do everything you can to make your little corner of the world sweet. Sending you love and lots of holiday cheer. Sprinkle it all over! Stay safe, stay well, stay jolly. XOXO, Nancy

[adamwatchesmovies]

Scrooge (1970)

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has been adapted so many times you need to do more than end it with a line other than “God Bless us, everyone” to stand out. So how about a musical version of the classic story? Sounds like an odd fit but the terrific soundtrack and impressive dance numbers make 1970's Scrooge a new favourite.

Ebenezer Scrooge (Albert Finney) is a bitter miser who considers the ideals and spirit of Christmas pure humbug. He hesitates to give his underpaid assistant Bob Cratchit (David Collings) the day off and scoffs at his nephew Harry (Michael Medwin) when he suggests a holiday dinner. One cold Christmas Eve, the ghost of Scrooge's partner Jacob Marley (Alec Guinness) appears to him with a warning: "Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits. Heed their counsel and change your ways or risk an eternity of suffering."

I know you’re still incredulous at the idea of an all-singing, all-dancing Ebenezer Scrooge. Trust me, it works. It’s not like this was a story grounded in realism from the get-go with the multiple spirits and all. Plus, Christmas has a wide cannon of songs attached to it - so does the nearby New Year’s celebration - so is it really a stretch? These choices give Scrooge a way to stand out. If you’re a fan of musicals, it gives you one more to add to your lineup. How about a whole day of White Christmas, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Meet Me in St. Louis, Holiday Inn (if you consider those last two Christmas movies) and you conclude it with Scrooge?

This is the best kind of musical. Every song adds to the story and tells you more about the characters. Some are so catchy you’ll want to rewind the film just to hear them again. I’d single out December the 25th and Thank You Very Much (for which the film received an Academy Award nomination) as the best. That later one blew my socks off. It’s a big parade march that comes up during the “Spirit of Christmas Future” segment and at first, I thought its cheery tone was ill-suited for the darkest point of the story but that’s the point. It’s so cheery it drives home how people feel about Ebenezer Scrooge just as well as a couple of old ladies cackling over his stolen possessions could. Then, the film adds a new scene, a delightfully ironic final fate that drives the lesson home even better than the song did. What’s next? a delightful reprise where the previous songs are now given a completely different meaning thanks to the transformation that’s taken place. My favourite part of musicals (and hear me out on this one) often turns out to be the end credits because that’s when we get a second chance to hear the best songs as the film ushers us out. This conclusion is that second chance but even better because it also adds to the plot.

The great thing about Scrooge is that you get all of these songs and the story you love too. The film hits all of the emotional beats, contains all the characters, events and plot points too. Albert Finney’s scratchy old man voice is a bit off-putting but it fooled me. I wasn't sure if he was an actor in makeup or a marvelously spry senior. It’s a great performance and within a few minutes, you’ll have set you incredulity aside.

Certain musicals contain nothing but hits. Others have a few good tunes and the rest among mostly forgettable numbers. I’m not 100% sure where the soundtrack to Scrooge lands. I’ll say this; any song becomes memorable if you hear it enough times and Scrooge is the kind of movie you will come back to. Just as fans of Home Alone occasionally swap it for the sequel, I predict you will eventually feel like taking a break from the George C. Scott and Alastair Sim versions of A Christmas Carol and reach for Scrooge instead. You might even include two or all three when the holiday season comes around, as this British musical is perfect as a movie you put in the background while decorating or wrapping gifts. The more I think about it, the more I like Scrooge. (December 26, 2020)

[whimsicaldragonette]

ARC Review: Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels #4-6 by Serena Blasco

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Publication Date: December 6, 2022

Synopsis:

In Book 2 of the series, Enola is back on the case, deciphering clues and developing leads in each of three new mysteries. What she doesn’t know is that she, too, is being pursued—by her own brother! Once again, Sherlock Holmes’ brilliant, strong-willed younger sister takes center stage in this delightfully drawn graphic novel based on Nancy Springer’s bestselling mystery series. London, 1889. A woman is being held prisoner while she awaits a forced marriage. Another has been kidnapped, and yet another disappears… As Enola seeks to rescue the three women, her brother embarks on a quest of his own. When Sherlock receives a mysterious package, he knows he’ll need Enola’s help to decipher its meaning. In the end, the three Holmes siblings will have to work together to answer the question that started it all: What happened to their mother?   Book Two contains three engrossing mysteries: The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan, The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, and The Case of Baker Street Station.

My Rating: ★★★★★

*My Review below the cut.

My Review:

This was delightful! I love the Enola Holmes adventures and this graphic novel compilation is an engaging and enjoyable way to experience them. I have not previously read the books this graphic novel is based on, but I had no difficulty following the story. The artwork is gorgeous! the watercolor illustrations are free-flowing enough to give the pieces a sense of movement. The colors are vibrant and convey the emotion of each scene excellently, as well as the personality of the characters. Speaking of personality, each character is drawn in a way that makes them ooze personality. They are unique, distinct, and memorable, making the experience of reading even more fun. In many ways the characters remind me of those one might encounter in a Charles Dickens novel. I love the way Enola runs circles around her brothers despite being only 14. She is inquisitive, has a brilliant mind, and is very resourceful. The story is a whirlwind where she leaves everyone in the dust as she rockets about solving mysteries. She gives Sherlock a run for his money. I hope there will be more volumes of these Enola Holmes graphic novels because they are loads of fun and I would love to read more. *Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing an e-arc for review.

[aziraphales-library]

Aziraphale’s Library Festive Countdown: Week 3

Hey all, Mod B here with this weeks batch of festive fun!

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A Christmas Carol Service by HolRose Mr Crowley and Mr Fell Present: An Entertainment for Christmas Or: How an Angel and a Demon inspired a Christmas Classic Or: An Ineffable Christmas Cock-up Or: How Charles Dickens Saved the Day

A fantastic good omens edition of the classic story, this fic does an excellent job of winding Aziraphale and Crowley into the story, and was wonderful at balancing its humour, introspection, and heartwarming elements. 

Don't Even Wish for Snow by LadyShipwreck Every Christmas for over 300 years, Crowley has put off telling his best human friend that he's a demon. He somehow doesn't see what's wrong with this picture.

This fic is just as hilarious as you would expect from the premise, but also has some very sweet moments that make it more than worth the read.

How an Angel Learnt to Relax and Rediscover Christmas by Jupiter_Ash Aziraphale has a complicated relationship with various religious holidays. Christmas was no exception. (Part 1 guest starring other religious and non-religious holidays)

While it is currently still a WIP, the latest addition to the incredible Tales of Eden Cottage series is an absolute delight, featuring many engaging OCs, and endlessly enjoyably memorable footnotes.

O Night Divine by anonymintea “Absolutely terrible, isn't it?” “I beg your pardon?” “The holidays,” Crowley replied. “Most dreadful time of year.” The feeling of cheer and holiday spirit may have put a spring in Aziraphale's step, but it was an oppressive weight on Crowley's chest. Like being outside on a humid day, the joy of Christmas was sticky in his lungs, suffocating.

This fic is a wonderful character study, with some very fun and in-character moments. Sweet and does a good job of poking fun at their awkwardness.

Mistletoe and Wine by Fire_Traveller Aziraphale decorates the bookshop for Christmas and afterwards, he and Crowley share some hot mulled wine...until Crowley suggests that they could listen to some more modern Christmas music and actually dance to that...Just some shameless fluff, folks... Written for the 'Mistletoe' prompt.

Exactly what you’d expect from a ‘mistletoe’ prompt in all the best ways, this fic has fantastic dialogue and is wonderfully fluffy. Super lighthearted and a joy to read.

Crowley's First Christmas by skimmingthesurface, SylviaW1991  Christmas is just the sort of holiday a demon has no business enjoying, even if one particular demon is entirely responsible for just such a holiday. After Armageddon't, he finally has a chance to see what all the fuss is about and one particular angel is very eager to show him. It's been nearly two thousand years of missing him every December, after all, so there's much to do. There's mulled wine, Christmas markets, a tree to decorate, gifts to give, and secrets to share.

A wonderfully long fic to dig into, this fic manages to have them both fantastically in-character, with witty dialogue and many soft scenes, this fic nails their dynamic, and why we all love it so much.

Taking the Cake by Caedmon Aziraphale has noticed his handsome neighbor, but hasn't had an excuse (or the nerve) to talk to him. He gets his chance, though, when a bakery delivers a package to the wrong door a few days before Christmas and his neighbor comes knocking.

A top tier human au with wonderful soft and flustered moments, this fic does an excellent job at developing their relationship, and is just such a joy to read. 

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Happy christmas to all of all our readers who celebrate! If you don’t, I hope you also have a wonderful, peaceful day. Hope to see yall back next week for the final, new years themed rec post!

~ Mod B

[granvarones]

I’ve always taken some level of comfort in the holiday season. Wrapping gifts, decorating the tree, queuing up the holiday classics on the radio. There’s a repetition of the holidays and their associated festivities that I’ve always taken comfort in as a queer kid of color growing up. A welcomed pomp and circumstance to bookend any year, no matter how challenging or depressing. Over the years, I craved the kind of holiday cheer that could look and feel like me and the spaces that I occupied.

You don’t have to look too deeply to understand that Christmas and its pop culture breadcrumbs have historically been dominated by whiteness. The benchmarks of the holiday season are usually found in “A Christmas Story” marathons, Bing Crosby ditties, and Charlie Brown.

Unbeknownst to most, an update on a classic was about to disrupt any antiquated, albeit comfortable, ideas of what constitutes a “classic” Christmas. The one driving a bulldozer through the most wonderful time of the year would be a crass, Black, bisexual, singing superstar with a pill problem and set of enemies ready to take her down. Her name is Ebony Scrooge.

The VH1 made-for-television film “A Diva’s Christmas Carol,” written/directed by Richard Schenkman debuted on December 13, 2000 and in the years since its debut would generate a loyal fanbase of viewers. The powers that be, having yet to see its underground following, leave viewers no choice but to pull out their DVD players every year, hope for a midnight cable viewing, or search through YouTube to satisfy the desire for this Christmas gem.

Here’s a glimpse into how Ebony flips Christmas on its head.

1. A Fabulous Spin on an Old Favorite

The film reimagines the classic Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” in a universe of late 90s era diva-dom. The iconic Ebenezer Scrooge is retooled as Ebony Scrooge, a Black pop/R&B princess with massive success but little love in her heart. One fateful night alongside some oddball spirits has her questioning her cold ways just in time for Christmas. Produced for television by VH1, it arrived right at the peak of its massively popular VH1 Divas Live series.

2. Starring THE Vanessa Williams

VH1 founds its Ebony Scrooge in Vanessa Williams. An acclaimed singer and actress, Williams was no stranger to success at the time. By the film’s release, she had five hit albums under her belt and more than a dozen Hot 100 entries to her name. Nor was she a stranger to Christmas, having released a popular holiday album in 1996. With hit movies and Broadway on her resume as well, there was no better choice to bring this Scrooge to life.

3. The Bitch is Back

Williams is no holds barred in her take on the classic Scrooge character. She vacillates between complete apathy and all-out bitchiness and finds every delightful opportunity in between to ham it up for the camera. In fact, Williams’ Ebony Scrooge caught the eye of the late Silvio Horta who campaigned to have her fill the role of another grand dame – Wilhelmina Slater on the hit show “Ugly Betty.”

4. No Shortage of Camp

Completely aware of its own ridiculousness and in on its own fun, “A Diva’s Christmas Carol” ups the camp and embeds clever one-liners and mounds of witty banter into its script. When Ebony comes face to face with her dead former friend and bandmate Marli Jacobs, the two spar in true Dynasty fashion about whether Jacobs is there to do her nails or warn her of her evil ways. Chock full of pop culture references, the film pokes fun at Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Bette Midler, and even a hilarious revelation of a tryst between Ebony and Anne Heche.

5. Oh, the Fashions!

Moving across decades, the film anchors itself primarily in the 80s and 90s. So, for viewers, there’s quite the visual treat watching Williams and company play dress up in all the feathers, leather, fur and big hair that a boy playing dress up in his mother’s closet could ever dream of.

6. Wildcard Supporting Cast

Add into this already delicious mix an utterly strange combination of supporting actors. Ebony’s bandmate Marli is played by Rozanda “Chilli” Thomas of TLC who appears in full on over-the-top dominatrix gear. Follow that with ghosts of Christmas past (a snarky Kathy Griffin), present (John Taylor of Duran Duran) and future (a literal episode of VH1’s Behind the Music – how’s that for a throwback?). Then toss in some cameos from Nile Rodgers and Brian McKnight for good

7. Do I Feel a Heartquake?

For the icing on the cake, “A Diva’s Christmas Carol” is responsible for birthing one of the greatest fake 80s, holiday-adjacent, catchy AF songs by a non-existent girl group to ever come out of a television movie. Before striking solo, Ebony, Marli, and their friend Terry form the group Desire and hit big with their single “Heartquake.” The film weaves this pop gem throughout and I don’t know anyone that’s denied themselves the opportunity to hum along.

At its core though, the message living inside its protagonist’s messiness still rings true. “A Diva’s Christmas” never goes too far into the deep end of its own dramatics before pulling back to remind us of its heart. It pushes us to find some meaning in the holiday season – that same corny, comfy feeling that makes me excited for the month of December each year – and allows us to imagine our own festive worlds where the hair reaches the heavens, the gowns cling tight, and divas reign supreme.

Joshua Henry Jenkins makes space and cultivates community. His work primarily focuses on amplifying the voices of those who are often living in the margins. Joshua is a digital strategist by profession, a designer and facilitator in the in-between, and a community organizer through and through. He currently serves as Director of Web and New Media at Americans for the Arts, Board Chair of the Arts Administrators of Color Network, and co-creator/co-facilitator of the BLACK, GAY, stuck at home series. www.joshuahenryjenkins.com

[lgbtqiahistoricalromance]

LGBTQIA+ Historical Romance Novels for Winter, Hanukkah, Solstice, and Christmas 2019 - Updated Dec 17th!


A Very Surrey SFS Christmas by Nicola Davidson (m/f, m/m, f/f, bisexual, and poly)

- Welcome to the Surrey Sexual Freedom Society - where unconventional and uninhibited ladies and gentlemen discuss all matters erotic…


It’s Christmastide in Surrey, and the Society members have gathered at Lady Portia and Denham’s estate to host a magnificent masked ball. Alas, not everything is going quite to plan, as a curmudgeonly duke, England’s naughtiest cat, a viscount with writer’s block, two newborns, and some colorful local residents conspire to turn order into chaos. But with those you love all things are possible, and it wouldn’t be A Very Surrey SFS Christmas without madcap mischief, banter, and a whole lot of wicked fun…

This series of extended epilogues include Beatrice and Amelia, Madeline and Ethan, Clayton, Susanna, and Joseph, Lady Portia and Denham, and Fairfield.
Please note this book contains explicit language and sexual content.

Peter Cratchit’s Christmas by Drew Marvin Fraye

- Peter Cratchit, a young lad preparing to make his way in the world, is the eldest son of Scrooge’s lowly clerk Bob Cratchit. Peter flourishes under the tutelage of his “Uncle” Scrooge and seeks to make his mark as a man of business, like his uncle before him.

One Christmas Eve, as Scrooge lays dying, Peter embarks on a risky ocean voyage that he believes will secure the future for his family. Onboard, Peter finds love, happiness, and success, only to lose it all by the voyage’s end. Returning to London, Peter shuns his family and instead finds himself living on the streets, haunted by his failures and his dead lover, selling his body just to survive while he waits for the winter cold to claim him once and for all.

But winter snows also mean Christmas is coming, and for the Cratchit family, Christmas is a time of miracles. Can a visit from three familiar spirits change Peter’s life again? Is there one more miracle in store for the lost son of one of Dickens’ most enduring families?

Yuletide Treasure by Eliot Grayson

- There’s not enough Yuletide spirit in the world to fix this holiday disaster…

Eben Sypeman’s world is falling apart. It’s two days before Yule and his business partner is dead, leaving behind empty accounts and looming bankruptcy. And if that isn’t bad enough, his patron goddess is irritated with him. It seems she’s tired of his tendency to mince words and avoid conflict. She’s insisting—quite forcefully—that he start being totally honest with everyone, including himself. Divinely enforced honesty couldn’t have come at a less opportune time, especially when his clerk’s tall, dark and distractingly handsome son enters the picture.

The last thing on Tim Pratchett’s mind is romance. All the former soldier wants is to fill in for his sick father at work and recover from his war wounds in peace. But there’s something about the grumpy Eben that confounds and entices him in equal measure. Their timing couldn’t be worse. They’re complete opposites. And yet … none of that matters when he’s with Eben.

But if Eben and Tim have any hope of finding their very own happily ever after, they’ll have to survive a dickens of a truth curse and the machinations of a trickster goddess—all while searching for enough yuletide treasure to save them all.

A joyous, relaxing Yule indeed. Bah, humbug.

This is an M/M romance with explicit scenes, a voyeuristic pagan goddess, and an odious nephew. Despite any other possible similarities to A Christmas Carol, there are neither ghosts nor geese, but readers can expect a happy ending and at least one use of the word “dickens.”

The Stonecutter Earl’s First Christmas by Adella Harris

- Nathan Fitzroy hates the holidays. Estranged from his family for refusing to marry, he’s still expected to keep up appearances, which means attending their holiday celebrations. And that means that, from the beginning of December until the middle of January, he needs to find work that will let him take off almost as many days as he works there. For him, that means working at a molly house called the Goat’s Horn.

Owen Landon was quite content to be a stone cutter. It was what he’d trained for, and it earned him enough money to pay his brother’s school fees and still live comfortably enough in a cottage in their village. He’d always been told his father was distantly related to nobility, but he’d never thought much of it, until a solicitor came to tell him he was the new Earl of Morebrook, a position he has no idea how to fill.

One night in December, when Owen can’t stand his new role another moment, he sneaks away to the seediest molly house he can find, the Goat’s Horn, for a distraction. And find one he does, a beautiful fellow with just the accent and bearing he’s supposed to be learning. When he sees the man again away from the molly house, he comes up with a plan to both spend more time with him and learn to be an earl. Owen offers him a position tutoring him before the start of the Christmas parties he’s supposed to attend.

Nathan’s worst nightmare comes true when one of the clients of the Goat’s Horn recognizes him outside of the molly house. But the man offers him a position that will allow him to earn money away from the Goat’s Horn until Christmas. If only he can remember he’s supposed to be tutoring the fellow, not bedding him, and certainly not falling in love with him. A steamy Christmas romance with hints of Pygmalion.

Approx. 50,000 words, 200 pages

Tinsel and Spruce Needles holiday series by Elna Holst (f/f and f/non binary MCs, MCs with disabilities !!!!!)

Candlelight Kisses

- Malmö, Sweden, 1994 Erika Stolt is a feminist activist, and not one of the slick, lipstick lesbian variety. She’s the kind who trashes beauty contests, who graffitis her own subversive messages over commercial billboards, and who fucks people mainly as a political statement. But then a community service sentence lands her a spot as the unlikely new assistant of one of the candidates for the Malmö Lucia contest, and the world as she knows it is promptly turned on its head.

Little X

- Malmö, Sweden, 1996 Sofie Andersson is a dyslectic born under the star sign Aries, who drives the local buses for a living. Her hobbies include knitting terrible hats and intermittent lesbianism. This December she is on the point of moving into her first flat of her own, figuring out her place in the world, when an instant attraction to a handsome stranger leads her to question everything she’s taken for granted.

Wild Bells

- Lund, Sweden, 1998 Mia Andersson is not a nice person. She is a sharp, sensational-looking, aloof lawyer-to-be, and the busiest sapphic player in town. Mia Andersson takes no prisoners, tells no tales, and if you gave her your number, chances are she won’t call. But this holiday season, at age twenty-seven, wheels that are out of her control have been set in motion, and it looks like she might just get caught in the spin.

February and December: Dominus Calendar Series I (Volume 1) by JP Kenwood

- As a lifelong passion continues to fade, another love deepens… two stand-alone m/m stories of love, lust, and friendship in ancient Rome featuring characters from JP Kenwood's Dominus series. February: Home from the first war against the kingdom of Dacia, Gaius Fabius ignores his obligations in Rome and returns to his secluded seaside villa in southern Italy. Under the pretense of a holiday trip, his best friend and secret lover, Lucius Petronius, surprises him with an unexpected visit. Later that evening, the lusty masters share the delights of Gaius’s blond pleasure slave, Nicomedes. December: With whispers of an embezzlement scandal floating through the capital, Lucius Petronius and his beloved concubine, Bryaxis, celebrate the raucous winter solstice festival of the Saturnalia with Luc’s family. After a joy-filled evening of food, gifts, and stories, Lucius and Bryaxis reverse roles in the master chamber. Warnings for explicit language, filthy loving, and daft shenanigans.

Christmas for a Vampire by Ruby Moone - Because even Vampires deserve a second chance.

Companion story to The Christmas Curse.

Recently turned vampire Ellis Davenport faces another dismal Christmas. His new life is filled with riches but is cold, lonely, and empty. Refusing to acknowledge his vampire self or to participate in any kind of vampire society, he skirts the edges of that world and has done so since the man he loved chose death rather than spend eternity with him.
As far as Ellis is concerned, Quinn Fordham died on the battlefield in Badajoz. But, as he circulates at yet another tedious Christmas party, he hears piano music, someone playing the Moonlight Sonata like Quinn used to play for him. Entranced, he finds his lover but just as their lips touch, Quinn disappears.
Before Ellis has time to resolve this odd hallucination, he and his friend Trent sense the approach of Lord Heath, their vampire sire. Yet, before their sire arrives, Ellis is stunned to find Quinn not only alive, but a vampire, and furiously angry with him. Can they move beyond the lie that separated them and find each other again?

Dances Long Forgotten by Ruby Moone - Coming December 19th! Per Ruby: Ghosts of past romance Second chance love Gentlemen dancing with gentlemen Long buried family secrets

On Christmas Eve, Dylan, the man of James Pell-Charnley’s dreams, is on the point of walking out. Then they hear the faint strains of a waltz in the library of the empty abbey. The music is said to be heard only by those truly in love, and it gives James the courage to tell Dylan the story.

In December 1841, Lord Hugo Pell-Charnley is in a terrible mess. The youngest son of the late Marquis, youngest brother of the incumbent, never felt to fit. When his life comes crashing down, and his life and his family are threatened, he is forced to face his elder brother and confess his deepest secret. When he arrives at Winsford Abbey he finds he must also confront the shame from his past in the form of Lyndon Cross. The boy he’d loved but betrayed in school. As they clear the ghosts from the past, they dance in each other’s arms in the library to the soft strains of the waltz, but long buried secrets threaten to destroy their happiness.

Two hundred years later, can those dances long forgotten give James and Dylan the courage to hold on to love?

Hither, Page by Cat Sebastian

- A jaded spy and a shell shocked country doctor team up to solve a murder in postwar England.

James Sommers returned from the war with his nerves in tatters. All he wants is to retreat to the quiet village of his childhood and enjoy the boring, predictable life of a country doctor. The last thing in the world he needs is a handsome stranger who seems to be mixed up with the first violent death the village has seen in years. It certainly doesn’t help that this stranger is the first person James has wanted to touch since before the war.

The war may be over for the rest of the world, but Leo Page is still busy doing the dirty work for one of the more disreputable branches of the intelligence service. When his boss orders him to cover up a murder, Leo isn’t expecting to be sent to a sleepy village. After a week of helping old ladies wind balls of yarn and flirting with a handsome doctor, Leo is in danger of forgetting what he really is and why he’s there. He’s in danger of feeling things he has no business feeling. A person who burns his identity after every job can’t set down roots. As he starts to untangle the mess of secrets and lies that lurk behind the lace curtains of even the most peaceful-seeming of villages, Leo realizes that the truths he’s about to uncover will affect his future and those of the man he’s growing to care about.

If anything else becomes available, this list will be updated, and the date listed at the top–after the post title.

A Christmas Cotillion by Ellie Thomas

- England, 1820. Bachelor Jonathan Cavendish has become reclusive in the years following a failed romance with the love of his life. In the years following their split, he has thrown all his energy into restoring the small estate he inherited from a great uncle and has put aside any thoughts of romance. Although he’d rather remain at home alone for the festive season, this year he’s accompanying his cousin Freddy to a Christmas country house party. Freddie seems to be constantly falling in love and, on this occasion, he is infatuated with a young lady called Belinda. Jonathan is asked by Freddy’s anxious mother to accompany him to the house party to keep an eye on the situation, in case the young lady turns out to be an unsuitable choice. Despite this inauspicious beginning, Jonathan catches the eye of Nick, the handsome son of a local well-to-do farmer, who is a constant presence at the holiday entertainments. Nick is intrigued by Jonathan’s kindness and also by the sadness he hides from public view. The initial attraction between the men seems to be mutual, but can Nick break through Jonathan’s defences and teach him to love again?

2018′s More Extensive List

[dearyams]

december 19, 1985

"I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future." - A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens, 1843

day 1

day 2

day 3

[ day 4: upsidedown christmas. santa, who? we’re talking krampus. ]

“It’s too cold outside for this.”

Will turns at Lucas’ voice, grinning widely when Max nudges him unhappily in an attempt to shut him up. Lucas is doused in scarves, only his narrowed eyes seen between the scarves and the blue knit hat pulled over his head. Max’s arm is twined with his, her fiery red hair a contrast to the white dusting the town. Dustin and Mike are on Max’s other side, chatting between themselves about something Will isn’t particularly concerned about knowing. They’re all waiting for El as they planned to scrounge some pocket change to buy a few gifts for their parents—Joyce especially—as thanks for reuniting this Christmas.

“We’ll be inside in no time,” Will replies as he steps closer to his friend. “El will be out in a moment; I’m sure you can handle the wait.”

Lucas tugs on his scarf with a hefty puff. “Can we at least wait inside before the snow starts coming down harder?”

Before anyone can reply, the door opens and El bounces out into the snow, a grin on her lips as her cheeks flush from the cold. She saddles up next to Max, taking her other arm, before twisting them toward the bike pile the boys littered across the lawn. Mike pulls away from Dustin and sends Will a smile, following the trio up ahead to the bikes to fish out his own. Will watches for a moment, staring at a snowflake that settles in Mike’s dark locks, and then retrieves his bike, dusting the snow from the seat and handlebars. They all originally wanted a drive downtown but Nancy took Jonathan into the city and Steve is busy doing something with his parents all day so they all have to ride out in the cold to get their gifts.

Mike pulls his bike up next to Will, stomping a foot in the snow as he slides to a stop. “You ready?”

Will nods and adjusts his lightly damp gloves on his fingers then grips his handles as he turns the wheels toward the street. “I’m ready to roll when you are.”

The bike ride starts off without a hitch, laughter and happy shouts following the troop down the streets as they traverse the town toward their collective destination. Will, who raced against Dustin and Max to make his way up front, looks back with laughter on his tongue, eyes tight with joy but when his eyes lighten up, he skids to a stop when he doesn’t spot his friends behind him as he expected.

Rolling the bike onto the roadside, Will leans his weight onto the leg planted in the ground and looks back once more. “Mike?” he shouts, hoping his voice doesn’t sound as frightened as he’s starting to feel inside. “Mike, where’d you guys go?”

Only the wind replies, a soft howl that would make the wolves in the forests reply with joyful abandon. A shiver rolls up and down Will’s spine and his hands unconsciously pull up his jacket collar to block the wind and whatever else might be creeping across his skin. He strains his ears to listen for the telltale sound of bike wheels crunching in snow and his friend’s excited giggles, attempting to convince himself that his friends haven’t suddenly disappeared. For a moment, he regrets spending the past few months adamantly denying having vision problems even though said problems are very slight and certainly wouldn’t explain the sudden silence surrounding him.

Another chill passes and Will tightens his grip on the handlebars. A shadow passes over the sun, billowing clouds darkening the path ahead. Snowflakes start to melt into spores and flakes, settling on Will’s clothes in a far too familiar and very uncomfortable manner. He drops his bike, practically jumps off it, and starts sprinting back the way he came. He must have taken a wrong turn somewhere—he hasn’t been gone from town for that long to have forgotten the shortcuts to get downtown, but maybe his memory was failing him.

“El!” he shouts, turning down a street and skidding on black ice that nearly knocks him to his knees. “El! Mike!”

Nothing replies. The darkness loops closer, the spores congeal as they touch the cold ground, the air thickens with a combination of unnatural heat and stifling cold. Will doesn’t want to believe it—the gate is closed, he can’t be in the Upside Down, he can’t—but everything feels ominous and imposing. There’s a tick in the back of his head; it’s the sound of the second hand on a clock counting the seconds as they pass one by one. Every breath sits heavy in his chest, even heavier in his throat as he attempts calling out once more for his friends, for his sister, for his...

Will pauses as his thoughts sidetrack him. He can’t label Mike properly in his head; this is his dream come true and he can’t mentally adjust to it. Time will help of course, and the little steps matter—today he didn’t shy away from Mike’s lingering gazes or smiles—but right now as he stumbles his way through spore-invested snow, he rather wishes his anxiety-ridden thoughts stopped blocking from fully accepting Mike’s relation to him.

Heavy footsteps sound behind Will and he quickly turns, stumbling on his feet in a rush to situate himself. His heart leaps at the thought of his friends rushing after him, but he doesn’t recognized the pattern of the steps and soon his heart is dropping to his feet once the figure presents itself. The gate is closed, he whispers in his head, the monsters are gone, the Mind Flayer can’t reach me here.

Yet what stands before him can’t be anything but a monster, a hideous disfigured thing with horns protruding out the forehead, tangled hair dripping from its skull. The eyes are yellow and glowing against pale white-washed skin that’s stretched thinly against a bony frame. Will takes a step back and wonders once again why Hawkins always haunts his life in the form of various monsters both inside and out.

“Who are you?” he asks even though he knows he probably won’t get an answer. “Why are you here?”

As expected, he doesn’t get a reply. The beast only blinks before curling it’s lips into a grotesque smile. Will takes another step back and braces his arms against his chest in a protective gesture. He thinks back to D&D, knowing how the Party often ties that fictional game to the happenings in the Upside Down, and he wracks his brain for an enemy that best describes this Satanic looking creature.

The beast cocks its head with a widening grin. It opens its mouth and Will looks away from the rotten yellowing and blackened teeth that fills its mouth. “You’ve been misbehaving, Byers.”

So it speaks. Will clenches his jaw and definitely raises his head. “What do you want with me?”

“You’ve been misbehaving,” it repeats with a cackle, voice rattling like sharp stones against bumpy metal. “Indulging in what you know you should not.”

Will’s throat tightens until he feels he can barely breathe. He wonders if this is a mental trick, if his mind is playing games on him because he’s still filled with vitriol about how he feels for Mike and fright about anyone outside his family and close friends finding out the truth. A thought pops into his head—that word, misbehaving, it’s tied to some creature Mike had suddenly brought into a game a few years ago because he had been reading some banned mythology books and got overly excited about it. The creature had killed them all so Mike didn’t bring it back and by the time their D&D characters were powered enough to take it on, well...there were more important things to worry about while Will was being possessed by a demonic shadow monster.

“Krampus,” spits Will, shivering when the beast before him laughs with distorted delight. The antithesis of Saint Nicholas himself and of course, it would come to haunt him during the holiday season.  “You’re here to punish me for biking with my friends to get gifts for our parents?”

The creature laughs even harder. “What’s the saying? Naughty or nice?” Will doesn’t offer a response; he knows the half-demon knows he’s right. “You know what you’ve been.”

“I don’t.” Will simmers lightly, unwilling to let this game further mess with his insecurities. Whether this monster comes from the Upside Down or not, he won’t let it ruin his holidays. “And even if I wasn’t nice, it only means I’m getting coal in my stocking next Wednesday. That’s no reason for you being here.”

“You know what you’ve been. You know what you are. You will be punished for it.”

The wind blows stronger, the howl growing louder until it’s a piercing drone in the back of Will’s head that he knows he shouldn’t be able to hear but his sense are distorted and the spores are melting back into snowflakes. The drone slows form it’s high pitched wail into sudden shouting. Familiar voices ring in the air and Will stumbles on nothing, reaching his hands out for impact against the ground only for his fingers to fist around someone’s woolen sweater.

“Will!” someone cries out. It sounds like Dustin, but some part of him still isn’t settled back into reality.

The person holding him up right pulls him in close and there’s really only two people in the Party who would do that and he knows for sure El is most definitely not holding him at the moment. “Will, are you okay?”

Will nods. “Yeah. I just...did you see it?” He peels away from Mike for just a moment, turning back where that taunting monster had been. Nothing stands there, not even footprints.

“Are you having flashbacks again?” Mike cradles Will’s face in his hands and Will’s cheeks blossom bright red from the amorous touch. He’s tempted to push Mike away and bolt, go running from this intimacy he’s so craved but fears now that he has it. You know what you are.

Will leans into Mike’s touch instead.

“I’ll be okay,” he replies, closing his eyes as he brings his hands up to cover Mike’s own. “It was just...,” and he doesn’t know how to explain it, doesn’t know if it was real or his imagination running away from him. El can’t even tell for him since she doesn’t have her powers but maybe it’s best they don’t know. Hawkins has all sorts of secrets and diving into them even incidentally brings nothing but more trouble and Will wants little to no trouble while he’s back. He wants to make happy memories here instead of being trailed by the despair that cradles every snow-covered inch of the town.

“Just what?” asks Mike, pulling Will from his trailing thoughts.

“Just thought I saw something,” he smiles and squeezes Mike’s hand before pulling away, still keeping Mike’s hands in his own. “It’s not a big deal and if it is, then I’ll let you know.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“You two done yet over there?” Lucas shouts, voice dripping with humorous impatience. Mike flips him the bird but laughs as he and Will make their way back to the others. Lucas’ smile falters when he turns to Will. “Are you good? No Mind Flayer shit going on inside you?”

“Not that I can tell.” Will shrugs and tightens his collar. “I thought I saw something, like a half-demon thing from our D&D game nights, but it wasn’t connected to the Mind Flayer. It can’t be; not with the gate closed anyway.”

The kids all look worrisome but Will reassures them and soon they’re back on their way. It takes a little while for the homely mood to return but eventually, when they park their bikes and happily chatter between themselves, the joyous mood returns. Will lets his hand slip into Mike’s for a second, sure that their hands are hidden from public view, and cherishes the shock on the other boy’s face that melts into content before they both follow their friends inside the store. Maybe the creature, that Krampus thing, is real and maybe it isn’t, but for now, Will isn’t going to let the Upside Down or anything else ruin his holiday spirit for the third year in a row.

He knows what, no who, he is—a young gay boy who grew up in the heartland of America, a boy who is Mike Wheeler’s boyfriend—and he knows what he’s done, but no one and nothing is gonna make him feel wrong about it anymore.

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Hey, just wanted to say thank you so so much for setting up A Dickens December! It has been truly delightful and such a lovely experience. Reading your own insights and those of others has been an absolute joy. Hope you had an awesome holiday and have a great 2023!

Thank you so much, I’ve had a wonderful time! I’m still stunned by how popular it’s been - when I started it I was only expecting a handful of people! Merry belated Christmas and Happy New Year!

[grandhotelabyss]

Pictured: a copy of A Christmas Carol I bought in Rome circa December 24, 2004, so that my wife and I could read it to each other over the panettone in the slug-ridden back room of an old Roman named Tiziano on our post-college, low-rent Grand Tour.

In where else but the Wall Street Journal, former Senator Phil Gramm and the wonderfully-named Mike Solon issue a defense of Dickens’s Ebenezer Scrooge. They argue that the businessman was not a miser but an investor, and that the projects he invested in—railroads, industry, etc.—improved the lives of many more people than his charity ever could have. 

I was impressed by the difference between Gramm and Solon’s argument and academic literary theory’s canonical defense of Scrooge, which belongs to Lee Edelman in his No Future: Queer Theory and the Death Drive (2004). For Edelman—and I’m sure I’ll ignorantly vulgarize the Lacaniana underpinning the argument—Scrooge does not invest for the future but stands for the queer death drive against all reproductive heteronormativity until he is disciplined by the novella’s family-values narrative arc. 

The divergence between these arguments—Scrooge as benefactor to a burgeoning middle class, Scrooge as a figure that blocks any progressive future—testifies to the oft-neglected literary value of Dickens’s novella: as a billion studies of Shakespeare and Joyce have shown, there is no greater sign of such value than when a work incites mutually exclusive interpretations.

A Christmas Carol is too often regarded as mere kitsch and treacle, when it contains more of what matters in Dickens—the visionary cityscape, the romantic realism, the delight in abundance, the playful narrative voice—than we might expect to find in such a short work by a writer more famous for writing three-volume doorstoppers. While it may lack the grit, complexity, and breadth of, say, Bleak House, it remains a good place for a new reader to begin with Dickens, to get a taste of his qualities

It is also extraordinarily strange. Orwell resolved the conundrum of Dickens’s politics—being fought over like Christmas pudding in the early 20th century by Catholics and Marxists—as those of a lower-middle-class “nineteenth-century liberal” who spoke for values that transcended class and party:

All through the Christian ages, and especially since the French Revolution, the Western world has been haunted by the idea of freedom and equality; it is only an idea, but it has penetrated to all ranks of society. The most atrocious injustices, cruelties, lies, snobberies exist everywhere, but there are not many people who can regard these things with the same indifference as, say, a Roman slave-owner. Even the millionaire suffers from a vague sense of guilt, like a dog eating a stolen leg of mutton. Nearly everyone, whatever his actual conduct may be, responds emotionally to the idea of human brotherhood. Dickens voiced a code which was and on the whole still is believed in, even by people who violate it.

But Orwell also says in the same essay, “All art is propaganda. [...] On the other hand, not all propaganda is art.” The ideological analysis hardly by itself explains a literary uncanniness, a convincing because unforced and untheoretical modern paganism, that influenced Poe, Kafka, and Nabokov as much as it affected the subsequent development of the realist novel. In his blend of wisdom, cynicism, naïveté, exuberance, and sentiment, Dickens might resemble his own Ghost of Christmas Past, an eerily congruent, comic, and illuminating assemblage of disparate elements—like Christmas itself, that Christian holiday grafted onto Saturnalia and Yule, its Santa Claus an amalgam of St. Nicolas and Wotan:

It was a strange figure—like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium, which gave him the appearance of having receded from the view, and being diminished to a child’s proportions. Its hair, which hung about its neck and down its back, was white as if with age; and yet the face had not a wrinkle in it, and the tenderest bloom was on the skin. The arms were very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if its hold were of uncommon strength. Its legs and feet, most delicately formed, were, like those upper members, bare. It wore a tunic of the purest white; and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and, in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers. But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible; and which was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for a cap, which it now held under its arm.

God bless us every one!

[elizasmarkgatissblog]

New Adaptation Of Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL By Mark Gatiss Will Come to Nottingham Playhouse and Alexandra Palace

Producer Eleanor Lloyd and Nottingham Playhouse have announced that a brand-new adaptation of Dickens' classic Christmas tale written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Adam Penford will premiere at the Playhouse, prior to a Christmas run at London's Alexandra Palace.

A Christmas Carol will run at Nottingham Playhouse from Friday 30th October 2020, to Saturday 14th November 2020 before previewing at Alexandra Palace from November 27th. The production will have a press night at Alexandra Palace on December 3rd and play until January 10th 2021.

Following his acclaimed performance as the king in Nottingham Playhouse's award-winning production of The Madness of George III in 2018, also directed by Adam Penford, Mark Gatiss (Dracula, The League of Gentlemen, Doctor Who) leads an ensemble cast, in his own retelling of Dickens' classic winter ghost story, filled with Dickensian, spine-tingling special effects. Prepare to be frightened and delighted in equal measure as you enter the supernatural Victorian world of A Christmas Carol.

Mark Gatiss says -

"A Christmas Carol' has been absolutely my favourite story since I was, well, tiny. It's an astonishingly powerful tale of life, love, loss and redemption and remains supremely relevant. But at its heart it is a ghost story and that will be at the core of my new version. A scary, thrilling, joyous adventure to get the blood piping on a freezing winter's night. A Victorian phantasmagoria!"

It's a cold Christmas Eve and mean-spirited miser Ebenezer Scrooge has an unexpected visit from the spirit of his former business partner Jacob Marley. Bound in chains as punishment for a lifetime of greed, the unearthly figure explains it isn't too late for Scrooge to change his miserly ways in order to escape the same fate, but first he'll have to face three more eerie encounters...

The production will open first at Nottingham Playhouse directed by its Artistic Director Adam Penford. Nottingham Playhouse is dedicated to making bold and thrilling world-class theatre in the heart of Nottingham and was named Regional Theatre of the Year in The Stage Awards 2019.

Over Christmas the production will transfer to Alexandra Palace. Originally built in 1875 the Alexandra Palace Theatre has been reawakened and its Victorian features have been restored, making it the perfect backdrop to experience this landmark production.

Further casting will be announced in due course and tickets for both Nottingham and London are on sale to the general public from February 17th.

source : broadwayworld [x]

[holmawayfromhome]

Long Study Tour: London

Translational Medicine shipped off for London last week to look at different facilities ranging from genomics to autoimmune diseases. We learned a lot, walked a lot, and ate A LOT!  

Sunday was an early day traveling from Stockholm to London. 

We went on a very damp bike tour getting to see some of the main attractions such as Buckingham Palace, Kensington Gardens, and the Westminster Abbey. 

Monday we visited the Neuroimmunology Unit of the Neurosciences & Trauma Blizard Institute. We sat in a dendrite shaped meeting room and learned about Multiple Sclerosis which a disabling autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and damage to the myelin sheath that surrounds and protects our nerve fibers. They focused on symptoms, diagnosing, and the therapeutic hierarchy that they’re using as an approach to their research. To learn more about their work check out multiple-sclerosis-research.org 

We had some time to explore before lunch at Tayyabs. My aimless wonderings took me to the London Tower and across the bridge on a double decker bus!

Our group went for a walking tour of the East End. While we were anticipating a historical tour about Dickens and Jack the Ripper, we were pleasantly surprised to be on a tour of all the local street art. Our guide filled us in on the difference between graffiti and street art, helped us locate the less conspicuous work, and even showed us a Banksy original. 

Tuesday brought us to Genomics England. This organization was founded in 2013 and began it’s 100,000 Genomes Project with Prime Minister Cameron advocating for the research of rare diseases after his son died. They completed sequencing with their partner company, Illumina, in December 2018. The goal from sequencing patients genomes is to lead to earlier diagnosis and more personalized care for cancer, rare diseases, and infectious diseases. https://www.genomicsengland.co.uk/

We were treated to lunch at Michelin Star Peruvian Restaurant, Lima Fitzrovia. 

We got a full view of the city from the London Eye! My mom, who followed me to London, got to tag along while Dad held down the fort from below 

The rest of the day was free to explore on our own so I went in search for some gluten free fish and chips!

Wednesday we went to the Wellcome Collection, a free museum and library for the incurably curious! 

Lunch was on our own so I ventured out to a gluten free/vegan restaurant called Deliciously Ella! I have followed Ella’s Instagram for years! I’ve even tried to make a few of her recipes on my own but the sweet potato, pumpkin curry I got didn’t even compare to my makings! 

The Centre for Rheumatology hosted us for a talk about Lupus. Dr. David Isenberg specializes in rheumatology but has a strong focus on Lupus, an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and multi-system involvement. He was accompanied by a patient of his who he’s been treating for almost 30 years. She discussed her story from diagnosis through all her varying treatments to where she is now. It was very moving to hear first hand how his research and practice has affected his patients. 

Following a group dinner we went to see The Lion King! 

Thursday morning was spent at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior. Tom Otis, a professor of neuroscience, discussed how they are trying to develop treatments for psychiatric and neurological diseases. So far they have developed a RNA therapeutic that hasn’t yet cured the patient but has allowed them to function with their disease. He was very hopeful for where their research will take them in the future. They just launched their website https://www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/ 

We just missed the seeing the Queen at the Science Museum! It would have been an added bonus to run into her at the Superbug exhibit!

A few of us went in search of the real local experience by going to a Chelsea Football game! I must say their fans are even rowdier than the New England fans back home! 

Friday we packed up and wrapped up our academic visits before heading to Harrods for High Tea. It was quite delightful! With pinkies out, we dined on finger sandwiches, scones, dainty cakes while sipping traditional English tea! The perfect ending to packed full week! 

Mind The Gap - Molly 

[nancypullen]

A Sign of the End Times

Since the start of the pandemic everything has been topsy-turvy. Schedules have gone out the window, events that normally mark the normal passage of time like county fairs and 4th of July blasts were canceled. The seasons kind of all ran together in a blur, missing the gatherings that we associate with them. I missed the Country Living Fair in the spring and the Strawberry Patch barn sale in the fall. The Wilson County Fair is always the highlight of August but the fairgrounds were silent in 2020. There was no Dickens of a Christmas to make things festive in December, or fireworks at the Sounds stadium on summer evenings. But worse, much worse, was the absence of my guilty pleasure...pageants. If ever I needed to feed the sequin monkey on my back, it was during the darkest days of the pandemic. An evening of glittering gowns and tiaras would have given me a thrill. There were a couple of half-hearted attempts to have off-schedule, COVID safe pageants - but it just didn't work. So I tucked my love for sparkling dresses into the back of my brain and carried on, hoping that someday soon we'd return to normalcy and once again princesses would walk across stages. Then spring arrived and all of my thoughts turned to growing things and I moved on. Last night we had a family game night via Zoom. We laughed and played and had a grand time before calling it quits around 9:30. As I shut down the game on my lap top I saw a headline pop up about the Miss Universe pageant...that was currently airing! OHMYGAWD! I had missed it! For the first time since probably 7th grade I had missed the Miss Universe pageant. I was gobsmacked. Stunned. Reeling. How did I not know about it? Who am I anymore? Normally there are better odds of me winning the lottery than missing the Miss Universe pageant. But there's that word again...normal. Nothing has been normal for a while. SO, although I've already seen the announcement of the winner I haven't seen anything else and I'm going to watch it. I intend to delight over the national costumes and salivate over the evening gowns. I may even inflict my observations on you via this ol' blog. Wouldn't be the first time. Just to prime the pump I'll leave you with this tidbit. Miss Malaysia had to drag around a house as part of her costume.

Reports said that it weighed 45kg which is roughly 99 pounds. It's inspired by the traditional houses in rural villages of Malaysia. I wonder if no one thought of just giving her a little house to wear as a hat? She actually has a doll of herself on her head so maybe she didn't want to budge on the hat issue. There's more where that came from so I'm settling in to watch it all a day late. Catch ya' on the flip side! Stay safe. Stay well. Stay sparkly. XOXO- Nancy