#i just liked Emily Wilson's translation of the Odyssey SO MUCH

[neonmetro]

been thinking about ody and his experiences with circe and calypso

i think it really depends which translation you're reading bc in emily wilson's it definitely reads as ody is staying at circe's out of free will. (this is the ver i read) they're being fed well and being with circe is just a bonus on top of it. with calypso, he chose to stay with her for a bit but then got bored of her and started wanting to leave and she wouldn't let him (its still shitty but i think that it being consensual at first downplays it a lot).

emily wilson explains in the translator's note in the beginning one of homer's biggest themes in the odyssey is odysseus being completely unchanged despite having everything ripped away from him before he takes it back, so i wouldn't be surprised if her translation was shifted towards that angle, that he always had a choice and he chose to cheat on his wife

but i saw an interpretation of hades ody blaming himself for staying with the goddesses for so long whenever he talks to melione about them and honestly i really like that interpretation, he already feels so much guilt and torment because of the years stuck at sea, the biggest shame is to come back alone because all your men died under your command. i wouldn't be surprised if he DOES believe he still had a choice with them and he chose to stay with circe and calypso but "he was just too weak to them to leave". melinoe also never accuses him of anything nor does she scrutinize him, i don't think she believes he had a choice.

[happyk44]

oh while my power was out 'cause of the hurricane and my fingers hurt from handwriting notes, i finally finished the odyssey (emily wilson translation) and a few things:

Odysseus ripping off his clothes before shooting a man in the throat is so funny, sir why is your naked form the last thing you wanted this man to see

The use of "godlike", "like a god", etc was so much. like so so much. not like a bad thing. but also. just. so much

Hermes being called the lord of healing, like yes, doctor Hermes still reigning strong

Bro comes home, sees his dog dirty, not being taken care of, is saddened and teary about, calls people out for not taking care of his dog, then the dog immediately dies. I was truly like what the fuck

All the gay ass comments on so many men's handsomeness and amazingnes and their strong thighs and hands and beautiful faces and hair, lol, it was so much, like yeah, okay, 10 years away from home, you guys definitely explored each others bodies

Also Penelope's hands being described and firm and muscular was neat - she's a weaver! Her hands strong and calloused from days upon months upon years of stringing yarn/wool/whatever they were using back and forth

[earlgreytea68]

In my journey through random reading, I just re-read The Odyssey.

Spoilers for an ancient epic poem below.

~~~~~~~~

I was assigned The Odyssey three times in high school and college and I remember by the third time through coming to appreciate it. Emily Wilson's new translation has been so widely praised that I figured I would give it a re-read.

I am no judge of translating ancient Greek but the Emily Wilson version reads well and is engaging and I appreciated the blend of formal tone and modernism, it seemed perfect for the poem and I loved it. Also appreciated how many different ways Dawn gets described as breaking.

Odysseus? I found unbearable hahahaha. I just could not with him. I do not remember being so annoyed with him when I was younger! But this time through I was like, Dude, you have made a million bad decisions, PLEASE STOP NOW. As far as I can tell Odysseus's main talent is telling incredibly elaborate lies, to everyone he meets, even where there is really no reason to lie, and certainly not in such detail. But he is OBSESSED with lying. I also love how many names for different made-up fathers he could just pull out at the drop of a hat. I mean, they were impressive lies, very detailed, but I was much less impressed by lying as a superpower than I think the ancient Greeks intended me to be.

Also I only remembered Odysseus's journey. In my head his return to Ithaca was a tiny bit of the poem. Whereas in actuality almost all of the poem is his return to Ithaca and his journey is the tiny bit AND it struck me for the first time that we only ever hear about his journey FROM HIM. And the whole poem is about what a good liar Odysseus is. So now I think the entire journey is suspect and this idea of the unreliable narrator is my favorite new Odyssey headcanon lol. I just never learned it that way and I wish I had thought to bring this up in any of my seminars!!

I was also struck by how the deep belief in gods made it so that no one was ever responsible for any of their actions, ever. Everything they did was because one of the gods wanted them to do it. If the suitors were evil and said evil things, it was because a god made them do it. If Odysseus was able to kill them all, it was because a god wanted it to happen. There was just zero idea of accountability in the way the society was functioning and it was fascinating to me. (My favorite thing was how often people would casually be like, "Hey, can I get a ride on your ship, I just killed someone in town and people are after me," and no one asks any questions, they're just like, "Sure! Hop aboard!") I don't ever remember discussing that in my seminars either and it seems especially important because I think that detached feeling of "can't blame me, it's God's plan" still does show up in some religious beliefs.

One hilarious little moment happened when the suitors were plotting to kill Telemachus and as they're discussing it eagles descend and start attacking them and afterward they're like, "Was that a bad omen! Should we not kill Telemachus!" And then a second later they're like, "Nah, I'm sure that was just a wild coincidence." People only see what they want to see lol

The suitors were actually by far my favorite part of the whole story. They were absolutely hilarious. I love how over the top they were. Like, the swineherd would come in to deliver their dinner and they would throw things at him and shout things like "Smelly pig-man!" And it's like, dudes, chill hahahaha. They just cracked me up. But I also liked how everyone in the poem really is complex and no one is actually really good or even really evil, because the suitors are like, "We wouldn't be here if Penelope would just marry one of us," and I obviously do not approve of this patriarchal society requiring this woman to be married but at the same time I do recognize that I think in their society they were making a valid point that Penelope wasn't entirely blameless and it wasn't all on the suitors. But that ambiguity means nothing in the world of the poem because Athena loves Odysseus best. And I don't say that disapprovingly, it's just clearly how they explained some people winning and some people losing when everyone is making valid points.

My other favorite part of the poem was really contemplating how time works in it. Odysseus has been gone twenty years. With no reliable or solid word about him. (because goddesses keep kidnapping him to have sex with him). And yet every single person Odysseus meets in Ithaca (while he's in disguise) IMMEDIATELY unprompted is like, "Man, every day I cry about how much I miss Odysseus. He was awesome. You would have loved him. Just the best guy." For many many verses this poem is just Odysseus listening to people rave about him. And if they didn't rave about him he was like "those people are not loyal." ...no, Odysseus, you've been gone TWENTY YEARS. I think those are the people who just moved on! Sorry not every one of your enslaved people still weeps every night over you. Honestly the whole poem is way more wild and out there than I remember it being. I really remembered it being about Odysseus's journey and it is honestly most just lots of random Ithacans in perpetual grief.

[cadaverre]

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☾ welcome ☽₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

about me

you can call me juno or astraea

im a cancer sun, libra moon and sagittarius rising

my pronouns are they/she (and my pronoun page is here)

i'm a proud bisexual (i am very sapphic lol)

im taken (you can hear about my love via the “them tag <33")

i am a minor (i won't immediately block people 18+ but if you're creepy i will <3)

australian!! also a bunch of different places, none really interesting

this blog is for me to dump thoughts, interact with people and just have a good time :)

i play the drums and im currently in two bands! i also love playing guitar and one of my 2024 goals is to get better at playing!!

currently listening -> 🍁☕️🎸 nyc

currently reading -> the odyssey translated by emily wilson

currently watching -> doctor who and rewatching gilmore girls

things i like

i love: literature, the arts, queer culture, astronomy, feminism (no terfs allowed!!!!), fruit flavoured drinks, flared pants, converse, dark red, nail polish, eyeliner, burgundy lipgloss, tank tops, tote bags, brie (always dreaming of cheese), pinterest, spotify, my headphones, the ocean, my grandparents house (im there rn i love it), spring+winter, very specific shades of pink and green, black <3, folklore and 1989 girl, fiddling around on the guitar, fantasising about being a famous musician, finding new music, snow, picking silly little outfits,

books: osemanverse, the hunger games, books by rhiannon wilde, tim te maro's subterranean heartsick blues, all the best liars, books by octavia butler (specifically parable of the sower and parable of the talents), the last true poets of the sea, acotar, the weight of the stars, the seven husbands of evelyn hugo, the picture of dorian grey, house of hollow, howls moving castle, harry potter (mainly marauders, FUCK JKR), i kissed shara wheeler, red white and royal blue, song of achilles

movies + tv shows: dont look up, little women (2019), scream (i like most of them but 1996 is my fav by far), ladybird, barbie (2023), some of the mcu (thor and guardians of the galaxy <33), spiderverse (itsv is my love), gilmore girls, stranger things, loki, heartstopper, arcane, scott pilgrim takes off, she ra

musicians/bands: boygenius, taylor swift, lovejoy, glaive, brakence, paramore, ricky jamaraz, melanie martinez, lana del rey, ashnikko, girl in red, billie eilish, doja cat, big thief, adrienne lenker, ethel cain, mitski, remi wolf, cigarettes after sex, ericdoa, tv girl, clairo, the neighbourhood, bon iver, deftones (getting into them just a little), maneskin, courtney barnett, poppy

my favourite colours are black, dark red, burgundy, denim blue, sage green, soft pink, glaucous blue, golden yellow (i love colour theory so all colours are beautiful in their own context but here are my favs to wear/see)

i really want to get into more poetry so if you have any recs lmk!!

i have recently begun practising some very simple witchcraft, so feel free to talk to me about that and i would love to learn more!!

i love learning about astrology and use my birth chart frequently

i write very, very infrequently and think of more stories than i even start to plot lmao.

i draw way more than i write and will occasionally post some!! its not good by any means but its fun ig

talk to me + dni

my asks and dms are open!! feel free to talk to me about anything and everything!! i love talking!!

i love my mutuals so much so if ur my mutual *looks you dead in your eyes* i love you

my discord is the same @ as here, i literally just got it today so idrk how it works but feel free to add me there <33 but please lmk if you do if your username is different

if we’re very close you can ask for my insta!!

i rarely follow people without an intro post/descriptive enough bio (with name, age group, pronouns) so if you want to be mutuals please have one!! if not just shoot me an ask about who you are and what you like so we can be friends <33

dni: rude, racist, homophobic, transphobic, zionist, terfs, sexist, ableist, antisemitic people

tags

#juno.txt -> ramblings, original posts

#asks -> asks ive answered

#ask bait -> hehehe send me asks <3

#tag games -> tag games ive participated in

#beautiful mutuals -> interactions with my beautiful mutuals!

#spotify -> my music obsession dw im fine fhdklfhdal

#them tag <33 -> posts that remind me of my wonderful bf <3

links + sideblogs

spotify

pinterest

@likeasugarcubeinateacup -> my notes app poetry

@slowrotburiedinthepark -> a random sideblog i post art and occasional web weaving on

@stabbingstarsthroughmyback -> my writing sideblog (ask me about my wip!!)

stunning dividers by @chachachannah :))

here is a totally beautiful and amazing moodboard by @svnflowermoon that always makes me so fhadkfhakd

last updated: jan 19th 2024

[lone-rhapsodist]

About the new Emily Wilson translation of the Iliad. These are the opening lines which lots of people seem to hate:

These are fine. Absolutely fine. I like the use of the word 'cataclysmic'. It's not as revolutionary as the 'complicated man' from her Odyssey -- really good choice of word, by the way. But it's still very good.

I don't understand the hate. You can dislike it -- that's also absolutely fine. But the hate... I don't get it.

You can dislike a work for being mediocre. Like some Greek mythology retellings. You can criticise them for how they handle their source material or subject matter. You can be especially critical if they really subvert it and turn it into something that it's not. But hate?

Did they fucking write Nazi propaganda? Did they write it in order to incite violence and crimes and hate against humanity? Did they literally write "go and kill people" or something?

Hate is a very strong emotion, folks. It should be reserved for really not-okay things. Things can be bad, can be mediocre, can be just about fine. But a translation you dislike? A retelling that's a bit poor? You HATE it? Really?

Ultimately, you can do what you want. You can do like that guy from the Textkit post and cancel your pre-order. You can go on Twitter and indulge in anonymous hatred. (I'm so glad I don't really use it, I nearly missed this. Nearly.) You can do what you want.

That's literally my policy here, have you noticed? I reblog almost anything Classics related. Literature. Worship. Retellings. Art. Videogames. Anything. You know why? Because I believe that anyone should have the right to engage with Classics however they please insofar as they don't hurt anyone. That's the only big, bold disclaimer. That is why, on this blog, you don't find fucking Nazi propaganda camouflaged as engagement with Classics. Everything else is pretty much fine. Even Patrochilles. Even Agamemnon. Even Theseus -- that is a tough one, but I try to keep an open mind. I tend to draw the line at Hades and Persephone -- it is very clear what he does to her in the story, and I'm not condoning it, or anyone who tries to minimise it. See, that's a thing that is really deserving of hate. But otherwise, if it's a thing that doesn't hurt anyone, then it's pretty much game.

You can read things and engage with them and use your critical thinking and sort them into good or bad or it's complicated etc. Like I said, you can do what you want. But hate... Be very careful with hate. I mean, you can say it in jest, like "I hate Mondays". That's fine. But "I hate this", or "I hate that"? Maybe think about it for a second. Maybe think, WHY do I hate it, or WHAT do I hate about it and WHY? Try to use some perspective.

That's all I have to say on this matter.

[veliseraptor]

December Reading Recap

Burning Girls and Other Stories by Veronica Schanoes. As is typical with me and short story collections, I really liked some of the stories in this one and found myself less impressed with several of the others. I did really appreciate the explicit Jewishness of the collection as a whole, and I feel like I'm going to be watching this author to see what she does in the future. I think my favorite story was the titular one ("Burning Girls"); some of the others got a little abstract for me. I did also like what she did with "Emma Goldman Takes Tea with the Baba Yaga" - in general I think Schanoes's strength is in the interweaving of folklore and history, and that's what I enjoyed most in her stories.

Heaven Official's Blessing: vol. 8 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It's over!! by which I mean my, what, fourth reread of this book? This time in a new translation, so I guess that kind of makes it different (?). This was my first time reading a lot of the extras, specifically the amnesia one, which was both very good and rather upsetting. My only critique about it was that it could've been even more upsetting. No surprises here, of course (again, fourth reread) but it was a good reminder how much I love this one.

Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Adrian Tchaikovsky's imaginative worldbuilding and sheer creativity continues to blow me away. This is probably my least favorite of the three Children of Time books, corvids notwithstanding, but that's sort of like saying that The Hobbit is my least favorite Tolkien book. It's a ranking, but it's not actually a negative. And again, corvids, and what Tchaikovsky does with a society of corvids is as compelling as what he did with a society of octopuses, or spiders.

I think you have to have a certain amount of faith in Tchaikovsky for this one because, at least for me, I spent a lot of it not knowing what was going on and just trusting that it would make sense in the end, but by the time you get to this point in the series I feel like he's earned that faith.

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: vol. 4 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou. I wonder if this is going to be the horniest single volume of this translation, because truly the arc it covers is one of the horniest arcs of the whole novel (at least, in my recollection). It's not my favorite section but it's a lot of fun, and Chu Wanning's desperation to be defiled alongside Mo Ran's desperation to be a good disciple is very entertaining. And meanwhile they're both incredibly horny for each other. I just happen to be here for the angst more than anything else, and there's less of the angst in this arc than there will be to come.

I genuinely wonder how they decide where to divide these volumes, by the by. It seems kind of random.

Die: vol. 4 by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans. I liked the front half of this series better than the back half, and I felt like the conclusion was weaker than I would've expected from a usually incredibly strong storyteller. It continued to be breathtakingly beautiful throughout (thanks, Stephanie Hans!) but I felt like thematically and in terms of narrative it lagged a little toward the end compared to how it began.

The Odyssey trans. by Emily Wilson. I haven't read the Odyssey in many, many years (since my freshman year of college) and it was really fun to go back and reread it with fresh eyes and in fresh language. I don't have a whole lot of intelligent commentary to make, but I loved reading Wilson's introduction and translator's notes - definitely brought out new angles to me and made me alert to different things than I might have been otherwise. I was particularly a fan of the choice to translate in relatively plain language but in iambic pentameter. Also deeply impressed by the choice to translate in iambic pentameter, because boy does that seem like it'd be a challenge. Excited to read Wilson's translation of the Iliad when it comes out in paperback.

The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean by Susan Casey. I wanted this book to be a little more about the depths of the ocean and a little less about deep ocean exploration/the author's personal journey toward deep ocean exploration, but it was still an enjoyable read. I liked her other book (about rogue waves/surfing) more, despite the fact that this is a subject I find generally fascinating, but again, still pretty readable. Which I recognize is damning with faint praise but, like, if you're interested in the subject I wouldn't say you shouldn't check it out.

The chapter about deep sea mining was profoundly depressing, though. In an important-feeling kind of way.

Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America by Pekka Hamalainen. This book was such a good study on the way that teleological approaches to history can obscure/miss a lot of things, in terms of how it takes the common narrative of Native "loss" over the course of colonization and shows how in fact the story was a lot more complicated and uneven than that - that a lot of colonial "victories" were in fact rearguard actions, and for much of the 17th-19th centuries, despite colonial maps, North America remained a continent controlled by Native Americans. Really well done on the whole and I learned a hell of a lot. I'd generally recommend it for anyone looking for a solid broad-spectrum Indigenous history of North America.

At the same time sometimes the author was hammering so hard on his point that it started to annoy me. Annoying me isn't a crime, exactly, but sometimes when I feel like an author is straying into polemic I start to get suspicious of their scholarship - which I'm not, in this case, I actually trust that Hamaleinen did the work and the research, but it is something that comes up for me sometimes when I'm reading books that have a clear ideological motivation, even one I agree with.

The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates. After a couple big wins, my last couple Darcy Coates have been a little more disappointing. Still good, still satisfyingly spooky, but less stand-out "would recommend broadly" horror novels. Or maybe I've just gotten pickier, that's also possible. On the other hand, I still read this one in a day, so I can't be that critical.

Mistakenly Saving the Villain by Feng Yu Nie. This one was a bit of a disappointment to me, alas. I enjoyed it, still, but I think I wanted it to be more fucked up than it was. The twist at the end did genuinely surprise me, though, so it gets points for that.

--

I'm currently reading Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracies Became a Health Threat by Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, and Julian Walker, alongside Faraway Wanderers by priest.

As far as what comes next when I finish one/both of those, I have a long list of want-to-reads I'm kind of jumbling around in deciding on. Among the likely candidates are Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh, and Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer. On the nonfiction side I'm looking at In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, An Intellectual History of Cannibalism by Cătălin Avramescu, and Spin Dictators by Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman.

[dionysism]

I've been meaning to finally read the Iliad and the Odyssey, do you have some translations/books/links that you can recommend to read?

ahh okay yes so i don't have direct links because i just own physical copies of these but they could possibly be on internet archive or other pdf sites if you search them up!! (all these translators have done both the iliad & the odyssey)

my favorite of all time if i haddd to pick is probably rieu. the copy i have is the penguin classics one & it has notes in the margins too so if you've never read it before that's nice. i just love the way rieu words it all. very poetic

some people don't like hers that much, but i personally did enjoy emily wilson's (her iliad translation is pretty recent) and i really love her introductions, even if you don't read her whole translation i would recommend reading her introductions to them 😭

i also love fagles. some of his lines are so funny

[dykeseinfeld]

Is it hard to read the odyssey? Is it like a poem? Or very old fashioned? I wanna read it but idk if I'd understand it well

okay okay so first of all. if it’s your first introduction to the story i highly recommend first familiarizing yourself with an adaptation (the 1997 miniseries is 3 hours long but it’s my favorite and fairly accurate to the original epic, the graphic novel by gareth hinds is also pretty good)

then once you’re familiar with the basic beats of the story the epic i would say is pretty accessible depending on which translation you pick! there’s a lot of names and places (but almost all translations come with detailed maps and glossaries so you can tell everyone apart) and epic conventions that may be unfamiliar but if you google there’s plenty of explanations of the different devices (such as epithets, invocation of the muse, etc)

for translations id recommend either of the following

robert fagles is who i read first when i was 14 in school so i’m still very loyal 🧡. it’s a little old fashioned in its language though not overly flowery in my opinion, and may be slow going especially because the “poem” feel is a bit lost, but it’s ultimately a clear translation and if you take your time it’s a great way to appreciate a more classic (pun ha) take

emily wilson is a much faster read, because she translates into iambic pentameter (which is a lot faster and more fluent english rhythm) and uses simpler phrasing, and it’s an extremely beautiful and fascinating take on the story. however, she makes a couple of choices with how she translates certain phrases that are less common among classicists so you may be u familiar with classic epithets and such. if you just want to consume the story for fun though she’s definitely the way to go!!

this all can be really overwhelming but i promise it’s an awesome poem that can be so so fun to read in its original if you are motivated enough to take it slow and look up things when you’re confused! otherwise there are a million great adaptations that are also great ways to appreciate the story and cut out some of the more boring listing of ships and such. there is no shame it took me Years to truly have fun with the original and this is literally my favorite story of all time. enjoy!

[hoeratius]

Tag game - books!

Tagged by @child-of-hurin at a time when I actually have time to do a meme like this (RIP to others who tag me in these, I always mean to and then forget...)

Last book I read: A reread of Golden Hill by Francis Spufford - an astonishingly vivid picture of life in New York as it turns from Dutch to English.

Book I recommend: Seamus Heaney's Beowulf translation. Quick, engrossing, poetic, with far more mentions of Friesland than you get in most literature

Book I couldn't put down: Rosemary's Baby. It was horrific. It was engrossing. It made my skin crawl. The only moment I put it down was to turn to my boyfriend and go: 'Babe. What the fuck. What the fuck.'

Book I've read twice: Soooo many. Notable recent additions include Golden Hill (first read about 8 years ago), Flowers in the attic (first read about 18 years ago), and The letters of Abelard and Eloise (first read about 5 years ago). Also the entirety of the queen's thief series, my beloveds

A book on my TBR: The silmarillion (yes I started, no I didn't make any progress), and Emily Wilson's Iliad but read out to me by my boyfriend, which slows it down

A book I've put down: Three body project. I finished it in the end for my book club but at what cost?

A book on my wishlist: An art deco illustrated edition of Couperus's Eros and Psyche

A favourite book from childhood: I recently reread Dianne Wynne Jones's The magicians of Caprona and it explains so much about who I am today: magic in urban Italian settings, yearning, eccentrically dressed tall men with tremendous brilliance... truly felt like reading a blueprint of who I am today

A book you would give a friend: Emily Wilson's Odyssey, if only for the introduction.

A book of poetry or lyrics you own: The prettiest love letters in the world, which is partially letters, partially the poetry exchanged by Pietro Bembo and Lucrezia Borgia. Also, about 3 Italian editions of Petrarch's Rime (< has barely read any of his Rime in any language) (I just can't let them go when I find them in second hand Italian bookshops) (<is not good enough at Italian to justify any visits to second hand Italian bookshops)

A non-fiction book you own: Witchcraft in Venice. I have a whole section of witchcraft, actually, in case I ever get my act together and edit that Venetian witches novel lol

Currently reading: A reread of The name of the Rose. I picked up the epic of Gilgamesh but don't think I got far enough yet to justify saying I'm reading it!

Planning on reading next: I'd love to say Gilgamesh but in reality it'll be whatever books I find lying around my mother's house so tbd!

I'm tagging @en-theos @hortensius @newtsoftheworldunite and @terpsikeraunos in case any of you want to share your books!

[menelaiad]

ik you've talked about it before but tumblr blog search on mobile sucks ass so if it's not too much of a bother could you redirect me to your posts on why you dislike emily wilson?

i've never made a post on it. but, here you go:

as a translator? i have no issues with her. her translations are pretty good. so her 'work' i don't have a problem with. don't get me wrong, sometimes i think she toes that dangerous line of 'women good. men bad. feminism.' black and white line very finely. it's a lot more subtle than most modern classicsts but yKNOW.

my issue comes from her introduction to the odyssey. so it's her introduction. her own thoughts. not a translation of something. or outside influence. HER introduction. she says:

The second is piled high with newly acquired treasure, brought by blustering, self-pitying Menelaus. As Menelaus pompously declares ... we meet the beautiful and frighteningly intelligent Helen back home in Sparta, with her wealthy, blustering, and rather less intelligent husband, Menelaus. ...and the rich, narcissistic, uxorious Menelaus.

she then, in book 4, translates the original text in which menelaus is NONE of these things. the only thing he's guilty of really, is the rich thing. cause telemachus is all like 'damn bro ur loaded'. but menelaus is not arrogant about it. he's not smug. he's not narcissistic. he literally says like 2 lines later that he would give away most of his wealth if it meant those who died at troy could come home.

'self-pitying' WHERE?! he cries because he feels GUILTY. the tears are not for him. they are the for the men who died at troy. i'm not getting quotes because it's literally in book fucking 4. he is NOT feeling sorry for himself he is MAD at himself for troy. the only thing i can THINK where he even links his tears to himself is because he says something like, 'every time i think of them i cry because i miss them all' or smth like that. he's not crying for HIM.

'rather less intelligent husband' - you know my feelings on this. menelaus is not stupid. helen is just very smart. and THATS FINE. i love helen being the brains, i'm not against a smart woman and her husband not being as smart. but like. because he doesnt recognise telemachus straight away? or the bird omen? he's stupid? really. we're gonna measure his WHOLE intelligence on that?

'uxorious'. menelaus loves his wife and that's pathetic and funny apparently? tell me. does she describe odysseus this way? hektor in the new iliad translation? i dont think so. 'excessive love their wife' that's what uxorious means. oh im sorry. forgiving ur wife and building a relationship with her and trying to move on together and being nice to her .... that excessive now??? thats??? bad???????

she literally takes menelaus' shining moments in the odyssey. him feeling guilty and remorseful. him showing how haunted he is by the war. him caring and loving helen despite everything. the fact that he is a compassionate. kind. loving man (in comparison to most homeric men) ----- and uses them to insult him. and it just GENUINLEY baffles me. because she wrote that introduction. and then four books later is ENTIRELY proven wrong? im so-----

dont get me wrong. some of this is just very pettty 'you're wrong about menelaus' anger. but some of it is BAFFLEMENT at the fact that she has this in her introduction, those are HER thoughts. and then when you actually get to the text of the odyssey from homer. she is wrong. cause she can't change those greek words too much. translation is a tricky mistress, sure. but she cant go and say 'then menelaus didnt care for those men' because that's just outright WRONG. she has to translate, as faithfully as she can, whats there. and whats there is NOT what she claimed in the introduction.

[uncloseted]

i feel like your taste is so chic and effortlessly cool, so what are your current favorites? anything as far as trinkets, skincare, movies, foods, creators, music ect! I feel like you spend so much time giving advice that it would be fun to learn a lil more about what makes you happy lately! hope you're having a good day!!!

That's so nice of you! I've been collecting the things I've been loving over the past few days and here's what I came up with:

Clothes, makeup, and hair:

Essie Expressie Seize the Minute quick dry nail polish, which is a really nice red with blue undertones

Lisa Says Gah Museo Bianco Elizabeth Dress, which I bought secondhand off Depop. I got it for my trip to Greece but I'm worried it's a little too on the nose so I'm not sure if I'll bring it yet (still very cute though)

Uniqlo Wide Straight Jeans. They're just the right amount of slouchy

This matching set from Amazon. I've been wanting a set like this for a few months now and I ended up being so pleasantly surprised with this one. It ended up being way cuter than in the product pictures and fitting really well

Inkey List Vitamin C Serum. It's made my skin tone way more even and bright, and they're a clean, cruelty free brand

Tir Tir Red Cushion foundation. Mostly I bought it because I think the packaging looks really chic, but the product provides a really nice, buildable coverage as well

Jones Road Miracle Balm in Au Natural. This one I got as a gift and at first I didn't really get how you were supposed to use it, but now I'm really into it. It gives the nicest dewy glow without looking shiny.

Video Essays:

Jenny Nicholson's "The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel". She hated the part of the experience that I worked on as much as I hated working on it, so I feel vindicated 😭. If you've ever wondered what it was like to stay at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, this answers that question in such intricate detail that by the end of it you'll feel like you actually went

Quinton Reviews' "The Failure of Victorious" and "The End of Victorious". As you might guess from the titles, it's about the Nickelodeon show Victorious and why it was such a failure. Is this the second time I've watched all thirteen hours of this? Yes. Do I regret it? No, not really.

PhilosophyTube in general, but especially her recent video "I Read The Most Misunderstood Philosopher in the World" which is about Judith Butler's philosophy of gender.

Music:

Chappell Roan. It's Pride month, I'm a queer woman, enough said

I've been getting back into Marina lately, especially her newest album, Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land. She's always been my pick out of the Tumblr sad girl musicians and I'm really impressed with how her music (and her public persona) has grown and changed over the years

I Only Have Eyes for You by Tashaki Miyaki. I heard this song years ago and it randomly popped into my head the other day and would not leave. It's just very vibey

TV:

Doctor Who with Ncuti Gatwa. I'm in love with him and I think his take on The Doctor is perfect.

Legion. I mostly started watching this because my girl Lauren Tsai is in the third season, but I love it. I think it's a really unique take on the superhero genre.

Bee and Puppycat. This is a show about a girl named Bee and her best friend/pet who is a mysterious creature who looks kind of like a cat and kind of like a dog. They take temporary jobs so that they can afford to buy snacks and leather jackets. It's a really special show, and I've watched it a few times now. The original series is on YouTube, and there's also a series on Netflix that expands on the original episodes.

Books:

Babel by RF Kuang. I'm reading this for a book club and I'm really enjoying it so far. It's about a child in an alternative-reality 1830s England who is adopted from China and taken to Oxford University to study the art of translation.

Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey. I've actually never read The Odyssey before because I am bad at being Greek and also at being a supposed descendant of Homer. Dr. Wilson is the first woman to translate The Odyssey into English

Games:

I just finished playing Planet of Lana, which is a really gorgeous puzzle-platformer inspired by the aesthetics of Studio Ghibli films and the gameplay of Playdead games such as Limbo and Inside. It has a great story about a girl who's looking for her sister, who has been abducted by hostile alien machines.

Places:

Wasteland secondhand stores in LA. I've been finding a lot of really great pieces there in the past few weeks, and the pieces I've found there have been around 75-90% off their original price.

La La Kind Cafe. I go to these when I need to convince myself to leave my house. They have a good vibe and the drinks are great.

Miscellaneous Stuff:

Nicola Coughlan. I've been watching all of the interviews she's doing for Bridgerton and I'm obsessed with her whole vibe. Her new dark comedy show about a woman with bipolar disorder, Big Mood, is also really great.

Earscapes. I reopened a bunch of old piercings I had and I'm having so much fun trying different combinations of earrings in them. I honestly can't believe I left them closed for so long.

Using lipstick as blush. I have such a hard time finding blush colors that work for me and then finding a blush that goes with my lipstick. So instead what I've been doing lately is putting on my lipstick, blotting it with my finger, and then using the leftover on my cheeks. It works super well and it means I can stop buying new blush products

This sardine tin makeup pouch. I haven't gotten it yet so I can't tell you how it is, but I just thought it looked so cute, and I needed a makeup bag for travel. I'll let you know if it ends up being good

Baths, just as a general concept. My old apartment didn't have enough hot water to fill up a bath, so I never used to take them, but they're so great? I got this full body bath pillow, which has made it was more comfortable to just relax there.

[mrthology]

You and @ashilrak are so brilliant at writing the gods, they feel like they’re immortal beings who’ve lived for centuries, so I was wondering if you had any tips for writing characters like the gods? You’re both such amazing writers

Hi, and thank you so much!! I was introduced to the myths and history when I was likely far too young (I found a copy of the Iliad very early on haha), and that's influenced how I write, what I studied, and so much more.

I think my biggest tip is honestly just to write. I can see how much my writing's improved since first posting PJO this go-round with the fandom, and sincerely hope it will keep improving! Don't get m wrong, I still love my older stuff, but I very much can see that I've become a much stronger author. Writing is honestly a lot of practise, and figuring out what works for you! I'm definitely better at writing the gods (and anything) now than I used to be.

Reading can also help a ton. Find author/authors (be in fanfiction or published books) you like and note what you like about them. Are they more sparse with their prose? More purple? Do they go between/in the middle of the two? Do they describe every detail? Do they leave more to the imagination? Etc. etc. Seeing what you like and would like to emulate can definitely help, especially when it comes to characterisation.

Advice for writing the gods would be essentially the same as above: write, then write some more; read and keep reading. I love reading the Greek plays and their translations, as well as history in general, and will link a couple of my favourites below that have very much influenced me:

Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold, Stephen Fry - overall not my fav retellings, but I genuinely enjoy his writing, and he makes everything incredibly accessible, and it's a great starting point

Grief Lessons: Four Plays by Euripides (trans. Anne Carson) - anything by her to be honest, she's incredible and I love her

The Odyssey, Homer (trans. Emily Wilson) - this one changed me as a person, specifically this translation haha

The Aeneid, Virgil (trans Shadi Bartsch) - women in translation, my beloveds

Medea, Euripides (trans. Gilbert Murray) - Medea is incredible

The Oresteia: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides, Aeschylus (editors Robert Fagles and W.b. Stanford)

Trojan Woman, Euripides (trans. Anne Carson, illustrator Rosanna Bruno) - sorry not sorry for reccing Carson again but this is so good

I could go on for an embarrassing long time, so feel free to ask for recs if you'd like, and so sorry if you've already read all these sksks, I got excited 🧡🧡🧡

Thank you again, both @ashilrak and I really appreciate this message!!

[luminouslumity]

I've been wanting to do something like this for awhile now, and since it'll still be awhile before the album's fully complete, why not do it while only three are out? And what is it exactly? Essentially, comparisons. I've done quite a few similar posts with the Monkie Kid series already, in which I would talk about certain characters and the mythology behind them, with Journey to the West being my main reference point.

In this case, I'll of course be using the Iliad and the Odyssey for sources, specifically the Emily Wilson translations. I'll also be referring to other sources when necessary. They'll be pretty brief and will only cover up to where we are now, but here's your spoiler warning just in case (yes, even for a tale as ancient as this). Basically, think of this as a way to provide extra context. I intend to do this with each saga that's released.

Now, without further ado, let's begin. And as a disclaimer, I by no means claim to be an expert, I'm just someone who loves mythology and also happens to read a lot.

THE HORSE AND THE INFANT: Lots of names are being dropped here, so let's start with the main man himself, ODYSSEUS (Ὀδυσσεύς)! He is the son of LAËRTES (Λαέρτης) and ANTIKLEIA (Ἀντίκλεια), who is a granddaughter of the god HERMES (Ἑρμης), which I'm sure many would agree would probably explain a lot! In some versions, Odysseus' biological father is said to have been SISYPHOS (Σίσυφος), another mortal trickster, albeit a far more villainous one. Either way, clearly this runs in the family! He also has a sister named KTIMENE (Κτιμένη). And of course, there's his lovely wife PENELOPEIA (Πηνελόπεια), more commonly known as Penelope, and their son TELEMAKHOS (Τηλέμαχος).

Speaking of Penelope, the following story comes to us briefly from Pausanias' Description of Greece. Born in Sparta to King IKARIOS (Ικαριος) and the river nymph PERIBOEA (Περιβοια), it's said Princess Penelope was allowed to marry only after someone had beaten her father in a footrace. Of course, that someone ends up being Odysseus, but here's where the interesting part comes in: when discussing AIDOS (Αιδως), Modesty, Pausanias adds that Ikarius attempted to convince Odysseus to stay, and failing that, pleaded with Penelope. Odysseus, rather than challenge Ikarius or speak over his new bride, let her make the choice. But Penelope said nothing. Instead, she simply placed her veil over her face, her silent answer clear as day.

Next, we come to Telemachos, who was a newborn when his father left. However, it should be noted that Odysseus really didn't want to go. So much so that he feigned madness to try and get out of it, which was only foiled when PALAMEDES (Παλαμήδης) seized baby Telemachos and placed him right in front of where his father was recklessly ploughing the fields; Odysseus stopped immediately after noticing his son, but was then forced to join the war afterwards.

DIOMEDES (Διομηδης): one of the more notable Greeks during the Trojan War and a favorite of the goddess of wisdom alongside Odysseus, Diomedes was an intelligent and valiant soldier, to the point where he had even wounded the god of war himself. He also directly assisted Odysseus in Troy's downfall.

AGAMEMNON (Ἀγαμέμνων) and MENELAOS (Μενέλαος): Okay, these two have their own stories that I could make an entirely different post on, but for simplicity's sake, Agamemnon is the king of Mykenai and commander of the Akhaioí (Greeks); much of the Iliad concerns his feud with AKHILEUS (Ἀχιλλεύς) over the captive BRISEIS (Βρισηίς). Meanwhile, his brother Menelaos is king of Sparta and had been married to the reason this war started in the first place.

TEUCER (Τεῦκρος): one of the greatest archers, Teucer actually had Trojan blood through his mother HESIONE (Ἡσιόνη), who was the sister of King PRIAMOS (Πρίαμος), or Priam. Through his father TELAMON (Τελαμών), his elder half-brother is AIAS (Αἴας), or Ajax, the Greater.

AJAX THE LESSER: By the time of the Trojan War, there are two characters by the name of Ajax, with the Lesser referring to Ajax of Locris. He was known for having been a spearman and the fastest of the Greeks, but like many of his comrades, never made it back home after having earned the wrath of the gods.

NESTOR (Νέστωρ): the eldest of Greek army, he often offered wise, albeit long-winded, advice. At the end of the war, he was among the few who managed to return home safely.

HELEN (Ἑλένη): And now we get to the Reason. Well, sort of. Married to Menelaos and then PARIS (Πάρις), to blame the Trojan War solely on Helen would mean to disregard a lot of other things, such as the idea of KLEOS (κλέος)—glory—three powerful goddesses, a little golden apple, and even an entire plan to depopulate the earth. Sources vary as to whether Helen even left with Paris willingly, and that's not even getting into the versions where she didn't even make it to Troy at all! What is known, however, is that by the time we see her in the Iliad, Helen is nothing short of resentful. For example, during a confrontation with APHRODITE (Αφροδιτη), she says:

“You, goddess? Why do you want to trick me in this way? Will you keep leading me to yet more cities, in Phrygia or in fine Maeonia if any other mortal takes your fancy? Now Menelaus has defeated Paris, and wants to take me home with him again, although I am so hateful. Is that why you come to me now with these tricks of yours? Then go to him yourself and sit beside him! Give up the path of gods and let your feet never turn back again to Mount Olympus! Spend all your time on taking care of Paris, crying for him, until he makes you either his slave girl or his wife! But I will not ever go back. It would bring retribution. And I will never service that man’s bed. All of the Trojan women in the future will blame me if I do, and in my heart I will endure more pain than I can measure.”

Aphrodite threatens her immediately following this, forcing her to go and comfort her new husband, but not before Helen tells him:

“So you came back from the fighting. I wish that you had died out there, defeated by that strong man who used to be my husband. Before, you claimed you were superior to warlike Menelaus in your strength and hands and spear. So go on, challenge him! Call Menelaus back again to fight you! But no. I order you to stop. Do not make war and fight with ruddy Menelaus. It would be idiotic. You would soon lose and lie dead beneath that fighter’s spear.”

According to a fragmented poem called Ilias mikra ( Ἰλιὰς μικρά), or Little Iliad, when Odysseus and Diomedes are sneaking into the city to steal their PALLADION (Παλλάδιον)—a wooden statue fashioned by the goddess of wisdom herself and said to be Troy's protector—Helen recognizes them, but never alerts the people in the walled city.

In terms of family, Helen had at the very least a daughter—HERMIONE (Ἑρμιόνη)—who had been about nine when she left (sources vary on whether she had other children or not), and she was also a first cousin of Penelope on her father's side. Though speaking of TYNDAREUS (Τυνδάρεος), prior to Helen making her choice of husband, one of the suitors present had suggested that should she be taken by anyone else—of which there actually had been a precedent for thanks to a certain Athenian king—they would all take up arms against that person to get her back. This would become known as the Oath of Tyndareus. What a brilliant idea, Odysseus.

NEOPTOLEMOS (Νεοπτόλεμος): son of Akhileus and called PYRRHOS (Πύρρος) at birth, Neoptolemos joined towards the end of the war and helped bring about the fall of Troy. Though young when he was called to arms, many sources often emphasize his brutality during this time, while others—such as Euripides and Sophocles—show him to be kinder, albeit torn in regards to the situation he's in.

And as for his father, Akhileus had actually been killed by Paris of all people, though not without divine help. Paris himself would later be killed by the archer PHILOKTETES (Φιλοκτήτης), and of Priam's remaining sons, Neoptolemos is credited by the Roman Quintus with having killed the following: POLITES (Πολίτης), PAMMON (Πάμμων), and ANTIPHONUS (Ἀντίφονόν).

JUST A MAN: Which brings us to ASTYANAX (Ἀστυάναξ), the infant son of HEKTOR (Ἕκτωρ) and ANDROMACHE (Ἀνδρομάχη). He is indeed killed because the Greeks feared his potential retribution, but the exact details aren't entirely consistent. In one version, he's killed by Neoptolemos, in others by Odysseus, be it directly or indirectly. In Seneca's The Trojan Women, the child even leaps off the walls himself. It's only in much later traditions does he survive.

As for his father, Hektor was said to have been the greatest fighter of the Trojans and had shown great kindness towards Helen for all of the twenty years she'd spent at Troy (yes, according to the very end of the Iliad, Helen specifically had been at Troy for twenty years at that point). The poem ends with his funeral.

FULL SPEED AHEAD: EURULOKHOS (Εὐρύλοχος) is not only Odysseus' second-in-command, but also his brother-in-law. His home is near Ithaka, on the island of Same. Polites (different one, of course) meanwhile is a very minor character in the Odyssey, but is still referred to as Odysseus' devoted friend.

OPEN ARMS: The LOTOPHAGOI (λωτοφάγοι), or lotus-eaters, were a race who—when consuming from a specific plant—would fall into a state of apathy to the point of never wishing to leave. This incident in the Odyssey is actually incredibly brief, with the crew arriving and then leaving immediately after Odysseus forces the men who ate from the lotus back on the ship.

WARRIOR OF THE MIND: Throughout both the Iliad as well as the Odyssey, ATHENA (Ἀθηνᾶ) acts as Odysseus' patron goddess. The boar "only the best could kill" is likely in reference to the famous Kalydonian Boar Hunt, which Odysseus is actually never mentioned as having taken a part in, but his father Laërtes did, depending on the source. The poem does reference a boar hunt, though, one that caused Odysseus to get scratched when he was still young.

POLYPHEMUS: In this song, we officially meet, well, POLYPHEMOS (Πολύφημος), the KYKLOPS (Κυκλωψ). Odysseus and his man arrive at his island immediately after they leave the land of the lotus-eaters, find a cave filled with cheese and sheep, and...

My crew begged, ‘Let us grab some cheese and quickly drive the kids and lambs out of their pens and down to our swift ships, and sail away across the salty water!’

That would have been the better choice. But I refused. I hoped to see him, and find out if he would give us gifts.

Obviously, this doesn't turn out to be the case. What needs to be understood, however, is that Odysseus and his crew were technically guests, so he would've expected Polyphemos to uphold XENIA (ξενία), sacred hospitality, something he even makes clear in the poem. He hadn't anticipated for Polyphemos to have no fear of the gods. The next morning, Odysseus gives him wine gifted to him by a priest of APOLLON (Ἀπόλλων) named MARON (Μάρων); Polyphemos finds it so delicious that he even compares it to nectar, the drink of the gods. Yet still, this wasn't enough to persuade the kyklops to free them.

SURVIVE: In the original poem, Odysseus is mentioned to have had several men eaten by Polyphemos, though the only one actually named is ANTIPHOS (Ἄντιφος).

REMEMBER THEM: It's worse in the poem.

‘Hey, you, Cyclops! Idiot! The crew trapped in your cave did not belong to some poor weakling. Well, you had it coming! You had no shame at eating your own guests! So Zeus and other gods have paid you back.’

[...]

My crew begged me to stop, and pleaded with me. ‘Please! Calm down! Why are you being so insistent and taunting this wild man? He hurled that stone and drove our ship right back to land. We thought that we were going to die. If he had heard us, he would have hurled a jagged rock and crushed our heads and wooden ship. He throws so hard!’

But my tough heart was not convinced; I was still furious, and shouted back again, ‘Cyclops! If any mortal asks you how your eye was mutilated and made blind, say that Odysseus, the city-sacker, Laertes’ son, who lives in Ithaca, destroyed your sight.’

Then it's immediately revealed this had been part of a prophecy.

Like MY GOODBYE, I honestly don't think there's much for me to talk about STORM and LUCK RUNS OUT, at least not at the moment, so let's move on to KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE, where we meet AIOLOS (Αιολος)! His island in the sky is named, fittingly, Aiolia, and he lives there with his wife and twelve children. Though initially receiving Odysseus and his crew warmly, once the bag of winds was opened and returned them to the island, Odysseus tried to ask for his help again, but Aiolos simply demanded that they leave, figuring the men were disfavored by the gods.

And finally, we have RUTHLESSNESS! After being rejected by the wind god, the crew come across the LAISTRYGONES (Λαιστρυγονες), giants who ate the crew and destroyed the ships until only one vessel remained. According to Hesiod, they sprang from Laistrygon (Λαιστρυγων), whose father was POSEIDON (Ποσειδων).

Poseidon as he appears in many myths is, in one word, ruthless, cursing Odysseus almost as soon as his son Polyphemus prays to him for vengeance. In certain myths, he is also portrayed as a rival to Athena, such as when the two competed for dominion over the then unnamed Athens; Poseidon offered them the first horse and Athena the first olive tree. To quote Emily Wilson:

Whereas Poseidon favors the untamed world of the stormy sea, Athena loves fixed settlements and the olive tree—a crop whose oil was used in archaic Greece for cooking and skin care. Poseidon makes the earth shake; Athena makes even the most rugged, barren landscape available for cultivation.

As far as the Trojan War itself is concerned, according to many sources, Poseidon actually helped build the famous walls of Troy alongside Apollo, but when the king at the time, LAOMEDON (Λαομέδων), refused to pay them, Apollo sent a plague and Poseidon sent KETOS (Κητος), a sea monster which would then be slain by HERAKLES (Ἑρακλης) just before the monster could eat Princess Hesione; Laomedon, having learned nothing from last time, refused to pay Herakles, who would then go on to sack the city in retaliation. Poseidon would later side with the Greeks during the war, but here's the interesting part: while the Trojan War has no set date, one proposed theory is 1275 BC, as that was around when historical Troy (specifically Troy VI) was believed to have been destroyed by an earthquake. Furthermore, what animal was carved out of wood for the final ambush? A horse!

[hobbitwrangler]

Your wonderful comments on "Taken" made me curious about your preferences for love/romantic stories!

Name 3 of your favorite fictional romantic couples/pairings, and what do you like best about them?

Thank you for such a fun ask!💚

Okay, here we go:

Faramir x Éowyn - I've loved them since I first read The Lord of the Rings and they were really a landmark moment for me because before them I wasn't really invested in most fictional couples. There was just something so beautiful to me about these two wonderful people who'd both been through so much meeting in such doubtful times and seeing just how wonderful the other person was - particularly for Éowyn that girl deserves the world. The way that they parallel each other, with older brothers who in the end couldn't look after them, the way they've both just lost their fathers, the way she almost died defending her father figure and he almost died at the hands of his father. Also I'm fairly sure 'And he took her in his arms and kissed her under the sunlit sky, and he cared not that they stood high upon the walls in the sight of many' rewired my brain permanently.

Odysseus x Penelope - this is a random one but my Grandpa told me his version of the Odyssey as a bedtime story when I was younger. The way he told the story, it was about two halves of the same intelligent, cunning whole trying to find their way back to each other and I find that beautiful (I realised when I was older that he added in more bits about Penelope for me, there was a whole plotline about a heron which is not mythologically accurate at all). I know there are other more 'accurate' versions of mythology which might paint these two in a more cynical light but you know what, the whole point of mythology is that it is fluid and I love my grandfather's version best. (I'm actually going to get the new Emily Wilson translation of The Odyssey for Christmas so I can continue the obsession)

Aravis x Shasta/Cor from The Horse and His Boy - these two were another pair that were really important to me when I was a kid. The meeting while both on the run, how she was so horrendously stuck-up (iconic of her), the way they absolutely cheesed each other off at first, absolutely perfect, what more could one ask for. That line about getting married so that they could argue and make up more conveniently is still the epitome of romance to me, because what more can you really ask for?

[edenfenixblogs]

Hello Eden (is it okay to call you that?)

Do you have any current favourite songs? What kind of music do you generally listen to?

And do you have any favourite books? What kind of books do you like to read?

If you are okay with sharing, no pressure.

Sending you love and strength ❤️

Ah!!! Thanks for this ask @sunnenfinster! What a lovely change of pace.

Eden is fine!!!!!

Ok, so I love music and books!

Of all broad genres of entertainment media, music is probably what I follow least closely. It’s not that I don’t like it; I just am always behind the curve in my tastes. I love listening to most confessional singer/songwriters. I love folk, rock, pop, and rap. I also get a lot of music I like from the background of media like TV, Movies, and podcasts. In general, I love confessional singer-songwriters from any genre.

Fave singers (and the albums I’d recommend from them: songs I’d recommend from that album [notes]):

Jem (Finally Woken: Come on Closer, Falling for You, Just a Ride). All songs on this album rock, to me.

Sheryl Crow (Sheryl Crow: A Change Would Do You Good, [about choosing love over anger and stopping gun violence], Redemption Day [about the Bosnian war], Maybe Angels [could be about aliens or being in a cult idk but it’s a good song about misplaced belief] I love every song on this album tbh. Wall-to-wall bangers.

Missy Elliot (Under Construction: Gossip Folks, Work it)

Suzanne Vega (99.9 F: 99.9 F, Blood Makes Noise, Rock in the Pocket, When Heroes Go Down)

Artists and songs I like in general: Aimee Mann (her voice is like butter and I could listen to her sing forever); Eliza Rickman: Pretty Little Head; Sims: Icarus; Dessa: Call Off Your Ghost; Sifu Hotman: Matches (I know no other songs by this artist but I LOVE this one so much. I’m gonna go listen to it right now); Lorde: Yellow Flicker Beat; Björk: Human Behavior; G Flip: Hyperfine, Gay 4 Me, Killing My Time; Aimee Mann: That’s Just What You Are [I love Aimee’s voice and could listen to her sing the phone book. All songs off her Magnolia Album are amazing too]

And gosh. So many more…

As for books!!!! OMG! I love books so much. I love so many different kinds of books. Some fave genres include: Classic Lit, Magical Realism, Sci-fi/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction; Engaging YA Series, Historical Fiction; Culinary History and Analysis; and Mythological Retellings

Classic Lit Faves:

“To The Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf [This contains my fave quote in all of literature. This could also never be adequately adapted into a movie. It’s a fascinating look into how people think and how we all process internal thoughts. Must be comfortable with long sentences, semicolons, and allowing sentence clauses to wash over you like ocean waves in order to enjoy this book]

“Cider with Rosie” by Laurie Lee

“All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque

“The Portable Dorothy Parker” by Dorothy Parker

“The Odyssey” by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson

“The Iliad” by Homer — both Emily Wilson’s Translation and Stanley Lombardo’s Translation

Magical Realism

“The House of the Spirits” by Isabelle Allende

“Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter” by Mario Vargas Llosa

“Bless Me Última” by Rudolfo Anaya

“Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel

SFF Faves:

“An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” and “A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor” by Hank Green

“The Martian” by Andy Weir

The Tiffany Aching line of the Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett (“The Wee Free Men,” “I Shall Wear Midnight,” “A Hat Full of Sky,” and “Wintersmith”)

“The Locked Tomb” Series by Tamsyn Muir (“Gideon the Ninth,” “Harrow the Ninth,” “Nona the Ninth” so far)

Engaging YA

“The Hunger Games” Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

“Grishaverse” Series by Leigh Bardugo

“Shadow and Bone Triogy” (related to the Grishaverse) by Leigh Bardugo [note: I didn’t know until making this list that Leigh Bardugo is an Israeli Jew! Very cool]

Historical Fiction:

“Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe” by Fannie Flagg [the associated cookbook is very good. Also, you’ll never eat ribs the same again]

“Tracks” by Louise Erdrich [one of the most interestingly written books I’ve ever read. Has two dueling narrators. This is part of a series of books but can be read as a standalone]

Culinary Analysis History

Bree Wilson’s books (“First Bite: How We Learn to Eat,” “Consider the Fork,” and “The Way We Eat Now,” specifically) are some of the best out there. [I didn’t realize until a couple weeks ago that Bee Wilson and the classicist translator Emily Wilson are sisters! They are both extremely smart, engaging writers.]

“Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan

“An Edible History of Humanity” by Tom Standage

“Food: A Cultural Culinary History” by Ken Albala (this one is a Great Courses course, so not technically a book. But it’s available most places you can get audiobooks. And it’s what got me fascinated with this subject)

Mythological Retellings

“Circe” and “The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

“The Silence of the Girls” and “The Women of Troy” by Pat Barker [TW Rape]

“Norse Mythology” by Neil Gaiman

Genre Defy-ers

(These are some of my All Time Faves that can’t really be confined to any genre)

The “Outlander” Series by Diana Gabaldon [and the related “Lord John” Series by the same author] (TW: for Rape)

“The Anthropocene Reviewed” by John Green

Just Finished Reading

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” by Truman Capote (Wow it was so good. I haven’t seen the movie in a while but I seriously doubt they adapted it faithfully. It was so surprising!!!)

Currently Reading

“Murder on the Orient Express” by Agatha Christie

Selections From My To Be Read List

“The City of Brass” by S.A. Chakraborty

“Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus

“The Source” by James Michener

“The Secret of Cooking” by Bee Wilson

“Equal Rites” by Terry Pratchett

“A Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England” by Ian Mortimer

“What You Are Looking For Is In The Library” by Michiko Aoyama

“The Doomsday Book” by Connie Willis

I also love to read cookbooks from various cultures to gain insight into those cultures in a very tactile way.

Sending you love and gratitude! 💜💜💜💜

I’m always down to discuss books!