#thinking a lot about toni morrison lately

[girljeremystrong]

cat!!!! hi!!!! i want to get my non-reader friend into reading. he probs won't read anything over 150-200 pages so i'm trying to find an entertaining short book. all the short books i love are essays or philosophy or things i think he could like in time but would probably find dry at the start (especially cause he hasn't read anything recreationally for years). so im at a loss and wanted to know if u have any recs for short books that are page-turners/easy to read <3 hope ur having a good day beloved xo

hello my love <3

first of all sorry for replying late but i was sleeping and then i had to go to the BANK but anyway i have compiled a little list of books i loved that are under 200 pages. there are lots of classics that are shorter and i've included them even though i think some of those would be stuff that you or him might have already read!

contemporary fiction

open water by caleb azumah nelson: THIS IS SUCH A GREAT ONE that i can't imagine anyone not enjoying. truly. it's a love story between two black young british people but it's far from a tiktok romance novel. it explores themes of race and masculinity and vulnerability and it's soft but also very real and it's wonderful. honestly if i had to only recommend one it would be this!

small things like these by claire keegan: very good and quietly hopeful story of a man in a little irish town at christmas. everybody was talking about this book last year and with good reason, it's great.

whereabouts by jhumpa lahiri: the story of a woman in the town she lives in and how it can change in a year. this is an introspective one but jhumpa lahiri is a genius so it reads very easily and it's so wonderfully written.

interpreter of maladies by jhumpa lahiri: short stories, mainly dealing with indian characters in the US. they feel absolutely universal while teaching something about culture and belonging. won the pulitzer in 1999.

how not to drown in a glass of water by angie cruz: a woman narrates the story of her life to her counselor who's trying to find her a job. it's funny and hopeful and memorable. the author is so great (she wrote another one called dominicana that is a masterpiece although is longer!)

kim jiyoung, born 1982 by cho nam-joo: the story of a new mum living in korea that explores the estrangement of being a woman and having to give up so much. it's definitely more serious but it's written very well and it doesn't feel heavy at all.

swimming in the dark by tomasz jedrowski: this one is incredible. it's the story of a polish university student who falls in love with another man in the 1980s in an obviously very repressive society. so he's in love but he wants protest and he can't ignore the struggles and the disparity around him. it's very political but also lyrical and tender.

someone who will love you in all your damaged glory by raphael bob-waksberg: okay this breaks 200 pages at 256 pages long. but it's so good. everybody would love this. it's by the creator of bojack horseman if that can be an incentive somehow. it's a collection of stories that are so unconventional and bizarre in the most incredible way. they are funny stories and sweet and absurd and sad. i really loved reading this book.

infinite country by patricia engel: the story of a colombian family dealing with deportation. it's from the pov of elena who is the eldest daughter. it's a beautiful book that deals with very real struggles and it does it beautifully.

classics

recitatif by toni morrison: very short story (about 20 pages) but so clever and so well written of course. it's the story of two women who have known each other since they were children. they lose touch and then they reconnect when they're older. one of them is white and one of them is black, but the author never tells you which is which. so it's a great story about race.

the cossacks by leo tolstoy: the story of a man who loses his fortune and retires to a cossack village. it's very russian... but it's very well written and definitely explores some of the themes that tolstoy will then explore in war and peace like the purpose of life and war and his love of nature.

white nights by fyodor dostoevsky: again very russian. but less than 100 pages long! it's the story of a young man living in st petersburg who one day meets a girl and they become fast friends. they both feel like outcasts, so together they feel like they can belong. it is actually great.

giovanni's room by james baldwin: lots of baldwin's books (both his fiction and non-fiction) are short ones actually. this one is the story of a man in paris who, while waiting for his girlfriend to get there, falls in love with a man. it's an incredible story dense with love and passion and shame and it is wonderful.

the old man and the sea by hemingway: old man tries to catch big fish after not being able to catch any fish for a long time. but also so much more than that and nobody made me read this in school so i only read it at 25 and it blew me away. everybody told me it would be so sad but i think it's actually hopeful and a little bit it is a story about community? and it tells you that there's people waiting for you to come back.

of mice and men by steinbeck: again i read it in my mid twenties and loved it. it's a gut punch. it's about two men clinging together as laborers in california. it deals with what it means to feel powerless in a tyrant world.

franny and zooey by salinger: one of the best books ever i think. franny and zooey are brother and sister and they are two young people experiencing existential doubts. it's a book about family and about growing into adults and about the alienation that comes with that. salinger knows how to write young people in a crisis so well and how to make it engaging and entertaining.

having compiled this list i now see that my tastes definitely are oriented in a certain way but i hope at least one of these can work for your friend. i tried to include all the shorter books that i have read and loved and i think that generally anyone could enjoy them, but you never know!

hope you're having a great day too!!! mwah!!

[munson-blurbs]

How They Say "I Love You" for the First Time

Just some thoughts about how each Stranger Things guy would tell you he loves you for the first time :) divider credits: @firefly-graphics

Steve Harrington: Meeting His Parents

You come home from work to see Steve sitting at the table, head in his hands, clearly distressed.

"What's wrong, babe?" you ask, rubbing his back gently.

He looks up at you with red-rimmed eyes. "My mom called," he explains, "and she wants me to come over for my dad's birthday."

You frown, knowing about your boyfriend's strained relationship with his parents from your many late-night talks. "What do you wanna do?"

"I don't know," he says finally. "I know I should go, but I can't stand to listen to him talk about what a failure I am for not going to college while my mom just sits there and does nothing."

You consider your response carefully before speaking. "What if I come with you?" you offer, not wanting to cross any bounds. "Only if you want."

"You'd do that for me?" His voice breaks slightly, in awe that someone would voluntarily risk getting caught in the Harrington family crossfires.

You nod, placing a kiss atop his head. "Of course, Steve. I'll be with you the whole time."

Steve stands up and pulls you in for a hug. "Baby, I love you so much."

Billy Hargrove: Patching His Wounds

Billy had changed a lot since you two had started dating: he had moved out of his house, away from his awful dad, allowing Max to stay over whenever she needed. He'd be trying to steer clear of fighting, especially now that he could be charged as an adult.

That was until he'd overheard someone talking about you; some prick who took one look at you in your short skirt and said to his buddy, "How much d'you wanna bet that I can get in that slut's panties?" The next thing anyone knew, Billy's fist was connecting with the guy's nose with a sickening crack. He probably would've kept going if you didn't pull him back.

Now you're back at his place, gently applying antiseptic to his bloodied knuckles. He hisses at the sting, instinctively withdrawing, but you pull him closer and keep dabbing.

"You don't have to fight for me," you tell him. "That loser wasn't worth all of this pain."

"Hell no," Billy says through gritted teeth. "Nobody talks that way about the woman I love and gets away with it."

Eddie Munson: Post-Sex Cuddles

It's no secret that Eddie Munson is touch-starved; he's constantly all over you. Fingers intertwined with yours when you're walking, an arm slung around your shoulder during a movie date, randomly kissing your forehead while you're hanging out with friends. Tonight, you're laying on the couch after exploring each other's bodies, soaking in the feeling of bringing each other such physical pleasure.

Your legs are lazily draped over his, head against his soft chest, gently rubbing his torso with your thumb. He presses his lips to your scalp.

"Can I tell you a secret?" he murmurs. "This is what I've always wanted."

You glance at him, kissing his jawline. "Mind-blowing sex?" you tease.

"That part's great," he agrees with a laugh, pulling you closer into him. "But the...holding you afterwards, it just feels so right."

"I know what you mean." You snuggle him, taking in the warmth from his body. "It feels especially right being with you."

"I think," Eddie starts, hesitating before hurtling into his true feelings. "I think it's because...because I'm in love with you."

Jonathan Byers: Taking Your Photo

One thing you and Jonathan initially bonded over was your love of peace and quiet. Both natural introverts, you could cuddle for hours without saying a word, just listening to the beating of his beautiful heart as you lay on his chest.

Even your hobbies centered around quiet, with Jonathan's love of photography and your penchant for reading novels. Right now, you're sitting under a tree, eyes scanning Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, one of your favorite books. Jonathan is supposed to be photographing the meadow; instead, he keeps his camera trained on you.

"Jonathan!" you giggle, "I thought you said you wanted to get pictures of the flowers!"

"I do." he pouts, feigning frustration. "You're just so beautiful, y'know? I feel like I have to capture this moment."

You roll your eyes playfully. "You're ridiculous," you say, getting to your feet and pulling him in for a kiss.

He brushes your hair out of your face, tucking it behind your ear. "Maybe," he admits shyly, "but it's only because I love you."

Argyle: Brushing His Hair

People might expect Argyle to blurt out his true feelings for you while under the influence of his favorite plant, but he's stone-cold sober when it happens.

You're both in his living room; you're sitting on the couch and he's on the floor beneath you. You've been playing with his hair for the last ten minutes, running your fingers through his long, silky locks.

"'S not fair," you mutter quietly. "How does my boyfriend have better hair than I do?"

He chuckles, shaking his head back and forth so his hair tickles your legs. "I think it's only fair that I have something, considering everything about you is perfect, babe."

You feel yourself blushing, like you always do when he gives you a compliment. It feels like he never runs out of sweet, romantic things to say to you. "Can I brush it?" you ask.

"Of course." He disappears into his bathroom, returning with his hairbrush in hand.

You start at the ends, gently combing out the knots. He closes his eyes and relaxes as you work your way up to the roots.

"I dunno how to say this...might sound weird," he says softly, "but I always feel, like, safe with you. Does that make sense?" He furrows his brows, worried at your response.

"I feel safe with you, too," you confide. "Like nothing can hurt me, because I have you to protect me."

"Exactly!" A smile lights up his face, sending electric shocks through your body. "Man, it's like I totally get it now."

"Get what?" you question, pausing your brushing.

"Get what everyone meant when they said that I'll just know when I'm in love."

[mod2amaryllis]

just gonna sliiide into your inbox to be like. got any complicated relationship with motherhood recs?? cause I'm👀

👁️👁️ b i s c i a.

the first rec is always for all time The Broken Earth trilogy by NK Jemisin

talk about books that changed my brain chemistry and boosted my writing, especially the fifth season, which pulls a narrative trick with its 3 main character perspectives that still has me reeling and makes me resent the fact that not every protagonist is an exhausted middle aged mother who's haunted by choices and horrors of her own making!!

The Devourers by Indra Das

a take on werewolves that's at times genuinely sickening to read, esp for my body-horror-scawy ass. lot of upsetting themes fyi, like. all the themes. are upsetting. but i was left feeling like I'd just gotten the world's most dire hug. also trans allegory out the wazoo.

i feel like this one is really obligatory like yeah no shit Beloved by Toni Morrison but still: Beloved by Toni Morrison

I've never felt smart enough for this book but i think about it constantly, not just because the contents are so traumatic but the way it's written..... even now i feel like such a dunce trying to say anything about it but it's like. it broke rules in my brain about how books are supposed to be structured and understood. there's a chapter that ends in a stream of thought that's borderline incomprehensible and it's in my head forever.

ok little different now and largely positive mushy gushy mom stuff, but a lot of Brandi Carlile's songs, especially The Mother:

and her whole In These Silent Days album. particularly it's celebrating lesbian motherhood. Mama Werewolf is awesome and introduces that complication that makes me ravenous, but my favorite is her love song to her wife, You And Me On The Rock

there's a song exploder podcast episode about it. she talks about how it's an homage to her good friend Joni Mitchell, how it's about this very feminine love she shares with her wife and daughter (and now also her son) and how she spent some of her youth grappling with that femininity.

speaking of song exploder!!!!!! the episode for Song For Our Daughter by Laura Marling

Laura Marling and her partner don't have children. this song is a hypothetical about the trauma of being a girl and having your boundaries crossed when you're young. but what absolutely destroys me is that there's a string section, which was written by a violinist to whom she gave creative liberty, and in his strings he says, "i wrote this to be the character of The Daughter, so she's here in the song soaring over everything" and it just. hearing the context and then listening to the song........i show this episode to anyone who's stuck in a car with me 25 minutes.

on the subject of music, of course there's Florence + The Machine's 2022 album Dance Fever, particularly King

like hell yeah let's get primal with it

and ok this is gonna clock my grew up as a theatre kid ass but still, to this day, Next To Normal.

listening to this show as a teenager who was just starting to hate my (wonderful awesome love her) mom was like......hoooooo. it blew open the my-parents-are-human empathy. idc about like whether or not this musical lives up to the insane hype it got in the late 2000s it just meant a lot to me personally.

also there's movies i guess! but if you're not already on the Everything Everywhere All At Once train idk what we're doing

then my oldest mom-centric media of all, so old that I'm not even sure how well it holds up to my current person sensibilities, Fruits Basket

the way her death is the inciting incident for everything that happens after, and how she's a ghost that haunts the rest of the story, at times a protective spirit and at other times a traumatic poltergeist, is like. i thought i was a 13yo reading a magical high school romance what's happening to me.

then of course the current rec, Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

Lockwood is a poet and this is her memoir about growing up with a Catholic priest for a dad, something that in itself seems contradictory. it's phenomenal. i can't believe someone exists who's this good at writing. her relationship with her mother is hilariously, tenderly depicted and it's questioning and resentful and loving and there's a chapter about them called the cum queens of the hyatt palace and it's the funniest thing I've ever read

oops too many words

motherhood in media borders on fixation for me lol i don't always seek it out but when it's there I'm like AAAAAAAAH, AAAAAAAH AAAAAAAAAAAAH AAAAAH IS ANYONE ELSE SEEING THIS GRAAAAAHHHH!!!!

........oh and undertale. how could i forget Undertale.

[djservo]

it’s that time of year again… 🎄🎅🎉🎊 no. the highlights of your 2023 media consumption of course! just like last year, i want to know your top 5 films, books, tv shows, songs/albums, pop culture moments if that’s your thing, and as a bonus: any favourite personal moment/achievement in the last year? new to you, new in release, either works! can’t wait to see your response and wishing you a happy new year! 😁🩷

oh man I'm late but YAYYYYYY I luv these round ups + appreciate U so much for asking each year! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 🫂🎆

films: sooooo many good first watches in 2023, surprisingly a lot in the first couple months which I think set a precedent for a year of fruitful viewings 🔮 I made a top 25 list so shoutout to the other 20 that I painstakingly sifted from 300+ watches but ok my top 5 were:

Rapture (1979) dir. Iván Zulueta

Tampopo (1985) dir. Jūzō Itami

The Last of Sheila (1973) dir. Herbert Ross

Mirch Masala (1987) dir. Ketan Mehtal

Pickpocket (1959) dir. Robert Bresson

I also finished Pedro Almodóvar's filmography (except for the latest short) which was really satisfying so I feel like that also deserves a shoutout + I hope to complete other fav directors' filmographies this year too!

books: Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn, Near to the Wild Heart by Clarice Lispector, The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel, The Carnivorous Lamb by Agustín Gómez Arcos, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison -- ALL FICTION, CAN YOU BELIEVE!! I really loved a lot of the nonfiction I read last year too but these stories stuck with me the most/lingered on my mind the longest

music: I'm bad at keeping up with new music so I don't really have new releases to gush about like if I had to think of strictly 2023 releases I probably enjoyed Mitski + Kelela's albums the most but if I'm so real I didn't really come back to either of them often -- the artists I did consistently return to throughout the year were Danza Invisible, Chanel Beads, Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions, Pixies, and like all 3 of Kathleen Hanna's bands 🧘‍♀️

tv shows: I'm even worse at tv we know this but I got my sister hooked on early Survivor seasons so that's a win in my book 🙏 the last few months of the year I watched a lot of Boy Meets World + Portlandia randomly, probably bc I got sick for the first time in years n just wanted some easy watching that I knew I'd like.. OH and The State!! overall, yet another great year of watching irrelevant television that hasn't been on air for years 🙌

2023 was a really good year of reconnecting with friends + family for me!! I saw people I hadn't seen or spoken to in yearssssss just because of life and distance and whatnot but I've been more willing to go out of my way to make things happen/make my desire to reconnect #known and it's been really fruitful + reminds me of being in college doing the most just to go to a concert or meet up with some friends for the weekend IDK like the "inconvenience" of the process making the result that much sweeter or whateva :-) this one's silly and random but I cancelled my spotify premium subscription a few days ago (missed the billing cycle by a day so technically I'm still a premium user til the end of this month smh) which I've been meaning to do for a while but Finally I did it and I feel like this

[postgameroutesix]

the next ep is about toni morrison so u know im gonna save that for next time when im awake and alert. ive been watching LOTS of interviews with her lately so thats very fitting but yayy something to look forward to tomorrow i sooo wish my school had us study beloved during our gothic unit but this will be a solid introduction to scholarly thought on her works i think

[brw]

If they bring back Avengers era beast I’m not sure that’ll be a good thing imo. He’ll have lost >4 (I want to say more like 8+) years of his life, he’ll be so much younger than his old friends, and he’ll have lost a lot of newer relationships entirely. Will anyone want to be around him except Simon?

They could Tony Heroes Rebony him and combine the two versions but I’m not sure how well that’d work out.

No, it is something I do feel weirdly about. It's upsetting, but I can understand it–Percy has taken Hank in such a significantly ridiculous direction that I can appreciate that the amount of time, dedication, love and focus that would have go to fixing his image both for himself, in universe and to readers as a whole would take for a writer who Hank is their very favourite character, and I don't think we have anyone at Marvel currently who's favourite character is Hank. People like him, but they like the bouncing, fun blue guy, not the war criminal and less so the complicated, stodgy, often miserable Hank he was of late. So I think in terms of narrative and in terms of what writers want to do with Hank next, it does make sense, but it does make me a bit sad because I would be interested in seeing how a writer would tackle reconciling Percy's non-characterisation into something more believable.

My thought / theory is that while Hank will be based on his earlier self, Sage or someone else will fill him in on everything that has happened, or he will somehow get loaded up with Krakoa Beast's memories and will have to go through the motions of experiencing that, and what he can do going forward. Mind you, I do think there could be something interesting about a younger, more naive, starry-eyed Hank being able to tell that something is wrong, that people are keeping things from him, and going after to find what even at his own risk, sort of in a Oedipus Rex fashion, but I dont think Sophoclean tragedy is where they're looking to take Hank.

But yes, it is a decision I feel oddly about because I would genuinely prefer Hank actually having to make the decision to be a better person starting from rock bottom. I find narratives where people who cannot and will not be forgiven for what they've done genuinely improve and become good people more interesting than "evil guy either dies or tries to become good and canonises that 'goodness' by sacrificing himself, essentially avoiding doing any hard, actual work". And it does make me feel sad, having so much of Hank's interesting, nuanced history with Morrison or with Gillian or whoever getting erased, but again, I can also appreciate Percy has done so many preposterously ridiculous things with Hank while insisting it's 616 Hank all throughout, that at this point the easiest thing to do is to reset and call it quits. To be fair, it seems to be what they're doing with Krakoa as a whole, which feels a copout but that's showbiz for ya, I guess.

[syderary-theory]

My three favorite books of 2022

2022 has actually turned out to be a pretty big year for me in terms of reading. For anyone who doesn’t know, I have been struggling with an intense reading burn-out since my junior year of undergrad (English majors go off) that I have slowly recovering from over the last few years, and this last year especially has done a lot in terms of reigniting my love for reading.

Now, overall, I read a total of 23 books over the course of 2022, which might not be much for some folks, but it’s a lot for me and I am very pleased both with the number of books I read and with the books themselves.

Generally, I have enjoyed a lot of creative nonfiction as well as literary fiction, but I also ended up giving myself more room to explore different genres like horror/thriller as well as sci-fi and graphic novels. Some examples include: The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir, Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, and Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kirsten Radtke.

The list below are not exactly what I would consider the best of everything I’ve read (but don’t get me wrong, they’re all fantastic) but rather more so the books that have changed my approaches to life, reading, or otherwise have lingered with me since reading them. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

3. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

This is not my first Toni Morrison novel, but I wish that it had been. My initial introduction to Morrison had been Song of Solomon, a novel that I don’t remember enjoying but plan to revisit soon.

The Bluest Eye clicked for me in so many ways, from Morrison’s artistic description of 1940’s Lorain, Ohio to her masterful execution of theme as a linking mechanism throughout each chapter. I love the way Morrison refuses to shy away from the more grotesque parts of her characters without completely stripping them of their humanity.

I recommend looking up the trigger warnings before diving into it, but The Bluest Eye is a wonderful novel that I’m glad to have picked up the past year.

2. On Immunity: an Inoculation by Eula Biss

I think I picked this up after hearing about it from some bookclub servers I was in, but this book ended up being the harrowing examination of our mass response to disease and vaccination that I needed after these past few years neck deep in the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Immunity does not respond to our most recent global panic, but instead responds to our history of illness and treatment, and how much of that history gets shaped by human fear. The similarities between the epidemics and vaccine treatments Biss faced at the birth of her son and what we’ve encountered over the last few years is hauntingly similar.

But what I ended up loving the most about this book was Biss’s honesty about her own fears and apprehensions towards vaccine treatment. It ended up making the book more about self-examination instead of mass cultural critique, which helped me to breakdown my own anxieties over scheduling an appointment for that first COVID booster.

After everything we’ve all been through over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, this book couldn’t be relevant and worth reading.

1. Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller

This has probably become one of my favorite books ever. Similar to On Immunity, I initially encountered this book via one of my bookclub servers (it was a really great bookclub y’all), and have not stopped thinking about.

Why Fish Don’t Exist is half biography of the late taxonomist, David Starr Jordan, and half memoir of Lulu Miller’s pursuit for meaning amongst personal devastation.

It’s hard for me to describe what exactly I love about this book beyond the standard execution of lyrical prose and investigative reflection. This is a book I would recommend to anyone new to nonfiction, because it’s artful blend of form makes for a really captivating read complete with twists and unexpected beauty.

I think for me, what this book really ended up providing was a reflection of my own questions about life and meaning in the wake of my own spiritual deconstructions. Growing up in an intensely religious home, I’d been conditioned to rely on notions of a god for almost all my personal deliberations. So, by taking a step away from all those preconceived notions of the universe and my place in it, I, like Miller, found myself faced with the task of finding new ways to connect to life in order to find purpose again. It’s a book I find myself returning too quite frequently.

So, that is the short list of my favorite books this year. If you’ve read any of these, I’d love to hear your thoughts or if you want to tell me about your favorite books from this past year, please feel free to share.

Until then, ✌️

[grandhotelabyss]

I think at least as far as the Trump as spiritually white ethnic/in a way homosexual you’re right, but I would add a quibble to that comment that I didn’t think quite fast enough to make at the time, but that’s surfaced in the wake of finishing Paradise as I’ve been thinking a lot about Toni Morrison lately, and specifically that closing note of the Beloved pod episode, where you bemoaned that she was til the end of her life loyal to left-liberalism. Some of those thoughts will probably get their own ask sooner or later, but one of the things that I’ve been thinking about is how Morrison, being of the generation she was, and moving in the circles she did probably would have been sharply aware of the way that the white ethnic tradition of liberals turned right that Trump ultimately wound up embodying was always in a sense partly about a discomfort with the changing racial status quo in America after the civil rights era and grievances I think partly legitimate and partly a sort of Baldwinian sense of having ones values undermined when those you thought beneath you are suddenly considered by the WASPs (who are still on top) to be your equals. There’s also I think another level that as an aesthete I’m sure she must have in some way (even if unconsciously) been alive to the way that Trump was sort of the upside down Obama, the slovenly, uncouth spiritual white ethnic (also) making promises on the campaign trail that he could not, and did not keep in office.*

*this has on some level been true for at least the last three or four American presidents, but it seems to me that maybe the most of any of them there is a stark and fascinating dualism between the aesthetics of Trump and the actual politics, once ensconced of Trump, but maybe that’s neither here nor there (or maybe, as you implied, it’s everything!)

I agree, but the "white ethnic" shift happened with Nixon and Reagan, which is why I don't think it's all that explanatory re: Trump, especially after 2020. I am admittedly too attracted to the perversity of the reversal I'm outlining, that wittingly or not his supporters are drawn to his racial-sexual crypto-subalternity and his enemies repulsed by the same even as they tell themselves the opposite logic is at work. Still, I think it explains something of the emotion on both sides, which otherwise seems in excess of the object. And on your footnote, yes, Trump is closest in unbuttoned persona, strangely or not, to Clinton, the other first black president, whose persona echoed his policies, but pragmatically similar to both Bush and Obama (each in his own way a pious and reserved man) in promising to reverse some elements of the Reagan-Clinton neoliberalism (or whatever) and then not quite doing it.

On Morrison, I don't remember what I said, but I certainly do understand why she remained a loyal Democrat. I just don't see what, exactly, it has to do with the metaphysics of the novels. The metaphysics are counter to the stated worldview of the Republicans during most of her adult life—the rise of the religious right in the '70s if nothing else would have prevented her taking the Hurston-like turn that sometimes seems implied in her early fiction—but not, even so, congruent with the stated worldview of the Democrats, especially during and after Clinton.

That's the terrible genius of our system, though: there are only two parties, and the cult of democracy means you have to loudly support one of them. No Jüngerian anarchs in the American system; or, if there are, like Cormac McCarthy, they just get read as secret Republicans.

[cor-ardens-archive]

hey mari, i've had a real craving for horror books lately and was wondering if you had any recs for me? i think contemporary and homoerotic is the vibe at the moment but i'll take whatever you've got 💛

Chell, I'm so glad you sent this ask! I know you're a fan of Carmen Maria Machado, so I tried to think of some similar authors or authors that I know have been an influence on her. (Also, I'm not sure if you've read her edition of Carmilla, but if not, maybe look into it? I really love the original Carmilla as well.) Some books in this list are probably not always considered horror, but they’re at the very list horror-adjacent. I tried to pick things based on what I know of your taste, but not sure if I did a very good job. If you read any of these, I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I'll be happy to recommend more based on what you enjoyed or didn't enjoy. Anyway, here's what I came up with:

These are quite obvious and you've probably read them already but definitely Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House and Toni Morrison’s Beloved. I mean, I could never talk about horror and not talk about them, so.

Angela Carter was a great influence on Machado, I think, and in any case she is always wonderful and breathtaking. I recommend starting with The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories because they're all short, magical and creepy, though more gothic than horror.

Sarah Waters is more gothic than horror as well, but The Little Stranger definitely fits in the genre (though a lot of people who like her work didn't like that one, but I personally did; of course I also recommend her other books, especially Fingersmith).

White Is For Witching, Helen Oyeyemi (check out her other books if you enjoy this one!)

Paradise Rot, Jenny Hval

Skin Folk, Nalo Hopkinson

A Human Stain, Kelly Robson (read it here for free)

Ten Excerpts from an Annotated Bibliography on the Cannibal Women of Ratnabar Island, Nibedita Sen (a short story that I love, read it here)

Irina, Susan Millar DuMars (here)

Things We Lost in the Fire, Mariana Enríquez

A Certain Hunger, Chelsea G. Summers

Tender is the Flesh, Augustina Bazterrica

Bloodchild and Other Stories, Octavia Butler

The Complete Stories of Leonora Carrington (surrealism with some horror)

The Bloody Countess, Alejandra Pizarnik

Bluebeard's First Wife, Ha Seong-nan

I've only very recently started reading Tanith Lee, but so far I can recommend The Book of the Damned and The Blood of Roses, but she's written so many books and I've only dipped my toe.

Due to the nature of horror, a lot of these come with caveats and possible trigger warnings, but I wouldn't even know where to begin, so if there's anything that is particularly upsetting to you that you'd like to be warned about, do let me know!

[olreid]

Hello, do you know any books where the protagonist is haunted by something besides a dead person? I’ve just been kind of obsessed with the concept lately. I mean to say, something like a concept, an object, or a person who is still alive.

I like your blog a lot! You read so many interesting things and have a lot of fascinating thoughts about them. It’s been inspiring me to get back into reading real books lately!

ooh let's think . my first rec would be borges' short story the zahir, which is about a man who is haunted by a coin . in the three body problem, the protagonist is haunted by aliens; in DUNE, paul is haunted by the future; in the double by dostoevsky, a man is haunted by his doppelgänger. in solaris, the protagonist is haunted by a planet; in moby-dick, ahab is haunted by a whale.. beloved by miss toni morrison is a great example of someone that is simultaneously both dead and alive doing the haunting... furthermore i had a great time reading the odyssey because of how haunted everyone is by The War... those are my immediate thoughts ! other ppl should feel free to add recs of their own in the replies

[moonwaif]

Today is the birthday of late Nobel prize winning author, Toni Morrison. On top of being an extremely talented writer, she shared many words of wisdom during her lifetime. Her books are currently among those at risk of being removed from many schools around the U.S., for what some parents and conservative administrators claim are inappropriate content. In honor of her birthday, I want to share one quote that I've been thinking a lot about lately.

“Fascism talks ideology, but it is really just marketing—marketing for power. It is recognizable by its need to purge, by the strategies it uses to purge, and by its terror of truly democratic agendas. It is recognizable by its determination to convert all public services to private entrepreneurship, all nonprofit organizations to profit-making ones—so that the narrow but protective chasm between governance and business disappears. It changes citizens into taxpayers—so individuals become angry at even the notion of the public good. It changes neighbors into consumers—so the measure of our value as humans is not our humanity or our compassion or our generosity but what we own. It changes parenting into panicking—so that we vote against the interests of our own children; against their health care, their education, their safety from weapons. And in effecting these changes it produces the perfect capitalist, one who is willing to kill a human being for a product (a pair of sneakers, a jacket, a car) or kill generations for control of products (oil, drugs, fruit, gold).” ― Toni Morrison, The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations

[gayenerd]

These are “outtakes” from Billie Joe’s 2010 Out Magazine interview. The link is still up, but for some reason they took out his answers about masculinity and femininity????? And those are obviously the most interesting answers! Anyway, here’s the whole thing I had saved in a doc

March 19, 2010

Billie Joe Armstrong Tells All

Photo: Kurt Iswarienko

Our April Broadway issue features Green Day's front man Billie Joe Armstrong chatting about music, politics, and the new musical, <i>American Idiot,</i> based on the band's last two albums. The writer of the piece (and former Popnography editor) Shana Naomi Krochmal filed the following exclusive extras from her interview with Armstrong that didn't make it into the piece. In them, Billie Joe touches on masculinity, his queer influences, and meeting Lady Gaga:

ON MASCULINITY:

Out: Is masculinity important to you?

Billie Joe Armstrong: I think it can come in handy, if it’s used the right way.

What’s the right way?

I think you learn a lot from Little League baseball. Like how to be a good team player, what do you do in situations when you’re at bat and it’s just you and another person. When you lose, how do you deal with losing? When you win, are you a good winner? And a graceful winner? How do you contribute to a team situation selflessly? I think there’s a lot of leadership skills in that. I don’t know if that’s masculinity or just good leadership or just life lessons. I just used Little League baseball because it’s male dominated.

Do your kids play?

They did. My oldest is done now, and my youngest one does. It was a real good bonding experience. I think masculinity is a lot more feminine than people give it credit for. Or it can be. Jim Morrison seemed very masculine to me, but also completely feminine at the same time. That balance in between -- and it’s not those morons on the bus in Borat. That’s not masculinity, that’s insecurity at its worse. Masculinity is something that women can have.

What is feminine about you?

I’m not sure. Let me think. It’s all about being a well rounded a person. I think being a singer is very feminine. Being a singer is a very feminine thing -- performing is definitely. Women have a lot more courage I think than men do, in a lot of ways -- if you think about what Madonna does or Lady Gaga or Beyonce. Women have a much easier time of reinventing themselves than I think men do. Hmm, I think -- a little bit of eyeliner. [Laughs] But I think there’s a big difference between vanity and femininity. I think that feminine side has served me a lot more than my masculine side has in a lot of ways.

ON PERFORMING AT THE GRAMMYS:

That was such a great night. There’s a whole thing where you’re worried about the awards part of it, and it can make you kind of irritable, kind of stressed out. But the great thing is that we had a chance to play with the cast, which has never really been done before.

ON THE MOST EMOTIONAL PARTS OF THE SHOW:

When Rebecca [Naomi Jones] sings “Letterbomb,” that really blows me away. The scene where Tunny’s on the gurneys and they’re singing “Before the Lobotomy.” And “Last Night on Earth” is an amazing scene with the couple doing this heroin dance. Tony [Vincent] is singing the song -- the first verse while they’re slamming smack -- and then the next verse is Mary coming out with a baby that she’s had with a guy who turns out to be a loser father. I get chills thinking about it right now. The juxtaposition between the two scenes is like -- wow.

ON WRITING AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL:

I’d definitely be interested in it. I think we’re in a really rare situation where this is gaining momentum. I don’t want to screw it up by working on something else. I’d love to do something with Michael [Mayer]. I’ve always wanted to see what it would be like to score a film -- but this, this is even more special, I think.

ON KNOWING TOO MUCH:

When you start getting into politics, what I’ve realized is that if it seems to be black and white, it’s shooting off into so many different directions. You can’t really keep up with what’s happening in the House of Representatives. Things like Hurricane Katrina, Haiti, troops in Afghanistan, financial crisis -- even Tiger Woods. It seems to be one thing after the next.

ON HIS QUEER INFLUENCES:

My uncle. There were different punk singers, from a guy named Cretin Chaos in Social Unrest to guys like Morrissey. And also guys that would genderbend a little, like Bowie, or Mike Ness from Social Distortion wearing makeup. I’ve always liked music that was non-gender specific, like the Replacements song called “Androgynous.” It was just always those little things or people that were willing to make you think, whoa, that’s not what I’m hearing on the radio these days.

ON MEETING LADY GAGA AT THE MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS:

She had this outfit on -- she had so much shit on her when she walked by! She couldn’t move her arm because she was going on to do her performance, and it was like shaking hands with someone in a cast. She had this handler that was like, “Don’t touch the costume! Don’t touch the costume!” She said something about how she loved Dookie so much she used to lick the pages. I thought it was really cool. She’s influencing a lot of young people, and she’s doing it in a way that’s provocative. And a lot of people don’t realize that she’s an artist, and she’s been one for a really long time. She’s taking something that Bowie or Madonna did and taking it a step further.

ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE “PUNK ROCK”:

That’s like a 10 part answer. I think of it as something that you need to have of your own. For me it’s about community. I think it’s kind of spiritual in its own way, because people fight over it so much and the meaning of it. It’s a sense of self-discovery. But also a new set of ideas and a new poetry, a new music that you discover that you notice that no one else is really into, or goes against what other people are normally into. It’s like you’re free to be an individual and taking on new ideas and challenging old ideas. I think it has a lot to do with burning down the establishment to create something new. But at the same time, you find relationships within that too. It’s something that’s supposed to empower you. It’s about starting something new. Part of the problem with a lot of punk rock is that people believe that it’s supposed to be one thing. Everything for me starts off with punk rock when I’m writing songs -- it’s almost like I’m stripped down to the bare bones of music again. It’s kind of in my DNA in this point.

ON HIS WIFE, ADRIENNE:

She’s great. She’s beautiful. Without her, I don’t know what I’d do. She empowers me to challenge myself in a lot of ways. She inspired the song “American Idiot” by playing me this Midnight Oil song that she really loved. She runs a store called Atomic Garden, all about sustainable living. She’s really active in NRDC, politically. Sometimes I think she’s a hell of a lot more interesting and a cooler person than I am.

ON HIS “MISERABLE” HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE:

Academically you have to completely re-figure out how to prioritize your life. And suddenly you feel like the whole fucking world is against you because they’re prioritizing for you. And it’s forced on you. And if you don’t get it at that age, if you don’t catch it -- that’s what happened to me, I didn’t prioritize anything. I just got to a breaking point where it was like, by my later high school years, “You’re all full of shit anyway. Everyone’s full of shit. I know what I’m doing, and fuck school, and fuck schoolwork, and I’m not going to go to fucking college anyway, and I’m gonna play in a rock band, and you’re all gonna be sorry.” You get vengeful -- it’s a natural instinct, all those hormones going and shit.

ON BEING HAPPIER AT AGE 38:

I kind of feel like things are getting better. It goes in stages. I loved my early twenties. I hated my late twenties. I was a drunk. I was trying to figure out how to be a father, a husband, but I still wanted to live my life like a crazy punk rock rock star. You start noticing things about yourself. You have to change your health habits. But you don’t want to change. In your twenties, change is hitting you over the head whether you like it or not. Right when I got to about 30 I was like, thank God that’s over. But it gets complicated again.

[duotheism]

dude, your blog is like my favorite on tumblr. I have also been thinking about your name Dilemma. you said your middle names are Mary and Elsa, you could do like Masa or Mesa, like table. might be funky. godspeed♡

so sweet omg.. i will post more just 4 u (ive been very busy-not-busy lately) ... & that’s so true ive been thinking abt little mashups of syllables n things … inspired by how toni morrison took her first name from her middle name (anthony) — could prove lots of fun. kiss 4 u <3

[rfamess]

This cured my boredom for a little bit. Was making a few new music playlists and thought.. hmm. I wonder what kind of music the RFA listens to? So, I made this. For no reason at all.

What Kind of Music the RFA + V/Saeran Listen To:

Saeyoung/707:

- (I always see people writing that he’d listen to all star or other cringe meme songs because that’s what seems to be his entire personality, but I like to think he has more substance than that and listens to songs that don’t have to do with memes.)

- He definitely listens to rap/hip-hop.

- Can you not imagine him driving down the road in his cars, windows down, music blasting?

- He listens to his music uber loud in his headphones while working.

- His favorite artist is probably Tyler the creator, i mean, how could you not love him.

- Listens to Mac Miller when he’s sad :(

PLAYLIST:

Who Dat Boy - Tyler the Creator

Stutter - Freddie Dredd

Evil Fantasy - Freddie Dredd

Sweatpants - Childish Gambino

Bounce - Logic

Dead Wrong - Notorious B.I.G.

Movement - Oliver Tree

Stick to Your Guns - Watsky

Both - Gucci Mane

No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys

Can I Kick It - A Tribe Called Quest

No Limit - G Easy

Circles - Mac Miller

Broke Bitch - TMG (lol)

Bonfire - Childish Gambino

I THINK - Tyler the Creator

Good News - Mac Miller

I - Kendrick Lamar

FACE - Brockhampton

King Kunta - Kendrick Lamar

Lovely Things Suite: Knots - Watsky

Zen:

- (Similar to Saeyoung, I don’t believe Zens entire personality revolves around musicals, he probably doesn’t listen to them that often imo.)

- I like to think he’s a... well rounded individual when it comes to music

- Listens to anything and everything.

- I could see him listening to the same music as Seven, but is also very into 70s-90s rock like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the like.

- He runs listening to all of his music on shuffle and doesn’t have a specific playlist so there’s never a certain vibe to it— it really is all over the place.

- In addition to Seven’s playlist, here’s Zen’s

PLAYLIST:

Funny Face - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Santeria - Sublime

Badfish - Sublime

The Luck You Got - The High Strung

Dedicated to the One I Love - The Mamas and the Papas

Heart of Glass - Blondie

Come as You Are - Nirvana

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Machu Picchu - The Strokes

Dirty Harry - Gorillaz

Love of Your Life - Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Adults Are Talking - The Strokes

Bailee - The Licks

Where is my Mind - Pixies

Hurt Like Mine - The Black Keys

Gap - The Kooks

Give it Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand

Hoops - The Rubens

Conquest - The White Stripes

Ten Cent Pistol - The Black Keys

Yoosung:

- Yoosung likes more upbeat music, maybe more new age/alternative pop

- Listens to music every time he tries to study, but usually get distracted by it and starts to sing along instead of actually doing his work

- Is probably trying to branch out of his style, Seven and Zen try to convince him to listen to their favorite genres

- The three of them always argue about who has the best taste in music lol

- He’s constantly wondering if his music is “manly” enough (it’s okay yoosung it’s just music)

- If this dude gets drunk and hears any of this music he goes absolutely wild and dances all over the place

PLAYLIST:

Bambi - Hippocampus

Turn - the Wombats

Paris - Magic Man

Chronic Sunshine - Cosmo Pike

Death of a Bachelor - Panic! At the Disco

Silvertongue - Young the Giant

Brazil - Declan McKenna

Unbelievers - Vampire Weekend

Baseball - Hippocampus

Australia - The Shins

Prune, You Talk Funny - Gus Dapperton

Honeypie - JAWNY

Alien Boy - Oliver Tree

Satellite - Guster

So Young - Portugal. The Man

Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

Circles - Post Malone

Unbearably White - Vampire Weekend

Tiny Umbrella - Coast Modern

Way it Goes - Hippocampus

Electric Feel - MGMT

Jumin:

- this guy has 2 modes and that’s it: classical bitch or music that has words

- He appreciates the fine art of classical music and listens to it when he has work to get done or when he’s trying to relax.

- If he’s in a good mood he’ll put on a playlist that includes “music with actual lyrics!”

- It’s a dad playlist. Billy Joel, Billy Joel, Billy Joel, Elton John, The Beatles, Billy Joel.

- He likes Billy Joel. Jumin has a dad personality you can’t convince me otherwise lol

- He tried to branch out but can get very picky in his interests. “I don’t like this guitar riff— change it”

- Either way his 2 modes are apparent in his playlists

PLAYLIST:

Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

California Dreamin’ - The Mamas and the Papas

Don’t Ask Me Why - Billy Joel

Starman - David Bowie

Miss You - The Rolling Stones

Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest

Come and Get Your Love - Redbone

It’s Too Late - Carole King

Movin’ Out - Billy Joel

A Horse With No Name - America

I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles

Honky Cat - Elton John

Vienna - Billy Joel

The Stranger - Billy Joel

Waltz in A Minor - Chopin

Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor - Brahms

Waltz No. 7 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 - Chopin

Souvenir de Paganini - Chopin

Solfeggietto in C Minor - Bach

Prelude in B Minor, Op. 32, No. 10 - Rachmaninoff

IV. Allegro Molto From Quartet - Yo-Yo Ma

La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin - Debussy

Porz Goret - Yann Tiersen

Carnival of the Animals: VII. Aquarium - Camille Saint-Saëns

Carnival of the Animals: XIII. The Swan - Camille Saint-Saëns

Jaehee:

- We all know her obsession with Musicals (specifically zens)

- Other than this she listens to...well honestly I don’t know

- Her music doubles as something she can get hyped up with and something she can listen to to relax.

- She loves to dance, so a lot of her songs and just songs that she’ll never be able to refuse to move her feet to!

- She likes the old classics and then she likes Doja Cat. Lizzo? Queen.

- She’s a barb let’s be real please. you can never convince me that she’s not

PLAYLIST:

Adore You - Harry Styles

She - Harry Styles

Call Me - Blondie

Starships - Nicki Minaj

Hey Mickey - Toni Basil

Juice - Lizzo

Say So - Doja Cat

Voulez-Vous - ABBA

Waterloo - ABBA

Cuz I Love You - Lizzo

Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack (LOL the memories associated with this song after Killing Stalking..... hahahaha BUT ITS STILL A GREAT SONG!)

Only - Nicki Minaj

Boss Bitch - Doja Cat

Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac

Beez in the Trap - Nicki Minaj

Woman - Harry Styles

9 to 5 - Dolly Parton

Blame it on the Boogie - Michael Jackson

One Way or Another - Blondie

Tia Tamera - Doja Cat

Truth Hurts - Lizzo

V:

- indie boy indie boy indie boy indie boy

- Cmon just look at him he’s an indie boy

- If you’ve ever met a film student that gatekeeps music, they have the same exact taste but V won’t say shit to make you feel stupid. It’s just music bruv

- If you’ve ever been to an indie concert you know the fuckin dance you know what I’m talking about. he does that.

- Rolls a joint, pops the music off and he paints, does photography, whatever. Either way he straight vibes every single time the tunes come on.

- Low key thinks he has the best music taste. that’s just how dem indie kids roll let’s be real here.

- For some reason knows everything about every type of music. will spew facts about artists and songs at random

PLAYLIST:

Shuggie - Foxygen

Necessary Evil - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Homage - Mild High Club

Another One - Mac DeMarco

Plants - Crumb

What Once Was - Her’s

Heart and My Car - Summer Salt

Cottage Roads - The Walters

Moonlight on the River - Mac DeMarco

Work This Time - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Like Yesterday - Paul Cherry

Call it Fate, Call it Karma - The Strokes

Knowhere - Nick DeLaurentis

Escargot Blues - Guantánamo Bay Surf Club

A Side / B Side - Tipling Rock

Dark Red - Steve Lacy

That I Miss You - Vansire

Top Tier Love - Lonely Benson

Driving to Hawaii - Summer Salt

Taking Up Space - Mustard Service

She’s the Only One - King Guru

Saeran:

- emo boy emo boy emo boy

- We all know it

- As much as I’d love to say he listens to heavy death metal, there’s a part of my mind saying NO he’s not like that.

- Well he is, but he’s got more than a few single interest

- Probably listens to Nirvana, Cage the Elephant, anything similar

- Is always trying to listen to new music

- Kind of sick of Seven blasting his music all the time and listens to the opposite of hip hop whenever possible

- Honestly enjoys all types of music, but sticks to his favorites

PLAYLIST:

- All Apologies - Nirvana

- Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene - Hozier

- Soma - The Strokes

- Black Madonna - Cage the Elephant

- Hysteria - Muse

- Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High - Arctic Monkeys

- I Got Mine - The Black Keys

- Supermassive Black Hole - Muse

- Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers

- Back Against the Wall - Cage the Elephant

- Creep - Radiohead

- Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana

- Demon Days - Gorillaz

- Bulls on Parade - Rage Against The Machine

- Matador - The Buttertones

- Holiday - Green Day

- RIP - The Licks

- London Calling - The Clash

- Loser - Beck

- What I Got - Sublime

[pleasantanathema]

Hi Pleasant! You're one of my favorite writers on tumblr because you write so vividly and it's so pretty. I was wondering if you had any book recommendations? I hope you have a great day/night wherever you are!

Ahhh thank you so much!! I really had to think about this one so sorry for the delay in answering. I don't know if these are really recommendations, more of me just listing some of my fav books I’ve read over the years. 

Storm of Swords by George RR Martin. I love the entire series, but the third installment is my favorite, especially as we get to see the grey moralities and inner workings of characters like Jaime Lannister. GRRM is a master of descriptions, so all the novels, even with their faults, are incredibly written.

Home by Toni Morrison. Morrison is such a beautiful, powerful, and concise writer, and this book is no exception. It’s lush, poetic, but also has a haunting narrative about racism that will stick with the reader and change perceptions. Beloved of course is amazing, but Home is my favorite.

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. This is a YA novel and one of the first books I ever read as a kid that resonated with me. It’s a dystopian, sci-fy tale of a young boy coming to terms with humanity and the world around him as he learns more truths about the realities of being the clone of a notorious drug lord. The prose is rather simplistic but the plot is haunting.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I’ve read this book twice now, once in high school and once after taking a course on Russian history, and both times it was incredibly resonating. This story is painted on the backdrop of Russia in the late 19th century, so it’s very interesting for me to see the social structures of Russian culture in comparison to what I study in late 19th century US history. But my history nonsense aside, this book is a marvel, easy to get lost in, and had me making notes all over the margins as I read to keep up with the ever winding stories of families, Russian societies, and of course, love.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I was obsessed with the Iliad and the Odyssey as a kid, and this book is a gorgeous deep-dive into the relationship of Achilles and Patroclus. It pulls on your heart-strings and details a rather poetic, tragic, and realistic picture of love. 

Silencing the Past by Michel-Rolph Trouillot. I’ve read a lot of books by historians over my time as an undergrad and graduate student, and overall this one has been my favorite. Trouillot centers his argument on the production of historical knowledge and argues that the past in the silenced by the same process by which history is written and created; by masking a history of conflicts due to which historical narrative is being portrayed. Trouillot uses a method similar to case studies; in each chapter he applies his argument concerning silences/gaps in narrative to a different instance in history, whether it be the Haitian Revolution, the commemoration of Columbus, or the memory of American slavery. Honestly it is a must-read for anyone, in my opinion, not just historians, as it sheds light on how all the historical narratives we read are shaped by the narrators who create them. History isn’t just all facts in a textbook, it’s memory, it’s living, it’s ever-changing. 

[poetsandwriters]

I always go to Samuel Beckett’s 'Fail again. Fail better.' And, Toni Morrison’s 'A failure is just information.' Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about Isak Dinesen’s 'I write a little every day, without hope, without despair.'

Helen Phillips, in this week’s Ten Questions; read the rest at pw.org!