"Nervosa" by Hayley Gold
Dec. 21st, 2023 04:03 pmNervosa, by Hayley Gold. A comics memoir about her experiences with Anorexia nervosa. Published 2023.
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MurderBot and gendered voice
Oct. 4th, 2023 12:15 am1. My hands are hurting lately so not up for a lot of typing. But also need to think some things through and writing is my way of doing that!
2. My taste/smell issue is still with me sometimes, but not nearly as bad as it was. A huge relief. I have been using my neti pot and i think it's helping.
3. One thing I like about volunteering and organizing is meeting new people, in this kind of structured way. Lots of folks at books to prisoners this week.
4. Grateful to people on the internet who have helped me de-colonize my brain around ideas of gender. It's a years-long and ongoing project but I'm appreciating what i have un-learned and what i am learning. Such as, there are infinite genders. Gender does not equal anything as mundane as anatomy, gender does not equal pronouns. etc. You can't assume people's gender by looking at them or hearing their voice.
(nota bene, I am not trans.)
had cause to think about this today when i had a very nice conversation about SF, with someone working at the library. Our conversation was one of those great ones that went right into specific titles and authors, in the way of people who like to read SF. We'd both read Ancillary Justice and Murderbot, and I mentioned that i listened to the MurderBot books.
Another employee walking by said, "Oh I know just what he's going to say! He didn't like the reader!" which caused us all to laugh.
My conversational partner said that when you read the text (with your eyes), you get a strong sense that MurderBot is agender. However the reader of the audiobooks has a masculine voice.
This is strange to me, it's the second time I've heard this exact same sentiment, the other was from someone at the dog park. Neither time did I feel confident enough to challenge that statement in the moment.
The narrator of MurderBot, Kevin R. Free, is a "middle-aged Black queer" according to him. His voice is not low, it is what some might call effeminate. He's also a very accomplished voice actor and audio book narrator (of hundreds of books), very thoughtful and skilled. He knows what he is doing. Also he is a queer man-- I imagine he's had his voice policed and commented upon and I am so curious as to what he would say about this.
Also, ok, voice does not equal gender. There are plenty of people who are cis men with high voices, you hear them on the radio every day; there are women with low voices; there are non-binary and a-gender people with all kinds of voices. There is a chorus here in town that used to be a gay men's chorus, and they changed it to be, people of any gender who sing bass/baritone/tenor (I don't know vocal ranges please correct me if i am wrong-- but my point is, they separated it out from gender).
So it then follows that the listener is assigning gender.
2. My taste/smell issue is still with me sometimes, but not nearly as bad as it was. A huge relief. I have been using my neti pot and i think it's helping.
3. One thing I like about volunteering and organizing is meeting new people, in this kind of structured way. Lots of folks at books to prisoners this week.
4. Grateful to people on the internet who have helped me de-colonize my brain around ideas of gender. It's a years-long and ongoing project but I'm appreciating what i have un-learned and what i am learning. Such as, there are infinite genders. Gender does not equal anything as mundane as anatomy, gender does not equal pronouns. etc. You can't assume people's gender by looking at them or hearing their voice.
(nota bene, I am not trans.)
had cause to think about this today when i had a very nice conversation about SF, with someone working at the library. Our conversation was one of those great ones that went right into specific titles and authors, in the way of people who like to read SF. We'd both read Ancillary Justice and Murderbot, and I mentioned that i listened to the MurderBot books.
Another employee walking by said, "Oh I know just what he's going to say! He didn't like the reader!" which caused us all to laugh.
My conversational partner said that when you read the text (with your eyes), you get a strong sense that MurderBot is agender. However the reader of the audiobooks has a masculine voice.
This is strange to me, it's the second time I've heard this exact same sentiment, the other was from someone at the dog park. Neither time did I feel confident enough to challenge that statement in the moment.
The narrator of MurderBot, Kevin R. Free, is a "middle-aged Black queer" according to him. His voice is not low, it is what some might call effeminate. He's also a very accomplished voice actor and audio book narrator (of hundreds of books), very thoughtful and skilled. He knows what he is doing. Also he is a queer man-- I imagine he's had his voice policed and commented upon and I am so curious as to what he would say about this.
Also, ok, voice does not equal gender. There are plenty of people who are cis men with high voices, you hear them on the radio every day; there are women with low voices; there are non-binary and a-gender people with all kinds of voices. There is a chorus here in town that used to be a gay men's chorus, and they changed it to be, people of any gender who sing bass/baritone/tenor (I don't know vocal ranges please correct me if i am wrong-- but my point is, they separated it out from gender).
So it then follows that the listener is assigning gender.
a good book
Jul. 16th, 2023 06:37 pmI read a book!
Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore was a relatively easy read: short chapters, slightly larger text (YA), an adventure tale that keeps the pages turning. It's in a series that I like, the Graceling Realm. (In this series, the middle book is Bitterblue which is one of my favorite books ever.)
The author did an artist's residency on a ship that went to the arctic circle, and her experiences inform this story of people on a tall ship sailing among ice bergs. There are also telepathic foxes! This tale focuses on the queen's spy, Hava, who is also her half-sister.
It felt good to read, though maybe I overdid it a bit with this concentration-heavy activity.
More smoke today. The smell/taste thing seems a bit better today, and I do have faith that eventually it will resolve, but it's been distressing. What seems to have helped: Changing my bed sheets, spraying fabrics down with alcohol, washing nearly everything. I turned off, and left off, the bedroom AC unit which is dirty and is beyond my ability to clean--looks like you have to take the whole thing apart, and it's heavy and difficult. Good design should include the concept of cleaning, oh my god, who designs these things.
A bit of whimsy: A couple of times this summer, I've seen this man walking down my street wearing a little red peaked cap, the kind you see on troll figurines.
Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore was a relatively easy read: short chapters, slightly larger text (YA), an adventure tale that keeps the pages turning. It's in a series that I like, the Graceling Realm. (In this series, the middle book is Bitterblue which is one of my favorite books ever.)
The author did an artist's residency on a ship that went to the arctic circle, and her experiences inform this story of people on a tall ship sailing among ice bergs. There are also telepathic foxes! This tale focuses on the queen's spy, Hava, who is also her half-sister.
It felt good to read, though maybe I overdid it a bit with this concentration-heavy activity.
More smoke today. The smell/taste thing seems a bit better today, and I do have faith that eventually it will resolve, but it's been distressing. What seems to have helped: Changing my bed sheets, spraying fabrics down with alcohol, washing nearly everything. I turned off, and left off, the bedroom AC unit which is dirty and is beyond my ability to clean--looks like you have to take the whole thing apart, and it's heavy and difficult. Good design should include the concept of cleaning, oh my god, who designs these things.
A bit of whimsy: A couple of times this summer, I've seen this man walking down my street wearing a little red peaked cap, the kind you see on troll figurines.
Some music and books!
Oct. 18th, 2022 11:55 pm2 songs from the Decemberists that I am into lately,
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Read recently:
"Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan, which I picked up at a thrift store. This was cute and an easy read; overall I liked it. But strong warning for fat phobia throughout the book that is treated as comic relief. The story is about two teens named Will Grayson; one is gay and one is straight. They have a friend in common, a large guy who is sarcastically called Tiny. Tiny is both fat and tall and hardly a page goes by without one of the two narrators commenting on this fact.
"Passport" a graphic/ comics memoir. The story was dull but the art was gorgeous. Mostly it's a coming of age, teen story about friendships.
"Grand Theft Horse", a graphic /comics biography. Just the opposite: the story here is super fascinating, the art is a little too busy. Loved it though.
Two audio books I listened to in the car but did not finish:
"Second Chance Dog" by John Katz. Feels like a book that is meant to be skimmed or read in waiting rooms because there is a lot of repeated information and the reading level is low. Not great on audio so I bounced off it.
"Alone on the Ice", an antarctic expedition book. Interesting and I gave it a fair shot, but way too long and detailed for me-- it's 10 discs!
( Read more... )
Read recently:
"Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan, which I picked up at a thrift store. This was cute and an easy read; overall I liked it. But strong warning for fat phobia throughout the book that is treated as comic relief. The story is about two teens named Will Grayson; one is gay and one is straight. They have a friend in common, a large guy who is sarcastically called Tiny. Tiny is both fat and tall and hardly a page goes by without one of the two narrators commenting on this fact.
"Passport" a graphic/ comics memoir. The story was dull but the art was gorgeous. Mostly it's a coming of age, teen story about friendships.
"Grand Theft Horse", a graphic /comics biography. Just the opposite: the story here is super fascinating, the art is a little too busy. Loved it though.
Two audio books I listened to in the car but did not finish:
"Second Chance Dog" by John Katz. Feels like a book that is meant to be skimmed or read in waiting rooms because there is a lot of repeated information and the reading level is low. Not great on audio so I bounced off it.
"Alone on the Ice", an antarctic expedition book. Interesting and I gave it a fair shot, but way too long and detailed for me-- it's 10 discs!
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malindo Lo.
I didn't love this book as much as other people did and I feel a bit weird saying so! In part because I like Malinda Lo as a person. There are a lot of great things about the book, and it's an Important Book in a lot of ways.
The detailed writing immerses the reader into the experience of a queer Chinese-American teenage girl in San Francisco in the 1950s. It's impressively well researched and beautifully descriptive. There are many wonderful insights into Lily's experiences, including a friendship that goes sour, dealing with racist micro-aggressions, and vivid details about her neighborhood and family.
My problem was mostly the pacing. The middle felt too long and I got stuck on it for a bit, then the ending was rushed and unsatisfying. Lots of new conflicts came up in the final chapters, and those are mostly left unresolved. Lily's big fight with her mother was upsetting, and that tension just kind of hangs there. Maybe this is realistic but it left me feeling sad.
I didn't love this book as much as other people did and I feel a bit weird saying so! In part because I like Malinda Lo as a person. There are a lot of great things about the book, and it's an Important Book in a lot of ways.
The detailed writing immerses the reader into the experience of a queer Chinese-American teenage girl in San Francisco in the 1950s. It's impressively well researched and beautifully descriptive. There are many wonderful insights into Lily's experiences, including a friendship that goes sour, dealing with racist micro-aggressions, and vivid details about her neighborhood and family.
My problem was mostly the pacing. The middle felt too long and I got stuck on it for a bit, then the ending was rushed and unsatisfying. Lots of new conflicts came up in the final chapters, and those are mostly left unresolved. Lily's big fight with her mother was upsetting, and that tension just kind of hangs there. Maybe this is realistic but it left me feeling sad.
Getting ready for wiscon
May. 26th, 2022 11:39 pmRecently watched: Heartstopper, Netflix series based on the comic book of the same name. This is very sweet and very close to the comic. I liked it a lot.
Read: The Third Person, by Emma Grove. Wow.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4747274138?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Got in the mail: Enbrel!! Yay! My expensive medication that I finally finished all the paper work and phone calls for so i can get it free.
Today I did a bunch of prep for the WisCon vid party (notifications, posting the content notes) and watched one episode of Dark Angel w/ some_stars.
Read: The Third Person, by Emma Grove. Wow.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4747274138?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Got in the mail: Enbrel!! Yay! My expensive medication that I finally finished all the paper work and phone calls for so i can get it free.
Today I did a bunch of prep for the WisCon vid party (notifications, posting the content notes) and watched one episode of Dark Angel w/ some_stars.
5 things make a post
Jan. 8th, 2022 12:55 am1. A couple of my plants looked very bad after I left them alone for 2 weeks, but when I got home I put them in the sink and soaked them, and they seem to be doing OK now.
2. I am really enjoying the Expanse season 6! The writing and acting are so good. The women are powerful and interesting and bad ass.
3. Adulting I did today included cancelling a couple of auto-renewing online subscriptions and changing my bed sheets. I backed up and deleted some media from my computer.
4. It's hard to tell but I might still have a sinus infection even after a course of antibiotics. Frustrating.
5. While I was at the farm visiting my family, I read a really wonderful book called "The Darkness Outside Us." It's a hard SciFi book about two astronauts on a rescue mission. It's marketed as YA. Highly recommended, gripping, precisely plotted, and also gay!
2. I am really enjoying the Expanse season 6! The writing and acting are so good. The women are powerful and interesting and bad ass.
3. Adulting I did today included cancelling a couple of auto-renewing online subscriptions and changing my bed sheets. I backed up and deleted some media from my computer.
4. It's hard to tell but I might still have a sinus infection even after a course of antibiotics. Frustrating.
5. While I was at the farm visiting my family, I read a really wonderful book called "The Darkness Outside Us." It's a hard SciFi book about two astronauts on a rescue mission. It's marketed as YA. Highly recommended, gripping, precisely plotted, and also gay!
Media Log:
Freaks - 1931 or 1932.
An important film in disability history; this is essentially a soap opera slash horror film that takes place among people who are members of a side show / freak show. There are some non-disabled characters as well; one of the problems is that 2 of the non-disabled women look almost exactly alike. The writing was honestly pretty terrible but it was so neat to see a cast of many different disabled people. Watched this with![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jesse_the_k.
Ted Lasso, S2 episodes 1 and 2. Loving this so far. Warning for dog death in the first episode. One of the lines I've been turning over in my head is "Every person is a different person."
Leverage Redemption. Watching this a bit slowly.
TomboyLand - audio book. Really liked this this essay / memoir book by an author who grew up local to me. The first essay, about tornadoes, was particularly powerful. The sirens went off a couple of nights ago, and in the past I've not taken them seriously. But this time Abbie and I went to the basement.
Freaks - 1931 or 1932.
An important film in disability history; this is essentially a soap opera slash horror film that takes place among people who are members of a side show / freak show. There are some non-disabled characters as well; one of the problems is that 2 of the non-disabled women look almost exactly alike. The writing was honestly pretty terrible but it was so neat to see a cast of many different disabled people. Watched this with
jesse_the_k. Ted Lasso, S2 episodes 1 and 2. Loving this so far. Warning for dog death in the first episode. One of the lines I've been turning over in my head is "Every person is a different person."
Leverage Redemption. Watching this a bit slowly.
TomboyLand - audio book. Really liked this this essay / memoir book by an author who grew up local to me. The first essay, about tornadoes, was particularly powerful. The sirens went off a couple of nights ago, and in the past I've not taken them seriously. But this time Abbie and I went to the basement.
Media report from my summer vacation
Jun. 17th, 2021 12:24 pmThe Dig - Netflix
Not a whole lot happens in this movie, but it's pleasant to watch, kind of relaxing and pretty, with good acting. It's the eve of WWII. A wealthy widower (Carey Mulligan) in the English countryside decides to hire someone to excavate some burial mounds on her property. She hires Basil Brown, a working-class autodidact. Ralph Fiennes completely disappears into this role. Brown does the excavation and eventually finds something amazing. About halfway through, some more characters are introduced as people come to the site to help dig and admire the findings. The film is largely about all these people and their relationships and emotions.
Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything
by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (audio read by Inés del Castillo)
This is a somewhat strange YA book about Sia, a teenage girl who lives in a border town. Her mom is missing and presumed dead, which is the central mystery of the story. The first part of this book is about relationships: Sia has a crush and then gets a boyfriend. Her best friend, Rose, is ignoring Sia because Rose has a crush on a girl; plus Rose disapproves of Sia's boyfriend. They passive-agressively fight and then actually argue and have a falling out, then repair their relationship, and all this felt very real and true. Sia is a confident kid and I liked getting to hear her tale.
Then the back half of the book involves alien encounters, secret government experiments, and super powers. It really felt like a different book; the first half was honestly better and the X-files stuff felt a bit under-developed.
There was also a very strange bit about how Sia apparently thinks she's not having sex because she's not doing PIV with her boyfriend. She's like "I can't believe I almost had sex with that guy and he lied to me!" I was like, wait what? I'm pretty sure I had to sit through a sex scene a few minutes ago! I'm told this is a common attitude in Christian teen communities but wow. Jarring and IMO irresponsible: her dad is like "use a condom" and talks about avoiding pregnancy. She's like, "I'm not having sex" which is patently untrue (but she thinks it is true). There is no discussion of STDs.
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
A teen book about a non-binary kid who gets kicked out of their parents' house and goes to live with their older sister. They meet some cool kids at school and do some art projects; they get a crush on a boy named Nathan. A quick read.
Graphic novels / Graphic memoirs:
Almost American Girl by Robin Ha. An emotional story about an immigrant experience.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist by Adrian Tomine. Very funny, often embarrassing tales from the author's life.
Not a whole lot happens in this movie, but it's pleasant to watch, kind of relaxing and pretty, with good acting. It's the eve of WWII. A wealthy widower (Carey Mulligan) in the English countryside decides to hire someone to excavate some burial mounds on her property. She hires Basil Brown, a working-class autodidact. Ralph Fiennes completely disappears into this role. Brown does the excavation and eventually finds something amazing. About halfway through, some more characters are introduced as people come to the site to help dig and admire the findings. The film is largely about all these people and their relationships and emotions.
Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything
by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (audio read by Inés del Castillo)
This is a somewhat strange YA book about Sia, a teenage girl who lives in a border town. Her mom is missing and presumed dead, which is the central mystery of the story. The first part of this book is about relationships: Sia has a crush and then gets a boyfriend. Her best friend, Rose, is ignoring Sia because Rose has a crush on a girl; plus Rose disapproves of Sia's boyfriend. They passive-agressively fight and then actually argue and have a falling out, then repair their relationship, and all this felt very real and true. Sia is a confident kid and I liked getting to hear her tale.
Then the back half of the book involves alien encounters, secret government experiments, and super powers. It really felt like a different book; the first half was honestly better and the X-files stuff felt a bit under-developed.
There was also a very strange bit about how Sia apparently thinks she's not having sex because she's not doing PIV with her boyfriend. She's like "I can't believe I almost had sex with that guy and he lied to me!" I was like, wait what? I'm pretty sure I had to sit through a sex scene a few minutes ago! I'm told this is a common attitude in Christian teen communities but wow. Jarring and IMO irresponsible: her dad is like "use a condom" and talks about avoiding pregnancy. She's like, "I'm not having sex" which is patently untrue (but she thinks it is true). There is no discussion of STDs.
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
A teen book about a non-binary kid who gets kicked out of their parents' house and goes to live with their older sister. They meet some cool kids at school and do some art projects; they get a crush on a boy named Nathan. A quick read.
Graphic novels / Graphic memoirs:
Almost American Girl by Robin Ha. An emotional story about an immigrant experience.
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist by Adrian Tomine. Very funny, often embarrassing tales from the author's life.
Book report: Aristotle and Dante #2
May. 16th, 2021 04:33 pmAristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World
(Aristotle and Dante #2)
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
I got an Advanced Reviewer's copy of this from a friend. Release date is Oct 12.
In short: I loved it!!
There are some books that get you where you live. That make you feel less alone, that comfort you and expand your view of yourself. This is one of those books.
Being gay can be joyful and liberating, and sometimes it can be really heavy and painful, trying to live and love in a world that largely either ignores you or hates you. Ari navigates this reality with his boyfriend Dante, their supportive parents, and with some new friends. Ari and Dante go camping; the attend their senior year of high school. It's 1988; AIDS is killing people around them.
This is a quiet book, a beautiful book. Ari is a remarkable person, a deep thinker who struggles, and eventually succeeds, at truly connecting with other people. He struggles with seeing himself as worthy of love. With the help of his people, he grows into himself, into a sensitive and loving person.
We who are queer in this world, we need these kinds of hopeful stories.
(Aristotle and Dante #2)
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
I got an Advanced Reviewer's copy of this from a friend. Release date is Oct 12.
In short: I loved it!!
There are some books that get you where you live. That make you feel less alone, that comfort you and expand your view of yourself. This is one of those books.
Being gay can be joyful and liberating, and sometimes it can be really heavy and painful, trying to live and love in a world that largely either ignores you or hates you. Ari navigates this reality with his boyfriend Dante, their supportive parents, and with some new friends. Ari and Dante go camping; the attend their senior year of high school. It's 1988; AIDS is killing people around them.
This is a quiet book, a beautiful book. Ari is a remarkable person, a deep thinker who struggles, and eventually succeeds, at truly connecting with other people. He struggles with seeing himself as worthy of love. With the help of his people, he grows into himself, into a sensitive and loving person.
We who are queer in this world, we need these kinds of hopeful stories.
Yesterday and today I listened to "Network Effect" by Martha Wells, which I enjoyed a lot. MurderBot is just such a great character. I mostly played Stardew Valley while listening.
Watched:
9-1-1, "Blindsided".
9-1-1 Lonestar, "Saving Grace." This was excellent, really good writing and acting.
Oh I'm also reading "We Do This 'Til We Free Us," by Mariame Kaba, about abolition of the criminal punishment system (namely cops and prisons). I'm mostly reading bits of it as I eat meals.
Watched:
9-1-1, "Blindsided".
9-1-1 Lonestar, "Saving Grace." This was excellent, really good writing and acting.
Oh I'm also reading "We Do This 'Til We Free Us," by Mariame Kaba, about abolition of the criminal punishment system (namely cops and prisons). I'm mostly reading bits of it as I eat meals.
Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore
Jan. 27th, 2021 05:09 pmA friend sent me Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore, which is a brand-new book in the "Graceling" series. The previous book, Bitterblue, is one of my favorites.
This book picks up 5 years later. Queen Bitterblue and some of her companions decide to visit Ledra, the capital city of a neighboring nation called Torla (no I mean Winterkeep). Winterkeep has a representative democracy, but it's run by wealthy elites. The people travel by airships and some of them have telepathic foxes. Out in the ocean are silbercows, seal-like animals that are friendly to humans and can also communicate telepathically with some people.
The narration alternates perspectives between Bitterblue, her friend Giddon, and two new characters: Lovisa, the 16-year-old daughter of 2 wealthy politicians; and a fox who is bonded to Lovisa's mother. The story involves some mystery and page-turning adventure.
Some things I especially liked:
--Although the main romances in these books have been m/f, Winterkeep has queer background characters, and Lovisa is bisexual. It seems to be taken for granted and un-remarked upon. Lovisa thinks and talks about sex in a no-nonsense manner. The characters drink a tea for contraception. It's refreshing.
--One of the themes of Cashore's work is, what do you do when your parent, or parents, turn out to be evil? The characters reckon with trauma and abuse. This felt very realistic to me, and important.
--The foxes and the silbercows are really cute!
This book picks up 5 years later. Queen Bitterblue and some of her companions decide to visit Ledra, the capital city of a neighboring nation called Torla (no I mean Winterkeep). Winterkeep has a representative democracy, but it's run by wealthy elites. The people travel by airships and some of them have telepathic foxes. Out in the ocean are silbercows, seal-like animals that are friendly to humans and can also communicate telepathically with some people.
The narration alternates perspectives between Bitterblue, her friend Giddon, and two new characters: Lovisa, the 16-year-old daughter of 2 wealthy politicians; and a fox who is bonded to Lovisa's mother. The story involves some mystery and page-turning adventure.
Some things I especially liked:
--Although the main romances in these books have been m/f, Winterkeep has queer background characters, and Lovisa is bisexual. It seems to be taken for granted and un-remarked upon. Lovisa thinks and talks about sex in a no-nonsense manner. The characters drink a tea for contraception. It's refreshing.
--One of the themes of Cashore's work is, what do you do when your parent, or parents, turn out to be evil? The characters reckon with trauma and abuse. This felt very realistic to me, and important.
--The foxes and the silbercows are really cute!
Yesterday I finished reading "The Return of the Thief" by Megan Whalen Turner. It's rare for me to read an actual novel these days, but I'm pretty invested in this series. This book is the 6th and final volume.
I'm copying this over from Twitter; some thoughts on disability portrayal in this book. Cut for possible spoilers, but I'm trying to avoid any major ones.
( Read more... )
I'm copying this over from Twitter; some thoughts on disability portrayal in this book. Cut for possible spoilers, but I'm trying to avoid any major ones.
( Read more... )
Some queer book recs!
Dec. 9th, 2020 10:00 pmMy BFF gave me this wonderful book, "Self Evident Truths: 10,000 portraits of Queer America" by iO Tillet Wright. An awesome tome of black and white photos spanning 10 years and many different places in the US. I got lost in this for a while and will get lost in many more times for years to come.
Interview with the creator, also featuring some pictures:
https://www.them.us/story/self-evident-truths-io-tillet-wright-interview
Cross-posting my Goodreads review of the graphic novel "Flamer" by Mike Curato.
Absolutely incredible book. The art is stunning-- mostly black and white, but then some things in red, orange, and yellow, the color of the campfire flames lighting up the night at Aiden's boy scout camp.
Aiden loves boy scout camp and feels more free and accepted there than he does at home or school; he loves being outside and clowning around with his friends. But he experiences almost constant homophobia, and sometimes racism, from his fellow scouts. He has body image issues. His home life is not great: his dad constantly yells. He likes church, but has been taught that being gay is a sin.
Aiden learns archery, orienteering, basket weaving, and other skills at camp. He forms a crush on a popular boy and begins to realize that he's gay. Confusing dreams, fights, and other events-- all portrayed with the heightened emotions of adolescence-- culminate in a brush with suicide, which he survives.
Aiden is 14 in 1995; the same age I was then.
This is an important book about growing up gay in a hostile world. The beauty of the art accentuates an intensely emotional journey. This is bravely told.
Interview with the creator, also featuring some pictures:
https://www.them.us/story/self-evident-truths-io-tillet-wright-interview
Cross-posting my Goodreads review of the graphic novel "Flamer" by Mike Curato.
Absolutely incredible book. The art is stunning-- mostly black and white, but then some things in red, orange, and yellow, the color of the campfire flames lighting up the night at Aiden's boy scout camp.
Aiden loves boy scout camp and feels more free and accepted there than he does at home or school; he loves being outside and clowning around with his friends. But he experiences almost constant homophobia, and sometimes racism, from his fellow scouts. He has body image issues. His home life is not great: his dad constantly yells. He likes church, but has been taught that being gay is a sin.
Aiden learns archery, orienteering, basket weaving, and other skills at camp. He forms a crush on a popular boy and begins to realize that he's gay. Confusing dreams, fights, and other events-- all portrayed with the heightened emotions of adolescence-- culminate in a brush with suicide, which he survives.
Aiden is 14 in 1995; the same age I was then.
This is an important book about growing up gay in a hostile world. The beauty of the art accentuates an intensely emotional journey. This is bravely told.
Media recs
Sep. 14th, 2020 02:56 pmMenopause: A comic treatment, edited by M.K. Czerwiec, Graphic Medicine series
An excellent anthology filled with super-talented comics creators (Lynda Barry, Ellen Forney, KC Councilor, many others). Some are fiction but most are non-fiction comics about people's experiences with aging, periods, menopause, and embodiment in general. Some comics are delightfully funny and whimsical, others speak of painful experiences. Features many queer creators and one trans writer-artist.
Content notes: cancer; one use of "blind" as a pejorative; one use of "dyke" in a way that was non-affirming (which was very strange since this book is very queer). One comic talks about weight loss and exercise.
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As an off-shoot of Old Guard fandom, I checked out some of the director's other films from the library. Gina Prince-Bythwood is amazing y'all.
"Beyond the Lights" is a romance and a story about self-discovery. Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is a young pop star, starting her career and rising to the heights of fame. Her mother (Mimi Driver) is her manager and is very controlling. After winning an award, Noni gets drunk and attempts suicide, but is saved by a police officer named Kaz (Nate Parker). They have an immediate connection and gradually start dating.
Through this empowering relationship, Noni realizes that she is not living authentically: she is just doing what her mother wants. Kaz has a similar relevation, because he is being steered into politics by his father.
There are some upsetting moments and serious themes in this film, but it's still a romance, with the feeling that everything is going to work out in the end.
Content notes: sexual assault, suicide attempt. ETA: I forgot that Nate Parker is an abuser. Ugh.
"Love and Basketball" is another romance with Black lead actors (Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps). This is a kind of wholesome story about two young people who love basketball, and love each other. They come together at different points of their lives.
Content note: One moment of homophobia (specifically against lesbians); the main character says she's a lesbian to rile up her mother.
An excellent anthology filled with super-talented comics creators (Lynda Barry, Ellen Forney, KC Councilor, many others). Some are fiction but most are non-fiction comics about people's experiences with aging, periods, menopause, and embodiment in general. Some comics are delightfully funny and whimsical, others speak of painful experiences. Features many queer creators and one trans writer-artist.
Content notes: cancer; one use of "blind" as a pejorative; one use of "dyke" in a way that was non-affirming (which was very strange since this book is very queer). One comic talks about weight loss and exercise.
---
As an off-shoot of Old Guard fandom, I checked out some of the director's other films from the library. Gina Prince-Bythwood is amazing y'all.
"Beyond the Lights" is a romance and a story about self-discovery. Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is a young pop star, starting her career and rising to the heights of fame. Her mother (Mimi Driver) is her manager and is very controlling. After winning an award, Noni gets drunk and attempts suicide, but is saved by a police officer named Kaz (Nate Parker). They have an immediate connection and gradually start dating.
Through this empowering relationship, Noni realizes that she is not living authentically: she is just doing what her mother wants. Kaz has a similar relevation, because he is being steered into politics by his father.
There are some upsetting moments and serious themes in this film, but it's still a romance, with the feeling that everything is going to work out in the end.
Content notes: sexual assault, suicide attempt. ETA: I forgot that Nate Parker is an abuser. Ugh.
"Love and Basketball" is another romance with Black lead actors (Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps). This is a kind of wholesome story about two young people who love basketball, and love each other. They come together at different points of their lives.
Content note: One moment of homophobia (specifically against lesbians); the main character says she's a lesbian to rile up her mother.
"Luisa Now and Then" and "ParaNorman"
Aug. 24th, 2020 12:35 pmLuisa Now and Then, by Carole Maurel, adapted by Mariko Tamaki - graphic novel
(eta: Luisa, not Louisa)
This is so good!?!?! The art is stunningly beautiful: empathetic portraits of people, soft-colored images of Paris.
The story is one about coming out as an adult, and finding self-acceptance. It spoke to me personally.
When you do this difficult emotional work of coming out as an adult, you have to "go back" to your teenage and childhood self and address the feelings and pain that you did not process at the time. This process is made literal in "Luisa Now and Then," as adult-Luisa spends time with her 15 year old self. Luisa finds her teenage self annoying; she's not as kind to herself as she could be, and that's uncomfortable to witness. But, she is unhappy and processing a lot of negative emotions. She witnessed and experienced homophobia from her mother and her peers as a teen, and has since only dated men.
Recommended.
ParaNormal - claymation kids' movie.
I watched this because I read somewhere that is has a gay character; one of the side-kicks is revealed to be gay at the end of the movie. An argument could also be made that the main character, Norman, is sub-textually gay, he is called "sensitive" by his parents, for example.
The story was cute, but I did not like the visuals. This is firmly in the horror movie/zombie genre, and so reveled in body horror, which is not my thing. Even the living characters had grayish skin, and a certain grotesque quality to their bodies; I found it off-putting.
The one Black character was a highly stereotypical "sassy" woman.
People who are fans of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and similar films will probably like this better than I did.
(eta: Luisa, not Louisa)
This is so good!?!?! The art is stunningly beautiful: empathetic portraits of people, soft-colored images of Paris.
The story is one about coming out as an adult, and finding self-acceptance. It spoke to me personally.
When you do this difficult emotional work of coming out as an adult, you have to "go back" to your teenage and childhood self and address the feelings and pain that you did not process at the time. This process is made literal in "Luisa Now and Then," as adult-Luisa spends time with her 15 year old self. Luisa finds her teenage self annoying; she's not as kind to herself as she could be, and that's uncomfortable to witness. But, she is unhappy and processing a lot of negative emotions. She witnessed and experienced homophobia from her mother and her peers as a teen, and has since only dated men.
Recommended.
ParaNormal - claymation kids' movie.
I watched this because I read somewhere that is has a gay character; one of the side-kicks is revealed to be gay at the end of the movie. An argument could also be made that the main character, Norman, is sub-textually gay, he is called "sensitive" by his parents, for example.
The story was cute, but I did not like the visuals. This is firmly in the horror movie/zombie genre, and so reveled in body horror, which is not my thing. Even the living characters had grayish skin, and a certain grotesque quality to their bodies; I found it off-putting.
The one Black character was a highly stereotypical "sassy" woman.
People who are fans of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and similar films will probably like this better than I did.
Favorite book covers
Aug. 13th, 2020 03:20 pmIt's possible I've posted this before but who cares right?! Here are some of my favorite book covers.
Anne of the Island, collector's edition, by LM Montgomery.
Anne stands in windswept grass, looking out towards the sea. Gilbert stands off in the distance, looking at Anne. The image evokes freedom and love of place.
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner.
The King holds a sword point down. He's shown in profile, looking down and his eye is obscured by the hilt. He has scars on his face and his hands. The Queen rests her hand on his shoulder; she is perhaps standing while he is seated or kneeling. He wears blue and gold, and a signet ring with a red stone. She wears red and gold a similar, smaller ring. The image evokes strife, the weight of rule, and the bond between these two figures.
Anne of the Island, collector's edition, by LM Montgomery.
Anne stands in windswept grass, looking out towards the sea. Gilbert stands off in the distance, looking at Anne. The image evokes freedom and love of place.
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner.
The King holds a sword point down. He's shown in profile, looking down and his eye is obscured by the hilt. He has scars on his face and his hands. The Queen rests her hand on his shoulder; she is perhaps standing while he is seated or kneeling. He wears blue and gold, and a signet ring with a red stone. She wears red and gold a similar, smaller ring. The image evokes strife, the weight of rule, and the bond between these two figures.
Looking for book recs for my mom
Aug. 8th, 2020 04:51 pmI sent a couple of books to my mom and she really enjoyed them. They were "Lab Girl" by Hope Jahren, and "Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah.
These two were such hits! I'm struggling to think of another book to send her that would be as good, and thus am seeking recommendations.
My mom likes: History, animals/plants/nature, medicine, farming and gardening, Swedish stuff, anything well-written and interesting. She's also read a couple of presidential biographies about Truman and John Adams, and I think she read and liked the book by Dr. Jan Pol, called "Never Turn your back on an Angus Cow." Fiction recs also wanted; she reads mostly main-stream fiction, not SF/F/Horror or romance.
I'm trying to avoid anything that is depressing, or about abuse or death. Bonus if a large-print text is available, though that is not necessary.
Books I'm considering, which i have not read myself:
My Journey with Maya by Tavis Smiley
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
These two were such hits! I'm struggling to think of another book to send her that would be as good, and thus am seeking recommendations.
My mom likes: History, animals/plants/nature, medicine, farming and gardening, Swedish stuff, anything well-written and interesting. She's also read a couple of presidential biographies about Truman and John Adams, and I think she read and liked the book by Dr. Jan Pol, called "Never Turn your back on an Angus Cow." Fiction recs also wanted; she reads mostly main-stream fiction, not SF/F/Horror or romance.
I'm trying to avoid anything that is depressing, or about abuse or death. Bonus if a large-print text is available, though that is not necessary.
Books I'm considering, which i have not read myself:
My Journey with Maya by Tavis Smiley
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
Living that quarantine life
Mar. 19th, 2020 12:00 amHad an arthritis day today, plus the delayed sleep issue is going strong. Feeling much better now at night! So I decided to work on sorting through my closet. I got through jackets, skirts, and dresses. I rarely wear dresses these days but they are nice to have in the summer.
My life is not that different under quarantine, except there is just this general feeling of stress in the air. My roommate is working from home-- I'm very glad to have a roommate and a dog at this time.
I also relied a lot on books to prisoners for social time, and for something to help me feel useful. B2P is on hiatus and we are not sure what to do.
I read several graphic novels/memoirs that I checked out from the library, before the library closed. I especially enjoyed "They Called us Enemy" which is about George Takei's experiences in an internment camp during WWII.
I played through the story mode on "Lego Jurassic World" which I really enjoyed. Lots of running around the jungle. Might start a replay of Dragon Age: Inquisition.
My life is not that different under quarantine, except there is just this general feeling of stress in the air. My roommate is working from home-- I'm very glad to have a roommate and a dog at this time.
I also relied a lot on books to prisoners for social time, and for something to help me feel useful. B2P is on hiatus and we are not sure what to do.
I read several graphic novels/memoirs that I checked out from the library, before the library closed. I especially enjoyed "They Called us Enemy" which is about George Takei's experiences in an internment camp during WWII.
I played through the story mode on "Lego Jurassic World" which I really enjoyed. Lots of running around the jungle. Might start a replay of Dragon Age: Inquisition.
"Last Pick" by Jason Walz. Volume two is subtitled "Born to Run." Graphic novels.
I really loved these and read them quickly. It's an original story that I don't think I've encountered before in all my SF journeys: aliens have scooped up all the non-disabled people ages 16-65 and taken them away to use as slave laborers. The kids, old folks, and disabled people are left on Earth. Sam and Wyatt are determined to resist and to find their parents. Wyatt doesn't ever use a label, but he has some impairments-- problems with social skills, and some germophobia. In the first volume, the siblings are together and we see some flashbacks from the past. The second volume has parallel narratives: Sam is on a distant planet, and Wyatt is on Earth. The story is empowering and fun. Aimed at kids or teens, but suitable for adults. Content notes: a brief scene of animal death.
"Too Late to Die Young: Nearly true tales from a life" by Harriet McBryde Johnson. Essays.
Witty, quick essays about politics, law, traveling, protesting the MDA telethon, and debating Peter Singer. I didn't love all of them, but overall I had a great time reading this. It's great to read something from the perspective of a hard-core disability advocate.
I really loved these and read them quickly. It's an original story that I don't think I've encountered before in all my SF journeys: aliens have scooped up all the non-disabled people ages 16-65 and taken them away to use as slave laborers. The kids, old folks, and disabled people are left on Earth. Sam and Wyatt are determined to resist and to find their parents. Wyatt doesn't ever use a label, but he has some impairments-- problems with social skills, and some germophobia. In the first volume, the siblings are together and we see some flashbacks from the past. The second volume has parallel narratives: Sam is on a distant planet, and Wyatt is on Earth. The story is empowering and fun. Aimed at kids or teens, but suitable for adults. Content notes: a brief scene of animal death.
"Too Late to Die Young: Nearly true tales from a life" by Harriet McBryde Johnson. Essays.
Witty, quick essays about politics, law, traveling, protesting the MDA telethon, and debating Peter Singer. I didn't love all of them, but overall I had a great time reading this. It's great to read something from the perspective of a hard-core disability advocate.
