Five Questions
Nothing like a classic meme on a rainy day. I got these from cereta. Comment and I will give you five of your own
1. What's your favorite fairy tale, and what do you like about it?
My big problem with fairy tales is that I always identified a lot more with the witch than with the princess. The witch usually has her own palace, minions, and magical powers. The princess is trapped in immanence. Unfortunately, the witch always gets a bad rap at the end, so most fairy tales are ultimately unsatisfying to me. Extending my fondness for witches to a general interest in what I'd call Magical Outsiders, I can say that my favorite children's stories have always been the original Mary Poppins books. If I have to choose from Grimm, I'd say Hansel and Gretel, because the children overcome their immanence to become the agents of their own salvation. Not to mention: candy house!
2. You're feeling kind of bummed. If you could watch any movie, what would it be?
When I'm in a crummy mood, I prefer to immerse myself in something complex that will focus my mind away from troubles. Any of the twisty classical Hitchcock films are good for this, such as Marnie or North by Northwest.
3. The ending of Harry Potter: yay or nay?
I'm assuming that by now spoilers are acceptable. It's a big story, so it has a lot of endings, some that I liked and others not so much. The final romantic pairings are inevitable; Harry and Hermione could never end up together because they'd be too outsiderish. It was important to get everybody into the big wizarding house o' Weasley to make a happily ever after family. Movie Ginnie is kind of a drag, but I like her and Harry together in the books. And ultimately, Hermione may be happiest with Ron, who will let her be brilliant without needing to challenge her. OTOH, the whole Snape backstory was unnecessarily poignant and also was rather poorly clued. It was not inconsistent with the cannon, but it seemed kind of lazy and came out of nowhere. And I loved all the stuff about the Elder Wand with Grindelwald and Dumbledore, even if that was prelude and not conclusion. Overall, I think it was a satisfying conclusion that preserved all the archetypes of the series.
4. What are your favorite shoes?
Not only are these brilliant on their own, they are extra special because they can now take the place of a much beloved but now retired pair of spectator oxfords that I acquired circa 1995 and wore into the ground. These shoes are so "me" I can hardly stand it.
5. What is love?
I have loved and been loved in many different ways with different people. Right now I'm working really hard on the questions of marriage and love. I grew up in a family where nearly all the adults were celibate, and I had very few images of how couples live together successfully. My husband's family is the opposite -- just about everyone is paired up. It's particularly acute right now because he is at a family reunion without me and I'm shocked by how much I miss him. I am mostly content to entertain the mystery of it, as I have come to do with some other spiritual questions. It's sneaky sometimes, but I know it's real.
1. What's your favorite fairy tale, and what do you like about it?
My big problem with fairy tales is that I always identified a lot more with the witch than with the princess. The witch usually has her own palace, minions, and magical powers. The princess is trapped in immanence. Unfortunately, the witch always gets a bad rap at the end, so most fairy tales are ultimately unsatisfying to me. Extending my fondness for witches to a general interest in what I'd call Magical Outsiders, I can say that my favorite children's stories have always been the original Mary Poppins books. If I have to choose from Grimm, I'd say Hansel and Gretel, because the children overcome their immanence to become the agents of their own salvation. Not to mention: candy house!
2. You're feeling kind of bummed. If you could watch any movie, what would it be?
When I'm in a crummy mood, I prefer to immerse myself in something complex that will focus my mind away from troubles. Any of the twisty classical Hitchcock films are good for this, such as Marnie or North by Northwest.
3. The ending of Harry Potter: yay or nay?
I'm assuming that by now spoilers are acceptable. It's a big story, so it has a lot of endings, some that I liked and others not so much. The final romantic pairings are inevitable; Harry and Hermione could never end up together because they'd be too outsiderish. It was important to get everybody into the big wizarding house o' Weasley to make a happily ever after family. Movie Ginnie is kind of a drag, but I like her and Harry together in the books. And ultimately, Hermione may be happiest with Ron, who will let her be brilliant without needing to challenge her. OTOH, the whole Snape backstory was unnecessarily poignant and also was rather poorly clued. It was not inconsistent with the cannon, but it seemed kind of lazy and came out of nowhere. And I loved all the stuff about the Elder Wand with Grindelwald and Dumbledore, even if that was prelude and not conclusion. Overall, I think it was a satisfying conclusion that preserved all the archetypes of the series.
4. What are your favorite shoes?
Not only are these brilliant on their own, they are extra special because they can now take the place of a much beloved but now retired pair of spectator oxfords that I acquired circa 1995 and wore into the ground. These shoes are so "me" I can hardly stand it.
5. What is love?
I have loved and been loved in many different ways with different people. Right now I'm working really hard on the questions of marriage and love. I grew up in a family where nearly all the adults were celibate, and I had very few images of how couples live together successfully. My husband's family is the opposite -- just about everyone is paired up. It's particularly acute right now because he is at a family reunion without me and I'm shocked by how much I miss him. I am mostly content to entertain the mystery of it, as I have come to do with some other spiritual questions. It's sneaky sometimes, but I know it's real.