Essays to read, art to look at, plus a drabble for me!
*pokes LJ* Like other people, I'm having some issues of late -- can't change my icon, can't see comments, can't preview entries, etc. Get it together, LJ!
A quick HP rec -- torino10154 wrote me a delightful little Charlie/Draco drabble: First Touch (PG-13).
Also, some HP art:
Hero by blvnk-art (Harry, Lily Luna, G): Excuse me while I melt into a puddle over dad!Harry. Beautiful piece.
Hagrid by vladislavpantic (G): This makes me smile -- Hagrid and his creatures. :)
Night Out by Anonymous (Teddy/James, NC-17, public sex): Yowza, this is hot. Love the long, lean bodies.
In non-fannish reading, I just finished A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale, about a gay English man at the turn of the 20th century who has to find a new home on the prairies of Canada. It took a while for me to get into the book, and it took some heartbreaking turns, but I quite liked it in the end.
I've been wandering through some year-end lists at Longreads.com, which has led me to some really stellar essays.
David's Ankles: How Imperfections Could Bring Down the World's Most Perfect Statue: This is a fantastic essay about Michelangelo's David; I had no idea that it was made out of a damaged marble block that had already been badly carved by someone else, or that its ankles are so cracked that the statue is in danger of crumbling.
Seeing Stars: A beautiful essay about grief and taking comfort in the stars.
When Denmark Criminalized Kindness: Ugh. I'm not sure whether to feel hopeless or hopeful after reading this, about Denmark's decision to make helping refugees illegal. Mostly hopeless, I guess, but it also heartened me to see how many people joined in the author's efforts to do the right thing.
Citizen Khan: Fascinating piece about a Muslim immigrant who sold tamales in Wyoming in the first half of the 20th century.
Moving Stars: Even as our nation convulses and writhes, a king snake biting itself, the Obamas stand calm. America may well be broken. The Obamas are not. Love this take on the self-possession of the Obamas.
My Last JDate: I went into this expecting a humorous and/or bittersweet piece about online dating in your 50s, but what this actually is is a wrenching portrait of falling in love with someone who ends up being terminally ill. The writing is so visceral that I couldn't stop reading, even though it left me feeling shredded. It's a good read; just know what you're getting into.
Hmm, let's see how posting this goes without the ability to preview! Please forgive me if anything is wonky.
A quick HP rec -- torino10154 wrote me a delightful little Charlie/Draco drabble: First Touch (PG-13).
Also, some HP art:
Hero by blvnk-art (Harry, Lily Luna, G): Excuse me while I melt into a puddle over dad!Harry. Beautiful piece.
Hagrid by vladislavpantic (G): This makes me smile -- Hagrid and his creatures. :)
Night Out by Anonymous (Teddy/James, NC-17, public sex): Yowza, this is hot. Love the long, lean bodies.
In non-fannish reading, I just finished A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale, about a gay English man at the turn of the 20th century who has to find a new home on the prairies of Canada. It took a while for me to get into the book, and it took some heartbreaking turns, but I quite liked it in the end.
I've been wandering through some year-end lists at Longreads.com, which has led me to some really stellar essays.
David's Ankles: How Imperfections Could Bring Down the World's Most Perfect Statue: This is a fantastic essay about Michelangelo's David; I had no idea that it was made out of a damaged marble block that had already been badly carved by someone else, or that its ankles are so cracked that the statue is in danger of crumbling.
Seeing Stars: A beautiful essay about grief and taking comfort in the stars.
When Denmark Criminalized Kindness: Ugh. I'm not sure whether to feel hopeless or hopeful after reading this, about Denmark's decision to make helping refugees illegal. Mostly hopeless, I guess, but it also heartened me to see how many people joined in the author's efforts to do the right thing.
Citizen Khan: Fascinating piece about a Muslim immigrant who sold tamales in Wyoming in the first half of the 20th century.
Moving Stars: Even as our nation convulses and writhes, a king snake biting itself, the Obamas stand calm. America may well be broken. The Obamas are not. Love this take on the self-possession of the Obamas.
My Last JDate: I went into this expecting a humorous and/or bittersweet piece about online dating in your 50s, but what this actually is is a wrenching portrait of falling in love with someone who ends up being terminally ill. The writing is so visceral that I couldn't stop reading, even though it left me feeling shredded. It's a good read; just know what you're getting into.
Hmm, let's see how posting this goes without the ability to preview! Please forgive me if anything is wonky.