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Tune du Jour
Aug. 31st, 2020 10:16 pmThis song is more Joy Division than Joy Division was. I can't tell if the lyrics are misogynistic, darkly romantic, or something else entirely.
Goodreads: Norse Mythology
Aug. 27th, 2020 11:29 pmNorse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
This was not what I was expecting.
I'm doing some research for a story about dead gods walking the dirty streets of LA, and this book was my first thought--Neil Gaiman taking on the meaty and textured eddas and relating them in his own voice. Which this was, if his voice was your grandfather's telling you stories by the fireplace. The language is casual and updated, the stories short and punchy, and I got a lot of ideas*, which is why I gave it three stars, but I'm going to need something more substantial before I call myself done.
*Did you know there are more than three Norn? Apparently there are Norn for the elves, for the Svartelves, Gods, Humans... Probably Norn of rats too.
This was not what I was expecting.
I'm doing some research for a story about dead gods walking the dirty streets of LA, and this book was my first thought--Neil Gaiman taking on the meaty and textured eddas and relating them in his own voice. Which this was, if his voice was your grandfather's telling you stories by the fireplace. The language is casual and updated, the stories short and punchy, and I got a lot of ideas*, which is why I gave it three stars, but I'm going to need something more substantial before I call myself done.
*Did you know there are more than three Norn? Apparently there are Norn for the elves, for the Svartelves, Gods, Humans... Probably Norn of rats too.
Goodreads: White Fragility
Aug. 3rd, 2020 02:15 amWhite Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo
If you're just getting started in exploring racism, I suggest "So You Want to Talk About Race". This book requires a little grounding and understanding. You have to be prepared to discard the false binary that "only bad people are racist because good people would never be racist". We all grew up in the soup of a system of institutionalized racism, even black people, and we are going to think racist thoughts and say racist things. This book talks about why it's so hard to get past white people's defenciveness about discussing the things they're saying and doing that could have racist elements to them, and why White Fragility throws the emotional labor and discomfort of dealing with your personal racism onto other people. It's one of the few times my low self-esteem has helped me in life. This book is hard to read, in fact I had to take a break and grab some fiction because I was reading this and a book about "Why you have no willpower and what you need to do to change it."
If you're just getting started in exploring racism, I suggest "So You Want to Talk About Race". This book requires a little grounding and understanding. You have to be prepared to discard the false binary that "only bad people are racist because good people would never be racist". We all grew up in the soup of a system of institutionalized racism, even black people, and we are going to think racist thoughts and say racist things. This book talks about why it's so hard to get past white people's defenciveness about discussing the things they're saying and doing that could have racist elements to them, and why White Fragility throws the emotional labor and discomfort of dealing with your personal racism onto other people. It's one of the few times my low self-esteem has helped me in life. This book is hard to read, in fact I had to take a break and grab some fiction because I was reading this and a book about "Why you have no willpower and what you need to do to change it."
Helen and Troy's Epic Road Quest by A. Lee Martinez
The first Martinez book I read was Automatic Detective. And it was amazing. I've read a few of his books since, looking for that sweet perfect moment again. I have found good book, enjoyable reads. This is one of them. It takes the standard quest story and turns it sideways. Its humor is not puns or quick payoffs but subtle jabs at the subject matter. It's very meta. But there are still dragons and orcs, as there should be in any respectable quest. Our two main characters are often more interesting than the quest itself. Plus there's a very good dog.
The first Martinez book I read was Automatic Detective. And it was amazing. I've read a few of his books since, looking for that sweet perfect moment again. I have found good book, enjoyable reads. This is one of them. It takes the standard quest story and turns it sideways. Its humor is not puns or quick payoffs but subtle jabs at the subject matter. It's very meta. But there are still dragons and orcs, as there should be in any respectable quest. Our two main characters are often more interesting than the quest itself. Plus there's a very good dog.
