Lou's Muse

Photo

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:46:05 -0400

amandaonwriting: Quote from The Writer’s Little Helper by James...

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:59:52 -0400

amandaonwriting:

Quote from The Writer’s Little Helper by James V. Smith Jr.

illpointandshootyou2: 10knotes: This post has been featured on...

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:53:31 -0400

illpointandshootyou2:

10knotes:

This post has been featured on a 1000notes.com blog.

It’s Sweets!

Photo

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:40:34 -0400

mat1t: wip 20/5/13… I will be calling this one ‘Seeking New...

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:21:36 -0400

mat1t:

wip 20/5/13… I will be calling this one ‘Seeking New Heights’. Going a little slower than I would have liked but hey ho. I’ve drawn a jellyfish for this one separately too but probably not worth showing just yet… Good night!

Photo

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:54:13 -0400

knowhomo: LGBTQ* Posts We Love (and Blogs We Love to...

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:50:43 -0400

knowhomo:

LGBTQ* Posts We Love (and Blogs We Love to Follow)

Queer Book Club’s Hogwart’s House Reading List

ALL of the following text is from the posts of QueerBookClub.tumblr.com:

[image description: a red banner reading “queer books for gryffindor” is surrounded by six book covers of the titles listed below]

This is the first of four recommended reading lists of queer and queer-ish books, organized by Hogwarts houses! ENJOY.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
This story of a young woman captured by Nazis during a spy mission in occupied France has repeatedly been called a tour de force and the best novel of last year. Though not explicitly queer, the heart of the story is the deep, loving friendship of two girls.

Diverse Energies edited by Tobias Buckell and Joe Monti.
This collection of dystopian stories starring heroes of color is perfect for the daring, strong-willed wizards of Gryffindor. A handful of the stories also feature queer protagonists or minor characters.

Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III.
What’s more exemplary of good-hearted headstrong Gryffindor spirit than taking up the cape and fighting evil? Besides starring a lesbian superhero, this volume also features an introduction by Rachel Maddow - we will just have to ignore the fact that she’s basically the nation’s Ravenclaw prefect.

When She Woke by Hillary Jordon
This re-imagining of The Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hannah, a woman who finds herself marked as a murderer after an abortion. In this future world, criminals’ skin is colored to indicate the class of their crime. Hannah’s red skin means a life of shame and cruelty - unless she can forge a new path.

Huntress by Malinda Lo
Epic quests. Hostile monsters. The fate of the world. If that’s your kind of story, look no further. Tough, down-to-earth Kaede and gentle, visionary Taisin set out to find out what caused their land to fall into endless cold.

She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan
Let’s not get into tropes about transgender people being so brave. I chose this book for this list because Boylan reminds me of Gryffindor in other ways - considerate but honest, amiable but not self-sacrificing, and, you know, popular. Bestselling, even!

[image description: a green banner reading “queer books for slytherin” is surrounded by six book covers of the titles listed below]

A Girl’s Guide to Taking Over the World: Writings from the Girl Zine Revolution edited by Karen Green and Tristan Taromino
While this collection of writings from zines of the early 90s riot grrl era and beyond may not be an actual blueprint for world domination, it is just as brash, smart and unapologetic as any Slytherin.

Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz
This story of an isolated teenager’s relationship with a monstrous fish-boy is supposed to be seriously grim. The darkness factor - and the fact that Pottermore tells us that the Slytherin common room windows gives students a view of the creatures the lake - is what makes it a great Slytherin pick.

The Complete Hothead Paisan: Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist by Diane DiMassa
Before some tumblr misandrists were even born, Hothead Paisan was collecting rapists’ spines. Queer Slytherins in need of some guilt-free revenge fantasy should pick this one up - though I implore you to read up on the author’s transmisogyny first.

Sula by Toni Morrison
While not explicitly queer, this story is held together by love between women. Slytherins will likely relate to Sula, a community pariah whose motivations are as incomprehensible to her friends and family as theirs are to her.

Sister Mischief by Laura Goode
Esme Rockett is probably a Gryffindor at heart (they tend to get the leading roles). But she and her friends - outsiders in their lily-white Christian community - employ all their cunning to wreck havoc for the establishment. Sex, drugs and hip-hop make this YA debut a conservative censor’s worst nightmare - or wet dream, maybe.

When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris
This contemporary master of the personal essay always manages to come off as judgmental, selfish, petty, loveable and brilliant. Tapping into our dark spots to charm us, Sedaris is an exemplary Slytherin - and skull-centric cover art doesn’t hurt, either.

[image description: a blue banner reading “queer books for ravenclaw” is surrounded by six book covers of the titles listed below]

Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity edited by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore
This collection of short works on identity, community and authenticity covers a lot of territory - “passing” as related to gender, race, disability, work, nationality, sexuality, and more. Pick it up if you’re itching for more complex perspectives on social justice.

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
Besides being an absolute masterpiece of the comics format, Bechdel’s memoir about her cold and inscrutable father earns major Ravenclaw appeal with its highbrow literary allusions. If psychology is more your thing, try her other memoir, Are You My Mother?

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
This book tells the story of two Mexican-American teens - Ari, an angry loner, and Dante, a quirky intellectual - who form a transformative bond and ponder over poetry, philosophy and life’s many mysteries. I haven’t gotten my hands on this one yet, but I’ve been told it’s one of those rare transcendent young adult books, emotionally resonant and masterfully crafted.

Israel/Palestine and the Queer International by Sarah Schulman
This latest work from the prolific author and longtime activist chronicles her travels through Tel Aviv and the West Bank and her growing consciousness of the occupation of Palestine. Read it for a knowledgeable queer perspective on a divisive topic.

Adaptation by Malinda Lo
There’s not much on this list for science aficionados, but hopefully some science fiction will suit you. Did you know Malinda Lo did graduate work on The X-Files? This novel, the first in a forthcoming series, has flavors of the 90s TV show and should delight fans of Mulder and Scully, creepy conspiracies, and queer representation in sci-fi lit.

Transgender History by Susan Stryker
For the history buffs - this concise text on transgender people in America between the mid twentieth century and early twenty-first puts trans communities and movements in historical context and offers a compact but comprehensive chronicle of our stories.

[image description: a yellow banner reading “queer books for hufflepuff” is surrounded by six book covers of the titles listed below]

A Queer and Pleasant Danger: The True Story of a Nice Jewish Boy Who Joins the Church of Scientology and Leaves Twelve Years Later to Become the Lovely Lady She is Today by Kate Bornstein
This newest memoir is actually one of the few of Auntie Kate’s books that I haven’t read, but I couldn’t resist the Hufflepuff-yellow cover. Open, honest and compassionate, Bornstein’s books always feel like a big hug and kiss to outcasts everywhere.

Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
Green might be the most famous living Puff since he proclaimed it on The Late Late Show. I’m not sure what Levithan’s sorting is, but this book - about two boys with one name, how people come together and how they drift apart - is definitely a good one for us sensitive badgers.

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
I was tempted at first to prescribe this YA book to Ravenclaws, as its heroine, Astrid, is a philosophy nerd who regularly meets with her invisible friend Socrates. She does, however, nickname him Frank and compare him to a cute dog. Moreover, her questions are more of the heart than the head: How can I be seen for who I am? Why isn’t equality easy? Where can my love be safe?

10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert and Rex Ray
Need a bright dose of hope? Pick up this beautiful children’s book about a young trans girl who finds someone who believes in her dreams and appreciates her for just who she is.

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B. Rosenberg
A great resource for shy or insecure Hufflepuffs who have trouble communicating, or badger activists who want to get their words across without invalidating anyone’s feelings and experiences. If you get too overwhelmed by conversation, I also recommend The Highly Sensitive Person.

Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
While I strongly prefer the Dangerous Angel books that focus on Witch Baby, Weetzie’s sunny but sensitive disposition is probably more Hufflepuff appropriate. Her naïveté fits perfectly with mainstream perceptions of Puffs, while her big deep loud love for her chosen family is reminiscent of Hufflepuff as I know it.

Photo

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:57:55 -0400

hoopingdotorg: Sarah Lotus of Hula Hoopology delivers an...

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:21:34 -0400

hoopingdotorg:

Sarah Lotus of Hula Hoopology delivers an incredible demo video that takes us to stunning landscapes in incredible costumes while sporting and spinning up hoops of all sizes. Filmed by Croshane and Tilghman Wendel in and around the great state of Utah over the past year, the final result of all of their hard work is quite impressive. Sarah lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, and the soundtrack for this is the very popular “Crystallize” by Lindsey Sterling and you can download a copy of it for your very own on iTunes.

http://www.hooping.org/2013/05/sarah-lotus/

cosmicdustbunny: rycbthefandomsarecoming: So this happened at...

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:04:30 -0400

cosmicdustbunny:

rycbthefandomsarecoming:

So this happened at school today…

IM LAUGTHING SOS UFKCIN AHRD

holdnoquarter: Today I came across goats playing on a...

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:37:02 -0400

holdnoquarter:

Today I came across goats playing on a trampoline while I was driving around and it was the happiest thing I’ve ever seen.

Photo

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:02:53 -0400

Photo

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:02:15 -0400

hetaliagirl104: oflittlenote: hetaliagirl104: This is for an assignment that is due...

Fri, 17 May 2013 02:51:02 -0400

hetaliagirl104:

oflittlenote:

hetaliagirl104:

This is for an assignment that is due tomorrow.

Reblog if you think that Harry Potter should NOT be on the banned books list because it features Magic, sets bad examples, and because of dark themes.

Thanks.

Reblog if you think the Twilight series should be banned because it features rape culture, glorifies abusive relationships, and is just a horrible book series overall.

body-positive-vegan-babe: thesoundofthatsmile: Found this in a...

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:37:21 -0400

body-positive-vegan-babe:

thesoundofthatsmile:

Found this in a stall in the girls restroom at my school. Hell yes.

I wish my school was this rad!

buzzfeedceleb: George Takei responds to fans of traditional...

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:42:17 -0400

buzzfeedceleb:

George Takei responds to fans of traditional marriage.

amandaonwriting: 15 Writers - The Best Writing Advice They...

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:22:32 -0400

amandaonwriting:

15 Writers - The Best Writing Advice They Received

Alice Kahn: The best writing advice I’ve ever heard: Don’t write like you went to college.

Andrei Codrescu: Best advice I ever got was from the Romanian poet Nichita Stanescu, who told me in Bucharest, before I emigrated: ‘Learn English. French is dead.’

Christopher Buckley: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received was from William Zinsser: ‘Be grateful for every word you can cut.’

Cynthia Ozick: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received is: Write with authority.

David Guterson: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received is to take it seriously, because to do it well is all-consuming.

George Plimpton: I think the best advice on writing I’ve received was from John Steinbeck, who suggested that one way to get around writer’s block (which I was suffering hideously at the time) was to pretend to be writing to an aunt, or a girlfriend. I did this, writing to an actress friend I knew, Jean Seberg. The editors of Harpers forgot to take off the salutation and that’s how the article begins in the magazine: Dear Jean….

James Atlas: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received was from Dwight Macdonald: ‘Everything about the same subject in the same place.’

Margaret Carlson: Best writing advice I’ve ever received: Sell everything three times.

Nick Tosches: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received was given to me, like so much else, by Hubert Selby, Jr.: to learn and to know that writing is not an act of the self, except perhaps as exorcism; that, in writing what is worth being written, one serves, as vessel and voice, a power greater than vessel and voice.

Patsy Garlan: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received is: Don’t answer the phone.

Peter Mayle: Best advice on writing I’ve ever received: Finish.

Richard Ford: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received: ‘Don’t have children.’ I gave it to myself.

Robert Lipsyte: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received was, ‘Rewrite it!’ A lot of editors said that. They were all right. Writing is really rewriting—making the story better, clearer, truer.

Russell Banks: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received was probably something Ted Solotaroff told me years ago when he was my editor. Going over a manuscript line by line again and again he kept reminding me, ‘Remember, this is your book, not my book. You’re the one who’s going to have to live with it the rest of your life. I might publish 30 or 40 books this year, you’re only going to publish one, and probably the only one you’re going to publish in two or three years.’

Whitney Balliett: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received is, ‘Knock ‘em dead with that lead sentence.’

From Writers Write

STFU, Conservatives: 6 Tips on How to Avoid Being Screwed by a Non-Profit

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:18:44 -0400

STFU, Conservatives: 6 Tips on How to Avoid Being Screwed by a Non-Profit:

youngist:

By Jade(d)

So you’ve just graduated from college and you want to change the world. Good for you. The non-profit sector seems like a natural place for a justice-minded person such as yourself, and nonprofits are almost always hiring because the turnover rate is so high….

Everything in this article is 100% spot on. I mean, like it says right away… the turnover rate at nonprofits is extremely high. There are reasons for that.

tarnagona: [x] :o It’s a kitten cuddling a fennec fox.

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:04:39 -0400

tarnagona:

[x]

:o It’s a kitten cuddling a fennec fox.

Lou's Muse

Photo

amandaonwriting: Quote from The Writer’s Little Helper by James...

illpointandshootyou2: 10knotes: This post has been featured on...

Photo

mat1t: wip 20/5/13… I will be calling this one ‘Seeking New...

Photo

knowhomo: LGBTQ* Posts We Love (and Blogs We Love to...

Photo

hoopingdotorg: Sarah Lotus of Hula Hoopology delivers an...

cosmicdustbunny: rycbthefandomsarecoming: So this happened at...

holdnoquarter: Today I came across goats playing on a...

Photo

Photo

Sponsored Content Pretty Fucking Awesome

hetaliagirl104: oflittlenote: hetaliagirl104: This is for an assignment that is due...

body-positive-vegan-babe: thesoundofthatsmile: Found this in a...

buzzfeedceleb: George Takei responds to fans of traditional...

amandaonwriting: 15 Writers - The Best Writing Advice They...

STFU, Conservatives: 6 Tips on How to Avoid Being Screwed by a Non-Profit

tarnagona: [x] :o It’s a kitten cuddling a fennec fox.