swim through the fires to stay in this world

beforetv had a great round up of links regarding e-book sales, reader shaming, the classics, + rebuttals. It's well worth giving a read. My two cents? These elitist ideas about what is worth reading and why it's worth reading are really damaging to the general reading population.

Speaking personally, I feel that it's important to add in a sprinkle of the classics and current lit fic to my selection of genre reading (which I was actually better about doing in my childhood - I randomly picked up Jane Eyre at a super-young age) because a.) I find it intellectually satisfying (i.e. I enjoy doing so) and b.) I really, really love participating in the extended cultural conversation that is only possible when you can recognize the references. To use an example that would make elitist snobs scream, do you know how much more enjoyable reading Bridget Jones' Diary is when you know the author is referencing/riffing on Pride and Prejudice? Or when you have read Sense and Sensibility and thus, when Suzanne Brockmann says that Sophia's favorite book is S&S and her favorite character is Marianne, you are aquiver with squee because oh my god narrative parallels! Romantic relationship parallels! So much insight!

But it is important to note, I am an English major. If someone wants to read romance novels about pirates and only wants to read romance novels about pirates, that is totally fucking okay. And is not somehow inherently inferior (in a way that no one can articulate - or at least articulate without sounding like a total elitist douchebag) from only and exclusively reading authors whose works can be found in the pages of the New Yorker.

Also, because it seems relevant and I love love love this article: Why The Best Kid's Books Are Written In Blood.

My reaction to this week's Glee: Oh, Rachel.

( Glee 1x17 )

And this week's fannish5 :

Name your five favorite spaceships.

5.) Kara "Starbuck" Thrace's Viper
4.) Picard's Enterprise
3.) The TARDIS
2.) The Millenium Falcon
1.) Serenity.

Also, you asked me what you'd like to see more of in my livejournal, and I obeyed your command:

On Employment for qualapec  : ( cut ).

On pets for aj : ( snip )

On my favorite charity for lady_with_cats : ( slice )

Best Fictional Mums for xlovelylightx : ( shear )

On the objectification of lesbianism for anonymous, who asked "today there is a lot of music videos that seem to have a lot of girlxgirl action like christina aguilera's not myself tonight or even implied girlxgirl relationships such as honey B and lady gaga. While it is a good thing to see such freedom in sexuality (and advocacy of gay/lesbians) or even a celebration of women as seen in music videos, do you think that, to a certain extent, its just another way to subjugate women and a way for men to fantasize about women?"

( cleavage )

[I find it really interesting that after most of these questions got asked but before I posted my response, I ended up talking about most of these things in other posts and comments. I guess suggestion really works. :-) ]

In Iran "Pretty" Is Sometimes The Protest




This young woman on the right? Is risking her life not only for protesting the fraudulent Iranian election but for wearing that shade of nail polish in public.

These last two days have given me emotional whip-lash. I feel like I need a nice long crying jag to feel okay again.

Some links from my flist and surfing the web:

Obama's speech in Cairo

Describing characters of color

Except from 'Men On Rape' (warning: there is an interview with a man at the end of this that is incredibly triggering.)

Also, I want to point out, because I don't think that this statistic is not talked about as often as it should be, 60 percent of women who fight back against attempted rapists are successful.

Also, flist? *hugs*