In this edition of “Odd Titanica”, we are going to dive into the sleazy, opportunistic world of show business. A world that comedian Fred Allen said of, “you can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of a fruit fly, and still have room for three caraway seeds and a producer’s heart”. Hyperbolic? Let’s take a look at Hollywood’s response to the Titanic disaster to see that there really is no business like show business.
Dorothy Gibson and the lost, first, film are well worn trivia by now. The traumatized actress rushed into production, her inability to process her trauma causing her mental breakdown, collapse, and retirement from acting immediately after the film was finished - it’s a perfect story to demonstrate the callousness of the film industry. But there is more to the story, and digging deeper shows us that “Saved” may have been the least sleazy project undertaken by the studios.
Dorothy’s account of the sinking and the suffering she endured filming “Saved from the Titanic” are predominantly found in two sources - The New York Dramatic Mirror and Moving Picture World. These were trade magazines, published weekly, and consisting solely of material related to the stage and screen business. These would be announcements of upcoming features, casting news, celebrity gossip, technical news - anything the movie star to the man sweeping the floor at the cinema needed to know. And they included ads … lots and lots of ads.
Immediately realizing that Titanic was not only a horrible tragedy but an incredible business opportunity, Moving Picture World got to work. As people stormed White Star Line offices, and raided newspaper carts for any drop of news regarding the sinking, Moving Picture World provided the latest in Titanic news; or perhaps we should say “Titanic” news.
The headlines of the April 27th issue may have screamed TITANIC, but as the public grabbed their copy and hurriedly flipped through the pages, they found that what they were actually given was ads. Those eye grabbing headlines were followed by much smaller print-
TITANIC EFFORTS... are being exerted by Champion to put before the exhibitors that will make them regular Champ Patrons! Get the following latest [releases] and you’ll be convinced!.
UNSINKABLE … is the reputation of Rep productions, but these two releases will sink into the minds of everyone who sees them and will remain there as worthy object lessons.
THE CRY OF THE CHILDREN …suggested by the poem of Elizabeth Barret Browning in 2 reels this Tuesday!
THE GREATEST MOTION PICTURE OF NATIONAL INTEREST - THE SINKING OF…. the big battleship. Remember the Maine!
THE DEATH SHIP...a sensational two reel drama of the sea containing one of the most thrilling dynamite explosions imaginable!
For all the slimy marketing tricks, flipping through the pages still has plenty of legitimate ads for real Titanic newsreels, movies, and a specific type of presentation known a Myriorama involving painting, music, and recitation. But, show business would strike again - the ads were legitimate, but what they were advertising was not. History has sort of forgotten the huge demand for Titanic media in the wake of the sinking, something that didn’t really exist. When cinema owners would order these “only surviving genuine negatives of the disaster” complete with lobby display package, they instead received-

our astonishment to find the Lusitania and Olympic, and one or two scratch films of ancient days posing as pictures of Titanic.

But they didn’t stop. Animated Weekly advertised that they were “the first to reach the wreck… chartered a tug from Cape Breton and rushed to the scene while the survivors were still in the water”. Cinemas began to promote footage of the sinking. Audiences wrote their disgust to Moving Picture World-

These representations are to the point of criminality … Take, for instance, the picture showing the Titanic with about a sixth of her forward length stuck into the iceberg. Everybody knows the collision did not occur in that manner!

They pointed to the following ad as an example - FIRST PICTURES OF THE TITANIC OCEAN DISASTER. The cinema owners responded by noting that they had misread, crammed in tiny letters were the words “sunk in” so that ad actually read FIRST PICTURES OF THE TITANIC sunk in OCEAN DISASTER. It was the customer's fault, they said, to be stupid enough to think anyone could have actually filmed the sinking.
Once this ruse was discovered, the studios shifted gears. The next step was to advertise film along with presentations by “A Lecturer who was on board”. When the audience realized the lecturer was not on Titanic and demanded a refund - the response from the managers was

Those signs didn’t say he was a survivor.

… and any attempt to charge him with the crime of fraud was absurd because, in his own words-

Of course I didn’t give him his money back. The sign didn’t misrepresent anything. West was on the Titanic, the sign didn’t say when he was.

…which was true. The lecturer, Eugene West, had visited Titanic while she was under construction at Belfast.
As for the movies themselves?

We said we had pictures. If people were foolish enough to think we meant moving pictures, that was their fault.

This particular cheated audience member was told if he wanted his money back, to go on the street and sing for it. Whether it was this, or something else, eventually the public snapped and began hauling out cinema managers and beating them in the streets. By May, the mayors of Boston and Memphis had banned the showing of any Titanic pictures - moving or still- within the city.
But, where was Dorothy in all this? Tucked in the very back of the magazine, after another newsreel ad,, we get to the celebrity sighting and gossip section. Ed Lux of the Rex Film Exchange was in town, Dan Markowitz of Fox Pictures was as well, Arthur Schmidt of the Victor Film Company was seen having a lovely spa at a Turkish Bath, Sam Gobel of the St Louis Motion Picture Company has been walking up and down 42nd street, we don’t know if Southern film maker Henry Wasserman is still here but he might be, Dorothy Gibson survived the sinking of the Titanic, and the Director of Selig Pictures took some actresses to Santa Catalina for a swim and a photoshoot and they had a great time.
By the following edition, on May 2nd, Moving Picture World was also able to provide its readers with the first stills from “Saved from the Titanic” and a feature on Dorothy. Along with this, tucked in the editorials, the magazine finally published a piece of truthful news about the Titanic disaster-

Senator William Alden Smith … declined to grant permission to have the cinematopgraph make a record of the sessions of the committee. “The sessions” he is quoted as saying…”are solemn affairs and must not be hippodromed or commercialized”. He is, however, falling into a serious error in judgement-

…they sniffed.

As a matter of right, the camera man ought to have been permitted. The day of the enfranchisement of the motion picture will surely come .. which will give equal rights to the cinematographer and the newspaper man.

Then, among the illegal false advertising and reports of public brawls at the cinema, they ended with-

The lesson of the Titanic disaster and all its incidents can be made far more impressive by pictures that move than by mere words in cold letters.

In this edition of “Odd Titanica”, we are going to dive into the sleazy, opportunistic world of show business. A world that comedian Fred Allen said of, “you can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of a fruit fly, and still have room for three caraway seeds and a producer’s heart”. Hyperbolic? Let’s take a look at Hollywood’s response to the Titanic disaster to see that there really is no business like show business.
Dorothy Gibson and the lost, first, film are well worn trivia by now. The traumatized actress rushed into production, her inability to process her trauma causing her mental breakdown, collapse, and retirement from acting immediately after the film was finished - it’s a perfect story to demonstrate the callousness of the film industry. But there is more to the story, and digging deeper shows us that “Saved” may have been the least sleazy project undertaken by the studios.
Dorothy’s account of the sinking and the suffering she endured filming “Saved from the Titanic” are predominantly found in two sources - The New York Dramatic Mirror and Moving Picture World. These were trade magazines, published weekly, and consisting solely of material related to the stage and screen business. These would be announcements of upcoming features, casting news, celebrity gossip, technical news - anything the movie star to the man sweeping the floor at the cinema needed to know. And they included ads … lots and lots of ads.
Immediately realizing that Titanic was not only a horrible tragedy but an incredible business opportunity, Moving Picture World got to work. As people stormed White Star Line offices, and raided newspaper carts for any drop of news regarding the sinking, Moving Picture World provided the latest in Titanic news; or perhaps we should say “Titanic” news.
The headlines of the April 27th issue may have screamed TITANIC, but as the public grabbed their copy and hurriedly flipped through the pages, they found that what they were actually given was ads. Those eye grabbing headlines were followed by much smaller print-
TITANIC EFFORTS are being exerted by Champion to put before the exhibitors that will make them regular Champ Patrons! Get the following latest [releases] and you’ll be convinced!.
UNSINKABLE … is the reputation of Rep productions, but these two releases will sink into the minds of everyone who sees them and will remain there as worthy object lessons.
THE CRY OF THE CHILDREN …suggested by the poem of Elizabeth Barret Browning in 2 reels this Tuesday!
** THE GREATEST MOTION PICTURE OF NATIONAL INTEREST - THE SINKING OF**…. the big battleship. Remember the Maine!
THE DEATH SHIP...a sensational two reel drama of the sea containing one of the most thrilling dynamite explosions imaginable!
For all the slimy marketing tricks, flipping through the pages still has plenty of legitimate ads for real Titanic newsreels, movies, and a specific type of presentation known a Myriorama involving painting, music, and recitation. But, show business would strike again - the ads were legitimate, but what they were advertising was not.
History has sort of forgotten the huge demand for Titanic media in the wake of the sinking, something that didn’t really exist. When cinema owners would order these “only surviving genuine negatives of the disaster” complete with lobby display package, they instead received-

our astonishment to find the Lusitania and Olympic, and one or two scratch films of ancient days posing as pictures of Titanic.

But they didn’t stop. Animated Weekly advertised that they were “the first to reach the wreck… chartered a tug from Cape Breton and rushed to the scene while the survivors were still in the water”. Cinemas began to promote footage of the sinking. Audiences wrote their disgust to Moving Picture World-

These representations are to the point of criminality … Take, for instance, the picture showing the Titanic with about a sixth of her forward length stuck into the iceberg. Everybody knows the collision did not occur in that manner!

They pointed to the following ad as an example - FIRST PICTURES OF THE TITANIC OCEAN DISASTER. The cinema owners responded by noting that they had misread, crammed in tiny letters were the words “sunk in” so that ad actually read FIRST PICTURES OF THE TITANIC sunk in OCEAN DISASTER. It was the customers fault, they said, to be stupid enough to think anyone could have actually filmed the sinking.
Once this ruse was discovered, the studios shifted gears. The next step was to advertise film along with presentations by “A Lecturer who was on board”. When the audience realized the lecturer was not on Titanic and demanded a refund - the response from the managers was

Those signs didn’t say he was a survivor.

… and any attempt to charge him with the crime of fraud was absurd because, in his own words-

Of course I didn’t give him his money back. The sign didn’t misrepresent anything. West was on the Titanic, the sign didn’t say when he was.

…which was true. The lecturer, Eugene West, had visited Titanic while she was under construction at Belfast.
As for the movies themselves?

We said we had pictures. If people were foolish enough to think we meant moving pictures, that was their fault.

This particular cheated audience member was told if he wanted his money back, to go on the street and sing for it. Whether it was this, or something else, eventually the public snapped and began hauling out cinema managers and beating them in the streets. By May, the mayors of Boston and Memphis had banned the showing of any Titanic pictures - moving or still- within the city.
But, where was Dorothy in all this? Tucked in the very back of the magazine, after another newsreel ad,, we get to the celebrity sighting and gossip section. Ed Lux of the Rex Film Exchange was in town, Dan Markowitz of Fox Pictures was as well, Arthur Schmidt of the Victor Film Company was seen having a lovely spa at a Turkish Bath, Sam Gobel of the St Louis Motion Picture Company has been walking up and down 42nd street, we don’t know if Southern film maker Henry Wasserman is still here but he might be, Dorothy Gibson survived the sinking of the Titanic, and the Director of Selig Pictures took some actresses to Santa Catalina for a swim and a photoshoot and they had a great time.
By the following edition, on May 2nd, Moving Picture World was also able to provide its readers with the first stills from “Saved from the Titanic” and a feature on Dorothy. Along with this, tucked in the editorials, the magazine finally published a piece of truthful news about the Titanic disaster-

Senator William Alden Smith … declined to grant permission to have the cinematopgraph make a record of the sessions of the committee. “The sessions” he is quoted as saying…”are solemn affairs and must not be hippodromed or commercialized”. He is, however, falling into a serious error in judgement-

…they sniffed.

As a matter of right, the camera man ought to have been permitted. The day of the enfranchisement of the motion picture will surely come .. which will give equal rights to the cinematographer and the newspaper man.

Then, among the illegal false advertising and reports of public brawls at the cinema, they ended with-

The lesson of the Titanic disaster and all its incidents can be made far more impressive by pictures that move than by mere words in cold letters.

Have you ever jumped into cold water on a hot day? Have you ever ridden an asteroid across the surface of the sun? Have you ever done a backflip off the moon and landed in a bucket of water in Vatican City? If so, then you’ve experienced one-tenth of what I experienced the moment I took that pill.
My headache disappeared, my heart started pumping, adrenaline and pure energy flowed through my veins instead of blood. My fingers twitched and my mind moved at three times the speed of light.
I fell back on my chair, flew towards my desk and danced my fingers like I was playing the keyboard. Chapters fell before me like grass in front of a chainsaw.
I cranked out TEN chapters in three hours. And that’s not just writing them either that’s editing them multiple times, adding extra hyperboles, and making the first 31 sentences and the title into acrostic poems that read: Alex has shit ties.
It was heavenly.
After dusting off my 11th chapter I stood, did a couple of yoga poses and then took off out of my front door for a run.
Now, everyone has a weakness, Superman’s got his kryptonite, Achilles has his heel, I have physical exercise. Usually, the thought of going for a run would make me want to chop my legs off. But those crazy little pills made the sad-sad go away. I was flying past houses, high-fiving bushes and waving to people as I roamed the streets like an exercise junkie.
My god-like strides took me through the suburbs of The Village through to the centre of town where Sherlock-Holmes themed coffee shops and Wuxia-themed teahouses dominated the streets. Writers sat in booths talking and hacking away at tablets and laptops, while cover artists drew mythical figures in between shots of espresso.
There was a hard-working bustle about the place. Little box-like robots wheeled their way out from a boutique distribution centre to people’s homes carrying boxes of wine, cheese, and steaming meals.
I slowed my run and sat back on a bench beside a rose bush. Birds were chirping and there was a hum of music from the cafes. It was heaven.
That night Manuel was back at my house and we walked three blocks over to a giant log cabin and another party. The next morning I took a pill, busted out eight chapters and went for another run. As the weeks flew by I attended more parties than I’d ever been to in my life, smashed out over a hundred chapters and grew dark rings around my eyes.
And then one day I met her.
****
This time we’d been invited to a pool party in the early evening. Manuel was sucking up to a bunch of new authors, and I was drinking beer with a bunch of horror writers while watching two guys beside the pool punching each other in the face over the use of Oxford commas. I didn’t know who was in the right – the guy whose eye was bruised, red, and puffy – or the guy with a swollen, red lump on his forehead.
Turns out, it didn’t really matter because they both paused mid-swing to stare at someone behind me.
In walked a woman in a white turtleneck, and large round glasses. Four other writers dressed in full tweed suits flanked her. Heads turned. Famous web fiction writers who I hadn’t worked up the courage to talk to were whispering to each other and pointing to the woman in white.
The horror writers next to me were trying to look disinterested but I could see them peering at her out of the corner of their eyes.
‘Hey Stephen,’ I poked a tall guy in the arm, ‘who’s that?’
Stephen laughed, ‘Good one man.’
‘I’m being serious dude, why’s everyone staring?’
Stephen hissed his next sentence like he was embarrassed others would hear, ‘Man. That’s the emperor of this place – the most read author in the whole of Crusher Media, that’s...’
‘...Lazy Cultivator? The guy that writes the chicken story.’
Stephen nodded, ‘Only – she’s not a guy.’
‘I guess I should say hi,’ I got out of my seat just as Stephen put his arm up to form a barrier.
‘Dude!’ He said, 'You, me, all of us,’ he gestured around the circle of horror writers, ‘We’re dirt.’ A couple of the guys clinked their beers and took a swig. Stephen pressed a finger into my chest, ‘We don’t talk to people like her. We don’t even look at her. This place has a hierarchy and man, you are the mud that hierarchy sits on.
I swallowed, ‘Good to know I’m appreciated then.’
Stephen shrugged, ‘Just letting you know the way things are dude.’
The tweed-wearers and their leader moved through the party like blue whales through a school of shrimp. A group of romance writers cleared out of their chairs beside the pool and the gang sat down and produced bottles of champagne from a wine cooler. The woman in white pulled a pair of VR glasses, a wireless keyboard, and a purple pill bottle from her bag, then she slipped a pill between her teeth, pulled the VR glasses over her face and started hacking away at the keyboard so rapidly she broke off one of the keys.
I swallowed, ‘She doesn’t come to parties often?’
Stephen shook his head, ‘not the sort of parties the rest of us get invited to. But... I’ve heard stories.’
I nodded slowly, my forehead was beginning to hurt the way it always did when the orange pills wore off. I took the orange pill container out of my pocket and shook it. There was no comforting tap of pills on the side.
I spun the lid open. It was empty.
My hands started to sweat. I got up, knocking over Stephen’s beer. He yelled at me, but I just waved an apology. I made a beeline straight for Manuel who was chatting to a bunch of fresh writers.
‘Hey, Eli,’ he said, wrapping an arm around me, ‘You guys heard of ElitheHill?’
A couple of the new writers grinned, one guy stuck out his hand, but my headache was getting worse with every second.
‘Manuel,’ I hissed, ‘I need some pills man.’
Manuel raised an eyebrow, ‘What?’
‘I need them now, my head...’ I stopped and rubbed one of my eyes, ‘I need the orange pills man.’
Manuel nodded, ‘Yeah, I’ll get you some man – in the morning.’ he wrapped his arm around me, ‘Come on man, be cool, have a beer.’
I shook my head frantically, my hands trembled, ‘I need them now Manuel. Come on. You’ve got to have at least a pack on you.’
Manuel stared at me, his eyes suddenly seemed much colder, ‘Yeah. I got some, but they’re two thousand reads.’
‘Two thousand?’ I bit my lip, ‘Man, they were five hundred two days ago.’
He shrugged and pulled the orange container from his pocket ‘You want em? Or not?’
My hands were a pool of sweat, my head thumped like a drum and bass concert and my right eye was twitching.
‘Yeah,’ I snatched them from his hand, ‘I’ll get Alex to transfer to you tomorrow.’
Manuel nodded, ‘Now get lost,’ his smile returned as he looked to the young writers, ‘You’re scaring off the new kids!’
The others laughed.
I fumbled with the pill bottle and Manuel gave me a kick, ‘Man! Get out of here.’ His eyes were hard again.
I stumbled my way over to the toilet, kicked the door open and slammed it behind me. My hands shook as I twisted open the capsule. The toilet smelt like vomit. The lid gave a click, popped open and I shook two pills into my hand. I usually took one, but I felt like I deserved the extra hit after everything I’d been through. I shoved them in my mouth, threw my head back, and swallowed.
A moment later I had electricity flowing through my veins and lightning in my brain. When I kicked the door of the toilet open it was like the world was in 8k resolution. Colours and lights were sharper and more beautiful. Beethoven’s fifth symphony was playing, someone passed me who smelt of elderflower and sweet wine. I breathed in and started dancing.
****
My call with Alex the next day began with me reciting a poem about his ties that I made up on the spot. He was wearing a beetroot red tie and by the third verse, his face had gone the same colour. It took him a few minutes to calm down, but when he finally did he ended up being quite pleased.
‘I see you’ve been producing a lot of chapters Mr Hill, you’re also pulling in a lot of readers. My suggestion is that you should start stockpiling them, rather than just posting them as you finish, that way when you hit another of your dry spells, you’ll have a buffer to get your shit sorted.’
I grinned and pulled the orange pills from my jacket pocket, ‘I’m not going to have another slump.’ I tossed the pill bottle up and caught it behind my back without looking, ‘Alex, I have discovered the key to literary immortality.’
Alex’s smile wavered for a moment, then with an effort of brute force he manage to affix it back to his face.
‘I’m glad Mr Hill.’ he went silent for a moment, ‘Just be careful okay... with those chapters I mean... we don’t want you to get burnt out with nothing left in the can.’
I shrugged, shook the pill bottle again, ‘Don’t worry about me buddy – just keep transferring Manuel that money. Okay?’
Alex nodded and ended the call.

Previous post

A renowned talent

Object of his lust, more often than not, was to be found in the Nemil beauty sitting languidly upon the other side of the fire (and if temptation burns where else would she be?). Purse Snippet was a dancer and orator famous across the breadth of Seven Cities. Need it be even said that such a combination of talents was sure to launch spurting enthusiasm among the heavy-breathing multitudes known to inhabit cities, towns, villages, hamlets, huts, caves and closets the world over?

Last week ended with a description of Calap Roud's creepy and very unsubtle lusting after women. And here we get one which seems to attract his attention more than anyone else in this company. It's a very smooth transition. It is also worth noting that she is the "object" of Calap Roud's lust, a very literal instance of objectification. Of course Calap Roud wouldn't be interested in her for her personality because he isn't interested in anyone's personality but his own.
Purse Snippet is Nemil, which is in the Seven Cities. This, along with her being famous specifically in the Seven Cities, supports the notion that we are indeed located somewhere on that continent. Her name is certainly interesting, but I think it's better to wait until the second part of her introduction to discuss it.
She sits languidly, which indicates that she is not overly worried about their state of affairs. And she sits on the other side of the fire to Calap Roud, which I don't think is a coincidence. She wants nothing to do with him. It also indicates that she is the opposite of Calap. Remember, we're still not done with the circle/soul metaphor. That she sits opposite Calap also means that he sees her through the flame, as Flicker points out, as he makes her into a personification of temptation. To Calap it's as if she's within the flames, burning bright.
After that long(ish) and meandering sentence we now get a very simple sentence, stating in plain language who she is. She's a dancer and orator, and she's famous in the Seven Cities. Again, this is Flicker changing his language to me much more easily parsed when he is giving us simple facts.
And then he switches right back to the more ornate style as he describes the effects of those simple facts. This is of course Flicker engaging in his trademark hyperbole, while simultaneously establishing her as a sex symbol. Everyone in the world¹ knows her.
The "spurting enthusiasm" is yet another very thinly veiled euphemism, this time for ejaculation. That the multitudes are "heavy-breathing" also supports that. I also love this tally of all the places where such multitudes are found, starting with cities, then getting progressively smaller until we're at a single closet. I also think it's very funny that near the end we're also getting more primitive, with hamlets, then huts, then caves, before going back into something much more advanced, which is a closet.

A singular beauty

Lithe was her smile, warm her midnight hair, supple of tongue her every curvaceous utterance, Purse Snippet was desired by a thousand governors and ten thousand nobles. She had been offered palaces, islands in artificial lakes, entire cities. She had been offered a hundred slaves each trained in the arts of love, to serve her pleasure until age and jealous gods took pleasure away. Lavished with jewels enough to adorn a hundred selfish queens in their dark tombs. Sculptors struggled to render her likeness in marble and bronze, and then committed suicide. Poets fell so far inside their poems of adoration and worship they forgot to eat and died at their garrets. Great warleaders tripped and impaled themselves on their own swords in pursuit of her. Priests foreswore drink and children. Married men surrendered all caution in their secret escapades. Married women delighted in exposing and then murdering their husbands with ridicule and savage exposes.

We've had a few instances up until now where Flicker uses a deliberately wrong word when describing something. Here he turns it up to 11. "Lithe was her smile". A smile can't be lithe, but Purse is, and her smile reflects that. "Warm her midnight hair". While hair can be warm, it's certainly a strange way to describe someone's hair. We do learn that her hair is dark, but here I think the word "warm" actually applies to the aforementioned smile. I think Flicker is more affected by her charms than he'd care to admit, hence him getting his words all jumbled up.
"Supple of tongue". Again an unusual word choice, but you can read this as her being a skilled speaker, and particularly adept at playing to the whims of her audience. He's clearly talking about more than just her tongue, but I think there is a double meaning at play here. And "curvaceous utterance" is the most overt one, just to nail home which organ Flicker is thinking with.
Then we are bombarded with description after description of all the powerful people attempting to claim her and artists trying to merely depict her. I think this is similar to what he did with the Chanter brothers, where he invented this absurdly over the top backstory for them to emphasize how bestial they were. Here he is doing the same but to show how beautiful Purse Snippet is.
For one, I doubt there are a thousand governors in all of Seven Cities. I'm sure there are at least ten thousand nobles, but that would surely be most of them. Then we get the listing of offerings that get increasingly absurd, mirroring the list in the previous paragraph with the progressively smaller habitations. It culminates in her being offered a hundred pleasure slaves to serve her for the rest of her life. And notice that even the gods are jealous of her.
And then, finally, she is given jewelry fit for a hundred queens. And notice that these queens are placed in dark tombs. This, along with the preceding comment about her aging serve as a reminder of the transience of beauty. Flicker knows this, and presumably Purse does as well.
Notice also how this has all been in the passive voice. I haven't talked a lot about voice up until this point (and perhaps I should have), but the use of the passive voice here seems very deliberate. She is not asking for this, it's all imposed on her. But when we start discussing the poor artists trying to capture her beauty, we switch to the active voice, but we also switch our point of view to said artists, meaning we're still not placing her in an active role. She is simply an object, which is how Flicker first introduced her. I'm looking forward to examining Flicker's/Erikson's treatment of Purse Snippet.
But let's back up a little bit and talk about those artists. We are led to believe that her beauty is so singular that sculptors can't capture it and kill themselves because of their failure. The poets don't seem to fail, but they get so absorbed in their poetry that they die of starvation. I love that they die at their garrets², but not in their garrets. They don't just happen to be there, it's more like they're posted there. It's not that the poets live there, it's that they have to be there when composing poetry.
Then you have great warleaders tripping (the last thing you would expect of a warleader) and die in the process, because of course they fall on their swords. The priests certainly catch some heat there, as they are noted to "swear off alcohol" which they should not be doing in the first place "and children", because of course. We know that Erikson is no fan of organized religion and it seems that neither is Flicker.
Finally we get a mentioned of married men, who abandon all caution when pursuing Purse, and their wives who surprisingly don't seem upset, but rather seem to be enjoying a chance to publicly scorn and ridicule their husbands. Perhaps because of how optimistic their men were, to think that they would have a chance with Purse. I want to note that I don't think they are actually murdering their husbands. It seems to be purely verbal.
That was something, but we're not done yet with our Purse Snippet. Next time we'll be finishing up her introduction. See you next week!
¹ Notice how he uses "the world" here instead of just "the Seven Cities"? This implies that her world is just the Seven Cities, even further supporting the theory that we are there.
² In this instance probably referring to a room in an attic
Next post

Y'all. My word.
I had my sophomores do some poems. Just had to write 2-3, depending on the difficulty of the type they selected. The amount of AI -generated poems was astounding.
I don't know whether to be insulted that think I'm dumb enough to buy that they suddenly know the words "celestial" or "cacophony," or to feel ashamed that I didn't catch it sooner.
The patterns are so obvious. All the AI poems have to do with the sea or nature in a broad, uninteresting sense. They all use the same pattern of "dependent clause description, dependent clause action" for each line. They don't follow the basic guidelines (use a hyperbole, use a simile, etc.). They all incorporate generic musical terms.
Lesson learned...

I have a friend who is dear to me that believe that the earth is flat because of some verse from the psalms of David and some other verse from i dont remenber on the spot but are quotation from the psalms. In the first place i tink to myself "it is not important matter what he believe as long as he dont deform the teaching of Jésus" but after tinking about it for some time i came to the conclusion that this line of tinking could be damaging to the Christian community. I forgot to tell you that he engage in apologetic!! I've try to tell him that the book of psalm is not be taken litteraly since it is a poem book and use a lot of hyperbolic and idiotique language. But he does not tink it is the case... I've try to demonstrate whit science that the earth is a sphère but he tink it is a satanic Conspiracy!!! I dont know what to tell him to get him on the right track! Help me please. He is a evangelist by the way.

I'd like to say hello and welcome you good day that is my name come here sit down I'm so glad even really truly came we can go take a walk or something but first i need introduce what when let us sing its call it likes it's nothing lives breathes insists never liked speak run sleep eat thought everybody tried seat looking through glass eyes give few tries goes right in time kill all bad dreams wonder 'bout no things circles spirals mind know this song not about yes why what's little sigh along think done we're thinks ton knew by wanted birds bees television cardboard houses X-ray vision many silly rhymes forgotten lost their telephones games periods lots of question marks here's part again where everything's more than should be greener seems fall beneath your feet seconds tick boulders whenever don't does seem are wherever for together depending on the weather we'll either argue house outside how different felt before got notch belt 'cause plans were me yeah now you'd just rather leave 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I honestly believe Kolkata is miles better than any other city in India. Not only culturally but also in terms of society. Sure, Kolkata has lost her charm over the decades yet I'm still grateful to live in the 'City of Joy' amidst the hellscape called India. You may think I'm a jerk but I do have certain points to back me up.
Let's talk about the basic difference between Kolkata and India first-
1) Society-
In my opinion, society plays the most fundamental role in the moral and mental upbringing of folks. Your state/city/country maybe swimming in riches but if your society is no better than a fascist/dogmatic regime, I highly doubt whether "economic prosperity" will feed your mental health. Talk about Europe and US. There are many countries in the EU which aren't as rich as the USA, yet their citizens are far more happier to live there. The US maybe ruling the world but it's still squirming with loads of problems like unemployment, immigration issues, extremely unfair healthcare etc.
Kolkata, may not be as rich as it used to be. Yet, bengali society especially Kolkata is far far more liberal and open minded than the rest of India. Let me give an example. Dating culture is generally favoured jn Kolkata. Even boomers, if you meet one on the street, will ask you, "Girlfriend ache?", and that too in an encouraging manner. Apart from this, in Kolkata, the rat-race for engineering is significantly less compared to the rest of India. Arts is also given somewhat equal respect (well not exactly equal but definitely more compared to the rest of India). Kolkata in the early 80s to 90s was the pinnacle of culture. Even now also, people in Kolkata are generally much friendlier and welcoming compared to the rest of the country. I've met so many kakus and dadus who are as friendly as a family member despite being total strangers.
2) Religious tolerance-
Probably controversial, but in general, regardless of the fact that whether one is a Hindu or Muslim, people here are quite tolerant. I agree, Hindu- Muslim riots are a common thing here as well but relatively speaking, it's less compared to the rest of the country. Obviously immigrants in recent years from Bihar and Bangladesh are contributing towards the rift between Hindus and Muslims here. But those, who have been living here since decades are generally more tolerant. The primary example of this is the normalization of "Kaji" culture here. Kajis here, don't care about your religion or gender at all. They are WILLING to help anyone in need. Hindus and Muslims are both allowed in mosques and temples respectively. Durga Puja, the greatest festival in bengal, is celebrated both by Muslims and Hindus alike. Even Hindus here respect the Muslims and vice versa (Note: I'm never claiming there's no Hindu-Muslim difference here. I'm claiming there isn't much relative to other states.) Also Christmas is celebrated with grandiose here in Kolkata, almost as if we are in the Vatican( hyperbole haha). Everyone eagerly waits for Christmas here.
3) Music-
As a rock enthusiast myself, I've grown up listening to the Beatles, Guns N' Roses, Scorpions, Queen etc. Kolkata, in the 80s to early 2000s used to have such a great Rock culture. Bangla bands are arguably the greatest. Returning to school and listening to Fossils, used to be blissful. Sure enough, Rock is still prevalent here but the craze is dying. That's why, when I say Kolkata used to as great as Europe in terms of society in the 80s - 00s, I mean it.
4) Literature-
Obviously how can we forget literature? Bengalis have always been fascinated by literature. This includes your poems, novels, even other forms of art like cinema as well. Bengali arthouse films charming. Reading books is a culture here, which is deeply engrained in every bengali. I've never seen any other state as keen in literature as Bengal is. Book clubs, poetry competitions, art is still just as popular as before.
All in all, because of Kolkata's utopian past and welcoming society, I'm proud to have been born here. I am willing to die for Kolkata but not for India. Call me an Asshole but I simply love this city above my country. Unfortunately, the "City of Joy" is now in ruins. Immigrants, social media culture have ruined us. Biharis and Bangladeshis have turned Kolkata into a cesspool. (Yeah I'm a racist in this case but it is what it is.) Well, the days of glory are long lost but it's still not too late to bring Kolkata back to its former prestige.

I wanted to start a little series of mini-spotlights, covering various soloist ladies I find incredible. A lot of these are on the indie side of things, where the info isn't as readily available - so I thought it might be good to cover 5 in one go, to make each post feel a little more substantial. This is less of a deep dive than my previous spotlight posts, and more of just an appreciation for artists who don't get as much of the .. spotlight.
So yeah, expect a series of these I suppose. There's just so many wonderful artists out there. I'll probably do one for the guys as well, but right now my playlist is dominated by women. So leave that for later! A quick disclaimer: I'm by no means an expert on any of these artists. If you happen to be, and see something that's plain wrong, please call me out on it, and I'll be sure to edit it. Also, these are very opinionated posts, so take my incessant hyperbole with a pinch of salt! If you want.. Or board the hype train. That's up to you!
Anyway. Let's get to it! If you're in the mood to discover some new music, read on.

1: Woo Yerin

Woo Ye-rin (우예린)
Born: October 3, 1995
SNS: Instagram Youtube
Starting with one of my more recent discoveries. Woo Yerin's a singer-songwriter under Ruby Records. She started her career pursuing idol life in the show K-Pop Star 5, back in 2015, which didn't go her way in the end. And she ended up taking the indie soloist route. And that in turn, gave us some pretty damn great music!
I'd say she dabbles in a bit of everything, but particularly excels in whimsical, sweeping symphonic songs - with added band instrumentals. Think GFRIEND's Rough, with a bit more levity to it. Interestingly for someone who operates in such big, layered songs, she's not much of a high note belting power vocal - but she always finds really cool alternatives to give her crescendos that added punch. So it's sorta refreshing in a way. That's not a slight on her vocals though. She can hold her own, and has such a gorgeous unique quality to it. Just that it maybe leans more towards the light, sweet and crystal clear.
She's also done great work in more theatrical somber genres, fun upbeat tunes, light funky jazz, folky songs and your average ol' ballady tracks. A lot of different, beautiful, emotional, sad, fun and uplifting vibes, all executed so well. She's mostly released digital singles so far, so her catalogue isn't massive, but there's little to no filler at least. Last year she released a whopping 4 singles though, so it feels like she's ramping up for another album.
She also plays guitar and piano, and composes and write the majority of her own work, with some helpding hands on the arrangement side. So clearly a multi talent! They're very impressive compositions as well. Intricate and balanced with great layering and tons of variety. So far she's got one EP, a ton of singles, and a handful of collabs under her belt. She's mostly flown under the radar, but had some limited success with a collab track with Ahn Ye Eun (also from K-Pop Star 5), Burn Like A Star. Not one of my favorite tracks by her by any means, but should be mentioned. She also has a personal Youtube channel where she uploads covers occasionally. Especially Christmas songs!
Song Recs:

• Tokki
• Red Rose
• Night Flower
• Let It Go! (Daisy)
• An Undelivered Letter
• Girl
• Fishbowl
• Lavender (ft. LILL)
• Paradise
• Flame
• When The Violet Blooms

Although I'd suggest just deep diving her whole discography. If you're at all into orchestral pop, or more moody soundscapes - are into artists like GFRIEND, Lena Park or KyoungSeo - definitively give her a listen. I'm sure you'll find something in her discography to love. Can't wait to see what she's got for us this year.

2: MINSEO

Kim Min-seo (김민서)
Born: April 9, 1996
SNS: Instagram Official Instagram Youtube
Over to someone who's a bit more known. You see her name mentioned on reddit every now and then at least. MINSEO was an idol trainee who quit and veered down the indie soloist route instead. She would most likely have been a GFRIEND member if she followed through on her idol plans and debuted. But she ended up leaving the company, setting her another path entirely. Apparently she is still close to at least some of the girls though. And after the fact, she would go on to cover GFRIEND's Rough on her stint on King Of Masked Singer. Maybe for the best. I'm not sure I could handle the Yuju + MINSEO one, two vocal punch. Whew!
To me, she's always been one of the big overlooked vocal talents in kpop. Already early on she had this maturity and confidence to her vocals. Very technical and skillful vocalist too. And she's no slouch in the discography department either, having been pretty experimental with her releases over the years, while keeping the quality up. Her stuff covers orchestral, showtunes and jazzy stuff, ballads as well as more standard fare kpop. Her career path has been sorta reminiscent of IU's to me. Besides the massive, cosmic gap in popularity obviously.
With 3 EP's, and a ton of singles and OSTs, there's a lot to pick from. In addition to the recs below, I think her EP The Diary Of Youth is just spectacular. It's been a couple of years since her last EP now, so maybe we've got another coming this year? Fingers crossed.
Song Recs:

• Is Who? (Folky, showtuney, jazzy)
• The Grand Dreams
• 2cm (ft. Paul Kim) (Loungy, coffee shop vibes)
• Zero
• Crystal Castle (The Empire Of Law OST)
• Growing Up
• Goodbye To Romance (orig. Sunny Hill)
• Star (Gorgeous ballad)

Also a terrific live singer. Her episode of 'I'm Live' on Airang TV is well worth a watch if you have 25 minutes to spare. Her performance of Yes on Dingo Live is also a favorite. If you're into IU, GFRIEND or BOL4, I think MINSEO would scratch some of those particular itches as well.

3: msftz

Lee Shin-ae (이신애)
Born: December 24, 1997
SNS: Instagram Youtube
Again over to a lesser known artist. msftz (misfits) is a singer-songwriter under Sony Music Korea. I feel like she's been around since forever, but she only debuted back in 2020. To be fair, she's been actively releasing music since 2017, but just by herself onto soundcloud. So there's actually quite a few soundcloud exclusive tracks. Or there were. Her old soundcloud account seems to be deactivated atm sadly. But hopefully they'll pop up again. You might be able to find them with some searching still though.
She feels like such a staple in the soloist scene to me, and her stuff has such a strong and distinct identity. She'll do a lot of loungy, funky and even rocky stuff, usually with sorta quirky yet kinda dark lyrics - but also more abstract, spacy stuff with gorgeous dreamy soundscapes. And yeah, she writes her own stuff, if that's something that makes your ears perk up. Plays piano and guitar as well. She's a fantastic, very overlooked songwriter with a clear voice. Her vocals are really distinct as well. There's a bit of a jazz singer vibe there. Sorta smokey and smooth. But with maybe a slight nasality to it? However you explain it, she has such a unique sound.
She's mostly released singles (6) but also did an EP back in 2021 that's a really great listening experience. She also posts some covers on her youtube, and always puts her unique twist on them. To mention a few Butter (BTS), Last Night On Earth (Green Day) and Story Of My Life (One Direction).
Song Recs:

• Heart
• Takeoff (light indie rock)
• 2080 (cosmic, dreamy)
• Oh My Way
• Special
• Fantasy

Being a lesser known artists, there's not a ton of easily accessible content it feels like. But there's a lot of stuff where she performs live with her band - like these 2080 and Fantasy ones. She might not be a vocal monster, but I think she's quite pleasant live as well. If you like stuff like Heize, Stella Jang or KyoungSeo, I think msftz might hit. Hope you check her out! It's been a while since her last release, so hopefully we won't have to wait too long for some news of new music!

4: Shin Ji Hoon

Shin Ji-hoon (신지훈)
Born: June 23, 1998
SNS: Instagram Youtube Soundcloud
I mentioned good listening experiences above, which is a good segue into Shin Ji Hoon. Her album 'Stars And Memories And Poetry' is easily the best listening experience I've had in my kpop journey. That album is such a ride. And the fact that it's mostly self written, composed and even produced is beyond impressive. The album feels a lot like a full musical with different acts, and visits a lot of different tempos, moods and various instruments. From electric guitar to harmonica and choral vocals, to acoustic sections.
Shin Ji Hoon started out as a (pretty accomplished) figure skater, but turned to music - debuting as a soloist back in 2017. She was initially with Cube Entertainment and Starline Entertainment, but would eventually go on to form her own company for her music. So here you'll get peak autonomy. Her vocals are definitively a bit on the lighter side, but she's got an absolutely gorgeous voice. She is also such an incredible songwriter and producer who I wish had more eyes (ears?) on her. I think I would describe most of her music as 'on the lighter side' as well, with soft airy vocals, gorgeous melodies, sweeping string sections and the most satisfying chord resolutions you can imagine. You won’t find much dance friendly stuff here. She knows her ‘niche’, but executes it better than pretty much anyone else I’ve come across. She's basically a storyteller who sings.
Popularity-wise it's hard to know where to place her. One the one hand, I can count on my fingers how many times I've seen her name mentioned on reddit in my years here. Her Spotify numbers aren't exactly impressive either. But she's got a good following of over 200k subscribers on her youtube channel, and there's definite resources poured into her stuff, so she must have at least a decent following over in korea. Her youtube channel also features a ton of covers of various artists. Well worth a look.
Here's a couple of songs I particularly love from her. But if you find you like her vibe, I implore you to go listen to her full albums in order, because that is hand-crafted journeys that elevate the music even further.
Song Recs:

• A Story That Will Turn Into A Poem
• Falling In Love Is Like The Spring Rain, Parting Is Like The Winter Rain
• You Are A Star Already
• A Fairy Tale (Love the marching section)
• When The Magnolia Blooms
• Memories Soon To Be A Chapter Of An Anthology
• A Sky Full Of Stars
• Fly Far Away, Avobe The Clouds

Again, another solid live singer. And she'll whip out the guitar too. I don't have as many clips to share, but check out her stage of A Fairy Tale. She'll also upload the odd cover to her youtube channel. If you're into slower, moving indie type music, this should be up your alley. Sweden Laundry, Vanilla Acoustic, BOL4 and Davichi come to mind, but Shin Ji Hoon is something it's hard to draw comparisons to. She creates such beautiful, moving art, and I hope you give her music a chance.

5: Shin Eui Jin

Shin Eui Jin (신의진)
Born: July 2, 1999
SNS: Youtube Instagram
One good Shin deserves another(?). So we'll finish off with another new discovery of mine. And the most obscure artist on this list. One that I don't have as much to say about, as she's a more recent debut. Shin Eui Jin is a soloist under BK Entertainment. She debuted at the tail-end of 2021 with the beautiful ballad Broom. A lot safer than her subsequent releases, it should be said. But towards the finale there, she a certain style shines through, that she'd go on to explore more of. Her discography is really small. But she's doing very promising work so far, and is scratching a niche that doesn't get much attention these days. The more rock influenced, orchestral string heavy fusion stuff. Early Dreamcatcher meets early GFRIEND in a way maybe? No horror theme here though. Fun, driving rocky tunes with as many strings as you can handle. And a vocal tone that goes hand in hand with that sound.
She's also dipped her toes into music survival shows, with the most recent being Artistock Game in 2022, but it sadly didn't go her way. She doesn't appear to compose her own stuff, and the composers so far have been all different. But the style has been consistent, so it's seemingly something she wishes to pursue further, luckily!
With just four digital singles so far, I'm just linking the rest of them. Again though, all of these are from last year, so she's ramping it up. We'll just have to wait and see!

• You're My Star
• Night, Summer
• Hello!

So if you're at all into the rockier stuff from Dreamcatcher, I think there's a chance you'll like her stuff. Although it is quite a bit lighter and more upbeat. So be 'warned'. Anyway, she's a breath of fresh air to me in the current landscape, and I hope she'll continue to dabble in this style, if not dive even deeper into the rocky themes. Excited to see what 2024 brings for her.
And that's it for now! Five wonderful soloists who don't get enough attention for their amazing contributions! Please be sure to let me know if you found some music you liked. Or if you happen to know and love one of the artists covered, please chime in and gush some extra, and maybe give your own recommendations. And stay tuned for five more down the line!
Lastly, a little call to action. I would love it if the spotlight feature became a staple on the kpop subreddit again. If you've ever thought about writing a spotlight for an artist you really like, I hope you give it a go. I can assure you the mod team very helpful if you have any questions or worries about it. It doesn't have to perfect (example: this very post!), but it's just nice to see people extensively gushing about artists they like! You can see earlier spotlights on the wiki section of the sub.
Other (producer) spotlights: MIO OREO Iggy Yongbae Noh Ju Hwan

Disclaimer: I do not speak Korean. This is purely translated by machine with a lot of cleanup afterward. With that in mind, I am open to criticism to improve these translations. Enjoy!
​
Chapter 333
​
"Please wait a moment, Master Ship Lighter Mu-Song."
​
I felt compelled to offer a standing ovation to the speaker of those words.
​
The boldness required to articulate such a statement amidst such palpable tension was noteworthy.
​
Particularly when the person addressed had just transformed over fifty pirates into fish bait within five minutes.
​
But who dared to speak?
​
'It’s evident from the use of "Master" that they're not one of us.'
​
Mu-Song was known to his crew as 'Captain' or 'Fortress Master', ruling them out. None in our group, myself included, had spoken up either.
​
That left only one possibility...
​
'The passengers who were attacked by the pirates.'
​
It became obvious to all present.
​
Both my group and the Water Dragon Fortress pirates simultaneously looked in the same direction - towards the twenty passengers who had boarded the fast ship following Hwang Tae-Gu's raid.
​
"Who is it? Come forward."
​
At Mu-Song's stern command, his men quickly made way. A single figure stood at the end of the clearing.
​
"Hello, young man."
​
Though the voice hinted at youth, his appearance was surprisingly boyish.
​
'He couldn’t be older than twenty.'
​
The term 'boy' seemed more fitting than 'young man'. He appeared unnerved by the attention, hesitantly joining his hands in an awkward gesture.
​
"Hello. My name is Mun-Kyung."
​
"Mun-Kyung?"
​
Mu-Song echoed, his brow furrowing.
​
"That's a name I've never heard before. You don't seem to be a martial artist either."
​
Mu-Song's observation was spot-on.
​
Mun-Kyung emitted the aura of a mere civilian, plain and unremarkable.
​
Under our intense scrutiny, Mun-Kyung nervously responded,
​
"Yes, that's correct. I am just a medical practitioner in training, with no ties to the martial world."
​
"Just a medical practitioner? But you seem to know me."
​
"How could I not know of the righteous boatman on the Yangtze River of Sichuan, who strictly forbids the unnecesary taking of life?"
​
The flattery was blatant.
​
Suddenly, Mu-Song, renowned for his ruthless piracy on the Sichuan part of the Yangtze River, struggled to suppress a smirk, his usual ferocity momentarily faltering under the guise of a 'righteous boatman'.
​
“Hmm, is that so?”
​
“Wealth may come and go, but life is something we only have once. Those who know how many lives have disappeared on the Yangtze River up until a few years ago call Master Mu-Song the 'Master of Benevolence and Righteousness'."
​
"Cough. Master of Benevolence and Righteousness, you say. Being the Hero of the Yangtze River is enough for me."
​
Such hyperbole...
​
While Mu-Song exhibits some sensibility, his core as a pirate remains. Occasional good deeds hardly elevate him to sainthood.
​
Yet, the young doctor seemed to view him differently.
​
"My parents were tragically killed on the Yangtze River over a decade ago. If it weren't for Master Mu-Song's rescue, I might have followed in their footsteps."
​
"That's unfortunate. But if it was over a decade ago then..."
​
"Yes."
​
Mun-Kyung's voice quivered as he continued.
​
"The person kneeling before Master Mu-Song right now is the man who killed my parents."
​
"Oh."
​
The revelation caused a stir among the pirates and passengers, all hanging on Mun-Kyung's words. Mu-Song, grasping the gravity of the situation, interjected.
​
"I see why you asked me to stop. While it goes against the rules of our Alliance, I fully understand your feelings, and I will give you a chance."
​
"You mean to grant me the power to decide his life or death?"
​
"Of course."
​
But Mun-Kyung's ensuing decision took everyone by surprise.
​
"Then... please spare him."
​
"...!"
​
"...!"
​
Mu-Song, poised to hand over a weapon, and Hwang Tae-Gu, who had braced for his end, both stared at Mun-Kyung in disbelief.
​
"W-what did you say?"
​
Mu-Song asked with a puzzled expression as Mun-Kyung bowed.
​
"As much as I want to avenge my parents, I am a doctor. How can someone who deals with life commit an act of death? However, I implore you to ensure that he can no longer commit evil deeds by abolishing his martial arts and punishing him severely according to strict laws."
​
"If we follow your suggestion, that man will be sent to the main body of our Alliance. He deserves death, but he might escape with his life due to the connections he's made so far. Wouldn't it be better to avenge yourself right here and now?"
​
"I may have no ties to Murim, but I understand that losing one's martial arts is akin to death for a martial artist. I may not have killed him, but it's as good as done. And..."
​
Mun-Kyung's gaze, steady and clear, locked onto Hwang Tae-Gu.
​
"This is not about personal revenge, but a matter of principle. If the Yangtze River Water Route Alliance punishes him directly, it will serve as a warning to others who commit slaughter on the Yangtze."
​
In his steady, unflinching voice, Mun-Kyung commanded the respect of all present.
​
Impressed by his demeanor, exclamations of admiration flowed from the onlookers.
​
“Ha, impressive. Such wisdom in someone so young.”
​
“If it were me, I would have immediately thrust a harpoon into that guy's chest.”
​
“A unique individual indeed. He will make a fine doctor.”
​
Mu-Song appeared genuinely moved by the young doctor's eloquent words, nodding with evident respect. He then approached Hwang Tae-Gu.
​
“If you have ears, you must have heard what the young doctor said. What do you think?”
​
“I will definitely survive to tear all of you to pieces.”
​
The defiance in Hwang Tae-Gu’s eyes was fleeting.
​
Thud!
​
“Argh!”
​
Below Hwang Tae-Gu’s abdomen, precisely at the Dantian, Mu-Song’s foot landed with force.
​
Gazing indifferently at Hwang Tae-Gu, who now spat blood and collapsed, Mu-Song declared,
​
“Try and survive if you can. Even if you live, without your Dantian, it won’t be much of a life.”
​
His foot struck the Dantian again with a thunderous impact.
​
Whoosh, crack!
​
“No, please!”
​
Hwang Tae-Gu's pleas vanished into the void as his fate was sealed. [Note: while two kicks may seem like its nothing, especially to relatively strong martial artists, if hit properly a person can destroy someone's dantian, which is used for storing and controlling Qi, as we have seen. So damaging or destroying this would prevent another person from practicing martial arts ever again.]
​
Swoosh!
​
Qi seeped from the seven holes of Hwang Tae-Gu's face, dissolving seamlessly into the ether. [Note: the term used here 칠공(七空) means "seven holes" in Korean, but could also mean "Seven Emptinesses", which is a Buddhist concept. The seven holes translation makes more sense here, but I am not sure why the author has used the Chinese term with Buddhist connotations in this line. The seven holes would be the two ears, two eyes, two nostrils, and mouth.]
​
Like water escaping a shattered vessel, his internal energy dissipated with the destruction of his dantian.
​
“You all, I will definitely-!”
​
The Peak Master who ruled over the Yangtze River in Sichuan no longer existed.
​
Reduced to a feeble, powerless man, Hwang Tae-Gu's threats ceased as he became stiff with bloodshot eyes.
​
“Enough of your racket. Throw this guy somewhere appropriate, we’ll send him to the main body of the Alliance later.”
​
“Aye captain.”
​
A pirate, his head gleaming bronze like a Diglett, hauled Hwang Tae-Gu away, bringing the ordeal to an end.
​
Mu-Song, scratching his head, surveyed the onlookers.
​
“What a scene. I apologize to those who suffered from this ordeal.”
​
Was it the lesser of two evils – a rogue pirate overcoming a worse one?
​
Regardless, the civilians, owing their lives to the Water Dragon Fortress' intervention, expressed their gratitude with deep bows.
​
“Oh no, not at all. We would have been doomed without the heroes of the Yangtze River.”
​
“How can I ever repay this kindness…”
​
“Thanks to the care of the Primordial Heavenly Lord, not a single life was lost. You needn’t worry.” [Note: In Taoism and certain East Asian spiritual traditions, the Primordial Heavenly Lord is typically regarded as a supreme deity or a highly revered divine figure. This figure is often associated with the creation or origination of the universe, embodying the essence of the Tao (the Way) or the fundamental principles that govern the cosmos.]
​
What? Not a single death?
​
I scanned the group of passengers.
​
‘It's true.’
​
There were injured people here and there, but no corpses.
​
Despite our timely arrival before the full-blown battle, the initial volley of arrows and harpoons should have been lethal...
​
‘How did mere civilians, only twenty in number, manage this?’
​
My question was soon answered.
​
“If it weren’t for the young doctor over there, we might all have been dead.”
​
“Yes. How he remained so calm in such a situation… truly remarkable.”
​
This was the consensus among the passengers.
​
When the pirates appeared, inciting panic, Mun-Kyung had stepped forward, ripping up deck planks to create makeshift shields and even dismantling the mast.
​
‘The deck I understand, but breaking the mast?’
​
An average person would think of rowing away in desperation, but Mun-Kyung had a different approach.
​
He rendered the sail useless, leaving the ship at the mercy of the Yangtze's unpredictable currents.
​
‘And he succeeded.’
​
I understood the basics of naval combat.
​
The usual strategy involved closing in on the enemy after long-range assaults, then engaging directly, either by ramming or boarding.
​
But if the target ship is erratically spinning and rocking, it's difficult to execute an attack. Mun-Kyung bought valuable time with this tactic.
​
‘Look at this guy.’
​
His handling of the Hwang Tae-Gu situation too. He’s no ordinary clever fellow.
​
Then, as Mun-Kyung caught my gaze, perhaps sensing the praise in my heart, he looked startled.
​
“Y-Young Master, do you need something from me?”
​
“Need? It's just that you seem about my sister's age and I was admiring the incredible thing you did.”
​
“You flatter me.”
​
“From what I heard, it was a bold move. How did you come up with that?”
​
“Although I’m currently walking the path of a medical practitioner, before my parents passed away, I read a lot of books on different subjects.”
​
“Books?”
​
“Yes. My family actually comes from a modest military background. My grandfather was even a military officer receiving stipends from the court.”
​
An attempt to hide a faint wariness towards strangers and a subtle sense of pride.
​
At first glance, he seemed like any other boy his age, yet something was amiss.
​
As I observed Mun-Kyung closely, I whispered under my breath.
​
‘Activate skill, Qi Sense.’
​
Ding!
​
The familiar sound of a bell chimed, revealing insights about him in a floating display.
​
​
​
[Lv.6 Mun-Kyung]
​
​
​
“I was off the mark.”
​
“Pardon?”
​
“Nothing. Just stay healthy and keep growing up well.”
​
“Yes, y-yes…”
​
I clicked my tongue subtly, turning away from a confused Mun-Kyung.
​
That's when Mu-Song, who had been observing, inquired quietly.
​
“What’s the matter?”
​
“Nothing much. I was just curious about him.”
​
“Hubae, do you enjoy sodomy?” [Note: I have checked and checked, hoping that my eyes deceived me, but here is the original Korean so you can see for yourselves... "후배, 혹시 남색(男色)을 즐기나?" Also, Hubae means "junior" in Korean.]
​
What the hell…
​
Noticing my reaction, he quickly cleared his throat and shifted the topic.
​
“Well, anyway, we should continue on our way. The current is strong, but with this favorable wind, we’ll reach Xi'an in no time.”
​
“What about the others? Their original ship also sank.”
​
“The others? Ah, my men will move them to a safe place.”
​
Mu-Song chuckled and added.
​
“Of course, for a modest fee.”
​
“…”
​
Saving lives and then extorting money. Should I call that smart or stupid?
​
I was momentarily speechless at this new model of creative economy when suddenly,
​
“Wait a moment.”
​
“Hm?”
​
It was Mun-Kyung, appearing hesitant and toying with his fingers as he spoke.
​
“Did you say you’re heading to Xi'an now?”
​
“Yes. Why?”
​
Startled, Mun-Kyung quickly blurted out his words.
​
“It’s just that, coincidentally, I was also on my way to Xi'an. If you could just give me a ride this one time, I would be eternally grateful, remembering the kindness forever, deeply engraved in my heart, even if I die and die again a thousand times and turn to dust, I will never forget…”
​
What is this now?
​
I sighed deeply, facing this Jeong Mong-Ju-like character. [Note: Jeong Mong-Ju is a Korean scholar and diplomat most famous for a poem he wrote that includes the line "Though I die and die again a hundred times, That my bones turn to dust, whether my soul remains or not, Ever loyal to my Lord, how can this heart ever fade away?", which is what is causing the MC to relate Mun-Kyung to him.]
​
“Alright, get on.”
​
“Thank you so much!”
​
Watching Mun-Kyung hurriedly gather his belongings, Mu-Song muttered quietly.
​
“Well, it’s my boat, after all…”
​
No, not anymore.

This is the first part of a larger chapter I'm currently writing for AO3, looking at times that Taylor has referenced/quoted queer writers or literature, or times that she has drawn parallels with them. Since I'm going in chronological order through time, Sappho is the earliest. The chapter is ongoing, but with reddit having post length limits it also felt like breaking it up into smaller chunks might be better. As a comparison for the amount of material being discussed, I did some quick maths and Taylor has likely produced over 8,000 lines of songs already.
Content note in this post for discussion of suicide.
(Also note that the table formatting got messed up, for which I sincerely apologise.)
Sappho (c. 630-570 BCE)
The poet Sappho, from the island of Lesbos, is nowadays famous in her own right as a poet who wrote romantically about women, as well as having been the origin of the words lesbian and sapphic. In her own lifetime, she was regarded as one of the best known poets, even being called "The Tenth Muse"; only one of her poems ("Ode to Aphrodite") is believed to be complete, with other works being partial or fragmented. In some cases, these fragments are single words. Although it was once theorised that her poems were deliberately destroyed by the Christian Church for their content, it is now thought that her specific dialect of Greek was considered of lower literary value. It is estimated that she wrote at least 10,000 lines during her lifetime; around 650 lines are currently known, although even in the last decade new fragments and pieces are being discovered through archaeological excavations in Egypt. (The Ptolemaic Kingdom, which lasted in Egypt from 305BCE to 30BCE and the death of Cleopatra, was Greek in origin.)
Much is unclear about Sappho. It is believed that she was born to a wealthy family, and had two brothers. The first known biography of her dates to around 800 years after her death, and is likely to have been drawn from the content of her poems and from older (now lost) literary sources which may have included comedic plays, parody, rumour, and even outright mistakes. In the 20th Century CE, it was finally also questioned whether Sappho's poems, many of which are written from the point of view of a narrator who refers to themselves in the first person (I/me/my), are indeed meant to be autobiographical in nature. Imagine if someone were trying to reconstruct Taylor Swift's life using only her songs, media coverage, and gossip site rumours, centuries from now - it is difficult enough to do this in a contemporary setting.
As evidence of how mysterious Sappho remains, a 10th Century CE text describes her as having a husband named Kerkylas of Andros. However, it has only been more recently acknowledged that this was probably drawn from Athenian comedic plays, rather than history, as the name looks to mean 'Penisling of Man Island' - more reminiscent of Monty Python's character Biggus Dickus than anything that has been attested as a real name elsewhere. There has historically been extensive heterosexualisation of Sappho's poems, including changing pronouns and assuming or naming male subjects when none are specified, most notably the creation of the character of "Phaon" whom Sappho was supposed to have been in unrequited love with and over whom she is supposed to have completed suicide by jumping to her death from the cliffs of Leucadia (now Lefkada). This story is likely the conflation of two myths about Aphrodite - that of Aphrodite granting youth and beauty to ferryman Phaon in return for a journey, and of her casting herself from the cliffs of Leucadia to rid herself of her grief over the death of the mortal Adonis. In other words, it is clear that at least some of the gaps in Sappho's biography have been filled in not just by metaphorical but by literal mythology. (Podcast The Archers suggests in their episode on Sappho that the 'ferryman' here may in fact be a representation of death and a reference to Charon, creating more mythological links.)
At the time that Sappho wrote, the poetic mainstream was of male poets writing epic (narrative and often historical or mythological) poetry. Sappho is often described, or assumed, as having written mostly love poetry, although a more recent analysis suggests she probably wrote on a broader range of topics. (This, too, might be familiar to people with a broader knowledge of Taylor's discography.) Across the various topics, though, she brought an emotional, person-focused experience; Taylor is also known for this to the point that there are published papers on it.
It is suggested she was among the first poets to write from the first person point of view (the "lyric I" in literary discussion) and is known for how her poems explore emotions and personal stories rather than the older tradition of epic poetry and narratives. She is noted for using clear, even accessible language; for putting slight variants on common phrases; and for deliberate use of hyperbole.

Literary Technique	Sappho Examples	Taylor Swift Examples
Lyric "I"	Fragment 1: Hymn to AphroditeFragment 58Many fragments	Many songs - see "Pronouns and Ambiguity"
Reported Speech to 'Self'	Fragment 65: “O Sappho, I love you [the Cyprian Queen [" [Powell]	How You Get The Girl "I want you, for worse or for better" Mine"I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter"
Triangulation of Desire	Fragment 31: "In my eyes he matches the gods, that man whosits there facing you" [Kline]	Angelina [unreleased] - see lyrics Teardrops on My Guitar: "I bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about"
Variation of common phrase	Fragment 58 "rosy-armed Dawn" [Kline]/"Dawn of the rosy arms" [Powell]Fragment 96 " the rosy-fingered moon/ surpasses all the stars" [Powell] These both play on the Homeric epithet (famous quote from Homer)"Rosy-fingered Dawn"	Superman"Tall, dark and superman" Lover"All's well that ends well, to end up with you" Lavender Haze"I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say"
Hyperbole	Fragment 156: "far more melodious than the lyre, more golden than gold" [Powell]	Haunted: "You're all I wanted", "Can't breathe whenever you're gone"
Flower Imagery	Fragment 132: "I have a beautiful little girl: the golden flowersare no match for her loveliness"	Full list of references here (Wayback Machine)
- roses	Fragment 94: "for with many a crown of roses,mixed with crocus and violetsyou were garlanded while you were at my side" [Powell]	Blank Space: "Rose garden, filled with thorns" Maroon: "Carnations you had thought were roses"
- violets	Fragment 94 (see above) Fragment 30: "make a song someday of your love and of your violet-lapped bride" [Powell]	The Great War: "My knuckles were bruised like violets"
"Midnight"	The Midnight poem:"The moon has set, and the Pleiades; it is midnight, the time is going by and I recline alone."	Midnights album concept
Fictionalisation, especially of romance	"fiction-weaving" - a descriptor of Love/ErosAttributed to Sappho by Maximus Tyrus, 2nd Century CE	Story of Us Death by a Thousand Cuts - "if the story's over, why am I still writing pages?" long story short
Personal expression of famous story,with focus on emotion and feeling	Fragment 44: The Wedding of Hector and Andromache	Love Story, Starlight, the last great american dynasty
Concept of suicide from cliffs	This is not present in Sappho's writing, but was a narrative applied to her by later writers - thatshe cast herself from cliffs in order to complete suicide over unrequited love for a ferryman namedPhaon. As noted above, this seems to involve combining two myths related to the goddessAphrodite, to whom Sappho wrote several poems.	this is me trying: "Pulled the car off the road to the lookout, could've followed my fears all the way down" hoax: "Stood on the cliffside screaming" gold rush: "Eyes like sinking ships on waters, so inviting, I almost jump in"
	"With rosy cheeks and glancing eyes and voices sweet as honey" [Cox]Attributed to Sappho by Philostratus, 3rd Century CE	Wildest Dreams: "red lips and rosy cheeks"
	"Foolish woman! Have no pride about a ring" [Cox]Attributed to Sappho by Herodian, 2nd Century CE	Lavender Haze: "no deal, that 1950s shit they want from me"
	Fragment 26: "since whomeverI do well by, they are the very ones whoinjure me most of all." [Powell]	The Archer: "All of my enemies started out friends"
	Fragment 31: "For when I see thee even a little I am bereft of utterance" [Cox]"When I see you, for a moment, my voice goes, my tongue freezes" [Kline]	Gorgeous: "I can't say anything to your face"
	Fragment 47: "Love shook my heart, Like the wind on the mountain Troubling the oak-trees" [Kline]	willow: "Life was a willow, and it bend right to your wind"
	Fragment 114: "Maidenhood, maidenhood, whither art thou gone from me?Never, O, never again, shall I return to thee." [Cox]“Virginity, virginity, where have you gone and left me?Never again will I come to you, never again.” [Powell]	Never Grow Up: "I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone" Would've, Could've, Should've: "Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first"
	Fragment 147: "And I say to you someone will remember us, In time to come"	Your Face (unreleased): "I don't wanna lose your face" Long Live: "One day, we will be remembered", "when they point at the picture, please tell them my name" Timeless: "And they'll say, oh my, we really were timeless" seven: "and though I can't recall your face, I've still got love for you"
	The “Lexicon Sequerianum” defines Ἄκακος as meaning “without experience of ill,”and says “so Sappho uses the word.” [Cox]	Innocent, Never Grow Up
	Fragment 94: “Go, fare well, and remember me,for you certainly know how we cared for you.If you don’t, why then, I would liketo remind you [] and the beautiful times we had"	Holy Ground, Sad, Beautiful Tragic, Wildest Dreams: "Say you'll remember me"
	Fragment 58: "But delicacy, that’s what I love, and this lovehas made of the sun’s brightness and beauty my fortune."	Delicate, hoax: "My eclipsed sun", coney island: "When the sun goes down", Hits Different: "Now the sun burns my heart and the sand hurts my feelings"
	Fragment 160: "Now to delight my women friendsI’ll make a beautiful song of this affair."	I Bet You Think About Me: "she's insane, she wrote a song about me"

[Powell] refers to The Poetry of Sappho: Notes and Translation, by Jim Powell (2007). Available as a PDF.
[Kline] refers to Sappho: Selected Poems and Fragments, by A. S. Kline (2005). Available for free online.
[Cox] refers to The Poems of Sappho, by Edwin Marion Cox (1924). This is in public domain and available through Wikisource; it brings together multiple translations of some of the longer pieces.
See also this excellent reddit post pairing Sappho fragments or poems with Taylor songs - some of this comparisons are included in mine above, but this post contains many more.
For some years, the fragment "in the crooks of your body, I find my religion" has been circulating on the internet, attributed to Sappho. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that it is a legitimate source (exploration by a classics scholar). However, because it has been incorrectly attributed to Sappho in the past, it may still be worth mentioning, considering its parallels to False God.
The poem Sappho's Song by Bartholomew Barker (which I have also seen attributed to Sappho herself on at least one occasion!) also provides a curious parallel:

Sing me no songs of daylight, For the sun is the enemy of lovers. Sing instead of shadows and darkness, And memories of midnight.

Nowadays, one of the most recommended translations of Sappho's work is If Not, Winter by translator and poet Anne Carson. It is, however, not always considered very accessible to people who know nothing about the Ancient Greek language. Carson is very private and does not speak widely about her personal life; she has been twice married to men, and has given interviews which may indicate a non-cisnormative relationship with her own gender, as well as publishing the novel Autobiography of Red which traces a queer love triangle while drawing inspiration from the tenth labour of Heracles. She certainly has a sensitivity and appreciation of queer texts and queer realities, as well as her own poetic skill, which have combined into a beautiful set of Sappho translations.
Main Sources

• Wikipedia page on Sappho
• The Original Lesbian // Sappho of Lesbos (Youtube video)
• Depicting Sappho - Natalie Barney
• The Poetry of Sappho: Notes and Translation, by Jim Powell (2007). Available as a PDF online when searching by title.
• Sappho: Selected Poems and Fragments, by A. S. Kline (2005). Available for free online.
• The Poems of Sappho, by Edwin Marion Cox (1924). Public domain: Wikisource; it brings together multiple translations of some of the longer pieces.
• post Sappho Poems as Taylor songs
• post Sappho references in Folklore
• s03e03 Taylor Swift and Sappho's Parallels & Queer Symbolism from "Sappho Speaks" Zine (1985) by podcast The Archers

Edit 1: ITT me just over-scrutinizing a work of fiction
That's why I don't post on reddit often I do get way to much into discussing and exchanging ideas so I get carried away and write way to much instead of actually doing some work smh
I do want to make clear that I do not want to antagonize any person here. I may disagree with some arguments but I do appreciate the different conclusions people take from this book.
Edit 2: Thanks to everyone for commenting, we don't have to agree. I wanted a civil and interesting discussion and I got it so I'm happy for that.
Also I do use some hyperbole in my arguments which I am prone to do. That may make it appear like I hate it
About my shade thrown on CitR. It's been a while since I read that one so l can't really compare them too much.
And lastly I probably won't be replying to every new comment because this is me already procrastinating doing work but I'll still read everyone's thoughts.
Hey there so a bit of a preamble here. I just got around to reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury after seeing it on so many must-read lists and it being referenced many times as a good book. And I don't like it that much, in fact in my opinion it is even worse than Catcher in the Rye. To clarify, I didn't read it in English. I try to read books (if I know the language good enough) in their mother tongue. But I found it in a street library and was thrilled to see it since I've heard good things about it. So I read a translated version which might make a few of my points moot.
So here we go with the biggest problems I have with the book and I just need to get it of my chest since noone in my circle has read it yet and I don't want to spoil it for them...
Certain books have been banned for at least one generation and still Guy Montag and especially Mrs. Phelps have high enough reading comprehension (or listening comprehension in Clara's case) to understand and analize the themes of a poem which is not easy to analize (according to Stefan Collini/Wikipedia) And Guy also reads a few lines of the books and immediately understands their meaning without any context, which is sometimes needed, after reading it once.
Apparently Beatty was once an avid reader so it's not that bad in his case, but damn. He can still remember writings and their authors after a presumably long time since he stopped reading.
Secondly, in the future all houses are made fire-proof is the reason given that the firemen are now making fire instead of extinguishing it. But then it seems like Guy and the firemen burn at least two houses down to smouldering ashes. The one where the woman wants to burn with her books and also Montags House.
Thirdly, Ray Bradbury writes in the book that the bible is the highest form of literature. Okay the Bible has some parts which are lyrically of a high quality but some other parts....give me a break. But yeah whatever.
Then yes book censorship and book burning is a pertinent problem in society. But all books? Really?
Also Ray Bradbury was afraid about the change of attitude towards reading. That no one will want to read for pleasure anymore because of the growing "mass media" This reads to me like the age-old moaning of the older generation that the "young people nowadays are the worst" when apparently Millennials do read the most in the last few generations. And also, of course people flock to new forms of media that's just the natural progression. When books were "invented" came to the mainstream people complained that the younger generation are always sticking 5heir noses in books instead of enjoying and contemplating life. After that they complained that books were replaced by magazines and so on
Another point that broke my suspension of disbelief: (but not really important) The technology. And yes I know that this book was released in 1953 so he couldn't have known about the progression of technology but man at least be subtle about it like Orwell. His TVs still had Vacuum tubes, they still stored data on microfilm.
So what do you think. I'm open to have my mind changed but in my opinion Fahrenheit 451 is a mediocre book that just got as big because of the political climate of that time. It does not make sense to me that it has a rating of 4.5/5 on Amazon and 4/5 on goodreads. Maybe you can convince me otherwise and if I read it in English it's better but I'm not sure about that.
Rant over

Literary Device and Subgenre Specific Prompts (Continued):

1. Science Fiction Haiku with Imagery:
   
   • Step 1 (Literary Device): Compose a series of haiku poems that utilize vivid imagery to convey futuristic or extraterrestrial landscapes, incorporating the essence of science fiction.
   • Step 2 (Subgenre Specific): Craft these haikus within the subgenre of space opera, exploring grand space adventures, interstellar conflicts, and the human experience in the vastness of space.
2. Post-Apocalyptic Dialogue-Driven Play with Suspense:
   
   • Step 1 (Literary Device): Write a dialogue-driven play set in a post-apocalyptic world, utilizing suspense-building techniques such as dramatic irony or pacing to keep the audience engaged.
   • Step 2 (Subgenre Specific): Develop the play within the post-apocalyptic subgenre, focusing on character interactions, survival, and the moral dilemmas faced in a world ravaged by catastrophe.
3. Satirical Satire with Hyperbole in Political Fiction:
   
   • Step 1 (Literary Device): Create a satirical piece using hyperbole to exaggerate societal or political issues, aiming for humor and social commentary within the narrative.
   • Step 2 (Subgenre Specific): Craft the story within the political fiction subgenre, satirizing political systems, figures, or ideologies through a blend of wit, sarcasm, and exaggeration.
4. Gothic Horror Sonnet with Dark Imagery:
   
   • Step 1 (Literary Device): Compose a series of sonnets infused with dark imagery, exploring themes of fear, mortality, or the supernatural to create a Gothic atmosphere.
   • Step 2 (Subgenre Specific): Develop these sonnets within the Gothic horror subgenre, focusing on eerie settings, mysterious occurrences, and psychological terror to evoke a sense of dread and unease.
5. Absurdist Comedy with Paradox in Surreal Fiction:
   
   • Step 1 (Literary Device): Write an absurdist comedy piece employing paradoxes or contradictions to create humor within a surreal narrative.
   • Step 2 (Subgenre Specific): Craft the story within the surreal fiction subgenre, exploring bizarre, dreamlike scenarios that challenge reality and conventional storytelling.

These prompts merge specific literary devices (imagery, suspense, hyperbole, dark imagery, paradox) with distinct subgenres (space opera, post-apocalyptic, political fiction, gothic horror, surreal fiction), encouraging participants to experiment with different styles, tones, and themes across various storytelling formats.

So, I have not used porn for some time at this point but my imagination leads me to fap each day. I am a person who used to write poems and short stories to cope up. But now, those are turning lewd and that's enough for me to fap to them. The descriptions started to get too damn detailed as days passed and my time away from visual stimulation increased. At this point, as weird as this may sound. I can describe any basic thing about sex in more than a page, using metaphors, simile, hyperboles.. you name it.
I don't really sit down to write a lewd story or poem. It begins very normally like any other. But as soon as I start getting human characters in.... Things start to get weird. I am sticking to fables for now in order to control myself or write poems about nature. But romance has been my strongest point and I even subconsciously add humans in those type of poems/stories and then they lead to sex.
A part of me actually enjoys this, not only because I am jerking off but because I have never been this descriptive about anything in my life. From a writers perspective, its my most creative work.
I know this is a very different problem compared to anything I have ever read here. But I hope you guys can give some advice.

1. Alliteration: Repetition of initial consonant sounds.
2. Metaphor: Implied comparison between two unrelated things.
3. Simile: Comparison using "like" or "as."
4. Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human entities.
5. Irony: Expression of meaning using language that signifies the opposite.
6. Hyperbole: Exaggeration for emphasis.
7. Symbolism: Use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.
8. Foreshadowing: Hints or clues about events to come.
9. Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate natural sounds.
10. Pun: Play on words with multiple meanings.
11. Oxymoron: Contradictory terms used together.
12. Allegory: Narrative with symbolic meaning.
13. Euphemism: Substitution of a mild or less direct expression for one that's harsh or blunt.
14. Cliché: Overused phrase or idea.
15. Anaphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
16. Epiphany: Sudden realization or understanding.
17. Juxtaposition: Placement of two things (usually contrasting) near each other.
18. Satire: Use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or mock people or society.
19. Allusion: Reference to another work of literature, person, or event.
20. Parallelism: Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses.
21. Antithesis: Opposition or contrast of ideas expressed in parallel structure.
22. Chiasmus: Reversal of grammatical structures in successive clauses.
23. Mood: Atmosphere or emotional tone in a work.
24. Tone: Author's attitude toward the subject or audience.
25. Cliché: Overused phrase or idea.
26. Flashback: Scene that interrupts the normal chronological sequence to depict something earlier.
27. Hubris: Excessive pride or arrogance.
28. Imagery: Use of vivid language to create mental images.
29. Anachronism: Something out of its time period.
30. Diction: Author's choice of words.
31. Pathos: Appeal to emotion.
32. Logos: Appeal to logic.
33. Ethos: Appeal to ethics or credibility.
34. Epic: Long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero.
35. Foil: Character who contrasts with another character.
36. Soliloquy: Speech by a character alone on stage, revealing thoughts.
37. Monologue: Extended speech by one speaker.
38. Dramatic Irony: Audience knows something characters do not.
39. Tragic Flaw: Character trait leading to the downfall of a hero.
40. Dystopia: Society characterized by human suffering.
41. Utopia: Ideal society.
42. Paradox: Statement that appears contradictory but may be true.
43. Synecdoche: Part represents the whole.
44. Metonymy: Substitution of the name of one thing with something closely associated with it.
45. Cacophony: Harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
46. Euphony: Harmonious and pleasing sounds.
47. Motif: Recurring element with symbolic significance.
48. Colloquialism: Informal or conversational language.
49. Apostrophe: Direct address to an absent or imaginary person or entity.
50. Archetype: Typical character, action, or situation.
51. Rhetorical Question: Question not expecting an answer, used for effect.
52. Connotation: Emotional or cultural association with a word.
53. Denotation: Literal meaning of a word.
54. In medias res: Story starts in the middle of the action.
55. Parody: Imitation of a specific literary work or genre for comedic effect.
56. Surrealism: Artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and irrational elements.
57. Catharsis: Emotional release or purgation.
58. Epistolary: Novel in the form of letters.
59. Malapropism: Misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound.
60. Doppelgänger: Ghostly double of a living person.
61. Hubris: Excessive pride or arrogance.
62. Fable: Short story with a moral lesson.
63. Anagnorisis: Moment of critical discovery or recognition.
64. Peripeteia: Sudden reversal of fortune.
65. Elegy: Poem expressing lament for the dead.
66. Enjambment: Continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line.
67. Cacophony: Harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
68. Euphony: Harmonious and pleasing sounds.
69. Diction: Author's choice of words.
70. Pathos: Appeal to emotion.
71. Logos: Appeal to logic.
72. Ethos: Appeal to ethics or credibility.
73. Epic: Long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero.
74. Foil: Character who contrasts with another character.
75. Soliloquy: Speech by a character alone on stage, revealing thoughts.
76. Monologue: Extended speech by one speaker.
77. Dramatic Irony: Audience knows something characters do not.
78. Tragic Flaw: Character trait leading to the downfall of a hero.
79. Dystopia: Society characterized by human suffering.
80. Utopia: Ideal society.
81. Paradox: Statement that appears contradictory but may be true.
82. Synecdoche: Part represents the whole.
83. Metonymy: Substitution of the name of one thing with something closely associated with it.
84. Cacophony: Harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
85. Euphony: Harmonious and pleasing sounds.
86. Motif: Recurring element with symbolic significance.
87. Colloquialism: Informal or conversational language.
88. Apostrophe: Direct address to an absent or imaginary person or entity.
89. Archetype: Typical character, action, or situation.
90. Rhetorical Question: Question not expecting an answer, used for effect.
91. Connotation: Emotional or cultural association with a word.
92. Denotation: Literal meaning of a word.
93. In medias res: Story starts in the middle of the action.
94. Parody: Imitation of a specific literary work or genre for comedic effect.
95. Surrealism: Artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and irrational elements.
96. Catharsis: Emotional release or purgation.
97. Epistolary: Novel in the form of letters.
98. Malapropism: Misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound.
99. Doppelgänger: Ghostly double of a living person.

1. Ekphrastic Poem: Select a piece of art (painting, sculpture, photograph, etc.) and write a poem that vividly describes or interprets the artwork. Use descriptive language to capture the emotions and essence of the visual piece.
   
2. Limerick Exploring Irony: Compose a limerick that incorporates elements of irony. Craft a humorous or satirical piece within the five-line structure of a limerick while employing an ironic twist in the final line.
   
3. Pantoum with Symbolism: Create a pantoum poem that utilizes symbolism to explore a significant theme or concept. Incorporate repeated lines from stanza to stanza to build a reflective and layered narrative.
   
4. Sestina Focused on Juxtaposition: Write a sestina highlighting juxtaposition between two contrasting elements or ideas. Use the repeating end words in each stanza to explore the tension or harmony between these opposing concepts.
   
5. Narrative Poem with Hyperbole: Craft a narrative poem that employs hyperbole to exaggerate situations or emotions within the storytelling. Use the heightened language to emphasize key elements and evoke a sense of drama or comedy.
   
6. Ode Celebrating a Mundane Object: Compose an ode that celebrates the beauty or significance of an ordinary, everyday object (such as a spoon, paperclip, etc.). Elevate the mundane through descriptive language and figurative devices.
   
7. Ghazal Emphasizing Alliteration: Write a ghazal, a traditional Persian form, using strong alliteration in each couplet. Focus on the rhythm created by repeating sounds and explore themes of love, loss, or longing.
   

These prompts encourage students to explore diverse poetic forms, devices, and themes, allowing them to experiment with different structures and styles while honing their creative expression through poetry.

Wrote this a few weeks ago.
Still think it's a relevant read if you have the time.
The guy I buy my beer from is called Samer. I actually also buy my salt and vinegar Pringles from him. I have no idea why, but salt and vinegar flavored chips weren’t really sold in Israel when I was growing up. Now that flavor is, far and away, my favorite. This is irrelevant to the story, and perhaps the psychoanalysis of how this childhood depravation is impacting my adult life would be best left in the hands of a professional. Anyway.
Samer is from Yemen. Everything I know about Samer has come from my occasional frequenting of his little corner shop over my last four years in NYC. Samer works twelve hour shifts, six-to-six, every single night of his life. At the beginning of our relationship (and I am not using the word ‘relationship’ loosely), Samer asked me where I’m from. He asked this with the confidence of relatability. We’re both bearded brown men, and he could tell there’s a good chance I’m his kind of brown. I answered his inquiry, and since Samer knows better, he asked me where my family is originally from, and when I said my mom’s parents immigrated to Israel from Yemen, our bond was solidified. Now, whenever I pay Samer a visit, we begin our interaction by talking about onions and honey.
There’s an Arabic proverb that’s widely popular in Israel: “Yom asal; yom basal.” Many Arabic terms are pillars of Israeli discourse. Primarily, of course, swear words, which are still my preferred choice of releasing anger. This proverb translates to: “One day honey; one day onions.” Some days are good, some days are bad. I love onions more than I love honey, though, and I’d argue that and if you properly caramelize them, they actually turn sweet, but that’s beside the point and a statement that picky eating 12-year-old me would never believe he’d ever make. Anyway.
Sam’s and mine conversation always start by him asking me, “Asal or basal?” I respond truthfully about how my day has been, and I think he does too when I return the question, except his days are always asal. My days fluctuate between honey and onions based on how many people make me want to punch a wall over the course of a day, but Samer’s days are independent of any human influence. "As long as He’s watching," he’ll say and point to the ceiling, "I’m good."
He’s a devout Muslim, Samer, and likes talking to me about religion while he has a massive chunk of khat crammed into the right side of his lower gums. If you don’t know what khat is, it’s like the Yemenite version of chewing tobacco. It’s a staple of the culture. It gets you high.
He gets annoyed, Samer, despite the khat’s influence, when religions are placed in opposition to one another. Your god is my God, he says. We are all the same people, we come from the same progenitor, and when we die, we end up in the same heaven. The point isn’t to try to convert people in this life, it is to live in harmony until we arrive at His gates where the truth will be revealed to us. Something like that, I think. I try to avoid telling Sam that I don’t necessarily believe in any god and that I doubt we’ll find any answers after we die. We have a good thing going on, Sam and I. I don’t want to spoil it. Anyway.
Over the last few months, Samer and mine’s conversation has revolved mostly around American history and government topics. Samer has been in the US for a good few years now, and is currently in the process of obtaining his Green Card. He has to pass his US Civics Naturalization Test, so every time I stop by, I ask him three questions. How many amendments are there; how many years does a US Senator get elected for; who takes over if both the President and VP can’t govern. That kind of stuff. I’d love to see Americans try to pass.
Samer didn’t pass his last attempt; they told him he failed the written part, he said, though they were reluctant to specify what exactly he did wrong. He has another appointment coming up in December, though that, circumstantially, is subject to change.
Ever since October 7th, Samer has made a concerted effort to ask about my family’s safety. I walked in a couple of weeks ago (I was out of Pringles), and Samer asked me about “that horrible thing that happened.” I asked him if he’s referring to the hospital bombing, and he said yes, and nearly instantly our conversation became emblematic of what I find to be the worst part of all of this, which is that the focal point, the most important point, became not who died, but who did it. It is now a world where culpability is a spectacle, where we rejoice in being tragically right and find it all too easy to have narratives overshadow life. It’s a world, I feel, where we’ve become too lackadaisical with death. We live off numbers because they give us headlines and Instagram stories. Maybe we even live off of deaths—deaths we do not know.
And we don’t even have to fully get into it. Get into how the hospital bombing story is a perfect microcosm. A media debacle, an absence of critical thinking, a monetization of crisis, a tragedy of war, an aggregation and solidification of polarization, a spew of content (which I will not refer to as ‘information’) that proves to be—more than anything and borderline solely—inflammatory. The hospital story was merely two weeks ago, yet already feels like two lifetimes ago. And if you followed, live, you could see the story unfold. Maybe I shouldn’t say ‘unfold’ and instead use ‘entangle itself into a clusterfuck.’ I don’t know how your social media timelines look like, but between the Israeli accounts I engage with, the leftist liberal arts school people I know, and the US elected officials I follow, I saw nearly every possible take about the story. Every time a new piece of reporting or evidence—to whatever extent we can refer to them as reports or evidence—came out, people either paraded it or refuted it; punctuated it either with an exclamation mark or a question mark. It did not matter what the new content was; it mattered which direction you were looking at it from.
The sad truth, really, is that there are those out there who, should their side be rendered culpable for death, would rejoice. There are those—and I am not pointing to any side, and can only hope you aren’t either—who feel joy when they see bloodshed. There are those whose ideology leads them to believe that the most heinous brutality humanity can inflict actually makes the world a better place.
But we don’t have to fully get into it. (Though we probably should and I probably kinda did.)
I was sent an article the other day. The article was actually a response to another op-ed. If you don’t know what an op-ed is, it’s that thing that a college dude who shows up to his seminar once a month contributes as he walks into class half an hour late with Beats headphones around his neck: It’s the articulation of an opinion that’s supposed to be an insightful take but very rarely lives up to the billing (sort of like what I write, except probably less funny \[to me\]).
I will summarize the back-and-forth of these op-eds as succinctly as I possibly can. Just know that I’ll be using some labels as the authors used them, which don’t have definite definitions under normal circumstances, let alone in the fucking madhouse of a world we live in now. Quotes are direct. It goes like this:
The original op-ed was a plea to create a “more humane left.” A leftist sector that condemns Hamas’s terror, grieves with Israeli casualties, and rejects the impending “exterminationist” military retaliation that will cost countless Palestinian lives. The response to this (the article I was sent first) argued that it is a “hideous fact” that the state of Israel, as it always does, will “transmute grief into violence.” There is no better time to commit “genocide” or “ethnic cleansing” than in times of national grief, and the original op-ed’s take that grief can be de-politicized is inherently flawed. Grief, the response said, has turned “Jews, of all people, into genocidaires.”
That was pretty much it. I don’t know if that made any sense for you. I hope it sort of did. I am, perhaps, being slightly reductive of each piece’s full context, but I’m happy to share the links with you if you’re interested. Now.
I read the response first. That’s what was sent to me initially (by an American, I should note). My immediate qualms and reservations were about: the incredibly dangerous and detrimental generalizing arguments (“Jews are genocidaires”), the inflammatory looseness with words (“ethnic cleansing”), the complete disregard of the Arab world’s historical role in cultivating Palestinian and Jewish populations in their lands (happy to break this down with you if you want), and the blind spots this writer (an American Jew from an elitist academic background) has. However, there was something there that I agreed with. There was a point. I believe that somewhere muddled into this op-ed was the writer’s hope that violence, on both ends, stops, and that’s the part I agreed with. More violence, regardless of where it stems from, will only ever—ever—lead to more violence. That’s not what this writer said word for word, but it existed somewhere, and that made me value his essay despite the deep-rooted issues I had with it.
I forwarded that article to two of my Israeli friends whose opinion I’ll value till the day I leave this planet and reach Samer’s God’s gates. Both said the article made them want to punch a wall. And I completely understood why. That’s not me trying to sit on the fence or pander to the people I love (shoutout A&D, I love you a lot a lot). That’s me recognizing nuance, positionality, and blind spots. I don’t know either of the op-ed’s authors personally, but I know that they’re both PhD candidates at some of the most prestigious educational institutions in the US (and both, I’m almost positive, grew up in America). And that renders their positionality problematic.
If you didn’t grow up in Israel, if you didn’t have to take a gas mask to school when you were in second grade because of a threat of a chemical attack, if you weren’t handed a weapon at the age of 18 and told to stand a post, if you didn’t go to Auschwitz and Dachau and Majdanek as a part of your eleventh grade school trip schedule, and, most importantly, if you didn’t see October 7th unfold in front of your eyes and on the land you live in, you may have the luxury to write about atrocities through a critical lens. I feel like I want to repeat that. You may have the luxury to write about atrocities through a critical lens.
There’s a classic Jewish poem that every child in Israel learns in middle school, which opens with the culturally canonic: “My heart is in the East while I am at the edge of the West.” I bring that line up because it leads us into the logical flaw inherent into everything I just said: my problematic positionality.
My positionality offers me the luxury to write about atrocities from afar. My positionality means that I hear October 7th testaments in my native tongue, yet have to rely on subtitles to learn what it’s like to dig through rubble on the other side. My positionality leads me to stand on the outskirts of protestors who may consider me an enemy, opposer, or occupier, yet never feel threatened for a second. My positionality gives me the privilege to sit on a fence and criticize those who pick sides in unwavering manners. My positionality causes tears to literally stream down my cheeks when I see one toddler hold the hand of another whose grandparents have been murdered, while feeling, no matter how hard I try, merely a pinch of the heart when another toddler, on the other side, mourns the loss of their parent. There will always, unfortunately, be some sort of gap between pain that is recognized and pain that is relatable.
My positionality has led me to see and to hear.
I’ve seen: Bloodlust, bloodshed, an absence of empathy, an evaporation of humanity, misinformation, the deflection of blame, ignorance, elitist thinking, and out-of-touch opinions. I’ve seen narratives propagated thanks to three taps of an iPhone screen and zero seconds of critical thinking. I’ve seen people align themselves on the side of the weak while disregarding the explicit calls for hate, for more terror, echoed on that side. I’ve seen running water be used as a way to mock, belittle, and dehumanize; I’ve seen that dehumanization render violence more palatable. I’ve seen trauma, rage, a disregard for life, and aggrandizing, inflammatory generalizations. I’ve seen loss, mostly. The loss of life. The loss of love. The inexplicable loss of a life you loved.
I’ve heard. Jokes about investing in real estate in Gaza, quips about penthouses that come with built-in underground tunnels. I’ve heard how much joy terror—under the guise of ‘resistance’—brings people. Not just any simple joy, but an exhilaration. An exhilaration reserved for the very best and very brightest society has to offer, an exhilaration reserved, of course, for Ivy League professors in Upstate New York. I’ve seen jubilation on faces as they prepare to be interviewed by Sky News, a jubilation reserved for hearing news that people you know nothing about, people whose only crime was being born, are dead. I’ve heard, too, the fear. The fear of sending a child to school. The grief of having been the parent of a six-year-old Muslim child in Illinois. And the subsequent logical anger that fear leads to.
I saw and heard about a mass shooting in Maine, and I immediately wondered whether it had to do with the war, and if it did, which side was responsible, and that made me hate myself, and the world I wound up in, because, again, I instinctively went to who did it, and not the 18 lives and families that will never see the world the same way again. I saw and heard that the shooting had nothing to do with the war, and was just your normal, casual, usual, typical, routine, common, standard, run of the mill, everyday mass shooting. Just another lackadaisical interaction with death, another headline and narrative I have the luxury to look at through a critical lens.
My intention, which will be ironic after everything I just said and the fact that this is a personal essay, is not to make this about me. I guess that in an effort to elucidate the point I’m hoping to make, I’m trying to clarify where I’m coming from. I’m trying to explain that I’m seeing and hearing those who argue critically, those who argue emotionally, and those who argue ignorantly, and that I’ve now found myself arguing critically, emotionally, and ignorantly. Perhaps that makes me the Jack of all trades, perhaps the master of none. Most likely, I’d guess, somewhere in between. My heart is in the East, my mind is in the West, and I’m simultaneously nowhere and all over the fucking place.
What I hope my elucidated point will be is that I hear it, and I see it, and I’m here to tell you that it will never work. Violence will never work. Your violence, to whatever extent you have it in you, will never work. You may get away with it for a day, a week, 300 years. But it will fail. Maybe that’s too naïve and cliché a take for aloof, out-of-touch academics to make, which is why they resort to making it behind the guise of theory and historical precedents and political stances. Maybe that’s too feeble a take for furious, existentially scared and scarred citizens to make, which is why they are willing to widen the scope of the violence they accept. Maybe it’s an argument that only a silly privileged boy sitting on a silly privileged fence typing on a silly privileged keyboard can make.
Maybe if I felt a bullet, in a physical or familial way, I’d change my mind. Maybe. I’d like to hope—Samer would say pray—that I’ll never know a bullet that way. I’d also like to hope—should I find myself in that tragic spot—that my mind, and my heart, wouldn’t change.
I have three (quick) final points, then back to Samer, then we’re done. If you’ve stuck this out with me so far, I am eternally grateful.
One. If you woke up to the sounds of alarms on October 7th, if you saw with your own eyes—on Twitter and Telegram and WhatsApp and Facebook—the onslaught, the torn limbs, the mutilated bodies, the charred remains, you will never unsee and you will never forget. I’m telling you this with the confidence of a guy who really loves salt and vinegar Pringles (as in: this won’t be a hot take): What happened on October 7th will have generational ideological implications on every Jewish person in Israel (it will also, it should be noted, generationally alter the lives of 2 million Arab Israeli citizens). The next generation will be raised by people who lived a day they consider to be a modern day holocaust. I do not say this is a positive thing, nor do I say it as a negative. I’m just stating what I believe is true: In the least hyperbolic and cliché way I can say this, October 7th traumatized a nation. This trauma, sadly, too, is resulting in a loss of empathy. People will never be able to shake their fear and anger, move past the threat imposed on the land they live in; the people they belong to. And as we reach this juncture where people render this moment in time a battle for their mere existence in the world, more actions—no matter how violent—become justified and rationalized.
Two. Events that have unfolded, on the other side, since October 7th, and all events which have preceded that day, are also traumatizing a nation. These tragedies, too, will have generational affects. These people, too, may never be able to shake their fear and anger, move past the threat imposed on the land they live in; the people they belong to. I know less about this side, but I’m trying to recognize the reality—this unreal, absurd reality. I’m trying to have that pain be not only recognized, but relatable. The next generation on that side, too, will be raised by people who saw things that cannot be unseen. Things that you and me, from the comfort of our keyboards and phone screens, may never see, which renders our judgement not necessarily flawed, but lacking. Or, perhaps, unnecessary.
Three. October 7th, and the ripples it has created globally, are reshaping the world. October 7th can be thought of as a demarcating line, the past of which: revisited and relitigated; the future: personalized and radicalized. People are marching, people are signing letters, people are sharing, people are hanging posters, people are ripping posters, people are filming, people are having knee-jerk reactions, people are insisting on the stake they claimed, people are giving their opinion without having to pass some form of Civics Naturalization Test, people are having the luxury to do whatever the fuck it is they feel is right to do without having to deal with any of the repercussions. People everywhere are taking a stance, people are conflating issues, people everywhere are picking a side according to what they believe is true, just, and right. People aren’t dedicating time, nuance, and critical thinking to what they believe to be true, just, and right. People all over the world are taking matters into their own hands, somehow making the story about themselves in an attempt to advocate for others. People are asking for liberation while supporting oppressive militias; people are advocating for a peaceful existence while advocating for violent action; people are chanting for a river of freedom while drowning in a sea of ignorance. People are speaking when they should listen. People are choosing to stay in echo chambers when we all, I believe, would be better off seeking dialogue.
It'd be naïve of me to ask for nuance, but, in my defense, I told you that’s what I’d be doing in the title. And it’s not that I necessarily think that asking for nuance is the right thing to do. Maybe I’m wrong and this is the time to detach ourselves from any emotion and examine the situation with the aloofness of an academic mind from Chicago. Maybe this is the time to throw critical thinking out the window and act viscerally and violently. Maybe this truly is an existential matter that does away with any form of nuance. Maybe this is the time to abolish the entire system. Maybe this is the time to double down on who you are. Maybe it is any of these things. Maybe, but I don’t think so. A middle ground seems untenable these day, a figment of imagination. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to find one. There are people out there, on either side, I believe, who want a middle ground. And a middle ground can be anything—it could be as simple as the counter of a little corner shop in New York City.
I googled Samer’s name when I started writing this, as I wanted to ensure I’m spelling it correctly. Wikipedia taught me that the name literally means: “Informal friendly talk or chat to pass the night; one to whom you speak; congregation of those who spend the evening in pleasant conversation." This feels so perfectly scripted that it could almost only be attributed to divine intervention. Except, of course, yeah. Anyway.
I saw a take on social media that claimed that if a Chinese person wants to communicate with a person from Hungary, they need to learn how to speak Hungarian. Similarly, if you want to be able to communicate with those who speak in violence, you must learn to speak in violence. That, in my humble opinion (which is the least humble thing one can say), will get you nowhere. Not ‘nowhere,’ actually, but back to the same tragic place, somewhere down the line.
We have to be nuanced about the intention, the accusation, the carriers of blame. We must try to debate in an open-minded way: in a way that recognizes that there is more to be gained from being contemplative and attentive than there is from being defensive and aggressive; in a way that keeps in mind the question of whether we’re trying to make a point to the other side, or to ourselves; in a way that’s receptive.
Maybe you’d say that there is no middle ground, that the world is fucked up beyond repair, and that it’s too late to change the mind of the indoctrinated. Every piece of evidence over the last month indicates that that’s true, and that the idea of a middle ground is lost. But that doesn’t mean we should stop trying.
I’m naïve, and I’m idealistic, and I’m missing critical nuances that I can’t see from where I’m standing. But I’d still love to spend an evening with you—whoever you are—in a pleasant conversation that seeks harmony. Who knows, maybe we’d even come up with a way to make this world a little bit sweeter. As sweet as honey, even. Or, at least, as some caramelized onions.

Today's anniversaries are:
1971

• Pink Floyd - Meddle (progressive rock)

1998

• Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle (progressive rock)

2000

• Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris (avant-garde black metal)

2002

• Alexisonfire - Alexisonfire (hardcore)

2006

• Isis - In the Absence of Truth (post-metal)
  
• Martyr - Feeding the Abscess (progressive death metal)
  
• The Prize Fighter Inferno - My Brother's Blood Machine (indie rock, folk)
  

2009

• The Mercury Tree - Eerie (progressive rock)

2011

• Lou Reed & Metallica - Lulu (progressive rock, metal) Read our review.
  
• Systems - Ghost Medicine (progressive post-hardcore)
  
• Uneven Structure - Februus (atmo-djent)
  

2012

• Demonolator - Occult Incantations of Evil (death metal)
  
• Plastic Bag Face Mask - The Family Portrait (progressive deathcore)
  

2013

• Forest Witaker & Plastic Bag Face Mask - Vegetus: Life on the Vedge (deathcore)
  
• Fraud - Forms Unknown (deathgrind)
  

2014

• Consider the Source - World War Trio, Part 1 (progressive rock)
  
• Kyonpalm - Cyberia (progressive vaporwave)
  
• Soen - Tellurian (post-metal)
  
• Soulmass - Despairing Fates (progressive death metal) Read our review.
  

2015

• Alpha Brutal - Alpha Brutal (synthwave)
  
• Flesh of the Stars - Hide (progressive doom metal)
  
• Gisèle - Gisèle souffre lentement pour l'Halloween (experimental jazz)
  
• Nono cerchio - Ombre (post-metal) Read our review.
  
• Plastic Bag Face Mask - The Worst Of, Volume Ⅰ: Peanut Butter Bears (The Beginnening) (progressive deathcore)
  
• Se'nam Palmer - ƖԀƎ (experimental, ambient)
  
• The Fifth Alliance - Death Poems (post-black metal) Read our review.
  

2016

• Jitters - Zones (avant-prog)
  
• Morphinist - Doomcraft (atmospheric black metal)
  
• Voidthrone - Spiritual War Tactics (experimental black metal)
  

2017

• Clouds Taste Satanic - The Glitter of Infinite Hell (stoner metal)
  
• Diploid - Everything Went Red (grindcore)
  
• Dumblegore - Misanthropic Ritual (blackened doom metal)
  
• Echopraxia - Pumpkin Palace (progressive metal)
  
• Esgaroth - Thy Forgotten Castle (black metal)
  
• Gridfailure - When the Lights Go Out, Volume Ⅰ (experimental metal)
  
• Hunhau Mitnal - Creador y formador (atmospheric black metal)
  
• Inconcessus lūx lūcis - The Crowning Quietus (blackened death metal)
  
• La Torture des ténèbres - Ⅳ: Memoirs of a Machine Girl (atmospheric black metal)
  
• L'albero del Veleno - Tale of a Dark Fate (progressive rock)
  
• Left without Eve - Untimely Frost (post-hardcore)
  
• No - Adrestia (post-black metal) Read our review.
  
• Parallel Horizons - Dissonant Echoes (progressive deathcore)
  
• Paramnesia & Ultha - Split (atmospheric black metal)
  
• Stavves - The Desert Gloats (post-black metal)
  
• Willow - The First (R&B, soul)
  

2018

• Black Tongue - Nadir (deathcore)
  
• Etienne Pelosoff - True Brutal Black Jazz (experimental jazz, black metal)
  
• High Aura'd - If I'm Walking in the Dark, I'm Whispering (experimental folk)
  
• La Société des timides à la parade des oiseaux - L'Empreinte (progressive rock)
  
• Love/Paranoia - 話 (Hanashi) (post-black metal)
  
• Manugen & Morgan Ågren - Maximum Times (jazz fusion, progressive rock)
  
• Poppy - Am I a Girl? (pop)
  
• Pure Wrath - Sempiternal Wisdom (atmospheric black metal)
  
• Surgery Head & DJ Rozwell - Kali Yuga Survivalist (synthwave, darkwave)
  
• Teeel - Hi-Death: Death Has a Conscience (synthwave, darkwave)
  
• Witch Key - Salem (blackened metalcore)
  

2019

• Andrés - Once upon a Time in Bakersfield (pop, jazz)
  
• Babel - Thirteen Exquisite Corpses (experimental post-rock)
  
• Clouds Taste Satanic - Second Sight (stoner metal)
  
• Five the Hierophant - Magnetic Sleep Tapes, Volume Ⅰ (avant-garde black metal)
  
• Kelp - October Coincidence (experimental post-hardcore)
  
• Mass Delete - Wood Thieves Rot in Hell (math rock)
  
• Mind Spring Memories & Журнал мод (Žurnal mod) - Split (ambient electro, vaporwave)
  
• Mulk, Blatte, and Glavio - Split (goregrind)
  
• Pale, Nhomme, 冬蟲夏草 (Tochu-Kaso), and 明日の叙景 (Asu no jokei) - ニ (Ni / Two) (post-black metal)
  
• Rafael Toral, Mars Williams, and Tim Daisy - Elevation (free jazz)
  
• The Mensis Ritual - Lordship (deathcore)
  
• Vantana Row - Wiccan (crustwave)
  

2020

• Agonanist - The Cynicism of Solitude (avant-garde black metal) Read our review.
  
• B L A C K I E… All Caps, with Spaces - Face the Darkness (experimental hip-hop)
  
• Beast Modulus - Ⅲ (stoner metal)
  
• Crispin Wah - Shredgaze Treasury Special (experimental rock, soundtrack)
  
• David Hertzberg - The Rose Elf (opera)
  
• Echonest - John Wayne Embracey: Serial Hugger (progressive metal)
  
• Esoctrilihum - F'htansg (avant-garde black metal)
  
• Fixions - Cyborg Deadly Machine (darkwave)
  
• Focusrights - Ew, Music! (mathgrind) Read our review.
  
• Fred Cracklin - Guff in the Garden (avant-prog)
  
• Her Stems Spiral - Hallucination Christmas (experimental post-rock)
  
• McCully & Mackay - The Unicorns Are Screaming (progressive rock)
  
• Noodles for My Poodles - Mammut (progressive rock)
  
• Potion - Cemetary (experimental death metal)
  
• Teth-Nahash - Anagnorisis (avant-garde black metal)
  
• Witches Brew - Concealed Casket (blackened death metal)
  
• Wytch - Shepherdess of Misery (blackened death metal)
  

2021

• Coltcrusher - Ponyepsyectyotomy (deathcore)
  
• Cryptic Gallbladder Splatter - The Reaping Phantasm (progressive death metal)
  
• Dumblegore - Lysergic Depression (stoner metal)
  
• Ghast & Boiling Point - Split (death metal)
  
• Horrible - Delta (EDM)
  
• In Seance - Unholy Ghost (black metal)
  
• Limp Bizkit - Still Sucks (nu metal)
  
• Outre-Tombe - Abysse mortifère (death metal)
  
• Silander-Allegretto Symbiosis Trio - Symbiosis Trio 2021 (progressive rock, jazz fusion)
  
• Space Echo - Break Apart (darkwave)
  
• Swords of Dis - Cor mundum creā in mē, sānctum ignis (avant-garde black metal)
  
• Talismanic - Connectivity (math rock)
  
• Time Bomb - Ataraxia (mathcore)
  
• Wharflurch - Transmissions from the Swamp Cosmos (death metal)
  
• Wytch - The Cold Moon (blackened death metal)
  

2022

• Backwash - His Happiness Shall Come First Even though We Are Suffering (experimental hip-hop) Read our review.
  
• Bad Manor - The Haunting (avant-garde black metal)
  
• Cryptic Ruse - A Year without Breath (progressive metal)
  
• Echonest - Impromptu A/D (nu prog)
  
• Embrace the Maddness - The Hellwish Chronicles, Chapter 3: Hyperbolic Ascension (progressive death metal)
  
• Esoctrilihum - Yiähleïf'äm (avant-garde black metal)
  
• Guillermo Lauzurika - Jokoa (contemporary classical)
  
• Jozef Van Wissem - Nosferatu: The Call of the Deathbird (experimental rock, soundtrack)
  
• Portium - The Static of an Emerging Self Is (progressive rock)
  
• Robox - Robox (experimental metal)
  
• Strix - Obscūrent nōs tenebrae (atmospheric black metal)
  
• The Sawtooth Grin - Good (mathgrind) Read our review.
  
• Thlurm - Cries from the Castle Crypt (blackened grindcore)
  

ex nihilo rationem
It is all your fault. -revised
Self-feeding cycle.
The cover of Cosmo: an onion.
What for.
The tangled webs we weave.
I am the greatest fool among us.
Long live the villain. -revised
Truth.
Wisdom of Nottaman.
War never changes.
The piper.
The price of pearls in paradise.
The man who gets his salsa from New York City.
Hyperbolic Dehn Surgery.
Free wheelin'.
Can't catch me I'm the breath you breathe.
Free yokes.
Cantor's Leaky Tent
Impermanence.
Vanity of vanities.
Engine of ruin.
Look ma, no hands!
Settle down Greta.
Bright colored glasses.
I said, your infirmaries.
Out from the inside.
Poem's palindrome.
Nirvana means, blow out.
Lord of the flies.