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yuuagoYou'd think I'd have learned not to take naps after supper, but apparently not. Yesterday I woke up at 11:30 PM and proceeded to flip my shit because I thought I'd slept in... fortunately, we still have proper nights right now; we aren't into "still bright past 11" season yet. So one look out the window fixed that. But I sure do feel like a bag of fail, pffff.
I have no idea what I'm going to do tomorrow. Library's closed, transit is reduced... what a bummer. Maybe I'll go for a walk in the woods, if it isn't too soggy in there, as long as I remember to bring the bear whistle. There are some geocaches that look like they would be easily accessible, and I want to check to see if they survived the controlled burning over the winter. The one that I found a few weeks ago, just on the edge of the Birchwood Trails, was not in very good shape - somebody else had come by and hastily repaired it, but it could have been better. ...Maybe I should take some duct tape. And an extra container or two. And add some more Euro cent coins to my messenger bag pocket - they make for pretty good swag, nice and compact and ~exotic~.
There are rumours that it's going to snow. Please, no. Or, well - I shouldn't say that. We need precipitation. So I suppose it should be "if it's going to snow, please let it melt soon after". I guess.
Aaand since I forgot to do Reading Wednesday yesterday, here's a brief one:
Currently Reading: Race to the South Pole: The Expedition Diaries of Scott and Amundsen, edited by Roland Huntford. I haven't reached the part where things start to get really horrible for Scott, not yet. But his diary entries kind of make me want to claw my face off. Even from the very beginning, his expedition seems like an absolute clusterfuck. Whhyyyyy ponies, of all animals! Why fabric anoraks instead of fur?! Why take experimental motorized sledges, ones that haven't been thoroughly tested in extreme conditions?! ...And then there are Amundsen and Bjaaland's entries, which are brief but cheerful, and keep going on about how excellent the skiing is, pfff. One would think they were on vacation.
Also Reading (And also a rec): My copy of the Building Fires in the Snow anthology arrived last week. At this point, I've only read some of the poetry in it, not any of the short stories, but so far I can definitely say that the poetry is lovely. Aside from that, one thing that I found really touching was the introduction. It made me feel like this anthology is coming from a place that I can identify with. A lot of the time, when I read non-fantasy LGBT2QA works, I feel very... detached from it, because I feel that it has nothing to do with me. The kind of community and experiences that have appeared in other anthologies that I've read speak to something that does not exist here. If I try to find any sense of community at home, it's like... what community? The only public LGBT2QA event that I can remember was followed up by someone stealing and burning the pride flags* (but thankfully, no physical violence). But this book, with its emphasis on nature, and remoteness, and the difficulties of building up relationships as a result of that remoteness, and the necessity of the closet... Its mention of the fact that many people who were approached declined to contribute because of the fear of being outed and the very real danger that could come from that... The northern experience is not a big city experience. This isn't Vancouver, this isn't San Francisco, this isn't Toronto. This is something that I can identify with. Anchorage is a much bigger city than Fort McMurray, and of course it's much farther north, but the poetry I have read in this book so far feels like home. And the way so many of the works are firmly situated in nature, an existence utterly surrounded by it -- yes. That's it. That's my experience. It makes me feel like I'm not so alone. (I'll confess, I cried.) ...So. If you do get a chance to read this anthology, please do. Whether you're looking for LGBT2QA lit, or if you want to read something about life in the more northern parts of North America, I really do recommend it. I might have to see if I can get my local library to add it to their collection.
Reading Next: The library had In Calabria by Peter S. Beagle, so that needs to go before anything else. I loved The Last Unicorn, but haven't read any of his other works, so we'll see how this one is. Aside from that, I've felt a vague desire to read Lord of the Rings. And I've also felt like re-reading T Kingfisher's The Raven and the Reindeer for a while now. Ehhh, who knows. :V
I have no idea what I'm going to do tomorrow. Library's closed, transit is reduced... what a bummer. Maybe I'll go for a walk in the woods, if it isn't too soggy in there, as long as I remember to bring the bear whistle. There are some geocaches that look like they would be easily accessible, and I want to check to see if they survived the controlled burning over the winter. The one that I found a few weeks ago, just on the edge of the Birchwood Trails, was not in very good shape - somebody else had come by and hastily repaired it, but it could have been better. ...Maybe I should take some duct tape. And an extra container or two. And add some more Euro cent coins to my messenger bag pocket - they make for pretty good swag, nice and compact and ~exotic~.
There are rumours that it's going to snow. Please, no. Or, well - I shouldn't say that. We need precipitation. So I suppose it should be "if it's going to snow, please let it melt soon after". I guess.
Aaand since I forgot to do Reading Wednesday yesterday, here's a brief one:
Currently Reading: Race to the South Pole: The Expedition Diaries of Scott and Amundsen, edited by Roland Huntford. I haven't reached the part where things start to get really horrible for Scott, not yet. But his diary entries kind of make me want to claw my face off. Even from the very beginning, his expedition seems like an absolute clusterfuck. Whhyyyyy ponies, of all animals! Why fabric anoraks instead of fur?! Why take experimental motorized sledges, ones that haven't been thoroughly tested in extreme conditions?! ...And then there are Amundsen and Bjaaland's entries, which are brief but cheerful, and keep going on about how excellent the skiing is, pfff. One would think they were on vacation.
Also Reading (And also a rec): My copy of the Building Fires in the Snow anthology arrived last week. At this point, I've only read some of the poetry in it, not any of the short stories, but so far I can definitely say that the poetry is lovely. Aside from that, one thing that I found really touching was the introduction. It made me feel like this anthology is coming from a place that I can identify with. A lot of the time, when I read non-fantasy LGBT2QA works, I feel very... detached from it, because I feel that it has nothing to do with me. The kind of community and experiences that have appeared in other anthologies that I've read speak to something that does not exist here. If I try to find any sense of community at home, it's like... what community? The only public LGBT2QA event that I can remember was followed up by someone stealing and burning the pride flags* (but thankfully, no physical violence). But this book, with its emphasis on nature, and remoteness, and the difficulties of building up relationships as a result of that remoteness, and the necessity of the closet... Its mention of the fact that many people who were approached declined to contribute because of the fear of being outed and the very real danger that could come from that... The northern experience is not a big city experience. This isn't Vancouver, this isn't San Francisco, this isn't Toronto. This is something that I can identify with. Anchorage is a much bigger city than Fort McMurray, and of course it's much farther north, but the poetry I have read in this book so far feels like home. And the way so many of the works are firmly situated in nature, an existence utterly surrounded by it -- yes. That's it. That's my experience. It makes me feel like I'm not so alone. (I'll confess, I cried.) ...So. If you do get a chance to read this anthology, please do. Whether you're looking for LGBT2QA lit, or if you want to read something about life in the more northern parts of North America, I really do recommend it. I might have to see if I can get my local library to add it to their collection.
Reading Next: The library had In Calabria by Peter S. Beagle, so that needs to go before anything else. I loved The Last Unicorn, but haven't read any of his other works, so we'll see how this one is. Aside from that, I've felt a vague desire to read Lord of the Rings. And I've also felt like re-reading T Kingfisher's The Raven and the Reindeer for a while now. Ehhh, who knows. :V
Yuu. Fic writer & book lover. M/Canada.
no subject
Date: 2017-04-14 07:41 am (UTC)...the what now? *googling* What, really? Is it to scare them? Or tell others about them? Or summon help?
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Date: 2017-04-14 01:18 pm (UTC)On the job site, the whistle is also supposed to bring help - they were handed out a few years ago, after someone was killed by a bear at one of the oil plants. Obviously not exactly applicable to forest walks.
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Date: 2017-04-14 10:16 pm (UTC)Btw today was just a designated do nothing day as far as I'm concerned. I did nothing except some lighthearted embroidery and an Army of Lovers marathon.
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Date: 2017-04-14 10:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-04-16 07:48 am (UTC)LK
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Date: 2017-04-16 11:26 pm (UTC)And some of the poetry is uplifting too. ...And some of it is kind of porny xD (like this one)