Mastodawn

Okay, people of earth:

What's a piece of classic literature that you read, either on your own or for school, that you actually *enjoyed*?

I'm trying to put together my reading list for the year ahead, and it's always nice to know what of classic literature is actually worth reading.

(I'm not here for takes re: "the western literary canon sucks and there are no good books in it" or whatever; I'm currently jobless and want to limit my reading list to stuff that I can get off of Project Gutenberg or easily from the library.)

chiasm 12h ago

myrmepropagandist Dec 26, 2023

To create utopias you must first imagine them.

(Drawing by penpanoply on tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/futurebird/737784598080208896/image-description-the-cartoon-this-is-fine)

futurebird's ants

[Image Description: The cartoon "this is fine" little dog (as originally drawn by K.C. Green) the dog, who is normally in a burning room, in this version by penpanoply sits instead in nice library su…

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chiasm 1d ago

Since my parents were children when the idea of "the white man's burden" could be said without scare quotes, and my mother explained "primitive art" to me as a child--my heart definitely sang along to so many scenes of the denouement, saying so many things that needed to be said. ❤️

I am not bicultural and could not identify with the main characters, exactly; but I could be thrilled to see how far we have come as humans in art and fantasy.

It is phenomenal to see and hear it. /fin #books

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chiasm 1d ago

I love a book that doesn't explain everything, and this book doesn't. You just have to pick it up as you go along, and that's fine. 😄

I have read a lot of books that are MarySues, in that it is clear the author is revealing what they actually want to happen, their fantasy. I haven't seen it used about a form of government, though. But since a liberal democracy that is efficient and just and hopeful is one of my fantasies too, I can definitely forgive the occasional paean in this book. 😁

chiasm 1d ago

ok, this book is terrific. I was reading it all day yesterday and today and it made me chuckle, it made me tear up, and it kept me thinking and grinning about it the rest of the day.

I think it is about isolation at all levels, between the person and themselves, between them and their community, between cultures and nations. But it's not at all depressing and there's a whopping lot of healing in it. 1/n (thread)

#books

https://www.victoriagoddard.ca/products/the-hands-of-the-emperor-2

The Hands of the Emperor (PRINT)

chiasm 2d ago

Reading books most of the day, while braising beef short ribs and making twice baked potatoes. Now that's a holiday!! ☺️

Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating!! 🥳🎁

chiasm 5d ago

Got to spend much of the last 36 hours with my Dad in DC, and it was good. ❤️ Museums are his bag (and mine too!), and the watercolor exhibit at the Nat'l museum had us both exclaiming/ pointing out pics. 🖼️

The American Indian museum was harder--a fight to preserve cultures, in the face of overwhelming forces bent on wiping them out. It was both depressing and inspiring. The alt text on the picture says more.

chiasm 6d ago

I did not know Suntory owned Jim Beam! That changes the story a smidge, though the impact of Jim Beam "pausing" on jobs is almost all in Kentucky... Will someone in MAGA will count this as a win, kneecapping the Bourbon industry?
https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article313847580.html

chiasm Dec 20

🐦‍🔥nemo™🐦‍⬛ 🇺🇦🍉Dec 20

Stanford research reveals VR's power: In "Becoming Homeless," participants gained lasting empathy for the unhoused, signing housing petitions at 82-85% rates vs. 63-67% for text versions. 🌐🧠✨ Dive in: https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2018/10/virtual-reality-can-help-make-people-empathetic #VREmpathy #StanfordVR #EmpathyMachine

chiasm Dec 20

Holiday party at work yesterday was a blast! 😁 These kids love to cook, and my lab is serious about parties... Great way to wrap up this part of the year! I brought a whole plate of unusual sweets home. (Nom nom nom)

We had a bunch of gingerbread kits--3-4 of them ended up looking very spiffy, though mine was, well, a failure to replicate... 😂 But it was a hoot!

Age	Probably way too old
Preferred pronouns	Anything you like
Location	Not the last place I'll be, I hope
Alt:	@chiasm@venera.social