PoV: You just finished reading Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

I think it’s funny when people roll their eyes about all the time Sanderson spends on clothes and fashion, as if it’s not an integral part of the world building and character development. I did my undergrad thesis on fashion semiotics in Mistborn (primarily using Roland Barthes) and there’s a direct correlation between how Vin is dressing and where she’s at on the hero’s journey, but in a way that doesn’t feel obvious at first. So it’s interesting to read Yumi and see how Sanderson is utilizing the language of fashion to explore these worlds and characters. The changing room scene with Akane is more than just a cute romcom scene, it’s about the process of discovery. Which is obvious but I can’t help harkening back to Barthes, who co-opts De Saussure’s thoughts on language for the use of fashion.

De Saussure identifies two aspects of language and communication: langue and parole. Langue is the rules of a particular language (subject verb order, for example) and parole is how an individual uses those rules to express themselves. Barthes applies this idea to fashion. We’re given these arbitrary rules of fashion (even as simple as “one must be dressed in public”) and from there we learn to work within the parameters of those rules to outwardly express ourselves. There’s a difference between your favorite pair of jeans and the pair of slacks you wear to work; there’s a difference between the dress you wear to a job interview and the dress you wear on a date where you’re trying to fuck.

The changing room scene is Yumi shotgunning the concepts of langue and parole all at once. She is learning new rules (you can have your shoulders bare) while learning how to express herself within the parameters of those rules (you can wear a dress with bare shoulders and still cover your shoulders with another garment). It’s cute and sweet but also important. She’s learning not just how to express herself but also that she’s allowed to. There’s nothing frivolous about how Sanderson uses and describes fashion. It’s a direct outgrowth of the journeys he sends his characters on.

Someone found the cover for Tor edition of Yumi and the Nightmare Painter and I cannot live without this.

Um. I think I’m getting fired for that one

I just realized the (highly)/(lowly) thing in yumi and the nightmare painter is literally the (affectionate)/(derogatory) thing

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter seems like a huge "fuck you" from Brandon to AI art

nikaro, after dedicating his whole life to it, realizing he never even stood a chance at joining the dreamwatch 🤝 spensa, after dedicating her whole life to it, realizing that she never even stood a chance at entering the ddf

After noticing the stacked bowls in the background of some of the illustrations I now fully believe Yumi is secretly a menace with her stacking. Now that she's not enslaved to stack for 1700 years and can be a normal person, there will be just random pieces everywhere, and they won't always be super noticeable. Someone bumps into a desk and suddenly a tower of 144 novelty pens comes crashing down. Didn't even get a chance to see it. She will be crushed upon learning it's ruined. Open the door and knock down a stack of dirty bowls that was just on the floor, like Yumi put your shit away, what is this?

*F6CKING EXPLODES*

HOW CAN SIDE ORDER BE SO BEAUTIFUL ??? I mean, the plot is very short, but everything is so WHITe(looking like a white choco I want to eat all of these things) and BEAUTIFUL everywhere!!!!

and agent 8 is so pwetty:)))

Ferrari SP3

Behold! Hoid, (partial) slayer of god, immortal wanderer, collector of magic,

coatrack...

You get what you deserve uwu

Can’t access my files quite yet but check out the cover for SP3!

As an artist I have to say that Yumi and the Nightmare Painter was such an incredibly cathartic book to read after all of the recent stresses many artists and myself have been feeling these past several months. I cannot express how much I needed this, it feels like it came out at just the right time. Such a good book. 🥺❤️