- DANIEL RICCIARDO RETURNS HOME

[x] /  langston hughes, poem / [x] /  ernest hemingway the complete works: “the old man and the sea” / [x] /  reasons for staying, ocean vuong /  fredrik backman, us against you / [x] /  Yrsa Daley-Ward, from bone; “this was the story” /  F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby / [x] /  Azra T., My Heart is Full of Open Windows /

“I Don’t Think You’re Ready”

First of all, I hope everyone is staying safe and able to quarantine themselves at this time. I know so much is happening around us, and it can feel overwhelming and frightening. Thus, I hope that this takes your mind off the craziness of the world, even just for a second. I know it definitely helped me!

This was inspired by so many things - my love for angst, Jake Gyllenhaal’s latest photo shoot, and this tweet by Nichole of Thirst Aid Kit Pod. However, after watching this scene from Nocturnal Animals, I finally figured this piece out. Enjoy!

“I don’t want to hide anymore,” he whispered.

Your eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the harsh morning light. It was too early to have this argument. The dreaded never-ending argument that he recently kept bringing up. You didn’t want to have this fight either – you didn’t have the energy.

“Babe,” you groaned, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. You surprised him last night by showing up in LA to support his latest project. Dressed in a trench coat with nothing underneath, you were the first thing he saw when he walked in the house. He teared up at the sight of you, a reminder of how long you’d spent apart, and how much he’d missed you. Lately, the video calls and texts just weren’t enough. Seconds later, you dropped the coat and revealed his other surprise, which he was more than eager to touch. He ravished you, kissing every inch of skin, until purple bruising showed on your dark skin.

You hoped that your presence would dead his request to go public. But nothing deterred him, so you were now waking up to the same argument that you kept repeating on the phone. Only this time, there were no barriers to hide how you felt. It wasn’t that you didn’t love him or were embarrassed by him – you just had a better understanding of the aftermath of this announcement. The things they would say about him, the things they would say about you. Not to mention the impact it would have on his career. A committed Jake Gyllenhaal ruined the fantasy of every women planning their future with him. Then there was the reaction to you - the opposite of every woman he’d ever dated or admitted to crushing on. Publicly, you didn’t fit into his world, no matter how progressive society appeared to be, you knew the truth – you lived it. The slew of hate comments that would await every social platform you visited. Now, that Jake was on Instagram, it was bound to get worse.  

It was easier keeping things the way they were, with only a few friends, family, and close associates knowing about your relationship. Besides, he always kept his relationships private, which is why his request sounded so odd.

It took a bit of adjusting, but you both found a way to make this relationship work. Yet, you noticed the little things that started chipping at him – his frustration when you let go of his hand in public settings - but it wasn’t enough to warrant concern. You still touched him in every way; you just learned to curtail any pda in case of prying eyes or cameras. Yet, he frowned every time you did it, and pushed for more affection.

“I don’t want to hide you anymore.” Jake trailed kisses down your neck, tracing the curve of your waist. He knew your body well, remembered it well, and treated it well. Memories of last night replayed in your mind as he continued to tease. The phone sex was good, but nothing beat the real thing. It’d been too long since you had it. You leaned into his touch, letting him guide the pace. Arms draped around his neck, you’d completely forgotten the argument. Although, in this position, you’d damn near forget your name. He shifted his weight, allowing your legs to instinctively wrap around his torso. The hunger in his eyes matched yours as you stared each other down. You were ready to rekindle what you both were missing these last couple of months. Closing your eyes, you tilted your face, ready for his kiss, but nothing happened. You opened your eyes in a haze of confusion. “Walk the carpet with me,” he insisted. “You have the dress, you already know how these things work, and I’ll only do four interviews max.” Jake kissed your nose, before kissing your lips. His eyes pleaded with you, waiting for your response. It was much harder to say no, when you were doing it in person, and couldn’t avoid his blue eyes. “I’ll be with you the entire time, and we don’t even have to stay for the whole movie.”  

There was this part of you that wanted to say yes, and give in, just to see the joy on his face. Yet, it wasn’t that simple. This was about you as much as it was about him, and you needed to protect him, protect your relationship, and most importantly, protect yourself. Of course, you wanted to jump up and down, and scream from the mountain tops that you were dating. You were gorgeously happy, and madly in love with a man whose last name you’d gladly take in a heartbeat. Some days, you wondered why you put yourself through the secrecy and hiding, but then you remembered that this wasn’t a fairy tale, this was life. There were consequences to your perfect ending.

“It’s a small theatre. Private screening. Less people.” Jake argued, leaning in to kiss you again. A sigh escaped your lips, you knew where this was headed. You discussed this before, argued over it, laughed about it, then argued over it again.

“I don’t think we are ready.”

“Three years, and we aren’t ready? Bullshit.”

You freed your legs from his torso, realizing that you weren’t going to get any this morning, and that this argument was far from over. “Have you spoken to Hanna,” you hoped that mentioning his publicist would remind him that he couldn’t just spring you into his world.

“She thinks it’s time. Plus, it will generate buzz about the film.” He brought your hands to his lips, kissing the palms, before intertwining them with his hands. “The whole team thinks it’s time. I can’t be a bachelor forever.”

“George Clooney did it,” you quipped.

He smiled before turning serious again. “And, he is also married with two kids. C’mon, walk the carpet with me.”

You closed your eyes, letting out a heavy breath. It was too early to have this conversation, and you didn’t have the proper words to explain your hesitation. You sat up, and turned towards him with a smile, “What do you want for breakfast?”

Jake stared at you in complete disbelief, but you ignored it. Rising out of bed, you put on his shirt and started fluffing the pillows.

“What,” he asked, as he sat up.

You continued making the bed, ignoring his quizzical stare, “Pancakes sound nice.”

“I don’t have to answer any questions. I can be with you the whole time. Five minutes tops.”

“I don’t think we are ready.”

You fussed around, tidying up for no reason, awaiting his response, but he was silent. You looked over and found him staring at the light shining through from the windows.

“Babe – “

“We aren’t ready, or you aren’t ready,” he asked.

“Jake – “

“I love you. I want to spend my life with you, and I have no problem admitting that to the world.”

“I love you too – “

He didn’t wait for you to finish, before cutting in again. “You love me, but not enough to tell anyone about it.”

“That’s not true. I – “

“Are you happy…with me, with us,” he asked.

“Of course, I’m happy – “

“Paparazzi? Press? Cameras? The scrutiny? The comments? –“

“Jake, - “

“The backlash? The outrage? The stares? What is it?”

“Jake – “

“Okay, if not now, then when? Three years is a fucking long time to be hiding.”

“I don’t think you’re ready,” you blurted.

He went silent. The surprise coloring his face and taking away his breath.

“Fuck,” you sighed. This wasn’t the way you wanted to have this conversation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you so much for reading! Should I continue? I have a taglist somewhere (updating it), so let me know if you are interested. Thanks! 

Comics this week (10/14/2020)?

Commanders in Crisis #1: I already shared my fancy-shmancy official review for this one, and I don’t think I can go into it much more without spoiling aspects I’d rather not discuss on the first day; everyone should be able to discover it for themselves. I do however recommend my friend Ritesh Babu’s interview with Prizefighter, which will I understand be included in the trade!

Once & Future #12: I’m still not clicking with this on a fundamental level, but it still entertains and that last twist is promising.

We Live #1: A surprise! I think it was an ask pretty recently about what I thought of Image solicits that inspired me to look through the site I put together my pull list on to see if there were any interesting-sounding books on the fringes, and this caught my eye. Another variant on the post-apocalypse, with some Walking Dead and Fallout flavoring - a description that had I known in advance sans context applied here would have lead me to skip it - this is actually a very colorful, melancholy, unexpectedly warm title from Aftershock Comics and the Miranda brothers. I don’t know whether or not it’s an ongoing, but I’m invested as of this first issue and would broadly recommend it.

Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar #1: You know what’s in the grim darkness of the far future? You know it baby, it’s war. I was gonna skip this in spite of the creative team, I’ve never checked out 40k and in spite of friends who’ve sworn by it I’ve never been interested, but I got some more targeted recommendations that swayed me. And it was solid! Got those infographics (love me some infographics), a bit of incredibly mean humor, and some incredibly self-serious gravitas that actually pulls it off. I don’t know that I’d be in the tank for an ongoing, but I believe I’ve heard this is just 5 issues so I’ll stick with it.

Avengers #37: I’m the Aaronvengers defender, but I’ll concede it’s gotta get back on track.

The Immortal Hulk #38: Meanwhile, this has just gotten back on track after the last several issues from merely “very good” to “Immortal Hulk good”.

The Green Lantern Season Two #8: So weird, and not in the usual way where I mean that as the most glowing of endorsements. It’s cool Morrison’s still trying shit, and I LOVE what Sharp has been doing here lately, but I’m ready for the finale.

Dark Nights: Death Metal #4: This series at this point is the equivalent of 3 pounds of frosting instead of actual cake: sorta disgusting, give me actual food from here on out, but also this level of gross indulgence kinda rules. I’ve come to terms that this is fundamentally compromised on several different levels as a climax to my beloved Snyder Justice League run and that’s not changing, and he should probably never do anything remotely like this again, but I can’t say I’m not still enjoying it and very much looking forward to what it still has in store.

Wonder Woman #764: Okay it’s extremely weird and uncomfortable that Max Lord as Wonder Woman’s reluctant partner is just casually ruining innocent people’s lives constantly in this book, with Diana is catching and making him reverse maybe a third of it, is clearly a bit meant for yuks, right?

Superman #26: A nice little exploration of the fallout of Truth and stuff in Action leading into the big finale.

Strange Adventures #6: Adam Strange! The dude sucks! Woo! Also those were two all-timer spreads.

Rorschach #1: I want to be as minimally involved in the discourse as possible on this one while still conceding that this is in my pulls and providing an endorsement or lack thereof for my followers, and that shall be reflected here. I mostly very much liked this, more even than I probably expected. Tom King spoke true that he’s working to shed many of his writerly tics here, to successful results thus far. Jorge Fornes remains remarkable. There was one element I found in questionable taste. It is possible that in the fullness of time I will come to generally dislike this series, but in spite of the aforementioned serious caveat it has not happened yet. My impression is that much of the commentary around it is engaging with it in excessively bad faith based on the narrative that has built up around King, but perhaps I am wrong, because I am paying as little attention to that as possible because I really just want to enjoy it or end up not doing so in peace on this one. All further weekly reviews of this will probably amount to “I liked it”, “I mostly liked it”, or “I didn’t like it”, with perhaps one or two additional lines of elaboration. I will not be answering questions regarding it, I will not have any grand retrospectives on it until at least a year after the fact, I am not fucking around on this one and I will not let you drag me into it.

An interview with Eve Babitz by  B E L L E T R I S T --- B E L L E T R I S T To what extent is Jacaranda Eve Babitz? By this, of course, we mean, can you tell us how much of this book is autobiographical? E V E    B A B I T Z

I wish I were more like Jacaranda. I made her much hipper than I ever was. Of course, I’m a writer like she is, and I’ve always lived in LA like she has, and we do have some shared experiences, at least one or two, but Jacaranda is also a surfer and a designer of surf boards. I was never cool enough for that. --- B E L L E T R I S T It is clear from all of your books that Los Angeles isn’t only the backdrop for your stories, but also a place that interests you more than the average person. Can you tell us a few of the things that you love most, or at least, you are most passionate about in terms of Los Angeles “the place.”  

E V E    B A B I T Z

There’s not much left of my LA, or Jacaranda’s LA. My books are really about the time just as much as they are about the place. Of course there’s still Musso's with the old Hollywood glamourous leather booths, and the Hollywood sign, but the city itself doesn’t feel like it belongs to me the way it did in the 60s and 70s when I was writing about it. My mother was an artist and loved to draw L.A. so I saw it through her eyes. Maybe all young people feel that way, possessive of the place they grow up in, and I just happened to grow up in LA. Probably the young people growing up here now feel the same way about the ‘new’ LA as I did about the ‘old’ LA. It’s theirs now. But to answer your question about what I love most… taquitos. I’m still passionately enraptured with taquitos and Olvera Street. --- Maybe all young people feel that way, possessive of the place they grow up in, and I just happened to grow up in LA.

--- B E L L E T R I S T We do love the epigraph from Agatha Christie’s An Autobiography, but we’re interested: first, why did you choose it then? And what does it mean to you now? Is it most important to be around people who are amusing? Especially as we get older?  

E V E    B A B I T Z

I do want to be around amusing people now that I’m older, but the big change is now I want them to be sober. I never would have imagined that when I chose the epigraph, which I did because I thought it was fabulous and I have always loved the perfect wit of the British writers. Amusing is important, but my definition has expanded to include people who are caring and thoughtful and supportive. And, again, sober. And thank God for that. But I still think the Agatha Christie quote is fabulous. --- B E L L E T R I S T This is a very specific question pertaining to a line we loved from the very beginning of the book where you write: “Colman had been depraved in his youth and understood entirely her desire to be depraved in her youth, too.” What is it about the desire to be bad and almost degenerate that compels us as kids and teens and 20-somethings? We aren’t saying everyone is this way, and of course we aren’t admitting too much fault, but we do know, as people who read, that depravity, especially at a young age, is alluring! But why??  

E V E    B A B I T Z It’s all about what you can get away with, that thrill of figuring out just how much you can get away with. When you’re young, that’s the whole point of everything. You don’t really know who you are yet (or at least I didn’t) so you’re reckless because it’s sexy and it seems like a good way to find out. Then one day you wake up with a terrible headache and suddenly everything you do has something called consequences and you really have no idea how it happened. It goes from Fun Fun Fun, to Fun with consequences to no fun at all! --- B E L L E T R I S T Is it still true that: “people with brains go to New York and people with faces go West?” Some people want to argue that Los Angeles is changing… E V E    B A B I T Z Of course you can argue that LA is changing and you could argue that New York is changing too. Really anyone can argue anything they want. It’s true that Jacaranda probably wouldn’t be able to recognize Los Angeles today. So I don’t know if I’d still have her think that. I really don’t know what she’d think but I would like to talk to her about it! --- I’m still passionately enraptured with taquitos and Olvera Street.

--- B E L L E T R I S T ADVICE to YOUNG LADIES EAGER for a GOOD TIME. As women who were recently young ladies, it is not clear to us that youth is sort of wasted on the young, and that if you are young and looking for a good time it is also true that you will also find yourself in a lot of miserable situations. Why is it, do you think, that it is still important to remain youthful and open even when young love and professional uncertainty are such painful facets of young life? E V E    B A B I T Z You’ll find yourself in a lot of miserable situations regardless, whether you’re seeking out a good time or not, but it’s better to try to enjoy oneself than give up all together and wither away. I have always preferred to look on the bright side. --- B E L L E T R I S T You repeat the following twice: “secrets are lies that you tell to your friends…” We are trying to wrap our heads around this one, but can’t seem to figure out what it means. Can you tell us? E V E    B A B I T Z Not a chance! You’re just going to have to be puzzled for a while and hopefully it clicks or maybe it doesn’t. --- B E L L E T R I S T Max is debatably the most controversial and magnetic character in the book. Where did the inspiration for Jacaranda and Max’s relationship come from, and why is she so scared of him? E V E    B A B I T Z Oh, well, speaking of secrets.  Max will always be a secret. The person he was based on has now passed away, but it’s been a secret all these years so it’s going to remain so. But he was a scary guy. The thing that’s so terrifying about the Max’s of the world is how completely in control they are of every situation. And because they’re so in control, a single thing they say, or even just the tone they use to say it, can completely ruin the rest of your night or the rest of your life, whichever comes first. When that relationship begins, Jacaranda is young and innocent and Max is older and sophisticated and beautiful. For Max, it’s a diversion from his real life, but for her it is real life. So one very concrete terrifying thing is the knowledge that at any moment he could take off on another plane and leave her behind. --- B E L L E T R I S T What do you think the relationship between them says about Jacaranda’s personality? Have you ever experienced a relationship like that? E V E    B A B I T Z Yes, I think I gave away with my last answer that I have. Everyone who was 22 in the late 60's and 70's had those relationships. There were a lot of power imbalances, all of us thinking we were in control when we weren’t, when no one was. The illusion of control can drive a lot of dangerous behavior. --- B E L L E T R I S T Belletrist loves Eve Babitz. We have loved Eve Babitz since The New York Review of Books decided to reprint Slow Days Fast Company and Eve’s Hollywood, but Sex & Rage is different, Sex & Rage is a novel. And with that, we wonder, do you have higher hopes for its implications in its 21st century reprinting? Can it be read as a modern tale of a young woman making her way from LA to NY? We guess that’s up to the person reading, but still, we love to know what the author, herself, thinks. Is Jacaranda meant for the 21st century? E V E    B A B I T Z Thank you for loving the writing. It’s staggering to me that the work still resonates and is having a small renaissance, and I so appreciate it. As far as Jacaranda in the 21st century... it’s an interesting question. Jacaranda is a complete original. She’s a very dreamy person who lives in the present moment and inside her own head. I think it’s for the reader to decide if there’s room for someone like that in today’s world! --- When the surf was hot, everything reached a state of hurling glory. 

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As some of you regular TopRank Marketing Blog readers may know, before making my way into the world of digital marketing, I was a journalist covering the wild news happenings in a handful of Twin Cities metro towns. While I wore many hats during those ...

  6 Influencer Marketing Lessons Marketers Can Learn from Journalists

 In This Issue...

 6 Influencer Marketing Lessons Marketers Can Learn from Journalists

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As some of you regular TopRank Marketing Blog readers may know, before making my way into the world of digital marketing, I was a journalist covering the wild news happenings in a handful of Twin Cities metro towns.

While I wore many hats during those days—from reporter to managing editor to social media maven—building strong community connections was probably the most important hat of all.

Truly, the people I engaged with were more than connections. They were lifelines. They represented untold stories, interesting perspectives, inside scoops and friendly gateways to new sources, allowing me to craft quality news pieces that people actually wanted to read, share and talk about.

Now as a digital marketer, my community connections and sources often go by a new name: influencers.

Influencer marketing is booming—and it's not hard to see why. Influencers lend authority and credibility to your content, and connect you with new audiences. In addition, influencer marketing content delivers 11 times the ROI than traditional forms of digital marketing, according to a 2016 study by TapInfluence and Nielsen Catalina Solutions.

But the secret in the sauce here is that your strategy, content and the influencers you choose have to be quality and relevant to your audience.

Thankfully, there's a few pointers marketers can take from journalists to ensure that quality and relevance is there.

Let's dive in.

#1 – Vet your sources.

As the old journalism adage goes, you're only as good as your sources. Before reaching out to any potential influencer, you have to do your homework. This will ensure that you're presenting them with a relevant ask, as well as help you personalize your message when reaching out.

Use journalism's "5Ws and H" model (Who, What, Where, When, Why and How) to answer essential questions for each influencer:

Who are they? (i.e. company, title, mutual connections, personal interests, etc.)

What expertise do they bring to the table?

Where are they on social? (i.e. networks, number of followers, level of engagement and consistency of engagement, etc.)

When would they be a good fit for my content? (Are they a good fit for a current project? Something down the road? Both?)

Why would they want to participate? (What's in it for them?)

How relevant are they to my audience, brand and objectives?

"Before reaching out to any potential influencer, you have to do your homework." Click To Tweet

#2 – Make influencers feel like an essential part of the story.

The most compelling stories feature unique voices that add insight, inspiration and a little entertainment. But in order to draw out those voices, you need to show them they play an important role in your narrative.

When reaching out to influencers, lead with the value proposition to show them what's in it for them and that you see the value in what they can contribute.

When reaching out to influencers, lead with the value proposition Click To Tweet

#3 – Be present.

For nearly three years, every Tuesday evening you could find me at a local city council meeting, taking feverish notes on what was going down. I got to be a familiar face, which helped me further the phone and email relationships I had with many city officials. I also got to schmooze with concerned citizens and pick up new story ideas.

To get the most out of your influencer marketing efforts, you have to be present and engaged with your influencers. Follow, monitor and engage your influencers on social media. In addition, listen for opportunities to be thoughtful, send them referrals if you can and reach out with them with new opportunities for collaboration. The regular interaction will keep you or your brand top-of-mind, as well as maintain and grow your relationships.

To get the most out of your influencer marketing efforts, you have to be present and engaged. Click To Tweet

#4 – Be quick, but not aggressive or insensitive.

For a journalist, there's nothing worse than losing out on an exclusive interview because you weren't quick enough. For marketers, there's nothing worse than reaching out to an influencer and hearing nothing but crickets.

As mentioned above, lead with what's in it for them in your initial outreach, and keep your message clear and short, but compelling. In addition, if this is your first connection, don't ask for too much right away and risk scaring them off.

"There's nothing worse than reaching out to an influencer and hearing nothing but crickets." Click To Tweet

#5 – Don't misrepresent.

From clickbait headlines to misrepresenting facts and quotes, journalists sometimes find themselves in hot water with readers and their on-the-record sources.

When it comes to influencer marketing, be honest with your influencers about how their insights will be used and give them the appropriate credit, and don't use their contributions to mislead your audience. If you fail at any of these, you could not only ruin your relationship with an influencer, but also damage your credibility in your audience's eyes.

"Be honest with your influencers about how their insights will be used." Click To Tweet

#6 – Never be content with the network you have.

Journalists can never have too many insightful and credible sources—and the same goes for marketers when it comes to influencers.

Below are some tips to help you grow your network of influencers:

Keep business cards handy. This may seem like a no-brainer or even unnecessary in our digital world, but you never know when you'll meet someone new. In addition, a business card is something tangible, which can send a more personal signal.

Peruse your social channels on a regular basis. Again, this may seem obvious, but it's something that can easily get away from marketers as we juggle all our other responsibilities. Make it easy by scheduling time for this in your calendar so you don't forget or double-book yourself.

Attend industry events. While we're living in a digital world, nothing replaces face-to-face communication—and industry events are huge networking opportunities.

Journalists can never have too many insightful and credible sources—and the same goes for marketers. Click To Tweet

When it comes to your influencer marketing efforts, where do you look to for inspiration? Tell us in the comments section below.

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