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dduane · 7 months

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The Young Wizards series turns 40!

...And yes, we're having a sale to celebrate. But that can wait. :)

I'm sitting here looking at the date and considering how amazing it is that, despite the changes in the publishing world, anything can stay in print nonstop for forty years.

But this book has. Here's how it started:

...Well, not how it started. It started with three things:

A newbie YA writer being deeply annoyed with a non-newbie one for (as she thought) stripping their teenage characters of their agency without good reason.

A suddenly-appearing joke involving two terms or concepts that wouldn't normally appear together: the 1950s young-readers' series of careers books with titles that always began So You Want To Be A..., and the word "wizard."

And the idea immediately springing from that juxtaposition. What if there was such a book? Not a careers book, but a book that told you how to be a wizard—maybe some kind of manual? One that would tell you the truth about the magic underlying the universe, and how to get your hands on it... assuming you felt you could promise the things that power would demand of you, and survive the Ordeal that would follow?

Six or seven months after that confluence of events, there was a novel with that joke-line as its title. A month or so after that, the novel was bought. So You Want To Be A Wizard came out as a Fall 1983 book, as you can see from the Locus Magazine ad above (from back when Locus was only a paper zine). The first reviews were encouraging.

And by the middle of 1984, the publishers were asking, "So, what's next?" A question I'm still busy answering.

There's been a lot of water under the wizardly bridge since. In SYWTBAW's case, this involved a couple/few publishers, a surprising number of covers, a fair number of awards here and there; and lots more books. (I always knew there'd be more, but how many more continues to surprise me. Which is a bit funny, considering how much stuff that universe has going on in it.)

So here we are at forty, and looking ahead to The Big Five-Oh with some interest. More books? Absolutely. Young Wizards #11 is in progress at the moment, and YW #12 is in the late concept stages. More covers for So You Want To Be A Wizard? Seems inevitable. A TV series, perhaps? (shrug) Stranger things have happened: we'll keep our fingers (or other manipulatory instrumentalities) crossed. The New Millennium Editions in translation? and in international paperback? Working on that right now. The sky's the limit.*

And meanwhile, to celebrate, just for today we'll have a sale. (Except in the UK. To our British friends, the usual sad apology: the expensive bureaucracy of Brexit has made it impossible for us to sell directly to you any more. Details here, with our apologies.)

As has been mentioned before, changes are afoot at Ebooks Direct, so this kind of sale won't be happening again for the foreseeable future. (In fact I thought we were all done with them already. But the number 40 suggested one last opportunity that wouldn't be recurring, so I thought, "Aah, what the heck? Let's.")

New things first! Today, to mark this occasion, we're introducing the "All The Wizardry" Bundle. This is Ebook Direct's entire inventory of Young Wizards works; the contents of the bundle are listed on its product page. The $29.99 price listed there is for today only, to celebrate SYWTBAW's birthday, and will go up as of 23:59 Hawai'ian time tonight. As always, should you ever lose your ebooks or need to change reading platforms, we'll change your formats as necessary, or replace the books, for free.

Just click here, or on the image below, for the "All The Wizardry" Bundle. (Please ignore the category listings under the "Pay Using..." icons on the product page: they plainly think they're in a different universe. Kind of an occupational hazard around here...)

The other, older kind of sale folks will have seen here is on the "I Want Everything You've Got" Bundle, which is the whole Ebooks Direct store—obviously including all the Young Wizards books as well: more than 2.5 million words in 36 DRM-free ebooks. Just for today, in honor of the birthday book, we're dropping the whole-store price to USD $40.00. This, too, will go away just before midnight Hawai'ian time tonight... and it will never be lower. So if you want everything we've got at that price, don't wait around.

Make sure you use this link or the one associated with the image to get the baked-in discount at checkout. (If it fails to display correctly, use the discount code "40FOR40" in the checkout's "discount code or gift code" field.)

Meanwhile? Onward into the next decade. The new A Day at the Crossings novel unfortunately won't make it out before the end of 2023; other work in-house currently has taken priority. But as for early 2024... stay tuned.

And for those of you who're Young Wizards readers, and have kept this book, and its sequels, alive for pushing half a century?

Thank you, again and always!

*Though actually, it's not, is it? As the proverb has it, "Wizardry doesn't stop at atmosphere's edge..."

#Young Wizards series #Young Wizards meta #So You Want To Be A Wizard #ebooks #Diane Duane

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fswintersdelight · 6 months

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Four Swords: Winter's Delight 2023 is live and the event open!

It has been a lot of hard work, not only for myself, but also for all of our featured artists and writers, and for our technical editor. That said, it's finally here: Winter's Delight 2023, the e-zine.

You can view and download it, either by clicking on the image or by clicking here. It will take you to a PDF shared through Google Drive.

Alternatively, you can follow the instructions here to get a print copy.

The zine itself contains:

New fanart by nine artists

New fanfics by six writers

Three interviews with prominent and active fans in the Four Swords fandom

An overview of a fan's online shop with Four Swords themed items

Seven reading recommendations from fellow fans

The final results of the Fandom Awards

31 prompts for artists and writers in December

You might find the fanart posted by the individual artists on their social medias (full information on where to find them in the zine) throughout December. The fanfics might appear on Ao3, where our official collection for 2023 is Winter's Delight: A Four Swords Calendar (2023).

We invite all fans of Four Swords, on Tumblr or elsewhere, to join us in making this December a creative and joyful month for the fandom. Use the prompts (or not), take inspiration from other artists and writers (or not), and share what you create (please do!). Even if you don't consider yourself a creator of any sort, we would love for you to feel like you can test the waters this December.

Our themes this year are WINTER and COZY NIGHTS, so if you create anything pertaining to these, feel free to tag us (@fswintersdelight) so that we can see and share your creation with others! Our overall guidelines for participation can be found here, and an individual post with our December prompts here.

Finally, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has made this zine special: our general editor, @pokegeek151; our artists, @astrolabe-blade, @dergshadow, DKS01 Gaming, @fourswordsfairworld, @kaenith, @mckittyarts, @nextik, @sleepygremlin11, and @umbrenshadow; our writers, @1esor2, @adel-memes, @vagueandominousvibes, @zarvasace, @pokegeek151, and @hey-adora; and our interviewees, @hauntinghyrule, @hey-adora, and @zarvasace. This zine would never have seen the light of day without you. Thank you.

Hugs, spice, and all things bright,

Kalh

PS: We're testing printed options for those who might want a hard copy. Assuming it works as it should, we will provide the necessary documents and instructions for individual printing through Lulu.

#fswd23 #fswintersdelight23 #four swords

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samisnotlegend · 4 months

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In Every World

Hey everyone! I wrote a promotional fic for the @nomewithoutyoubkdkzine! Working on this zine has been incredibly fun, and I can't stress enough how honored I am to have been a part of this team. Preorders for the zine open on January 22nd!

“What do you want to play today, Kacchan?”

Bakugou Katsuki, seven years old, took several moments to ponder the question. His rain boots, superfluous at the moment thanks to cloud-eating warmth of the summer sun, crunched over the rocky ground near a creek bed.

Deku’s boots crunched right alongside him. His best friend’s hand was clasped in his own, and their hands swung together as they walked. Izuku squeezed his hand, and Katsuki squeezed back, still trying to think of an answer.

They had played a lot of really excellent games already this summer…

Next to their path, the creek trickled and gurgled pleasantly, briefly tempting with an offer of not only a refreshing dip, but with tiny minnows to play with, and swaying strands of river grass to comb through for treasure.

Yesterday, Katsuki and Izuku had been the most fearsome pirate kings of the seven seas! They’d stood ankle-deep in the creek for hours, building pirate ships out of twigs and leaves, and racing them down the treacherous waters. They’d chased minnows and called them sea serpents, and once, a great kraken that looked a little like a crayfish had reached up with a claw, dragging their pirate ship down into Davy Jones’ locker!

Katsuki and Deku had barely escaped that one. In the end though, they’d followed the map that Deku drew in the sand to where X marked the spot, and had unearthed their treasure, two shiny, pretty bottle caps.

Katsuki was thinking of asking his mom for help so that he could turn their treasure into necklaces. He thought Deku might like that.

Anyway… Katsuki was tempted to pick up where they left off yesterday. Maybe they could find the dastardly kraken and get their pirate ship back!

But no, Katsuki shook his head. The same game two days in a row was boring. Deku definitely wanted a new adventure.

Beside him, Deku continued to be patient. He hummed slightly as he walked, and every now and again, he did a little jump to make it over some of the bigger rocks in their path.

That reminded Katsuki of the time that they had been adventurers. Katsuki was a dragon king, with a sword and a real dragon, and Izuku was a knight! They had some really excellent sword fights that day, and the great hero All Might himself had given them quests! At one point though, Deku had made a pretty gross potion out of mud, leaves, and a cicada shell so maybe they shouldn’t play that one again for a little bit…

Katsuki thought back to more of their adventures.

Before that, Katsuki and Deku had been genius inventors, building flying machines out of computer paper and rubber bands. Then they’d been youkai, jumping across the stones in the creek to go play pranks on humans! Another time, they had been brave nomads, trekking across a frigid winter landscape with no one but their trusty wolf and sheep plushies at their sides.

They’d been rock stars, and superheroes, and doctors, and even angels and demons! Katsuki had been a fearsome dragon, and Izuku had been a sharp-toothed mermaid, and, and, and—!

Katsuki looked over at his friend.

They passed under the shadows of leaves. The air felt warm, but a little cooler than it had been at the height of summer. Katsuki suddenly realized that their summer break would be ending soon. He felt a sudden pang of sadness, because he was really going to miss being able to play and explore with Deku all day.

If summer was ending, then that meant that choosing today’s game was even more important. Katsuki huffed, his lips down turning into a small pout. He had to pick something awesome. Deku was counting on him!

“Hey Kacchan…”

Katsuki glanced over at his friend. A glimmering slant of sunlight sent spots of reverse-freckles dancing across Deku’s cheeks and nose. The edge of his green curls glowed golden with the soft light. Deku smiled when their eyes met, and Katsuki felt his heart start to beat a little faster in his chest.

Katsuki felt the weight of Izuku’s eyes and attention settle over his shoulders like a blanket, and the edge of his frustration crumbled away. He took a deep, quiet breath.

“What, Deku?” Kacchan asked.

Deku blinked as if he were surprised. Then he smiled even wider.

“I dunno,” Deku admitted, “I forgot what I was gonna say.”

Katsuki huffed, but the edges of his lips turned upward. “Dumb Deku,” he said, “Y’can’t even remember one thing from two seconds ago?”

“It’s your fault!” Deku said, leaning in playfully to tip his head against Katsuki’s. “Kacchan’s eyes looked so pretty in the sunshine that I just forgot! They look sparkly an’ even prettier than rubies!”

Katsuki spluttered, and felt the heat in his face return full force. “Stupid Deku!” He yelled, and pulled away from Deku’s hand to hide his face.

Deku giggled, apparently unbothered.

“You–! You pick the game today, Deku!” Katsuki demanded, blindly fumbling for something to distract him from his embarrassment. “Since you’re so—you’re so—!”

“Oh! You want me to pick? Hmm but…”

Katsuki felt some of the heat leave his face, and he lowered his hands.

“You can’t do it, huh Deku? Psh, that’s why I–”

“No, that’s not it!” Deku denied. “I can think of good games too!”

“Oh yeah?” Katsuki crossed his arms. He felt better now that he and Deku were arguing, although when Katsuki skirted his eyes across Deku’s flushed cheeks and bright eyes, he felt his heartbeat quicken again. So he looked away, pretending to be interested in the swaying of the moss-covered branches of the maple trees. “Then why don’t you think of one, dumb Deku?”

“Dumb Kacchan!” Deku fired back, “It’s because I don’t care what we play, obviously!”

“Whaddya mean?” Katsuki looked back to see that Deku had jutted his bottom lip out in an adorable pout. Deku huffed, and, reaching out, he reclaimed Katsuki’s hand in his own. Katsuki let him.

“I don’t care what we play,” Deku said again. “Because I’m happy as long as I’m with you, Kacchan.”

Katsuki briefly caught sight of Deku’s smug smile before his face once more exploded into heat.

“Deku!” Katsuki cried, but Deku didn’t let go of his hand, and Katsuki didn’t try to make him. Deku was so embarrassing! How could he just say things like that?!

After a moment, Deku started walking again, and Katsuki followed, hiding his face in his other hand. Their hands began to swing together again.

Overhead, the wind rustled the leaves together pleasantly. Birds chirped in greeting to each other all over the forest, and the creek murmured quiet sighs over every rock and twisted root in its path. A dragonfly, sparkling orange like candied fruit, buzzed over the water for a quick drink.

Katsuki supposed that he still needed to come up with a game, though it didn’t really seem to matter very much anymore. Deku was right, he guessed.

They could be astronauts, rebel thieves, superheroes, or even just regular adults with regular jobs!

Katsuki squeezed Deku’s hand, and Deku immediately squeezed back.

In every world, in every game, Katsuki knew he’d be happy just as long as he got to be with Deku.

#bnha #mha #bkdk #dkbk #fic rec #sammy writes #I'll probably post this to ao3 at some point but for now its gonna stay here!#If you couldn't tell this fic is chock full of easter eggs as to the content that will be featured in the zine #anyone want to guess which little easter egg references the piece that I wrote for the zine? ;D #Hint: my fic has magic!#zine stuff

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khepiari · 6 months

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LuLaw Fic: The Seventh Wife Of Emperor Nika

A.U. DILF Luffy x DILF Law. Emperor x Healer. Slow-burn. Miscommunication.

Inspired from Bluebeard’s Seven Wives

Written for @truffyfest 2023.

This is my first ever time participating in a Zine project! The story is extremely precious to me, I couldn’t have finished it had @quackquackcey not supported me throughout the process. It was an honour to be part of the fest! I finally found courage 12 years after becoming a LawLu shipper.

You can download A New Dawn: a One Piece Lawlu/Lulaw Zine- here.

Or read the entire collection on Ao3.

Trafalgar D Water Law was heartbroken.

The man he loved, his one true love, his soulmate, was married. Married not once or twice, but married six times.

And as if the pain of this information was not enough, his family was not consoling him either, instead, they wanted him to accept the position of being the Emperor’s seventh wife, in his case male-wife.

“I really can’t understand you, child, you are almost forty, why can’t you agree to this marriage?” Law’s father huffed as he wrote down the list of raw materials they needed to buy the next morning. “Your mother told me you are crying every night if you love him so much, why are you wallowing in this pain? People die of heartache, you know? You can be the ruler of this empire, but you choose to suffer in overthinking!”

“Yeah, tell him, Dad!” Law’s younger sister Lamy added her support from one corner of the backroom.

Law had no answer, he was at his wit’s end. Heartbreak couldn’t be justified easily, in his case he had explained to his family multiple times, that he didn’t wish to be someone’s male-wife, wife, husband or spouse, if they already had six wives in their castle! Now he was suffering from guilt, guilt of loving someone so magnificent that he felt selfish.

“You better say yes, before that Emperor Lover of yours does something drastic!” Law’s mother walked into the backroom carrying the fresh herbs and minerals, that needed to be dried under the scorching afternoon sun. “Lamy, take these out! Dry this girl.”

Without a fuss, the teen took the herbs and walked out quickly, only to return even faster. “Why are you back with these?” Their mother asked. Lamy had returned with a pale face, as if a ghost had visited her in their kitchen garden.

“Answer your Mom.” Their father scolded, finding no reaction, the head of the family continued, “Look at this girl, she learned her attitude from Law”

Finding no reply, the elder brother went to his sister, “Lamy what happened?” Law pressed his palms on his sister’s cheeks. “Why are you cold?” The teen girl stood there like a statue in front of her family, clenching hard on the tray of herbs.

“Did something happen?” Both parents rushed to the teen, fearing the worst. “Did anyone hurt you?”

After a long pause, the teen spoke, “The sun is gone!”

Continue reading The Seventh Wife Of Emperor Nika Ao3

#one piece #LawLu #lulaw #lawlu fanfic #lawlu fanart #lawlu headcanon #luffy x law #law x luffy #one piece luffy #one piece lawlu #one piece law #truffy #truffy fest #truffy fest 2023 #one piece zine #op law #op luffy

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wanderlust-----witch · 1 year

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Wander's Library

I have a lot of books. Be warned.

Physical Books:

The Complete Book of Dreams- Stephanie Gatling

Tarot for Self Care- Minerva Siegel

Queering the Tarot- Cassandra Snow

The Complete Dream Book- Gillian Holloway

The Alchemy of Your Dreams- Athena Laz

Moon Magic- Aurora Kane

Handbook Trio (Herbal, House, and Moon Magic)- Aurora Kane

Living by the Moon- Lunarly’s Kiki Ely

Your Lunar Code- Lori Reid

The Stars Within You- Juliana McCarthy

Dirtbag Astrology- Alberto Toribio

Astrology and Religion Among the Greeks and Romans- Franz Cumont

The Beginner’s Guide to Akashic Records- Whitney Jefferson Evans

Crystals- Jennie Harding

A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming- Tuccillo, Zeizel, and Peisel

Lighting the Wick- Sandra Mariah Wright and Leanne Marrama

The Ancient Healing Companion- Misha Ruth Cohen, O.M.D.

The Practical Book of Witchcraft- Pamela Ball

The Everything Astrology Book- Trish MacGregor

The Complete Book of Palmistry- Joyce Wilson

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner- Scott Cunningham

Living Wicca- Scott Cunningham

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs- Scott Cunningham

The Pagan Family- Ceisiwr Serith

Wiccapedia- Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway

The Good Witch’s Guide- Shawn Robbins and Charity Bedell

The Crystal Witch- Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway

The Witch’s Way- Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway

Wiccan Kitchen- Lisa Chamberlain

Psychic Spellcraft- Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway

A Little Bit of Intuition- Catharine Allen

A Little Bit of Wicca- Cassandra Eason

12,000 Dreams Interpreted- Gustavus Hindman Miller

I Don’t Want to be an Empath Anymore- Ora North

Spellwork for Self Care

Witchcraft Therapy- Mandi Em

Happy Witch- Mandi Em

The Witch’s Book of Self Care- Arin Murphy-Hiscock

The House Witch- Arin Murphy-Hiscock

The Green Witch- Arin Murphy-Hiscock

The Green Witch’s Grimoire- Arin Murphy-Hiscock

The Green Witch’s Garden- Arin Murphy Hiscock

The Modern Witchcraft Guide to Magical Herbs- Judy Ann Nock

The Modern Witchcraft Spellbook- Skye Alexander

The Modern Guide to Witchcraft- Skye Alexander

Spellcrafting- Arin Murphy Hiscock

Divination- Alida Somars

1001 Spells- Cassandra Eason

Witchcraft Magic and Alchemy- Grillot de Givry

Other Physical Media:

Moon Magic Lunar Oracle- Marie Bruce

Moon Energy Guided Journal- Nikki Strange

Manifesting Dreams Guided Workbook

Spellcraft: A Guided Journal for Casting, Cleansing, and Blessing

Magazines:

Prevention Guide All-Natural Herbal Remedies

Centennial Entertainment: Witches

360 Media Special: The Story of Witches

National Geographic: Natures Best Remedies

Ebooks:

The Study of Witchcraft- Deborah Lipp

Braiding Sweetgrass- Robin Kimmerer

Queering Your Draft- Cassandra Snow

Herbal Magick- Gerina Dunwich

An Anarchist Free Herbal Zine

City Magick- Christopher Penczak

A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558-1718- Wallace Notestein

Italian Folk Magic- Mary-Grace Fahrun

Love Magic- Lilith Dorsey

Magic When You Need It- Judika Illes

Magical Astrology- Skye Alexander

Personal Magic- Marion Weinstein

Plant Witchery- Juliet Diaz

Positive Magic- Marion Weinstein

Reading the Runes- Kim Farnell

Viridarium Umbris- David A Schulke

Spellcrafting- Gerina Dunwich

The Big Book of Tarot- Joan Bunning

The discoverie of witchcraft- Reginald Scot

The Witch’s Eight Paths of Power- Lady Sable Aradia

The Witch’s Guide to Wands- Gypsey Elaine Teague

True Magic- Draja Mickaharic

Water Witchcraft- Annwyn Avalon

Wicca Made Easy- Phyllis Curott

Wishcraft- Sakura Fox

Witch, Please- Victoria Maxwell

Witchcraft Activism- David Salisbury

Witchery: Embrace the Wisdom Within- Juliet Diaz

Year of the Witch- Temperance Alden

Books that aren’t directly about witchcraft but I incorporate them into my witchcraft studies because they’re useful AF:

The Seven Sisters of Sleep- Mordecai Cooke

The Watkins Dictionary of Symbols-Jack Tresidder

Mythology- Edith Hamilton

The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers

The Greek View of Life- G. Lowes Dickinson

The Calm and Cozy Book of Sleep- Beth Wyatt

RD Home Handbooks: Herbs- Lesley Bremness

PDR for Herbal Medicines First Edition

The Book of Signs- Rudolf Koch

Other Occult Related Books:

The Satanic Bible- Anton Szandor LaVey

The Satanic Rituals- Anton Szandor LaVey

Quantum Freedom: Divine Embodiment- “The Spirit Collective” Channeled by Katherine D. Caulfield (I’m deadass, that’s what’s on the book cover)

Mythology Books:

The Odyssey-Homer

The Iliad- Homer

New LaRousse Encyclopedia of Mythology

Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods and Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes- Rick Riordan (Not even remotely sorry lmao)

Zeus Grants Stupid Wishes- Cory O’Brien

The Argonautica- Apollonius Rhodius

The Theogony- Hesiod

#if you're gonna be trash in my inbox you'll find out ver quickly what I do with trash #wander's library #witchcraft #witchblr #resources #books #witchy books

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longlistshort · 1 year

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Andrew Edlin Gallery is currently showing a collection of rarely seen works by artist Beverly Buchanan. It covers her years as an abstract expressionist painter in NYC and her later work inspired by the rural South.

The gallery’s press release gives a really good history of this wonderful artist-

The first section of the show features the artist’s abstract paintings and works on paper from the 1970s, alongside post-minimalist sculpture from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The second section introduces a later, more personal side of Buchanan’s oeuvre, her colorful depictions of flowers and small folk-inspired assemblages created during the same period as her well-known “shacks.” A number of the works in the show, many of which were part of the artist’s private collection, have never been shown.

Though Buchanan wrote about her love of “making things” from an early age, it wasn’t until 1971, when she began taking evening classes taught by African-American painter Norman Lewis (1909-1979) at the Art Students League in New York, that her career as an artist took off. Abstract still-lifes that she made in Lewis’s class in 1972 are displayed here for the first time. That same year, her paintings were included in a group show at Cinque Gallery, a nonprofit space co-founded by Lewis and Romare Bearden (1911-1988), which showcased the art of emerging minority artists.

Having witnessed demolition sites in Harlem and SoHo, Buchanan evoked the visual erosion of architectural facades through what she dubbed her “Wall” paintings. In 1976 she presented a selection that she called “Torn Walls” in a two-person show titled City Walls at the Montclair Art Museum in New Jersey. In his New York Times review, David Shirey described the show as “indisputably a tinderbox of a display that will cause sparks to fly” and “the kind …one sees more regularly at the Whitney Museum and at some of New York’s avantgarde galleries.” Three of these paintings are being shown for the first time since that exhibition, forty-seven years ago. The show also includes a monotype, small studies, and a large painting from a series she titled “Black Walls.” The latter was originally featured in Shackworks, a seminal exhibition that opened at the Montclair Art Museum in 1994 and traveled to nine other institutions from 1994-1996.

By the late 1970s, Buchanan was further exploring the aesthetics of architectural decay through sculpture, i.e., cast concrete assemblages, made from pieces of stone, brick debris, clay, and cement mixtures. She arranged these works in clusters on the floor, documenting them with photographs, and exhibited them, notably at Truman Gallery in New York in 1978, and at the feminist artist cooperative A.I.R. Gallery in 1980 in its groundbreaking show Dialectics of Isolation, curated by Ana Mendieta. Some of the small black terracotta works on display may be considered as studies for these larger assemblages.

After moving to Georgia in 1977, Buchanan became increasingly interested in making what she referred to as “environmental sculpture,” artworks that mimicked exterior surfaces and were also site-specific installations that were allowed to decay over time and become part of the surroundings. Most notably, in 1979 she completed Ruins and Rituals (also the title of the Brooklyn Museum retrospective from 2016-2017), and in 1980 Marsh Ruins, with funding from a Guggenheim Fellowship. To construct the three mounds that comprise Marsh Ruins, Buchanan produced her own tabby cement. Composed of the lime from burned oyster shells mixed with sand, water, ash, and other shells, tabby is what colonial settlers used to build structures in coastal Georgia, the location of Marsh Ruins. In her zine “Making Tabby for Brick Sculptures,” Buchanan documented the labor-intensive process of making tabby, a task that in the eighteenth century was typically delegated to enslaved workers. Two smaller iterations of these structures, with bits of oyster shell showing in the concrete, are laid out in the show alongside four other examples of her cast concrete assemblages. Though little is known about their exhibition history, we do know that the artist placed these cast concrete works in her garden in Athens, Georgia. They retain stripes of the green, blue, black and earth-toned paint with which Buchanan initially covered them. The faint outline of her signature “B.B.” is also visible.

Buchanan’s later work is intimately linked to her natural surroundings and folk art. As a native Southerner, she drew on memories from her childhood as well as the lush Georgian landscape and yard art of local self-taught artists. A passionate gardener, Buchanan produced vivid oil pastel flower drawings and small assemblage works. She loved to rummage through thrift stores collecting marbles, wedding toppers, and beads, to create what she referred to as her “Christmas trees,” and “spirit jars,” her take on memory jugs, a prized Southern Folk Art form. Buchanan was particularly moved by a visit to folk artist Nellie Mae Rowe’s home in Fayette County, Georgia, and reminisced: “Being at Nellie Mae Rowe’s home was like being engulfed in a magic forest of her work because every surface had a mark from her hand and the simple chewing gum works made you never take gum as just chewing gum again.” A distinctive chewing gum jug and pin are also included in the show.

This exhibition closes 5/13/23.

#beverly buchanan #andrew edlin gallery #andrew edlin #nyc art shows #art #art shows #painting #drawing #sculpture #abstract expressionist #flower paintings #american folk art #american south

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keicordelle · 8 months

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So excited to finally be able to share the piece I wrote for KiraShion's server's 4th Collab Event! It was so much fun to work with everyone and I can't wait to get to do it again in the future!

Check out the full (18+) zine here for free!

And check out @.OxelLoxel and @.MaleratioThBard on Twitter, who did the amazing art to go along with this fic!

Tags: Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Consent, Voyeurism, Exhibitionism, NTR, Bondage

"You- what are you doing here?" Thoma’s gaze flicked past him to the door: still closed, still silent. By the Almighty Shogun's will, may it stay that way. If he was lucky, he could find out what Tartaglia wanted and get him out of there before anyone found him. Here. In the Kamisato estate. In Thoma’s bedroom. Gods.

"I was in the area and I wanted to see you," Tartaglia answered easily. "Does it have to be more than that?"

It was always more than that with Tartaglia. Their relationship, if you could even call it that, was little more than a delicate dance on a blade's edge. A sparring match with live weapons: one wrong move and you'd find a blade through your heart. But so long as they both followed the steps to their dance, they could both come away with what they wanted. They used each other, plain and simple -- for sex, for information, for protection. There was nothing -- and no one -- Thoma would not do for the sake of the Kamisato family. If that meant sharing a bed with the Eleventh Harbinger on occasion, so be it.

The fact that it was fun was just an added bonus.

But they had never, ever met here, in his own room. Under Lord Ayato's roof. Archons. "What if someone sees you?" Thoma hissed, casting another furtive glance over at the door. The privacy it offered was little more than a mirage, a paper shield held together by wood and hope. Anyone could walk by and overhear them, or glimpse their shadows through the screen. Seven forbid Ayato himself walked by, in search of a glass of water or stumbling back to his room after another late night spent working. Blessed eternity, what would he say if he were to find Thoma here, with a Harbinger's dick buried in his ass and his own cock leaking all over his stomach? Would he be disgusted to discover just how perverse Thoma really was? Would he look down on him with contempt shining in his lilac eyes, his lips curled in revulsion? Or would it be betrayal that tightened his keen gaze as he stood over them and watched their sordid deeds, to find that his loyal retainer had sold himself to their enemies? A shiver chased up Thoma’s spine at the thought of him watching them. A shiver of apprehension -- and of arousal.

Tartaglia watched him, a knowing tilt to his lips as he followed Thoma’s gaze. The red metal of his mask glinted in the light as he tipped his head towards the door, sanguinary and menacing. "It excites you, doesn't it? To know that he might hear you. That he might see you, here with me, in his own house."

It did. Raiden preserve him, but it did. Thoma swallowed thickly, dragging his gaze back to Tartaglia. "That's-" he started. "I-" Whatever protest he might have made died, caught on his tongue. It was no use lying to him, not when he could see the evidence of Thoma’s arousal stiffening against his leg. Thoma shifted awkwardly, high spots of color burning bright on his cheeks as his eyes dropped.

Tartaglia caught his chin, cool fingers curling around his jaw as he tipped Thoma’s face back up, his grip light but unyielding. Forcing Thoma to look at him, drowning in the shallow sapphire of his eyes. "Besides," he murmured, his voice low and intimate. His breath brushed against Thoma’s lips, a ghost of his touch on his skin. "You need me. He can't do for you what I can."

Read the rest on Ao3!

#genshin impact #chithoma #ayathoma #kirashion's 4th collab event #genshin fanfic #childe #tartaglia #thoma #kamisato ayato #childe smut #thoma smut #ayato smut #genshin smut #my writing #~K

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quietwingsinthesky · 1 year

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hello uh so I will not feel self actualized until I get into Star Trek but it’s so vast and I have no idea where to start. you’re a fan, right? any advice?

The good thing about Star Trek is that you can just pick any series to watch and it’ll make sense to you eventually.

(Note: this might not apply to the newer series.(definitely not to Picard, which is the one show that’s an explicit sequel to another) like Discovery, Strange New Worlds, & Lower Decks but uh. I’ve only seen s1 of Discovery anyway. It’s fine? It’s fine.)

Idk what other fans would say but my advice would be starting with either The Next Generation or The Original Series, completely dependent on one factor: Do you want to start with a show that’s going to be a lot closer in tone to the next few that come after it (aka Deep Space 9, Voyager, Enterprise) or do you want the campy space hijinks that make up Star Trek in its most undiluted form?

Because The Original Series is fantastic, it holds up remarkably well for a show from the 60s (aside from a few missteps here and there that, for the most part, seem to be earnest takes that have aged poorly.) It’s vibes are incredible. It’s all melodrama and Shatner overacting and Leonard Nimoy raising his eyebrows and fight scenes that mostly involve characters inexplicable ducking and rolling around on the floor (or getting their shirts ripped off.) There is a reason this show captured the hearts of people so well that it jumpstarted a whole cultural phenomenon and invented shipping while it was at it. (Okay, another reason to start with TOS, if you’re interested in it, is that it opens up the biggest and oldest parts of the AO3 map. Seriously, there’s Spirk fic from the zines of the 70s and 80s that’s been transferred onto the site and is a joy to read.)

But that being said, no series after the original ever fully committed to that tone again. (Behind the scenes reasons of the show being handed off to Rick Berman, but we don’t have time for Star Trek history lessons here.) The Next Generation is a lot closer to what the standard Star Trek experience is like, a lot calmer, a lot less overacting and a lot more, well, actual acting, less colors on the screen but a world that’s a little more firmly established. TNG is almost nothing like TOS, but there’s a reason it ran for seven seasons (if my memory is correct.) The only con is that, as opposed to TOS, which is fantastic out the gate, you do have to pay the entry fee for TNG (the incredibly rocky first season.)

(There’s also a few episodes of TNG that only make sense if you’ve seen the first series, but they’re more nostalgic romps than anything.)

You could absolutely also start with DS9 or Voy or any of the others. Like I said, they’re built for anyone to enter the series at any point, and there’s no reason you have to fully finish any of them before jumping into the next to test the waters for the same reason. The reason I’m suggesting starting with TOS or TNG has more to do with setting a tone than anything else, because for example, without the baseline of TNG, where everything will always be fine as long as they believe in Starfleet’s mission!, DS9’s darker tone loses a bit of its bite.

And personally, I’d say just start at the very very beginning with TOS and go chronologically. It’s as good a method as any to get into this. (Oh, I’ve forgotten to mention The Animated Series. It’s kind of an add-on to TOS, if you didn’t get enough of the space hijinks lmao.)

There’s also the movies, books, and video games. The movies, I’d say look at when they were released and make sure you’ve watched whatever seasons of the show are out up until then, or nothing will make any sense to you. (ie, don’t watch Star Trek: The Motion Picture until you’ve finished TOS.) The exception to this is the trilogy released around 2009, which can technically be watched without familiarity to the series at all. They’re basically ‘what would happen if you took the crew of TOS and instead of camp, you gave them explosions and lens flares’ and some people may try to convince you they are bad. These people do not understand how to have fun. I would recommend at least passing familiarity with TOS for the best effect, though. (And by best effect, I do mean sobbing when Leonard Nimoy comes on screen.)

As for books, I haven’t read a lot, but again, if it’s got the name of a specific series slapped on there, best to actually know that show before you get into it.

And the video games are crap. <3 Do not waste your time. (Okay, I’m sure some of them have to be good, but if they are, I haven’t played them. Maybe just look up a gameplay series on YouTube if you really need to see them for some reason.)

So hopefully that was slightly helpful and didn’t just confuse you more. tl;dr: honestly start whenever because you can always go back and watch the rest later, but either TOS or TNG are solid places to begin.

#ask #star trek

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crsinclair · 2 years

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so here's the scoop

Actually before that, I wanna say that I've participated in the Erasermic Omegaverses Zine this year, can't remember if I yelled about that on here? I was a fic writer for that - if you like Erasermic and like ABO, here's the link to the collection on Ao3! Mind the tags on the individual fics, please! ANYWAY. I've had. A fucking. Time. Kinda a rant and also an explanation for why I've been absent and also why I linked my kofi at the bottom of this. A lot of shit happened!🙃 This summer, my Papa passed away. I loved him. I really did. He was funny, kind, and he took shit from absolutely no one. If it hadn't been him I would have said I wasn't going to go help out and I was just going to go to the funeral. But it was him, so I told my friends that I was going back to the city, and I was going to help settle everything, pack his things, etc, because I loved him. I should have stayed home. First of all, my family treated me like free labor and like shit while I was there to help out. Second of all, I got into a car accident on the way to the funeral and the guy who hit me tried to intimidate me into not calling the police before driving off - and yes, I was injured. Third, my family "expressed concern" over my injury and then proceeded to have me write the obituary, decorate the funeral room alone, and asked me to be a pallbearer while injured. I could go into so much more detail but I'll spare you the horror of My Family™️. I'm honestly surprised I made it home without collapsing. AND ON THAT NOTE: A week later, I did collapse. Dramatically, and with flair. I was recovering from both whiplash, grief, and having to spend time with My Family™️ and over at my friend's grandmother's house when suddenly I didn't feel well. I stood up to splash some water on my face, got into the restroom, realized, "Hm, this is more serious than Not Feeling Well, I should tell someone Right Fucking Now," wobbled back into the other room, told the grandmother that something was wrong, and then proceeded to collapse to the ground and have a heart attack. After that, my heart rate would not calm the fuck down and I had wild heart palpitations for the next seven hours! Yes, I went to the hospital. I have been to the hospital twice more after that, had several more doctor appointments, have had several tests done (including a Tilt Table test, which 0/10, do not recommend), and there's plenty more that I could talk about (like the Tilt Table test, though I might just make a TikTok account for just to rant about that akdhfa it's both not funny and FUNNY), but what it all boils down to is this: I have a very, very severe case POTS all of a sudden and my doctor is still trying to figure out what the hell caused it. Currently I'm trying for disability benefits because I legitimately cannot work - my sleep schedule is fucked, my energy levels are all over the place, I can't stand for long at all without fainting and I can't sit for varying length of time without the same. I hate to even do this, but I'm a broke bitch who has medical bills for tests and operations (god I have one in just a few days and I am NOT looking forward to it) that I can't pay for because I don't have insurance, so: Here's my kofi page if you'd like to buy me a coffee or help me not stress about the multiple doctors visits I have every month!

I do have, like, actual things I want to talk about other than "Oh this is what I've been up to - BEING SICK" - like the cute EMic fics I have in the works, the Cheeky Brat fic I've been working on and haven't been talking about on here because it's 🤭 e x p l i c i t (teehee) and even my DnD shit that is mostly entirely self indulgent but I don't care I'm going to shove it in your faces anyway.

Anyways, that's what I've been up to. I've posted about a good portion of this on Twitter, so I know some of you guys know about this, but I wanted to give Tumblr a heads up that I am bed ridden and Doing My Best.😫

#ravyn rants #yeesh it's been a r i d e #health problems #life update #i hate asking for help #and asking for money #but i acknowledge that i am rubbing together imaginary pennies at this point #any help that can be given would be very appreciated #i might even do tiny doodles in return #tiny ones #chibi #ravyn rants in the tags #anyway also go check out the omegaverses zine fics they're all great #and some of them have the art in them!!#good stuff good stuff

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bluejaysandblackbats · 4 months

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Bloody Valentines

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam, Young Justice 98, Titans, GL Corps, Legion of Super Heroes, Flashfam, New Gods, Shadowpact

Summary: 90s vampire slasher AU

Chapters: 7/?

Characters: Dick Grayson, Joseph Wilson, Jason Todd, Charley Parker, Zatanna, Eddie Bloomberg, Daniel Cassidy, Chester Williams DC, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, Lilith Clay, Raven Roth, Kole Weathers, Bette Kane, Donna Troy, Roy Harper, Jenni Ognats, Bart Allen, Virgil Hawkins, Richie Foley, Ayla Ranzz, Zoe Saugin, Rol Purtha, Darla Aquista, Lori Zechlin, Hal Jordan, Helen Jordan II, Orion DC, Lightray DC

Relationships: DickJoey, Daniel Cassidy/Zatanna, DonnaRoy, Jenni Ognats/Virgil Hawkins, Raven/Lilith Clay

Additional Tags: POV First Person, Unreliable Narrator(s), Vampires, No Capes AU, 90s Slasher AU, Homoeroticism, Horror, Slasher

Chapter Seven: The Hitchers (Rol Purtha's POV)

I held onto a piece of wood from the wreckage, drifting toward a light in the distance. I retched as the ice-cold Atlantic waters surrounded me. As I neared the light, it flashed over me, warming my body. The stars fell from the sky and danced around me like a fairy light menagerie. Then, I saw the source of the flashing light, spinning slowly, brighter than sunlight itself, only appearing to disappear. The lighthouse. And finally, something hitched my shirt in the water, pulling me under. I didn’t fight. I was paralyzed by fear and exhaustion, unable to struggle against the force.

I woke up dripping wet with perspiration… As I’d done for the past twelve nights. I shook violently as the ambient noise of my fan returned to my ears despite the violent ba-booming of my heart. I didn’t know how to make it stop until I saw the lighthouse on a postcard. Long story short, I took a ferry and the bus to get to a place of nightmares. I had no choice. I don’t think the nightmares would’ve stopped had I stayed away.

The ferry was almost vacant, save for two girls who seemed like sisters sitting on opposite sides. I sat behind the less intimidating of the two, and she sat on her feet and turned to face me. “Happy Harbor?” she questioned as she offered me a cookie. I respectfully declined her offer.

“Uh-huh,” I answered, “I’m gonna set up camp near the lighthouse.” I patted my rucksack.

“I wanted to rent a cabin, but I think they’re all booked for the weekend, so I’m camping out that way,” she replied. She extended a hand to me. “I’m Laura. Laura Fell.”

“Roland Purtha. My friends call me Rolly or Rol,” I replied. I shook her hand.

“Maybe I can set up camp nearby… Unless you’re doing a soul-searching thing,” Laura suggested. I shook my head.

“It’ll be nice to have the company… Your sister setting up camp, too?” I asked, gesturing toward the other girl on the ferry.

“Oh… No, we’re not sisters. I actually haven’t met her yet… Hey! What’s your name? Are you going to Happy Harbor, too?” Laura asked loudly. The other girl turned toward us.

“Yeah, I’m writing about the crap that went down there in my zine,” she replied as she walked toward us and handed us a copy of a handmade blood-splatter-designed zine on deliberately dogged and chewed-up paper. It was laminated with a matte finish. The inside pages were thin, rough, and as chewed-up as its exterior. Un-glossed. Some pages were black with white lettering, some were white with black lettering, and others used magazine letters instead of handwriting or typed words. She wrote horror stories. Murder stories. Ghost stories.

“This is a horror zine,” Laura noted.

“Mhm. Call me Black Alice or Alice. Horror enthusiast,” she introduced herself.

“What happened on the harbor? Was it at the lighthouse?” I asked. I sounded more urgent than I wanted to. Alice’s eyes widened.

“That’s the thing. A massive amount of people disappear from the harbor every few decades. In the seventies, a camp cook chopped up a bunch of teenagers. Each one bled dry before they were dismembered. He was found dead, holding his son’s silver cross in one burned hand… His suicide note contained only one sentence: I am not a monster. In the forties, families built neighborhoods there. In one single night, all the adults drowned. None of the children remembered the events of that night, but they all said the last thing they remembered was a song lulling them to sleep. All separate homes… But the same lullaby-.”

“Yikes,” Laura whispered.

“Anything about the lighthouse?” I asked.

“Um… Let me check,” Alice whispered. She pulled a journal out of her bag and read through the most recent pages. It was eerily silent for several minutes. “Mhm… Actually, that’s probably the safest spot you can be at. That’s where they always find the survivors. In the seventies, they found a handful of kids holed up in the lighthouse… Scratch marks on the door, but no one could get in.”

“These would make for killer campfire stories,” Laura whispered, “Alice, do you have a cabin, or are you camping out like us? My tent has enough room for two, and Rol said I could set up camp by him.”

“Oh, we never told you our names. I’m Rol Purtha, and this is Laura Fell,” I introduced us. We shook her hands. They were cold, but not shockingly so.

“I’m setting camp, and it’d be great if you guys were nearby. I’m not gonna lie and say I don’t believe something awful is coming,” Alice confessed. I should’ve been scared, but I wasn’t. Something about the lighthouse frightened me more than the stories. I fell asleep sometime after that.

I dreamt of the water, but things were different. I sat in a rowboat as I washed up gently on the shore. The sky was a deep, reddish purple. It was warm, so I stuck my hand in the water. It was shockingly hot. I pulled my hand up, wrapping it in my sweater. I glanced down and gasped at the wet crimson as it soaked straight through the knitted cotton fabric of my cardigan. I fell out of the boat and woke up struggling for air. "Rol?" Laura whispered. She looked green around the gills. "Your nose is gushing blood."

Alice took a napkin from her bag, and I held it to my nose. “Thank you… That’s not-. This is embarrassing. I’ve been having these nightmares-.”

“Do you mind if I interview you about your nightmares after we set up camp?” Alice interrupted. I shook my head. I desperately wanted to explain my nightmares to someone, but it wouldn’t have made logical sense. Alice seemed like she’d look beyond logic if she noticed a pattern.

The ferry docked, and we got off and took the bus as far as it would take us. My nose had stopped bleeding, and I unfolded the map in my pocket. “How many miles are we from the beach?” Alice asked, adjusting the brim of her hat to hide her face.

“Eight miles-.”

“Let’s hitch it,” Alice suggested.

“Cool,” Laura smiled.

I wanted to argue with them, but eight miles seemed far. Alice stuck out her thumb as we walked along the side of the road, and a truck pulled over. “Headed to Happy Harbor?” the man yelled out the window. We nodded. “You three should be able to fit in the back.” We nodded and sat in the rear-facing seats. When we sat down, a little girl turned around and greeted us.

“Be careful,” she warned as she pointed to Laura. The man nudged the little girl. “You should put your seatbelt on.”

Laura edged closer to me, and we touched hands. Hers were ice cold. She recoiled and scooted closer to Alice. Alice stared at me with concern for my safety. The man drove for a short while and stopped at a grocery store. We all got out and picked up food for the trip. I bought a cooler and ice to hold the meat for breakfast. "I'll cook if you guys want," I offered.

I felt a tug at the bottom of my shirt. “Hey, Mister?” the little girl whispered.

“You can call me Rolly. What’s your name?” I asked. I took a knee, and she shook my hand.

“Helen… Rolly, don’t be afraid of the lighthouse,” Helen whispered. My breath caught as I looked at her serious little expression. “We’re taking the tour. Right, Uncle Hal?”

The man looked up from his magazine and grinned at her before frowning at something outside. “That’s right, Helen… And we better get going, because it looks like a storm’s coming,” Hal whispered, “Come on. Round up your friends, okay?”

I obeyed and we paid for our things, but the rain started soon after we got in the car. It poured and the roads were barely visible in the downpour. Hal didn’t seem concerned, though. He drove calmly through the storm while Helen fiddled with the radio. As we neared the campsite, Hal hit his brakes hard, and we collided with something. Everyone gasped and Hal got out of the car. I unbuckled my seatbelt and followed him. “I hit a coyote… He came out of nowhere!” Hal shouted. And that was the last thing I remember.

#fic #bloody valentines fic #Rol Purtha #Darla Aquista #Lori Zechlin #Hal Jordan #Helen Jordan II #losh #shadowpact #Dream boy #POV First Person #Unreliable Narrator(s)#Vampires #No Capes AU #90s Slasher AU #Homoeroticism #Horror #Slasher

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thecrizbitz · 6 months

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The Design Journey Part 1

Me and my partner have done a lot of discussing on how we would go on approaching this project. We have had several discussions, and brainstorming sessions.

To recap we are making a series of magazines on seven different crystals, taking inspiration from the seven elements. The list goes as follows

Air: Clear quartz

Water: Lapis Lazuli

Earth: Moss agate

fire: fire agate

spirit: angel aura quartz

light: selenite

dark: obsidian

all the zines have different topics to tackle regarding mental illness.

We decided to split the work who does what crystals, one of the ones that I did was Lapis, which is shown in the images above (cover and inside spreads).

So far the experience has been fun and challenging. I’ve always loved gemstones, so making a series of designs related to them made it all the more fun for me. This is the first time I started regularly using photoshop, i’m not very experienced in it so this project kind of forced me to use it again. It’s good to become familiar with the tools again, it will help me when I start working in the field professionally.

end of part 1

first image of lapis from freepik

second image of lapis taken by Hannes Grobe

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sjjnyc · 10 months

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Wetlands in the desert

Three words . . . #WetlandsareWealth

GET INTO IT!

(btw, this is not new information)

Sometimes I have anxiety that people will quiz me on my knowledge about wetlands and I won't be able to come up with interesting and accurate facts to convey their importance. I don't want to feel pressure to be a walking encyclopedia of wetland knowledge (even though that would be cool); the way I want to learn about wetlands and share my experiences with different kinds of wetlands is by visiting them and that being enough. As I do this, I know along the way I'll start to retain information. In the meantime, I've been creating digital PDF zines about my experience with wetlands. Learn more at the end of this section!

Photo Description: White birds that look like pelicans (not sure if they are) at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, Arizona

Before coming to Arizona, I ignorantly thought there was no water out here. I bought into the danger of the single-story writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talked about during a TEDx talk. Of course Arizona and the southwest have rivers, streams, lakes, springs, seeps and groundwater, so what the hell was I talking about! I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that not only are there man-made wetlands in the Phoenix metro area, but there is a such thing as desert wetlands. My first reaction was "oh my gosh really?!" My second reaction was "that is so f'ing magical" and my third reaction was, "is it normal to have wetlands in the desert?"

"From agricultural expansion and river diversion to invasive species and climate change, wetlands face numerous threats. But one of the gravest may be ignorance. We still don’t know enough about these habitats, and they can still surprise even seasoned scientists like us. Perhaps most surprising of all are those wetlands that seem to confound all logic by thriving amid some of the driest places on Earth". - Paradox lost: wetlands can form in deserts, but we need to find and protect them

Here are more links I found about desert wetlands:

What is a wetland?

Conservation of Desert Wetlands and their Biotas

Desert Wetlands

UTAH DESERT WETLANDS ABUNDANT WITH MIGRATING BIRDS

Cuenca Los Ojos

Mexico’s northern desert wetlands in danger

WETLANDS IN THE DESERT: A PLACE-BASED JOURNEY OF SEASONAL OBSERVATION AND OUTCOMES

Some keywords/phrases from these articles:

Bioregional awareness

Wetland habitats

Beauty

Jaguar

Cuatro Cienegas Basin in Coahuila, Mexico

San Pedro River in Arizona

Water filtration

Flood and erosion control

Homes for fish and wildlife

Degradation

Escalante River in Utah

Black Bears

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico

Arid lands

Desert springs

Holistic approach to biodiversity conservation

The playas and wetlands in Arizona

Ocelot

Mohave Desert in California

Groundwater extraction

Unique desert wetlands

Beavers

Big Bend National Park in Texas

Chorus of voices

United States-Mexico border

My visits to the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert, Arizona

"The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch was created as an innovative and unique way to combine water resource management with wildlife habitat preservation, education, and outdoor recreation. It is an oasis in the Sonoran Desert featuring seven aquifer recharge basins – each kept at different water levels to create diverse habitats and attract a variety of wildlife. Designated as an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society, approximately 298 species of birds have been identified at the preserve, and many insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals have found a home here as well." - Discover Gilbert

I took these photos of the riparian preserve during different seasons.

During my visits I have seen hummingbirds, quails and large white birds that look like pelicans, but I don't know what they are called.

Photo description: I'm not sure what these birds are called, but I love that the riparian preserve is a safe place for wildlife, a place to store and recharge ground water and a recreational area for the community.

Photo description: This is a Corkscrew or Screwbean Mesquite tree

Photo description: I forgot if this is somekind of barrel cactus

Photo description: I think this is a Mesquite tree with the long yellow cylindrical flowers

Photo description: Cactus beings at another entrance to the preserve

Photo description: An empty recharge basin

Photo Description: A filled recharge basin

Photo/Video Descriptions: This area of the preserve has signs that say "Reclaimed Water: Do not Drink". I'm guessing that the wetland habitat helps to filter and clean used water so that it can be used again. I'm still trying to understand how the recharge system works and hope maybe one day I can talk to someone who works at the preserve.

Photo description: I'm not sure what this plant is!

"the future" | predicting the future

"the future" captures my first time knowingly standing over an aquifer which is described as an underground lake about 150 feet below these sounds of treated wastewater being pumped into seven different recharge basins throughout the Riparian Preserve in the town of Gilbert. A plaque in front of the recharge infrastructure I stood in front of/near to record, describes where Gilbert gets its water from, it reads:

"In the past, residents of Arizona used groundwater from this aquifer faster than it could be replenished naturally with rainfall. These basins were designed to allow water to seep down into the aquifer, replenishing our groundwater supply, so that we have plenty of water available for our use in the future".

Photo description: A photo of the paragraph above on the plaque.

Listen to "the future" on Soundcloud!

Watch this video to learn more about the treated wastewater and aquifer recharge at the preserve.

-Is there such a thing as telling the future? - What kinds of premonitions, predictions, telling or seeing into the future practices are you aware of? -How are the ways groundwater and aquifers are treated/cared for a way of telling the future?

For the title I use "the future" as it relates to water, waterbodies, waterways and water cycles as a way to push back on this particular spacetime language being in quotation marks - with quotation marks often times being used to indicate inspection or interrogation, irony, inaccuracy or skepticism.

"the future" | predicting the future was the first artistic exploration I did connected to my water and time travel research in the Colorado River Basin.

Photo Description: An online map of the preserve

Surprise Surprise . . .

What do we have here?

Headlines about the recent loss of federal protections for wetlands in the country

#Repost @honortheearth REPOST: @lakotalaw Important Update: Change in the Wetlands Protection Update: The EPA's recent decision alters wetlands protection, raising concerns about impacts on ecosystems. Wetlands are vital for clean water, biodiversity, and flood control. Loss of federal protection may harm water quality, increase flooding risk, threaten wildlife, impact economy, and challenge long-term sustainability. We strongly suggest that everyone contacts their local representatives, participate in community discussions, and educate others about the importance of wetlands. Our collective voice can drive positive change and encourage a more balanced approach to development and conservation. Let's stand together for the protection of our environment, because in the end, the health of our planet directly impacts the well-being of current and future generations. Photo sourced from @npr View all 72 comments

#Repost @democracynow: The Environmental Protection Agency has rolled back parts of the Clean Water Act which protect millions of acres of wetlands, in order to comply with a Supreme Court ruling. The right-wing-dominated court ruled in May that wetlands must have a "continuous surface connection" to streams, oceans, rivers and lakes to be subject to federal regulations on pollution. Up to 63% of wetlands will be affected. The White House said the Supreme Court ruling "jeopardize[s] the sources of clean drinking water for farmers, businesses and millions of Americans." View all 609 comments

The destiny of wetlands: Is there such a thing as destiny?

I never really use the word frequency because it's used so much and some people associate it with the New Age Movement, so therefore its discounted, but frequency is real. I'm curious about the frequencies that make up the awareness and visions we as human beings (with our various identities and positionalities) want and have for wetlands, and what the desires of wetlands themselves might be?

I'll always remember thinking about rewriting the stories of wetlands which for so long have been seen as useless and taking up space, as well as the destiny* (in other words, the trajectories) of wetlands during my explorations of Jamaica Bay in 2021, especially in contrast to the Graniteville Wetlands in Staten Island.

If we think about the kinds of resources and amount of resources a wetland as an ecosystem is afforded (i.e. love, care, protection, healing, stewardship) can we wonder about its destiny? Does logic have a role in destiny? For example, you plant a seed, and it gets soil with compost, water, sunshine, seed songs and conversation, and before you know it, a plant has blossomed and fruited to produce more seeds. Every seed doesn't make it, even with the best care, but is there some kind of TLC-logic (tender-loving-care-logic) that makes the plant's life possible? If we think about the kinds of resources and amount of resources a wetland as an ecosystem is afforded (i.e. love, care, protection, healing, stewardship) can we wonder about its destiny?

Please research the history of wetlands where you live and in the United States. We've lost a lot of wetlands to agriculture, industry and real estate development, but not all. The more people who uplift wetlands in different ways, the better, and it's happening! We are a glorious chorus for that which was previously seen as dirty, useless and taking up space.

*Destiny: We all have our own understandings and views around destiny, and some folks resonate with this word while others do not. Another word to replace with destiny could be trajectory.

Check out my Wetland Zine Series!

Photo Description: During the summer of 2021 I crossed paths with this Eastern Prickly Pear a little ways past the West Pond and now Living Shoreline at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, New York. Eastern Prickly Pear is a native cactus found growing along the Atlantic coast.

I'm making zines about my wetland experiences in the order I encounter them; so far I've made one zine about a swamp in upstate New York. Up next . . .

PROMPT: Visit a wetland in your community. What kind of wetland is it? What do you notice about it?

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infjtarot · 11 months

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Page of Wands. Weiser Waite Smith Tarot

A young man or stands in a wild landscape, holding a wand as if it were a walking stick. No supplies are carried, and yet no civilization is in sight. The Page of Wands marks the beginning of a new adventure. It’s unclear, so far, where one is going, and that makes it difficult to prepare. The Page of Wands is optimistic and enthusiastic, almost to the point of being foolhardy. The enthusiasm outweighs, by far, the Page’s ability to complete the task successfully. He or she will have the opportunity to learn along the way, however. The Page of Wands wants a big adventure, and he runs off to have it without thinking much about preparation, destination, or what he’ll need along the way. Unfortunately for the Page, that’s how you get killed on adventures, forgetting to bring essentials such as water or a map. But sometimes it all works out, despite the naivete. There’s a lot of optimism in the Page of Wands, but not a lot of forethought. Best to say, then, that the Page of Wands is quick to run into battle—doing things impulsively without thought of consequences or benefit. The career of Jean-Michel Basquiat could be said to have started at the Page of Wands stage. He was a street artist in 1980s New York City first, which meant that, without any thought of what might change in the future, he painted on walls and doors as part of the duo SAMO. When Basquiat later became famous, those doors and walls became insanely valuable. People profited off of his work by dismantling the walls to capture the art. (Banksy is another artist who creates in this way, causing similar problems. People have removed walls in order to possess his art and then sell it for their own gain.) Basquiat’s art matured, so he got out of the Page stage. But his success meant that the art establishment had to take street art seriously in a way it never had before. And street art—owned by no one; often unsigned or signed with a pseudonym—is a very Page of Wands way to create: without personal financial gain, and with the knowledge that the art can be easily destroyed or painted over. Basquiat also worked with very Wands themes, such as politics and societal critique. As such, he has become hugely influential after his short life, which ended in 1988 from a drug overdose at the age of twenty-seven. He was as much messenger as creator. His presence looms large in hip-hop, poetry, and visual art produced after his death.

The Page of Wands can think more about excitement than about longevity. But if a person is going to stick around, it is best to have some kind of plan. Balancing that sense of naivete, which can be very helpful for inspiration, with a kind of maturity that allows an artist to keep producing and stay alive is tough. Not everyone manages it. If you want to be the Page, try working spontaneously, without any thought as to how this is all going to end up. But if you want to move past that, you’re going to have to look to other cards to see how to grow up a little. RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

The Notebooks, book by Jean-Michel Basquiat Exit Through the Gift Shop, documentary film directed by Banksy “Zine Culture: Brilliance Under the Radar,” essay in book 51 Feminist Essays from the 21st Century by Kirsten Anderberg Jessa Crispin

#Page of Wands #wands #tarot #Weiser Waite Smith Tarot #jessa crispin

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printandmatter · 1 year

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Session 4: Sabba Khan + Stamp Making

Written by Unaiza Karim

This week’s visitor was London based graphic novelist Sabba Khan. In her book The Roles We Play she draws on her experience as a second-generation Kashmiri Muslim migrant to unpack the historical events that lead to the majority of the British Pakistani diaspora’s tracing their origin to Mirpur - an area that was literally submerged under water with the construction of the Mangla dam (post the partition of India and Pakistan).

I poured over the illustrated pages of Saba’s book earlier this summer and it has left a lasting impression on me. One of the central themes she explores is the challenge of ‘fitting in’ and ‘belonging’ something all migrant communities grapple with, across generations. It was both moving and inspiring to listen to Sabba speak so candidly about how she came to write and illustrate her book, which took seven years to come to fruition. Sabba’s distinctive, paired-down illustration style draws on her architecture background and her use of diagrams are incredibly adept at breathing life into complex, layered and often fractured aspects of identity and belonging.

Sabba’s presentation took us on a journey that explored the experience and impact of migration and displacement through her mother’s eyes, a perspective not shared often enough. She shared photographs and social media pages that formed part of her archival research. There were two especially poignant photographs that Sabba translated into drawings in her book. The first captured families carrying their belongings in their hands and on their backs while wading through water that was being channelled into the dam. The second was the image of religious buildings being submerged under water. There were temples, gurdwaras and mosques that literally drowned under the huge body of water that filled the dam…

Another distinctive feature of the book is that each of its thirty chapters has an accompanying song in a playlist that is both playful and nostalgic (especially for those of us who grew up in the UK in the nineties).

Afternoon -Group and Individual Projects

As a follow up to our visual research trip to Ladypool Rd last week, we worked on preparing our sketches and photographs for a risograph group newsletter/zine. We are aiming for one A6 image each but we can adjust sizing using a scanner/photoshop. It was really interesting to see what group members were working on, some focussed on photographs while others on sketches and typography. We were encouraged to annotate our images with text and had a manual typewriter to hand (which created a clickity clack soundtrack for the rest of the afternoon). With guidance from Sofia and Heiba, some group members completed their risograph print while others, including myself used the session to make adjustments to the artwork layers and iron out any issues that interfered with the effectiveness of the risoprint.

Alongside this flurry of activity, Sofia demonstrated how to carve alphabet stamps from erasers using a craft knife and group members set out to complete a set of alphabet stamps with a smattering of punctation symbols (I believe the mission was accomplished without any bloodshed). Looking forward to our next session and seeing the individual work come together as one publication.

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