Beautiful Things

[raven_cromwell]

[apologies if this, or any of my entries for the next few months/weeks are a bit incoherent; I'm going to try and keep posting semiregularly, on the theory of fake it till you make it this has to get better but sleep etc. may be spotty, so no guarantees it won't be massive grief drunk-blogging.]

If there's any truth at all to the idea that the worst of times show a person's truest character, I suppose I really am an absurdist, because I refuse to forget there's joy in the world--even if the idea of ever being able to smile again feels as unconquerable as climbing Everest or learning ancient Greek. So here're five things that would have ordinarily sparked joy, in best of five things make a post blogging spirit; perhaps they will spark joy for some of you, and they'll be here later as reminders that sometimes the world is good.

• I always sorta vaguely knew Cory Doctorow was a badass for internet freedom/privacy, and all the info/goals on his kickstarter to self-produce his latest audio book just prove it. (Also, he was a Bernie person in the primary; that gives you automatic good-folk points with me until I'm proven otherwise.)
• Speaking tangentially of Bernie, this podcast about how a group formed in Rhode Island in response to his primary loss just swept the state house and senate, here in this country where states have a ton of autonomy, is pretty fab; this reminds me a lot of the excellent work Momentum is doing in the U.K. labour party right now.
• Speaking of podcasts, I was listening to this interview by Arkady Martine when everything happened. I can't even imagine finishing it now, but it was giving me so much joy, watching her wax eloquent about Byzantine history and kinda clean the clock of the interviewer, who was a bit of a techbro, by clearly articulating that technology doesn't eliminate cruelty with such panache it became the headline. I think it could bring y'all joy
• Avatar: The Last Airbender is in audio description on Netflix. The increasing availability of AD is a marvel and delight.
• I also have access to a copy of the first season of Perry Mason from HBO, which was the last TV show my Mom loved. And while I won't get to talk to her about it, I will one day watch it in her honor.
Feel free to share joyous happenings for you, too.

Comments

[delphi]

Rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender has been bringing me a great deal of joy, as did watching the Perry Mason reboot, which found a lot of hope and strength in a story that could have just been dark for darkness's sake.