Danielle Binks
"Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth."
Rev Dr Jill Richardson: I got to tell a kid in church that no, intrusive thoughts are brain chemistry, not sin, and I almost cried. Y’all, there is so much pain out there. Let’s not make it worse.
Daphne ColemanPerine; I once heard a preacher say, you can’t control what bird flies over your head but you don’t let it have to build a nest in your hair. That was honestly a breakthrough for me.
New York, 2022
I’m again at a loss for words, and turning to those who know better. I keep thinking of Gloria Steinem’s dedication in her memoir, ‘My Life On The Road.’ I had the honour of listening to her speak about this book when she came to Melbourne in 2016. Her dedication is still one of the most perfect and fierce I’ve ever read:
‘THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO:
Dr. John Sharpe of London, who in 1957, a decade before physicians in England could legally perform an abortion for any reason other than the health of the woman, took the considerable risk of referring for an abortion a twenty-two-year-old American on her way to India.
Knowing only that she had broken an engagement at home to seek an unknown fate, he said, “You must promise me two things. First, you will not tell anyone my name. Second, you will do what you want to do with your life.”
Dear Dr. Sharpe, I believe you, who knew the law was unjust, would not mind if I say this so long after your death:
I’ve done the best I could with my life.
This book is for you.’
✊❤️
Outgoing Australian of the Year - Grace Tame - meets with Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Photographs by Alex Ellinghausen. Worth noting that this same government failed to include Grace in their child sex abuse strategy (despite being a childhood sexual abuse survivor herself and spreading the word about the “Let Her Speak,” campaign), the government that stood with Christian Porter and Andrew Laming, that “paused” the investigation into the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins that happened at Parliament … they don’t deserve civility or respect from this activist. And no woman owes you a smile. Or a photo opportunity. Grace Tame - rock on 🤘
If you liked Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour, try The Monster of Her Age by Danielle Binks
They both include:
- sweet wlw romance
- a window into the scandalous lives of fictional Hollywood stars
- explorations of how films impact and interact with real life
More of my recs are available in my “book recommendations” tag!
Anne Rice was an author who had a really complicated (and fascinating) relationship with fans and fandom … but she leaves behind quite the literary legacy, that helped pull a genre and monster into the modern-era.
Condolences to those who loved her, and her words.
People are going to have so many different takes on Anne Rice’s legacy … but one of my favourite odes to her is ‘What We Do In The Shadow’ opening credits and Harvey Guillen’s pure-soul Guillermo de la Cruz character cos-playing as Armand. Perfect respect.
A moment’s pause that tips it’s hat to the fact that you don’t get to ‘What We Do In The Shadows’ without ‘The Vampire Chronicles’
Vale.
Oh nothing, just Paul McCartney casually predicting the misogynistic blame-game the media put on Yoko Ono …
Happy Halloween 2021! - here’s ‘The Monster Of Her Age’ vibing with other the-story-behind-Horror books 🧟♂️📖 and also the 👑, Shelley’s Frankenstein. A meta (sorry 😬) way to engage with the genre if Horror is not your thing, and also if you really want a YA queer kissing book 😘 Also featured are:
🎃 ‘Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction’ by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson
🎃 ‘She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein’ by Lynn Fulton, illustrated by Felicita Sala