Tumblr Staff Adjusting A Dial To Fine-tune Exactly How Much They're Imitating Twitter While Occasionally

As much as I adore your (highly) interesting takes on medievalism and how it differs from what we actually know (or hypothesize) about the medieval period, I don't think I've ever asked: are there any books set in either the real middle ages or some fantasy approximation of the period that you WOULD recommend? They don't have to be "perfect" representations, obviously, but it would be nice to learn about any books that side-step the usual potholes. Thank you!

Hi, friend! A of all, thank you; B of all, there are and I would. From the following list it will become apparent that my criteria are idiosyncratic. Really, I think, the most important thing for my own enjoyment -- for any historical fiction, but especially for that set in the place/time I know best -- is that the work and its author are exploring the period as a way of opening up a conversation between past and present, rather than looking down on the past from the vantage point of the contemporary. This sententious prolegomenon concluded:

The Book Smuggler, Omaima Al-Khamis (eleventh-century Islamicate world, about knowledge and wisdom and religious intolerance)

Morality Play, Barry Unsworth (fourteenth-century England, about justice and law and vocation and community)

The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco (doesn't need my introduction, hilarious and deeply poignant meta-meditation on the genre of the detective story, also on theological debates and the love of one's neighbor and the nature of fear)

Sword at Sunset, Rosemary Sutcliff (fifth-century post-Roman Britain, has some clichés, also some magic, but is so richly imagined and full of people I love. Also good dogs.)

Cadfael Chronicles, Ellis Peters (twelfth-century England; I was wondering why I love these so much and I think a lot of it comes back to how much Ellis Peters loved the particular place she lived/set the books in, and watching the changing of the seasons there, so that that close observation of time -- very medieval! -- is also central. Inequality isn't made invisible or grotesque here, either, and it's often one or the other in Fictional Medieval Europe.)

Isaac of Girona mysteries, Caroline Roe (C14 Spain, also whodunits, but I cannot resist including this charming series about a blind Jewish doctor and his beloved wife and his daughters and the orphan he adopts and his chess-playing buddy the bishop and and and....! It's great.)

The History of the Siege of Lisbon, José Saramago (C12/C20 Portugal, called "metafiction about the instability of history and the reality assumed by fiction" by Kirkus Reviews and... yeah!)

She Who Became The Sun, Shelley Parker-Chan (C15 Ming China, with ghosts, definitely fantasy rather than regular historical fiction, and on the cusp of early modernity, also so so interesting)

The Apothecary's Shop, Roberto Tiraboschi (C12 Venice, deeply weird -- affectionate -- and drawing on Calvino and gialli as well as medieval history; some inaccuracies about women and medicine but I still found it compelling and thought-provoking)

Petitions - UK Government and Parliament

Petition: Reverse the decision to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill

I want the Government to reverse their decision to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, as this legislation contains importa

hey if you're a UK resident can you sign this petition and if not please rb to spread the word

this is an official UK government petition that they have to respond to if it reaches 10,000 signatures

TIL the reason this inconsistently shows up in notes for the same post is bc if you look at the notes from a reblog, replies from ppl blocked by the reblogger don’t show up but if you look at it from someone else like OP they do show up

There is something you Disney gays need to understand.

The Walt Disney Corporation never has, and never will be, your friend or ally.

Disney is a multi billion dollar conglomerate.

Their one and only goal is to make more money than they did the previous year.

That is it.

They aren't trying to help you or your community.

Any politics they have either reflects the best way for them to make money or it was because someone put political pressure on them to do it. Or it is a publicity stunt.

"But what about creators like Dana Terrace? Or the history of queer people in animation?"

Listen to me. Artists like Dana and others do not work at The Rat because they want to.

They work there because Disney buys up every other little animation company there is and shuts it down, ensuring that any money being made from the medium is going to them.

DreamWorks and a tiny handful of others are the only ones left in western animation.

I am not kidding.

Blue Sky, who made Ice Age, was one of Disneys latest victims.

They shut down all production, even for things that were nearly complete, on all products that did not fit their brand.

Such as the movie adaption of Lumber Janes, a queer focused comic by ND Stevenson (creator of the She-Ra reboot).

As for the historical guys, such as Howard Ashman AKA the father of the Disney Renaissance, they may have worked there and done amazing things but it doesn't mean they were respected by the company.

Howard and his fellow gay artists were only allotted the creative freedom to work because at the time Disney was nearly penniless and this was a last ditch effort to save the company.

Gay artists may have risen Disney up, but it does not mean that the company cares for them or us.

In the eyes of these boardroom execs, the artists are tools needed to make a profit.

And gay consumers are the fools who will buy the rainbows-colored sweatshop produced products and call the company woke.

So. What can we do about this?

Rule #1: Avoid giving Disney money at all costs.

I know this is really hard because they own literally everything. But do your best.

This also includes any of their streaming services.

Buy used DVDs or just pirate.

And before anyone gets their panties in a wad about wanting support queer creators like Dana Terrace, let me remind you:

Creators and animators are paid a lump some regardless of if something does well or not.

All that revenue produced by things like Gravity Falls or Luca goes to the execs and stock holders, not the people responsible.

Rule #2- Support artists directly

If you like things like The Owl House and Dana Terrace's work, make a lot of noise about it on social media.

Buzz absolutely is a currency and the more that is generated, the more likely that these things will get renewed.

Rule #3- Support Unions

Unions are what keeps artists from being treated like slaves.

And any union (regardless of background or career) is a good union.

Rule #4- Do not fall for Disney's bullshit

No matter how progressive they may seem, there is always an ulterior motive and always a catch.

They are not our allies no matter what.

happy ace awareness week

“ace people can still have sex or engage in sexual activities” and “no one, including ace people, is obliged to have sex, enjoy sexual activities, media, or kinks, and it’s super okay to never engage in any of those things if you don’t want” are ideas that can and should coexist

dismissing really good posts because i dont want to support the shitty 'Liked By [mutual]' feature

It’s my opinion that like if a white supremacist/Nazi is going to be reformed. They need to do so willingly. The only times I’ve heard of successful rehabilitation of fascists is when they made the conscious decision to no longer be one anymore and seek atonement. People who try to like hug and change fascists that don’t want to change are fucking morons

people will really have the gall to look me (Femme with a capital F, protector of butches) in the eye and say “well at least you’re not one of THOOOSEEE bull dyke lesbians”

n that’s when I pull the hammer out of my tote bag

convincing the outside world that tumblr was dead was a joint effort that took years, and we would've gotten away with it too if it weren't for mf elon musk😭

Kanye West, who was originally banned on Twitter for being openly antisemetic, gets unbanned -- because "free speeech" and all. He immediately posts a swastika. The tweet is up for hours, uncontested by twitter. EVENTUALLY it gets taken down (more in response to the public outrage about it than because of the tweet itself, it appears), but West's account is still active.

He then posts an unflattering picture of Elon Musk. Immediately gets suspended.

Further confirmation that at twitter, it's OK to openly support literal Nazism, but not ok to be mean to the twitter overlord.