Colin Broadmoor
@colinbroadmoor.bsky.social
Adventurist. Cyber-culture analyst. Protoculture addict. Contributing editor @bloodknife.bsky.social
"Donne-moi du sucre, je suis ton voisin!"—André Trois Mille
You can't write a story about people in the world without making a series of political choices. However, many authors do this without realizing it & believe their work apolitical.
Reader, consider the assumptions an author makes about human nature—there you'll find the politics.
Stories—of any genre—w/ human-like characters in material worlds ALWAYS contain political elements. Politics emerge wherever you find social relationships & resource management. Patterns of conflict & control are limited in their variety & will often echo our own experience.
Stories—of any genre—w/ human-like characters in material worlds ALWAYS contain political elements. Politics emerge wherever you find social relationships & resource management. Patterns of conflict & control are limited in their variety & will often echo our own experience.
I decided to take a break and reread The Name of the Rose—and what a great book for the times it is!
I only have one Cadfael audiobook read by Derek Jacobi left to go and I'm already sad of it. Have you listened to his reading of Ackroyd's Hawksmoor? You should. I looked around for what he's recorded that I don't have—picked up Le Morte d'Arthur (even tho it's abridged!!!).
imo the nicest english word is "neorxnawang" which ælfric of eynsham used in his translation of genesis to refer to the edenic paradise. it is likely, however, that the word itself had prechristian roots & originally described an afterlife concept from earlier germanic religions.
I QT'd something on twitter with like a "Nice!" and a 95k follower account RT'd it, and now I'm getting spammed with infinite notes on something that's barely a sentence.
So, I shall sit here in the dark for a bit.
When we teach Shakespeare it's common to say his plays are meant to be heard/watched, not read. I'd say too that Shakespeare is best understood by actors—not folks from the literature dept.
Watch this now, it is very informative. Ian McKellen on MacBeth.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGbZ...
Tomorrow, and tomorrow -- Ian McKellen analyzes Macbeth speech (1979)
This is a chunk of archival gold from British television, circa 1979. As part of an "in-studio master class" on speaking Shakespeare, Ian McKellen talks in d...
www.youtube.comThe Jena Codex
Found a 25 year-old blue book exam from an Intro to Shakespeare course I took 25 years ago. I did pretty well for not having read the plays.
I find it strange that in the 21st century people are still writing histories of the Peasants' Revolt that portray the "peasants" as greedy, ignorant, ill-mannered bumpkins who deserved to be ruthlessly suppressed by the state.
Hey, kid...wanna see something good?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdn0...
King Lear - Laurence Olivier and John Hurt - Shakespeare - 1983 - TV - Remastered - 4K
King Lear (1983 TV programme)Laurence Olivier and John Hurt played respectively Lear and the Fool in this production to great acclaim, winning an Emmy for hi...
www.youtube.com
With AI beating down the door, I feel we're past worrying about "good/bad" art. Art's not about achieving some ideal form. Art is ALWAYS an attempt.
Did a human make it?
Did you learn by making it?
Did you do your best to express yourself?
Art is life. Live it on your own terms.
Back on my bullshit again....
[translation] rewatching season 1 of Cadfael
Writers have been some of the worst people about using AI & making excuses for why it's okay to use in THEIR illustrations, covers & promos. Most of these types never wanted to write anyway—they wanted to make a comic/film/videogame but lacked talent, so they write a book & hope it gets "adapted."
All artists must stand together against AI. If you ever hoped to be paid for creating art, this is your fight too. The endgame for this "technology" is that no one will ever need to pay a writer, illustrator, actor, director, musician again. By using AI you kill your own future.
Same. I like the people on it, but it's a hard thing for me.
My older brothers had watched it back in the day, so when they started running it again as part of one of the Disney sunday programming blocs in the late 80s early 90s they made me watch it, and yeah, it's great
To celebrate Patrick McGoohan's birthday I give you...
Not the Prisoner...
Not Ice Station Zebra...
But...
THE SCARECROW of ROMNEY MARSH ('63)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaWG...
Walt Disney's
Dr. Christopher Syn (alias, The Scarecrow) disrupts England's King George III's 1763 taxation on imports by smuggling vast quantities of goods into the count...
www.youtube.comYeah, I think the closest something like the Northman gets to that is the end where we as modern audiences think "How tragic" while the protagonist sees it as a happy ending and triumph—and we must allow both to be true.
That's a good point. I'd say the distinction between "literature" and "genre fiction" that we hold today, wasn't a real thing in the 14th century. In CT, Chaucer shows his skill by writing in all the big genres of the day—so you get romance next to fabliau, etc—all without the current "genre" stigma
The design for both is great. One of the things I liked most was the way the clothing looked stylish but WARM. The costuming has both physical and symbolic weight and I think that's great. It looks livable.
I'd be interested to know how the rest of you felt watching these films. Did they change the way you thought about the medieval period in any way?*
*This is not about "historical accuracy" but more about perception.
Rewatched The Green Knight ('21). Enjoyed it more this time 'round. It works well as an adaptation—especially the ending that hopefully directs viewers to the text. It tries to reframe/reimagine medieval perspectives & thought for a post-medieval audience. The Northman ('22) does the same.
No one has imposter syndrome until they have to pronounce Gawain at a medieval conference.
Rewatched The Green Knight ('21). Enjoyed it more this time 'round. It works well as an adaptation—especially the ending that hopefully directs viewers to the text. It tries to reframe/reimagine medieval perspectives & thought for a post-medieval audience. The Northman ('22) does the same.
Choosing a favorite book would be like choosing a favorite cat.
Just busy with life and stuff I don't want to do. Mostly coasting.
I ruined my twitter account by posting a lot of drug-fueled nonsense, so when Bluesky came 'round I decided I'd only post my smart and professional thoughts here.
Hence my silence.
This is my most widely circulated tweet—kinda ironic.
This is so funny! Doubly so as once I came across one of my old tumblr posts in a screencap on twitter. The social media circle of life.
I really need to finish writing this book because I'd like to start writing the next one.
I remember once at art school when someone said Munch the wrong way.
now you know you are not alone—and english is my first language. so do not let it make you less confident
damn, tho it does get annoying sometimes
i shall not
read the bad twitter poem
i dare not
lest i click & find one of mine own