The name comes from a line in a terribly problematic movie, Shag. The antagonist hollers the phrase "Your roots are showing!" at Melana as an insult. And that line always stuck with me. Always. I said it all the time. And in 2006 I saw the movie But I'm a Cheerleader on one of my first dates with Mallory (of course she helped expand my queer touchstones). And that whole scene of them talking about their roots. This one.
They call it the Frequency Illusion (or the Baader–Meinhof Phenomenon), that once you see something, you can't stop seeing it. And now all I can see is Icarus flying, falling. It started with Private Rites by Julia Armfield. Our queer book club loved Armfield's debut novel Our Wives Under the Sea so much so that when her sophomore novel came out, we immediately placed it on our to-read piles. The novel's drenched in literary allusion...
Apparently, "social distancing" and "self-quarantine" are the watch words for Spring Break 2020. I'm stressed with the news and cancellations and general end-of-the-world vibe I feel ripple through the fabric of the Universe when I step outside of my house, and this has me aiming to find a balance on which to level-out my anxiety.... Continue Reading →
After a few solid weeks of sunny, early-morning commutes, today's drive in darkness was a less-than-appealing start to my week. I'm groggy. And I blame Daylight Saving Time.
I finally pulled the trigger and bought my first tarot deck. Yep. It's really happening. I already have my crystals - blue calcite, black tourmaline, and selenite; plus, I've got sage for when things need cleansing. It was just a matter of time before I found the perfect deck. At the suggestion of my pal... Continue Reading →
In the last eight weeks - approximately 56 days - I've graded 140 essays. That represents a good chunk of my time; honestly, it takes me nearly four hours each time I score a batch of 28 AP Literature essays.
Is anyone else creeped out by this Dove chocolate message? #agentletouchspeaksvolumes
shelly. walston. writes. 