Book Reviews: Make Good Art while Shambling Through NYC

I have two book reviews for you this week. The first is a book by Neil Gaiman that I picked up today and gobbled down in roughly 15 minutes. The second is a book written by  Mur Lafferty the writer who got me thinking about pursuing a writing career and in many ways introduced me to Neil Gaiman.  Somehow posting these two reviews together seemed like a perfect fit.

First things first, I love quotes, especially quotes that come from graduation commencement speeches.

Neil Gaiman’s ‘Make Good Art’ speech is jam-packed with advice about life. His words speak to the vulnerabilities and fears of those who wish to pursue their hopes and dreams, instead of comfort and security.  He reminded me that I was not alone.  He, a critically acclaimed award-winning author is still afraid of the “Fraud Police”.  This acknowledgement of his vulnerabilities some how makes it ok for me to also be afraid of them.

The book based on Neil Gaiman’s ‘Make Good Art’ speech is a short but inspiring read. It’s unique and visually inspiring layout is designed by Chip Kidd.    The effect of the design and the power of the words makes an inspiring combination and an enjoyable read.

A few months ago I had no idea who Neil Gaiman was, other than some guy I followed via twitter. (I’m not sure why I started following him. He probably tweeted something funny/inspiring)  Last fall I discovered a podcast called I Should Be Writing.

I Should Be Writing is a podcast hosted by “wannabe writer” Mur Lafferty for wanna be writers.  Between Mur’s soothing voice, informative annotations and interviews with authors, agents and editors, I  quickly became an avid listener. She  frequently mentioned this guy called Neil Gaiman. Curiosity got the better of me. I now own a few of his books and plan to meet him next month.  *grins*

You may have noticed that I put quotations around wannabe writer when I refer to Mur. Well, her first  Big 6 published book came out  May 28th and is the focus of this book review.

The Shambling Guide To New York City by Mur Lafferty centers around a young woman named Zoe Norris.

Cover art by Jamie McKelvie

Zoe was a travel book editor. That is until she fell in love with her boss and quickly realized that staying in Raleigh, North Carolina was hazardous to her health.  Hoping for a fresh start she moves to New York City; lands a job as a travel book editor  and finds that her world has gotten a lot more interesting and dangerous.

Zoe is tolerant that the company refrigerator has a ready supply of blood and brains and that one of her best writers is a death goddess. And while the incubus, down the hall, is tantalizing her water spite assistant is quick to intervene; most of the time.  Zoe is there to do a job and a job she will do. She just needs to lock her office door and hope that her co-workers are well fed before she comes to work.

Life, while interesting, plays out like normal, well as normal as one can expect when one works with beings that could eat you.  Zoe throws herself into her work. Getting to know her co-workers, assigning them stories, hiring new employees, and outlining a Travel Guide of New York City for Monsters.

Then things start to get weird, which says a lot for this particular office. Brains go missing, Zombies rampage, the HR manager  looks eerily familiar,  the incubus can not take a hint and Zoe’s ex boss is in town.

Mur has an interesting organization for this book. Between each chapter is a snippet from the book that Zoe is editing.  I’ve read some reviews that find these tidbits  annoying or disruptive, but I find that they add to the story and showcase Mur’s creativity and humor.  They also lay the frame-work for the book’s climax.

Today I started listening to Book 2 of Mur’s Heaven series  and while I am enjoying the story  I can also hear how much Mur’s writing has improved over the years.  I believe The Shambling Guide To New York City is her best work  to date and I look forward to reading future works from this former wannabe writer.

Congrats on getting published Mur.

Love and Light,

Jodie

I have family in town so planning a theme for this week totally slipped my mind.  Than my computer decided it was time to  act up.  Needless to say I have not given Tonks and Tepid Penguin a theme to write about this week. I suppose I’m giving them a week off.  Lol, but if you want to see what they are up to, check out their blogs.

As for me.. I have  finished another book  so expect a Book Review by the end of the week, but other than that I’m going to spend this week focusing on my family.

I hope you all have a good week.  :)

Love and Light,

Jodie

“You’re not safe if you have breasts” and other loads of utter rot.

By now you’re probably familiar with the Facebook note that’s been going around about the woman who was having trouble with men in France- the one that ends with “I want you to write “fuck me” across your chest and walk around in public to know what it feels like to be a woman” at the end?　Yeah.　 Take it or leave it, but I’ve got something to say.

Source- Facebook.com. Original source unknown.

I get where this woman is coming from.　 I really do.　 I also see varying shades of offensive through here, and also see her treating each with equal disgust, as is her right to do so- especially when she’s talking about her 13 year old sister.　 Let me begin by saying that if I had a son, no matter WHAT age he was, if he ever said “I could rape you if I wanted to” to anyone, I would beat his ass.　 However, beating your children is a separate social issue, and that’s not why we’re here today.

A bit of unpleasant personal history will be included below- think of it as credentials for what i’m about to say.　 Now is the time to stop reading if information about my personal past will upset you.

I am a woman.　 I am, in fact, a woman in my 30′s, who came from a jagged background with other men and women.　 While  am now plumper than I may like, I used to be a bit of a dish.　 I don’t say this to be egotistical or gain “OMG, Tonks!!  You’re still soooo pretty!” comments.  I know I’m gorgeous at any size.  It’s just that me being a dish back in the day is a relevant fact.

Pink and funky doesn’t protect me from reality. Photo by Tonks.

I have been large and small.  I have had blond, red, black, pink and a healthy assortment of other rainbowtastic shades of hair.  I’ve had long hair, short hair, curly hair, straight hair, frizzy hair.  My eyes have been blue and green.  My hips have been swung in baggy sweat pants and tight jeans.  My breasts, always large, have been hidden (well… as much as they can be) underneath huge oversized hoodie sweatshirts and been proudly displayed billowing atop leather corsets.  My legs have been flashed and covered, my body has been exposed and hidden and my sexual intents have been both pronounced to and closed off from the world around me.  In short, I am a human being. and no matter what I have worn, how my hair was cut or colored, what color my eyes were or how i presented my body language to the world, I have been hit on by less than classy men.

I have been cat called at, leered at, been called a slut or a whore at high volume by perfect strangers on the street and been otherwise noticed by a less than classy class of men.  I have been physically assaulted, stalked, groped, goosed, grabbed, beaten and raped by a less than classy class of men.  I have been made to feel afraid for my emotional, physical and mental safety by a less than classy class of men.  Moreover, I have had ALL of these things happen to me no matter what I was doing or wearing.  It’s not ok.  It’s not acceptable.

But it does happen.

Sure, of course that needs to change.  People should treat one another with respect.  But it does happen, and women? We’re a part of the reason why.  Here’s how:

Source: Bodylovewellness.com

When we first remember that nobody can make us feel inferior without our consent, we remember that these men don’t “make us feel” cheap, worthless, afraid or any other feeling by their actions. We instead allow their actions to make us feel these ways. we are in charge of how we feel.  Sure, fear is a natural reaction to a strange, large man stalking you all the way to your front door.  It’s damn scary.  I’ve been there.  But it would have been a lot less scary if I’d been prepared to handle him.

Ladies, it happens.  People, men and women alike, can be dangerous.  Almost every single woman alive has been subject to these types of behavior, and while we may all wish that these behaviors would stop, the realistic likelihood of that ending is NOT going to happen anytime soon.  So, in addition to making people aware as this woman linked above has, I’m going to share fundamental points she’s missed.

Until we live in a world where people of every gender treat others of every gender with respect, it is on us to teach ourselves, and our loved ones how to handle these situations.  I say people of all genders because it’s not just women who get treated this way by men.  It’s PEOPLE who treat OTHER PEOPLE this way.  So what do we do?

Source: http://www.ci.lino-lakes.mn.us

Learn to defend yourself.  This means physically as well as verbally.  I don’t just mean learning to speak up for yourself by saying “no”.  I mean leaning things like “staircase wit”- how to volley insults right back at those who send them- and how to deal with bullies on the battlefields of the mind, the spirit and the body.  We must learn to know ourselves inside and out, and thicken our skins against all kinds of social attacks.  When we present ourselves as meek or afraid, we’re wearing a neon target that says “I’m a fish in a barrel. come get dinner.”  to the less than classy class of people.  If you think that wearing baggy sweats and slinking back to your apartment is going to draw less attention to yourself, you’re wrong.  It draws JUST AS MUCH attention as if you’re wearing a fabulous corset and a 6 inch pair of pumps. the difference is the image you project to the world.  Neither makes you less of a target.

It’s important to remember that what you wear does have some bearing on how the world around you views you as an individual, but to assume that you’re in danger or in safety by dressing any way at all is a fallacy.  People suck, and everyone gets treated this way sooner or later. some more than others.  So learn to defend yourself.

Source: easybakegunclub.com

Take self defense classes. practice the things you wish you’d have said in situations that left you feeling badly about yourself as a person.  Remember that there is only ONE person responsible for your safety in all forms, and that person is you.  So, instead of just trying to make people aware of how shitty the world can be, step up and actually do something to change your lot for the better.  Remember that being confident and even a bit sassy is it’s own weapon, but also remember that while this approach does make you less of a target to some, it only makes you more of a challenge for others.  Find out what works best for you.  Remember that there is no “safe way to act”. reality, my friends, is harsh, but what you have to do is find your own path to make you as protected from the evils of the human condition because nothing you say or do is going to change it overnight, and being prepared is the best defense anyone can have.

Tonks

Choked, a bit of fiction about DV.

I’m going to start this week with something that I wrote a couple of years ago.  It is fiction.

The circumstances centered around this piece is irrelevant and all parties involved have found a quaky sorta peace.

Also the following involves issues around violence that may be a trigger for some people.  If you are in an abusive  situation, seek help. I know it’s difficult but NO ONE deserves to be abused  no matter the circumstances.

Also check out Helpguide.org for more information.

Also, my fellow writers, I’d like to improve my writing so any critique you can give me would be much appreciated, or if you feel up to it, could you please answer this question.

 1. Are there any spots that are confusing or need to be cleaned up?

Also if you have some fiction you would like me to look at please leave a link, or shoot me an e-mail.

Jodie

Now I present:

Choked

Book Review: The Love Wars by L. Alison Heller

The Love Wars by L. Alison Heller

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Many graduate students dream of getting out into the world and applying their trade. The nerves of the interview, the excitement of landing that first job and the huge sigh at the prospect of being able to make payments on those pesky student loans. But what happens when doing what is right, instead of whats expected, derails these plans?

In The Love Wars by L. Alison Heller, Molly Grant is a finance lawyer at the prestigious Bacon Payne law firm. From day one she had a plan. Work her ass off for five years, receive the big fat Payne-check, pay off her and her parents loans, and be free to do whatever she wanted. After five months on the job she realized she made a mistake; but Molly dug in her heels and three years later she caught a break.

It’s 5:30 am and I should be sleeping…yet

The cool morning breeze of summer floats through my window and birds chirp in the distance. I feel calm as Gaia takes

Earth (Photo credit: stef thomas)

time for herself.  I’m not a morning person, never was, but there is something about mornings that have always gotten to me.  Its simplicity

Most are still asleep, as the sun creeps over the horizon, casting a faint glow.  The world appears grey yet vibrant as various animals start to stir for the day. The world is so alive and unspoiled before the humans and our various technologies take over for the day. Nature grows quiet, Gaias time passes and the pace of life quickens.

I feel that I should be more poetic.  Describe what I’m feeling, seeing, sensing, but I do not have the words.  At least not now, now I just feel and type what I can because the language centers of my brain still doze as my senses relax and smile at the calm.

Now may not be the best time to reveal this weeks theme, yet maybe instilling a calm is the best way to begin.

Originally I was going to have this weeks theme be  about the  ”90′s”  but than I came across the  Baby Killer post and this post about Sir Patrick Stewart. (aka Captain Picard). I there are more important things to talk about than an era long gone.

This week Jodie’s Journey will present stories about  Women.  Specifically Women’s Right and Violence Against Women.

I do not take this theme lightly. I expect to rattle a few cages but I hope to add to the dialog.

I hope you will too, but for now I’m going to lay back and listen Gaia, mother earth, enjoy her time of peace.

Love and Light,

Jodie

Related articles

• Patrick Stewart with a Message for Women (but fellas, listen closely) (mainframereview.com)
• How Men (and a Star Trek star) Impact the Domestic Violence Movement (dvsdprogram.wordpress.com)
• Honoring Gaia – Energy Of Mother Earth (passionfortruths.wordpress.com)
• Gaia by Alex Grey: A Rhetorical Analysis (wr121blog.wordpress.com)

Do I Look Like a Baby Killer?

Reblogged from Fieldwork in Stilettos:

This morning I went to Planned Parenthood.  I go every three months to pick up my birth control pills and again in August just before my birthday for my annual pelvic exam.

My usual concerns when going to Planned Parenthood are:

A)     Where am I going to park?  Parking in Center City is never easy.

B)      How long is this going to take? 

Read more… 1,679 more words

I stay out of politics, mainly because I keep an open mind about things and tend to sway one way or another depending on what I learn. There are a few things I do have a strong stance on and this post expresses one of them. Unfortunately the world hasn't changed much. The color of your skin and the junk in your shorts still seems to out weight character or competence, but if more people like Ms. Richter stand up than maybe, just maybe things will continue to more forward, instead of stall at the protest line.

Joke 800

Reblogged from The Laughing Housewife:

True Stories from Flight Attendants

Occasionally, airline attendants make an effort to make the "in-flight safety lecture," and their other announcements, a bit more entertaining.  Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:

• "There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane..."
• "We do feature a smoking section on this flight; if you must smoke, please contact a member of the flight crew and they will escort you to the wing of the airplane."

Read more… 581 more words

Lol These are great!! Thank you Laughing Housewife for posting them. :)

My Town: A walk with my daughter.

My daughter and I took a tour of my old stomping ground last week.  She pedaled her bike as I serenely walked behind.  At the end of the block she stopped and waited for me, or pedaled back to me,  alway questioning where to go next.

My course wasn’t planned. It was an impromptu as I steered her towards  my high school and watched her circle the student parking lot.  The school was different, yet the same, the student parking was in a state of disrepair  But the building has not changed. The doors, walls, lockers are the same. Same width, same height, same color, yet they appear smaller now, unfamiliar… as if I have grown, changed, and they will be eternally the same, even though the building now had middle school marked across its flank.

The track still surrounded the field where her father played football and the bleachers were crisply painted in whites and blues yet on the opposite side of the field.   Now facing the school instead of away from it.

My little one, dropped her bike and raced around the track, blonde hair flying.  Laughing.

“Come on mommy.”  her sweet voice chirped, her hand beckoning.

Loyalty or the Illusion of it

I am a Leo, or at least that is what my star sign claims me to be, but the stereotypical Leo I am not.

I’d like to say that I do not have the characteristics of a Leo, lover of the limelight, flamboyant, self-centered, natural leader and thus deny my star sign all together. But, alas I am what I am and  my type of Leo is more  esoteric in nature than traditional. (yes I do have some of the traditional  characteristics, But I’ve spent years remolding them)

Leo’s are loyal, the heart of the Zodiac and while I can not say for sure that I’m the heart of anything, I do know that I have a loyal nature. Even if some can call me a hypocrite. (Everything can be shattered with the right amount  of pressure/friction)

My loyalties to my employer, friends, family, lovers, is concrete, for the most part. Bending over backwards to the point of self-deprecation is common place for me and feeling disloyal to any of the pre mentioned is…well… odd. (yet probably healthy)

Gilded Tarot: Illustrator: Ciro Marchetti, Author Barbra Moores

Months ago I lost respect for my employers.