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highlyeccentricCurrently Reading:
Fiction: I'm dipping my nose back into Elif Shafak's 'Three Daughters of Eve', and have made some slight progress with Greenwell's 'What Belongs To You' since the last Listening post. Wake, Siren is still on hiatus.
Non-fiction for fun: All on hiatus.
Lit Mag: Still plodding through summer Meanjin, still haven't got my March issue, and now June is out. Ooops.
For work: Actually nothing right this minute, because I finished them all. They're hanging around on the 'currently reading' trolley shelf, though, waiting for annotation.
Recently Finished:
Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing by Melissa Mohr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a hugely readable book with some glaring historical holes in it. Notably, its huge and weird dependence on Norbert Elias' 'civilising' theory of progressive history. This means Mohr does some seriously short shrift to medieval culture along the way (although plenty of early modernists who don't rely on Elias do that too). There's also the problem of a book that seems to have begun from a PhD and ended as a trade history book: I can tell she has done research, but there's no citations! The depth and quality of the research is variable, as well.
I disagree strongly with her reading of certain Latin verbs, but can't tell if that's her doing or if there are sources on them that I haven't encountered. I also, when she's talking about determining what's obscene and what's not from graffiti, that there was more explanation of *how*, because I rather doubt some of the conclusions.
Finally, during BLM protests was a poor moment to finish this book: Mohr flubs the section on racial epithets, really really badly, and seems to end up suggesting it would be good for society if said epithets become 'swear-ified' (as happened to, say, fuck, wherein its specific semantics get broadened and most uses have nothing to do with any actual fucking). Just. NOPE. Bad idea do not pass go.
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved the atmospheric evocation of this book, and certainly found it gripping. I had some historical quibbles with it it, ranging from the weirdly specific (there's a mention of Scottish actresses at a time when i'm pretty sure no women were on the British stage) to ... some sweeping misunderstandings of how much or little a 17th c lower middle class woman would do in terms of housework (a lot more than Ursa seems to know how to do).
The best drawn character by far was Absalom - Hargrave shows real skill in depicting him as *complex*, and his abuses as having plausible root in his own trauma, without requiring you to sympathise with him for it.
I was somewhat baffled to find my book club group thought there was 'little joy' in this story. I found plenty, despite my historical quibbles, in the scenes where the women work together and enjoy each other's company, as each so rarely had opportunity to do with others. Honestly I find it a bit... reductive to say that doesn't *count* just because it was in an atmosphere of unrequired / undeveloped desire. But hey, news at seven, once again I don't seem to share the compulsive drive toward Correct Happy Gay Representation. If i wanted definitionally happy I'd still be reading romance.
Obscene Pedagogies: Transgressive Talk and Sexual Education in Late Medieval Britain by Carissa M Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am full of hearteyes and !!! about this book. Harris' readings of medieval and early modern sources are, for the most part, brilliant (I had some few interpretive quibbles re some of the songs), and the introduction is a masterclass in, well, introducing. Particularly Harris' justifications for using an apparently-unrelated theoretical lens (Black feminist criticism) to read medieval lit - the steps she walks through to link the two are exemplary and useful to me, in that my work is often deeply queer-reading based, but also rarely about queer people or experiences.
My chief scepticism is that Harris places, IMHO, rather too much optimistic hope in the power of male-to-male peer education and/or empathetic response to packed rape narratives. Aside from the fact that she (probably unaware of their Problematic rep in Aus) cites resources from White Ribbon Australia and a researcher who was a White Ribbon Ambassador for a long time (ergo, I do not trust him), I am sceptical for so many reasons, both critically and personally informed.
Cymbeline by William Shakespeare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
SO OLE BILLY SHAKES JUST THREW ALL THE TROPES IN A BAG AND SHOOK 'EM UP, HUH
***
Also finished: Helen Barr, 'Transporting Chaucers', which was... weird. A collection called 'Feminist Theory and the Classics', which turned out to be about Classical Studies not classic lit - read a couple of articles, useful for several things but not the one thing I had borrowed the book for.
Online Fiction:
Tessa Hadley (The New Yorker), The Other One. This is very compelling but disappointingly lacking in lesbian affairs.
Sarah Saleh (SBS voices, extract from Sweatshop Women vol 2), Arab Mother Guilt: it was Never About Me (autobiographical fiction)
Alexandra Chang (Guernica), Klara. Oh this pressed on some sore spots, this did. Story of two hyper-entwined friends whose college friendship ruptures but they pretend it doesn't.
Sacha Graybosch (Elecrtic Lit), The True Story, run under the headline 'In case of emergency have your cat call an ambulance'.
Megha Majumdar (Electric Lit), Extract from A Burning, run under the title 'A rally for the right-wing cult of personality'. Made me add the novel to my TBR.
Up Next:
For specifically work purposes I have a couple more books on rape in early modern lit and the like to get through, then I shall start reading the Chaucerian playscripts MF leant me.
Non-work wise, once I finish the Meanjin issue it's on to Dark Emu, and once I finish either Shafak or Greenwell, some fiction off the shelf, possibly Zadie Smith.
At least my currently-reading list is down to 8?
Fiction: I'm dipping my nose back into Elif Shafak's 'Three Daughters of Eve', and have made some slight progress with Greenwell's 'What Belongs To You' since the last Listening post. Wake, Siren is still on hiatus.
Non-fiction for fun: All on hiatus.
Lit Mag: Still plodding through summer Meanjin, still haven't got my March issue, and now June is out. Ooops.
For work: Actually nothing right this minute, because I finished them all. They're hanging around on the 'currently reading' trolley shelf, though, waiting for annotation.
Recently Finished:
Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing by Melissa MohrMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a hugely readable book with some glaring historical holes in it. Notably, its huge and weird dependence on Norbert Elias' 'civilising' theory of progressive history. This means Mohr does some seriously short shrift to medieval culture along the way (although plenty of early modernists who don't rely on Elias do that too). There's also the problem of a book that seems to have begun from a PhD and ended as a trade history book: I can tell she has done research, but there's no citations! The depth and quality of the research is variable, as well.
I disagree strongly with her reading of certain Latin verbs, but can't tell if that's her doing or if there are sources on them that I haven't encountered. I also, when she's talking about determining what's obscene and what's not from graffiti, that there was more explanation of *how*, because I rather doubt some of the conclusions.
Finally, during BLM protests was a poor moment to finish this book: Mohr flubs the section on racial epithets, really really badly, and seems to end up suggesting it would be good for society if said epithets become 'swear-ified' (as happened to, say, fuck, wherein its specific semantics get broadened and most uses have nothing to do with any actual fucking). Just. NOPE. Bad idea do not pass go.
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood HargraveMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved the atmospheric evocation of this book, and certainly found it gripping. I had some historical quibbles with it it, ranging from the weirdly specific (there's a mention of Scottish actresses at a time when i'm pretty sure no women were on the British stage) to ... some sweeping misunderstandings of how much or little a 17th c lower middle class woman would do in terms of housework (a lot more than Ursa seems to know how to do).
The best drawn character by far was Absalom - Hargrave shows real skill in depicting him as *complex*, and his abuses as having plausible root in his own trauma, without requiring you to sympathise with him for it.
I was somewhat baffled to find my book club group thought there was 'little joy' in this story. I found plenty, despite my historical quibbles, in the scenes where the women work together and enjoy each other's company, as each so rarely had opportunity to do with others. Honestly I find it a bit... reductive to say that doesn't *count* just because it was in an atmosphere of unrequired / undeveloped desire. But hey, news at seven, once again I don't seem to share the compulsive drive toward Correct Happy Gay Representation. If i wanted definitionally happy I'd still be reading romance.
Obscene Pedagogies: Transgressive Talk and Sexual Education in Late Medieval Britain by Carissa M HarrisMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am full of hearteyes and !!! about this book. Harris' readings of medieval and early modern sources are, for the most part, brilliant (I had some few interpretive quibbles re some of the songs), and the introduction is a masterclass in, well, introducing. Particularly Harris' justifications for using an apparently-unrelated theoretical lens (Black feminist criticism) to read medieval lit - the steps she walks through to link the two are exemplary and useful to me, in that my work is often deeply queer-reading based, but also rarely about queer people or experiences.
My chief scepticism is that Harris places, IMHO, rather too much optimistic hope in the power of male-to-male peer education and/or empathetic response to packed rape narratives. Aside from the fact that she (probably unaware of their Problematic rep in Aus) cites resources from White Ribbon Australia and a researcher who was a White Ribbon Ambassador for a long time (ergo, I do not trust him), I am sceptical for so many reasons, both critically and personally informed.
Cymbeline by William ShakespeareMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
SO OLE BILLY SHAKES JUST THREW ALL THE TROPES IN A BAG AND SHOOK 'EM UP, HUH
***
Also finished: Helen Barr, 'Transporting Chaucers', which was... weird. A collection called 'Feminist Theory and the Classics', which turned out to be about Classical Studies not classic lit - read a couple of articles, useful for several things but not the one thing I had borrowed the book for.
Online Fiction:
Tessa Hadley (The New Yorker), The Other One. This is very compelling but disappointingly lacking in lesbian affairs.
Sarah Saleh (SBS voices, extract from Sweatshop Women vol 2), Arab Mother Guilt: it was Never About Me (autobiographical fiction)
Alexandra Chang (Guernica), Klara. Oh this pressed on some sore spots, this did. Story of two hyper-entwined friends whose college friendship ruptures but they pretend it doesn't.
Sacha Graybosch (Elecrtic Lit), The True Story, run under the headline 'In case of emergency have your cat call an ambulance'.
Megha Majumdar (Electric Lit), Extract from A Burning, run under the title 'A rally for the right-wing cult of personality'. Made me add the novel to my TBR.
Up Next:
For specifically work purposes I have a couple more books on rape in early modern lit and the like to get through, then I shall start reading the Chaucerian playscripts MF leant me.
Non-work wise, once I finish the Meanjin issue it's on to Dark Emu, and once I finish either Shafak or Greenwell, some fiction off the shelf, possibly Zadie Smith.
At least my currently-reading list is down to 8?