From the Desk of Mx Yah Yah
a newsletter...consistency from yah yah?
And so comes the end of the first week of 2024! How are we feeling about the new year so far? Good thoughts? Bad thoughts? For myself, I feel like I’ve made a good start of things. I’ve been faithful to my habits so far, getting up early and remembering to eat, as well as daily journaling and reading and reflection. The more pessimistic side of me thinks that I’ll start backsliding around February, but the side of me that’s devoted to change and radical self-revolution knows that I simply have to take things day by day, always keeping in mind my physical limitations and accepting what cannot be changed.
So! What was this first week of the year like for me? On Monday, I started reading A Clash of Kings, and I think I’ll be finished with it by this evening. I’ve really been liking the series so far (mind you, I’m only two books in), and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get around to it. On the other hand, I’m glad I’m reading it as an adult because I highly doubt I would’ve gotten the nuances of power and gender when I was a teenager. Experiencing the series through Tumblr discourse and gifs in my teens, I had the impression of A Song of Ice And Fire as this super-misogynistic series slavering over the abuse of women. And yes, the TV show looks godawful, the dim colors and the hyperviolent scenes of sexual assault, so I was fully expecting the books to be similar. Imagine my shock to find how complex it all is!
[ image id, black background with white text from fluoresensitive, reading, “The show would have you believe GRRM is a weirdo who hates women and loves misogyny, but the book is so delicious, it’s literally about class and the distinctions of power, how Catelyn can feel superior to Brienne because Brienne is “ugly” when Catelyn has no real power over anything, and how Cersei feels she has to despicable things to eke out something for herself because she understands that to make it in a man’s world she has to be slimy, and it’s about Arya whispering names to kill people she hates, and Sansa clutching sooo hard to the stories of chivalry while knowing that there’s no such thing as a decent knight, and I’m literally. I’m gagged. I’m glad I’m reading this as an adult because teenage me wouldn’t have got it.” /end id]
Right now, I’m on page 766, in Jon’s P.O.V. Making a list of my favorite characters would be … so obnoxious, but this is my online diary, and nobody can stop me from doing anything. Favorite characters of the moment, in no particular order: Arya Stark, Sansa Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, Catelyn Stark, Davos Seaworth, Varys, Samwell Tarly, Sandor Clegane, Renly Baratheon ( one love, gone but never forgotten), Brienne of Tarth. As for ones I’m not so fond of, but still kind of stan because I love their flavor of malicious ridiculousness: Cersei Lannister, Tywin Lannister, Stannis Baratheon (he’s so, bitch-made and dumb), Daenerys Targaryen. Note the lack of Theon Greyjoy, who pisses me off and who I genuinely cannot stand, like, there are some characters are are downright foolish and malicious, and I enjoy them despite it, but he is not one of those! We’ll see if my opinion changes, but, he has horrible vibes, and I want everything he plans out to fail horribly!
Tuesday was uneventful, reading and resting, but on Wednesday, I went out with my friends! We ate at this little place on Memorial Drive called Curry Up Now. Everything was so delicious; pizza on naan, these delicious sweet potato fries loaded with tikka masala, fried ravioli! Afterwards, we took a little walk around the neighborhood, just walking and taking in the air, and then we went for frozen custard at this place called Andy’s up in Druid Hills. Perfect evening, absolutely glorious, but that’s no surprise. I always have such a good time with this group of friends, and it’s not even about the food. It’s like, my soul is at peace with these people. Whatever worries I have melt away, and all that’s left is laughter and music and stillness.
Thursday, I was mostly in bed due to a pain flare-up. Eventually, around ten, I was able to drag myself out of bed and start my day. I ended up making dinner—meat loaf and air-fried chicken. Honestly, for my first time making meatloaf it wasn’t bad at all, but I think cooking meat makes me a little nervous because I’m so anxious about under-cooking it. No matter how many times I poke it with the thermometer, I always feel like I’ve done something wrong, and then sometimes I’ll cook it too long, and ugh! It’s a whole thing with me, but I think is a thing that’ll wear off as I get more experienced with being in the kitchen on my own.
And then today! Today I hung out with my Dad. We haven’t had a lot of time (or money) to do a lot ‘out-of’-the-house’ bonding, so today was a real blast. We went to our favorite record shop out in Decatur, Wuxtry, which I mentioned in yesterday’s music wrapped post. I got Dad two jazz albums as a late Christmas present, and got myself Brittany Howard’s Jaime and D’angelo’s Black Messiah on CD and a Sun-Ra vinyl.
Brief aside…I need everyone to get into Sun Ra and experimental jazz music, like I need everyone to unlock that portal inside of themselves that lets them enjoy saxophone and trumpet and bass that sends you to another galaxy. He truly makes music for the Black futurist, for lovers of Janelle Monae’s ArchAndroid (which I saw as well, but passed up), and for anyone who loves a science fiction moment. I have a playlist of songs that remind me of a Ursula K. Le Guin novel, and I’m genuinely surprised that I haven’t soaked it in every Sun-Ra song ever, but there is an afro-futurism playlist and a short story of mine that I wrote for Fiyah Lit Mag inspired by a Sun-Ra song (Meditations on Sun-Ra’s Bassism).
<iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe>What else? After we left Wuxtry, we had coffee and coffee cake at this little local coffee shop next door, which we adore, and then we popped over to Eagle Eye Books to see what we could find. They have a huge selection, but I’m not really trying to buy a lot of things I’m not going to read, and anyways I have a whole bookshelf to try to get through this year, not to mention an iPad bursting with ePubs and PDFs. I did finally find myself a copy of Ken Liu’s Paper Menagerie, one of my favorite short story collections. Since it’s science fiction/fantasy, I’ll probably be re-reading it this month!
OMG, WHAT’S YAH YAH READING LISTENING TO & WATCHING?
Okay, I already told y’all about me reading A Clash of Kings (and about to start the next book, probably tonight or tomorrow), so instead of doing an update on that, I can tell you what I’m listening to and watching!
Right now I’m watching Boardwalk Empire at the suggestion of famous internet icon Nisipa, who was 100% correct about this show being brilliant. I have so many feelings about so many characters, and five seasons deep, I’ve never been so stressed and enthralled. Wonderful. Ten out of ten, would probably rewatch a few more times because it’s just so tasty!
I’m also keeping up with season five of Fargo. Now, listen to me…I am a Fargo lover, I’ve loved every single season so far (s4 and s2 being the best ones, argue with your mama!), and this one is no different! I won’t spoil anything, but you definitely should watch this show if you like complex characters, discussions on justice versus law, the politics of power, the use of violence… It’s pure gold, and the girls who love a narrative and a thread and a story will love this one.
In terms of listening, I’m literally just getting around to listening to Thundercat’s Drunk. Blah, blah, blah, it’s an old album, everybody and their cousin has heard it, but like! Not me! You probably don’t need to be told, but I’mma say it anyway—this is a perfect album. Groovy, funky with these delicious instrumental moments. I want a vinyl, I want every song beamed into my brain, I want to exist inside of the melodies.
It makes me want to listen to Andre 3000’s new album, honestly. I think I might listen to that next!
Um! I think that’s it for this week! I still want to do a post reflecting on the art I made last year, the collages and short stories, but that’ll most likely be later this month. I will not burn myself out making content, like I just won’t!
Until then,