New Year | New Term

Hello and Happy New Year!

Classes start back up tomorrow and I just thought I'd share with you the banner I curated for my class site's banner:

[Groot and Rocket, Adventure in the Great Wide Somewhere, and Always]

My theme this term is again "The Rhetoric of Fans, Fandom, and Fanatics," and I just thought this fan art was a beautiful demonstration.  

Now I'm turning in to help reset my internal clock, which is still on "break time."  Bonsoir and happy new term :)

Fangirl, meet Fanboy

One of the things my boyfriend and I marvel at most is how many things - specifically stories - we're mutually passionate about and how they led us to meet and get to know one another.  There have been several moments where I just have to shake my head and smile at how much fun it is to appreciate stories together.  So I thought I'd share a few of those moments.

(Key: S=me, M=him)


The day after we met, he was perusing my blog...
S: Oh, I apologize in advance, there's a LOT of stuff on my blog about Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston, because I'm a huge fan of them both.
M: Well... how could you not be?

Discussing "important life questions," such as, favorite Avenger?
S: Can I choose Loki?
M: *smiles* Samara, I'm so glad you're a Loki girl rather than a Thor girl...  Deeply dynamic, understandably pained characters like Loki are precious to good stories, for them to last with you.

We were chatting with some of my family and...
M: I just love Patrick Stewart.  I met him at Comic Con last year.  Patrick Stewart is my [gestures to me] Benedict Cumberbatch.

On our first official date, we arrived at the restaurant early. So he pulls out one of his flutes and plays me "Concerning Hobbits" - from memory. 

During the craze of the Ice Bucket Challenge...

S: Ooh! Benedict did the Ice Bucket Challenge :) 

M: [watches] Haha - has Hiddleston done one yet?? 

S: Yes! [sends it to him] 

M: Brilliant!

He is a wonderful Trekkie, and also a huge fan of lions. The other day I find this on FB. 

M: Lion's log stardate 08271.4: I have encountered a new and intriguing life form called the Beautiful Girlfriend. My investigation may require all my attention. 

We read one of Matt's favorite books and now we're reading one of mine, Pride & Prejudice. It is completely new to him & he is "flipping loving it." Last night he was live-texting me his reaction to Darcy's proposal at Hunsford. Below are snippets of our conversation: 

M: [Sends a photo of the "In vain I have struggled…" line] Wut. :D Like, wow!!! Yes!! C:

S: Hehe, Matt are you developing a mancrush on Darcy? It's totally ok...I won't be jealous! 

M: I mean I... Well, yes, in fact I'm quite over Wickham and have put on my Team Darcy t-shirt... 

[a few minutes later] 

M: Shut. Down! 

S: Looks like someone ain't Team Darcy 

M: Not in the least... 

[a few more minutes] 

M: Oh my gosh that was the best fight I've ever read. 

 

These are just a few of many moments where I've been really thankful to be in a relationship with this Fanboy :) 

I just found this post from 1.16.12.  The day after the fall.

It's been nearly 2 years and it still hurts.

Reviews: Fandom, Fantasy, and the Name of the Wind

Sometimes... I think something is wrong with me. 

Some days I think it would be sooo nice to read or watch something, say "well that was good," put it back on the shelf and move along.

But no.  When I read or watch something - especially if it's expansive - suddenly I'm completely engrossed and I have to know ALL the things.  I thinking about it all the time.  I have dreams about it.  I read theories and interviews and every scrap of information I can find.  I scour etsy and thinkgeek, dreaming of the small, nerdy ways I could show my support (see this Finnick necklace, Avengers earrings, TARDIS journal, Sherlock necklace, Lothlorien leaf, etc...).

Basically, this is totally accurate:

It's been happening with Doctor Who for a while. 

But it's happened again.  Last night I finished the 2nd novel in a fantasy trilogy - and now I must wait! Grr... Now is also when I remember why I mostly read dead authors.  I'm horrible at waiting.  And it makes the obsession worse.  Because there are forums and reddit threads and theories galore about what or how things will happen.  It's just... I'm pretty much a lost cause.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  I suppose I should give this something like a proper review.

First, due credit: Jennifer, my coworker had been telling me about it for a while and lent me the first book months ago.  Then, in Powell's, I saw it on their "employee recommendation" shelf.  Both excellent commendations. 

The series is called the Kingkiller Chronicles.  It is a high fantasy told in framed narrative by the central character, Kvothe [pronounced like "Quothe"].  When we meet him, Kvothe is likely in his mid-thirties and is, quite literally, the stuff of legend!  Born to a gypsy-like performer's troupe, he is a gifted musician, singer, and actor.  He is a ginger.  He's a quick wit and, from an early age, studies "magic" - something, in this series, much closer related to the sciences than what we think of as magic.  He's an instantly lovable character that acts stupid for most of the first book.  He should be dead many-times over; and frankly it's a mercy on Rothfuss's part that Kvothe is the one telling the story, alleviating unbearable suspense.  (I often have to remind myself, "he survives!  He's the one telling the story, ergo, he survives!")  All in all, he's a gifted hero who has had the most extraordinary, fantastical adventures and experiences.  But in the story's "present day,"  Kvothe is tired of being hunted and so has intentionally "killed off" his heroic character to settle down as a humble inn-keeper.  And yet, even at the Waystone Inn, he can't help being a hero down to his bones.


[One fan's fantastic rendering of Kvothe]


Rothfuss sums up: " In some ways it's the simplest story possible: it's the story of a man's life. It's the myth of the Hero seen from backstage. It's about the exploration and revelation of a world, but it's also about Kvothe's desire to uncover the truth hidden underneath the stories in his world." 

With so many stories swirling about him, he's decided to set the record straight and tell his story with all of it's bruises and misadventures. He agrees to tell his story in three days - with each day taking an entire book. Day / Book 1, Name of the Wind (2008) was 700 pages & explained up to age 15. Wise Man's Fears (2011), the one I just finished, was 1,000 pages and covered about 2 years. So basically, the third book (expected 2014) is going to need to be 5,000 pages in order to finish the story.  JK.  Kind of.

How do I talk about the story without giving too much away? Well, I will start by saying that many would, correctly, label the story "episodic." But while episodes within a single novel tend to break the pace and lead to distractions,  I'm not sure how an author writing a saga could achieve moving the character through new locations and groups and adventures without feeling episodic.  Mind you, many of these "episodes" are 200 - 300 pages long.  I moved from one to the other, reluctantly at first, but found myself appreciating a new cast of characters and becoming familiar with new regions of Rothfuss's fantasy map.  One of the most significant aspects of fantasy is integral world-building, and it is one of the many things Rothfuss excels at.

So what type of these adventures does Kvothe go on?  At heart a wanderer, and after an unorthodox youth - including a stint as a street urchin, Kvothe spends time at University studying the "magic" of sympathy and naming; he fightss a dragon-like creature, he serves at a royal court; he entertains both pubs and princelings with his music; he wanders into fairyland for an unknowable length of time; and he is trained to fight by some of the best mercenaries in the world.  Of course, there is a pretty, mysterious lady in his life too.  All the while, he is searching out dangerous creatures that everyone else take to be the stuff of nursery rhymes. 

"Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..." - the Kingkiller Chronicles includes them all.  This series has made me cry real tears.  It's made me anxious.  One time, I was reading it home on the bus, got dropped off at the park & ride and proceeded to sit in my car for the next hour and a half because I couldn't put it down.  Most of all this book has made me care.  Of course I'm rooting for and pretty much in love with Kvothe.  But it's not just him.  I genuinely care to find out what happens to his friends and teachers and the whole realm Rothfuss has created.  I eagerly await the final installment, Doors of Stone, due out sometime next year.  In the meantime, I'll probably meet a lot of other characters and take in many other stories.  But I'll be waiting.  Waiting to hear the rest of Kvothe's tale and hear what comes after.

If you like fantasy or are just looking for an engaging book, you might want to check out this series.  The world, characters, and plot are all well developed and, despite the length, I read both in just over a month.  I should mention this isn't a children's series.  As Kvothe becomes more of an adult there is, well, adult content.  Although some may consider this an immature reason to read - I certainly don't - I will add that at ComicCon last month, it was announced that Fox has optioned the series for a tv show [Watch out, Game of Thrones].  If for whatever reason you do decide to pick up the book, let me know and tell me what you think of it.

I'll leave you with a few favorite quotes from the series:

"Stories don't need to be new to bring you joy. Some stories are like familiar friends. Some are dependable as bread."

"It's the questions we can't answer that teach us the most."

"All the truth in the world is held in stories..."

Fireworks - Green, Pt II

Welcome back to part II.  That Friday afternoon held the highlight of my LeakyCon:  the autograph session. 


Oh, and here's the poster I started with (brilliant design!).  It's from DFTBA [not related, but I was reeeeally tempted to get this one too :D ]

[These two...what is else is there really to say?]

First up, Ashley Clements and Daniel Vincent Gordh.  Lizzie and Darcy.  They were both really grateful and sweet!  Daniel said, "I like your Darcy costume."  I asked him to sign "Verisimilitude."  He goes, "I hope I didn't spell that wrong."  Sorry, Daniel, you did.  But he was sick, so we'll give him a pass.

[Jing!]

These two win "sweetest couple award."  At Netherfield, doesn't Lizzie say something about them having a "nice off"?  They would in real life!  Laura Spencer is just darling and Christopher Sean took the time to read name-badges and leave a note.  Very cool.

[I mean...]

[I can't get over how cute they are!]

[This pair of pics is actually for laughs... the longer I look the funnier Wes's faces become hehe]

[Wes Aderhold... puttin' those selfie practices to good use]

[such a favorite!]

Hold the phone - I got to meet MK Wiles!  I can't tell you how much I appreciate what MK brought to the role of Lydia.  And finding out she's a fellow sentamentalist, English (and Theatre double) major, and LotR nerd... well, it was so huge to meet her and thank her in person for her work.  

[Collins and Collins]

Maxwell Glick has this really awesome t-shirt:  it's the Bag End door and says "Second Breakfast Diner."  I told him we should start a restaurant with that name - who wouldn't want to breakfast there?

[Hank and the Hanklerfish]

Representing 1/2 of the Green brothers, here is Hank in all is awesome.  And the Hanklerfish.  Don't forget the Hanklerfish.

Hank made my day when he not only told me he liked my costume, he thought I was "the best LBD cosplayer" he had seen at LeakyCon.  +500 nerd points :)

[Bernie Su]

When I got to Bernie, he looked at me and said, "Samara, thank you for watching the Lizzie Bennet Diaries."  He was so sincere, so genuinely grateful.  All I could say was a sincere, "Thank you for creating them!"

[The Bennet Sisters]

Sorry they're blurry... I was a bit overwhelmed by the awesome :D

[So, so grateful for this panel and these people]

I've seen an encouragement online that goes something like this:  "Dear Starving Artist, remember that what you're starving for is worth it."  Sadly,  I know many have to give up on those dreams.  But to see these people not only make it long enough to create something wonderful, but also be appreciated for it - that's just fantastic!

[I'm pretty sure these tweets didn't make it to fb...]

Yah... I was a bit overwhelmed after meeting all those creative people.  I get excited - what can I say?  

Other fun LBD-related LeakyCon moments:  gifs, more gifs, Maxwell's bts, or the "leaked" blooper real (that's 1 of 5 on the DVD).



So, the rest of the afternoon, I snuck in and out of sessions and took time for food and journaling and social media.  I also took a few pics of costumes. Tried, I should say.  I tried to take pictures of them.  None of them turned out very well, except for:  Severus Snape!  This guy was rocking it!  His hair was real!  Dyed, but not a wig.  And the costume was fantastic with buttons and all.  Ah, I just love costumes :)

[Severus Snape!!]

[LeakyCon dance party]

The day's festivities were followed by the Wrock Concert (Wizard Rock...yah).  Anyway, there was one group that did a cover of "Dog Days are Over" and after the bridge, a whole bunch of other musicians and special guests went out there and danced around like crazy - it was awesome!  I mean, Hank Green and "Foxface" were both up there and the whole place was going wild.  Such fun!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Well, LeakyCon - being my first convention and all - was a brilliant experience.  There were so many moments when i thought, "These are my type of people.  I'm not too much for them... [That's rare!]."  But more than that, it's an incredible way for creators and fans and creative fans to "touch" and appreciate one another in a very unique way.  And that was worth the trip.  It's not about "famous people" or fandoms.  The thing that unites us is story, narrative.  A beautiful and powerful thing.  I introduced friends, I wrote blog posts, I backed their kick-starter - but to be able to look those people in the eye, people I had been on a journey with for almost a year, that was a great treat. 


I'll leave you with some thoughts from MK Wiles on the subject:

LeakyCon is a bright beacon of hope and fun and encouragement and love for things we love. It is a wonderful thing to be celebrating—the stories that make us feel. I got into this career because A Story made me feel. It’s incredibly humbling to be a part of something that did that for someone else.

My life, and any actor’s life, can be hard, just like I’m sure many of your lives have their own difficulties. It’s experiences like this weekend that remind me, and remind us, that there’s some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for. In fact, I think there’s quite a bit of good, and I see it in each of your faces. Thank you for letting me fight with you.

- MK Wiles, On LeakyCon

[Thank you, LeakyCon!]

Fireworks - Green, Pt I

"There's no regret more painful than the regret of things that never were."

-  The Book of Disquiet, Fernando Pessoa

One of the hardest parts of adulthood is deciding what takes priority.  What are the once-in-a-lifetime, life-changing events and experiences?  How do we invest our time and money in those and not waste it on the other stuff?  And what about when two life-changing experiences compete?  These are the hardest decisions of my life.

And one of them presented itself earlier this year.  I wrestled with this for months.  Many of you watched me hop from one side of the fence to the other.  There were days when I thought "I totally have to do this.  There is no way I could miss this opportunity."  And then days when I thought, "Samara, that PTO and column for your budget would be better spent ______ or ______ or ______."  And it's true - there are some downright unbelievably cool opportunities around the corner to be saving for.  Still, I visited their registration page a dozen times (no joke).  I was almost hoping to come to it one day and find it sold out - then I'd have an "Oh, well - I tried" excuse...but really just because then someone else would have made the decision for me :P

But then, 2 weeks before LeakyCon in Portland, when I had finally resigned myself to missing it, they opened up the "Day Pass" option.  And I finally jumped on this "best of both worlds" scenario.

Just as a brief intro, LeakyCon started as a Harry-Potter-centric convention, but has opened itself to embrace a lot of different fandoms, including-but-not-limited-to: Doctor Who, The Hunger Games, Nerdfighters, Glee, and most recently, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.  Being that Hank Green & a large portion of the cast & crew would be there... I knew I had to go.  And I'm so glad I did.  One week ago I was considering panels on "Greek Myth in Harry Potter" or "Naming in the Hunger Games" or (one of my favorites) "Fandom as Ekklesia."  I spent the day among other cosplayers, watching quidditch matches, singing along to Beauty & the Beast songs with a few hundred other people as they played over the loud speaker.  I adjusted to being called "Darcy" for the day.  I attend my first Wizard Rock concert (ha!).  And best of all, listened to and met some creatives I've been following for over a year.

So here's a rundown of my spectacularly nerdy day :)



[Get your Darcy on!!]

So, cosplay-wise, I went with Jane!Darcy - cutesy dress, (red!) milkmaid braids, bow-tie, and newsie-cap.  So. much. fun!

First part of the day was the most nerve-wracking: a lottery drawing for the LBD autograph session that afternoon.  The deal was, you join this humongous line, file into the exhibition hall, sort yourself into the session you want (Starkid, HP Actors, LBD, you get my drift), and then draw from a bag.  You draw a red ticket - you're in.  White ticket - you're out.  [But, if you draw a white one, you can go back to the beginning of the sorted line rather than the humongo line.] 

So first time through..... fingers crossed.  Kinda jittery actually.  I don't hide my fangirl well [some of you are thinking... no really?].  Snake through the line.  Make small talk with the other (ok, yah, pretty much all) girls in that line.  Get to the bag........pull a white ticket.  Drat!
Back to the end with a few others.  Repeat snaking process.  I overhear people in the line "Yah, I've never watched these, but..."  Traitors!  JK.  Kind of.  Draw again...white again. 
"Once more unto the breach..." ok, not that bad.  But here I was wishing and hoping.  More small talk with the same two girls as the last time. Noting my costume, I have some people offering me a red ticket if they get one, "I'm just here for my friend."  I must look desperate.  Well, darn it... I am desperate.  I watch as those ones who offered their ticket one-by-one draw white tickets.  The girls in front of me pull red.  Cheers!  I reach in for my third draw.  I feel around.  "This is it," I think.  "There aren't enough tickets for me to draw a fourth time."  My fingers fix on one.  I pull it out...........

RED!



Whew!  I'm going to meet them.  I'll get they're signatures.  I'll get to thank them in person.

Next I go that "Fandom as Ekklesia" discussion.  It was fascinating.  A big theme of the convention, actually, was, "Okay, we're a unified group.  We identify with such-and-such fandom.  We have a community.  Now, what can we do with that?"  And there are some great groups!  Nerdfighters aim to "decrease world-suck" and so offer micro-loans to people in developing nations through Kiva [$400k last year alone].  The Harry Potter Alliance announces "We are Book 8" and encourages members of the fandom to apply the principals of the book to make our world better.  I was able to donate a bit last month to Myeloma UK as a fandom fundraiser/birthday present for Benedict Cumberbatch  [there's still 2 weeks, if you're interested].  Point is - Fandoms can obviously mobilize along common interests and beliefs.  But can we do more than pledge money?  Can we become a vibrant community that lives the message of the narratives we love and identify with?  

[Oh wait...isn't that what being a Christian is supposed to be about?  .............  That's a different blog post].  The reverand who led this discussion had some great observations and she made me view fandom as something more than just a hashtag or facebook page.  Really, really great.

But I digress.  

Next up:  Lizzie Bennet Diaries Writers' Panel.  This was one of the main reasons I came! 



[Jay Bushman - writer & transmedia director
Rachel Kiley - writer of Lydia arc and videos
Margaret Dunlap - writer and co-producer
Bernie Su - head writer, co-producer, director, hat wearer :]



Yes, that's a Mrs. Bennet hat in front of me :)  So, the writer's showed us a bonus feature from the upcoming DVD.  It was awesome.  Then they shared each of their timeline of involvement with the show.  Hank Green, executive producer, had come up with the idea, talked to Bernie about it during their 2nd ever conversation, Bernie contacted a few female writers (including Rachel and Margaret).  Meanwhile Jay had been trying to get a transmedia version of Pride and Prejudice out there for years.  He was told there was no audience for that (ha ha ha ha!).  They all met up and then the magic started! 

They fielded some great questions, including one from me :D  I just asked about how they approached the adaptation so that they weren't just using the story, but causing people to read, re-read, or at least re-examine that story.  Hank rephrased it as "marketing the story."  Jay took that question and answered by saying that a good adaptation will find that 1 piece of the story that has been taken for granted or just completely overlooked and frame their whole re-working around that part of it.  For this team, their chosen aspect was the girl's relationships as part of Lizzie becoming a modern woman.  Darcy is, obviously, a huge part of that.  But where the series stood out were with Lydia or Charlotte and Lizzie's reactions to them.  I took a lot of other great notes, but there are the hilights :)

Then we all headed over to the main hall where LBD took center stage:

[my attempts...iPhone just washed them all out :/ ]

[an actual camera's rendition :]

This was a wonderful panel as each talked about how LBD has changed their careers - MK choked up talking about what it meant to have a fan base that cares about what they're doing.  They also shared about what's up next for them - some exciting stuff!  And they fielded a few fun questions as well.



[via Ashley Clements' instagram... I'm out there somewhere.]

After lunch was the autograph signing.  While waiting in line for that [by the way, that's what you actually do at conventions - you may meet someone famous or hear them speak, but what you do at conventions is wait in lines], I met a new, good friend, Alexis:



[Alexis as the 10th Doctor]



[Alexis and I after the Wrock Concert that night]

I also met a girl named Sami who made these little plushies for the whole cast and Hank Green - so cute!  Later, the cast took all these pictures with their little fandolls.  It was so cool!  And, she's on Etsy - so if you ever find yourself in need of a fandoll, check her out.



[Cast of LBD, Sami, and the Fandolls]

She also had her friend Shayne draw this for the cast to sign.  Ah!  Love how creative fandoms are!!

[via]

Ok... are you ready for some cute pictures of the cast?  Yah, I thought so.  But guess what?  That's Part II.  Stay tuned!!

Props to Fandom

So... one of the best things about being a fangirl is the community of other fan-girls + boys that gather around that piece of art.  With Lizzie Bennet Diaries wrapping up - can you believe it? - a week from tomorrow, I am sad to be losing not only it's new episodes at least twice a week, but also the community that goes with it.  It's been such a joy to watch and then jump on to several different platforms to discuss what we've seen.  There are texts from friends and sisters (both of the biological and "Crawley" variety) and then fan-reactions and fan-sites.  And being that the material is rather nerdy - so are many of its viewers.  

So with fandoms such as the Lizzie Bennet Diaries or Sherlock or whatnot, there are some pretty creative people in those communities.  And today I found one of my favorite "fan-made" pieces yet.  It's a Sherlock parody by the props of Sherlock.  What I believe to be 1, maybe 2 fans, have created twitter accounts personifying different key props in the show - and they are hilarious!!  So far, they've only included the floor, the staircase, the wall, the smiley face, and the skull (who they've named billy, but who I've always thought of as a Yorick ;) but each has quite the personality!

Here are a few examples of prop interactions:

Is it just me or are those hilarious??  

Whichever fan(s) out there made these - thank you!  Made my day :)

You can continue to follow the adventures "Props of Sherlock" here.

The topper on my day :)

fandom love... what fun!

No... seriously.