Lists...

I make a lot of lists:

Daily to do lists

To read lists (this one is ridiculously long...)

Goals lists

Grocery lists (when I remember...sigh)

Target lists (you can never just stop in for one thing!)

To grade lists (ugh)

Wish lists

Future things to do lists

Travel lists


My biggest problem with lists? Actually following through with them. Some are easy to keep and update, like my reading and wish lists. Some are pathetically difficult for me to follow. The daily to do and grade lists are the tough ones, mainly because there are so many activities I'd rather be doing. I know life would run more smoothly if I just checked things off, but there's always something else I'd rather be doing. There are also certain things on my list that simply move from day to day, nagging at me, but never being accomplished. Those mobile items, though, need to get done. Yoga. Gym. Things for myself that I always seem to find reasons to avoid.  I'm not sure what I'm afraid of, why these linger, undone, day after day after day after day. I'm proving to myself that I can set a concrete goal and follow through, so why are those so difficult?

Tomorrow: a new day, a new list.

A new chance.

That's the best part about lists.

"Some of us just belong here."

John Goodman has said what I have often tried to explain to people:

There have been two places in this world that I have felt instantly at home. One is Ireland, the second, of course, New Orleans. Both places have an instant calming effect on me, accepting me as if I have always belonged there. Just stepping off the plane on visits to New Orleans, my stress would slip away, leaving me feeling more alive. This feeling was a large part behind us moving south--I simply couldn't be away from this place anymore.

New Orleans isn't for everyone. She's beautiful, but dangerous. As I've said before, her beauty comes as much from her flaws as it does the physical landscape. But I think that's part of her charm--she's almost human; she's like all of us, the light and the dark.

I've often thought of friends and family members and wonder: Will they get it? Will they understand the craving for this place that I have? Will they see the beauty in the cracked sidewalks, dive bars, and massive live oaks? In the cities of the dead, the second lines, the constant festivals, our beloved Saints? Or will they only see the poverty and the decay, and notice the smell of the canals and Bourbon Street (which I will always say is better than cow manure!) Some will and feel the urge to return again and again. The city will be in their soul.

I know this post isn't doing the city I love justice. It's almost too complicated to put into words. There's just a feeling here--you either get it, or you don't.

One of my dearest friends calls the people who truly understand and love New Orleans "the true believers," regardless of how long one has lived here. I know New Orleans is not for everyone, but for a lot of us, even if we try, there's no other place we can be. 

It's a bird...It's a plane...

Xena the Warrior Princess: 1995-2001

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 1997-2003

The Halliwell Sisters (Charmed): 1998-2006

When I was in college and my early twenties, kickass women were the norm on television. While they all had their faults, and yes, sometimes had cheesy romances, they fought for the greater good and weren't afraid to get their hands dirty or have a few punches thrown their way. They were smart, strong, vibrant women who were role models for an entire generation.

And then, they disappeared.

For the past decade, there has a been a void in the realm of female "superheroes" for all people to look up to. Fans have been clamoring for a Wonder Woman movie, or a Black Widow movie, only to be told, essentially, that female action heroes don't sell tickets. But a third reboot of Spiderman, or a second reboot of The Hulk or Superman, or another Avengers movie? No problem.

I'm not saying anything against those movies; I know they have a very avid fan base, but representation is important.

All women have a right to see themselves on the small and large screen. In all aspects, including superheroes. To say that those stories aren't important or worthwhile is to say women aren't important.

Which is why I'm glad, on the small screen at least, we're starting to see those stories again. Sleepy Hollow, Agent Carter, Once Upon a Time, and the new Supergirl series are intelligent, fun, popular shows with strong female leads. I would love to see those shows, or new shows, branch out to include more women of color (Sleepy Hollow is leading the way on this!) or LGBTQIA characters, to break the white privilege that is evident. But it's a start.

Women are superheroes every day. It's time to end here the all-boys superhero club.


**Note: Obviously, I'm talking strictly about shows with an action hero/superhero basis to them. There are a lot of other shows out there with tough, smart, and fabulous women leads!

Stuck

Sigh.

Day four, and I'm stuck.

Writer's block.

I've started four posts and deleted them all because they just don't seem authentic today. They seem forced, stilted, and just plain bad.

I knew this wasn't going to be easy; it's been a long time since I've made daily writing a priority.

I just didn't think I'd hit a wall already.

I know I should just write something, anything, and post it, just to be writing, but I keep hearing the voices in the back of my head:

You can't do this. 

You're crazy for even thinking you can do this. 

You're not a writer. 

You don't want people to judge you. 

Your writing is horrible; no one is going to want to read what you have to say. 

I'm surprised they're as loud as they are today. It's only day four. 

How do I make them shut up? 

How do writers do this every day? Will I be able to do this every day?

Rabbit Hole #23--October Reading Wrap-Up

This month was a tough one for my reading. It seemed to take me forever to get through things; as a matter of fact, there's still one book I started at the end of September that I'm trying to finish. I don't know if I'd call it a reading slump, exactly; it was more of the feeling I was moving through molasses. Maybe it's the weather, or that fact that I'm squarely in the middle of the semester and would really just like to curl up in a blanket fort and not come out for the next few weeks!

That all being said, here's some of the highlights from the past month (If you want to see everything I read, you can go here: Rabbit Hole #22: Read Harder Challenge 2015 Update--October).

1. I finished the Read Harder Challenge two months ahead of schedule!! As I said in that post, I'm going to continue to add to the list for November and December, so I can see my progress. It has definitely been good for me and my reading, and I'm looking forward to doing it again next year.

2. The last task I had on that list was a National Book Award, Man Booker Prize, or Pulitzer Prize winner from the past decade. Unfortunately, this is where I stepped in the molasses. I WANTED to love Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall, I really, really did. I usually love stories about England's past and all the infighting and craziness (both literal and figurative) that goes along with histories of the monarchs. But this just left me...bleh. I didn't care about any of the characters; in fact, besides Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell, and Anne, everyone else bled together. Even those three seemed to be just caricatures of themselves. And at over 500 pages, it took everything I had to get through it. I do have the sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, which also won the Man Booker Prize, but it's going to be a while before I pick that one up.

3. Butterfly Boy: Memories of a Chicano Mariposa by Rigoberto González:
This was my favorite read of the month. González's memoir is a poignant reflection of growing up on both sides of the Mexican/American border, dealing with being part of the migrant community and the prejudice that comes along with that particular situation. It's also a heartwarming, and heartbreaking, tale of a young man coming to terms with his sexuality, particularly in a culture that prizes machismo. It's a quick read and well worth your time. 

4. The Wicked and the Divine, Vols. 1-2 by Kieron Gillan:
Every ninety years, twelve gods come back to Earth. There's only one catch--they only have two years to live once their immortal identities are revealed, inspiring a cult-like following by humans, who flock to them for their short reign. This is a beautifully drawn diverse comic, and the gods are pulled from a variety of religions which all helps to make this my new favorite comic series. 

Here's hoping November turns out better reading-wise. I have several volumes of contemporary poetry and some interesting novels sitting by my bedside, staring at me. 

NaNoWriMo--sort of

My favorite November "fad" isn't No Shave November. It's not Movember. It's not even the 30 days of blessings.

It's NaNoWriMo. 

For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Every year, thousands of people sign up to write 50, 000 words, roughly the length of a standard novel, in the month of November. It's now in its 16th year, and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. 

While I've never actually participated, I've lived vicariously through friends who have undertaken the challenge. I love seeing what all of those amazing minds create in just 30 short days. Of course, just writing that much doesn't guarantee a novel. It definitely doesn't guarantee a GOOD novel, one that will be picked up by publishers at the end of November and skyrocket to the top of the bestseller lists. (There are definitely exceptions, though: Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants, Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series, Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, and my personal favorite, Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus, all started out as NaNoWriMo projects). 

For me, I'm starting small this year. My goal is to write a blog post a day--I'm not going to aim for a certain word count, just getting back into the habit of writing daily. It's something I used to do, but for one reason or another, I quit. And just like eating right, exercising, and other habits, once you stop, it's hard to get back to a schedule. 

I'm not sure what these posts will consist of. Some will be reading updates, of course; some will be observations of our new life here in New Orleans. The others? They'll be a surprise to us both. 

And then, who knows: maybe next year will be my novel year!

**So I found out there is actually a name for what I'm doing: NaBloPoMo--National Blog Posting Month. Who would have guessed? 

Rabbit Hole #22: Read Harder Challenge 2015 Update--October

Well, I have officially FINISHED the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2015!!! Whoohooo!! I'm going to keep adding to it for the next two months, though, just to see where my reading leads me. This has been a really fun and worthwhile experiment because I have been able to see where my strengths are in reading diversely and where my weaknesses have been (I'll write more about that in a later post, however.)  

Here's my list so far:  
(This month's reads are in blue.)

1. A book written by someone when they were under 25: 

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2. A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65: 

God Help the Child by Toni Morrison
Lucrezia Borgia by Sarah Bradford

3. A collection of short stories:

Ten Little Indians by Sherman Alexie
Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat

4. A book published by an indie press: 

The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson (Open Roads Media Sci-Fi and Fantasy)
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine (Grey Wolf Press)

5. A book by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQIA: 

We Are the Animals by Justin Torres
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
Butterfly Boy: Memories of a Chicano Mariposa by Rigoberto González

6. A book by someone of a different gender than you: 

Shooting Victoria: Madness, Mayhem, and the Rebirth of the British Monarchy 

by Paul Thomas Murphy 
Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

7. A book that takes place in Asia: 

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

8. A book by an author from Africa:

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
Zarah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor

9. A book by or about someone from an indigenous culture: 

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

10. A microhistory: 

Desire and Disaster in New Orleans: Tourism, Race and Historical Memory by Lynnell L. Thomas
Liar, Temptress, Soldier Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott

 Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity and the Women Who Made America Modern 
by Joshua Zeitz

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II 
by Denise Kiernan
Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants 
by Robert Sullivan
The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case: Race, Law, and Justice in the Reconstruction Era 
by Michael A. Ross

11. A YA novel: 

Paper Towns by John Green
The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Page
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer 
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodsen

12. A sci-fi novel: 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Neuromancer by William Gibson
MADDADDAM by Margaret Atwood
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

13. A romance novel: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice

The Queen's Lover by Francine Du Plessix Gray

14. A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer from last decade: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

15. A book that is a retelling of a classic story: 

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi (retelling of Snow White)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (The Jungle Book)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Cinderella)
ODY-C Vol. 1: Off to Far Ithicaa by Matt Fraction (The Odyssey)

16. An audiobook: 

Voices and Poetry of Ireland (a collection)

17. A collection of poetry: 

Once by Alice Walker
Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful by Alice Walker
The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes

18. A book that someone else recommended to you: 

Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber

19. A book originally published in another language:

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann (French)
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Spanish)

20. A graphic novel, memoir or collection of comics: 

Captain Marvel, Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue Deconnick

Sandman, Vols. 1 and 2 by Neil Gaiman

Batgirl, Vol. 1 by Gail Simone

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 by Alan Moore

Nevermore: A Graphic Novel Anthology of Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal, Vol. 2: Generation Why, and Vol. 3: Crushed by G. Willow Wilson
Thor: Goddess of Thunder, Vol. 1; Who Holds the Hammer, Vol. 2 by Jason Aaron
Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
Just So Happens by Fumio Obata
Griffin and Sabine: Book 1 and Sabine's Notebook: Book 2 by Nick Bantock
March: Books 1-2 by Rep. John Lewis
Dominique Laveau, Voodoo Child: Requiem by Selwyn Seyfu Hinds
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1 by Ryan North
Fables, Vol 1: Legends in Exile and Vol. 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham
The Wicked and the Divine, Vols. 1-2: The Faust Act and Fandemonium by Kieron Gillen
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosch

21. A guilty pleasure: 

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert 

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

22. A book published before 1850: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northrup (actually 1853, but close)

23. A book published this year: 

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (Jan. release date)

 Find Me by Laura van den Berg (Feb.)
The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan (May)
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (July)

24. A self-improvement book: 

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

I also read: Talulla Rising by Glen Duncan and Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner