Pleased to meet you (even with your black drawers on)
Hello, ABW readers!
I’m Alaya, as the Angry Black Woman already said, and though I read plenty of blogs, I don’t blog myself. I hope to make the most of this opportunity!
Here’s some of what particularly interests me:
- Literature, in pretty much all genres (I write fantasy and science fiction, mostly, but I will read almost anything). I have this wacky idea that perhaps one of the things I will do is re-read, or read for the first time, a lot of those classics of African American literature that most of us encountered in high school or college: Their Eyes Were Watching God, Beloved, Invisible Man, The Color Purple, Go Tell It on the Mountain, Native Son. If you have other suggestions, let me know in the comments.
- Television, but only certain shows. I don’t watch very much, but when I do, the obsession flower has its full bloom. Past favorites include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Veronica Mars and X-Files. My current obsession is Supernatural (and I will argue with all comers about how good it is). Being a socially conscious person pretty much guarantees that I find some aspects of all these shows problematic (and I’ll probably post about why), but each of them has enough stuff that I love to make me overlook the questionable decisions.
- Japan. I majored in East Asian Languages and Cultures back in college and I still love and am interested in most things Japanese. I also lived there for four months. I started my love with Sailor Moon (also a great show! Don’t pay any attention to the dub!) and still watch anime occasionally. Favorites include Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo (the best hip-hop/Samurai mashup ever made) and Kareshi Kanojo no Jijyo (His and Her Circumstances).
- Music. I grew up on blues and R&B from the fifties and sixties. When I was in high school, my parents had to talk me out of singing “Meet Me With Your Black Drawers On” for the school-wide talent contest. I have also had long arguments with my mother about how Poison Ivy isn’t actually about, uh, poison ivy. I have lately come to love rock and some modern alternative, but in general, I always have something playing in the background. My favorite musician of all time is Stevie Wonder.
- And, obviously, writing. But you can find all that stuff on my personal web page.
So, pleased to meet you. Here’s hoping this blogging experiment works out.
Heh. I adore “Poison Ivy” and always, always think of it whenever someone starts waxing nostalgic about “more innocent times.” Uh, no.
Oh my! Dirty old blues and R&B songs could be a post in itself. There’s a song that I can’t for the life of me remember the name of right now, but the central metaphor is how much the dude loves his washer woman, and watching the clothes go round and round. Frankly, a lot of music from the fifties is way raunchier than top forty today.
Welcome aboard! I was so very excited to hear about everything you mention here–esp lit & TV–and then I went back and saw your name (note to self: trying readin in order on the internet for a change) and remembered the excellent piece about expectations of authorial autobiography you wrote here a while back–a piece I loved and had to share with others. So I’m very excited to hear you’ll be posting more!
Welcome!
You had me at “Supernatural!” Finally, another WOC besides my best friend who loves the Winchester boys. I think you can learn a lot about a person depending on which brother is your preference. I am a Dean chick all the way! Welcome! I can’t wait to read your posts!
*Also a BTVS fan. All about Spike!*
Squeeeee! I know I am in the deep minority here among crazy Supernatural fans, but I am such a Sam girl it isn’t even funny. It’s something about the trope of someone who so desperately wants to be something other than what he is that kills me. I love Dean, too, but Sam makes my heart go all fluttery.
And yes, all about Spike.
Really? Sam? But he didn’t even recognize he was being played by Ruby!! Dean is just where it’s at for me. I could watch him eat all day, he is just so sexy with it! Plus, Dean can totally handle a black woman, did you see Route 666? Lol! I look forward to seeing your posts and possibly meeting you at WisCon next year where I met a lot of the other ladies. Good luck with your blogging. Feel free to drop me a private email to debate Sam v. Dean!
Route 666 is one of those episodes that I both love and hate. Love, because the only female character the show has identified as him loving is a black woman. Hate, because she was horribly miscast and they never went anywhere with it. But there is an *amazing* fanfic called Lacuna that deals very seriously with his relationship with Cassie that I wish very much were canon.
I could watch him eat all day, too, though I heartily pity whatever PA has to deal with his spit bucket ;)