Airmail

Feminisms, art, typography, graphic design, food and anything else that catches my fancy. A place to bookmark things I find on the internet.

Permalink “Un pueblo leído jamás es sometido.”
Permalink cinderellainrubbershoes:

“Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is a proof that humans are capable of magic”
-Carl Sagan
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The Book Smugglers: Cover Matters: On Whitewashing

Just discovered this amazing blog about books and it has an awesome post about whitewashing covers. I found it through the Salon article I just posted.

It’s REALLY GOOD. Go and read it.

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Can You Identify?: Salon article talking about how readers identify with characters

Interesting article. I really enjoyed reading. Towards the end, it felt like the author was endorsing whitewashing books because it got people to read them in the first place. That’s bullshit. I think industries that practice whitewashing need to have confidence in their fans and readership that they will pick up books and graphic novels to read despite not having a white character in front because there are many ways in which people connect with characters.

This is an issue that really bugs me with books.

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Permalink “I like big books and I cannot lie.”
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consultingdepressive:

Yanno, though, I get this with really good fanfic too.
(AQ, Greywash, Emmagrant, Mazarin, Roane, Moony, J!, Erin, Random, Atlin: I’m looking at you)
Permalink I just finished reading Little Brother by Cory Doctorow a couple of hours ago and I am simultaneously terrified and fascinated. (The above image is the cover of the book.) (Also, if you haven’t read the book, maybe don’t continue reading because of SPOILER ALERTS, some vague, some specific.)
P.S. If you click on the image it takes you to a site where you can download the entire book for free. That’s right, for free.
I’m terrified because I am all too capable of seeing the book become a reality. Heck, I actually think parts of it have happened already in some way or another. Remember how after 9/11 racial profiling came back in vogue in really overt ways? Or how about the way airport security looks like nowadays? Some of the scariest parts for me were the ease in which authority figures (such as police and duly elected officials AKA politicians) use their power to silence and control populations all in the name of security. That terrifies me because when people are scared, when they have been convinced that they are scared, anything can be done in the name of security. Extreme measures are taken and justified because it’s just for the short term, they say. The extreme measures will be reversed as soon as the threat has been removed. It’s often that whole martial law thing that many nations have during times of crisis.
Secondly, Marcus is a very believable character. The way that Cory Doctorow writes him cracking during interrogation, but at the same time trying to retain his civil rights (when he asks what he’s been arrested for, demanding to whether he’s being arrested or just being asked questions, asking to see badges = all good things to do! If unsure of what to do when arrested, do some research. It varies by country) was really realistic and relate-able. I could very easily imagine myself in his position, even though I try to tell myself that I’m way tougher (I’m not; most likely I’m foolishly stubborn).
For the rest of the book, and its larger issues, I’m still trying to work it out. Right now, I’m mostly writing my gut reactions to it, which were terror and fascination.
The fascination is around the internet and internet security. This book opened up a whole new world of interacting with the internet and how the internet interacts with me. Ever since I saw the 1995 movie Hackers (with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Lee Miller), I’ve kind of been super intrigued with and by hackers in a this-is-really-cool-but-super-intense-and-way-above-my-knowledge base kind of way. This book furthered that interest, but also made it a bit more friendly (and less nineties-tastic).I definitely read the two afterwords and the short bibliography that Cory Doctorow provided. I will also definitely be looking into the books he recommends. It’s just all so fascinating!
Finally, the book is also inspiring. It’s inspiring because it’s the classic story of a small group of people standing up against a huge group of people perpetrating injustices and who have convinced the majority that what they’re doing and how they’re doing it is the right way. And the way that the small group of people resist is really creative and amazing. It just fuels my little activist heart.
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I have discovered GoodReads

My life is over. I can already foresee that I’ll be spending tons of time on this website, even if it’s just to add all the books I’ve read.

If anyone wants to follow me on it, drop me a line and I’ll let you know how you can find me.

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An Imagined Girls Night With Katniss Everdeen, Hermione Granger, Bella Swan And Buffy Summers

*This was copied from the Thought Catalog

Buffy: Hi girls! Thanks for joining me for this Heroines of Pop Culture ladies night. Sookie called to say she’s sad she couldn’t make it. But no worries! I brought the zinfandel.

Bella: I only drink red.

Hermione: I’ll have some! I’m really excited about this ladies night. I only hang with boys.

Katniss: You’re willing to feed me something?!?!? I’ll eat whatever you are willing to give me. I’m even cool with mouse entrails.

Buffy: Well, we’re fresh out of those…

Bella: Got any blood?

Buffy: You know who you’re asking, right?

Katniss: Moving on… So, how was everyone’s week?

Hermione: Oh, same old. Quidditch match, Ron being a whiny, emotional middle-child, a few random assassination attempts by the Dark Lord, saving Potter from certain doom. Y’know, the usual stuff.

Buffy: I was saving the world.

Katniss: I was also saving the world!

Bella: I jumped off a cliff to get the attention of my ex-boyfriend.

Buffy: I’m sorry, what?

Bella: Well, he broke up with me, and I became all sad and stuff and it was the worst. I cried a lot and ate an entire jar of hummus.

Katniss: And then you decided to kill yourself?

Bella: Well, kind of. Mostly just to get his attention. I knew that either him or werewolf guy would save me.

Buffy: I still don’t get why you’re into that werewolf. Werewolves should totally have chest hair. Why doesn’t Jacob have chest hair?

Hermione: I have a spell for that.

Katniss: But also, werewolves. Gross. If you date him, Rick Santorum is totally going to be all over that and call it “interspecies dating.”

Hermione: Werewolves can totally date humans, even marry them! Or well… shapeshifter… human… types.

Bella: You guys! It’s not like that!! Plus, he’s totally convenient to have around when I need some attention and I’m not getting it from vampire man.

Katniss: What’s the deal with you people and dating vampires? You guys should try humans sometime.

Hermione: Preach.

Buffy: There’s nothing wrong with vampires. Minus their emotional unavailability, lack of reflection, and penchant for really rough sex.

Bella: The rough sex is great, although it’s super awkward that we have to keep buying new pillows every time.

Katniss: This conversation is getting weird. Can I have some of those Doritos?

Bella: So Katniss, who are you going to choose between Peeta and Gale?

Katniss: Well, I hadn’t really thought about it. Leading that whole revolution thing has left me super busy and all.

Bella: But who will it be!! Which one makes you feel complete inside?

Katniss: Um, neither? It’s mostly just trying to decide whether I want to have a good hunting partner or a boyfriend who knows how to work the bread machine.

Bella: OMG I have no idea what I would do in your situation. What about you, Buffy. Angel or Spike?

Buffy: Dating a vampire is totally crazy. They either lose their soul and try to murder everyone in your life, or they just want to use you as a sex object for their own confused, sadomasochistic love fantasies. Plus, I’m totally over guys who are trying to look like Billy Idol. I’m taking time to focus on myself.

Bella: Interesting. I disagree with you because I think vampires are soooo dreamy, but whatevs. What about you, Hermione: Harry or Ron?

Hermione: Um, Harry has always only been my friend. It’s always been Ron for me. But I thought tonight wasn’t talking about boys, and that’s all you seem to want to do! I came here for a girls night, not a “bitching about boys” night!

Katniss: I only care about guys when it comes to how they can help me save the world.

Buffy: Absolutely. We have far more exciting things to talk about. Like weapons.

Bella: But boys are obviously the emotional crux of our lives! Edward practically looks at me the wrong way and I go into a helpless, emotional coma for eight days! He is my absolute everything and I can’t be a functional human being without his existence! What else could be more important in your lives than your man?!?!? What the hell else could ever be harder in your lives?!?

Katniss: I’ve been kind of tied up dealing with this whole reality TV death match I’ve been forced into, that’s also turned into a full-scale rebellion against the leader of my dystopian, totalitarian society, all the while trying not to starve to death and provide for my family.

Hermione: I just had to wipe myself from the memories of my parents, as I set out on a road trip where my two best friends and I are being hunted by a band of insane fascists, working under the instructions of the wizarding equivalent of Hitler. One of them tortured me, and there is a constant fear of being hunted down and assassinated.

Buffy: I spend every single day of my life battling evil vampires, and am constantly saving the world from demons, angry Gods, and the Root of All Evil itself. My mother is dead and my sister isn’t technically a real person. I have technically died twice. You and your man troubles take the entire women’s movement back decades.

Bella: Hmmm, I think I’m going to take this moment to go to the washroom.

Katniss: Can we not invite her next time?

Hermione: Absolutely.

Buffy: Sorry you guys. I knew we should have called Ripley instead. Aliens are way more exciting. Next time we’ll do something cooler, like hunting down her entire vampire family.

Hermione: Or studying!

Katniss: I love hunting!!

Buffy: For the win! I love girls night. 

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Feminist texts written by women of color

Gaaaah. This list looks so awesome.

(via fuckyeahlgbtqlatinxs)