"When Shelley's Corpse Washed Ashore, A Friend Identified It By A Copy Of Keats's 1820 Volume In The

"When Shelley's corpse washed ashore, a friend identified it by a copy of Keats's 1820 volume in the coat pocket, which he knew Shelley had taken with him. Then, after cremation in which Shelley's heart, hardened by calcium, did not burn, this same friend snatched it from the embers and presented it to Mary Shelley, who kept it thereafter in her desk, wrapped in a copy of 'Adonais."

Here’s your morbid literary fact of the day.

A thing about “The Safety Pin”:

An identifying marker like that is not symbolic. An identifying marker like that is to say to people who are regularly in REAL danger “I am safe. I will help you.” 

This is not a small thing you are undertaking. If you pin one on yourself, and a guy is harassing me in a bathroom, I am going to turn to you for back up. Please get yourself in a mental place for that possibility, this is not an abstract mark of solidarity. If you can’t do that, that’s ok, but then don’t wear the pin because I’ll suddenly be turning to someone who can’t help me. 

If you have never been in physical danger for living your life, understand that a lot of people have been. Get your head around the reality that they are now going to expect you to step up, they’ll be relying on you as a safety net. You are now in danger by association. That is brave and beautiful and I hope what you intend. Don’t mistake this thing for a symbol, it is not. It is a weapon you have drawn against the status quo.  

I have a scar on the back of my head from ten stitches and general weather ache in my ribs and lower back because I’m queer and trans and I’ve been beaten for that. If you want to stand in solidarity with me and mine….know what you are getting in to. Be mentally prepared for that. 

Some of the reasons why I love Tanz der Vampire

On the surface, it’s a silly little musical about some signing and dancing vampires and vampire hunters. But it also has a few little surprises, which is why I love it.

Boy loves girl. Girl does not love boy. 

Boy tries to save girl. Girl does not want saving. 

Heroes set out to save the day. Heroes fail. 

Old white man is confident about his superiority. Old white man is shown otherwise. 

Boy falls in love with girl at first sight, believes their love is true, pursues her relentlessly. Gay man falls in love with boy at first sight, believes their love is true, gives boy a taste of his own medicine. Boy is shocked and horrified. 

Villagers partake in futile, superstitious practices to ward off an evil which they are in denial even exists. (This could relate to soooo many things.)

Jim Steinman. 

Michael Kunze.

A Total Eclipse of the Heart.

Singing and dancing vampires.

Vampires win.

Why am I cool again??

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My favorite part about 1931 Dracula is that there are armadillos running around Dracula’s castle.

Look at this it’s like they couldn’t find any rats so they just were like “eh close enough no one will notice”. But I noticed. I noticed.

‘Such nonsense!’ declared Dr Greysteel. 'Whoever heard of cats doing anything useful!’ 'Except for staring at one in a supercilious manner,“ said Strange. 'That has a sort of moral usefulness, I suppose, in making one feel uncomfortable and encouraging sober reflection upon one’s imperfections.’

Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell (via quoted-books)