hey love, I'm an inconstant satellite

Angela Brazil's books are fun except where they are racist as fuck. For instance, in A Terrible Tomboy, we are introduced to a young English girl who loves music and composes pretty little songs, how nice. In the next chapter, we find out that what she composes are songs about enslaved people in the American South, complete with romanticized situations and dialect. No other kind of songs, but three or four of these. Why would you specialize in that? Why would people think it was cute? The whole thing is almost too weird to be offensive, but only almost. (There are plenty of racist moments that are just straight-up offensive as well; usually one per book, but don't let your guard down.)

Apart from that they are stories about girls, usually in schools, using all those school-story tropes that everyone else has subsequently appropriated, and highly enjoyable.

What I wanted to mention, though, was the new perspective that they're giving me on folk rhymes. Because of some combination of author choice and focus on children of a certain period, there are a fair number of jumprope chants and little songs and things appearing, so you can see a snapshot and infer the folk process. For instance, I did not know that Simon and Garfunkel's "April Come She Will" was a riff on a rhyme about a cuckoo -- you know, the nest parasite? Possibly I should have noticed this when they sang it in Moonrise Kingdom, but seeing it in text was necessary. I don't think S&G meant to be especially misogynist, but I have a sneaking doubt now. (Note that Brazil includes a final couplet I haven't seen on the web: 'And if the cuckoo stays till September, It's as much as the oldest man can remember.' So it wasn't necessarily S&G who extended it.)

[ETA: And now I have edited Wikipedia in a thoughtful and structured fashion to include this information, which probably no one but me actually cares about, because --> Actual Geek Girl.]

I was also disturbed by "No more Latin, no more Greek, no more cane to make me squeak" as a clear antecedent to "No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks." I guess a decline in corporal punishment is something I approve of! (Also on this topic: Ana Mardoll points out physical abuse in Farmer Boy.)

Because (1) House republicans are ten years old: "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act" is really your idea of an appropriate name for an official government action?

And (2) Rick Santorum is an evil, disgusting man. (Not a surprise at all, sadly, though his sheer brazenness is.)

Waiting for the confocal sales reps to finish installing our new motorized stage! Can't really start anything until they're done. Hence, links:

New stuff:
Nawal El Saadawi is made of awesome. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/apr/15/nawal-el-saadawi-egyptian-feminist

Best friendsfriends find ever: http://bk1e.livejournal.com/259483.html
In which Peter Gabriel covers "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," including the "Peter Gabriel too" lyric -- sort of. If you're not familiar with the song, you will not have the uncontrollable hideous laughter response that I did, but you can hear the original at the bottom of the post. The videos are fun but they do help me see why people don't like Vampire Weekend; it's a lot easier to despise their corn-fed privilege when you can see them. I just listen and am anthropologically interested. Also, bouncy melodies go a long way with me. (Who is the redheaded woman who's a tennis player and a goth enchantress, I wonder?)

Match thread to fabric really well. http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/04/custom_cmyk_sewing_machine_mat.html

Stuff from last month:
New Karate Kid trailer: From coffeeandink. Okay, he is clearly (and textually) learning kung fu, not karate, and a lot of the trailer is "ooh, look, pretty China" -- but there are NO WHITE PEOPLE in this entire 2 minutes 30.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxBQS_Qn5m8

From firecat. The Little Vulcan.
http://ayalesca.dreamwidth.org/1250.html

Badass woman secretary is king of a village in Ghana.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/03/09/ST2010030903477.html?sid=ST2010030903477

Cephalopods deceive predators with their ink. (But they look plenty smart!)
http://andrewducker.livejournal.com/1987051.html

Fantagraphics is bringing out wonderful manga!
http://www.fantagraphics.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3956&Itemid=95

I haven't known what to say about all this. I am angry and miserable that my friends are being hurt, but that's not really the point. oyceter, in her high-octane awesomeness, has made a great post analyzing the problems at work that made it clear to me what I want to say.

I am not a part of most SF fandom. I've read the rasf* groups off and on, I certainly read piles of speculative fiction, and I used to really enjoy Making Light. However, I barely watch TV, I've never been to a con besides Wiscon, and I absolutely hate certain fannish social norms. I can't pretend my peripheral involvement has had much to do with privilege or prejudice. I am just some white chick who's never really been that interested in fandom. But at this point I need to make this clear:

The Racefail '09 is not okay with me.

As Oyce describes, the debate is being yanked aside by people who are at least partially immune to criticism. I don't know if it's there any more, but I remember TNH strongly implying that those she claimed as enemies had better not try to publish anything. People are squelched by such exercises of power. I don't understand how this is not obvious to some people. (I have to think that it's really not evident to them. Right? Because it is seriously fucked up.)

What to do? My customary "shut up and listen" strategy may need elaboration here. Pay attention to verb_noire and fight_derailing; donate when appropriate and possible. Continue to talk about race issues in person. Read more. Think more. Continue to support people doing work I value and continue not to support people and organizations doing the opposite. Post about stuff even when I know I'm not adequately eloquent or energetic.