Last year, M invited me to listen in on a Vienna, VA bookstore lecture via zoom, which was informative, fun and empowering. We took a tour of myths and legends of the sea, and the many, mostly feminine, creatures: selkies, sirens, Calypso, Circe, russalka, the Lorelai. We browsed a collection of lit on the topic, and then M and I made some connections with our favorite songs, T V series, movies and stories we never realized were assc. w/ oceanic folklore. It was fun discussing extraordinary feminine creatures that haunt history with tales of their suffering and vengeance, and also broadening my understanding of the world around me. While some of creatures are so fantastic, I feel they must be allegories or representations of universal truths, some of the contemporary historical-fiction novels present the argument for real-life legendary women of the sea: I still have to check out The Island of Sea Women, which tells the tale of a group of Korean divers from the WWII era to present. That's on my list for today. But, since we are a music blog and one of our favorite groups to support is Car Seat Headrest, I wanted to mention my thoughts on "Bodys" by Car Seat Headrest, because its a total, total favorite. Going to this lecture helped me remember a little thought that is in the back of my mind sometimes about "Twin Fantasy." Here are my two speculations for why "BODYS" is (artfully) misspelled on the Twin Fantasy album (which is ever so fun to discuss.) To me, the misspelling is a sticking point, and I'll repeat the title over and over in my head, trying to decide how it's meant to be pronounced. Sometimes, as it echoes up there, I light upon mythological sea creatures, and it is fun trying to validate my instinctive connection with the bare-all trials of love on the album. So my theories unfold: Why? 1. It's "awk..." like the kind of new, insecure sexuality this artist reflects on and revels in/despairs over/embraces/despises, it's "cringey" or self-aware. Our minds/mouths slow to a crawl and attempt to wrap ourselves around this funny-spelled word. We are trying something new and it's bending our minds. The artist appeals to our feelings of angst, and insists dancing really helps shake out the feels. I kind of favor this interpretation because it suits the subject matter of the song. 2. But I also want to glorify the song, and imagine it's actually very sleek and cool, and instead of struggling over the pronunciation, I pronounce it in a more sleek, glib and sexy way, like "bodice." Bodys. And when I do that, and think, well, being awkward was part of my grand plan all along, I am suddenly transported to another place altogether -- the Classical mythical battle of man vs. the sea in Scylla and Charybdis! Am I making a stretch? (I don't care, I'm just having fun.) Our songwriter insists lovers are actually going into each others' mouths, being eaten when they embrace each other! There is imagination saturated in mythos, transporting me to the past, painting the drama of relationships with numb, distance, and with help from Homer and Odysseus. The concepts fill me with wonder and endearment. Erring lovers, for we are deeply predisposed to love, become embattled in a crazy vortex of force comparable to like, the awesome musical power of the second half of the "Twin Fantasy" album! The intro to this album makes a perverse comment on the functions of mythology, folklore, legends on society: that they are cautionary tales that don't work. I kind of agree that no matter how much we've read or learned, "hindsight is 2020," and it's easy to be taken as unawares as Odysseus, in situations every bit as emotionally tumultuous as a pair of giant, neighboring whirlpools. The ancients saw it coming You can see that they tried to warn them In the tales that they told their children But they fell out of their heads in the morning (Beach Life-In Death) What happened to him/ the speaker? Simplest explanation? "He got eaten." One of my takeaways from the folklore lecture was learning to appreciate the origins of myths and legends and lore, appreciating the stories for what they belie about their cultures of origin, and dwelling for a moment on what role lore and legends play in society? Why do they come about? What need to they meet and in what manner do they meet it? How do they work? Who is the intended audience?
I like imagining that this song, facing up to death and asking us to give the opposite, to dance! is so much fun, and literally, "epic." Appealing to a common memory of our parents and grandparents reminds me that generational relationships are how we keep stories, traditions alive. It's from them that we learn to be humans!
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The National Geographic e-Newsletter Should you get the COVID-19 vaccine while pregnant? Here's what experts say:
Plus, it's been a wicked, stratifying strange year, where the work of the world was all called into question for a few weeks, and essentials only were working, bridging a gap between when utter collective uncertainties about what degree of effect the pandemic would exercise over daily life, while we waited with baited breath, reading stats about China and then Italy, comparing their rate of infection with projections based on blooming cases in our nearby cities. Uncertainty, fear, and then grim but orderly decisions about return to work. For those who could, virtual work was and has been the preferred option, and this was a bright side for some people who maybe suffered fatigue from chemo or lupus or other diseases/conditions, and were relieved when their commute was canceled. Not only were they staying safe, their lives were improved, and social justice advocates questioned whether employers should broaden their perspectives on remote work. Environmentalists questioned whether similar shutdowns will occur when global warming becomes an increased health concern, and praised the reduction of traffic on roads. Little silver linings and a time of hope and industry of thought. Americans banded together and reassessed the structure of society. Priorities reshuffled when pandemic struck and looking for the silver linings after inspirations like the success of zoom, the complete turnaround of my son's school system, I was inspired to think more deeply about living and working conditions in general, and my heart went to mothers. I thought about protective laws as a way to shelter people in interest groups but not limit their free will, and what it means to be a good advocate. It's a Friday night, and I've reached the hour of babysitting where I'm sitting in someone else's quiet house, far away from my home where all those unorganized winter clothes and dead light bulbs and a dog needing a walk await me. I'm catching up on emails and settling into a long update about world health and the COVID-19 vaccine with a warm comforting mug of coffee I don't need. My day started with an (early) annual women's health visit, and I shed a few tears in the parking lot afterwards thinking about my son and the wonderful, awesome day he was born. Becoming a mother has changed my life and my priorities and so many other things. Matters of free will have been fierce in my news feeds because of a controversial presidency, and contentions about mask mandates, shelter-in-place orders and emergency protocols. Then, a topic that has been subject to intense debate for months, very much an issue of free will -- vaccines, suddenly becomes an urgent, do or die, jump moment. Ironic is one thought that strayed through my brain. But another is how motherhood has changed me personally. How I can identify with an interest group, and with that lens, assess societal issues: I've had more sympathy for people who don't feel comfortable with vaccines since I went through parenting an infant, because it is frightening to see a little baby get so many big shots. Some needles were bigger than others, and on days when he got 3-4 shots, I was wondering what percent of his body fluids they were now representing! One even made a big bulge on his thigh for a few seconds before the nurse rubbed it in. It was one thing when I went to get my shots with my mom as a child/ teen, but being a mom watching my baby get the shots, I experienced much more anxiety. Still, I followed the recommendations and just got it over with, but during the blur of business of the first months of motherhood, I barely knew which shots he got. I was glad to leave that part up to the doctors! Besides my memory of those first few months of maternity, this National Geographic topic drew me right in since I have a best friend who is a pregnant healthcare worker. Based on my recently refreshed experiences with vaccines, my first question for her or any pregnant woman eligible for the vaccine would have been whether they were scared, just because it was nice to have someone talk the issue out for me. I was glad that this article elucidated the potential facts behind my vague fears - that a fetus could potentially have side effects (mild fever or discomfort) if the vaccine can cross the placenta. Otherwise, any harmful side effects on the mother would not be good for the fetus either. But on the other hand, a severe illness would also be a scary thing and much more damaging than any side effects of the vaccine0. While the WHO recommends women wait a little if they are not at high risk for COVID-19, the CDC says the vaccine should be available to pregnant women, but the decision should be theirs. |
AuthorWe are Kieran and Michelle, two 32-year-old William & Mary grads living in Virginia. Archives
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