[syndicated profile] alpennia_feed

Posted by Heather Rose Jones

Saturday, June 28, 2025 - 17:05

As noted previously, the number of the entries is going to get a bit weird for a bit. But since I don't expect that much of anyone besides me pays attention to the numbering, this is no big deal. The most relevant part is that I've identified which article I want to slot into #500, so now I have to keep track of that as I fill in what comes before.

Major category: 
Full citation: 

Martin, Sylvia. 1994. “'These Walls of Flesh': The Problem of the Body in the Romantic Friendship/Lesbianism Debate” in Historical Reflections / Réflexions Historiques, Vol. 20, No. 2, Lesbian Histories: 243-266

Martin uses the writings of early 20th c Australian poet Mary Fullerton, and in particular numerous poems related to her long-term relationship with Mabel Singleton, to explore the debate among historians around the question of romantic friendship and lesbian sexuality. [Note: Fullerton was born in 1868 and much of the discussion concerns solidly 19th century topics, so I consider the article in-scope for the Project.]

Much of the article reviews and discusses the evolving scholarship around the intersection of female friendship and lesbian history, which she refers to as the “romantic friendship versus lesbianism debate.” This debate has played out in works such as:

Much of the tension has derived from the competing programs of valorizing women’s social (but non-sexual) bonds in the face of patriarchal framings that view relationships between women of any type as being inherently less relevant than the relationships to men, and the work of historians of lesbian history who view the active “unsexualization” of romantic friendships as queer erasure deriving from a discomfort with the idea that sex might sully the “purity” of those friendships. Even concepts such as Adrienne Rich’s “lesbian continuum” can be seen as downplaying an essential difference between sexual and non-sexual relationships in a way that undermines the meaningfulness of the category “lesbian.”

On the one side, we have positions such as Faderman and Smith-Rosenberg who argue that romantic friendships must have been inherently non-sexual because women were socialized to consider themselves non-sexual beings, and besides which romantic friendships couldn’t have been social acceptable (as they were) if there were anything sexual about them, plus nobody was a lesbian until the sexologists invented the concept. On the other side, we have positions such as Stanley 1992 and Moore 1992 who document the policing of 18-19th century female friendships that were felt to stray into “dangerous” sexual territory, indicating that people of the time certainly acknowledged the possibility that female friendship could have a sexual component. Both poles have contributed to failures of the historical imagination: either ignoring sexual potential or over-emphasizing it.

At this point, Martin returns to her Australian poet and women with similar lives, discussing how their lives have been treated by biographers through one or the other framing, either overlooking potential support for a lesbian interpretation (or viewing incontrovertible evidence as a “problem” to be explained), or assuming sexual relations against a background of ambiguity. Martin asks the question “Why is the lesbian such a problem to theorizing friendship?” She attempts to answer that question in terms of the gendering of mind-body duality and how the “woman as body” is pushed toward an interpretation focused on motherhood and nurturing, as well as a phallocentric definition of sex that denies lesbians the ability to participate in it. Thus there is no space within these frameworks for an embodied sexuality between women that is not an imitation of some other dynamic.

Even within the field of lesbian history, there is a conflict between envisioning a “utopian” image of an era when f/f relationships could be free of the suspicion of sexuality, and a desire to define lesbianism as defined by sexual desire.

[Note: The article spends a lot of time on theorizing, which I have condensed greatly.]

Returning once more to Mary Fullerton’s life, the article looks at hear own words and finds various potential interpretations. Fullerton was a feminist and socialist activist, was proud of her unmarried state, and asserted that she lacked the “sex instinct,” while engaging in a close friendship with a woman with whom she co-habited for almost four decades. Such a self-description in such a context would seem to support interpretation of her life as a classic non-sexual romantic friendship (if somewhat behind the historic curve, as the relationship started in 1909). However further examination of her love poems complicates the question. Her expressions of passion are spiritual but also bodily. Physical interaction is the means for spiritual unity. Further, we find that her definition of “sex instinct” was tied up in procreation. For her the “sex instinct” was the animal urge that drove reproduction—a drive that was not as strong in more “evolved” individuals. [Note: We shall overlook potentially problematic interpretations of this position for the moment.] This leaves room for seeing her poetry as representing an erotic same-sex desire that she viewed as entirely separate from the “sex instinct” she denied having.

 

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bluerosekatie: 3D render of a Bionicle character wearing a purple mask. (Default)
[personal profile] bluerosekatie posting in [community profile] smallfandomfest
Title: do you talk to the stars?
Author: bluerosekatie
Fandom: Bionicle - All Media Types
Pairing/Characters: Nuju & Nixie
Rating/Category: Gen
Prompt: Bionicle - All Media Types, Nuju & Nixie, Learning to read the stars
Spoilers: Nothing concrete but references to later arcs.
Summary: Nixie begins her journey of understanding the skies above Mata Nui.
Notes/Warnings: Archive-locked to avoid AI scraping.

Read it on Ao3 here!

(no subject)

Jun. 28th, 2025 18:34
flemmings: (Default)
[personal profile] flemmings
Last night was thunder and rain, welcome enough in that the sidewalk up from my place has become a dog turd trap, ie some animal stepped in dog doo and meandered up the street leaving marks from here to Yarmouth. The marks are still faintly there today but at least better than it was. Also storm brought in, if not cooler, then dryer weather, so the day was sun and warm and breezily pleasant.

Back has been a literal pain all this week, doubtless from couch poratodom, and legs no better, but I made me go out to Wiener's to inquire about extend-a-cutters because the linden is becoming ridiculously umbrageous. On back order, Marty says, should be in at the end of the month. Umm, this *is* the end of the month, isn't it? so after Monday? Yeah, next week, sort of. OK, must come back next week. SND texted me to say the tree people couldn't come right away to do the cherry, so they'd decided to postpone trim until fall or maybe spring, and I foolishly said Maybe I should just get the whole tree done since lord knows it needs it, and they said Good idea happy to chip in. Which means calling up tree services moan groan tremble. But it really does need extreme cutting back.

Then had bento at my old(est) place and dropped by my secondary bank because BoM will give me fives. Except it didn't give me anything. Kept telling me to remove my card after I'd removed my card, then printed a receipt and shut down. So I had to stand in line and wait for a cashier to be free, while hoping there was a way to tell that the ATM actually hadn't dispensed the cash. Must be, surely, or else people would be constantly trying that scam? Anyway, guy had no doubts as to my honesty, voided the ATM withdrawal, and gave me my cash. But from now on I use the left hand machine only, just in case.

There's the yearly recycle event at Central Tech tomorrow. Might go down with that bag of batteries I found in the bunker, though Wiener's will take light bulbs if I remember to bring them. I must move to move but I seriously don't want to. Couch and beangbags and fan and books/ tablet is all I'm up for.
casemod: Inspector Clawseau. (pic#17751565)
[personal profile] casemod posting in [community profile] pinchhits
Event: Casefic Exchange is a fanwork exchange focusing on investigations. These can be solving murders, retrieving stolen items, finding missing people, missions, and mysteries. As long as it has an investigation as its core theme, it fits with the exchange. We are an AO3 exchange; you must have an account and be 18+ to participate.

Minimum requirements: We allow three mediums: a minimum of 3,000 words for fanfiction, a minimum of 10 panels for a comic, or a recording of a completed fic of 3,000 words minimum with "casefic" as one of its tags. Works must include a fandom, character/ship and be of a medium that the recipient has requested.

Event link: [community profile] caseficexchange.
Pinch hit link: Current pinch hits.
Due date: Friday 18 July at 11:59pm EDT.

Available pinch hits:



Thank you for considering!
tarlanx: Alan in foreground with Billy behind him (Film - Jurassic Park 2 - alan-billy)
[personal profile] tarlanx posting in [community profile] smallfandomfest
Title: Conflicting Thoughts
Author: Tarlan ([personal profile] tarlanx)
Fandom: Jurassic Park (movies)
Pairing/Characters: Alan/Billy
Rating/Category: PG/Slash
Prompt: 3 times Alan wasn’t able to tell Billy how he feels about him, and 1 time he finally told him
Word Count: 2789
Spoilers: None
Summary: Several times Alan had an opportunity to tell Billy how he felt about him but each time slipped away with the words unsaid until it too late. A miracle gives him another chance.
Content Notes: None

On AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66986050
 
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[personal profile] casemod posting in [community profile] videogamefanworks
[community profile] caseficexchange is looking for a pinch hitter to fulfil a request that includes video games.

PH 11 (comic, fic) - Tokyo Babylon, 崩坏:星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game), 恋与深空 | Love and Deepspace (Video Game)

The pinch hit is currently due Friday 18 July at 11:59pm Eastern time.

The exchange requires a completed work of a minimum of 3,000 words for fanfiction or a minimum of 10 panels for a comic. (We also allow a recording of a completed fic of 3,000 words minimum with "casefic" as one of its tags, but this request is not asking for podfic.) Works must include a fandom, character/ship and be of a medium that the recipient has requested. You must have an AO3 account to participate.

If you would like to claim, please comment on the pinch hit post. Thank you!

been all over

Jun. 28th, 2025 18:00
omens: Tiny Titans Robin, with robins (dcu - tiny titans robinses)
[personal profile] omens
We have been to Many Shopping the last couple days since getting the car back, and the day before last we saw some ducklings :D there are 2 groups of babies in this photo, one regular duck. One group was obviously the outgoing extrovert children and the other group was anxious stragglers. They were really fun to watch.



A couple yard pics Under here )

Some not great Ghost news (warning: illness? injury?) nothing gory )

Oh, ETA: in unrelated news and tonal whiplash - does anyone else use focumon? It's a focus app with a pokemon knockoff theme. If you liked habitica, same kinda thing. We should be friends if you try it! I am only on day 1, so idk if I will stick to it. It seems very complicated at first, so I'm trying to streamline it for myself. I basically only need the "focus now" bit.


jadelennox: Nate Borofsky: prickles and stars  (girlyman: nate borofsky beautiful boy)
[personal profile] jadelennox

"Academia: Staying Afloat" by Timothy Burke from the end of January made me feel warmer. It's about everything. AI slop. Fascism. Modern employment. Greed. The broad gesture at everything. Hope. Determination.

You are the right person to do what you do, know what you know, study what you’re going to study. You do it.

You are a lifeboat.

You are not the passenger being rescued from a shipwreck. You are the rescuer. Your skills, your knowledge, your experience reside in you. You have pulled them from the cold ocean where cruel and careless captains have set them adrift.

You are a lifeboat.

Saturday 28 June 2025

Jun. 28th, 2025 17:48
merryghoul: River sonic screwdriver comics (River sonic screwdriver comics)
[personal profile] merryghoul posting in [community profile] doctor_who_sonic
Do you have a Doctor Who community or a journal that we are not currently linking to? Leave a note in the comments and we'll add you to the watchlist ([personal profile] doctor_watch).

Editor's note: Because of the high posting volume and the quantity of information linked in each newsletter, [community profile] doctor_who_sonic will no longer link fanfiction that does not have a header. For an example of what a "good" fanfic header is, see the user info. Spoiler warnings are also greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Off-DW News
Blogtor Who's Friday Video of the Day is The Science of Doctor Who from 2013
Blogtor Who: 2026 calendars out now
nwhyte reviews the Twelfth Doctor comic Terrorformer

(News from [syndicated profile] doctorwhonews_feed and [syndicated profile] blogtorwho_feed, among others.)

Discussion and Miscellany
[personal profile] purplecat with a postcard of The Silence from Day of the Moon

Fanfiction
Completed
Too Noisy by [personal profile] badly_knitted [Amy, Rory, Eleven | G]

If you were not linked, and would like to be, contact us in the comments with further information and your link.

IRL Update

Jun. 28th, 2025 17:42
settiai: (Pippin -- tortugax)
[personal profile] settiai
As of a few minutes ago when I just submitted a payment via the USPS website, I managed to pay three of my four bills that were due. The hotel has been renewed for another week, my storage unit has been renewed for another month, and my P.O. box has been renewed for another six months. I didn't have enough to cover the phone bill, but I made an arrangement to pay it once I get paid on Thursday for a small late fee (less than $10), so I'll take it.

I'm about $20 shy of covering a few more smaller bills that are due come July 1, and I could really use another $20 to cover washing/drying a couple of loads of laundry if at all possible, but I have a few more days to work on that so I'm hopeful I can come up with it by then. If not, well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I'm very, very thankful for the help that I got in covering the larger bills. I was very much panicking for a bit there. 💕

Writing - June 2025

Jun. 28th, 2025 22:09
smallhobbit: (writing)
[personal profile] smallhobbit
Word count for the month 11,500, bringing my total for the half year to just over 62K, so marginally ahead of my goal so far - always good to have a few words in hand!

I've written two squares for [community profile] whatif_au Bingo: for Air Travel You Don't Have To Be Nuts to Work Here which is Hamlet/The Hobbit and a follow up to the last time I wrote for the air travel theme, Thank You for Flying Elsinore Airways and the second for the High/Low fantasy square, which is written but needs another readthrough before posting.  

The major word production went for my [community profile] caseficexchange story, which won't be revealed until next month.

My other major achievement this month was to complete my 11 year streak for [community profile] fan_flashworks with Support Your Local Baby Bank , a Spooks (MI5) ficlet.

FanFlashworks badge: The Outstanding.


Holiday fun

Jun. 28th, 2025 21:37
rmc28: Rachel in hockey gear on the frozen fen at Upware, near Cambridge (Default)
[personal profile] rmc28

Friday:

  • Mary Rose, worth the admission fee all by itself, thoroughly absorbing exhibition of the many many objects found within the wreck, and amazing to see the preserved timbers themselves from lots of different angles.
  • lunch
  • dockyard boat tour, including a good look at the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier currently in dock (I cannot look at aircraft carriers without Danger Zone playing in my head)
  • HMS Victory, audioguide version with dramatic retelling of the battle of Trafalgar. Very absorbing, impressive amount of the ship available to visit even while restoration is ongoing, very tiring.
  • back to hotel and flop for a little
  • walk, ferry, bus to Gosport ice rink, disco skate, bus, ferry and walk back to hotel; ice is rather worse than Cambridge, but ferry+bus beats 2x Cambridge buses any time

Saturday:

  • sauna and swim for me
  • walk to the dockyard, waterbus to the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower
  • lunch
  • walk ~2 miles to Submarine Museum
  • walk through of HMS Alliance, also a look around HMS Holland 1 (the first ever Royal Navy submarine)
  • my body in full rebellion against "museum walking" by this point, we took the waterbus back to the main dockyard, got cold drinks, and got back on the dockyard boat tour - different guide, different focus, well worth it
  • little wander around Gunwharf Quays and a little shopping in the outlet stores; having forgotten to bring my ereader, I resorted to buying a newspaper and we sat quietly ignoring each other in a curry gastropub for a while. Eventually we ordered some curry, which was really rather good, and then toddled back to the hotel
  • I decided I'd had enough moving for the day, so now I'm lying on the hotel bed with Glastonbury on the TV, life is good

Tomorrow I think we'll do a couple of brief museum things at the historic dockyard, and then perhaps go for a wander through Southsea. I'm going to watch England v Jamaica tomorrow afternoon (I think R has less than zero interest in football, women's or otherwise) and we've a reservation in the Spinnaker Tower for sunset cocktails tomorrow evening.

physical issues My leg muscles, especially the ones that stabilise hips, knees and ankles, have been giving me some grief since I went clubbing after the Kodiaks won playoffs at end of May. I'm reasonably sure it's muscular fatigue and not joint/ligament damage. Rest helps, but so does gentle movement: if I sit still too long everything has seized up a bit when I stand up, but loosens up again as I start moving. Skating and hockey are fine once I'm warmed up. Yoga and general stretching seem to help, as do hot baths and sauna. Steady walking is a lot better for me than the stop-start of museum walking, as the last two days have made clear. I love museums but right now the spirit is willing and the flesh has Had Enough.

spiralsheep: Sheep wearing an eyepatch (Default)
[personal profile] spiralsheep
It's June and therefore, like unto a salmon swimming wearily upstream to spawn, I must find a cafe according to [community profile] flaneurs challenge III.(c). This year I was hoping for 100% less fail! :D

My destination which, unlike in 2023, I had checked was actually open (lmao) was the National Trust "Old Oak" cafe in Greyfriars which is a preserved Tudor £££ brewer's £££ house £££, built 1490, in the middle of Worcester. My starting point was the Royal Voluntary Service hospital shop, built 2002, at Worcester hospital. To the time machine!

First, catch a bus... with a rly big net? Or a public transport network. Hypothetically there are several buses passing (busses kissing?) this stop but in practice the 38 is much more frequent than its rivals. The bus route passed many points I've described in previous June challenges. We also stopped for a funeral procession of a black hearse, complete with coffin and lovely bright yellow flowers, led by a woman funeral director in a formal black skirt and frock coat with a low-crowned top hat and carrying a silver-topped cane.

Stuff what I saw (with links to some amazing art) )

Greyfriars: it's not grey and there were never any friars, but it was interesting to visit.

Murderbot

Jun. 28th, 2025 20:14
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[personal profile] philomytha
Murderbot TV series eps 1-8
I've been intending to watch this for a while, and with RL being rather stressful lately I decided to spend some of the past few days decompressing by inhaling the whole thing. I enjoyed the books a lot, and I also loved this. It gives the sense of having been made with a lot of fun, a lot of love, and also a strong eye for putting in every possible ridiculously tropey situation they can plausibly squeeze in. It sticks to the book in broad outline, but in many ways it feels like a great fanfic version of the book: more subplots have been added, more Situations have been created for our favourite characters to experience and suffer, everything's turned up and embellished a whole lot. I strongly approve of this approach to screen adaptation.

slightly rambling spoilery thoughts )

Firefox AI Removal

Jun. 28th, 2025 13:55
krait: Yuri Plisetsky's face, looking outraged (outraged Yuri)
[personal profile] krait
Firefox, my web browser of choice, just updated and dumped a bunch of new "AI features" that are enabled by default.

If you, like me, hate this nonsense, I found this very helpful guide to removing it. It took about one minute, and seems to be working - I no longer see the 'AI link preview' popup window when I hover over a link, for instance.

Please feel free to pass this on!

book group

Jun. 28th, 2025 12:10
boxofdelights: (Default)
[personal profile] boxofdelights
I hosted book group last Sunday and I'm only just feeling recovered today. We read How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community, by Mia Birdsong, which is a very timely book about weaving the web of connections that we all need to survive the current omnidisaster. Eight people showed up at my house!

I made broccoli & tofu with peanut sauce, a tomato-lentil dish, spiced nuts (sweet and not sweet), and served salad, bread, cheese and crackers. My friend Karen made mojitos.

I also had door prizes: a stack of books. Six of them went home with someone.

pics )

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