5+1 Reading Recommendations for Self-Isolation

Hello everyone.

I would love to start of jolly, wishing that everyone's had a great week so far, alas here we are... The world is full of anger and resentment, as well as confusion and fear. Other people are happy to stay in and work creatively, so the reactions to this are all different... However, Boris has finally ordered a lockdown to happen, so no one is about and it feels like it's a Sunday, everyday! (I secretly love it...)
Just remember to respect the NHS staff and the elderly and the people who might be most affected by this. Be kind and be respectful. Namaste.

Whilst we are looking at possibly staying inside for weeks on end (or even months, as my university sessions are online only until September!) I thought I'd fix up a little online reading recommendations list to keep you entertained, especially if you're avoiding libraries and book stores.

Here are my recommended self-isolation reads, facts and fiction, accompanied by pics from our trip to London earlier this week!

PS if any of these links stop working, let me know, as I can find an alternative for you.

A Champagne Celebration by Veronica Swinburne

The winner of Aesthetica Magazine's Creative Writing competition from last year. A brilliant four page short fiction piece from a previously unpublished author, capturing what long-term loneliness and solitude might result in. A beautiful, yet sad story. 

Click here to read.

The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, vol. 1

A collection of Mozart's letters from 1770 to 1780. I adore reading historical letters, they can reveal so much from that particular person, their character and their relationships. I am eternally fascinated by the thoughts of well-known historical figures, whether they were in the arts, politics or just in the public eye. A perfect read if you fancy a brief time-travel. Preface starts from page 9, so keep scrolling! 

Click here to read.  

Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Film Theory and Criticism : Introductory Readings

Doesn't really need much introduction to be honest, as everyone should just read it. It really makes the lightbulb in your head go ballistics. Male gaze is a theory presented by Laura Mulvey, analyzing voyeurism (a controlling gaze) and scopophilia (the pleasure involved in looking). According to Mulvey, the gaze is always superior to the object of the gaze, and this forms into an erotic basis for pleasure in looking at another person as an object. In other words, male gaze is about male culture making women’s bodies into objects of beauty, sexuality and desire for men to gaze upon. Boom.

Click here to read.

Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory by Judith Butler

An insightful essay about gender construction and how Butler makes us readers realise how gendered behaviour is merely a collection of performative acts, enforced by society. Butler writes: "‘gender’ is an identity constituted in time”, and that, in fact, gender is an identity “instituted through a stylized repetition of acts and the stylization of the body”. Butler argues that gender must be understood, at a basic level, as a way in which "bodily gestures, movements, and enactments of various kinds constitute the illusion of an abiding gendered self." Boom. Again.

Click here to read.

DUM DUM Zine 

DUM DUM Zine is a fantastic website publishing experimental work. Filled with stories and poetry amongst other creativity, the format of the zine changes in every issue. How cool is that?! DUM DUM is absolute favourite online platform to gain access to new material.

Fancying exploring something new and different? Head over here.  

My story.... The Hawtrey Curse!

I've been debating whether I should publish it yet or not, as I am working on a short story collection which I want to self-publish later on this year. Then I thought, if that's the case, I can publish one or two stories here and there for people to get a taster of what I am working on! They will be a mixture though, and not all eerie, gloomy and gothic. I wanted to dip my toe in gothic literature as I am a lover of the genre. Also people have wanted to know how it finishes after only getting a 5 minutes taster.... Am excited! Enjoy!

PS Thank you Jay for doing the illustration! Follow Jay's creative work here (Youtube) and here (Instagram).

Click here to read.