I deactivated my Twitter.

. . . Or you know, X, but no one calls it that. I hate Elon Musk and have big ethical concerns over the changes to X’s privacy policy today, which might train machine learning systems on user content. More importantly, I’m horrified by the ableism, animal abuse, and the risks of human Neuralink trials. Years ago, I compared Neuralink to the chips in the Guardians’ brains in N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy. Musk, Bezos, and Trump have an undue influence on world politics.

Anyway, I deactivated my Twitter account, @glapointewriter. I might reactivate rarely to ensure my username isn’t reassigned. I have the same username at my Instagram, which is usually private to throw off bots and scammers. My other accounts are listed here. I frequently publish at Book Riot and occasionally blog on Medium. I’ll continue to update WordPress with news, publications, and ideas.

I’ll miss a lot of people from Twitter, but I’ve found many of you on IG. Thank you to everyone who was welcoming and read my work! I learned a lot from all of you!

I’m currently watching Reservation Dogs. I really like it. Our Flag Means Death comes back next week! And Doctor Who in November!

2 Recent BR Articles

12 of the Most Unexpected Book-to-Stage Adaptations

6 Adaptations of Books That Their Authors Didn’t Like

CN: examples of grooming, racism, sexual assault, anti-trans bigotry, and antisemitism

Other examples I decided not to include in my final draft:

Colleen McCullough, author of The Thorn Birds, often described the popular miniseries of the book as “instant vomit!” I didn’t mention her, partly because she used racist slurs against Aboriginal Australian people. I didn’t want to link to any interviews in which she made racist comments.

In 2009, Audrey Niffenegger said she hadn’t watched the movie of her bestselling novel The Time Traveler’s Wife; nor did she want to. In 2022, a TV series adaptation of the novel aired on HBO. Steven Moffat wrote and developed the series. He’d previously cited the novel as an influence on his episodes when he was a writer and showrunner on Doctor Who, especially the Tenth Doctor episode “The Girl in the Fireplace” and the Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond, and River Song’s story arcs.

In 2021 on BR, I called both The Thorn Birds and The Time Traveler’s Wife examples of so-called “romances” that depicted adults grooming children. I expanded on The Thorn Birds on my Medium blog.

Some of my research surprised me. I’ve always incorrectly assumed that Robert C. O’Brien disliked The Secret of NIMH, the movie based on his novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. However, I couldn’t find any indication O’Brien was unhappy with the movie. The film changed the title and the protagonist’s name, from Frisby to Brisby, but this was to prevent possible copyright disputes with the maker of Frisbee over licensing toys or games.

Both of my September BR articles mention The Color Purple by Alice Walker. In my latest article, I also mentioned that Walker repeatedly endorsed antisemitic and anti-trans conspiracy theories.

I didn’t expect to find so much triggering material when researching this topic. When explaining that Gore Vidal hated the movie adaptation of Myra Breckinridge, some articles include a still from the rape scene in the movie. I wouldn’t have been comfortable linking to those articles, either here or on BR.

In an earlier blog post, I said Fagin from Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist is an example of an antisemitic caricature. I wrote the following details in my private journals but wanted to add them here too. There’s the description of his physical features in the novel and his greedy, secretive, and dishonest personality. The musical makes this even worse. Specifically, the song “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two,” where Fagin teaches the boys how to steal, has a klezmer beat.

Magic Systems

New today on Book Riot:

9 of the Most Unique Magic Systems in YA Fantasy

Adult SFF can be very intricate. I’ve read both books in James Rollins’ Moonfall series so far. I don’t really understand how bridle-song works, but that’s part of the fun of reading high fantasy.

In the Broken Earth trilogy by N. K. Jemisin, Essun realizes in the middle of the trilogy that orogeny is more magic than “science.”

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart has a fascinating magic system, rewriting constructs made from bone shards. It’s almost a fantasy version of computer programming.

Childhood Classics That Depicted Disability

On Book Riot today, I analyze classic children’s books that contained disabled characters, even if they weren’t the focus of the book, or the authors might not have been disabled.

10 Classic Childhood Books You May Have Forgotten Featured Disabled Characters

Heydon Prowse as Colin Craven in The Secret Garden (Warner Bros, 1993).

Hayley Mills as Pollyanna (Disney, 1960)

I think Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter has a message of toxic positivity. Some disabled authors have written that we’re expected to be constantly cheerful, like Pollyanna. I understand this criticism, but my issues with the story begin even before Pollyanna becomes disabled. Pollyanna is an orphaned child, and her dad taught her some terrible coping mechanisms before he died. Her famous optimism is based on supremacy and pity: feeling “glad” she was born white, non-disabled, and in the US. Yes, the 1913 novel’s patronizing attitude is also racist. Pollyanna and her family donate money for missionaries to convert children in India to Christianity and “save” them.

I remember a bizarre, ironic scene from the 1960 Disney movie. Soon after Pollyanna starts living with her Aunt Polly, her aunt scolds her in church: “Don’t stare at the orphans, Pollyanna!” Even as a kid, I was like, But she’s orphaned too! Aunt Polly is Othering her from her friends (from the orphanage), implying, You’re better than they are, now that you’re staying with me, your rich aunt. This is classist, pitying, condescending, and reminds me of the ways kids are told not to look at poor or disabled people now. Of course, Aunt Polly has a big character arc and changes a lot.

I judged the hell out of Pollyanna when I was a little kid, but now, I’m judging the adults who taught Pollyanna to think like this, not Pollyanna herself. So, sure, the book contains outdated social values that might be hard to explain to kids. But Pollyanna herself is not a role model, despite what modern parents’ guides say. I don’t think we should teach kids to passively accept everything or tell themselves “it could be worse” by pitying other people.

“Labour” by Paris Paloma Cover

Paris Paloma in her music video for her song “Labour.”

For the first time in over a year, I recorded a quick, a cappella song cover on my phone: “Labour” by Paris Paloma. Captions, lyrics, and a link to the artist’s original video are included. I do not monetize my YouTube. What a feminist anthem!

Speaking of YouTube

My Twitter is usually locked (I don’t use it much anymore). But I’m pasting some Tweets here.

Some people have asked, Why did anyone ever find Colleen Ballinger’s comedy funny?

I agree with Imani Barbarin that the Miranda Sings character was coded as disabled.

Content warning: CSA, ableism, incest

Colleen Ballinger’s videos were based on the Miranda character acting “st*pid,” mispronouncing words, being attracted to her uncle, and not understanding this was incestuous and he was predatory. She was joking about incest and mocking speech, developmental, and intellectual disabilities. Consider, too, how many disabled people are targeted because sexual predators think we won’t understand or be believed. That was the basis of her “humor.”

Obviously, nothing else in her “comedy” is comparable to Colleen Ballinger grooming fans or sexually harassing kids, but I don’t want to link to videos of those inappropriate onstage routines with children.

I’m just saying the whole Miranda Sings shtick itself was based in ableism, racism, stereotypes, and lots of internalized misogyny. And presumed innocence as a white woman saying these things. It’s middle or high school bully humor at best.

For full transparency, I updated some of my old blog posts from years ago acknowledging when people have apologized for past racist or ableist behavior. Ballinger had an ableist title for her personal YouTube channel years ago, but she apologized and changed it years ago. In contrast, many people consider Ballinger’s latest “apology” dismissive and self-serving, though.

New Disability Literature List!

20 Must-Read Fiction and Nonfiction Books about the Disability Experience

The article linked above is titled “20 Must-Read Fiction and Nonfiction Books about the Disability Experience.” But as I wrote in the first sentence: “As a disabled writer myself, I think there isn’t a singular disability experience.”

Recently, I recommended several books by disabled authors in my article on found family fantasy novels.

Some Additions and Clarifications: LOTR and Doctor Who

In my article on facts about The Lord of the Rings, I wrote that the traveling LOTR exhibit visited only one US city (Boston) in 2004. I meant that it visited only one US city in 2004, not ever. In 2005 and 2006, it visited other US cities. I know that might have been unclear, but it’s a lot of information to synthesize into one article in an original way.

In January, I published some of my impressions watching old Doctor Who episodes in 2022. I forgot to mention the 2008 Tenth Doctor episode “The Unicorn and the Wasp,” but an ableist trope stuck out to me in this story as well. This is a funny episode about Agatha Christie and a silly parody of her work and even the game and movie Clue. So, each new character has a secret that makes them seem like a suspect. Col. Hugh’s is that he uses a wheelchair but “doesn’t really need” it! But, to quote Annie Elainey, “ambulatory wheelchair users exist.”

It shouldn’t be a shocking twist or a sign of dishonesty if a wheelchair user can walk, as many can. Doctor Who has had disabled characters and actors since then, whom I mentioned in my Medium post. I think/hope the show wouldn’t use this ableist cliche today.

Fun Facts About LoTR!

Today on Book Riot:

23 Lord of the Rings Facts You Might Not Know About the Classic

I usually try not to notice anymore when people share my work. Someone shared my analysis of JKR’s goblins and contrasted it with Tolkien’s dwarves, which Tolkien admitted he based on his “admiration” of Jewish people. I don’t like or agree with the contrast here because I think both JKR and Tolkien’s depictions are dangerous. I disagree with anyone saying Tolkien’s rep was OK but JKR’s wasn’t. Even positive or well-intentioned stereotypes can be very dangerous.

However, I also tried to make it clear that Tolkien hated Hitler and would be horrified that he has any white supremacist fans.

Some more links about LOTR: Tolkien reading a poem in Elvish

Hobbits spoke a dialect of the common tongue and didn’t have a separate language.

More on Arwen’s fate. I found this confusing in the films. I assumed her losing strength was because of her decision to become mortal and marry Aragorn (like in the books!).

Fun Facts About Books!

Today on Book Riot, I published a list of fun facts about books and reading. Here are some clarifications because I was trying to paraphrase and summarize so much information. I cited Kaz Rowe’s video about the Library of Alexandria and said Ptolmey required copies made of almost every book. They’d usually keep the original, then send a high-quality copy to the place of origin. So, all the books were probably not lost permanently when the Library was destroyed because there were copies in other countries, where the books had originated. I also recommend their video on the history and myths that inspired OFMD, which I cited in a blog post last year!

The facts about the most translated books come from a translation agency’s blog. They specifically say these are the books translated into the most spoken languages. So, in terms of numbers of different translations published overall, I’d guess that there were the most translations published of something like the Odyssey, for example, after the Bible.

I also published an article on popular books that aren’t real on BR on Friday, with a follow-up on my Medium.

Popular Fake Books

In this new article for Book Riot, I examine fake books that many people think or wish were real. They’re often books within books that develop characters or world-building in the main narrative. They give authors a chance to experiment with genres, styles, or ideas they may not use for a full-length book. As usual, I followed up with more examples and analysis on my Medium blog.

I finally published an epilogue to my Our Flag Means Death fanfic, which I first posted over a year ago. I spend a lot more time in the Doctor Who fandom than the OFMD fandom these days, but I love both. There were parallels between OFMD and The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall that I finally got to mention in the epilogue.

Isabel Allende Books List!

Hi everyone, for Book Riot today, I wrote about Isabel Allende, who’s been one of my favorite authors for many years.

8 of the Best Isabel Allende Books

One of my BR editors quoted me in a Substack asking how we keep track of what we read. There are a lot of great Substacks out there, like Karrie Higgins’ Disability Magick at the End of the World, about disability, the environment, art, and more. Most Substacks have free tiers and paid tiers with more content.

Lots of people read, cite, and share my work. Thank you so much!

Here’s my 2010 undergrad paper on Macbeth, edited slightly before posting with more inclusive language in 2023. I posted it on my Medium and Academia pages.

Macbeth

Over on my Medium, I uploaded my slightly edited, 2010 undergrad essay on Macbeth, witches, gender, and the Malleus Maleficarum.

Found Family List on Book Riot

10 Engrossing Found Family Fantasy and Alternate History Novels

I love the world-building in Master of Poisons. In the novel non-binary people have a specific pronoun to refer to them.

I think ACOTAR isn’t a good example of this trope. Feyre’s “found family” is just her controlling husband’s friends. As I wrote back in 2020, Rhys was abusive before they became a couple.