* * *
“But, then again, what if they were role models?”
–Sarah Gailey, In Defense of Villainesses
* * *
Green
I greet the day with a stretch and a yawn.
Half a continent away
a house tears off its foundation in a cyclone.
I trot down the stairs in my nightshirt.
The news reports earthquakes
stretching to both poles.
I’ve heard people claim I shrunk them small with a spell.
That I fly on a broomstick surrounded by an army
of winged monkeys.
Lies all, but I do not blame them.
My upbringing did not prepare me either for the sight of a woman
flying, her wings as terrifying and tender as any man’s.
They say I am the color of envy.
I say it goes the other way round.
~a.i.
Speaking of the Green One, are y’all familiar with Todrick Hall’s 2016 visual album Straight Outta Oz? Was recently introduced to it by a friend, and I am OBSESSED.
You can watch the whole thing here, but for a quick taste, here’s one of my favorite numbers:
THE VILLAINESS SERIES is part of an ongoing collaborative project between a playwright friend and me, in which we explore how to use myths & fairy tales as tools to interrogate gender norms and to critique, resist, and heal from the impact of gender & sexual violence.
For more from my half of the project.
* * *
And now for something completely different:
I just gave Coffee and a Blank Page its own Facebook page!
Please follow and come out to play with me there if you’re interested.
Snacks may (or may not) be involved.
* * *
[Detail: John Singer Sargent, Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau). Public Domain.]
Fabulous phrasing at the twist.
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Thanks. I am pleased with that line, too.
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Excellent read…
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Glad to hear it resonated for you.
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Toto, I don’t think we’re in OZ anymore…
I still get slightly distressed when I see those flying monkeys 🙂
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Oh yeah, the flying monkeys are THE WORST. Much creepier than the Wicked Witch…
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Enjoying the series Alice…
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Awesome. Very glad to hear it!
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