KNONK notes

all

KNONK

Go here

KNONK NOtes

Tags

Welcome to the secret section, where the website is a little broken as I'm figuring out how to make it work.

book review

The Haunting of Alma Fielding

finished

Exhaustively (exhaustingly) detailed review of a paranormal investigation from interbellum London. Weird book, it draws you in with all these seemingly supernatural happenings, and all the while you're like, "But she's faking, right? This is clearly fake?!" I guess I won't spoil it. It's from a real life report of an actual haunting.

Recommended if you like:

  1. Interbellum London,
  2. Spooky stuff,
  3. Real life ghost stories.

A Home of One's Own: Why the Housing Crisis Matters - Hashi Mohamed

finished

I wanted to dig a little deeper into some of the issues I care about. Rather than watching hypey 20 minute videos on Youtube, why don't I get a book out about e.g. the housing crisis in the UK? So I did that.
Mohamed's writing is clear and damning: political failures across the board have created this crisis and let it fester. This isn't about Thatcher (although it's also about Thatcher), it's about a system that has failed at every opportunity to plan for the future. A Home of One's Own is a fairly quick read, but it touches on the major forces contributing to the lack of affordable, quality housing: the selling of council housing, nimbyism, foreign investment, a planning system that's not fit for purpose. Ultimately, it's conflicts of interest that keep this crisis unsolved: the powerful own houses, and benefit from the fact that others do not.
It deepened my understanding, although it's light on solutions or, you know, hope.
Everything needs to change. Political will is in short supply.
Gift this book to your parents or grandparents who don't understand.

Murder Most Fab - Julian Clarey

finished

Delightful, camp murder comedy about a young man on his way to super stardom who just keeps getting put into situations where he unfortunately has to murder other men. Woe is he.
The character is a lot more sympathetic than I would have guessed from the premise, he's more of a lovable idiot than a magnificent bastard. It's sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, but the story is saved from nihilism by the character's enduring love for a YA summer romance.
Best read of the year so far. (Yes, it's mid January, but still.)

Recommended if you like:

  1. That Gay Shit,
  2. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,
  3. Whore with a Heart of Gold.

Detransition, Baby!

finished

One of my top reads of the year, but it’s hard to explain why. The story is about a complex family trying to form: a detransitioned trans woman gets his boss pregnant and is asking his ex (a transwoman) to join them and be the second mother to the baby.
Most of the book is actually the character’s back stories, how they got to be who they are and why this crazy premise actually makes a kind of sense, maybe. It’s very queer, it’s funny and sad and hopeful without sanding down the rough edges.
I don’t identify as trans but reading this I felt closer to understanding trans experiences than an educational text could ever managed. And I value it deeply for that.

Recommended if you like:

  1. Queer drama
  2. Trans rights

This is Pleasure - Mary Gaitskill

finished

Ooh, #metoo fiction with some nuance and room for interpretation? In this timeline?
This is a novella about a Bad Man that asks: but how bad? Where is the line and when did he cross it?
Reading other reviews I can see they are all over the place. From sympathy for the Bad Man character to full throw-away-the-key condemnation. I think it’s a good book, it’s well written and I feel like I’m better for having read it.

Recommended if you like:

  1. Complexity and nuance
  2. Short books

Bad Behaviour - Mary Gaitskill

finished

I was strongly recommended this and after trying to read it I didn’t want to ask why.
If I’m going to read a book with this much sadomasochistic sex, I’d like it if anyone was actually enjoying themselves.

Recommended if you like:

  1. Bad sex
  2. Human misery
  3. ???

Bury your Gays - Chuck Tingle

finished

I was new to Chuck Tingle, who also has a very sexy fiction podcast where his erotic stories are read by the people of Welcome to Nightvale (get that where-ever you get your podcasts). He’s good. I liked it. Blazed through it on a roadtrip.
Bury your Gays is a very enjoyable, madcap Hollywood horror about the future of entertainment in the age of AI, being out, artistic integrity and the ghosts of the past. Well plotted, great cast, satisfying ending. No notes.

Recommended if you like:

  1. that gay shit
  2. lifestyles of the rich and famous
  3. horror

Indie web links

Down here are links to other independent websites. Some of these are bookmarks to myself.

Paul Robert Lloyd wrote a Beginner's Guide to the Indie Web.

James has a List of ideas for a personal website.

Let's revisit melonland that seems like a cool place.

Zine links

For the Love of the Game is a personal zine. The first issue is about sleeping badly and housing insecurity and it's wonderful. You can read and download for free at the link.

If you're into zines, you may be interested in this Collectible card game where you make your own cards, and then collect and trade by beating your opponent.

Currently reading

Haverscroft - S.A. Harris
Young family move into haunted house that is clearly haunted and refuse to leave.
The Cat who Saved Books - Sosuke Natsukawa
Talking cat takes young shut-in on Ghibli adventures that teach us about the power of books.
Less - Andrew Sean Greer
Hapless writing embarks on a world tour to avoid the wedding of his ex-boyfriend.

The Haunting of Alma Fielding

finished

Exhaustively (exhaustingly) detailed review of a paranormal investigation from interbellum London. Weird book, it draws you in with all these seemingly supernatural happenings, and all the while you're like, "But she's faking, right? This is clearly fake?!" I guess I won't spoil it. It's from a real life report of an actual haunting.

Recommended if you like:

  1. Interbellum London,
  2. Spooky stuff,
  3. Real life ghost stories.

A Home of One's Own: Why the Housing Crisis Matters - Hashi Mohamed

finished

I wanted to dig a little deeper into some of the issues I care about. Rather than watching hypey 20 minute videos on Youtube, why don't I get a book out about e.g. the housing crisis in the UK? So I did that.
Mohamed's writing is clear and damning: political failures across the board have created this crisis and let it fester. This isn't about Thatcher (although it's also about Thatcher), it's about a system that has failed at every opportunity to plan for the future. A Home of One's Own is a fairly quick read, but it touches on the major forces contributing to the lack of affordable, quality housing: the selling of council housing, nimbyism, foreign investment, a planning system that's not fit for purpose. Ultimately, it's conflicts of interest that keep this crisis unsolved: the powerful own houses, and benefit from the fact that others do not.
It deepened my understanding, although it's light on solutions or, you know, hope.
Everything needs to change. Political will is in short supply.
Gift this book to your parents or grandparents who don't understand.

Murder Most Fab - Julian Clarey

finished

Delightful, camp murder comedy about a young man on his way to super stardom who just keeps getting put into situations where he unfortunately has to murder other men. Woe is he.
The character is a lot more sympathetic than I would have guessed from the premise, he's more of a lovable idiot than a magnificent bastard. It's sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, but the story is saved from nihilism by the character's enduring love for a YA summer romance.
Best read of the year so far. (Yes, it's mid January, but still.)

Recommended if you like:

  1. That Gay Shit,
  2. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,
  3. Whore with a Heart of Gold.

KNONK ZINES

Tags

The Northman

watched

Toxic masculinity, the movie. Our hero is hanging out with a bunch of war criminals when Bjork reminds him he's supposed to avenge his father.
He does, by sneaking around the hall killing men at night, like a ghost. This is the kind of stuff that made Grendel the bad guy, but I think we're still supposed to root for him?
No "be or not to be" for this guy, he's here for his vengeance and he'll do anything to get it. What a waste. The witchy stuff was cool, the gore and violence got a bit much.
Not for me.

Recommended if you like:

  1. Make it witchy
  2. Gore
  3. Deconstructed heroic tales

Hairspray

watched

Fun watch! Some cool songs, mood-elevating dance scenes, and some real stars in “what are you doing here?” parts, who actually pull it all together.
We have Christopher Walken as a joke-shop owner dad, Michelle Pfeiffer as the evil (former beauty) queen and, yeah, John Travolta in drag?
If you search for “Travolta Hairspray” google suggests asking why’d he do it? And I guess that was sort of my question. He’s a weird pick, for sure. And it’s for sure a brave move for him. But the really surprising bit is that he kinda knocks it out of the park!? Kinda!?
My favourite scene was her and Christopher Walken singing about how much they love each other even though they’re a pair of old farts. Actually touching, but then I’m an old fart.
The Guardian had a two star review, proving once and for all they’re a bunch of fuddy-duddies who hate fun.

Recommended if you like:

  1. That gay shit (in that it's very camp, there’s no gay characters)
  2. Audio-visual Caffeine
  3. Children’s book level civil rights stories

Cut & Paste Collage Club - PRSC

Second Wednesday of the month, check it’s on at: PRSC Events
PRSC "The Space" 17-25 Jamaica Street, BS2 8JP Bristol, UK

I’ve been to PRSCs Collage Club twice, and I’ve had a good time twice. They provide boxes of magazines, newspaper, assorted printed stuff and you can do what you want with them.
This time, I made some mini zine pages. I was planning to make a zine about how Instagram is eating your brain and you should leave, but decided against that at the last minute. With no plan whatsoever, I just cut interesting words out of magazine pages for a while, and made ransom note poetry.
It turned into a zine after all, I’ll upload it sometime soon. The vibe at Cut & Paste collage club is chill, you can talk to people or just do your own thing, and it’s on for long enough to really get stuck in, or to drop in for part of it and do something small.

Recommended if you like:

  1. Collage
  2. Untutored art workshops
  3. Zines

What a Drag! Another open mic?

House of Boussé is a trans-forward drag house and they have an open mic in Café Kino that is strange, wonderful, inscrutable, delightful. It feels a little bit culty but like, in a good way.
Drag can be a funny thing to try to define. The open mic is for any short form performance art by trans+ artists. I’ve seen comedy, music, horror, historical, and genre-defining what-is-its on What a Drag’s small stage and personally, I’m ready for more.

Last Wednesday of the month, check at: What a Drag! (IG)
Café Kino is at:

108 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3RU England

Accessibility note: the performance is in the basement down some steep steps.

Recommended if you like:

  1. Drag
  2. Trans wrongs
  3. In-jokes

Detransition, Baby!

finished

One of my top reads of the year, but it’s hard to explain why. The story is about a complex family trying to form: a detransitioned trans woman gets his boss pregnant and is asking his ex (a transwoman) to join them and be the second mother to the baby.
Most of the book is actually the character’s back stories, how they got to be who they are and why this crazy premise actually makes a kind of sense, maybe. It’s very queer, it’s funny and sad and hopeful without sanding down the rough edges.
I don’t identify as trans but reading this I felt closer to understanding trans experiences than an educational text could ever managed. And I value it deeply for that.

Recommended if you like:

  1. Queer drama
  2. Trans rights

This is Pleasure - Mary Gaitskill

finished

Ooh, #metoo fiction with some nuance and room for interpretation? In this timeline?
This is a novella about a Bad Man that asks: but how bad? Where is the line and when did he cross it?
Reading other reviews I can see they are all over the place. From sympathy for the Bad Man character to full throw-away-the-key condemnation. I think it’s a good book, it’s well written and I feel like I’m better for having read it.

Recommended if you like:

  1. Complexity and nuance
  2. Short books

Bad Behaviour - Mary Gaitskill

finished

I was strongly recommended this and after trying to read it I didn’t want to ask why.
If I’m going to read a book with this much sadomasochistic sex, I’d like it if anyone was actually enjoying themselves.

Recommended if you like:

  1. Bad sex
  2. Human misery
  3. ???

Bury your Gays - Chuck Tingle

finished

I was new to Chuck Tingle, who also has a very sexy fiction podcast where his erotic stories are read by the people of Welcome to Nightvale (get that where-ever you get your podcasts). He’s good. I liked it. Blazed through it on a roadtrip.
Bury your Gays is a very enjoyable, madcap Hollywood horror about the future of entertainment in the age of AI, being out, artistic integrity and the ghosts of the past. Well plotted, great cast, satisfying ending. No notes.

Recommended if you like:

  1. that gay shit
  2. lifestyles of the rich and famous
  3. horror