Morning Coffee (7/1/15)

How is it July????

Me elsewhere: Your weekly TV news and an interview with Kate Hackett of Classic Alice.

The Greek crisis: 9 questions you were too embarrassed to ask

Stop the madness.

Ooh: James V’s lost tapestries recreated at Stirling Castle

Apparently Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Paul Rudd now own Samuel's and I no longer understand the world at ALL.

There is a Ladies of King's Landing sock yarn club and you should join it because I can't afford it right now.

The Onion: Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, Alito Suddenly Realize They Will Be Villains In Oscar-Winning Movie One Day

No One In Medieval Europe Knew What A Deer Looked Like

Morning Coffee (6/11/15)

Martin Sheen is going to be Matthew Cuthbert in the new Anne of Green Gables movie, and I started crying just reading that headline, so obviously I'll handle this well.

X-Files is really happening, you guys.

Dawson's Creek and Buffy reruns are coming to ABC Family!

Oh hey, did I tell you Classic Alice is back? Classic Alice is back.

I don't agree with everything in this, but it's worth a read: What the ATX Festival should renew for next year—and what it should cancel

Apparently this is basically the one law New Hampshire has decided it needs. Okay then.

The story behind that mistaken tweet that the Queen had died is pretty wacky.

A Musician Names Things

Morning Coffee (5/27/15)

There's a Classic Alice prequel with some news . . .

I love Joy Williams' new song.

Sigh: Denver ComicCon Had a Women in Comics Panel with No Women

They're putting Flannery O'Connor on a stamp!

500 Channels and Everything’s On: The Too-Much-TV Problem

I'm excited about Churchill's Secret.

A good primer: Did your favorite TV show get canceled? Here are 7 reasons it might have.

Texts From Hieronymus Bosch

My Favorite Thing About Pitch Perfect 2... (SPOILERS)

I realize this post has an inane title; it's basically because I couldn't come up with a more specific title that didn't include spoilers. And now I'm rambling about that fact in order to give a little buffer space here, because yes, some spoilers for Pitch Perfect 2 are below, so if you care about that you should click away now!

I liked Pitch Perfect 2 a lot in general, but my favorite thing about it was really the lack of something. I loved the way they handled Skylar Astin's character Jesse. I liked the development of Beca and Jesse's relationship in the first movie, and I was so afraid that they would break up and get back together in the second just for the sake of drama - partially because I hate the idea that happy, functional relationships have no place in fiction, but also because it seemed unnecessary and like it would pull focus from Beca's story.

I was all ready for the movie to try to give Jesse his own story, or to make Beca's story about him - to make him jealous of her success, or to suggest that her busy-ness was making him feel neglected. But they avoided all of these easy, traditional options. Instead, he was just there, clearly proceeding with his own life but, for the purposes of this story, present as an interested, supportive boyfriend, popping up to yell "That's my girl!" whenever Beca did awesome things but never making the audience think about him other than in relation to her, because it wasn't his story. And that was just so refreshing.

This partially jumped out at me because of recent discussions on Tumblr about the character arc of Andrew (the male lead/love interest) on Classic Alice, in which show creator/writer Kate Hackett said this:

1. This is Alice’s story, not Andrew’s. She’s our focus and always should be. Even within the story, this is Alice’s story & not Andrew’s. He’s focused on her within the narrative for the story you guys get to see. But bigger picture, I didn’t want to write a story about a dude. I wanted to write a story about a lady human.

There are so many stories about dudes. So, so many. And there are so many stories in which ladies exist purely to support or service the dude's story. And yet when a story revolves around a female character, it's so common to see almost automatic reactions of "But what about the guys?" With their treatment of Jesse, the writers of Pitch Perfect 2 make it clear: This is not a man's story, and that's okay.

Morning Coffee (4/2/15)

Everyone survive yesterday? Yes, that Classic Alice thing was a joke and here I remember the last April Fools thing I participated in. Cats were involved.

The Goodreads dating app was ALSO a joke but I WISH it were real.

And the Post has a roundup of the various online and corporate pranks.

Sad news: Cynthia Lennon has died.

Yulin Kuang - who did the great I Ship It, webseries Kissing in the Rain, and more - is one of the directors of the new Twilight shorts. Congratulations!

Someone who grew up at the Algonquin wrote a book about it and that is absolutely a book I would read.

Hugh Jackman is doing Apostle Paul because . . . sure?

David Duchovny is releasing an album because of course he is.

The Two Medieval Monks are back! "you know more about goats than you give yourself credit for"

Morning Coffee (3/3/15)

Classic Alice announced that if they make it to 50k, a generous donor has promised to push it to their goal of 60k. Only 10k to go. Can you help just a little?

Standard Responses to Online Stupidity

Are you worried about the UN taking over the Alamo? So is this Texas state senator.

Whoa: A Map of the Literary Genres

Whoa again: Stories of the Past and Future

Interesting: Slate's Panoply platform is serious about podcasts

Don't Think, Just Hot Take

The Time Everyone "Corrected" the World's Smartest Woman

Pretty: Pinup Girl Vintage Collection honors Disney artist Mary Blair

Morning Coffee (3/2/15)

Classic Alice's funding campaign ends FRIDAY. If we get to $50k, something MAGICAL will happen. That's under $14k to go. Can you help? Just a little? Please?

How Designers Recreated Alan Turing's Top-Secret, Code-Cracking World In "The Imitation Game"

I desperately wanted this story to be about a lawsuit about an actual typo made by Ryan Seacrest.

I'm excited about Rebecca Onion's new history stuff at Slate.

Hee: Martha Stewart CANNOT With These "Fifty Shades of Grey" Questions

The Evolution of Julie Plec

Learn How Agent Carter‘s Costume Designer Made All Of Peggy’s Outfits Battle Ready

Veronica Mars meets Gillian Flynn? Yes please.

Fun: Pick the U.S. Presidents (Without Missing One)

Morning Coffee (2/27/15)

Happy Friday! There's a LOT GOING ON so these links may be less strictly happy than is usual for Fridays. Sorry.

Because first, this is really important: No Boys Allowed: School visits as a woman writer

And the Internet went generally insane yesterday, but this is the big one, yay: The FCC just approved the strongest net neutrality rules yet

The Science of Why No One Agrees on the Color of This Dress

Apparently I don't have a link about the llamas. You remember the llamas.

HOWEVER, there’s a giant owl terrorizing a small Dutch town.

Maybe the world is going crazy because music is going to start coming out on Fridays. What?!?!

Classic Alice has ONE WEEK LEFT. If you could give $5 or even $2 it would be really helpful, I swear.

Jay Carney is going to work for Amazon. Does that mean they'll start commenting on things??

I hope they find Lupita's dress.

Okay, something fun. Lego food!

Morning Coffee (2/26/15)

If you've wondered why I care so much about Classic Alice, this is why.

Bertrice Small has died. I haven't read her - I should rectify that! - but she was so, so important to the romance genre and women in publishing. Two great quotes from that obituary: "I do not write weak women" and "If you're going to undress a heroine, you'd better damn well know what she's got on underneath."

Aaaaah, I'm VERY EXCITED about this Brian Wilson biopic.

Perfect: Boston Is a YA Dystopian Novel

The Punisher: Jeb Bush and the Schiavos

Ooh, they're rebooting DuckTales.

This is much funnier than it sounds: A mysterious tunnel was discovered in a Toronto park. We have many, many questions.

"Edward’s taste tends to run to jewel-encrusted goblets, mahogany armchairs, and tapestries of King Harold being gouged in the eye."

Morning Coffee (2/19/15)

Happy Lunar New Year! The Google doodle is very cute. (Sheep-related, of course!)

Classic Alice creator Kate Hackett wrote an interesting financial breakdown of what exactly goes into making the show. Even if you don't watch this specific show, behind-the-scenes stuff like this is enlightening.

Obviously nothing about ISIS is funny, but . . . this is funny. CNN Uncovers ISIS’s Dastardly Scheme to Lure Western Women With Kittens and Nutella

Amazing: Pinterest deleted Rand Paul's fake Hillary Clinton page for a terms of service violation

New England's ridiculous winter, in 6 photos

Hillary Clinton's uncontested nomination is dangerous for her and her party

Apparently Nora Ephron hated blue. I guess everyone has to have some flaw.

17 Things From Target No Human Can Resist Buying

The Onion: Area Woman Not Good Enough Artist To Justify Eccentricities

Morning Coffee (2/17/15)

My dad, cousin, and aunt are going to be on Genealogy Roadshow tonight learning about our family! Tune in!

Classic Alice is tantalizingly close to 50% funded. Please chip in.

Sad news: Lesley Gore has died.

Jonathan Franzen Is a Parody of Jonathan Franzen

"I’ve heard about people who arrange their books by colour. These people are clearly ill and need help."

Ooh, Game of Thrones Monopoly!

And an Iron Throne MADE OF ICE.

I don't agree with 100% of this, but it makes some important points: We're Talking About Young Adult Fiction All Wrong

How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life

The Onion: Man Under Mistaken Impression He His Own Harshest Critic

Morning Coffee (2/16/15)

Me elsewhere: TV news!

Did you see that the Classic Alice funding campaign was extended? There's an adorable video with puppets.

Former poet laureate Philip Levine has died.

Frick Collection masterpieces on show at the Mauritshuis in The Hague I saw this exhibition's mirror - when pieces from the Mauritshuis were at the Frick - and it was great.

Vermont Ex-Janitor Bequeaths Secret Millions to Library, Hospital

A Matchmaker and a Festival Keep an Irish Tradition Alive

Coffee chains in America, in one map

23 Problems Only Vampire Diaries Fans Understand

The Onion: Receipt Brazenly Placed In Bag Without Permission

Turns Out I Have No Idea What “Breaking On The Wheel” Means

Morning Coffee (2/13/15)

Sad news: David Carr has died.

On to your regularly scheduled happy Friday:

Chris Evans, with a beard, in plaid, talking about Transcendentalists. You're welcome.

My bookseller friend Jonny with an important message: Why books are the only Valentine’s Day present worth giving

16 Hilarious Literary Valentine's Day Cards

Speaking of, want some adorable Classic Alice valentines? Any donation gets you EIGHT.

Which "Shameless" Guy Should Be Your Valentine This Year? (I got JimmySteve, which . . . could be worse. Obviously the correct answer is Lip, but obviously I'd never get him because his quiz answers are all about sex and I want Lip for his BRAIN.)

This Is What A Cup Of Tea Looks Like In 22 Different Countries

A walk through the old pastry shops of downtown Tehran

How to Tell If You Are in a Logic Puzzle

Morning Coffee (2/12/15)

Donations to Classic Alice this week get you adorable valentines, on top of all the regular perks!

Important: I'm Brianna Wu, And I'm Risking My Life Standing Up To Gamergate

Local folks, this Hippo event app looks great.

These all sound good: 4 Small Press Books to Read in February

The amazing diversity of languages around the world, in one map

Why Americans Don't Read Foreign Fiction

Proposal for a Theme Park Draws From Crimea’s Distant Past

The Onion: Literary Study Finds All Modern Narratives Derived From Classic ‘Alien Vs. Predator’ Conflict

Two Medieval Monks Invent Dinner Parties

Morning Coffee (2/11/15)

Three Muslim college students were killed in North Carolina, and this is getting a shocking lack of coverage on major news sites.

Jon Stewart is leaving the Daily Show, and the end of Todd VanDerWerff's piece about it almost made me cry.

Check out my cousin's fundraiser for St. Baldrick's.

Fantasy readers, donating to Classic Alice in the next week gets you entered to win a signed, personalized book by the awesome Lev Grossman.

The Wheel of Time pilot story is crazy. Read Charlie Jane Anders and Todd VanDerWerff to understand.

Romance Gone Awry: Two Bad Breakups and One Ugly Accusation at Nicholas Sparks’s Christian Prep School

"There’s not a television show in the world casting actors in the hopes nobody will have any chemistry."

What Harper Lee's publisher owes her

Jane Austen family letters offer ‘deeply personal’ insight into author’s world

Morning Coffee (2/9/15)

Me elsewhere: Weekly TV news and an interview with Kate Hackett of Classic Alice.

Speaking of which, we're getting down to the wire. Please help Save Alice.

Don't miss Obama: The Vox Conversation.

The Grammy voting process is completely insane

Interesting: The year of outrage

It's a miracle that I haven't yet given in and subscribed to Acorn.

Proofreading is important!

Pride and Prejudice, explained in two charts

My friend did a lookbook shoot for Pyknic and now I want a whole bunch of their shirts.

Lines From Tina Brown’s The Diana Chronicles That Made Me Lose My Entire Jaw

Morning Coffee (2/5/15)

Fingers crossed: FCC Proposal Would Classify Internet As A Public Utility

This story is amazing: What happened when I confronted my cruellest troll

Related: Twitter CEO: 'We suck at dealing with abuse'

Um, whoa: This Book Uses Facial Recognition to Judge Whether You Deserve to Read It

Would you like to see cats reenacting a drunken holiday musical episode? Of course you would.

Questions I Have About The Harper Lee Editor Interview

Maureen Johnson's The Shadow Cabinet is out in the UK today! Here's a playlist for the series.

Important investigative journalism: Why Do Cats Love Boxes So Much?

Morning Coffee (2/3/15)

More Women Than Ever in Congress, but With Less Power Than Before

Headline of the day: German neo-Nazi party cancels protest after boarding wrong train

The Psychopaths of GamerGate Are All That's Left, and They're Terrifying

Here are yesterday's ALA Youth Media Award winners!

Curious about this Classic Alice thing I keep talking about? They have a shiny new trailer for the show, so that's a good place to start!

These videos have me very excited for the Casual Vacancy miniseries.

Life-changing: Here’s How to Turn on Chrome’s Mute Button for Obnoxious Audio Tabs

Lip Smackers are no more. Nooooo.

My friend Daye did some of the voices for new game Life Is Strange, and it looks really neat!

18 Reasons to Support Classic Alice

I've been tweeting and talking and Facebooking a lot about Classic Alice recently, and I figured it was past time to stop and explain why, and why I think this show deserves your support. I wrote a more formal review over at Read the Screen, but here's a more personal list of reasons why the show is important to me.

1. In the first episode, main character Alice says she "failed" an assignment when she in fact got a B-, and this is the moment at which I knew I'd LOVE HER FOREVER.

2. Alice isn't only a reader, but she reads classics.

3. So, yes, part of the point of the show is to encourage teens and young adults to read, and to read classics, and to think about what they're reading.

4. The fact that it deals with multiple books means the plot is much less predictable than on many book-related web series.

5. It's made by a young independent female creator/writer, and given the state of Hollywood, that's really important.

6. As she explains in the pitch video, showrunner/creator Kate Hackett is trying to actually pay her people fairly for their work, which is rarer than it should be in the world of online video.

7. There's a lot of plaid. I love plaid.

8. There's LGBT representation, including a coming out story presented in a way I haven't seen very often in media, and an awesome character who happens to be gay without that being their only important character trait.

9. There aren't just videos and tweets from the characters - there are PODCASTS too.

10. Also, could I interest you in an episode acted out by cats?

11. It understands the truly important thing about dresses.

12. Anyone for a Game of Thrones sock puppet show?

13. Alice loves lists and graphs and plans.

14. It's feminist.

15. Alice's career aspirations and development are an important part of the story.

16. It's not all about a boy.

17. But trust me, shippers, there's PLENTY of slow-burn swoony romance here. PLENTY. No, really.

18. And yet! THIS IS IMPORTANT:

@TheClassicAlice I'll probably to a reflect-y tumblr post but this is crazy important to me: RELATIONSHIPS SHOULD NOT BE THE END OF A STORY.
— Kate Hackett (@HackettKate) January 20, 2015

So please. Don't let this be the end of the story. Give it a look, and if any of these factors I've described are important to YOU, support the show. Every dollar helps.

Morning Coffee (1/23/15)

Happy Friday! Won't you go help Classic Alice? If they get funded, I'll stop asking!

15 Gorgeous Little Free Libraries

Tolstoy’s Macaroni and Cheese and Other Recipes from Classic Authors

Whoa: 365 Days of YA: A 2015 Reading Calendar!

LOOK at these royalty cross stitch patterns. WANT.

This new kids' book series about Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelley forming a detective agency is everything I never knew I wanted.

All of my Issues With the “Goodnight Moon” Bedroom

The Onion: Man Too Deep Into Sentence To Avoid Saying Word He Can’t Pronounce

Here are some more great history links from my friend Christine.