It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror | 
pickExcellent. I would love to see this repeated every couple/few years as an ongoing series of volumes of essay collections of queer reflections on horror. The basic formula of an individual queer person's experience matched with the horror film of their choice allows for any number of unique permutations. 1/?
Today's 'scratched my brain just right' sentence.
“The nature of society“ makes me tired on occasion.
Next current read colourway. 💗🖤
Who doesn't love a hot pink and black moment?
Is this my latent 80s style preference reemerging?
“...how distinctly human that is.“
pickI was surprised how few movies mentioned in these essays I‘d seen. I wonder if I am just hopelessly ignorant about horror or if these writers were mostly part of a specific genre generational cohort. Not that those two things are mutually exclusive.
pickI have a hard time w essay collections but this was decent- and I got rly excited abt some of them! I guess it‘ll vary according to your fave horror movies or your background… but most of these had some solid points I never considered, and it was interesting revisiting some cool movies with a deeper outlook.
This book is great for fans of horror movies and people who aren‘t as versed in the genre. This validates the statement I‘ve been making for years that Jennifer‘s Body is a great horror movie and thoroughly a bisexual film. Anyway, this was super interesting to see the role queer/trans/etc people and ideology has played a role in horror movies over the years, whether as the villain, covertly or otherwise.
“If you want the rewards of being loved, you must submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known.” NYT, “I Know What You Think Of Me” by Tim Kreider.
“To be loved we must be known, and to be truly known we must allow others to see the parts of ourselves that are genuinely mortifying.” - Carrow Narby, Indescribable
Current struggles reflected in current reading.
pickA truly excellent anthology. Of course, this will appeal to people who love and/or are interested in horror movies, but if you're worried you're not well versed enough in the genre to appreciate this book, fear not. Each piece is a beautiful blend of film criticism and personal essay and always includes enough information about the movie to orient yourself if you haven't seen it. There is some stellar, smart, challenging writing in here.
"We break open publicly, a tearing of ourselves... figurative, in the untethering from the narratives we were born into. Our breaking bears evidence to the liquidity and resilience of the human form... To be queer is to be a wound. We wear our hearts on our sleeves because there is a warrant for the public declaration of who we love. Transness, in all of its forms, is a declaration of a love of ourselves, a prioritization of our authenticity."
pickAn incredible collection of essays, written by queer people about their experiences, using cinematic horror as a parallel. Some mirrored the horror themes more closely, but regardless all the personal stories were interesting and came from a background of love for the genre.
I‘m alive! Picked up this interesting read at a local indie and had a pumpkin latte with a friend.
Once again, life has kept me away from this wonderful community.
-Still going through a divorce but finally moved out
-My dad‘s health continues to decline and he is permanently in a nursing home
-Figuring out my gender (definitely not female)
-Losing friends in the process
But getting life back on track and hope to be more active on here! ❤️
pickA great set of essays!
Just the most recent time I have cried reading this book
I should add that I haven\'t seen most of the films discussed, and it did not hamper my comprehension or enjoyment one bit. 3mo
The cream of the crop from my perspective:
Indescribable by Carrow Narby: Gleeful to see representation/discussion of agender experience. 3mo
The Trail of His Flames by Tucker Lieberman: Just incredible writing, the framework, the unique shift in perspective, the vulnerability and working through something nightmarish to come to a conclusion that offers a mature, hopeful path forward, I think this is the best 3mo
Black Body Snatchers by Samuel Autman: Incisive but also almost chatty in its concise phrasing, serious subject matter and yet a pleasure to read.
3mo
⚠️ miscarriage, stillbirth, homophobia, child abuse, domestic abuse, SA, body horror, self-harm, cannibalism, gore 3mo