M English, My Pen

On why literary snobbery is meadow muffins

Once upon a time, I ran into a work colleague who had his nose stuck in a book. If there is one thing book-lovers have in common (other than the love of reading), is our cat-like curiosity about the books someone else is currently having an affair with. So I asked him what he was … Continue reading On why literary snobbery is meadow muffins

M Best Of, English, My Pen

Isidora & Censorship

No one has the right to spend their life without being offended. Nobody has to read this book. Nobody has to pick it up. Nobody has to open it. And if you open it and read it, you don’t have to like it. And if you read it and you dislike it, you don’t have … Continue reading Isidora & Censorship

M English, My Pen, Pen

Us & Them

It is always Us vs. Them. The Others are different so They must be feared. What was that? You don't fear Them? We'll take care of that for you. Repeat after us: Threat. Violence. Terror. Evil. Infidels. Degenerates. One more time. Repeat this everyday - it's for your own safety. And don't worry: we'll remind you. … Continue reading Us & Them

M English, My Pen, Pen

An agnostic, a pagan and an Arab Hebrew student walk into a bar…

...not really. We only had lunch. The gathering was meant to be a quiet chat about the Kabbalah, which our Arab friend is studying and of which we know too little about. In light of recent events, however, the conversation naturally moved towards religious discrimination, double standards, media manipulation (on both ends) and downright bigotry. … Continue reading An agnostic, a pagan and an Arab Hebrew student walk into a bar…

M My Pen

Dystopia Time

As much as I would love to, I’m not someone who finishes all the books she starts, most of the times due to my chronic impatience: “Oh dear, I’m wasting all this time reading this here when there’s a gazillion others over there I want to read as well!” (An absurd reasoning but, being a … Continue reading Dystopia Time

M Best Of, English, My Pen, Pen

on vanity

Woke up this morning to an article in The Guardian about how men are now feeling what it's like to have your looks scrutinized as you grow older. We're more than used to seeing women being objectified, for the simple fact that we keep being bombarded with Photoshopped images of almost-perfect female specimens. All. The … Continue reading on vanity

M Best Of, My Pen, Pen, Português

a série que me está a fazer deixar o Game of Thrones na prateleira

A fórmula não tem muito de original: Equipa all-stars composta por personagens da literatura vitoriana? Check. Sangue e sexo semi-gratuitos por todo o lado? Check. Vampiros? Check. A Eva Green a fazer de bruxa? Check, check e check. Penny Dreadful traz-nos o Dr Frankenstein e a sua criatura (ironicamente, talvez a personagem mais bela da série), o hedonista Dorian … Continue reading a série que me está a fazer deixar o Game of Thrones na prateleira

M Blurb

os mortos vivem

Comecei ontem a devorar a série que apelidei carinhosamente de Os Retornados: Les Revenants. "Não são zombies nem fantasmas: voltam de repente, tal e qual como eram antes de morrerem. Não conseguem dormir e estão sempre com fome", conta-me a amiga Panda, que descobre sempre estas pérolas. Visualmente arrebatadora, é estupidamente bem escrita e um … Continue reading os mortos vivem

M My Pen, Pen, Português

facturas

Ilustração: Hélder Oliveira A autora deste blog tem para si que a ideia do governo sortear carros e afins a quem pedir mais facturas é uma contra-medida dissimulada ao boicote que o povo fez de as pedir todas em nome dos ministros e presidente. Kirikiri.

M My Pen, Português

raízes

Desde pequena que tinha a pancada de querer ter tudo registado - conversas, datas, rostos, artefactos... Pensava que bom, bom, era cada um de nós ter uma espécie de mecanismo que fosse registando tudo por escrito, qual estenógrafo interno, em forma de guião ou semelhante. Como acontece com todas as nossas ideias ultra-originais, já fizeram o … Continue reading raízes