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Zoë Camille Locked account

zoec@wyrms.de

Joined 2 years ago

Wyrms account belonging to @zoec@deadinsi.de

No lord no master, #nobot #noarchive

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Zoë Camille's books

Currently Reading

Alice Miller: The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self

Review of 'The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self' on 'Goodreads'

On a personal level, this book rings too true for me, and I'm mindful that my opinion could be biased towards stressing its merits while remaining blind to the shortfalls.

I believe that the strength of the book is derived from Miller's keen and compassionate observation of her clients ("patients" in the old terminology), as well as the attention devoted to the literature of both psychological studies and biographical materials. While the word "Gifted" may preclude potential readers from identifying with the narratives of childhood, what Miller meant really was the "Desirable, but Uncared for" -- children who were desired for their attributes that satisfy the craving of the parents, but who weren't respected as individual human beings, whose right to be valued as such comes with no conditions attached. Their "gift" is their vulnerability.

A unifying theme of the three essays is the concept of mourning. Unmourned loss seems …

Ursula. K Le Guin: The Wind's Twelve Quarters and The Compass Rose (S.F. Masterworks) (2001, GOLLANCZ)

Grand Master Ursula K. Le Guin has been recognised for almost fifty years as one …

Review of "The Wind's Twelve Quarters and The Compass Rose (S.F. Masterworks)" on 'Goodreads'

In her shorter pieces, Ursula K. Le Guin blends her insights into the psyche and her tranquil, compassionate observations of the human condition with expressions of emotional variety, wit, and unbridled imagination. Compared to her longer novels, the short stories allow her greater freedom and diversity in the writing style.

Doris Lessing: Briefing for a Descent Into Hell (Vintage International) (Paperback, 2009, Vintage)

Review of 'Briefing for a Descent Into Hell (Vintage International)' on 'Goodreads'

I guess in the time of the book, the word "neurodiversity" hadn't been coined yet. But this book, with its experimental form and somewhat taboo topic, reads like a compassionate but tragic apology for neurodiversity. It's tragic, for as we follow the hero's journey we see the Normal as it is: a kind of censor that compels us to discard the spontaneous emergence of values rooted from exactly the Normalcy itself, and the hero is at odds with this compulsion. It shows the inherent oddity of the Normal: that it is a double bind, forbidden to contravene but at the same time impossible to comply with. We survive, when we accept it as our own; but we grow, when we see it as the double bind it is.

In the former case, it means surrendering; and in the latter, evolving. And in either case, we suffer the loss of what …

Theodore Roethke: The collected poems of Theodore Roethke. (1991, Anchor Books)

Review of 'The collected poems of Theodore Roethke.' on 'Goodreads'

It would be very difficult to reduce the reading experience to star-rating for this diverse collection of from the career of the important poet. I am just very grateful for having discovered him. On an admittedly superficial level, I was fascinated by the imagery and atmosphere of his American Midwest, where I've never been anywhere close to IRL. I was also amazed at his ability to dissolve my sense of deliberate attention, while keeping the flow of ideas present because his language was so precise. On top of it, his rhythm made many pieces very memorable and pleasant for recitation. Not to mention his sense of humour.

Albert Camus: Algerian Chronicles (2013, Harvard University Press)

Review of 'Algerian Chronicles' on 'Goodreads'

Thought-provoking for reflecting on (the failures in) history in our current era when we're faced with greater division of opinions & rhetorics, erosion of human rights and freedom, terrorism, and inequality.

A good film recommended for the readers is the 1966 film "Battle of Algiers" which depicts war atrocities and terrorism in the semi-documentary style.

There appears to be some minor translation defects.