January 2010

I promised a reader that I would finish Suffering Veisalgia by the 11th or she could berate me via PM. I invite others to join in should I fail to meet this deadline.

(I updated my profile's favourite things list, does that count?)

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July 2009

Saw HBP film and loved it.

New story uploaded, with the potential of becoming another series should there be enough interest.

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March 2009 update.

I suppose imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; I have been notified that a certain author is lifting sections of my story 'Time to Heal' for their own work. There is, of course, a fine line between inspiration and plagerism and this person is leaning heavily towards the second.

After a bit of thought, I'm not going to bother chasing this one down, but just make a general reminder that, although it's great to draw some elements from a work you enjoy, you should go the extra mile to ensure that your creation is not an exact replicate in plot and words. It irritates authors, incites fans and causes trouble if it happens repeatedly.

Thanks to the person who alerted me; I do appreciate knowing these things.

- J.

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For those of you interested, I read The Child Manuela by Christa Winsloe recently. It was written early in the twentieth century and tells a girl's life growing up and gradually realising as she enters her teens that she is attracted to women. A very famous movie was made about the second part of the book: titled Mädchen in Uniform. It is widely considered the first film production about lesbianism. I encountered the movies first, a year ago, but waited to talk about them until I could get a hold of the book (finally finding it at a library in the city). There are two versions of the film, one in black and white (1931) and one in colour (1958). Both are in German, but subtitled for us English-speakers (although according to my reader traffic sightings, we do have a significant number of German-speakers reading MM/HG fics!). The earlier film is said to be better by the critics, but I found myself drawn to the latter because of the quality of the film and the fact that Lilli Palmer is absolutely stunning. Both can be found on YouTube.

Why should you care? Both depict a 'relationship' between a student and a teacher, but in an incredible, heart-wrenching manner. Reading the book, seeing the descriptions of the character of Elisabeth von Bernberg, her strictness, humor and the degree to which she cared for her students, I was reminded so much of Minerva McGonagall. In the same fashion, the eagerness and sensitivity of Manuela Meinhardis echoes Hermione Granger. The book ends in an unfortunate manner, the movies are much more ambiguous. Both are recommended for those who enjoy Minerva/Hermione stories.

So, should you be inclined, head on over to YouTube. If you're looking for a bit of a search challenge, head on over to your nearest large library and look up the translation of Winsloe's book. I found mine in a University library (I had to read it in the libary building because I wasn't a student!) but I'm sure any of the large city libraries would also have it.

Edited to add. Whoops. I forgot a rather important addition to the above, so thanks to Senseless Lust for reminding me about it. Loving Annabelle was filmed a few years ago by Katherine Brooks and is based on the above films/book. It's a modern twist on the story and has some great parts in it too. Look it up. YouTube also occasionally has the full movie, but you may have to suffice on music videos, or go out and order it online.

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Class is fine and dandy, you’re joking with your friends, taking your books out of your bag when the bell rings and then that person walks in.

You know the one I mean. Yes, her…

It hit me in the middle of the semester of grade 9, during History class, that the teacher in the front of the room: light brunette hair, hazel eyes, and green skirt, was the most wonderful person I’d ever laid eyes on.

I was fourteen. I had fallen deeply in love with a 30-something female. Feel free to laugh.

The rest of the term was spent working extra hard on my assignments and homework solely to impress her. I aced the course, one of the few times I’d ever gotten an A plus.

And then she left to teach at another school because of over-staffing.

Heart-break doesn’t even begin to cover what I felt when I first saw the teachers list for the next semester. The highpoint of my day had been that class, I attended even when I was sick or had skipped my other classes. I was depressed for more than a month, but gradually the ache faded away and I began to become interested in school again.

Cut to age seventeen. I had a boyfriend, although we hadn’t got past kissing yet. Grade 12 English class.

Age 43. 5’6 tall. Pale skin. Honey-blonde hair. Blue eyes. Happily married with a five-year-old son.

It had happened again. Frick.

The ‘straight-girl crush’ is loosely termed a Girl Crush; you admire a woman who is in an elevated position, clever, beautiful and perfect. It is non-sexual. You imitate them, agree with their views, dress up for them, become depressed when you don’t see them for a time, embarassed and at a loss for words when you talk with them and worship the ground they walk on the entire time.

I felt a bit more than this for the second teacher.

I came early to class in the morning so we could chat about books. I stayed behind after class to ‘clarify’ course material. I worked myself to death on my two essays. I spent hours on group projects. I became angry when other students complained about her.

Boyfriend moved on to someone who actually paid attention to him.

I moved on to next grade the following year. I saw Teacher #2 occasionally, but lost touch with her after I went on to college.

And that is why I write this pairing.

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Ten things about me...

Age: mid-20s (how time flies).

Height: 5'6. I had a strange growth spurt when I was 15. I went from being the shortest of my female friends to the tallest. I was mocked just as much as when I had been the shortest.

Fav series: Harry Potter.

Fav food: Does chai tea count?

Fav Animal: Dolphin.

Least favorite food: Poutine. I don't care if it's a national dish, it's downright vile.

Least favorite subject in school: A split between Japanese and Science. I had to drop the first one within three weeks of beginning it at college and the second one drove me mad in high school.

I collect: Hats. I have more toques than most women have pairs of shoes. Bonus points to non-Canadians who know what a toque is.

One place I'd like to visit: South America. Pretty rainforests and freshwater dolphins!

One thing I can't do without: My trusty green water bottle. Unfortunately, it has been replaced in the past year by my trusty tea mug (also green) as the trusty green water bottle is somewhere in the suburbs of Montréal.

For those of you who enjoy detailed sex scenes between Hermione and Minerva, I'm not the one you want to go to. Alleycat, also under the alias of lycanthropiclady, lives here (http://ll-alleycat.livejournal.com/). I consider her work the best fiction concerning our beloved pair on the net. Some are mild and others are far from it. Highly recommended.

Also, because I had a request about other MM/HG fiction that was on the net as a whole (you'll find that most is posted on fanfiction). These links below are stories about the pairing that I've found with my surfing or at the recommendation of another. They'll vary in ratings and occasionally, they'll be taken down after a few months of being put up by the author.

http://minerva-fan.livejournal.com/82308.html

http://community.livejournal.com/witchwinter/19861.html#cutid1