Flutterings

The sketch file for the side fic (e.g., the non-crossing-with-Wimsey canon filler I might actually have a prayer of posting before NYR 2021 closes) is nearly at 3,000 words, which is rather annoying given how I had sternly told myself to focus whole hog on the things for which my deadlines are non-negotiable as opposed to wholly optional no-one-is-expecting-this fluffing about.

Of course, my brain has been pulling this stunt for decades, so I am not really surprised. Because, let's be frank, as much as I truly enjoy herding citations into compliance, there's the difference between black coffee and fine champagne (and I would feel bereft if my life could not include both), and so there's the pleasure of doggedly applying AMA style across a jumble of files that is most necessary (because it's related to a ton of money to be directed toward cancer research) that yet doesn't feel quite enough if I don't also carve out time to fashion fresh conversations among our England World friends (or, in the case of Daniel, the dishing out of snark and the deflecting of people shouting at him, with abundant reason for dishing and deflecting and especially the shouting). I can barely wait until I can flesh this out enough to share what's going on when I have Fen and Pat have this exchange:

( spoilers through 'How Goes the World?' under the cut )

In other sparkling distractions, my re-immersion in Monteverdi has now extended to watching every instance of "Madama, con tua pace" to be found on YouTube. It's a brilliant, hilarious aria, and the interpretations range from classical and Louis XIV settings (with 1970s production values, which adds to the entertainment) to nordic-abstract and franco-grotesque riffs.


1979 Harnoncourt/Ponnelle

It doesn't hurt that philosophical musings typically make my own head ache, so I'm delighted to come across Monteverdi making fun of them. My favorite incarnation at the moment is Silvia Frigato's, which starts at around 52:15 at https://youtu.be/A7-99pvv8f4. It is so physically precise and so beautifully rude, especially her delicious laugh as the orchestra rips through the ciaccona.

(I'm also delighted by this 2000 staging in Aix -- the page peeks in ca. 43:22 and starts sassing Seneca a minute later. Silvia's voice and technique are stronger to my ear, but this Seneca is freaking gorgeous, so there's that. . .)

Chronic grousing aside, this self-inflicted mayhem is all to the good: the KJC plotbunnies are going to push me into reading more novels and histories (and Timon of Athens) sooner than I would otherwise, and I hit the piano yesterday and today to thump my way through parts of Poppea and Ulisse. Good times.

In the latest installment of "I am incapable of simplifying my life" (which this week has also involved accidentally poisoning two carnivorous plants and getting sassed by ducks), I tumbled into a rabbit hole yesterday that involved hunting for translations for K.J. Charles's Think of England, which netted the following:

The German title means "Meeting at Midnight" and was livetweeted at length last year by a bloke who came across it in a supermarket bargain bin: https://twitter.com/SerPadfoot/status/1276874929984675841
(I especially like him really liking Fen and Pat: "Ich mag die beiden Damen!" And doing so with some choice snippets from the book.)

The French title means "A Taste of England." Hmmm. Mm-hmm.

I think the Japanese title is the same as the English? What a fine cover.

Any of you know if there's a Spanish edition?

Anne-Elisa propose, je dispose. Déjà 11 septembre chez Paris. Alors... chérie, j'espère que tu trouveras plus du plaisir cette année! :-D

Titre: Plus ça change...
Les deux: Seishirou Sakurazuka (de Tokyo Babylon/X)/Regulus Black (de Harry Potter), dans quelque monde bizarre où les deux parlent français... ;-)
Mots: 100
Indice des indécences: PG, je suppose
Beta: aunty_marion. Elle est merveilleuse! (et les erreurs qui restent sont entièrement les miennes)
ETA: Merci bien à ednama. J'ai corrigé deux fautes.

Comme ses doigts agiles tourmente un mamelon de Regulus, Seishirou dit, "Cette cicatrice-là, où est-ce que tu l'as obtenu?"

Regulus a un sourire amer. "C'est un souvenir d'un dîner en famille." Il pousse un soupir de plaisir. "Et toi... ton oeil?"

"Eh, un incident au travail." La voix de Seishirou, c'est doux. "Il y avait un autre garçon très beau..."

"C'est vrai?" Regulus murmure. "Qu'est-ce qu'il est devenu?"

Seishirou dit, "Aujourd'hui? Il est quelqu'un d'autre."

Regulus rit. "Tout le monde devient quelqu'un d'autre, non?"

Comme il plonge sa main dans la poitrine de Regulus, Seishirou dit, "Pas tout le monde."


( And in English... )