Various things

[raven]

This entry is going to be a mixture of things - firstly, I think, a rec. I did manage to revise a little, but gave up eventually and started reading amchau's "Explaining" series. An entire hour and 44,400 words later, I've finished. The stories are wonderful, set partly in the eighties but mostly in 1954, and so... much... angst. I love angst, but the amount of it in this fic - all this wonderful depressed!suicidal!Hawkeye-angst. My, my. I'm blown away. I love the depth, the breadth, the polyamory, the line, "We had an argument in 1969..."
I loved it all.

Ah, yes - amchau, I hate you specifically because a) you did such horrible things to Hawkeye, b) because you cast Trapper as the villain of the piece, and c) because I did so little revision because of the fic and am now going to fail my history GCSE.

And now, one last interview:


1. Sciences, languages, humanities.
Which of these three do you like best? Worst? Why?

Science. Because it makes sense. I'm moderately good at all three of these, and I don't think English language falls into any of the categories, so I'll say science because I'm the most familiar with it. I don't dislike the other two, but I find humanities the most difficult.

2. Sciences, languages, humanities.
For each of these groups, which are your best/worst subjects? Why?

My best science is Physics, because it's based on maths, and worst is Biology, partly because of all the negative connotations and partly because I just don't like the subject. The only language I've ever studied in detail is French, but I wasn't bad at Latin. I sucked at Spanish, and Hindi doesn't really count. And humanities - well, I like history, though I'm not very good at it, and I'm good at Classics but then everyone is. I was actually quite good at geography, too (really!) but as I haven't done it for two years I think it doesn't count.

3. Did you think about medical journalism? as a career, I mean.

I did, but for me, it reeks of desparation. I still wouldn't be happy, and neither would my mother, and I'd still have to go through five years of medical school for it. If I'm going to "screw up my life" then I'll screw it up good.

4. Do you "feel" British? Do you "feel" asian? Do you "feel" Indian? Do these questions actually make sense for someone in your generation?

As I have never been anything other than I am, I'm not sure what it means to feel all those things. I think I do feel Asian - I have the looks for it - but as for the other two, a categorical "no" to both. Maybe asking the questions does make sense, but I have a feeling they won't for much longer.

5. Why slash? Why M*A*S*H in particular? What's the draw? And aren't you too young to read and write some of this stuff? And don't you hate it when people say that?

Slash - I don't know. Because I'm a straight(ish) female with issues. M*A*S*H in particular, well, partly because of how complex all the characters are, particularly Hawkeye, and partly becaus in the end, it's all about the angst. And there's no fandom I know of which such potential for angst, but equal potential for humour.
Am I too young? Well... I leave that to you. Do you think I am?

Comments

[amchau.livejournal.com]

I love angst, but the amount of it in this fic - all this wonderful depressed!suicidal!Hawkeye-angst. My, my. I'm blown away.

Ah! I wondered what the booming noise earlier was. I thought it might be thunder.

I love the depth, the breadth, the polyamory, the line, "We had an argument in 1969..." I loved it all.

I'm glad to hear that.

I hate you specifically because a) you did such horrible things to Hawkeye,

Good!

b) because you cast Trapper as the villain of the piece,

I do have reasons. And all his actions are understandable: who would stay in Korea when they could go home, just to say goodbye? Without a wife as especially forgiving and with such special tastes as Peggy, who could offer Hawkeye what he needs? Trapper's a victim.

and c) because I did so little revision because of the fic and am now going to fail my history GCSE.

Oh, I doubt it. You're too clever. Besides, if you fail the history GCSE, that's only fair; I'm going to fail my double science because I spent too long writing it.

Thanks for reading, Raven!

[yonmei.livejournal.com]

Am I too young? Well... I leave that to you. Do you think I am?

FWIW, you're a few months younger now than I was when I first started reading slash. But I would have started reading slash two or three years earlier than I did if it had been available at all.

So, no, I don't think you're "too young".

Re:

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

If I'd known it existed, I'd have read it earlier (I've been into it approx. a year). But I've often wondered why the distinction is necessary, because no-one raised an uproar and said "You're too young!" unless I actually told them my age.

I'm glad you don't think I'm too young, it's refreshing!

[dougs.livejournal.com]

I don't think you're too young. I think that the pure arithmetic of how old someone is doesn't capture it, somehow -- you're sufficiently at home with the issues involved, it's not going to play with your mind any more than it is already, and it may even help you get some of those issues straight.

Age ain't nothin' but a number...

[speccygeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

Am I too young? Well... I leave that to you. Do you think I am?

...you're younger than I am, aren't you? It certainly doesn't show. Age and maturity can be completely unrelated, and you carry yourself with a kind of mental grace that half the college students I know couldn't begin to approach.

By the way, did you stop taking interview requests? *is running behind the bandwagon, groping desperately for a handhold*

Re: Age ain't nothin' but a number...

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I can't say, my love, because I don't know how old you are! And I'm blushing now... mental grace?

I did stop taking requests, but I'll start taking them again if you really, really want me to...

Re: Age ain't nothin' but a number...

[speccygeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

I'm a month shy of 18. And, yes. Your LJ posts compared to most teenagers' are remarkably clear and your angst is either well-written or real, as opposed to (*ducks and covers*) relationship whine-angst or "I'm so directionless" angst. ^^;

*looks cute and offers chocolate-covered Hawkeyes*

[yonmei.livejournal.com]

I never told any slash fans my age until after I turned 18, because there was this big thing (and still is) that it was for "adults only". Also, because under certain circumstances - as when buying a zine or joining a mailing list - it is actually helpful not to tell people how old you are if you are under legal age, because that way they can plead ignorance and hopefully not get into quite so much trouble. If there is trouble. As far as I know there never has been trouble of this nature, but slash fans were even more paranoid when I was under 18 than they are now, as far as I can tell.

Anyway, yes. I'd have been reading slash from the age of 14 at least, if I'd known it existed, and I was reading it as soon as I did find out it existed - age 16 - and writing it shortly after I turned 17, so it would be strangely hypocritical of me to assume that you're "too young".

In any case, though my parents weren't perhaps thinking explicitly about slash, they both always operated on the principle that if you're old enough to want to read something, you're old enough to read it. My mum got me an adult library card when I was 10.

Re: Age ain't nothin' but a number...

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

*mwah*
Chocolate-covered Hawkeyes? *licks lips suggestively*

1. Why is anime a good thing? What makes it different from Western fandoms?

2. You advertise yourself as a "geek." Why?

3. Where do you live? What's it like?

4. Tell me about something that changed your life.

5. What do you see yourself doing in the future?