Reading Circle Temple Podcast

A podcast dedicated to the Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce. New episodes every Sunday on iTunes and Spotify!

[bessmakes]

In case anyone's looking for a hopefully fun way to get their body moving, here's my second Fantasy Walking Tour, twenty minutes in Corus.

[readingcircletemple]

So... I really want to ask for maybe Winding Circle in the future? But I also don't want to trivialize the work that went to this, or how excited I am to walk around Corus. Thanks for this! <3

--Marjorie

[bessmakes]

I'll have to see if there's enough info out there to make it possible, but I'll add it to the list to look into!

I'm so excited you're excited enough to make the suggestion!

[readingcircletemple]

If not Winding Circle, Summersea may be easier (actually, I suspect all the Circle Opens books have some good details about their respective cities), though it still may be less overall. Tortall's such a robust world. Still, would love to see an Emelan track as a companion. (starts nosing through books for research...)

[bessmakes]

In case anyone's looking for a hopefully fun way to get their body moving, here's my second Fantasy Walking Tour, twenty minutes in Corus.

[readingcircletemple]

So... I really want to ask for maybe Winding Circle in the future? But I also don't want to trivialize the work that went to this, or how excited I am to walk around Corus. Thanks for this! <3

--Marjorie

[whimsicallywiddershins]

Not only does Circle of Magic have poc and queer characters, it also has neurodivergent characters too, so casually.

I noticed and mentioned Nico's OCD, but re-reading Briar's Book has let me pick up on Dedicate Crane, who I am positive is autistic. He disregards social norms in favor of his own goals, is exacting about during things his way, keeps a very strict schedule, and, something I noticed, tends to fidget a lot. When he talks to Lark about making clothes, he tears his bread apart has he talks to her. When he talks to Rosethorn to ask her to join him researching the pox, he take sout his hankerchief and folds it over and over into squares. These are such stim behaviors.

[the-floral-skeleton]

Something I never see anyone talk about is how Lemony is sure to tell us Ms. Poe bought the Baudelaires uncomfortable clothing in styles they disliked. And they presumably wear that. For the rest of the series. Yes, they had a few wardrobe changes and disguises, but they always end up back in those clothes. They had to do all that with itchy clothes they didn’t even like. It’s a miracle they didn’t start burning down hotels sooner.

Also consider, the iconic Helquist illustrations that have guided so much fan art? Not even the Baudelaires style. Maybe the Nickelodeon movie was right. Violet really could be goth. Klaus could’ve been rocking overalls most of his life. Maybe Sunny was gnawing in things in little baby cargo pants. We’ll never know.

[unfortunatetheorist]

Well, @the-floral-skeleton, there is the somewhat popular theory that Lemony read the account of everything that happened to the Baudelaires, which they wrote whilst on the Island...

Something to consider? ,

~ Th3r3534rch1ngr4ph

[readingcircletemple]

Surely they got new clothes when Uncle Monty had to buy them things because Mr. Poe took a *literal week* to bring them their suitcases?

[readingcircletemple]

[onyourstageleft]

So I ended up here because of a Tamora Pierce post and you mentioned your thesis was about Tortall, and I was wondering if you were comfortable talking more about it, because I’d love to hear!!!!

(also I’m going to go through your Tamora Pierce tag later but I’ve already come across the idea of aro Raoul in one post and now I love it and need it)

I let this sit in my ask box for a few days bc I was genuinely so excited to talk about it that I wanted to dedicate some time to it okay YES I would love to tell you about my thesis!! I literally grew up reading and loving Tamora Pierce books and then I went into my English MA program and they started talking about thesis options and I was reading some criticism about colonialism in literature and it just kinda clicked, so my thesis title is "Cultures and Colonization in Tamora Pierce's Young Adult Novels" and it's pretty much what it says on the tin. I talk about indigenous populations (Bazhir and raka) and how they are treated differently both by the characters in the story and the narrative in general. I address Alanna/Jon as white saviors and then how Aly undoes some of that damage through her more respectful/less controlling relationship with the raka. I also talked about how the books work as a framework to interact respectfully with other cultures through Kel & the Yamani, and a discussion of slavery and the respect that Beka shows for enslaved people.

it's honestly been a while since I reread my whole thesis so there's probably more in there that I'm forgetting, BUT on the off chance that you wanna read the whole thing, I published it open access so you can just Google the title and it should take you to a download link for it. please ignore the typo of the repeated phrase at the end of the literal first paragraph of the whole thing it haunts me every day (I swear it wasn't there when I submitted it)

ALSO about the aro Raoul I totally think it's a good take with the exception of one of the most fantastic fanfics I've ever read - if you like fic and the idea of Raoul/Buri, please take a look at The Tourakom-Goldenlake System of Communication by Emnot on AO3. it's the first fic that led me into the AO3 waters (where the Tortall fandom is still going strong btw) and I reread it every few months

I'm publishing this ask mainly so I can find it later and remember what I said BUT if you wanna talk more about Tortall pls feel free to message me I could do this all day

[readingcircletemple]

I know we haven't read any of the Tortall books (yet?) but this is way cool. Congrats on the thesis! (I'll read it. I've read Tortall.)

--Marjorie

[ven10]

Underrated Klaus moment

(From page 56 of ‘The Wide Window’)

[unfortunatetheorist]

I believe, @ven10, the youth refer to this as 'aura farming'.

~ Th3r3534rch1ngr4ph

[readingcircletemple]

[readingcircletemple]

Neil Patrick Harris plays Count Olaf in the Netflix production of A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Neil Patrick Harris also sings the Netflix productions theme song, "Run Away."

Count Olaf's M.O. (when caught) is to run away.

Is he actually singing about himself?

[readingcircletemple]

New Episode Out: The Reading Circle Dedicates read The Wide Window Ch. 12 and argue about Aunt Josephine's redeeming qualities. Find the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

[readingcircletemple]

When discussing Aunt Josephine's willingness to hand the Baudelaires over to Count Olaf to avoid being thrown overboard by the Lake Lachrymose leeches, I think it's important to take into account that her husband was killed by the leeches.

Please know, I am not saying this as an excuse, as if this somehow makes her actions forgivable and exempt from all criticism. I'm saying this because it's important to understand when people's decisions are trauma-informed. I believe that we, as humans, have the capacity to condemn someone's actions while also acknowledging the background that led up to them. (We also talked about this in relation to Ben, back when we read Cold Fire.)

I'm saying this because we're living in a world that is full of turmoil and argument; a world where many many many of us are in pain. But more and more I am seeing that in our pain, we forget to acknowledge the pain on the other side. We talk over one another, as if ours is the only pain that matters. And if we cannot start talking to one another and see how our opponents may also be suffering, we will never find a way to end our conflicts--only a way for our conflicts to end us.

--Editing thoughts by Marjorie

[readingcircletemple]

"Aunt Josephine has the self-preservation instincts of a panda on Fentanyl." --Goodwin

[inamindfarfaraway]

A Series of Unfortunate Events AU where the Baudelaire siblings (after however many tragedies you like) are taken in by the Addams family. This one sticks. Count Olaf is dead within two days of showing up.

[readingcircletemple]

Personally, I think it would be a rocky start--Violet and Klaus, at least, would be unsure of this odd family, but they would remember their parents telling them not to judge a book by its cover (a phrase which here means not to make assumptions based on first impressions). But Morticia and Gomez would love them just as much as their blood children. They would build Klaus his own personal library and give Violet an inventing studio, praise all of their accomplishments, and encourage them through their failures. And rocky start or no, the kids would love the new normal.

[readingcircletemple]

In case you, like Marjorie, wanted to know the origin of all these nautical (a word which here means "related to sailing") phrases

[readingcircletemple]

Goodwin mentioned this video in our latest episode.

[readingcircletemple]

Aunt Josephine leaps out the window, leaving three children and four adults to deal with the aftermath.

Our Episode on The Wide Window chapter 4 is now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[w1ll14mth3bl00dy]

made this in capcut im so proud of it it took ages

⚠️ possible flash warning cuz of the transitions im not sure but im putting this just in case ⚠️

[unfortunatetheorist]

Brilliant, @w1ll14mth3bl00dy. Exquisitely put.

~ Th3r3534rch1ngr4ph