02 Friday Oct 2015
Happy birthday to my writing soul mate. I hope you get better and have many more birthdays ahead of you. You are a fighter, but just in case you also need a little magic, here’s a Hogwarts birthday cake.
-Eliabeth
05 Wednesday Aug 2015
Posted in Announcements, Ermisenda
Hey everyone,
It’s Ermi here. I’m making this post to announce that I will most likely be entirely absent from the blog for the next half year. I’ve been diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma (cancer of the lymphnodes) and I start chemo this Thursday (for approx. 6 months). It’s been a crazy past month from finding out there was an abnormal tumour in my chest, to now being treated for it. The doctors say I have a very good prognosis and nearly all young people recover from Hodgkins as chemo is VERY effective at killing the active cancer cells. So my family and I are coping okay even though it’s all a bit scary and sad. It seems like it’s just going to be a crappy few months but then everything will be fine again (hopefully).
I might find the energy and motivation to post here, but Eliabeth will most likely be taking charge. There may be less posts because of this. I don’t want to commit myself to anything just yet since I don’t know what I will want to do with the (potentially limited) energy I’ll have left.
I don’t make this post to scare anyone, but I do want to inform the amazing readers we have. I haven’t abandoned you all! I’m just going through some things. I hope everyone and their families are healthy and well.
Love,
Ermisenda
25 Thursday Jun 2015
Posted in Ermisenda
Tags
english, english as a second language, funny, joke, language, meme, native english speaker joke, tumblr
As someone who has many non-native-English-speakers in my life but who speak English better than many native English speakers I know, this was too funny not to share.
– Ermisenda
14 Sunday Jun 2015
Posted in Ermisenda, Picture it & Write!
I urge people to join in, comment with your paragraph of fiction to accompany the image. It doesn’t have to follow my story or reflect the same themes. It can be a poem or in a different language (provide a translation please 
). Anyone who wants to join in, is welcome. This photograph will be reblogged under Ermisenda on tumblr and added to the Picture it & Write gallery on Facebook and Pinterest.
Please continue to write however you’re inspired, but add a tag to the beginning of your post if there’s mature content in order to keep Picture it & Write an engaging event for all of our followers.
Sculpture by Mark Newman
I froze. My eyes ran up the stone sculpture, absorbing the woman’s features. I stared at her nose, her eyes, her lips, her curly hair. She… She…
“Miss Harley says we have free time to wander the museum.”
“How long?” I asked, keeping my eyes on the sculpture.
“I think twenty minutes. Want to see the Picasso exhibition?”
I shook my head. “I’m going to stay here.”
“For twenty minutes?”
“Yeah.”
My friend paused and then left. I stepped closer to the sculpture and inspected the way her hair had been sculpted. Her hair was just like my hair. She had my features. She was the first time I had ever seen my race in a classical stone sculpture. I knew in that moment what my next art project was going to be. I would honor the beauty of my features, my bloodline, in stone.
– Ermisenda Alvarez Continue reading
11 Thursday Jun 2015
Posted in Ermisenda
I watched Mad Max a few days ago after hearing so much discussion about how good the movie was. I’m going to discuss the movie generally and won’t be giving any spoilers. While I did enjoy the movie, I was dissapointed at how the world was created. I loved the idea but so much more could have been done. Don’t you hate when that happens? When you watch a movie that you love it’s potential but it just doesn’t reach it? Well the world of Mad Max was like that for me.
by Koroa on Tumblr
But on the topic of Furiosa (the main female lead, Charlize Theron) she was exactly what I wanted in a female warrior. She is currently my favourite main female character EVER. She was a female lead that was not sexualized. Yes. Let that sink in. She was a badass, kick-ass woman who was NOT sexualized. They have her fight in the movie, dirty, gritty, and unrestrained fighting. What I also love about the movie is that no-one questions her gender, or her rough appearance, or underestimates her ability to fight. Not even the villains. They know that she’s powerful and they try to outsmart her. While the director of this movie didn’t intend on making a feminist movie, this movie has definitely made massive waves in the feminist community and many others. Tumblr is currently exploding with so much fanart of Furiosa, fanfiction, etc. They have gripped onto this movie (that I thought could’ve even been better in terms of world-building) because we have been given something we rarely have before. A badass female lead who is not sexualized, who is gritty, and has her own well-established arc independent of the men in the movie. And there are many other female characters in the movie who all have their own arcs which I was happy to see too. To be honest, it’s probably the first action movie I have seen with SO many established female characters. It was sad when I realised that. It really stood out to me how many women were on screen and I was annoyed that it looked ‘different’ and ‘odd’. I can see why so many people are obsessed with her and what she represents as an action hero. Her character particularly impacted me considering how disappointed I was with Black Widow, as an action hero, in the Avengers. Continue reading
07 Sunday Jun 2015
Posted in Ermisenda, Picture it & Write!
I urge people to join in, comment with your paragraph of fiction to accompany the image. It doesn’t have to follow my story or reflect the same themes. It can be a poem or in a different language (provide a translation please ). Anyone who wants to join in, is welcome. This photograph will be reblogged under Ermisenda on tumblr and added to the Picture it & Write gallery on Facebook and Pinterest.
Please continue to write however you’re inspired, but add a tag to the beginning of your post if there’s mature content in order to keep Picture it & Write an engaging event for all of our followers.
by Lily Little at flicker
“Why do you read that rubbish?” I asked her as I got ready to have breakfast with my mother.
She shrugged and her dark hair slipped, exposing her bare shoulder. I felt drawn to her skin and yearned to taste. She was so beautiful. How could someone so perfect have chosen me? I finished buttoning my shirt and crawled up to her to kiss her shoulder. She smiled a little and flipped the page to another attractive, air-brushed model. I looked to the page and then to her face. When she looked at me, I turned away. I jumped out of the bed and grabbed my bag.
“What? You’re annoyed at me for not answering?”
“I don’t look like those guys, Basheera.”
She held my gaze. “I love you. I love your body. I want your body.”
I stood there in the silence and then shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll see you tonight.” And I left.
– Ermisenda Alvarez Continue reading
28 Thursday May 2015
Posted in Ermisenda
Tags
audio crime stories, feminist podcasts, podcasts, savage love cast podcast, serial podcast, stuff mom never told you podcast
About 9 months ago, my friend really encouraged me to listen to the podcast Serial. I was hesitant to start because I wasn’t sure if the podcast could truly keep me hooked. Turns out, it hooked me hard and fast. Serial is an amazing podcast where a crime journalist pieces together the existing evidence of a murder case that happened 15 years ago in America to see if the man who was convicted was truly guilty. A young teenage girl went missing and was found dead and her ex-boyfriend , another teenager at the time, was suspected and sent to prison.
Oh, it was such a good podcast! I truly recommend it to anyone who loves crime, and the whole story takes on another level because it really did happen and you hear the voices of many people involved (including the man who supposedly killed the girl).
From there, I became really interested 
in the podcast game. For the past 6+ months I have been devouring Stuff Mom Never Told You episodes. It’s a podcast run by two feminist women who discuss a multitude of topics with gender in mind. They always come well-researched and also share personal anecdotes. It’s always fun and educational to listen to and because of that I’ve learned a lot. It’s fantastic for both men and women. Continue reading
17 Sunday May 2015
Posted in Ermisenda, Picture it & Write!
Tags
creative writing, flash fiction prompt, photo writing prompt, photography, poetry, weekly writing prompt, writing
I urge people to join in, comment with your paragraph of fiction to accompany the image. It doesn’t have to follow my story or reflect the same themes. It can be a poem or in a different language (provide a translation please ). Anyone who wants to join in, is welcome. This photograph will be reblogged under Ermisenda on tumblr and added to the Picture it & Write gallery on Facebook and Pinterest.
Please continue to write however you’re inspired, but add a tag to the beginning of your post if there’s mature content in order to keep Picture it & Write an engaging event for all of our followers.
“Just as you requested.” The blind woman pulled out a leather pouch and laid it on the table. The man looked down at the pouch and felt his eyes widen in anticipation. “I have told you everything I can. The decision is yours now.” She took a seat at the table without making a sound. Hurriedly, he took a seat too.
He looked at her and saw that her expression was flat. He looked back at the pouch and grabbed the hilt of the weapon and slid it out. He pulled out a beautiful serrated knife carved out of a glorious glowing, semi-transclucent stone that had hints of purple, blue, red, orange and yellow. She said it had been carved out of the only, the sacred, Stone of A Thousand Colours. It was true.
He sighed in relief, took the knife, and plunged it into his heart.
– Ermisenda Alvarez Continue reading
03 Sunday May 2015
Posted in Ermisenda, Picture it & Write!
Tags
creative writing prompt, flash fiction, photography, poetry, stories, weekly wrting prompt, writing
I urge people to join in, comment with your paragraph of fiction to accompany the image. It doesn’t have to follow my story or reflect the same themes. It can be a poem or in a different language (provide a translation please ). Anyone who wants to join in, is welcome. This photograph will be reblogged under Ermisenda on tumblr and added to the Picture it & Write gallery on Facebook and Pinterest.
Please continue to write however you’re inspired, but add a tag to the beginning of your post if there’s mature content in order to keep Picture it & Write an engaging event for all of our followers.
“How can they not do something with this room? It’s so beautiful,” my sister said in awe. She took small steps towards the middle, scanning the walls and ceiling in admiration.
“The house is like the size of two mansions, but I guess this room is a lot smaller than the rest.” I shrugged. I didn’t get why they bought the biggest mansion on the island when they were only two people.
“I hope I end up as rich as them. I don’t care what dad says about money. He’s probably just bitter he didn’t end up as successful as his sister.”
I stared at her as she ventured towards the lone discoball on the ground. It scattered beautiful shards of light in the already stunning room.
“Would you do to me what she did to him?” I asked starkly, not walking further into the room.
She twisted around and frowned. “Really, Tomaz? I would never do that to you or anyone I cared about.”
“Okay, okay.” I put my hands up in surrender. “That was a bit harsh to ask I admit.”
My sister kicked the discoball a little. She was no longer admiring the room with wide eyes. “We don’t have to have history repeat itself in this family.”
– Ermisenda Alvarez Continue reading
30 Thursday Apr 2015
Tags
and masculinity, books about feminism, books about gender expression, books about transgender issues, femininty, julia serano book review, whipping girl book review
Whipping Girl
by Julia Serano
This book opens your eyes to numerous mind-blowing social processes you were probably unaware of. Find out why I gave it 5 out of 5 stars!
(Taken from Goodreads)
A provocative manifesto, Whipping Girl tells the powerful story of Julia Serano, a transsexual woman whose supremely intelligent writing reflects her diverse background as a lesbian transgender activist and professional biologist. Serano shares her experiences and observations—both pre- and post-transition—to reveal the ways in which fear, suspicion, and dismissiveness toward femininity shape our societal attitudes toward trans women, as well as gender and sexuality as a whole.
Serano’s well-honed arguments stem from her ability to bridge the gap between the often-disparate biological and social perspectives on gender. She exposes how deep-rooted the cultural belief is that femininity is frivolous, weak, and passive, and how this “feminine” weakness exists only to attract and appease male desire.
In addition to debunking popular misconceptions about transsexuality, Serano makes the case that today’s feminists and transgender activist must work to embrace and empower femininity—in all of its wondrous forms.
I have been particularly interested in transgender issues for a while now. I’ve watched lots of YouTube videos of transgender people sharing their experiences, talking about discrimination they face, and how to be respectful towards them (appropriate terms to use, questioning etc). I became intrigued by transgender people simply because I had never been exposed to anyone who identified so. My parents, while not hateful people, always found sexual minorities strange and unnatural. Their little comments about gay people or cross-dressers or some other sexual minority snuck into my mind somewhat. It snuck in my mind in the sense that until I exposed myself to numerous homosexual couples on YouTube, I found it strange to watch two people of the same sex kiss even though I passionately believed in their equal rights. Now it looks as natural as a man and a woman kissing. As I tried to become as socially aware of sexual minorities as I could, I noticed that a particular sexual minority seemed to garner more hate than the others, even though attitudes towards homo/bi-sexual people were improving by so much. Transgender people, particularly MTF transgender individuals (male-to-female). Hence, my desire to expose myself to some great transgender YouTubers. Continue reading
Ermilia 