Year of the Unfettered Níðhǫggr Lyric
the first round up of 2024
Happy new year, my dear readers. Though there was much to celebrate, I’m relieved to say goodbye to 2023—a tough year to end a whole series of tough years. I’ve hibernated for weeks and have just begun to consider surfacing—axe swinging.
In this Missive:
- Wonder- what I’m watching on the telly
- Reading - Woolf’s Orlando
- Musing - how a poet names a year
- Listening - to Chilean black metal
- Planning - a new writing hour for paid subscribers
Wonder
I’ve been watching the astounding nature documentary Wild Scandinavia on BBC Two. While it is guilty of anthropomorphising—especially gender dichotomies and mating as romance—the footage is literally breathtaking.
Reading
On the first day of 2024, Virginia Woolf’s Orlando entered the public domain. I have just reread this book that I love deeply—though it must be said the the racism inherent in the narrative is unforgivable. I learned much from when I first read it in my 20s. It means more to me now that I have been graced with three more decades of life with which to revisit it. Here’s Jeanette Winterson’s hot take from the Guardian, framing the book as the first trans novel in English..
I’ve now started in on Ned Beauman’s grimly amusing Venomous Lumpsucker. Has anyone else read this?
Musing
For the last few years, I’ve done Lauren Brazzle Zuniga’s year-naming interrogation. It’s a lot more fun than making resolutions. 2023 was the year of the Bold Hedgewitch Dictum. 2024 belongs to the Unfettered Nidhogg Lyric. Hold me to it!
Listening to
This Chilean black metal ditty is a mood.
Plannning
I will roll out another writing hour for Imbolc. There will be prompts to inspire you and community to hold space for your process. It will happen online, on February 4th at 7pm GMT for all paid subscribers. Watch this space!
