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The Devil and Femininity: the Promethean Liberation of (Wo)man

January 16, 2023

ambiguity, criticism, defiance, duality, feminism, humanity, Igor Livramento, philosophy, sexuality

The title is a mouthful, I know. The Devil and Femininity might be the only two concepts that come across as clear. Ironically enough, that’s a problem. In this post, neither the Devil nor Femininity are what you think they are.

Though all this might sound overwhelming, the post is easy to follow. The reason? It’s based on an ongoing discussion I’m having with Igor da Silva Livramento, friend and fellow writer, academic, and creative-writing advisor. He’s also a composer, music theorist, and producer. You can find him on LinkedIn, and also take a look at his blog and his page on Bandcamp.

And so, in this discussion of ours, we’ve been talking about how the Devil and Femininity, when examined outside the usual conceptual chains imposed by sociocultural norms, allow us to see a different reality. A reality where the Femininity of the Devil holds the key to a better, more inclusive understanding of the human experience.

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Pink Gothic: The Cathartic Aesthetics of The Owl House

December 5, 2022

Criticism

academia, aesthetics, affect, criticism, defiance, Gothic, visuality

Academic knowledge that doesn’t attempt to create something new isn’t worth a damn. So, to put my own academic expertise to good use, I coin the term Pink Gothic to refer to the aesthetics of The Owl House – particularly, how “Gothic pinkness” assigns a cathartic quality to these aesthetics.

If you already feel a bit overwhelmed – “too many unknown words!” – worry not. I plan to make this post accessible and interesting. So here’s a simpler way of expressing the same thing as above:

I decided to write a post where, inventing the term “Pink Gothic”, I explore how colors and other visual elements in a narrative are associated with the resolution of fears and anxieties – typically brought to the surface by the very same narrative. In this exploration, I use the animated fantasy series The Owl House as an example.

Indeed, it was the aesthetics of The Owl House that inspired me to reflect on this matter. It’s likely (if not highly likely for my usual readers) that you’re not familiar with The Owl House. Again, worry not. I will offer plenty of examples along the way.

aesthetics of the owl house pink gothic — Pink Gothic is all about **juxtaposition**; combining visually – and ultimately **affectively** – incongruent elements. When it comes to the aesthetics of *The Owl House*, in particular, their cathartic quality is a direct result of intelligent use of color, depth, and space

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Byron’s “Prometheus” and Existential Empowerment

April 18, 2020

Criticism, Philosophy

death, defiance, experiencing, immortality, life, meaning, poetry

Lord Byron’s “Prometheus” is one of my favorite poems. Once, in a discussion about poetry, someone asked me why. I impulsively replied: “Because ‘Prometheus’ teaches you about not giving a fuck”.

Needless to say, the discussion became lively and several arguments and counter-arguments followed – all polite and civilized, which is rare these days.

I was asked to explain myself. I did. And I decided to transfer the conclusions from that discussion here.

Byron's Prometheus — Byron’s “Prometheus” tells us it’s our very mortality what makes us powerful

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