starfishstar (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
starfishstar) wrote2022-01-07 04:16 pm
starfishstar) wrote2022-01-07 04:16 pm
Entry tags:
Purimgifts Letter
Dear Purimgifts creator,
Hello, hello, delighted to be back for my second Purimgifts! Thank you so much for creating something for me.
General notes: I’m starfishstar on AO3, DW and LJ. I’m easy to please! If you write a story about any of these characters, out of love for these characters, I’m going to be delighted with it. My requests in all of these fandoms are for fanfic and/or podfic. Certainly no obligation in this direction, but if you want to podfic anything of mine, you have blanket permission!
DNW: Just the big ones that I've already tagged in my sign-up (Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con).
Likes: A focus on character interactions, be that friendship or romance or family. Found family dynamics. Humor and banter. UST (all the UST) as long as it resolves by the end. Happy or hopeful endings (angst and complexity are fine – I like stories that are realistic! – but I do need at least a degree of hope). I'm equally fond of genfic and of pairings (F/F, M/M, M/F, it's all good.) Especially for this exchange, feel free to lean as hard as you want in the silly/goofy/fun/romp/parody/humor direction – it's Purim, after all!
Judaism: I’m Jewish (not observant or even particularly practicing much of the time, but it's a very important part of my cultural/family identity) and I was so delighted when I stumbled across this fest, a joyful fic exchange based around a joyful Jewish holiday. You're certainly not required to write Jewish content into your pod/fics, but if it's something you want to and feel able to do, I'll be super-extra-especially-delighted. :-)
FANDOMS: (alphabetical order)
All-of-a-Kind Family Series - Sydney Taylor
It's been ages since I read them, these books meant a lot to me as a kid. (Still do! And in fact I still have the whole set of them on my shelves.) Any adventures among any/all of the sisters in the vein of the stories from the books would be delightful – within the family, or interactions with their neighbors and community in the immigrant milieu of the Lower East Side. Anything to revisit this world would be a delight.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
I'm always interested in stories that manage to bring Elio and Oliver back together – either soon after the end of the film or much later – but in a way that feels realistic and earned and like they've done the work to overcome all the obstacles between them. Or any moments of them during the film! I love Elio's parents, too, so wise and kind, and how they give him space to grow while also being there to catch him if he falls.
And it means a lot to me that these characters are Jewish, and that it's part of what connects them. I'd be delighted to read a fic that involves Judaism being somehow an important point of connection between them. Celebrating a holiday or tradition together? Sharing favorite family foods? Discovering unexpected differences between the traditions they grew up with (Oliver in the US, Elio in Italy)? Or anything else that acknowledges Jewish culture/tradition as a shared identity, something that draws Elio toward Oliver; with that parallel, too, of each of them being both queer and Jewish, two things that set them apart from others and connect them to each other.
Check, Please! (Webcomic)
Just this year I finally fell into reading Check, Please!...and I fell hard. The world of Bitty and Jack and their delightful, supportive, hilarious crowd of not-toxically-masculine-hockey-bro friends is such a very, very charming place to spend time! As I've been discovering fic in this fandom, I've come across a few that have Jack, or Bitty, or occasionally both, as Jewish... Would love to see that explored in any form, perhaps one of them introducing the other to their family's traditions? It's not even a stretch to get to a Jewish headcanon... Jack, after all, has the name (Zimmermann!) and comes from Montreal (he must have opinions about bagels!) Or, for Bitty it would be little less expected, but he's from Georgia, and Atlanta does have a long history of Jewish community... Or come to think of it, any of the other characters could be Jewish if you choose... Shitty, perhaps? I basically just love them all.
Graceling Realm Series - Kristin Cashore
This series was one of the first that came to mind for me the first time I signed up for Purimgifts, because of evil viziers... Surely the treatment of Gracelings counts as that? So anything that explores that would be neat! Or simply Katsa or any of the other female characters being awesome, like they are. :-) I love all the characters in these books, they way they banter and look out for each other and have created a found family together.
Hamster Princess Series - Ursula Vernon
Who could be more Purim-ready than Harriet Hamsterbone, forever charging in to save the day in places that girls (and princesses) aren't expected to go? Go wild with any sort of silly or sweet or serious adventure for Harriet! I can't help but think that, since these books are retellings of fairy tales, it would a great deal of fun to do similarly, but with Jewish folklore or stories... Harriet the hamster princess, fused with some classic bit of Jewish folklore. Or anything you like, really!
Hereville Series – Barry Deutsch
This series of middle grade graphic novels (How Mirka Got Her Sword, How Mirka Met a Meteorite, and How Mirka Caught a Fish) is marvelous, and I recommend it highly if you haven't read it! Our protagonist is a feisty 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl, who would rather fight trolls than learn to knit... Her adventures are delightful, and equally so the compassionate portrayal of Mirka's various family relationships, especially with her stepmother. Mirka is charming and bold and most definitely carries on the spirit of Esther!
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme
I always love this fandom anyway, since John Finnemore is one of my favorite writers – very funny and very, very clever, somehow managing to write excellent comedy, complex narratives, and rich character development all at once. But in addition, this year the pandemic prompted a radical shift in how John created this, his long-running radio sketch comedy show, with an incredibly rich result. Series 9 (this latest series) of JFSP is no longer a collection of fun but unrelated sketches; instead, it's a tightly woven latticework of extremely related sketches, spanning several generations of one family, told in reverse. Hard to describe, but brilliant. And extra intriguingly, part of the family is Jewish, so I thought it would be fun to nominate this for Purimgifts and leave that open to explore. But I'm open to anything else in this fandom, too!
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (TV)
Another fandom with an absolutely wonderful strong female character at its heart! I love Phryne, and everyone around her. I am deeply invested in Phryne/Jack, of course, but I love all of the others as well. Phryne & Mac! Phryne & Dot! Or any of the characters, really... I'm happy to get a chance to hang out with any of them.
Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
A number of these fandoms I've requested because at some point in the past I came across fics written in them for Purimgifts, and they were wonderful, and now my mind associates those two the things, these fandoms and Purimgifts. :D I remember at least one wonderful fic that looked at what the magic of the Raven Cycle might look like when filtered through Jewish history/folklore/mysticism, so that's always intriguing to me! Or non-Jewish content is fine too, about any of the female characters – something Blue-centric? Or the wonderful friendship trio of Maura, Calla and Persephone?
Scholomance - Naomi Novik
Naomi Novik creates such intricate, fascinating worlds, and it makes me curious what practicing Judaism is like within the Scholomance. This could be a focus on Jewish OCs and/or worldbuilding, or on the one(?) character who's canonically Jewish – or, as always, it's fine to simply write about the characters in general, it doesn't have to be Jewish content. :-) I'm especially interested in the friendships that form despite – and because of – the deadly pressure cooker of the Scholomance, e.g. El and her alliance. I'd like to see anything more about Aadhya. Or any of them!
Welcome to Night Vale
Okay, I only JUST found out that Cecil is canonically Jewish?? And now I need to know: what is being Jewish like, in the weird, weird world of Night Vale???
White Collar (TV)
Another fandom where I happened across Purimgifts fic written in this fandom, and it was delightful, and it makes me want more. :-) I think it would be especially neat to make Neal Jewish, or it could be any of the characters, really. All of them are delightful. I love El/Neal/Peter or El/Peter & Neal – shipping OR platonic, the two of them taking Neal into their life and giving him the unconditional love he needs. Or any antics with Mozzie & Neal & Peter & El, or with June, etc... A delightful crowd of characters.
.
Hello, hello, delighted to be back for my second Purimgifts! Thank you so much for creating something for me.
General notes: I’m starfishstar on AO3, DW and LJ. I’m easy to please! If you write a story about any of these characters, out of love for these characters, I’m going to be delighted with it. My requests in all of these fandoms are for fanfic and/or podfic. Certainly no obligation in this direction, but if you want to podfic anything of mine, you have blanket permission!
DNW: Just the big ones that I've already tagged in my sign-up (Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con).
Likes: A focus on character interactions, be that friendship or romance or family. Found family dynamics. Humor and banter. UST (all the UST) as long as it resolves by the end. Happy or hopeful endings (angst and complexity are fine – I like stories that are realistic! – but I do need at least a degree of hope). I'm equally fond of genfic and of pairings (F/F, M/M, M/F, it's all good.) Especially for this exchange, feel free to lean as hard as you want in the silly/goofy/fun/romp/parody/humor direction – it's Purim, after all!
Judaism: I’m Jewish (not observant or even particularly practicing much of the time, but it's a very important part of my cultural/family identity) and I was so delighted when I stumbled across this fest, a joyful fic exchange based around a joyful Jewish holiday. You're certainly not required to write Jewish content into your pod/fics, but if it's something you want to and feel able to do, I'll be super-extra-especially-delighted. :-)
FANDOMS: (alphabetical order)
All-of-a-Kind Family Series - Sydney Taylor
It's been ages since I read them, these books meant a lot to me as a kid. (Still do! And in fact I still have the whole set of them on my shelves.) Any adventures among any/all of the sisters in the vein of the stories from the books would be delightful – within the family, or interactions with their neighbors and community in the immigrant milieu of the Lower East Side. Anything to revisit this world would be a delight.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
I'm always interested in stories that manage to bring Elio and Oliver back together – either soon after the end of the film or much later – but in a way that feels realistic and earned and like they've done the work to overcome all the obstacles between them. Or any moments of them during the film! I love Elio's parents, too, so wise and kind, and how they give him space to grow while also being there to catch him if he falls.
And it means a lot to me that these characters are Jewish, and that it's part of what connects them. I'd be delighted to read a fic that involves Judaism being somehow an important point of connection between them. Celebrating a holiday or tradition together? Sharing favorite family foods? Discovering unexpected differences between the traditions they grew up with (Oliver in the US, Elio in Italy)? Or anything else that acknowledges Jewish culture/tradition as a shared identity, something that draws Elio toward Oliver; with that parallel, too, of each of them being both queer and Jewish, two things that set them apart from others and connect them to each other.
Check, Please! (Webcomic)
Just this year I finally fell into reading Check, Please!...and I fell hard. The world of Bitty and Jack and their delightful, supportive, hilarious crowd of not-toxically-masculine-hockey-bro friends is such a very, very charming place to spend time! As I've been discovering fic in this fandom, I've come across a few that have Jack, or Bitty, or occasionally both, as Jewish... Would love to see that explored in any form, perhaps one of them introducing the other to their family's traditions? It's not even a stretch to get to a Jewish headcanon... Jack, after all, has the name (Zimmermann!) and comes from Montreal (he must have opinions about bagels!) Or, for Bitty it would be little less expected, but he's from Georgia, and Atlanta does have a long history of Jewish community... Or come to think of it, any of the other characters could be Jewish if you choose... Shitty, perhaps? I basically just love them all.
Graceling Realm Series - Kristin Cashore
This series was one of the first that came to mind for me the first time I signed up for Purimgifts, because of evil viziers... Surely the treatment of Gracelings counts as that? So anything that explores that would be neat! Or simply Katsa or any of the other female characters being awesome, like they are. :-) I love all the characters in these books, they way they banter and look out for each other and have created a found family together.
Hamster Princess Series - Ursula Vernon
Who could be more Purim-ready than Harriet Hamsterbone, forever charging in to save the day in places that girls (and princesses) aren't expected to go? Go wild with any sort of silly or sweet or serious adventure for Harriet! I can't help but think that, since these books are retellings of fairy tales, it would a great deal of fun to do similarly, but with Jewish folklore or stories... Harriet the hamster princess, fused with some classic bit of Jewish folklore. Or anything you like, really!
Hereville Series – Barry Deutsch
This series of middle grade graphic novels (How Mirka Got Her Sword, How Mirka Met a Meteorite, and How Mirka Caught a Fish) is marvelous, and I recommend it highly if you haven't read it! Our protagonist is a feisty 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl, who would rather fight trolls than learn to knit... Her adventures are delightful, and equally so the compassionate portrayal of Mirka's various family relationships, especially with her stepmother. Mirka is charming and bold and most definitely carries on the spirit of Esther!
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme
I always love this fandom anyway, since John Finnemore is one of my favorite writers – very funny and very, very clever, somehow managing to write excellent comedy, complex narratives, and rich character development all at once. But in addition, this year the pandemic prompted a radical shift in how John created this, his long-running radio sketch comedy show, with an incredibly rich result. Series 9 (this latest series) of JFSP is no longer a collection of fun but unrelated sketches; instead, it's a tightly woven latticework of extremely related sketches, spanning several generations of one family, told in reverse. Hard to describe, but brilliant. And extra intriguingly, part of the family is Jewish, so I thought it would be fun to nominate this for Purimgifts and leave that open to explore. But I'm open to anything else in this fandom, too!
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (TV)
Another fandom with an absolutely wonderful strong female character at its heart! I love Phryne, and everyone around her. I am deeply invested in Phryne/Jack, of course, but I love all of the others as well. Phryne & Mac! Phryne & Dot! Or any of the characters, really... I'm happy to get a chance to hang out with any of them.
Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
A number of these fandoms I've requested because at some point in the past I came across fics written in them for Purimgifts, and they were wonderful, and now my mind associates those two the things, these fandoms and Purimgifts. :D I remember at least one wonderful fic that looked at what the magic of the Raven Cycle might look like when filtered through Jewish history/folklore/mysticism, so that's always intriguing to me! Or non-Jewish content is fine too, about any of the female characters – something Blue-centric? Or the wonderful friendship trio of Maura, Calla and Persephone?
Scholomance - Naomi Novik
Naomi Novik creates such intricate, fascinating worlds, and it makes me curious what practicing Judaism is like within the Scholomance. This could be a focus on Jewish OCs and/or worldbuilding, or on the one(?) character who's canonically Jewish – or, as always, it's fine to simply write about the characters in general, it doesn't have to be Jewish content. :-) I'm especially interested in the friendships that form despite – and because of – the deadly pressure cooker of the Scholomance, e.g. El and her alliance. I'd like to see anything more about Aadhya. Or any of them!
Welcome to Night Vale
Okay, I only JUST found out that Cecil is canonically Jewish?? And now I need to know: what is being Jewish like, in the weird, weird world of Night Vale???
White Collar (TV)
Another fandom where I happened across Purimgifts fic written in this fandom, and it was delightful, and it makes me want more. :-) I think it would be especially neat to make Neal Jewish, or it could be any of the characters, really. All of them are delightful. I love El/Neal/Peter or El/Peter & Neal – shipping OR platonic, the two of them taking Neal into their life and giving him the unconditional love he needs. Or any antics with Mozzie & Neal & Peter & El, or with June, etc... A delightful crowd of characters.
.