throughgardengates: I keep thinking about this tweet, how meaningful and reassuring it was that when
throughgardengates: I keep thinking about this tweet, how meaningful and reassuring it was that when one pillar of my childhoods crumbled, the others stepped forward to show they would continue to shoulder the remaining weight all their own.And this phrase in particular — “I do not think these things of you” — is such a quintessential Piercian refrain. It’s direct in a way that cuts to the core of the argument. It’s a little old fashioned, a bit clunky in its plainness. It acknowledges the distasteful power an argument may hold while simultaneously denying it room to breathe. I keep hearing that thing Tammy said about Alanna and Kel—which itself is not particularly meaningful to me—playing in my head over and over like a mantra. Because it’s catchy.“Alanna prefers “Sir” because she was making a point. Kel prefers “Lady Knight” because she’s making a different point.”…The clarity! The concision! The oddly plain, repetitive twist, easily avoided, that nonetheless persists and makes you stumble.The statement cuts straight to the point, but it leaves space for you to draw the conclusion yourself. It’s instructive but not pedagogical. It’s a bit awkward, but somehow that works in its favor.It’s a way Tammy has of writing that I (an overwriter, an overthinker) have held up in my head as a model for years. As much as I am grateful for Tammy’s consistent stance on the right side of the fight for justice, I am also grateful for her specific way with words: simple, blunt, and unadorned, which has meant something to me for so long. -- source link