mi

CH. 52: OUT OF THE CAULDRON

The thing about fibbing, Dorcas Walker knew, was that it had to be done with a delicate touch. As a rule, Mary Macdonald didn’t much believe in regrets. James Potter liked to think he was capable of quiet, noble suffering. It was an inescapable truth that Germaine King was of a nervous disposition. Sirius Black had resigned himself to the moral low ground.

Rated: M

“If I have to spend one more minute with your stupid face I’m going to—” “Fall in love with me?” Part-time bartender, full-time oncoming trainwreck Lily Evans sleeps with famous actor James Potter. Love (?) and shenanigans ensue. (Starstruck AU).

a CT Gift Exchange for my beloved @jilyism! it's a bit late, it's very chaotic, and i definitely shouldn't have tried to write an entire Starstruck jily AU in 12 hours...but we live and learn!

thank you so much to @letthebookbegin for organizing this 💕

Ninth house by Leigh Bardugo 

Lord Jesus Christ have mercy.

the UN human rights body has scheduled a meeting regarding iran’s human rights situation for the week of nov 21, and the us and eu are trying to get a separate meeting regarding the nuclear situation soon, but the more international awareness and pressure on iran to back down, the better. 

Namely, the union is on strike. HarperCollins, the second largest publishing house in the United States, has made record profits (in the billions) but refuses to pay its employees a living wage or negotiate in good faith. Unlike the one-day strike earlier this year, this will be an open-ended strike, to last until a fair, good-faith contract is agreed upon.

I cannot overstate the implications here. HarperCollins is a 200-year-old behemoth with over 120 imprints, owned by billionaire Rupert Murdoch. You have reads books from this company, I guarantee it. You have enjoyed movies and TV shows spawned by this company. The workers striking at the blood and sweat responsible for launching those properties you love. And as Harper goes, so goes the rest of the industry. If we raise the living standards for one, so the pressure increases on other companies to raise it for all.

The Harper Union need your support. They have a full thread here, but here’s the gist of what they’re asking:

EVERYONE:

- Donate to the strike fund if you can

- Politely email Harper’s HR ([email protected]) and the CEO ([email protected]) to express your support for the strike and the union.

- Boost their message on social media and among your social circles (here are some assets you can use to do that)

- If you are in the NY metro area, come join the picket line at 195 Broadway in Manhattan!

BLOGGERS/REVIEWERS/BOOKSTAGRAMMERS/BOOKTOKERS:

- If possible, please hold all reviews of Harper titles until the strike is over. (And I would add, if you feel comfortable doing so, tell Harper why.)

FREELANCERS/INDUSTRY HOPEFULS:

- Don’t be a scab. Don’t take new freelance projects or temporary positions while the strike is ongoing.

BOOKSTORES/BOOKSELLERS:

- Share the “I Stand With” graphic

- Print and distribute the union bookmark at your store

AUTHORS/AGENTS:

- Do not submit or sign new contracts to Harper until the union’s own contract is finalized.

———

Please note they are not asking for a boycott on Harper titles. A boycott would harm the authors, who have nothing to do with this, so the union is explicitly requesting no boycott.

Also, please do not @ Harper social accounts to yell at them. Direct all feedback to that peopleteam email. The majority of folks watching those accounts are out on the picket line anyways, and their managers have already been warned that, as non-union members, they risk termination if voice any public support for the strike.

For more info, check out the union’s accounts on Twitter and Instagram. I also recommend this Twitter thread for some hard facts and figures.

chapter 9: Aletheia

read more on AO3 | start from the prologue