Shay's Art & Imaginings

Nights in the Lavender Fields of Valensole, France

She posted this on her Facebook Saturday evening, April 25, 2026:

"Dear readers and friends. The unhappy fact is---the numerous bouts of anaesthetic I've had have made it pretty well impossible for me to write. I drop stitches. Not many. No problems with daily life or doing creative stuff or enjoying life in general. But the ability to control narrative is just not what it was, and it's just not going to be there. I've accepted that, painful as it is. I thank all of you who've stood by me patiently. The body of work is what it is, and I am lastingly grateful to my publisher, Betsy Wollheim, who has given me every extension of time and resource. And of course to Jane, who is all things."

[Jane Fancher has been her companion and co-author for many years, and more recently her wife as well.]

Her stories have occupied my mind for decades now, ever since a university classmate introduced me to The Faded Sun series. Large parts of my heart are owned by Pyanfar Chanur and her clan and associates as well as by the Hellburner Four and their long-suffering program officer Jurgen Graff.

3 April 2026

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3 April 2026

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At least hit the shiny repost button if you're going to do nothing else. This should not stand.

The Spiral of Castle Hill, New Zealand

One of the grander issues of Supergirl was its rather incoherent philosophy. It was an openly political show that had no idea how to address political topics with any depth or consistency, a progressive show that somehow perpetuated as many harmful stereotypes and misconceptions as it attempted to critique. One of the greater problems that caused this, in my opinion, wasn't the pressure of making politics palatable to network television or even a fundamental lack of understanding of the issues at hand (though both were true), but the consistent and somewhat lazy usage of Kara as an audience-surrogate. On the one hand, it makes sense. Kara is the main character. She is young and generally inexperienced-- a large amount of her story is dedicated to being a fish out of water. So of course, it makes sense to have Kara receive the "message of the day", often sitting comfortably on her couch, reflecting on the week's events with her sister, and delivering a nice, summary lesson to the audience of presumably young teen girls. On the other hand, Are You Out Of Your Fucking Mind?

Kara is the last person on that show who should be used as an audience surrogate for the VAST majority of situations on it. She is an alien, raised on an alien planet, with alien habits, language, and beliefs. Using her to substitute for the audience who is expected to lack scientific education, emotional maturity, and an understanding of the alien experience is fucking bananas. I think a lot of people complained when it happened about the incredibly awkward moment where Brainy had to explain to Kara why it would be bad if the polar ice caps were melted by a giant laser. (Which. They simply did Not need to explain that.) But this problems worms its way into SO MANY different aspects of the politics of Supergirl (and is part of why Kara is so infantilized imo). @moistvonlipwig has this really great breakdown of Cat and her flaws as the "mean boss" archetype (I personally did actually enjoy Cat and find her funny [most of the time] but I do admit I agree with almost every point they make.) there's this bit they bring up about the flawed politics of CWSG and its very shallow take on feminism that I believe is connected to this. In particular, it's the "why shouldn't we call her Supergirl. Do you think girls are bad?" bit. This exists to talk to the audience. And it is directed at Kara because Kara is the audience.

It fundamentally kneecaps any argument made in the show because if the main character is the primary recipient of The Message(tm) and the main character is an audience insert, then the message cannot account for any kind of human complexity. Over and over again CWSG supplies hamfisted and overly reductive hallmark card messages like Racism is Bad!, You Should Be Nice To People!, and of course, Hashtag Feminism! It also introduces a lot of really awkward accidental messaging. There are a lot of weird moments where characters say "being human" as shorthand for being compassionate or empathetic, which can be a very interesting dissection of what assimilation means to Kara and Alex and how they have internalized that, but frequently isn't done with any deeper intent, and results in moments like before the first Reign fight where Alex tells her (kryptonian) sister to "be kryptonian", as in, ignore the collateral damage and innocent people, be selfish, be cold, and survive. Those are not traits that I think Kara or Alex would necessarily associate with the Kryptonian people. Astra may have not cared about collateral damage, but she could not be accused of being dispassionate. Let's not even touch on what that continued rhetoric imparts on show's series-long immigration metaphor. This is a part of the strangeness of Season 1 DEO, where Kara seems to care less than James that the DEO is essentially "alien gitmo". Why are we explaining to Kara why she should hate the DEO? Shouldn't Kara be slightly more worried about what the DEO will do to her specifically? Shouldn't Kara's choice to work with them be a result of her own choices and weighing the options? A major theme of S1 was necessary but ugly things: Maxwell Lord and the DEO are both objectively cruel and in a better world, an enemy to be removed, and yet in the context of alien invasions, they are ultimately a necessity. Actually utilizing Kara's alien status would have done a great deal to meaningfully interrogate these issues, and frankly it would have doubled the efficacy of the Jeremiah reveal if Kara had actually grown to be tentatively trusting of the organization.

"The Saint Heron Library is home to our archival collection of primarily rare, out of print, and 1st edition titles by Black & brown authors, poets, & artists," she captioned on Instagram.

Throughout time, when certain aspects of physical media aren't accessible, a digital archive library is crucial in a society driven by fast-paced media consumption, where the depth and nuance of marginalized voices can easily be overlooked or forgotten.

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In our digital age, where much of our interaction with media is limited to clicks and reposts, Knowles’ digital archive provides a safe space for scholarly and artistic work that might otherwise be lost. Saint Heron’s library aims to foster a space where the wisdom and creativity of these “great minds” can thrive, supported by an infrastructure that champions preservation and accessibility. The library will not only serve as a place of significant works but also act as a catalyst for more conversations around artists, scholars and enthusiasts. "As the market and demand for these books, zines, and catalogues rises, we would like to play a small part in creating free access to the expansive range of critical thought and expression by these great mindsss," Knowles said.

"I don't have a gift for you." "Gabrielle, you are a gift to me."

"Gabrielle, in everyone's life there is something that goes beyond the greater good, that's what you are in my life."

"Gabrielle, if I had only 30 seconds to live, this is how I'd want to live them, looking into your eyes."