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Jessica, a light-skinned brown woman, is pictured with dark brown braids curled at the ends. She has a mint green top and gray cardigan on. She is smiling with the living room in the background.

Celebrated day 15 of #BirthdayMonth2025 by gifting myself braids for the first time since college!

A black bowl with ramen. Topped with roasted pork, scallion, half a soft boiled egg, bamboo shoots, and pickled ginger in broth.

Two brown-skinned twin sisters having ramen together. They sit at a table with black bowls of ramen in front of each of them.

Two brown-skinned twin sisters, both with glasses, sitting on a bench holding up books. There is a park with a fountain in the background.

Celebrated day 7 of my #BirthdayMonth with the best twin sister ever! Can’t beat ramen and reading books in the park.

The front of Joseph Fasano’s book, entitled The Magic Words in rainbows colored font. The subtitle reads: Simple poetry prompts that unlock the creativity in everyone.

The Birthdays prompt that reads Sometimes the best gift we can give someone cannot be bought with money. It is something that comes directly from the soul. This prompt helps us wish a happy birthday to someone special.

Celebrating Day 2 of #BirthdayMonth2025 by writing my first poem from @josephfasano.bsky.social The Magic Words.
Thanks for helping me create a reminder to and affirmation of myself—a gift!

A group of five people in a selfie, each holding an ice cream concoction. Jessica is in the center wearing a black tank top and taupe sunglasses.

Kicking off my birthday month with a walk and frozen custard. My favorite people!

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It’s Day 28. I managed to finish Beloved but couldn’t keep up with daily posts. I’m glad I read it, especially in community, but it was a hard read. I especially enjoyed learning and reflecting with others. Thx for hosting us @marcusluther.bsky.social and @heymrsbond.com
#BelovedFebruary

Though Sethe’s actions were violent; they were also protective. I found schoolteacher’s thoughts, words, and actions the most violent part of the chapter.

How Morrison described schoolteacher and the nephew’s thoughts and reasoning was visceral—the root of the dehumanization was demonstrated in their speech and actions.

I thought about how I could avoid this chapter but knew, ultimately, I would have to read it.

Beginning with “the four horsemen” + Baby Suggs’ sense of impending darkness from Ch. 15 sets the stage for the evil demonstrated by schoolteacher and his entourage.

“Terrifies me as a reader.” Well put. I’m anxious just thinking about the next chapter, knowing something dark is coming.

Like learning a bit about Paul D’s history, I loved learning about Baby Suggs, one of my favorite characters.

I’m sure I’m not ready for what’s to come based on the dark thing she feels coming. Especially after reading the first phrase of Ch 16.

#BelovedFebruary

A highlighted passage from Tony Morrison’s Beloved: “fact was she knew more about them than she knew about herself, having never had the map to discover what she was like. Could she sing? (Was it nice to hear when she did?) Was she pretty? Was she a good friend? Could she have been a loving mother? A faithful wife? Have I got a sister and does she favor me? If my mother knew me would she like me?”

“. . . fact was she knew more about them than she knew about herself, having never had the map to discover what she was like.”

This passage and the paragraph that follows touched me.

#BelovedFebruary

I want to know/understand Beloved more but am a little cautious about what’s to come. I didn’t expect her to have such power over Paul D, so I’m sure I’m underestimating who she is and what she can do.

It was the immediate sentence prior that made me curious. “Among the things she could not remember was when she first knew that she could wake up any day and find herself in pieces.”

I suggest "dream scene" because of my literal reading of how he woke himself by saying "Red heart" so loudly. But, maybe he awakened emotionally in his sexual connection with Beloved? More double meaning?

Looking for other's literary analysis!

But then, we find out the movement is physical in one sense, moving from the rocker to Baby Sugg's room, to finally the cold house. Paul D. knew something was up, and he was mad!

What to make of this dream scene with Beloved, his opening rusted tobacco tin, and "Red heart"? I don't know.

The opening sentence, "She moved him." I had to read it twice and still wasn't sure who "She" was and in what sense he was "moved." The following paragraphs seem to allude to Sethe's emotional pull on Paul D.

I'm not sure how it fits with what comes before, except that water, in the form of torrential rains and flooding, continues to be a theme.

Also, we get more insight into the experiences that Paul D. tucked away that would never leave his rusted heart.

Ch. 10 was a difficult read. Morrison's writing made visual Paul D's backstory, his dehumanizing experiences in the prison camp, beating life to death. I can't put a finger on it, but the power & beauty of nature in his escape from prison, and from the South, seem to play a role in this story.

On day 9, @marcusluther.bsky.social asked us for one word to summarize the entire book in a single word. For some reason, "love" came to mind and I'm not completely sure why, but I know Baby Suggs is a big part of the reason.