2020 Snowflake Challenge -- Day 1

[kelly_chambliss]

I make no promises about finishing the challenge this year; I always swear to do so, and I always fail. So I'm just going to own my shortcomings and plow ahead in my flawed-human way.



Day 1 -- Introduce Yourself

Name (for the purposes of LJ/DW): Kelly Chambliss

Occupation: Professor of English, university-level

Age: pretty old, certainly older than I ever imagined being (to the point that I'm now like my ancient relatives, who used to talk about how surprised they were when they caught glimpses of themselves in mirrors and thought, "who is that old bag?" Yeah, I'm there. The old "me" I see in the mirror looks nothing like the 30-something "me" that is my standard sense of myself. Still, being old is better than the alternative (for now, anyway).

Family: I've been with Partner for twenty years now. We met when her "Child" was four; the "Young Man" is now 24. (!) In my immediate family, I'm the oldest of four, with one sister and two brothers.

Interests: HP, writing, reading in general, history in general and women's/queer history in particular, politics, film and film history (I've been a movie buff for decades, especially silents), amateur acting. I love visiting libraries and museums and supermarkets. I love cheese, good bread, butter, coffee, tea, and flower-flavored foods. I collect books and have a lot of them. Like over a thousand.

Personal Traits: I talk a lot, I procrastinate a lot, I'm generally a pessimist (no, I don't see the glass half-empty; I see the glass with barely any dregs in it at all), I'm borderline OCD, I'm lazy, I prefer couch-sitting to any sort of physical or outdoor activity (the outdoors is what I pass through on my way to various indoors), I'm a picky eater.

Comments

[writcraft]

One of the joys of being more present on the journals again is reading your posts Kelly. I loved reading this and I'm not sure I knew about your interest in silent film. I share many of the same interests, save for flower-flavoured food which I have an aversion to! I think I am haunted by the memory of parma violets as a kid.

[kelly_chambliss]

So kind of you, my dear! I'm thrilled to see you back.

In NYC, I'm lucky enough to live around the corner from a revival film house that shows a lot of silent films with live accompaniment. Great fun.

[pauraque]

What kind of flower-flavored foods do you like? The ice cream place near here does rose-flavored, which I like, but I can't think of any other floral foods I've tried.

[kelly_chambliss]

My favorites are rose and violet, but I'm also fond of lavender, elderflower, jasmine, orange blossom (like regular orange flavor, but sort of perfume-y, at least in what I've eaten). Your rose ice cream sounds wonderful.

[walgesang]

Hoorah for cheese and good bread! The thing I like about this challenge is that it's very casual and I feel like I always learn something new about someone I feel I've known for ages.

[kelly_chambliss]

I love that the challenge is low-pressure. And you're right, there's something new to learn every year.

[diabolica]

KELLY!!!!!

The young man is 24 now?!?!? O.O

I don't think I knew of your interest in film--that's why I love the snowflake challenge. You get to learn fun new things about old friends. :)

[kelly_chambliss]

So good to see you around again, my dear!!

Yes, 24 for the Young Man; it's a struggle to wrap my head around it. Please don't tell me your kids are 12 or something already!

I credit my interest in film with teaching me how to research and evaluate sources. I was a teenager (14 or so) when I became obsessed with movies, long before the internet. I could find out things only by spending hours in the library and poring over reference books and cross-checking references and reading endless histories and movie star autobiographies. I remember distinctly the first time I realized that one couldn't always believe what one read -- the autobiography of silent star Pola Negri. Some of her reminiscences read like bad fanfic fantasies (not that I knew that then, of course).

[diabolica]

Thank you, love. It's nice to be around again. :D

No, mine isn't 12. Yet. She's seven. And in school, which is WTF enough. And a right little Ravenclaw she's turning into.

Your history with film is fascinating. God, I remember those pre-internet days sussing out everything the local library could tell me about XYZ. Those research skills have clearly served you well, though. ♥

[paulamcg]

Hello, Kelly! I didn’t know you were on DW until I just saw your comment on walgesang’s snowflake post. I’d searched for you but only with exactly the same user name as on LJ. I hope you won’t mind if I add you.

Thank you for a wonderful introduction. I don’t think I’ve known half of these things about you – even though I’ve known that you are awesome and you’re included in What Fandom Has Meant to Me!

Wise words about being old. I can relate.

[kelly_chambliss]

Hello, my dear! So glad to see you back in the fandom. I've been enjoying your thoughtful comments at hoggywartyxmas. Please do add me to your DW friends.

(I chose this DW name when I was fairly new to fandom and didn't understand how much confusion it could cause if one had different names for different platforms. After I made my LJ name, I realized that I'd wished I had included a space between the names. So when it came time to make up my DW and IJ usernames, I added the space. . .and ended up confusing some friends and making more work for mods.)

[paulamcg]

I’m so glad I’ve now found you here. You’ve already given me a welcome-back comment on my HP Halloween fic, and I think I found both that fest and Hoggywartyxmas only thanks to your cross-posted entries on LJ. And thank you for what you say about the only way I’ve been able to contribute to Hoggywartyxmas!