And life’s like an hourglass glued to the table…

November 1, 2008

NOOOOO!!! NOOOOOOOOO!!! I will NOT go quietly!!!!!!

Most Fashionable Reader! Zelda has dragged herself out of The Treacherous Abyss and has pulled herself to her feet to, well, face her demons head-on by writing about some form of some sort of journey into hell. Zelda is not one to rub salt in her wounds, Dear Reader, but she does have a fondness for rubbing alcohol.

James Joyce! Zelda has missed you so! Also Ulysses! Zelda cannot wait to go farther with you! Maybe even third base! And Vivienne! Zelda has missed you more! Zelda has missed you most!

The video below is something that has made Zelda feel better lately. It is a sweet little song — Zelda had forgotten about it until she heard it whilst getting her hair styled last week. Zelda feels the lyrics would have been a tad more cohesive, however, had Anna Nalick written it when she was a little older. Ah, well.

“My God! It’s so beautiful when the boy! Smiles!”

The writing on the wall

Fade past the unglazed mug, the shampoo commercial, the Still Life with Waterfall. Fingers blunt with cold. The sound of an old film. Aspirin tablets, chicken salad sandwiches. Extension cords round the room like lions. The smell of the weak, the descent of their last end –


In Which Vivienne Discusses the Inappropriate Nature of Her Youth

October 6, 2008

Circumstances have arisen that have led to an odd necessity, this odd necessity being that Vivienne must look through Photographs of Her Youth, particularly Photographs of Her Youth as a College Student, in order to find An Entirely Appropriate Photograph of Her Youth as a College Student.  I admit that I thought this would be an easy undertaking.  Apparently, however, in the years since her graduation from college, Vivienne seems to have Completely and Entirely forgotten what her Life as a Youth as a College Student was like.  Vivienne found one photograph.  She was wearing a black velvet bra and a man’s suit jacket.  This, obviously, was Not Entirely Appropriate.  Vivienne found a second, third, fourth, and fifth photograph.  In all of these photographs, she was holding a wine glass.  Not Entirely Appropriate.  Vivienne found a sixth and seventh photograph.  She was shotgunning a beer in both.  Definitely Not Entirely Appropriate.  Vivienne found an eighth photograph of her smiling pleasantly in a pleasant pink wool sweater.  Vivienne felt hope.  Vivienne looked closer.  Her roommate’s bong was in the background.  Absolutely Definitely Not Entirely Appropriate.  Vivienne finally found a ninth photograph of her working hard at her computer.  Finally!  Appropriateness!  But for the “Militant Agnostic: You Don’t Know and I Don’t Know Either” bumper sticker plastered to the wall behind her left shoulder, not to mention the sight of a shirtless man behind her.  Absolutely Most Definitely Not Entirely Appropriate.  Vivienne now despairs, and thinks An Entirely Appropriate Photograph of Her Youth as a College Student is a non-existant myth.

Which brings us, fashionably, to this evening’s exercise, based on the fourth section of Ulysses, in which Mr. Bloom defecates in the outhouse.  In this evening’s exercise, Viv and Zel have agreed to mention something unmentionable.  Enjoy.

Wanting I think she wants a man who’s got no time for her because she doesn’t want to have time for a man.  Well, maybe she doesn’t want a man.  Has that made its way to your thinking?  The whole morning a fourcoffee haze, slim white grave in the trashcan and outside the evidence of the well-packed pack all smoked and your thinking what doesn’t kill me now may kill me later, your thinking the smoke can do the job I not brave enough to do.  In the meantide convincing theself of living by the cat who without me will have no freshwaterfoodbelledplaythings, she a black prrr in the blacknight.  In the meantide not speaking of the notness to the women who heelthump down hallways, coffeesteam and questions your weekend your morning all right?


Don’t call it a comeback.

September 12, 2008

Bette Davis and Joan CrawfordDearest, Most Fashionable Reader:

Well hello! Welcome to this Missive of Fashion! Zelda realizes that it has been quite some time since she and the Most Fashionable Vivienne have written. Zelda is writing to you, Most Fashionable Reader, to reveal that she and the Most Fashionable Vivienne apologize for this travesty. Zelda is here to tell you, Most Fashionable Reader, that she and the Most Fashionable Vivienne will soon return to grace the presence of their very own blog. She and Vivienne are also here to tell you, Most Fashionable Reader, that you will not be disappointed when they do. Zelda and Vivienne will return to TheHyacinthGirls.com on the First of October, 2008. At present, they are getting quite comfortable in their alter-alter egos: Vivienne as Bette Davis, and Zelda as Joan Crawford.

Would you, Most Fashionable Reader, like to have a peek at what Vivienne and Zelda will be working on during the month of October? Here it is:

Don’t call it a comeback, Most Fashionable Readers; Vivienne and Zelda have been here for years.

Ooooo!

Listen to the way they slayyyyyyy!


Strategy is getting in the way.

June 30, 2008

O the Shame!Most Fashionable Reader! Since Zelda shamefully admitted to being Shamefully and Highly Unfashionable as of late, Zelda has discovered that it is quite therapeutic to reveal secrets of shame and great sorrow. So. Today, Most Fashionable Reader / Reader of Fashion, Zelda will reveal, for the first time publicly, one of her secrets that she deems Incredibly Shameful.

But first! A preface to the Secret of Shame! Let Zelda tell you, Most Fashionable Reader, that she has no problems talking about most anything that has to deal with her personal issues. Now, don’t get Zel wrong — she is NOT the type ofSylvia from Intervention person who goes up to strangers and says, “Well hello! My name is Zelda, and I am a sober alcoholic who has battled depression and anxiety all of her life! How are you doing this most fashionable evening?” Zelda does, however, have no qualms with discussing her issues when she deems such a discussion necessary.

But! There is one thing that Our Dearest, Most Fashionable Zelda has revealed to less than a handful of people. Here goes, Dear Reader. Are you ready? Zelda cannot believe she is actually writing this down, but oh well: Zelda has Attention Deficit Disorder. That’s right. Zelda has ADD. Now Zelda knows, Zelda knows: it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Why? Well, because, as every book on Attention Deficit Disorder tells you, most people with ADD are incredibly creative! Hooray! Wow! Awesome!!!

Zelda's Range RoverBut here’s the thing, Dearest Reader: Zelda doesn’t want to be known as a creative woman. When Zelda thinks of creativity, she thinks of windchimes made from thriftstore silverware, potholders made from bottlecaps, wreaths made from dried apple cores, etc., etc. Zelda doesn’t want to be a creative person who happens to have ADD. She wants to be a successful person who happens to have ADD. She wants a baker’s dozen of personal assistants, she wants to dictate confidential memos to her secretary, she wants a Range Rover the color of gunmetal, she wants an executive chair covered with Italian leather at the head of a boardroom table, etc., etc. This is why she found Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder so fabulous — because it gives profiles of highly successful businesspeople that include how ADD has helped their careers as well as the pitfalls of ADD.

Oh yeah! The FaOuLiPoWriMoFa [Fashionable OuLiPo Writing Month of Fashion] poem! Zelda has used a section of Judith Greenbaum and Geraldine Markel‘s Finding Your Focus: Practical Strategies for the Everyday Challenges Facing Adults with ADD entitled “How to Use Self-Talk as a Memory Aid” as her source text, and she curtailed each line.

Stop! Am I –

A quieter place. Too noisy in here.
Did I hear this time? Am I too
tired? Think. Before saying anything,

get angry, tense. What
is here? This.

Stop.

Stop!

Down the choices slowly and carefully.

I feel. I think.

Only concentrate. I’m finished.
We can go. I can –

Failing doesn’t mean. What
can I try again? Give up to keep trying.

Maybe I need this. Should I go?

The problem: the things
I need. If I go
slowly, solutions happen. Strategy

is getting in the way.


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