Welcome aboard The Weird Girl Edit!
Coincidentally, I’m featuring not one, but two stories about gay men from 18th century England this week—including a TV show about pirates. I also expand upon my obsession with Tennessee Williams, who I consider to be a literary soulmate of sorts.
Hope you enjoy the journey, and I hope you don’t get seasick easily.
Discovering Where Your Heart Decides to Rest in Inigo Mort’s Angels of London
The year is 1721, and the streets of London reek of rot around every corner. From the smell of feces and piss, the sight of bloody public executions, and uneasy smiles made of missing teeth, it’s an era full of filth and fear. Welcome to the wicked world of Inigo Mort’s latest novel, Angels of London.
The novel follows Tom, a sweet yet sheltered English country boy who travels to the city for the first time to meet his uncle Buck, who he hopes can point him in the direction of finding his missing sister. At the same time, killings are popping up all across London at the hands of The Impaler, a treacherous figure who goes around murdering the city’s queer men. Their crime? Loving one another.
“Molly comes from the Latin mollis, which means soft. It’s a strange word for such a hardy bunch, but there’s truth to it. Who doesn’t yearn to be soft? And why does softness warrant persecution?”
The novel certainly packs a punch with its vivid descriptions of both human and supernatural horrors, and yet, I couldn’t help but be reeled in by Tom’s tenderness. As he races to find answers—and his sister—we’re also thrust into his journey of reckoning with his sexuality. Will he dare to love in a time of murder against his kind, or renounce it all for the sake of safety?
It’s rare that a book can pull at your heartstrings one moment and make your stomach turn the very next. By the end of the novel, you may find yourself wondering where your heart truly goes to rest. I know I did… but you’ll have to read the book to see for yourself.
In a previous newsletter, I mentioned that I discovered Inigo Mort via TikTok. I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of Angels of London, and giving him a follow for all things horror fiction.
This book was also a buddy read with my friend Michelle Delgado over at Scare Me! If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and subscribe to her newsletter. And stay tuned for a very exciting project her and I have in the works!
Thanks for reading along! Viewing this newsletter online or had it forwarded to you? Subscribe to get a fresh edition in your inbox every Wednesday.
Do You Believe in Literary Soulmates? I Do, and I Made Tennessee Williams a Pie for His Birthday
@theweirdgirledit Do you believe in literary soulmates? I’ve been thinking about this concept a lot this week as I’ve been writing my novel. After a surge o... See more
In last week’s newsletter, I mentioned A Streetcar Named Desire and my newfound obsession with Tennessee Williams as I’ve been writing my novel. It all commenced about a week or so before his birthday, which was on March 26th.
I decided to honor him with a treat on his special day, and learned that he loved lemon ice box pie. I’m not a baker by any means, so I looked around for places near me that sold it to no avail. Not sure if I could pull off making it myself, I headed to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients and hoped for the best.
Everything seemed normal…until I went to pay at self checkout. Before I could pay, a receipt printed out with all of my items. I spoke with the attendant working in the self checkout area, thinking she would ask me to try again and charge my card. Instead, she nonchalantly told me to consider it all free.
I’ve personally never had that happen to me before. Maybe it was a coincidence, or a momentary glitch of the system. Or perhaps it was Tennessee saying “Hey girl, I see you. The pie is on me!”
Regardless, the pie turned out delicious if I do say so myself. I hope he enjoyed it too. For the final icing on the cake (or pie, I should say), I’ll leave you with a few sweet fun facts I’ve learned about Tennessee Williams:
Even during his years as a struggling writer, he signed off his journal entires with “En Avant!” meaning “onward” in French. No matter how bleak things got—sometimes, he couldn’t even afford to eat—he kept going.
He’s seen as a champion for outcasts and is widely regarded as a queer icon. For example, John Waters lists him as a role model, and even went as far as to say “Tennessee Williams saved my life.”
He loved animals, and had a bulldog named Mr. Moon who lived with him and his partner in Rome. Later in life, he also had a pet cat and a parrot at his Key West residence.
These Pirates Are Playful, Whimsical, and Lovable. And Also Very Gay.
I recently finished watching both seasons of Our Flag Means Death, and while it’s a silly show about a crew of rambunctious 18th century pirates, I didn’t expect it to be deeply moving. The show follows Stede Bonnet, a nobleman who decides to leave his cushy life behind to pursue his dream of becoming a pirate.
We’re given a glimpse into the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of his crew and their eventual fated run-in with none other than Blackbeard himself—in which an unexpected romance blossoms between him and Stede (AKA The Gentleman Pirate).
To be fair, this isn’t the only queer romance aboard The Revenge, but I don’t want to give too much away. I loved the first season, and was pleasantly surprised that I liked season 2 even more. They really went all out.
We get to meet several other pirate crews, travel to new islands, and witness the overlapping fates of our beloved characters as the plot reaches a nerve wracking crescendo, which is followed by a truly touching finale.
Although it released to a lukewarm reception several years ago, it’s since developed a cult-like following. I guess it goes to show, some things really do age like fine wine…or rum, in this case.
It’s only been a few days since I’ve finished it, and I’m already finding myself missing my pirate pals. Do yourself a favor and watch Our Flag Means Death on HBO Max. It’s an absolute treasure.
Weird Girl(s) of the Week: Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons
If you’ve ever listened to me yap about clothes, then you may know that Chopova Lowena is one of my all-time favorite fashion brands. Founded by Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons, the duo blend elements of folklore, 1980s rock climbing aesthetics, and a punk sensibility that I’m a total sucker for.
They place an emphasis on craft and sustainability, and often use recycled materials and deadstock textiles. The brand has also played a role in rejuvenating Bulgarian cultural heritage and preserving traditional techniques by employing skilled female artisans in Bulgaria.
I’m such a fan that I even decided to wear one of their signature carabiner dresses (pictured below) for my marriage celebration party. In true weird girl fashion, of course I didn’t have a wedding or wear a white dress.
Brands like Chopova Lowena aren’t just fun to look at. They actually stand for something, and they’re refreshingly weird. If you ask me, that’s something we can all learn from!
That’s it for today. Want more weird?
Say less. Give me a follow over on Instagram and TikTok!
The Weird Girl Edit is a weekly newsletter written by Maya Rector, and it gets published every Wednesday. View past editions here. If you haven’t already, subscribe for the latest wacky musings in literature, media, and pop culture each week!