'The filing should be a surprise to no one'

Her half-naked back with her unzipped dress quickly became fail number two

Melissa Broder’s newest novel Death Valley follows a path tread by her previous books‚ offering an emotionally prosaic story made mystical by a core magic realist conceit. In Broder’s first novel The Pisces‚ sex and romance addiction is explored through a hot but morbid merman. In Milk Fed‚ her second‚ the quest to understand an eating disorder is flavored by a golem. In Death Valley‚ the stages of grief are entered through a giant saguaro cactus. The book opens with its unnamed narrator‚ a middle-aged woman in her fifties‚ arriving at a Best Western in a small California desert town. She’s left behind her chronically ill husband and ICU-bound father in Los Angeles‚ ostensibly to work on a novel but actually to escape the miasma of mortality surrounding her life. Her father‚ who has been resuscitated twice over his six months in the ICU‚ is increasingly unknowable to her‚ sending her into a spiral of preemptive grief. Though her husband has been sick for nine years‚ his new symptom of labored breathing sparks guilty disgust and resentment in her‚ solidifying that she is no longer attracted to him. From this foundation‚ Death Valley’s plot is simple. One of the front desk workers at the Best Western suggests a hike to the narrator‚ leading her to discover a saguaro cactus so massive that she can crawl inside it—a seemingly impossible treasure‚ given she’s in the Mojave Desert and saguaros only grow in the Sonoran. Inside the cactus‚ she first encounters her father as a child; upon a second visit‚ she meets her father as a teenager and her husband as a child. Attempting a third visit before she returns to Los Angeles‚ the narrator cannot find the gargantuan saguaro‚ sending her further into the desert where she becomes dangerously lost. Her journey melds the natural landscape with emotional territory‚ as she reflects on love as a verb and death as inevitable. Buy it Now Within this elegant container‚ all of Melissa Broder’s trademarks and considerable skills are on view. Though the media’s constant chatter around “unlikable female characters” is exhausting‚ it’s necessary to invoke here‚ as Broder is a master of exposing the inner lives of her narrators without a thought for their palatability. Death Valley’s protagonist makes terrible choices and harbors socially unspeakable thoughts‚ extra fraught thanks to her self-awareness. “What kind of person gets angry at her husband for breathing?” our narrator asks‚ but can’t change her gut reaction. Her desire to be “the magic daughter” suffuses her memories of interacting with her father in his hospital bed‚ an all-too-realistic portrayal of emotional need overtaking concern for a loved one. She wishes she were different‚ wanders into the desert hoping to become different‚ but the most she can do at the end is grasp that despite her “terror–of life and dying and loving and all of it”‚ she will keep going. Broder’s denial of a tidy ending is powerful‚ refusing the mainstream character arc of a woman going on a journey to Find Herself. Broder’s affinity for the unfiltered narrator also renders Death Valley hilarious. Lost in the desert‚ our heroine’s acerbic yet whimsical thoughts undercut the looming possibility of death by exposure. “I want to be stupid and brave‚” she declares in the desert. “I think I have the stupid part down (woman walks into desert with less than a gallon of water and doesn’t tell anyone where she is going).” Following a rabbit she has dubbed Teen Bun for its small size‚ the narrator discovers a group of young rabbits and proclaims‚ “I have discovered the exclusive‚ underage hare club: a lagomorph VIP room.” Moreover‚ if a reader (like me) happens to have the puerile sense of humor too often reserved for teenage boys‚ there is enough pissing and farting in this book to fill a rest stop bathroom. The inherent comedy of the narration keeps it from becoming weighed down by its own profundity. As truthful as cyclical thinking may be‚ the main character’s constant analysis of her feelings towards her husband‚ her father‚ herself‚ her mother‚ death‚ and love may not be for everyone. For every surprising beat of insight and gorgeous writing‚ there’s another page of the narrator describing her husband’s suffering and how much better he manages it than she does. The text seems to claim that this is the point: “I deflect my mind to a not-here‚ because the here is too scary‚ it hurts too much‚ which is why it’s easier for me to be there for my sick father than my sick husband; the depth of my sick husband’s here‚ he needs me‚ and the need makes it a vortex‚ a here I could get stuck in‚ trapped…” Broder may intend for the reader to find themself mirroring the narrator’s position; if she struggles to stay present for her husband’s pain‚ of course we will struggle to remain in the cyclone of hers. The novel encourages this meta reading by being holistically self-referential. The narrator’s life resembles Broder’s‚ in that Broder currently acts as caregiver for her debilitatingly ill husband. Moreover‚ Death Valley’s protagonist is writing a novel about a woman who runs away from her sick husband and has an epiphany in the desert. “I think I will base the desert revelation in my novel around something having to do with pee‚” states the narrator‚ right after taking a piss herself and realizing that “you could probably chart my desert demise through the waning glory of my pee (a whole character arc as told in urine).” Such cleverness might be an acquired taste‚ but Melissa Broder has embraced working in a niche. She is one of a growing number of authors working in weird fiction‚ writing books caught between literary fiction ruminating on the Great Emotions (grief‚ love‚ horniness) and metaphor-laden fantasy. For the former‚ there are far too many talking rocks in Death Valley. For the latter‚ there aren’t enough. While Broder’s speculative world-building does leave something to be desired‚ her dalliance with the uncanny gives her work its strongest charge. Death Valley’s cactus portal to Freudian encounters and its opinionated minerals seem as likely to be a product of the dehydrated protagonist’s mind as real‚ but it is a testament to Broder’s skill that this facile question ultimately doesn’t matter. The primary interest of the novel isn’t in its ambiguity but in its capture of an elusive‚ liminal‚ and genuine phase of feeling. The truth is‚ I saw myself in Death Valley‚ even when the novel lagged in a bog of overwrought reflectiveness. Perhaps I saw myself most in those bogs‚ as will other readers. Whether or not Death Valley sparks such recognition‚ it is nonetheless a testament to Melissa Broder’s power to deliver a raw and original story. Death Valley is published by Scribner. Maura Krause is a writer and Barrymore-nominated theatrical director‚ currently pursuing their MFA in Writing at California College for the Arts.

Winter has arrived in Los Santos and snowmen have been hidden around the map in Grand Theft Auto Online. Finding and collecting all of them will reward you with a free outfit‚ but they’re only available for a limited time. GTA Online Snowman Locations The locations of snowmen in GTA Online haven’t changed since last year‚ nor have the rewards. If you already have the snowman outfit then there’s no reason to collect them all again. You can spend your time grinding holiday-themed Community Series Jobs for bonus cash and RP or enjoying the rare sight of snow in Los Santos. If you haven’t begun your snowman hunt yet though‚ then now’s your chance! Los Santos Snowman Locations Image: GTA Lens‚ Edited by PC Invasion There are 17 snowmen located in the city of Los Santos and the hills surrounding it. To collect them‚ just shoot them with your weapon or hit them with a car to destroy them. You’ll get $5‚000 for each s...

In Baldur’s Gate 3‚ most classes have a choice of three subclasses they can use to specialize. Clerics are the exception; here are the seven Cleric subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3 ranked from best to worst. Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Cleric subclasses‚ ranked You get to choose your Cleric subclass (known as a “Domain”) right from the start. In general‚ the Cleric is a healer and focuses more on defensive skills‚ though you can find some subclasses that turn their eye toward offensive capabilities (especially as they develop over the course of the campaign). Whatever you decide‚ make sure to select the Cleric subclass that complements your favored approach. Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: Cleric class and skills guide Screenshot by PC Invasion 1. Life Domain In my opinion‚ the best Clerics focus on support. The Cleric subclass that does this best is the Life Domain. At level one‚ you get Disciple of Life which makes your he...

Season of Discovery’s unique mechanic players are still figuring out is Runes‚ and more so the locations throughout Azeroth. One in particular for Warriors will require players to acquire Gillsbane to complete a quest‚ but where exactly do we find this item in WoW Classic? We’ve got you covered. WoW Classic Season of Discovery: How to get Gillsbane WoW Classic has now had a fresh coat of paint with the recently released Season of Discovery‚ as it has unwrapped a ton of new content for players to sink their teeth into‚ like new Runes. Runes change how players interact with their classes. Warriors‚ for example‚ will need to complete some quests‚ such as obtaining Gillsbane. This item will be used to obtain the Quick Strike Rune‚ one of the first you get IN WoW Classic. If you’re in the market to acquire Gillsbane‚ you will be tasked with killing Defias Brotherhood members throughout the Westfall region if you’re Alliance. However‚ if you...

Boo! Who doesn’t love a good scare whether it’s Halloween or not? While I love the scariest day of the year‚ I find plenty of scares online. And the perfect place for frights is Roblox. So‚ what kind of scary games are available on Roblox? Well‚ there’s a lot to explore. If we go by the types‚ you can try out murder mysteries‚ maze runners‚ social elimination‚ and many other types. So you can investigate mysterious disappearances‚ escape a maze as terrifying toys chase you‚ or dodge a killer in the dark. If you’re not sure what to play‚ you can always start by exploring the most-played games or the ones that are trending. And‚ of course‚ my list will give you an idea of what to expect when you enter ‘horror’ in the search box. Get Spooked: Top 15 Scary Roblox Games to Try Out To keep the list inclusive‚ I have tried to include every kind of game to cater to different tastes. So take your pick – from w...

People need to realize the Left is using the alleged “existential” threat of global warming to wage war against liberty‚ against the Western world’s (not China’s) economy‚ and against joy. The automobile‚ that magnificent enhancement to human freedom and joy‚ is a target of the Left. The idea that individuals should be able to go where they want when they want in their own car is anathema to the Left. It provides way too much individual liberty. Ideally‚ almost no one should own a car. We should all aspire to live in a high-rise apartment building in a major metropolis and use public transportation‚ ride bicycles‚ or walk. If for some reason we have to travel a longer distance‚ let us say to conservative relatives who selfishly own their own homes in the suburbs‚ we can use public transportation‚ and if none is available‚ we can use Uber or Lyft. Even the family‚ one of life’s greatest sources of joy and meaning‚ is a target of the climate change activists. They believe that there are way too many people in the world. Kids are carbon-emitting machines. So‚ an increasing number of women‚ including married women‚ are choosing not to have children. They don’t see how they can justify bringing children into a world in which they will be roasted to death. And frequently their progressive parents (the would-be grandparents) agree with them. As I wrote in a previous column‚ based on the many comments of New York Times readers on an opinion piece written by a woman who has decided not to have children because of global warming‚ many readers wrote that despite the fact that they long for grandchildren‚ they support their child’s decision to go childless. Now‚ we have another joy of life that progressives are targeting in the name of combating global warming: Christmas gifts. Many progressives have long opposed giving Christmas gifts in the name of combating “consumerism.” (To be fair‚ some religious conservatives share that ascetic view.) But climate change will soon constitute the greater moral reason. In the Daily Mail this week‚ a woman wrote an article making this case. Last year‚” she wrote‚ “surrounded by wrapping paper and abandoned gifts‚ I suggested to my husband‚ Chris‚ that next time we shouldn’t buy anything — for each other or the children.” Not buying anything for my husband is trivial‚ because he can buy for himself. But not buying presents for our two girls‚ aged six and three‚ is a trickier proposition. … We’re increasingly aware of the global impact of our purchases. Everything we buy the kids will go into landfill. … With the planet on fire‚ and plastics everywhere‚ it seems like we are at a moment of reckoning and have been for some time. … I’ve forced this rule on the family‚ telling my mother‚ in-laws and the brothers and sisters not to buy the girls anything. My sister was appalled and very cross that she will be thought of as the mean old aunt. Just because I want to strip the joy out of Christmas‚ why should she have to? This woman’s article encapsulates much of the darkness the Left represents and creates. First is the war on joy. Part of the joy of Christmas‚ especially for children‚ is receiving gifts. To deny this is to deny reality. This can be verified by asking any adult to describe the joy they experienced as a child looking under the Christmas tree for their gifts. Second‚ it is a war on altruism. Gift-giving may be animated by a number of factors‚ but one fact is undeniable: Giving people gifts is an altruistic act. If people stop doing so—whether to combat “consumerism” or to combat global warming—they are ending one of the most widespread expressions of altruism in our society. Third‚ children are the primary targets of this nonsense. Progressives seem to have a particular animus for children. They wage war on children’s innocence with early “sex education‚” with LGBTQ activism in elementary school‚ and by promoting drag queen “story hours” beginning at age 5; by their closing schools for nearly two years for no valid reason; by depriving children of God‚ religion‚ and patriotism; by their irrationally frightening children about their future (They will essentially be burned alive.); and now by depriving children of Christmas gifts and‚ presumably‚ birthday gifts. (They‚ too‚ add to landfills.) Fourth‚ the woman who wrote this article has no qualms about imposing her beliefs on everyone else. It is not enough for her to tell her husband not to give her 6- and 3-year-old daughters Christmas gifts. She has ordered the girls’ grandparents‚ aunts‚ and uncles not to do so: “I’ve forced this rule on the family.” Fifth‚ progressive reasoning is not only morally defective‚ but also factually defective. If no one in the United Kingdom gave a single Christmas gift‚ nothing would be accomplished with regard to global warming. But a whole society would be deprived of a major joy of life‚ and the country’s economy would take a major hit. Just remember this rule of life: Everything the Left touches‚ it destroys. That includes joy. The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Christmas Gifts: Newest Target of Climate Alarmists appeared first on The Daily Signal.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL: Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame‚ Indiana is back tracking on its decision to allow men who identify as transgender women to enroll in the formerly all-female institution. The Daily Signal reported in November that Saint Mary’s College would allow men who identify as women to enroll at the college in the fall of 2024. That news was first reported by the Notre Dame student newspaper‚ The Observer. In an email obtained by The Daily Signal on Thursday‚ President Katie Conboy addressed the outcry from both their community and alumnae since the decision. “This has weighed heavily on our minds and in our hearts‚” she said in the email‚ sent around 11 am on Thursday. “There have been many voices responding to us from many places and perspectives. We have listened closely‚ and we have heard each of you.” Conboy claimed the initial decision was viewed as a “reflection of our College’s commitment to live our Catholic values as a loving and just community” — but said that it is “increasingly clear” that “the position we took is not shared by all members of our community.” She wrote: “Some worried that this was much more than a policy decision: they felt it was a dilution of our mission or even a threat to our Catholic identity. Moreover‚ we clearly underestimated our community’s genuine desire to be engaged in the process of shaping a policy of such significance. As this last month unfolded‚ we lost people’s trust and unintentionally created division where we had hoped for unity. For this‚ we are deeply sorry.” “Taking all these factors into consideration‚ the Board has decided that we will return to our previous admission policy‚” she said. “Although this has been a challenging time for our community‚ we believe that the College should continually grapple with the complexity of living our Catholic values in a changing world.” Members of the Saint Mary’s community rejoiced over the news to The Daily Signal‚ expressing strong excitement that the college had backed down. “I’m so proud of the women at Saint Mary’s who were willing to stand up against this anti-women‚ anti-Catholic policy‚” said Clare Bettag‚ a junior at Saint Mary’s. “God’s truth will always win.” “When this admissions decision became public hundreds of alumni banded together to stand for the Church and her teachings‚” said Clare Ath‚ who graduated from the college in 2018. “While I would hope the reversal is because administrators realized we must teach the truth with love‚ my guess is the reversal is because alumni banded together‚ pulled their donations‚ notified their diocese and media‚ and said we will not let Our Lady’s college be corrupted by secular gender ideology.” Brian Burch‚ the president of Catholic Vote‚ celebrated the news in a statement to The Daily Signal. “This is a very smart reversal and welcome affirmation of the need to protect the purpose and integrity of a Catholic college for women‚” Burch said. “There is nothing unjust or discriminatory about protecting women from men who seek to redefine biological reality.” “To be Catholic is to acknowledge the truth about ourselves‚ including the unique and complementary roles of men and women‚” he added. “Those that seek to blur these truths must be resisted. Saint Mary’s College is to be commended for their return to sanity.” Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades‚ who oversees the Catholic churches and institutions within the diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend‚ had strongly urged the Catholic college to rethink its decision. “It is disappointing that I‚ as bishop of the diocese in which Saint Mary’s College is located‚ was not included or consulted on a matter of important Catholic teaching‚” he said in a Nov. 27 statement‚ warning: “In this new admissions policy‚ Saint Mary’s departs from fundamental Catholic teaching on the nature of woman and thus compromises its very identity as a Catholic woman’s college.” “To call itself a ‘women’s college’ and to admit male students who ‘consistently live and identify as women’ suggests that the college affirms an ideology of gender that separates sex from gender and claims that sexual identity is based on the subjective experience of the individual‚” he continued. “This ideology is at odds with Catholic teaching‚” he added‚ before quoting Pope Francis. “In his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia‚ Pope Francis wrote: ‘It needs to be emphasized that ‘biological sex and the socio-cultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated.’ It is one thing to be understanding of human weakness and the complexities of life‚ and another to accept ideologies that attempt to sunder what are inseparable aspects of reality. Let us not fall into the sin of trying to replace the Creator. We are creatures‚ and not omnipotent. Creation is prior to us and must be received as a gift.” Rhoades had concluded: “The desire of Saint Mary’s College to show hospitality to people who identify as transgender is not the problem. The problem is a Catholic woman’s college embracing a definition of woman that is not Catholic.” Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post EXCLUSIVE: Catholic All-Girls College Reverses Trans Policy After Backlash appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A California transgender volleyball player may become the first biological male recipient of a collegiate Division 1 athletic scholarship designated for women.  Tate Drageset‚ 17‚ verbally committed to the University of Washington‚ where Drageset is poised  to claim one of 12 Division 1 volleyball scholarships designated for female players‚ Reduxx first reported on Dec. 13.  A class of 2025 volleyball commitments Twitter page announced Drageset’s intention to play as an outside hitter at the University of Washington.  Tate Drageset?: Outside??: Actyve ??: University of Washington pic.twitter.com/VOnVvBojir— Class of 2025 Volleyball Commits (@classof2025vb) June 27‚ 2023 In high school‚ Drageset earned MVP honors at the Girls Junior National Championships and was named the California Interscholastic Federation’s Division 5 Player of the Year for 2022-23. The NCAA needs to prevent players like Drageset from taking scholarships from females‚ former Division 1 volleyball player and now Independent Women’s Forum spokeswoman Adriana McLamb told The Daily Signal.  “As a former Division 1 NCAA volleyball athlete and current recruiting coordinator‚ I know and see the uphill battle athletes are facing and will face by competing against a male for roster spots and scholarships designated for women‚” McLamb said. “The sad truth is that schools will inevitably recruit the stronger‚ faster male athlete because the NCAA allows it.” “The root of this issue is the NCAA‚ because they have outright refused to set parameters that safeguard their female athletes‚” said McLamb‚ who now coaches aspiring collegiate female volleyball players. In September 2022‚ another biological male identifying as a girl spiked the ball in the face of female high school volleyball player Payton McNabb in North Carolina‚ leaving her with severe head and neck injuries resulting in long-term concussion symptoms. University of Washington Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Michael Bruscas declined to comment on Drageset.  “NCAA rules prohibit universities from commenting on any student-athlete who has not signed a letter of intent‚ regardless of whether they are being actively recruited or not‚ even in instances where media reports are claiming that a verbal commitment has been made‚” he told The Daily Signal.  Drageset currently plays on the highest-level team at a Santa Monica‚ California‚ volleyball club. According to Drageset’s Hudl account‚ an online platform for coaches to review player performance‚ the athlete is 6 feet tall.  An anonymous source identified by Reduxx as the parent of a minor player in the Southern California Volleyball Association community revealed concerns about “the steady escalation of Drageset’s participation in women’s volleyball‚” Reduxx reported.  The source said every parent in the volleyball association was aware of Drageset’s participation‚ but they were afraid to discuss it.  “Everyone is scared of how their child will be treated if they speak up‚” the parent told Reduxx. “The stealing of positions and opportunities has been infuriating‚ and so sad‚ when you see how it affects the girls. There is no concern for their mental health or safety after being replaced.” Independent Women’s Forum spokeswoman and former NCAA swimming champion Riley Gaines said the University of Washington should rescind the scholarship if it cares about women.  “Stealing the already few opportunities for women at the collegiate level‚” Gaines wrote on X‚ formerly Twitter. “How can he be proud?” Male takes women's volleyball scholarship at @UW … a soon-to-be Big 10 schoolStealing the already few opportunities for women at the collegiate level. How can he be proud?@UWVolleyball should rescind the scholarship if they really care about women. He can play with the men. pic.twitter.com/Dj7VcDWlW4— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) December 13‚ 2023 Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Male Might Get Volleyball Scholarship Meant From Female Athletes at University of Washington appeared first on The Daily Signal.