  After an ego-crushing battle with the simplest of blog templates, I have finally gotten the archives and links back and in the right place. I also have a new mascot. Welcome, Ophelia. Except, even though I love the picture, especially the way it seems like it was meant to be used as a blog header, Ophelia was not my first choice. I mean, I sympathize with the fact that she is forced to betray the man she loves, who then goes and kills her dad. That really would suck. But I'm not terribly thrilled about having a suicidal teenager as the personality of my website. But I didn't pick her for what she's going to do. I picked her for what she is doing: sitting by herself by a stream, looking into the water, with a thoughtful look on her face. Let's just pretend that instead of thinking of her prat of a boyfriend she's thinking something deep and inspiring and slightly more cheerful. Actually, the real character behind this blog is not Ophelia, but Cordelia, the unlucky but stoic daughter in King Lear .
I even thought about making all my posts appear to be authored by Cordelia, but that just seemed kind of corny. Instead I decided to let the symbolism work its subtle magic. Until now, where I'm going to lay it all out for you in the most unromantic way possible. (Note: What follows is in no way any kind of literary criticism but merely the ranting of an individual who co-ops artistic meaning for her own selfish purposes) The title of this blog comes from the very first scene in the play where Lear disowns Cordelia, his youngest daughter.
Let it be so:—Thy truth then be thy dower: For, by the sacred radiance of the sun; The mysteries of Hecate and the night; By all the operation of the orbs, From whom we do exist, and cease to be; Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee, from this, for ever.— Rather harsh words. And what did she do to deserve it? Sleep with his brother? Kill his mother? Put black olives in his tuna salad? No. All she did was refuse to tell him how great he was in return for her inheritance. Her two sisters lied through their teeth and split the entire kingdom between the two of them, which actually turned out to be very unlucky for poor old kooky King Lear.
Cordelia refused, saying that she loved him so much she couldn't possibly tell him how much, and rather than faking it she'd leave. Of course, she does end up getting hanged, but at least she doesn't hang herself. I picked the title partly because of its literal meaning, reflecting the (at least partial) anonymity of internet interactions. I also picked it because I loved Cordelia, a symbol of both loneliness and strength, and because of my own habit as a writer of being able to prattle on about nothing at all, while I verbally clobber the things that are most important. Well, there it is. A brand new website design practically dripping with pretentious symbolic meaning. I hope you will enjoy. 
