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Meta
Category Archives: Serious Matters
The Lady of the Manners apologizes for the lack of Gothic Charm School updates. As those of you who follow her on various social networking media already know: The Lady of the Manners’ mother recently passed away.
The usual sort of posting and updates to Gothic Charm School will resume shortly. The Lady of the Manners thanks you for your patience and support. Continue reading
Posted in Serious Matters
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Of Dealing With Bullies
Hello Snarklings! The first lesson at Gothic Charm School for 2011 is going to be about a very serious topic, one, sadly, that the Lady of the Manners has been receiving a distressing number of letters about: bullying. Here, read a small sample of the letters arriving seemingly daily in the Gothic Charm School mailbox: Continue reading
Posted in Growing Pains, Serious Matters
Tagged bullies, it gets better, serious matters
216 Comments
Of Goths On Makeover Shows, And Of Parental Concern About Provocative Clothing
Reader letters, Snarklings! The Lady of the Manners, after her diversions of blood-spattered manicures and Sepiachord music, is getting back to answering letters from you darling creatures. However, before the Lady of the Manners addresses the handful of letters that have been selected for this lesson, a (brief, the Lady of the Manners swears) tangent about finding Gothic clothing:
The Gothic Charm School mailbox receives many letters from Snarklings asking where to find Gothy clothing; many of these letters also add the caveat that the writers are not able to do their shopping with online retailers that specialize in darkly elegant clothing. Continue reading
Posted in Being Fashionable, Growing Pains, Serious Matters
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Of Parental Differences Of Opinion, And Of Satanism.
Hello Snarklings! Remember how at the end of the previous Gothic Charm School, the Lady of the Manners said she was going to talk about how a reader had gently taken her to task about the subtext she was implying when she talked about Satanists? Well yes, the Lady of the Manners is indeed going to talk about that. But first, she’s going to look at an issue that affects the parents of some of the babybats out there. Continue reading
Posted in Growing Pains, Serious Matters
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Of “Age-Appropriate” Books, Of Bullies, And Of Cloaks
Goodness, Snarklings, the Lady of the Manners seems to be getting lax with time management again, what with the length of time between the Faith and the Muse review and this particular installment of Gothic Charm School. But the Lady of the Manners did spend the time productively, and now has a clean and almost-organized storage room. (The floor may be sprinkled with sequins, bat confetti, and fragments of dried rose petals, but the Lady of the Manners considers that to be atmospheric.
But! Enough with tangents, and on to the lesson! Wherein the Lady of the Manners is going to address the some of the oodles of letters coming in from her younger readers. (The Lady of the Manners really does try not to exclaim “Oh! Wee babybat Snarkling!” when mail from younger readers appears in the Gothic Charm School inbox, but the temptation is always there.) Continue reading
Posted in Growing Pains, Serious Matters
Tagged age-appropriate, books, bullies, classmates, cloaks, self-confidence
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Of Confiscated Clothing, Dangerous Classmates, And Disapproving Fiancés
Questions, Snarklings! So many questions! In fact, the Lady of the Manners isn’t going to spend any more time writing an introductory paragraph or two, but is going to jump straight to answering letters from readers. Such as this one, from Wayward Victorian: Continue reading
Posted in Growing Pains, Love & Romance, Serious Matters
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Of Disapproving Doctors
Snarklings, the Lady of the Manners wants you to know, right off the bat, that this installment of Gothic Charm School was one she found more than a touch difficult to write. But even though the Lady of the Manners fretted and worried about what to say, she knew this was a letter she absolutely had to address. A reader who has labeled themselves Mentally Endangered Spooky Snarkling wrote in with this worrisome issue: Continue reading
Posted in Serious Matters
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Of Goths Of Color
Snarklings, remember back in early July, when the Lady of the Manners asked for your help in answering a reader question? No? Here, let the Lady of the Manners refresh your memory about what a Snarkling named Oni asked:
Dear Lady of the Manners,
I’m new to your site and would like to say that this is a very reliable source for the Gothic lifestyle and for the onlookers. You don’t choose sides and its nice and equal. Although I face one MAJOR problem in the lifestyle. I’m of African-American descent and have noticed that I cannot find good makeup tips and fashion for us goths of a darker shade, which makes me feel left out. Not only that but many other goths that I have encountered have tended to have a very “racist” attitude toward goths of a darker shade things like “Oh! I have never seen YOUR kind” or “I didn’t know there were black goths around”. There absolutely needs to be more diversity in the subculture and someone needs to break the mold in fashion.
At that time, the Lady of the Manners replied with:
Oni, you are absolutely right, there needs to be more diversity in the Goth subculture. The Lady of the Manners cannot stress that strongly enough, and is sad to read some of the attitudes and comments you’ve had to deal with.
However ”¦ the Lady of the Manners is a well-intentioned white girl, who wants to give helpful advice, but is operating from a position of cluelessness. Which is why, Snarklings, she is turning to you. Other Goths of color, please speak up!
Well, the time has come, Snarklings! The Lady of the Manners has read through all sorts of interesting mail from helpful Snarklings, and hopes that the following advice is what Oni (and other readers!) were looking for. Continue reading
Of Maintaining Your Gothy Nature And Creativity In Spite Of Ill Health
Well Snarklings, the Gothic Charm School book tour is winding to a close. There is a signing at The Dreaming comic shop in Seattle at 4PM on Saturday August 15, and then … good heavens, the schedule is blank! That isn’t to say that the Lady of the Manners doesn’t want to go out and meet more of you charming people, not at all! No, it means that there isn’t anything scheduled. If you have an event that would like to bring the Lady of the Manners out as a guest, please feel free to contact Gothic Charm School!
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Be sure to toddle over to the Lip Service Webzine to read about the Lady of the Manners attending a Gothic Lolita and Ball-Jointed Doll convention. (The very short version is that it was a marvelous time, more conventions should host tea parties, and the Lady of the Manners is planning on attending next year.)
Also, the Gothic Charm School Batty Heart necklace from Rocklove and the Gothic Charm School body butter from Starborn Alchemy are both available now!
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Reader question time! A dear friend of the Lady of the Manners wrote in with a serious question, one that might apply to more Snarklings out there:
question: Hello Dear Lady!
It is with awe I watch you continue to take over the world!
I am taking the time to ask you for help.
What does a darkly clad (or insanely clad) one do to remain true to the whimsy when one is ill? Continue reading
Posted in Clicky-links, Events, Serious Matters, Stuff & Oddments
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Of Serious Matters Such As Harassment And Bigotry. And Vampires.
Honestly, Snarklings. The Lady of the Manners leaves you alone for a few short weeks in order to go see Coraline and review manuscript pages for the Gothic Charm School book, and then distressing letters arrive in her mailbox! Continue reading
Posted in Growing Pains, Serious Matters
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