The Neo-Decadent rails against this tired, monotonous existence not through concerning themself with direct rebellion but through the audacity to live in uninhibited kaleidoscopic joy. There's little reason to operate within a system that is fundamentally antagonistic to work that isn't designed for it, and the Neo-Decadent should take, repurpose, destroy, and reanimate with reckless abandon.
Read moreA Year of Books: What I Read in 2020 to Keep Sane
It’s something of a running joke that I can’t leave a Zoom without recommending at least 2 books now. I used literature to fight my desire to venture out into the world, to haunt cafes or desolate curry houses. I’ve collected 12 of the best books I read in 2020, with little focus on ranking them or divulging which I think is “the book of the year.”
Read moreDo Not Weep for Prince Prospero: Catharsis and Respectability Theater
Respectability Theater is the illusory practice that those in power should be wished well and mourned lest something equally terrible befall you. But if we reject the perpetual double standard of respectability found in religious practice, are we so wrong in not wishing Prince Prospero well?
Read moreThe Transmutative Art of Mitigating Dissatisfaction
The thin veils covering how wretched reality is are tattered and bare as 2020 trudges on. Learning to mitigate and use the eternal dissatisfaction we face is the only way forward.
Read moreHexennacht Feast: Satanic Holiday Recipes
Ridiculous holiday recipes make the world a little brighter, even in the depths of a pandemic. Hadrian tries to invoke bonfires and the vibrancy of Spring in these recipes designed for a Hexennacht feast.
Read moreLetters From Quarantine: A Definitive Ranking of Samyang Buldak Flavors
It’s been a few years since Samyang’s super-spicy noodles rocked the YouTube content creator world. Now that they’ve moved on, let’s take time to rank the most available types of Samyang Buldak ramen.
Read moreEmeraldis - A Story In 100 Words 8/14
This story in 100 words explores the idea of what might happen if you covered your girlfriend’s corpse with jewels. Normal, everyday fiction here.
Read moreConfessions of an Accidental Non-Theistic Satanist
It’s likely unsurprising that with a website called Lucifer’s Larder that the primary author might be flirting with the Satanic. Allow Hadrian to explain why this admission is not as scandalous or terrible as some theistic interpretations might lead you to assume.
Read moreCapitalizing on LGBTQIA Capitalism: Pay Me
Rainbow Capitalism pops up every Pride to remind us that corporations care about queer people. If you want to be known as the sort of person who supports LGBTQIA people but have no idea where to start, might I suggest paying me to alleviate any guilt you’re feeling about allyship? My rates are reasonable, and competitive.
Read moreVisions of Arkansas: An Introduction to Southern Gothic
Southern Gothic is more than a literary style and a semi-catchy country song. It is the lifeblood of the American South and the only culture Hadrian knows he’ll ever belong to, despite appearing to outsiders like the antithesis of everything the region embodies. That’s because outsiders have a distorted view of this place, and of Arkansas in particular.
Read moreThe Careful Art of Playlist Curation
Generating playlists is a perpetually shifting and undefinable art that no algorithm seems to get quite right. Or it’s just the music that most appeals to Hadrian is connected broader theme than one AI can handle.
Read moreMan and the Wheel, a Saturday Spent in the Tire Shop
CW: transgender issues
An unexpected trip to the tire shop turns into a reflection on a divide in the concept of masculinity and the importance of properly changing your name on every account you use.
Read moreEmergency Rooms, Diaries, and Other Melancholy Tales
A lot’s happened since Hadrian’s last post. Here he tries to capture the nightmare of figuring out the exact right time to admit your partner that your gallbladder refuses to be ignored.
Read moreNutritional Yeast Mac and Cheese Minimum Effort Edition [Recipe]
Lazy, hungry, and in want of an unwise level of spice? This vegan mac and cheese is easy to make if you can stand Hadrian’s refusal to measure anything.
Read moreTo Slather or to Cook: December Fuego Box Review in January
Not every hot sauce is good for drowning your tacos in, something Hadrian learns in this fiery December Fuego Box review. Yes, it’s January but the box was a tad late. But not lacking in pain.
Read moreResolutions, Self-Indulgence, and Why It's Okay to Have a "New Beginning" in 2019
Resolutions are passé in 2019 but I argue we could stand to reconsider how we engage with self-reflection and not reward opportunistic corporations in the process. Let’s embrace a new concept of selfishness.
Read moreWho Cares About Edward Cate Part One [Short Story]
I was in the mood to write something autumnal and odd. Here’s part one of a story I’m calling Who Cares About Edward Cate.
Read moreSmoked Ghosts and 7 Pot Primos: November Fuego Box Review
This month’s Fuego Box is fueled by indulgence and passion. Come, taste the fiery dedication Primo’s Peppers puts into every batch of Swampadelic Sauce and reflect upon your perhaps complicated relationship with Taco Bell fire sauce with Jersey Barnfire’s Smoked Ghost Taco.
Read moreA Few Things I Like in a Time I Enjoy Absolutely Nothing About
In a desperate attempt to not allow current political decrees to paralyze him into inaction, Hadrian takes a moment to talk about things he enjoys that help ease the pain in this tumultuous times. He’s still a neurotic dandy, however.
Read moreNational Coming Out Day: The Slow Burn of Self-Doubt, Time Lords, and Orlando
On National Coming Out day, Hadrian takes a look back at the dull ache of gender identity and realizes he’s been tremendously queered up the entire time thanks to Virginia Woolf and time lords.
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