Cuando Madeleine nos cuenta un cuento, siempre dice: “un cuento es algo que se saborea”. Y saca de su armario unas copas que tiene preparadas. Ya nos ha contado Sherezade y el mosquetero, acompañado de una ciruela rebozada en pasta de almendras al aroma de azahar; El jorobado de Venecia que se convirtió en jardinero del rey, con hojas de albahaca impregnadas en azúcar; pero nuestro cuento preferido es El elefante, el marajá y la chocolatera gigante, servido con crema de chocolate a la canela.
The pleasure quadrant that values frivolity, music, art, fashion, and entertainment. Proverb: Life is for the revellers with open eyes and open hearts. Rule III of the Queenly Laws of Quadara: To allow for a thriving culture of art, literature, and music, Ludia must not be weighed down by the humdrum concerns of everyday life.
LUDIA
El cuadrante del placer que valora la frivolidad, la música, las artes, la moda y el entretenimiento. Proverbio: "La vida es para aquellos que se deleitan con los ojos y el corazón abiertos". TERCERA LEY DE LOS DECRETOS REALES DE CUADARA: Para permitir una cultura artística, literaria y musical próspera, Ludia no debe abrumarse por las preocupaciones rutinarias de la vida cotidiana.
So from what I have gleaned in a local bookshop today, we Spanish fans have been royally regaled for the winterval as Astrid Scholte's novel has just been released (as La muerte de las cuatro reinas)!! Any more revellers with open eyes and open hearts up to visit some bookshop and just take the invite to this rainbow-coloured wonderland of creativity? See the lovely façades, partake in any evening festival (you will surely be enticed to sleep by day and wake up at nightfall; Ludists themselves are primarily nocturnal), sample the latest Ludist fashions, and trade the typical for something colourful...
Exchange ideas and inspiration with kindred literati, composers, designers, dollmakers, illustrators, and all kinds of performers, and realise no reveller is too little queer to be overlooked in a land that is just like the Hotel California; you can check out any time you like, but...
Join us to explore the magical land of art and entertainment, Ludia!
This week’s quadrant is LUDIA, land of art and beauty, that values celebration, passion, and entertainment! Scroll down to for a glimpse of Ludia’s colourful landscape and stellar talent as well as an interview with the author, Astrid Scholte!
Ludia: The pleasure quadrant that values frivolity, music, art, and entertainment. Proverb: Life is for the revellers with open eyes and open hearts.
Willkommen! Bienvenus! Welcome to Ludia!
I’m Queen Stessa, ruler of the best quadrant, which I’m sure you’ll agree! You’ll never be bored in Ludia, there’s always a party or celebration. Any day, or night. You’ll never want to leave.
The best way to travel Ludia is on foot, that way you won’t miss any of the street art curling across the stone walls and up the sides of our townhouse buildings. In fact, each façade is painted in a different colour, creating a kaleidoscopic effect.
If trees and flowers are more your thing, I’m afraid you’re out of luck. Our land is mostly made of stone, and the soil is so acidic, nothing will grow. But don’t worry, we make up for the lack of natural resources with all the entertainment you could ever want. Plays, art museums, literature festivals, and live concerts. Whatever your passion, Ludia will provide.
Some people might argue the lack of flora and fauna makes Ludia stark and ugly, but I dare you to walk down Ludia’s famous flower boulevard and deem it so. Flowers—all imported from the island of Archia, of course—are strung in loops between buildings. At night, these flowers bloom into stars, with small lights embedded in the center of each bud.
I do hope you have the most wonderful time in Ludia!
May the queens forever rule the day. Together, yet apart.
Queen Stessa
Bookish: Quadara is split into four regions, each with a distinct way of life. How did the society you live in today help to shape the societies you created in the novel? Astrid Scholte: For Ludia, I thought about all the
things we do in life for enjoyment—art, literature, music, and
celebrations—and wondered what a society would be like that only
concerned itself with those things.
Bookish: If you had to choose to live in one of the four regions, which would it be? Which would you never want to live in? AS: I’d want to live in Ludia.
It encompasses all the things I love: literature, art, music,
entertainment, and much more! I’d love to roam the colorful streets and
winding canals, eat the fluffy pastries (they would have to be
gluten-free!) and revel in the constant party atmosphere. I’m a big kid
at heart, so anything that captures my imagination is where I’d want to
be.
Bookish: Many Bookish readers
are also book club members! If book clubs were to read this book, what
are two discussion questions you’d want them to talk about? AS: First: What would you do
if you uncovered important information about a crime, but in using it,
you might incriminate yourself? Would you take the risk to do what’s
right? Or protect yourself? Second: If you were a queen of a
nation, what parts of society and culture would you do your utmost to
protect? What do you value the most in your life?
NO REAL POET EVER WOVE IN NUMBERS ALL HIS DREAMS LOVE AND LIFE UNITED ARE TWIN MYSTERIES, DIFFERENT YET THE SAME LOVE MAY STRIVE, BUT VAIN IS THE ENDEAVOR ALL ITS BOUNDLESS RICHES TO EXPRESS ART AND LOVE SPEAK AND THEIR WORDS MUST BE LIKE SIGHINGS OF ILLIMITABLE FORESTS
DWELLS WITHIN THE SOUL OF EVERY ARTIST MORE THAN ALL HIS EFFORT CAN EXPRESS NO GREAT THINKER EVER LIVED AND TAUGHT YOU ALL THE WONDER THAT HIS SOUL RECEIVED NO TRUE PAINTER SET ON CANVAS ALL THE GLORIOUS VISION HE CONCEIVED NO MUSICIAN BUT BE SURE HE HEARD, AND STROVE TO RENDER, FEEBLE ECHOES OF CELESTIAL STRAINS
