Launching a career as a novelist seems like an impossible dream to many ― let alone doing so in a second or third language. But that’s exactly what Yiyun Li did after she graduated from college, moving from Beijing to the U.S. to study immunology at the University of Iowa; once there, she wound up honing her fiction-writing skills at the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop. 

In a poignant essay for The New Yorker, Li, now the acclaimed author of several novels and short story collections written entirely in English, meditates on what leaving Chinese behind and embracing a new language has meant for her:

Over the years, my brain has banished Chinese. I dream in English. I talk to myself in English. And memories—not only those about America but also those about China; not only those carried with me but also those archived with the wish to forget—are sorted in English. To be orphaned from my native language felt, and still feels, like a crucial decision.

Li writes that although she grew up in China, she’s only written professionally in English ― a fact that has caused some surprise and confusion. Though she notes it would be easy to assume that she left her home language for political reasons, as Vladimir Nabokov famously did, she delves into the thicket of personal history and emotional turmoil that motivated her. “Like all intimacies, the intimacy between one and one’s mother tongue can be comforting and irreplaceable,” she writes, “yet it can also demand more than what one is willing to give, or more than one is capable of giving.” 

In delicately unraveling her own tangled relationship with the words she chooses to speak and write, Li sheds light on that most human of all relationships: that between oneself and one’s language.

You can, and should, read Yiyun Li’s full essay at The New Yorker.

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Way before the Hugo Awards were hijacked by the so-called Sad Puppies ― a group of mostly white men aiming to return to what they think of as the good ol’ days of science fiction ― there were women and writers of color using the genre to tell stories that deviated from the happy-go-lucky norm. The Puppies may claim their campaign is hinged on divorcing politics and storytelling, but sci-fi writers have long entwined the two, sometimes simply by sharing their own personal stories of oppression.

The tribune of such writing: Octavia Butler, Hugo Award maven, MacArthur Fellowship recipient, and weaver of worlds closely resembling our own. Sometimes, Butler wrote books with optimistic visions of the future, where communities were more diverse and accepting, and genders were regarded as fluid.

But her work wasn’t always idealistic; in her celebrated early novel Kindred, a black protagonist is unwillingly cast back in time to meet her ancestors, one of whom is a slave in the antebellum south. It’s a bold reflection on the vividness of memory, a beloved classic, and, now, a newly adapted graphic novel.

The story lends itself well to the medium, which makes it easy for writers to contrast narration with dialogue ― what is felt, and what is said. In the below except, Margaret Weylin, a slave owner’s wife, is described as amoral, but the narrator must still wordlessly tend to her needs.

That Butler is among the many writers in the science fiction community who’s celebrated in spite of pushback against women writers and writers of color bodes well for the fraught genre. Now, her work can shine in another place where parity has lagged until recently. According to a 2015 survey of Comic-Con attendees, half of comic fans under 30 are women. In graphic novel format, Kindred provides a voice that can resonate with those readers.

Read an excerpt of Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy, illustrated by John Jennings, published by ABRAMS

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Amber Tamblyn ― of “Joan of Arcadia” and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” fame ― is taking a stand against rape culture.

Earlier this year, she shared her story of being assaulted by an ex while she was at a concert ― a statement aimed to highlight just how damaging Donald Trump’s “grab them by the pussy” comment was.

“That part of my body, which the current Presidential Nominee of the United States Donald Trump recently described as something he’d like to grab a woman by, was bruised from my ex-boyfriend’s violence for at least the next week,” she shared.

Now, Harper Perennial has announced that she will be publishing a book about a serial rapist in 2018. The publisher tweeted that the novel will break ground “on how we contemplate rape culture.” It will come out alongside a new poetry and prose collection.

Harper Perennial also issued Tamblyn’s debut book Dark Sparkler, poems all dedicated to actresses who died young, many of them feeling lost amid their performative lives. Tamblyn has already demonstrated a skill at creatively shedding light on disenfranchised women; for those who already love her writing, and those who don’t know they love it yet, 2018 can’t come soon enough.

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For the fifth consecutive year, “Game of Thrones” has been named the most pirated TV show on the internet.

According to piracy tracking site TorrentFreak, the HBO series was the most downloaded show through BitTorrent ― a title it has held since 2012.

At its peak, which was right after the Season 6 finale popped up online, 350,000 people actively shared an episode across several torrents. Although the site no longer reports download estimates in their yearly roundup lists (”due to various changes in the torrent index/tracker landscape”), the interest was pretty on par with last year’s numbers.

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” was the second-most illegally downloaded show, while HBO’s newest hit “Westworld” landed in the third spot. 

And though it was reported earlier this month that Amazon’s automotive show “The Grand Tour” stole the crown from “Game of Thrones,” the series is actually seated at No. 10 on the roundup list. Still, it has the highest volume of piracy views for a British TV show in history and the highest level of piracy for a TV series in its first season through the first three episodes, according to Variety. 

Check out the most pirated shows of 2016 below: 

1. “Game of Thrones”

2. “The Walking Dead”

3. “Westworld”

4. “The Flash”

5. “Arrow”

6. “The Big Bang Theory”

7. “Vikings” 

8. “Lucifer”

9. “Suits”

10. “The Grand Tour”

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Some musical compositions were simply destined to live forever in the cultural conversation: Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The “Happy Birthday” song. Beyoncé’s entire catalog. And, of course, composer John Williams’ score to the “Star Wars” films, which are just as iconic and recognizable as that opening prelude scroll into outer space. 

At least one person, however, doesn’t agree with that conclusion: Williams himself, who told The Mirror that he doesn’t find the “Star Wars” theme orchestrations to be particularly noteworthy. “A lot of them ​are ​not very memorable,” he said.

“I’m a composer of music,” he explained, “and I look at Mozart and I look at Beethoven and Bach, the greatest organizers of sound that we’ve ever had, and you need to be humble when the shoulders that we stand on are so great.​“

Not to mention that Williams himself has also composed ― aside from non-film symphonies and concertos ― a number of other memorable scores, including those for “Jaws,” “E.T.,” “Schindler’s List,” and the first three “Harry Potter” movies. That’s some stiff competition within his own oeuvre.

Perhaps more surprising is that, after spending months or more meticulously crafting and conducting orchestral compositions for these films, he admitted that he’s never actually seen the finished products. “I’m not particularly proud of that,” he told The Mirror. “”When I’m finished with a film, I’ve been living with it, we’ve been dubbing it, recording to it, and so on. You walk out of the studio and, ‘Ah, it’s finished.’” Then it’s time to move on to the next project. The always-prolific Williams hasn’t slowed down at 83; after scoring “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” last year, he has begun work on a new Steven Spielberg project.

H/T AV Club

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Actress Carrie Fisher, best known for playing Princess Leia Organa in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, has died at age 60.

Fisher was taken to UCLA Medical Center after reportedly suffering a heart attack on Friday. She leaves behind a daughter, 24-year-old actress Billie Lourd, who released this statement through the family’s spokesman, Simon Halls:

“It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning,” reads the statement.

“She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.”

Fisher was born in 1956 in Beverly Hills, California, to singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds. She attended Beverly Hills High School until she left to act alongside her mother in a Broadway revival of “Irene.” Later, she studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and was accepted into Sarah Lawrence College to study the arts, but did not graduate.

Fisher played Leia in the original “Star Wars” film, “A New Hope,” at age 19. She was 20 when the film was released in 1977. She continued to play a lead role in the iconic sci-fi series alongside co-stars Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, starring in “The Empire Strikes Back” in 1980 and “Return of the Jedi” in 1983. She most recently returned to the franchise in 2015, where she reprised her role as Leia Organa — now a general — in “The Force Awakens.” 

While finding success with “Star Wars,” Fisher continued her illustrious career on the silver screen in films such as “The Blues Brothers” (1980), “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986) and “When Harry Met Sally ...” (1989), among others.

The actress dated musician Paul Simon starting in 1977. The two had a yearlong marriage that ended in 1984. In between, Fisher was engaged to actor Dan Aykroyd, with whom she starred in “The Blues Brothers.” Fisher later coupled up with CAA talent agent Bryan Lourd, with whom she had her daughter, Billie, in 1992.

Fisher was also a prolific writer, first publishing her semi-autobiographical novel Postcards from the Edge in 1987, about an actress who tries to regain a hold of her life after a near drug overdose. The book was adapted into a movie in 1990 starring Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine.

Later, she published a memoir titled Wishful Drinking, based on her one-woman stage show of the same name. In it, Fisher touched on topics from growing up as Reynolds’ daughter, to bipolar disorder, drug addiction and motherhood. She released her latest memoir, The Princess Diarist, in 2016. In the book, she revealed that she had an “intense” affair with “Star Wars” co-star Ford.

Fisher also built a reputation in Hollywood as being a skilled scriptwriter. According to Uproxx, the actress had a hand in polishing scripts for “Hook,” “The Wedding Singer,” and “Sister Act,” among other films.

In recent years, Fisher had become a humorous presence on Twitter, handily commenting during presidential debates and shutting down critics.

A legend of the screen, stage and page, this icon will be deeply missed.

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Countless celebrities took to social media to pay tribute to Carrie Fisher after she died on Tuesday. The 60-year-old actress suffered a heart attack on a plane from London to LAX just a few days before her death and had been hospitalized. 

Fisher’s 24-year-old actress daughter, Billie Lourd, confirmed her “beloved” mother’s death in a statement, saying, “She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.” 

Read some of the reactions below: 

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On Dec. 22, news broke that the Rockettes would be performing at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.

Initially, it was reported that some of the dancers were contractually obligated to perform at the ceremony, despite expressing that they did not want to. The Madison Square Garden Company pushed back on that on Friday, announcing in a statement that every Rockette must “voluntarily sign up” for every event she performs in.  

But some Rockettes say they still fear for their jobs if they sit this performance out. Now one Rockette is publicly speaking out about the controversy.

In an interview with Marie Claire published Tuesday, a Rockette ― using the pseudonym “Mary” to protect her identity ―  discussed the turmoil going on behind the scenes in the wake of the famous dance troupe’s commitment to perform at Trump’s inauguration.

“This is making our show, our job, our name, branded as right-wing. An extreme right-wing,” Mary told Marie Claire. “There’s a reason why everyone else is turning this down. Why are we not?”

This is making our show, our job, our name, branded as right-wing. An extreme right-wing.

Mary told Marie Claire that many of the dancers first found out about the performance through text messages sent from friends. One dancer felt as though she was being “forced to perform for this monster,” Mary said, while another woman reportedly wrote in an email to the dancers: “I wouldn’t feel comfortable standing near a man like that in our costumes.” (The Rockettes often perform in revealing costumes, and Trump has both bragged about grabbing women “by the pussy” without their consent and been accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women.) 

According to Mary, some of the dancers initially were obligated to perform at the inauguration. But after the backlash on social media from dancers and fans, the company quickly made participation optional. 

Unfortunately, many of the dancers are still afraid they’ll be penalized for not performing at inauguration. “It will be interesting to see who doesn’t get their job back,” Mary said. “If I had to lose my job over this, I would. It’s too important. And I think the rest of the performing arts community would happily stand behind me.” 

Mary admitted that the lack of women of color in the kick line is “embarrassing” already, adding that, “it’s almost worse to have 18 pretty white girls behind this man who supports so many hate groups.” 

The Rockette said that this performance is not about politics, it’s about human rights. “This is not a Republican or Democrat issue ― this is a women’s rights issue,” she said. “This is an issue of racism and sexism, something that’s much bigger than politics.”

Head over to Marie Claire to read the full interview. 

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Immortalized as a fierce and lovely space princess in the classic film saga “Star Wars,” Carrie Fisher could easily have gone the way of many one-time it girls ― forgotten by a fickle Hollywood, with its insufficient roles for women over 30, and only remembered as a young Princess Leia. Instead, she carved out a unique path for herself, including a successful and acclaimed career as a novelist and memoirist.

Fisher, who died on Tuesday following a heart attack and hospitalization, leaves behind a body of fiction, memoir, and even scriptwriting that stood entirely on its own. Her writing is, understandably, often overshadowed by the familiar image of her face surrounded by Leia’s signature gigantic side buns; her last book, The Princess Diarist, chronicles her complicated, decades-long relationship with the famous role. She, perhaps more than anyone, was aware that the glories of novel-writing couldn’t compare with the fame of “Star Wars,” once telling WebMD, “If I were trying to get a good table, I wouldn’t say I wrote Postcards [from the Edge, her best-selling first novel].”

Her years in Tinseltown also fed her writing, however ― and not just her memoirs, which engaged readers in part for her frankness about the sordid side of the film world.

In 1987, Fisher published Postcards from the Edge, which drew heavily on her own life. The book, in shifting narrative forms and points of view, tells the story of a young actress who’s struggling to make it out of rehab for a spiraling drug addiction, and to figure out her acting career now that she’s sober. It won the Los Angeles Pen Award for Best First Novel, and Fisher worked on a film adaptation that starred Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine.

Her first book might have been her most influential, for its vivid, unflinching, and forward-thinking depiction of addiction recovery and mental health problems. “It’s like I’ve got a visa for happiness, but for sadness I’ve got a lifetime pass,” her young heroine muses. “I shot through my twenties like a luminous thread through a dark needle, blazing toward my destination: Nowhere.”

Her scorching novel-from-life still resonates with many passionate readers:

Fisher went on to publish four more novels, in addition to her three memoirs (including the darkly titled Wishful Drinking), and several plays and screenplays. As an in-demand script doctor for some years, she lent those screenwriter chops to the cause of polishing and punching up a few well-known scripts before they were filmed, including “Hook,” “Sister Act” and “The Wedding Singer.” 

Her latest memoir was published just last month, and every indication hinted that more would be coming. In a November interview about The Princess Diarist, Fisher told NPR’s Kelly McEvers that she wasn’t done writing books that drew on her tumultuous youth. “I still have stuff to write about,” she said. 

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“Star Wars” fans will get another chance to see Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa.

The actress, who died Tuesday at the age of 60, finished filming her scenes for the next “Star Wars” installment over the summer.

“Star Wars: Episode VIII” will find Fisher reprising the iconic role when it lands in theaters Dec. 15, 2017.

Lucasfilm confirmed to TMZ Tuesday that Fisher was “absolutely wrapped” for “Star Wars: Episode VIII.” A rep, though, said it’s too early to tell how Fisher’s death will affect future sequels, including the last movie in the latest trilogy, “Star Wars: Episode IX.” Shooting for that film isn’t scheduled to begin until 2017.

Fisher first played the role of Princess Leia in 1977. We last saw her as Leia in December 2015 when “Episode VII: The Force Awakens” opened in theaters.

Fisher died after being hospitalized following a cardiac incident on an airplane last week.

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Of all the tributes pouring in after the death of beloved actress Carrie Fisher, none are quite as heartbreaking as the one written by her mother, Debbie Reynolds. 

The 84-year-old actress shared an emotional post on Facebook Tuesday, just a few hours after Fisher’s death. 

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New York subway art is about to get a bit more inclusive. 

When the city’s long-awaited Second Avenue subway line opens New Year’s Day, commuters will get a first look at a series of life-size, mural portraits adorning the new 72nd Street station ― including a depiction of two married gay men holding hands.

Artist Vik Muniz told the Associated Press that he opted to include New York married couple Thor Stockman and Patrick Kellogg in his “Perfect Strangers” mural project because “they are just people you would expect to see” riding the city’s subway.

”You would expect to see men holding hands,” the artist, who divides his time between the U.S. and Brazil, said.  

Kellogg said he and Stockman posed for the photograph on which their “Perfect Strangers” mural is based while meeting up with a friend who was working with Muniz three years ago in Brooklyn. Earlier this year, they learned that their image would be among those that the artist had selected for replication in the subway station project. Although the news felt like “winning the lottery,” Stockman said the men were asked to keep it under wraps until specifics of the installations were made public by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) earlier this month. 

The couple is particularly proud of their participation in the project, which is believed to be New York’s first permanent, non-political LGBTQ piece of public art, because they see themselves as the type of same-sex couple not normally represented in popular culture. “Our friends were even happier that this is gay representation that is not incredibly beautiful and skinny,” Kellogg told the AP. 

Among those to praise the Second Avenue subway works was New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who called it the “largest public art installation” in the state’s history, according to Gothamist. 

“Public works projects are not just about function—they’re an expression of who we are and what we believe,” Cuomo, who will take the Second Avenue subway’s inaugural ride on New Year’s Eve, said. “Any child who has never walked into a museum or an art gallery can walk the streets of New York and be exposed to art and education simply by being a New Yorker. That is where we came from and that is what makes New York special.”

What a beautiful way to honor the city’s diversity and embrace of all people! 

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Many touching obituaries have been written in the wake of Carrie Fisher’s death on Tuesday.

Yet, none are quite like the one the witty 60-year-old author once wrote for herself.

In Fisher’s 2008 memoir Wishful Drinking, which she also adapted into a one-woman show, the actress describes an exchange she had with “Star Wars” creator George Lucas about her iconic Princess Leia costume. She writes:

“George comes up to me the first day of filming and he takes one look at the dress and says, ‘You can’t wear a bra under that dress.’ So I say, ‘Okay, I’ll bite. Why?’ And he says, ‘Because ... there’s no underwear in space.’ I promise you this is true, and he says it with such conviction too! Like he had been to space and looked around and he didn’t see any bras or panties or briefs anywhere.”

Lucas, who deemed gold bikinis A-OK in outer space, later explained to Fisher the logic behind his no-bras-in-other-galaxies rule, which she also describes in the book:

“What happens is you go to space and you become weightless. So far so good, right? But then your body expands??? But your bra doesn’t — so you get strangled by your own bra.”

She then reveals how she would like her “fantastic obit” to read:

“Now I think that this would make for a fantastic obit — so I tell my younger friends that no matter how I go, I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra.

And Fisher fans on Twitter certainly obeyed: 

And, at The Huffington Post, we’re honoring that too, Carrie. Rest in peace.

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Hours after Carrie Fisher’s untimely death, Harrison Ford remembered his co-star, friend and former lover with a beautiful tribute. 

“Carrie was one-of-a-kind…brilliant, original,” the actor said in a statement to People. “Funny and emotionally fearless. She lived her life, bravely…My thoughts are with her daughter Billie, her mother Debbie, her brother Todd, and her many friends. We will all miss her.” 

Fisher died early Tuesday morning after suffering a heart attack on a flight last Friday. Recently, the actress and author was busy promoting her latest memoir, The Princess Diarist. In the book, she finally revealed that she and Ford had a three-month long affair during the filming of the original “Star Wars” movie, when she was 19 and the married actor was 33. 

“It was so intense,” the actress revealed to People. “I was so inexperienced, but I trusted something about him. He was kind.” 

Fisher added, “It was Han and Leia during the week, and Carrie and Harrison during the weekend.”

Though some people didn’t understand why the actress would reveal the secret now, she reminded fans that she’d waited four decades to come clean. 

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Just this summer, the late Carrie Fisher began writing a “Dear Abby”-esque advice column published in the Guardian. 

Given how complicated Fisher’s personal life was, responding to other people’s problems made a lot of sense; the actress, who died at age 60 on Tuesday after reportedly suffering a heart attack late last week, always spoke openly and honestly about her experiences with mental illness and addiction. And she had turbulent love affairs with equally famous men, among them ex-husband Paul Simon and her “Star Wars” co-star Harrison Ford. 

(Story continues under the video.)

Sadly, Fisher’s “Advice from The Dark Side” column only ran for a few installments, but it showcased her wit, her no-holds-barred honesty and above all, her kindness. 

In her first column, she answers a letter from a woman in her mid-50s whose husband cheated with prostitutes throughout their 30-year marriage.

“We have built a lot of life together,” the woman writes. “But on the other hand, he lied, lied and lied. I can forgive the f*cking around, but the lying is difficult ... Having lived a well-experienced life, what are your thoughts?”

Fisher’s advice is frank, sympathetic and open-minded. Instead of lecturing the woman on what to do next, she provides some guiding questions to mull over before making a serious decision.

Here’s the main takeaway from Fisher: 

If you do believe that this is the “only” thing he lied about, then maybe there’s something to be salvaged. Everyone always lies about sex. If you haven’t lied about it, it isn’t sex. Have you ever faked an orgasm? Some might say that’s a kind of well-meaning lie – but it’s still lying, no?  

His lying about the prostitutes shows you that he’s ashamed of his behavior. He didn’t want to hurt you. None of this justifies his behavior, but it explains it – superficially at least. You’ve been together a long time. I think it’s worth maintaining your marriage. Forgive him. It’s the most amazing thing to be able to forgive. And so difficult. But relationships are difficult. You’ve managed to maintain your commitment to him. You’re the better person in that arena and in the position to forgive. Resentment, on the other hand, is a toxic experience. Superior and final – and when you walk away, what have you got?

Fisher ultimately tells the woman she’s doing the right thing by exploring her options and seeking therapy.

Then, the “Star Wars” actress and author offers to buy the lady a gift for all her marital troubles. 

“[Your husband] has more to prove than you do. I want him to send you a present or get you flowers. If he doesn’t, I will,” Fisher writes, adding, “Post me your address and see what you get. A stone, a leaf, an unfound door, some cliché flowers or perfume and a dress. Keep in touch. Good luck, and keep up with the gusto. I’m cheering.”

Head to the Guardian to read all of Fisher’s advice columns. 

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LONDON, Dec 27 (Reuters) - British novelist Richard Adams, the author of “Watership Down,” which sold millions of copies and captivated a generation of children, has died aged 96, his family said.

The tale of brave rabbits searching for safety when their warren is threatened was at first rejected by major publishers. But the adventures of Hazel and Fiver went on to become a best-seller and the book is now considered a classic.

It was also made into a hugely successful animated film and won the Carnegie Medal and Guardian Children’s Fiction Award.

Adams, a self-confessed countryside-loving man, was a civil servant who left government after realizing the city was not for him.

“Watership Down” was created, he told Britain’s Telegraph newspaper in 2014, out of a desire to be a constant parental presence, telling his daughters the rabbit stories on the way to school.

“I’ve got a thing about that. Parents ought to spend a lot of time in their children’s company. A lot of them don’t, you know,” he said.

He wrote many other novels about his childhood and youth, as well as about a period serving in the army in wartime. Adams also wrote a sequel to Watership Down, the name of hill in the north of Hampshire, near where he grew up in the English countryside.

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As the world mourns Carrie Fisher, friends and fans are paying tribute to the icon’s life and career. Specifically, many are remembering her most famous role as Princess Leia, “a damsel who could very much deal with her own distress.” 

Following the news of Fisher’s death, mom Jamie Wilson tweeted a photo of her daughter Madeline dressed as Princess Leia. She asked her fellow parents to share photos of their own “feisty daughters” dressed up as the Star Wars heroine. 

Wilson told The Huffington Post that Fisher’s Princess Leia was the first strong female character that made an impact on her as a child.

“I’m heartbroken because we lost a woman that was every bit as strong and amazing as the characters she played,” the mom said. “She was brave in opening up about her struggles being bipolar and the challenges that came with that. She openly talked about the things that people just don’t talk about enough, and I can’t help but think that by doing that she has helped others.”

Wilson said she thought sharing photos of the little girls Fisher has inspired would lift people’s spirits. Like so many other women, the mom said that when she had a daughter, she was excited to dress her up as Princess Leia ― an indication of the incredible legacy Fisher leaves behind. Unsurprisingly, many parents heeded her call for photos of little Leias.

“Both Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia were fierce, brave, empathetic, funny and brilliant,” Wilson said. “She was persistent in the face of challenges, she picked herself up over and over and she never quit trying to be better at everything she did every day. She was complicated and wonderful, she was real and owned every bit of the woman she was.”

The mom said she hopes her daughter learns to turn her struggles into opportunities to shine, like Fisher di. “Carrie Fisher will always shine because she was pure and real, not even death can take that away from her. She addressed difficult things with a wicked sense of humor, painful self-awareness and wisdom that made her all the more beautiful a human being.”

Inspired by Wilson’s call to action, we scoured social media and asked the HuffPost Parents Facebook community for photos of their daughters dressed as Princess Leia.

Without further ado, here are 32 more little girls paying tribute to the icon.

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“Death, death, and more death,” George R.R. Martin wrote in a blog post on Tuesday, pretty precisely capturing the downs, downs, and more downs of 2016.

“This year just keeps getting worse and worse.”

By worse, he means that just when we thought 2016 had taken as many great lives as it could ― David Bowie, Prince, Harper Lee, Alan Rickman, Muhammad Ali, Gene Wilder, George Michael, among so many others ― it took another.

Carrie Fisher, the author and actress known widely for playing Princess Leia Organa in “Star Wars,” died on Tuesday after suffering a heart attack last week. “There is not much I can say about the death of Carrie Fisher that a thousand other people have not said already,” Martin wrote on his LiveJournal. “She was way too young. A bright, beautiful, talented actress, and a strong, witty, outspoken woman. Princess Leia will live as long as ‘STAR WARS’ [sic] does ... probably forever ...”

Martin titled his blog post “A Bad Year Gets Worse,” under which he cited not only his location (Santa Fe) but his mood (sad, modified by a crying alien emoji).

Besides commenting on the tragic death of Fisher, Martin also paid tribute to Richard Adams, the author of Watership Down, who died at the age of 96 this week.

“A wonderful actress, a great writer,” Martin wrote of the two icons. “The world is poorer tonight.”

“Please,” he added, “let this wretched year come to an end.”

Earlier this year, when the world naively believed it had witnessed the apex of 2016’s misery, Martin offered the internet one of the most concise responses to the election of Donald Trump as president: “Winter is coming,” he wrote on the same LiveJournal. “I told you so.”

You did, George. You did.

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This week, the LA Times wrote up an interview President Obama gave with CNN’s David Axelrod, detailing the end of his two-term presidency and his plans for the future.

What’s up next for the Obamas? In addition to rumors that the president hopes to launch his own digital media company, he told CNN that he’s going to take Michelle on a nice, deserved vacation. And after that: “I’m gonna start thinking about the first book I ― I want to write.”

By first book, Obama doesn’t mean a first book, but rather a first post-presidency tome. He’s already written a memoir, something of a political credo, and a children’s book dedicated to his daughters, detailing the lives of altruistic Americans. Now, he’ll follow in the footsteps of past presidents by publishing after leaving the White House.

The New York Times wrote in September that such a title could rack up a deal in the tens of millions, easily financing the family’s next home.

Of course, the choice wouldn’t be purely economic. Obama’s interest in literature was clear from the outset of his presidency, and was only further solidified in the eyes of bibliophiles when he interviewed writer’s writer Marilynne Robinson about gun control, religion and community. (Plus, his favorite book of last year was Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff.)

Perhaps a tentative multi-book deal will reflect his literary interests; regardless, any political insights he’s willing to dispel will be appreciated in coming years.

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When you consider the series that made her a household name, it’s not that shocking to note that Emma Watson is quite literary.

This year, Goodreads released the British actress’ 2016 reading list for all of us to enjoy. Over the course of the past 366 days, the former “Harry Potter” star has read her way through at least 39 books, the genres of which range from fiction to nonfiction to memoir to criticism.

If her short films or political advocacy didn’t already make her an icon, then her preferences for feminist literature surely will.

Here’s a sampling of some of the books on Watson’s list:

1. My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem 

2. Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by bell hooks

3. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

4. Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

5. Sex and World Peace by Valerie M. Hudson, Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill, Mary Caprioli, & Chad F. Emmett

6. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

7. Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein

8. Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

9. Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed 

10. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood 

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