Ch-Ch-Changes
A new job! A first snow!
✨A few things✨
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Hi Dear Readers,
After a brief work trip to Minneapolis, I am back in Madison re-orienting myself to many things. So many changes are happening in my life (and in the world). I got a new job that I’m really excited about and I start later this month. I don’t like to talk too much about my “9-5 life” online, but I will say that I am still in higher ed and excited about my new position. Also nervous, but that’s to be expected, of course.
Snow has been falling off and on and I’m reminded of how deep my love for this season truly is. I nearly cry at the first sight of the first snow every year. Yesterday, I went for a walk and then laid in the snowy forest close to home. I thanked the snow for being there; for coming again—still—even in the midst of climate change and global warming.
In other news: I started using Substack’s new “chat” feature, which I really like, and hopefully you do, too! If you’re interested in checking it out, you need to download the Substack app from your phone’s app store. My chat is open to all subscribers, not just paid, and there is a cute little intro thread to check out!
For my next essay, I’m working on something requested by many of you: Friendships/Relationships in the Time of Covid. I hope to have this up in the next couple of weeks. Feel free to share your thoughts about how the pandemic has (or hasn’t!) affected your relationships of all kinds in the comments below!
I hope you are staying cozy and comfy and nestled in your little worlds.
xL<3
Reading List 🔖
Disabled Sex Workers’ Fight for Digital Rights, Platform Accessibility, and Design Justice - Emily Coombes, Ariel Wolf, Danielle Blunt, Kassandra Sparks
Internet technologies are an increasingly necessary tool for sex working people, disabled people, and people who hold both identities to access resources, community, and income, as well as make claims to rights and fight for social justice. However, ongoing community research suggests that the failures of online platforms to address accessibility needs have had grave effects on sex workers, particularly those with disabilities.
Lawmakers: Stop Breaking Your Promises to Farmers of Color - Jim Goodman
It’s been hard on all of us, but some have it far worse. Farmers of color—the more than 45,000 Black, 112,000 Latino, 50,000 Indigenous and 25,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander growers working across the United States—have to deal not only with the razor thin earnings that come with independent farming, but must also swim against the tide of historic and ongoing discrimination within the industry, from the government and even from some of their neighbors. Black farmers alone have lost more than $326 billion in generational wealth due to land loss and predatory lending by the USDA over the last century.
Give Yourself a Medication Abortion - Naomi Braine
In the 1980s, women in Brazil began to share information about the use of an ulcer medication, Cytotec (Misoprostol), which causes uterine contractions in pregnant women, and gradually the maternal mortality rate from botched abortions began to fall. The Brazilian government shut down access to Cytotec, but use of medication for abortions both inside and outside the medical system has grown globally.
Unlearning the Shame of Living with My Parents As an Adult - Samantha Paige Rosen
The only downside that has deeply affected me is cultural shame. My situation isn’t even that unusual—since the 1970s, the number of people in the US who live in multigenerational households has quadrupled across the board. Still, I don’t know anyone else around my age who bunks with their parents. I’m also single in my thirties and queer. I’m already leading a different life than the nuclear family I’d envisioned and that was modeled for me. I’m sure there’s freedom in stepping away from that, but I find it uncomfortable too. I only ever wanted to be normal.
Librarianship 🌻
Angry Right-Wing Moms Are Trying to Have Librarians Arrested by “Constitutional Sheriffs” - Jessica Pishko
Books of Note 📚
Hysterical: A Memoir - Elissa Bassist (nonfiction)
Brown Girls - Daphne Palasi Andreades (fiction)
Sugaring Off - Gillian French (young adult)
My Fade Is Fresh - Shauntay Grant (children’s book)
Never Catch Me - Darius Simpson (poetry)
How We Heal: Uncover Your Power and Set Yourself Free - Alexandra Elle (self-help)
[If you order any of the books above or any listed on my Bookshop site, a percentage goes to local bookstores and I get a small commission. Thank you for not ordering from Amazon!]
Playlist 🎵
“Thank You Song” - FKA Twigs
”Boys” - Wolf Alice
”I’m to Blame” - Tove Lo
”Neon Signs” - Suki Waterhouse
”Go Find Yourself or Whatever” - Carly Rae Jepsen
Mood Board 💓
Self-Care + Good Things ☕
SNOW! A quick work trip to Minneapolis. New things brewing.
Also, thank you for the new (to me) music and book recommendations... although my TBR pile is forever growing, I always have time for music!
I cry when I see the first snow, but for the other reason.