A post full of distractions
My book is out next Tuesday. The US elections are THIS Tuesday. My nervous system is in full fight-or-flight mode. So this newsletter is a full-on link spam of distractions to get us through the next few weeks.
Book links:
Preorder Dead Girls Don’t Dream at Astoria Bookshop, get a free postcard and zine. (Ships anywhere! You can ask me for stupid doodles or facts about cryptids!)
If you already ordered my book (requesting it at the library counts!) and still want a postcard, fill in this google form and I’ll send you one.
In NYC? I’m having a book launch at Astoria Bookshop on 11/12 and would love to see you there.
Also, I have a patreon, which I basically use for posting cat pics. If you like what I do, consider signing up to receive said cat pics.
A short aside about taking action:
Perceived helplessness is a huge contributing factor to my anxiety. If you’re feeling crushed by the weight of current events, pick something to do and force yourself to do it. Voting is one such thing, and if you’re able to, I encourage you to research your local candidates, ballot measures, and judicial races. Even if you’re feeling underwhelmed by the presidential candidates, please remember that you can ruin some local bigot’s day by making sure that a Moms For Liberty candidate won’t be able to terrorize middle schoolers as superintendent.
Minneapolis/St. Paul: Naomi Kritzer’s 2024 Sample Ballot/Index of Posts
There are still tons of phone/text banking opportunities: I’m most plugged into the Working Families Party, which is a national leftist coalition party.
For folks that aren’t/can’t/won’t participate in the US election, or are just looking for other things to do:
Donate to the Palmetto State Abortion Fund, the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund, the Frontera Fund, or directly to another abortion fund.
Donate to e-Sims for Gaza, PAL Humanity, or one of the many mutual aid funds on this spreadsheet.
Support strike funds and actions by Tabletop Workers United, Seattle Art Museum workers, NYT Tech Workers, or journalists at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
You probably have a local mutual aid org, and they can use your support. If you don’t have one, consider making a donation to my local mutual aid org, who do all kinds of cool stuff. They also have really cool t-shirts.
Okay, onto fun distracting stuff
Stuff I’ve been reading:
“The Lessons of Lore” by Elizabeth Friend, about ghost stories and the collective anxieties they reveal.
“This Is Where Cruise Ships Go to Die. Meet the Man Saving Them” by Jen Rose Smith, about a collector/salvager and the lifecycle of cruise ships.
“100 Songs that Define Our Decade So Far” by the staff writers of Hearing Things, a new worker-owned music publication.
Stuff I’ve been reading: newsletters edition
Happy Dancing by Charlie Jane Anders. Recent Issue: "It's Not About Making the Word Count, But Making the Work Count." (Cannot overemphasize how much I love Charlie Jane’s newsletters.)
Italics from Tochi Onyebuchi. Recent Issue: All of a sudden, me and my cousin rich from pressin' buttons
Field Notes by Christopher Brown. Recent issue: “Frontage road tickseed and other ofrendas”
Stuff I’ve been watching
You’ve all seen Cousin Oskaar, right? Happy DST, everyone.
“Pinocchio Is a Story About Art and God” by Jacob Gellar
“Do Trans People Reinforce Gender” by Julia Serano. And now you know that Julia Serano has a youtube channel. (Please also read her thread and attached essay “Trans People In Sports: Everything You Need to Know”.)
How has it been ten years since “Too Many Cooks”?
2014? Really?
Where has the time gone?
How many times have I watched this?
Why would a loving god create such a world
Okay! That’s all from me. Please let me know what you’re doing this week to escape and/or process the existential dread. Be kind to each other.