Thursday Bram's Newsletter — July 2022 Edition
I always want to open these newsletters with some sort of clever commentary about what's going on at the moment, but, honestly, there's always so much going on. So I'm going to keep it to this: I hope you're finding some joy this month.
Local politics updates
There's a lot happening in the election process here in Portland. I've been writing about as much as I can, including a write up on ballot petitions and a look at the next steps in the Portland City Charter review process.
And an impending update
I'm working on another article for PDX.Vote, which accidentally became three separate articles somewhere along the way. I wanted to take a look at emergency response around Portland, specifically in terms of summer emergencies (wildfire, heat waves, etc). I expect the results to be up next week or the week after. Currently, the three articles cover
- The existing systems of emergency response
- Where our emergency response systems need to improve
- A resource roundup for folks specifically in and around Portland
It's almost like I have emergency prep on my mind
Rose City Radical published a piece I wrote in their "Bloom or Bust" issue. The piece specifically looks at community care in terms of emergency prep. I drew on the many resource sheets I've made for local community response and talked specifically about what we as a community can do better (outside of the government options that the mega-article above discusses).
The issue also contains some amazing art and poetry. I also got a lot out of the interview with Snack Mamas (two mamas who just show up and feed people).
Other posts and updates
- I'm reading through this year's Hugo nominees. I'm keeping notes on the voting experience, especially when compared to how Portland's local government does things. I'm not sure if this will turn into a full article, but it's definitely sparking some ideas.
- Jewish Zine Fest 5782 is happening August 9-11. It's virtual, but there may be a COVID-safe Portland meetup. If that's something you're interested in, hit me up.
- I've got an interview coming out soon on the tools I use to do my work. I'll probably share it here when it comes out, because it's been a while since I mentioned some of these tools.
Links to other folk's work
I've picked up a bunch of new zines in the past month (thanks in part to Books with Picture's MiniCon!) and I figured I'd share some of these amazing pieces.
- 6 Indisputable Reason Shrek is about Lesbians by Zooey Kim: I found this zine really touching and thoughtful, plus I'm now completely persuaded that Shrek is a metaphor for the lesbian experience.
- Pastry Pinups by Natalie Metzger: I didn't know that I needed a sexy croissant in my life, but it turns out I do.
- A Guide to Egg Fortunes by Taira Creager: This zine is just a fun little look at the shapes yolks make while you're frying up some eggs.