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September 22, 2023

Links of Note: September 22, 2023

Snoopy, Faces in Toast, and More

This is my last week of work before taking two weeks of PTO. I’ve never taken this much time off for a break–parental leave is not a break. I am looking forward to a relaxing yoga retreat, to working on a book-shaped project, to a few banned books related presentations, and a whole lot of reading, walking, and basking in one of the best times of the year. My birthday is on Monday, too, and so I’ll be crafting a day doing only the things I would like to do (& I’m grabbing delicious Ethiopian food for a birthday meal this weekend, too).

That introduction probably is enough to explain that the newsletter here will likely be a little erratic for a few weeks. I’m not going to be writing as much, but I will keep using the “notes” feature here as appropriate. I’m still working to find a balance and pace that fits with my life and lets me write and share thoughtful work that is value added, rather than a tick in a box. So far, it’s been meaningful, and I want to keep it that way.

Stacked Thoughts from Kelly Jensen is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Onward to links!

My Work This Week:

  • This week’s highlights several student led groups pushing back against book bans. The roundup of links is also extensive.

  • PEN America released their report on the state of school book bans in the 2022-2023 school year. They’re up 33%, but the thing standing out to me is that the average age of the most banned books is…18.

  • Dripping Springs Independent School District in the Austin, Texas, area, has implemented a new policy where no 6th or 7th grader can borrow books labeled as “YA” from the school library without parental/guardian permission. This means they cannot even borrow Fahrenheit 451.

What I Consumed This Week:

  • I finished up Counting The Cost by Jill Duggar and all I can say is there is a special place in hell for Jim Bob. The book is good, Jill is brave, and I hope this helps her heal and helps other people in her family and beyond get out from the thumb of IBLP.

  • Why is Snoopy suddenly everywhere? It’s interesting this is being linked to Gen Z nostalgia when Snoopy’s been cool forever. Snoopy for life.

  • This one is just interesting: those who have just given birth are more likely to see faces in objects.

  • I suspect folks who get this newsletter already listen to the You’re Wrong About/Maintenance Phase/If Books Could Kill slate of podcasts, but if you don’t, I think this week’s episode of If Books Could Kill on The Four Hour Workweek is great. There’s a moment Peter talks about how Ferris goes back and forth between pretending to write for a manager and pretending to write for the average person that captures a really good tension in ‘self help books’ that are actually books for rich, privileged people who live in fantasy land (I say this as a noted self help book lover!).

This has had me laughing all week long–

Stay well and thanks for being here. I’ll be back in your inboxes soon <3

Stacked Thoughts from Kelly Jensen is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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