some blue sky between storms
or: whelming down, so here's some cool stuff
Dear Beloved,
Between thunderstorms, there’s some blue sky. Midwest weather is midwesterning (for the uninitiated - moody, changing seemingly every 15 minutes), and i’m still recovering from life’s whirlwinds. I’m whelming down after a three weeks of overwhelm. After a busy week at work last week and the big news, i’m working on just being regular whelmed. So,we’re keeping this letter a little lighter.
In other words, here are a few things that i’ve enjoyed + seeds.
This zine that shares two of Ursula K. Le Guin’s short stories, “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” and “The Day Before the Revolution".”
I first read the story about Omelas four years ago, and it’s stuck with me. Rereading it is a reminder, a lesson that still hasn’t been appropriately learned.
Stumbling on this zine is the first time, however, i’ve read “The Day Before the Revolution.” And what a read! Sometimes, it’s nice to imagine what it will be like to walk as an elder in a liberated world.On Tuesday, i virtually joined the Stillwater Awards.
Co-sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Prison Journalism Project, the Stillwater Awards recognizes excellence in prison journalism. There, i saw a few writers whose works i’ve read like Phillip Luna and Patrick Irving. I was also introduced to incredible voices such as Catherine LeFleur and Steve Brooks.
Check out the 2025 winners and support these incredible writers.Listening to Odie Leigh on repeat, especially her song “Crop Circles.”
What music are you listening to?
Black Zine Fair is next week! Will i be there to attend in NYC? No. Am i going to attend their cool virtual workshops? Hell, yes.
This annual zine fair is organized by Sojourners for Justice, co-led by Neta Bomani and Mariame Kaba. Black Zine Fair is free and open to the public. That said, support is welcome! If you get a chance to attend a virtual workshop (or if you’re super lucky, get to go in person), you can engage in some reciprocity and give back here.
Reading Chaos, Creativity, Creation: New Approaches to Writing and ADHD. This anthology was recommended in Sejal Shah’s latest dispatch, and it’s already a delightful addition to my craft books collection.
To the shared delight of my cats and myself, a family of birds have made a nest on our balcony.
Seeds for Change
Read & Distribute - Why Self-Publish Under Fascism? by Marc Fischer ($2)
Listen to "We Belong to Each Other”: Lessons from Minneapolis
Information is power! Learn about power research and find tools to organizing your community.
On May 14, learn about LittleSis.org and Oligrapher.
The LittleSis research database is a movement tool and resource that brings together publicly available data about the corporations, billionaires, power structures that we’re up against. Oligrapher is their network visualization tool that is integrated with LittleSis to help users build power maps.