Best things I read last month: April

Ya gotta read a lot if you want to write a little. Here are some of the best things I read this last month*:
*You might remember this as a formerly sometimes weekly post. I'm trying out a monthly version instead now. Let me know what you think!

"Heartbreak is how we mature; yet we use the word heartbreak as if it only occurs when things have gone wrong: an unrequited love, a shattered dream… But heartbreak may be the very essence of being human, of being on the journey from here to there, and of coming to care deeply for what we find along the way."

"David Whyte on the True Meaning of Friendship, Love, and Heartbreak"

from Brain Pickings (@brainpicker)

"When nonviolence is preached by the representatives of the state, while the state doles out heaps of violence to its citizens, it reveals itself to be a con. And none of this can mean that rioting or violence is 'correct' or 'wise,' any more than a forest fire can be 'correct' or 'wise.'"

"Nonviolence as Compliance"

from Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) in The Atlantic (@theatlantic)

Also a great read about what's going on in Baltimore, "How Western media would cover Baltimore if it happened elsewhere."
from Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) in the Washington Post (@washingtonpost)

In "No Kids for Me, Thanks," Teddy Wayne quotes the editor of an anthology of stories from the childless-by-choice, Meghan Daum, as saying "The fact is, everybody is selfish. It's like saying, 'You breathe.'" 
from The New York Times (@nytimes)

Data is my favorite. Robinson Meyer takes a look at emoji use across the world in "Canada Loves the Poop Emoji." 
from The Atlantic (@theatlantic)

Chances are you'll either think this is sweet or terrifying or both, but regardless, it's also interesting. Make it through (or skip) the super-cat-lady intro of "Learning to speak the language of cats: How they’re actually telling humans what to do" for an interview based in research and science.
from Salon (@salon)

I learned that April 30 was National Poem-in-Your-Pocket Day, thanks to a display, pictured below, outside a grocery store from a local elementary school. I unrolled a scroll of paper to find E. E. Cumming's "maggie and milly and molly and may." National Poetry Month may be over, but don't let that stop you from reading some.

"For whatever we lose (like a you or a me) it’s always ourselves we find in the sea" -E. E. Cummings According to my local elementary school, it's National Poem-in-your-pocket Day. This is the poem I got from their box of giveaways.

A photo posted by bettinasays (@bettinasays) on Apr 30, 2015 at 4:38pm PDT

The luxury of... reading a book.

I don't really read books.

Don't misunderstand, I read a lot, but mostly in the form of news articles, blogs, essays and other things online. But sitting down to read a book? A whole book? I'm honestly impressed with myself if I finish two or three in a year.

Never mind that when I do finish a book, most of the time it's non-fiction, my favorite being the kinds of books that get hyper-focused on one topic or item. Reading a fiction story, as much as I enjoy it, just doesn't happen that often.

It boils down to how I need to, want to and feel I should be using my time. Reading a book feels like a luxury, and one I can't always afford.

The benefits of reading fiction are numerous: increased emotional intelligence and empathy, reduces stress, improves vocabulary and writing skills. And yet, it falls low on my list of things I feel like I should/have to/get to do. I feel guilty reading a book instead of cleaning something, cooking something, making something, learning something, writing something, doing something. I feel selfish because I feel like reading a book, unlike reading a news article or sharing a blog, doesn't feel like it explicitly serves a greater benefit than my own.

Yes, this drawing was re-purposed from a previous blog post

A couple weeks ago, I did a little purge of my bookshelf (management books I'll never read from my days in executive education, five-year-old internet marketing books that are surely outdated, weightloss cookbooks I really don't care about anymore, empty journals I've had for years in which I will never write), and popped open my copy of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die to see what, if anything, it had to say about Monterey, Calif., for an intended short trip. Monterey is indeed a place to see before you die, and the two page spread detailed the aquarium, Clint Eastwood's ties, and included a reference to John Steinbeck's time there and his novel Cannery Row.

Cannery Row. I read the words and remembered picking up a copy in a discount book store in Berkeley with a friend (probably the person I know who reads the most books, and definitely the person who took me to get my library card when I moved here) who said she thought I'd really like it. I liked The Pearl and Of Mice and Men, and the book was short and cheap, so I bought it.

For someone who doesn't find the time to read books, I sure do buy a lot of them.

That Saturday night, I drew a bath and started reading. Somehow the water was still pleasant after an hour, and I had made it through a good chunk of the book. On Sunday, I picked up a croissant at the bakery around the corner and a cup of coffee, and sat down with the book for a bit longer, passing 100 of it's 196 pages. I set the book down to get to work on my weekend chores, and at one point thought to myself, "if I put away these boxes and take out this recycling and vacuum that carpet, then I can sit on the couch in the sunshine with my book and really enjoy myself." What motivation this turned out to be. Less than an hour later I was able to relish reading by the sunlight coming through my window, knocking out 50 or 60 more pages with a cat curled up next to my leg.

Monday morning I returned from a morning walk with 10 minutes to spare before I had to start getting ready for the day, so I read a few more pages. I came home from work, made dinner (it was a bowl of cereal), ate dinner, and suddenly had a cat in my lap and was ready to read more. I finished Cannery Row, and re-read the first paragraph. I was sad the book was over.

Every time I sat down to read, it felt like I was giving myself a present, a treat. This is what I mean when I describe the luxury of reading. Books are gifts and treats. They are nourishing, educating and enriching.

I think I'll read another.

Best things I read this week, March 1-7

Ya gotta read a lot if you want to write a little. Here are some of the best things I read this past week:

"I am not someone to be chosen as a last resort, but someone to be lusted after and pursued.

Although I am a sexual being, I am not an object. I can do so much better than men who see only my fat body and what they can do to it."

"This is an Essay About a Fat Woman Being Loved and Getting Laid"

by Sarah Hollowell (@sarahhollowell) on The Toast (@TheToast)

That's it for this week. That's how much I loved this essay. It's everything. When I first read this Tuesday morning, I actually felt upset that I had read it at work and not at home: I wanted to jump up, yell, exclaim, scream. I wanted to dance and shake and feel the energy this brought up within me shoot out of my finger tips embodied in sparks. 

This essay deals with fat bodies and sex; I hope neither offends you but I really don't want to hear it if it does. Sarah Hollowell speaks honestly and bravely about her body, fighting the pervasive propaganda she cites in her essay. She acknowledges her desirability. In writing and sharing this, she acknowledges mine. 

All this is to say that I can't say enough how much I loved reading this and wish everyone could and would read it too. The least I could do it give it the spotlight here that it deserves. 

Best things I read this week, Feb. 8-14

Ya gotta read a lot if you want to write a little. Here are some of the best things I read this past week--Galentine's Day edition!

"I spent August with a well-adjusted man in a polo shirt who would never think to hurt someone except in self-defense, but he comes from a pot where new anger is boiling."

"The internet is full of men who hate feminism. Here's what they're like in person."

from Vox (@voxdotcom)

"the omission of Black Women and other Women of Color from the realm of burlesque picture and history books is just willed ignorance– ignorance, lazy scholarship, and yup I’ll say it, racist brands of white feminism."

"Women of color in burlesque: the not-so-hidden history"

from Racialicious (@racialicious)

Hey girl guys, looking at feminist Ryan Gosling memes might make you more feminist. "Study: Feminist Ryan Gosling meme makes men more feminist."
from Vox (@voxdotcom)

"11 ways to celebrate Valentine's Day with your cat."
from Gawker (@gawker)

Best things I read this week, Feb. 1-7

Ya gotta read a lot if you want to write a little. Here are some of the best things I read this past week:

"The way I see it, we should be ready to give up the fictitious veneer of privilege to acknowledge that racism has hurt all of us. Others prefer not to speak up, or lack the language to discuss how they have experienced racism. We are neither black nor white; there is no blueprint to discuss the nuances of our own experiences."

"Why Mindy Kaling Refuses to Talk about Race--and Why I Care So Much"

from Talking Points Memo (@TPM)

"You don’t smile enough. People don’t like you."

"Reasons you were not promoted that are entirely unrelated to gender"

from McSweeney's (@mcsweeneys)

If you're as much of a fan of fonts and typefaces as I am, "27 fonts* (give or take) that explain your world" does not disappoint. Don't miss the subtle shade in #8. 
from Vox (@voxdotcom)

And on a similarly nerdy note, "One Wikipedia Editor Has Spent Years Fixing a Single Grammatical Error."
from Gawker (@gawker)

Best things I read this week, Jan. 25-31

Ya gotta read a lot if you want to write a little. Here are some of the best things I read this past week:

"I wasn’t hearing his voice thrown in as a sound bite garnish to another host’s main dish. Instead, he was the narrator, assembling memories, images, emotions, and even speculation into his own multi-modal account. I would like to hear people who speak with voices like this young man’s voice as hosts and narrators on public radio shows and podcasts."

"The Whiteness of 'Public Radio Voice'"

by Chenjerai Kumanyika (@catchatweetdown)

"The major issues facing gay individuals beyond marriage equality are defined by their intersectionality."

"The Myth of the Gay Community'"

from The Atlantic (@theatlantic)

In "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck," Mark Manson equates "Doesn't give a fuck" not to indifference, but to "doesn’t care about adversity in the face of goals, doesn’t care about pissing some people off to do what is right or important or noble."
from Mark Manson (@iammarkmanson)

Answering "Why People Hate Tess Munster (and Other Happy Fat People)," Jes the Militant Baker discusses the concepts of Body Currency and Body Love ("not just for fat people"!).
from xojane (@xojanedotcom)

Start blogging. Again.

A few weeks ago, I picked up my copy of Hugh MacLeod's Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity for some inspiration getting back in the swing of blogging.

Here I am blogging, so of course it worked, just like when I first read the book a few years ago. Here are a couple "keys" that particularly stood out in this re-read, and some thoughts on them:

Best things I read this week, Jan. 18-24

Ya gotta read a lot if you want to write a little. Here are some of the best things I read this past week (not entirely intentionally an Oakland edition): 

"Children are more aware than we think; it’s important to not shelter children from real issues that we’re living. It’s especially important for young girls of color to feel empowered."

"Meet the Radical Brownies - girl scouts for the modern age"

from Fusion (@thisisfusion)

In "The Least Segregated Cities in America," a charts and data show at how diversity and integration match up in America's biggest cities, with Oakland near the top of that list.
from Priceonomics (@priceonomics)

"Hella Oakland Mix: 77 tracks to get your psyched about Oakland Music," which is exactly what it sounds like. 
from Oakland Local (@oaklandlocal)

And for good measure and good fun, "109-Year-Old Woman Says Secret To Long Life Is Avoiding Men."
from Huffington Post (@huffingtonpost)

Best things I read this week,March 25-31

Ya gotta read a lot if you want to write a little. Here are some of the best things I read this past week: 

"When things are done in secret in our name, we can be held accountable for them, even if we can't hold accountable our government for directing it. And that feels very un-American to me."

"Rachel Maddow: the Fresh Air Interview"

from NPR Books (@nprbooks)

"I do not feel that it is reactionary or even inaccurate to describe an unwanted, non-indicated transvaginal ultrasound as 'rape'. If I insert ANY object into ANY orifice without informed consent, it is rape. And coercion of any kind negates consent, informed or otherwise."

"Where is the Physician Outrage?: A Doctor on Transvaginal Ultrasounds"

from Whatever by John Scalzi (@Scalzi)

"Make yourself useful: Five food actions in five minutes," simple steps anyone can take to start fixing the food system in America.
from Grist (@grist)

"This Creepy App Isn't Just Stalking Women without their Knowledge, It's a Wake-up Call about Facebook Privacy," a scary, sobering, and useful reminder about online privacy and information.
from Cult of Mac (@cultofmac)

Best things I read this week, March 18-24

Ya gotta read a lot if you want to write a little. Here are some of the best things I read this past week: 

"It's painful to even consider giving up the narrative we use to navigate our life. No, that's too risky, especially now, in this economy. So we play it safe and go back to our story."

"Extending the Narrative"

from Seth Godin's Blog (@ThisIsSethsBlog) 

"Mike Daisey, you should be ashamed of yourself. And to members of the American theatre: we should be disappointed in ourselves too."

"This Is A Work of Non-Fiction"

from Arts Journal

"The High Cost of Being a Woman," a look at the numbers that add up to financial inequality between men and women in America. 
from The Nation (@thenation)

White-Out News: a tumble-blog that is just what it sounds like (unless it sounds like news about white-out).

Best things I read this week, March 11-17

Ya gotta read a lot if you want to write a little. Here are some of the best things I read this past week:

"As I lay in my dormitory bed, tossing under the sheets, the flavor that filled my mind was that of cilantro, sweet and pungent. Suddenly, one morning, I awoke longing to cram fistfuls of the stuff, fresh, into my mouth."

"I Feared You, Cilantro, and Now I Love You Too Much"

from Gilt Taste (@GiltTaste)

"Our woods were lovely, dark and deep
A landscape we'd made promises to keep. 
Until we deemed the price too steep."

"Activist and Poet Pens Ode to Warn of Perils of Climate Change"

from Treehugger (@TreeHugger)

"Changing school nutrition one carrot at a time," an interview with Chef Allison Sosna about her work with school nutrition in Washington, D.C.
from D.C. Central Kitchen (@dcck)

Adventures of a Koodie: restaurant reviews and food adventures from a 10-year-old that loves to eat and try new things. Both adorable and insightful at the same time.

Bonus: the best thing I saw this week:

Ellie Kemper (of The Office and Bridesmaids) executes several perfect dance bombs

Best things I read this week, March 4-10

Ya gotta read a lot if you want to write a little. Here are some of the best things I read this past week:  

"There is no more honor in my use of Twitter than there is in not using it."

"From the vault: Hate Twitter? Fine. Stop being so sanctimonious" 

from What Tami Said (@whattamisaid)

"Today, we only hang on to about 21 percent of the clothing we buy every year.  What happens to the pieces that don’t make the cut?"

"Ethical Style: Where Do My Used Clothes Go?"
from GOOD.is (@GOOD)

And of course some awesome stuff from International Women's Day:

International Slutty Women's Day: A Story in GIFs 
from Ann Friedman (@annfriedman)

Three incredible paragraphs every feminist (and then some) should read 
from my friend Anna's Tumblr (@avh86)

Bonus: the best thing I saw this week:

From Cute Overload