Dear friends, family, fellow travelers,
How is it already the third week of January? I hope the dawn of the new year is treating you well. Hanna and I are hauling ourselves out of a month colored by a really dragging cold -- an illness that descended, college-student style, on the eve of our winter break and lasted through the holidays. I got so sick on Christmas Eve (flu? food poisoning?) that we decided to postpone our celebrations until almost New Year's Eve. On the one hand ... genuinely super grateful to have workplaces with generous holiday leave time that allowed for ample rest when we needed it. On the other ... feel a bit cheated out of our relaxing holiday. Ah well.
Image: Teazle watches "The Screaming Skull" with us over the holidays.
Image: Teazle watches "The Screaming Skull" with us over the holidays.Despite feeling cruddy, we did a lot of what we had planned to do during the winter solstice pause. I ran a successful Twelvetide Drabbles challenge (our fifth!) which raised $237.60 for the Environmental Defense Fund. Hanna got to watch the new season of Bob's Burgers and we began the latest season of Doctor Who (swoon). I got out the ancient Bel Air sewing machine (guaranteed by Good Housekeeping!) that was passed on to us a few years ago from Hanna's parents and miraculously remembered how sewing machines work! I was able to finish some quilt tops and also sewed napkins to raise funds for Australian climate justice efforts via Persistent Stitches. Hanna knit a scarf to combat Islamophobia. Persistent Stitches closed out its second year having raised 94% ($5,660.75) of our $6k goal. We both did a lot of reading. I wrote orgasms.
Image: A 4" cross stitch hoop with light blue felt bearing the words "likes sex in books." Stitching in progress.
Image: Close-up of a napkin being hemmed on the sewing machine.
On the same day I got sick, December 23rd, the world of genre romance exploded in an epic saga of entrenched racism and white fragility that is currently poised to destroy (in a matter of weeks!) one of the largest, wealthiest writers organizations in the country: Romance Writers of America (RWA). This piece at Jezebel is the most comprehensive and thoughtful analysis I've seen so far, and this timeline has been my go-to for updates since it was posted on December 27th. The super condensed tl;dr is that two white women members complained to the organization that a fellow member, a woman of color (author Courtney Milan), was "using her voice" to critique their work (saying it was racist) in ways that caused them personal and professional harm ... and the organization used all sorts of shady shenanigans that ran contra their own policies and procedures to punish Milan for speaking out. When people began asking questions about how this could possibly happen, a whole bunch of other shady shit came to light -- and now, less than a month after the news broke -- the organization is steadily collapsing. I wrote a little about why this situation should be of interest to anyone who cares about diversity, inclusion, equity, and access (social justice), particularly in the world of nonprofit institutions and organizations, particularly for those of us who are invested in building better policies and processes toward a more just future.
Image of Christmas cards, one of which depicts two Austen-eqsue ladies kissing.
Speaking of working toward a more just future, this winter/spring I've embarked upon a reading and discussion project with a friend and colleague Pam Hopkins at Tufts University. We're co-hosting a weekly discussion on Twitter for the book Reference Librarianship and Justice: History, Practice & Praxis edited by Kate Adler, Ian Beilin, and Eamon Tewell (Library Juice Press, 2018).
Image: Teazle on our couch with my copy of Reference Librarianship & Justice.
Image: A 4" cross stitch hoop with light blue felt bearing the words "likes sex in books." Stitching in progress.Image: Close-up of a napkin being hemmed on the sewing machine.On the same day I got sick, December 23rd, the world of genre romance exploded in an epic saga of entrenched racism and white fragility that is currently poised to destroy (in a matter of weeks!) one of the largest, wealthiest writers organizations in the country: Romance Writers of America (RWA). This piece at Jezebel is the most comprehensive and thoughtful analysis I've seen so far, and this timeline has been my go-to for updates since it was posted on December 27th. The super condensed tl;dr is that two white women members complained to the organization that a fellow member, a woman of color (author Courtney Milan), was "using her voice" to critique their work (saying it was racist) in ways that caused them personal and professional harm ... and the organization used all sorts of shady shenanigans that ran contra their own policies and procedures to punish Milan for speaking out. When people began asking questions about how this could possibly happen, a whole bunch of other shady shit came to light -- and now, less than a month after the news broke -- the organization is steadily collapsing. I wrote a little about why this situation should be of interest to anyone who cares about diversity, inclusion, equity, and access (social justice), particularly in the world of nonprofit institutions and organizations, particularly for those of us who are invested in building better policies and processes toward a more just future.
Image of Christmas cards, one of which depicts two Austen-eqsue ladies kissing.Speaking of working toward a more just future, this winter/spring I've embarked upon a reading and discussion project with a friend and colleague Pam Hopkins at Tufts University. We're co-hosting a weekly discussion on Twitter for the book Reference Librarianship and Justice: History, Practice & Praxis edited by Kate Adler, Ian Beilin, and Eamon Tewell (Library Juice Press, 2018).
Image: Teazle on our couch with my copy of Reference Librarianship & Justice.Finally, please think encouraging thoughts for our Christopher who has been in a bit of a slump this week. Not nearly as alarming as November's mystery fever, he has been sleeping more and been less enthusiastic about food or play with Teazle. We have been encouraging him with his favorite treats and will be paying a visit to the vet on Tuesday to check in and determine if any follow-up care might be necessary to keep him healthy and engaged.
Image: Christopher helps Hanna practice her calligraphy.
Wishing all of you warmth, good company, and new adventures.
Onward,
Anna
Image: Christopher helps Hanna practice her calligraphy.Wishing all of you warmth, good company, and new adventures.
Onward,
Anna