unhappytriad

Hoo boy. Where to start? The physical challenges (2 overnights on a bus; multiple bus delays; standing, standing, standing, which is murder on my back) were considerable. The rewards were also considerable. The lessons learned keep streaming in. I'll take a stab at it, but I've still got a lot of mulling-over to do.

1. So many great speeches. Sophie Cruz, Ashley Judd, Janet Mock, Michael Moore, Tammy Duckworth. Just scratching the surface.

2. I'm seeing troubling accounts of white women, especially white women new to the activism scene, rolling right over women who aren't like them (transwomen, women of color, women who aren't Christians, disabled women, immigrant women, women veterans, incarcerated women... the list goes on). Seriously, folks, stop. When someone tells you their story, LISTEN. This is either about ALL of us, or not worth doing. There are plenty of people out there who want to throw some or all women under the bus. Don't be one of them. (And incidentally, the whole "pussy" thing? Not all women have them. Women who don't are still women.)

3. For the love of... whoever you love, there are people out there who have been fighting this fight since before you were born. Listen and learn.

4. There are also organizations that have been in this fight forever, and they know what they're doing. Before you run out and start your own thing, educate yourself. Find out if someone's already Doing the Thing, and if so, support them. Don't duplicate (waste) effort!

5. Following Michael Moore's exhortation, I am calling one of my senators or representatives every weekday. I am going to keep doing that. There is no reason in Hell to make life easy for people who are making it hard for us.

6. On the ride home, I posted to Facebook that the Democrats need to either get on the train, or get off the tracks. In the spirit of putting my money where my mouth is, I have joined my local Democratic committee. "Put up, or shut up;" and I don't plan to shut up.

7. I am back in my nice safe house, protected by my white skin, my white-bread accent, my affluence, my citizenship, my family and my social status from pretty much any negative consequences of my participation. Not all of my sisters can say the same. (#IMarchWithLinda) I will try to remember that, every day.

Just finished Book 5 (Victory of Eagles). Spoilers behind the cut.

( Read more... )

I have to give a shout out here to the Georgia PINES public library system, which has allowed me to read books 2-5 in spite of the fact that my own library's personal holdings are quite spotty. I just put a hold on Book 6 and should have it soon. PINES lets borrowers get any book from any library in the system free of charge, and return the book either to their own local branch or any other PINES library. Great for vacation reading. (My only quibble is that a lot of audio recordings aren't available for interlibrary loan. Y'all get on that!)

Men's hurt feelings are more important than women's lost lives.

#yesallwomen

I needed some encouragement today after a rough day at work. So I turned to my lovely reviewers.

Here are some of my favorite bits, in no particular order, and not necessarily the Top Ten. (Except the last one, which is and shall remain my absolute favorite.)

1. "That one line stabbed me right in the heart, and then the next stanzas ram a whole set of kitchen cutlery after it." From hujwernoo's review of "Thomas's Song" on fanfiction.net

2. "STOP THIS RIGHT NOW YOU CANNOT WRITE THIS STORY ANYMORE IT SHALL SIMPLY END WITH PUPPIES AND CUPCAKES ALL 'ROUND EVERYONE SHALL BE HAPPY HYDRA SHALL BE DEFEATED

YAAAAAAY HAPPY YAY

(PLEASE WRITE MORE I CAN'T WAIT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN OMFG)"

From peppertheband's review of "Silently, Invisibly" on fanfiction.net

3. "Fantastic story, everything about it, especially your Original Character. There are few OCs I've enjoyed in fanfics as much as I've enjoyed Jeannine. Good Show." From dante_alicheery's review of "I'll Fly Away" on AO3.

4. "I have rarely read an original character in fanfiction and come away feeling desperately like I want to see more of her." From Musafreen's review of "Some Slick Continental Dude" on fanfiction.net

5. "Truly a fantastic work. I couldn't put it down and it's now 2 am. I regret nothing." From Galimeril's review of "I'll Fly Away" on fanfiction.net.

6. "Problem? Now I have to read all the other things you've written, and it will slow down my writing..." From AlphaFlyer's review of "Resilience I: A Door That Locks Behind You" on fanfiction.net

7. "Wow. Just, wow. Usually I hate this kind of thing...but I just realised, that's because usually they're not *good*. Bravo." The_Good_Gardener's review of "Thomas's Song" on AO3

8. "I am incoherent with glee." From carolinecrane's review of "Stayin' Alive" on AO3.

9. "So as soon as I saw the title of this one, I flailed wildly, and then I pretty much didn't stop as I read it." From Kaesa's review of "The King's Roads" on AO3.

10. THE BEST REVIEW I EVER GOT FOR ANYTHING:

"There aren't a lot of published books that make me slow down at the end because I don't want them to be over. I managed to stretch Chapter 32 over an hour and a half. Please keep writing this." T.+Nielsen+Hayden's review of "Silently, Invisibly" on AO3.

To all of you, and to everyone else who's ever read my stuff, especially those who hit the "kudos" button or left reviews: THANK YOU!

(and also writers of published fiction whose editors are asleep at the wheel)

"BICEPS" IS BOTH SINGULAR AND PLURAL. THE WORD ENDS IN AN 'S'.

THAT IS ALL.

...to elisem on her gig as Apex Magazine's new poetry editor!

Look, just please give me the money so I can learn to do this thing that both of us agree is really important. I promise I won't flunk out and waste your time.

50K words in 30 days.

Now I gonna get some sleep.

Then I gonna take 4 days off till I get the GRE done.

Then I gonna turn this thing into a novel. And submit it somwhere (or several somewheres).

...who flinches when they see an ad for a $1000 "hobo bag"?