Links Galore, Plus my Preliminary Doctoral Exams Reading Lists
I have nine months to read 150 books
It’s been months since I’ve shared some of what I love with you, but I have some links! Consider the list a floaty in the form of an annotated bibliography, bouyant enough for the roughest of waters.
Links! Treasures!
Recently I found refuge in this episode of On Being, with Janine Benyus and Azita Ardakani, both of whom study biomimicry. They explore how nature heals from trauma, mutual aid, and the collective care of succession. A primary question circulating throughout the conversation is: how can we embrace mutuality instead of competition? On Being is always life-giving but this episode in particular sung to me, especially because audience members proposed questions.
I am here for these mysterious monoliths, the most recent of which appeared in Nevada. “The photographs shared by the police show the lone vertical slab reflecting the dry, rugged terrain and rocky desert landscape against a bright blue sky” (NYT). Although a group of artists took credit for one of these monoliths, others have appeared throughout the U.S. (and in Wales) without anyone taking credit for them. Why do I like these? Idk. Because they’re mysterious, and mysterious things only emphasize the mysteriousness of everything in the world.
Speaking of mysterious, apparently our world doesn’t exist. Or, rather, the future, present, and past all exist simultaneously, according to the block universe theory, for which several scientists won the Nobel Prize in 2022. “Whatever you do at any time makes that time the way it is,” says the YouTuber I linked above. I think that’s one of the most elegant sentences I’ve ever heard.
I loved this Guardian piece on adult virgins who are finding sheltering intimacy in Nevada brothels. If you’ve known me long enough, and read closely enough, you’ll know that I am a former sex worker. While the job is rife with danger and wasn’t a positive experience for me, I often dream of how sex work could have a positive impact on both workers and those who employ them. When I was a 21 year old wildland firefighter my crew spent a night in Reno on the way home from a fire. Several of the guys went to a brothel, and none of them knew I’d been working as a stripper less than a year before. The way they talked about what they called the “whorehouse” and the women therein still grinds my gears. Sex work, when treated with the respect it deserves, can be a respectable job, healing for all involved— as proven by this piece of writing. Many of the young men who seek sexual experiences are religious. As Bella Cummins says, “They’re told, ‘You can keep this down. Don’t feel that,’” she says, referring to the abstinence culture in faith-based communities. “But how do you deny what God put in a young body – which is that desire?”
I recently watched Audre Lorde: The Berlin Years. The documentary is a window into a forgotten aspect of Lorde’s life. Highly recommend.
God I love “Weep Ode #99.” It’s so gorgeous. It’s so beautiful. It’s so everything. Thank you, Chen Chen, for writing it.
There are so many newsletters that I love.
is one of my faves, and has been for several years. ’s astrology is accessible and precise. deconstructs the most important sports things but also pop culture. is (as always) doing amazing things at The Review of Beauty, which is where I go whenever I feel like I need to do something stupid to my skin. is a goddess witch. keeps astounding me with her insight and dedication. is a balm for hard times— always honest and transparent in ways that are helpful for all writers. is a lovely poet and prose writer whose work I always seek out. ’s writing makes me want to write and also be a better person. There are so many more! helps me love my fat body. Frankly I would love to find more newsletters to love, now that I finally have a bit more time, so tell me your faves in the comments?
I’ve been purchasing music more often because I am thinking about letting go of my iPhone and Spotify. Recently I got Chihei Hatakeyama’s new album, Thousand Oceans. It’s gorgeously dreamy.
The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone has become a space where non-human mammals and wildlife are thriving. “Since the accident, brown bears have colonized—or perhaps recolonized—the Exclusion Zone. In the late 1990s, European researchers introduced the nearly extinct Przewalski’s horse. Bison are thriving there too. The absence of humans seems to have allowed these populations to grow freely.”
This list of 50 Great Classic Novels Under 200 Pages from LitHub really got me wanting to read all of the novels on the list, including those I’ve already read.
Check out my prelims reading lists and tell me how to Excel with Excel
I finally finished my prelims reading list draft. It’s awaiting review by my doctoral committee. Turns out, I’m terrible at Excel. I want to be better. I need to be better. This list needs to look GOOD. Does anyone know how I can be better? As you’ll see, my nonfiction list has 100 books. The other list has a little over fifty. Technically my minor is post 20th Century literature and culture. Let me know what you think, or if you think anything essential is missing. I am sharing this with all my readers, but it took me months to compose. If you get something out of seeing and engaging with the lists, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or leaving me a tip <3.
In my next newsletter (next week!) I’ll be writing about “The Semplica-Girl Diaries” by
. This is one of my all-time favorite short stories— as a fiction and nonfiction writer, I love to think about how the tools of fiction translate into the (arguably more flexible) genre of nonfiction, so I’ll be writing about that as well!
Tell me: what have you loved this month? What are you reading? What are you struggling with? What’s easy? I want to know everything.
Thank you for sharing all this richness, River! Like the generosity of a river system in late springtime ...
Thank you so much!