EEDA Newsletter Vol 5, Res 10: Sparking Change with Fantasy & Librarians and Archivists with Palestine
This is a public issue of Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice. Feel free to share it!
Hi friends! Reminder about a fundraiser I am taking part in for TGI Justice Project. Every year I make a donation to TGI Justice Project and they’re currently trying to raise $5K. I set up a site for my network to pull together $500. We are over halfway there! Thanks to the folks who have donated. We have until the end of May to get to $500. If you can’t donate, I would appreciate it if you would share the link.
Last Friday we went to our friend’s wedding (yes, we masked indoors) and on Mother’s Day I planned a distraction: tickets to a masks-required preview of GALILEO: A Rock Musical at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
I thought I was clever. I thought I could outsmart grief by keeping busy…
On Tuesday evening, I learned that the Bay Area is getting a basketball team: the Golden State Valkyries. “But Patricia,” you say, “The Bay Area already has a basketball team called the Golden State Warriors!” No, my friends. That is a men’s basketball team. We are getting a basketball team to play in the WNBA, which I refer to as just “basketball” because to hell with men always being the default. Basketball and Men’s Basketball in this household. Anyway, I started following their Instagram account and I looked at a single video and I burst into tears, I mean absolutely sobbing, because Mom would have been so fucking excited about the Golden State Valkyries. She was at every one of my basketball games as a child and I grieve the games I will never get to take her to.
So much for being clever, I guess!
This week on the EEDA Pod, we share advice on how to find a therapist that is right for you regardless of your identity with added advice for folks who are queer and/or BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). Finding a therapist can be inaccessible, difficult, and overwhelming, and in this episode we try to demystify and simplify the process. We offer not only advice on how to find a therapist that meets your needs and finding therapists for a diverse range of identities, but we also talk about why a person might want to go to therapy at all. If you’re a consistent reader of this newsletter, you’ll recognize a lot of the info we share. You can find our show, Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts.
It’s resource week! Let’s get to it.
Resource 1: How fantasy worlds can spark real change by Annalee Newitz via TED
TED description: “When the world's problems have you weary, journalist and science fiction writer Annalee Newitz suggests a good dose of escapist fiction to refresh your perspective. Step into the whimsical world of science fiction, cosplay and "goblincore" to see how fantasy worlds help us reimagine our relationships with our communities and each other — and why the best way to solve your problems may start with escaping them.”
Watching this TED Talk by Annalee Newitz has increased my spell slots for the week. This talk is such a wonderful reminder of the real-life importance of speculative fiction and, by extension, the importance of imagination. When we say things like “abolish the police, abolish prisons, divest from the military industrial complex, end capitalism,” naysayers are always so quick to ask what will replace these things. We have to be able to imagine a better world, a world where these things don’t exist, and science fiction and fantasy can help us do that.
You can watch this wonderful TEDTalk here.
Resource 2: Librarians and Archivists with Palestine
A while ago, this Instagram post crossed my path and I wanted to learn more about the account. From their website, “Librarians and Archivists with Palestine (LAP) is a network of self-defined librarians, archivists, and information workers in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for self-determination.” Once again, I am incredibly proud to be a librarian. LAP has multiple resources, including a list of Readings and Resources that includes book recommendations for multiple age groups, recommended news sources, articles, and more. Their “One Book” Toolkit is not only a good resource for hosting book discussion groups for books about Palestine but it has useful information for honest, meaningful book discussions about any book. Also, their Gaza 2023 Action Toolkit is excellent.
Recent & Current Reads
Inclusion of a book in this section is not necessarily a recommendation and these books won’t necessarily be added to my Bookshop.
Recently Read:
Pretty: A Memoir by KB Brookins (out 5/28)
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin): A Memoir by Sly Stone with Ben Greenman (phenomenal on audio, btw)
Currently Reading:
Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
Ninetails: Nine Tales by Sally Wen Mao (out 5/28)
Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook: A Cookbook by Sohla El-Waylly and a forward by Samin Nosrat
Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror edited by Jordan Peele & John Joseph Adams (Yes, I am still working on this. I got through one particular story and it thoroughly creeped me out so I’ve set it aside)
That’s it for this week! You can shop many books I’ve mentioned in this newsletter at my affiliate shop, The Infophile’s Bookshop, and support independent bookstores. In fact, any Bookshop, Amazon, or Etsy links in this newsletter are affiliate links so if you shop through those, it helps support my work. Or you can leave me a tip on Ko-fi, Paypal, or Venmo.
If you want to send me some snail mail, you can find me at P.O. Box 21481, Oakland, CA 94620-1481.
You can find our podcast, Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts.