Volume 2, Resources 15: Wheelchair Etiquette, Radical Copyediting, Pandemic Roundup, and Stop Shoulding Yourself
Hi friends! My week has been filled with joy in the form of a fruit, specifically, a pluot (plum-apricot hybrid) that goes by the moniker “Flavor Grenades.” I’ve only gotten them from a specific stand at a specific farmer’s market (the one we go to every weekend) and this is the first I’ve had them since moving back to the Bay Area in 2018. I always seemed to miss when they were in season and I probably last had them in 2011 maybe?
They are firm and crunchy, super sweet and slightly tart. They are like candy. I feel like I am getting away with something when I eat one, because how can something this delightful be this silly little fruit?
I’ve had some new subscribers (hello there!) and it’s resource week! Every other week I share anywhere from two to many resources to help you work on yourself internally, to help you be a better member of society as an ally/accomplice to marginalized folks, or other resources that might help you improve your mood, mental health, relationships, etc.
Let’s get to it!
Resource #1: Wheelchair Etiquette Thread from Charlie Knight
As Charlie says at the beginning of their thread (below), “There are appropriate and inappropriate ways to interact with someone who is in a wheelchair. Knowing them benefits all involved.” If you click through to the thread, you’ll learn some really important things, first of which is do not touch someone’s wheelchair without permission. I appreciate that down-thread they put links to send them a tip. I learned some things, so I sent them a tip. I suggest that you do the same if you learn some things as well!
Wheelchair etiquette
There are appropriate and inappropriate ways to interact with someone who is in a wheelchair. Knowing them benefits all involved.
Resource #2: Radical Copyeditor by Alex Kapitan
“The concept of radical copyediting is based on the fact that language is not neutral.”
Via Radical Copyeditor About Page
I learned of this resource in 2018 through my work with Book Riot. Specifically, someone had shared Alex’s post “Update to Transgender Style Guide: Avoiding Invalidating Language Traps” which then lead me to Alex’s incredibly helpful and evolving “The Radical Copyeditor’s Style Guide for Writing About Transgender People.” You can download a pdf from that page and tip Alex as well.
Alex has so many great posts on the site, from a post about capitalizing the B in Black to thoughts on “person-first language” and using “diverse” as an adjective (this comes up A LOT in my day job). And there is so much more on the site! Truly an excellent resource.
Resource #3: Violet Blue’s Pandemic Roundup for 22 July 2021
I know I have shared Violet Blue’s Pandemic Roundup on this newsletter and I still cannot stress how much I appreciate it. It is getting increasingly more difficult to sort our relevant, useful Covid-19 information from all of the bullshit flying around. Yesterday’s roundup isn’t necessarily a happy read, but it’s important. It has news about the Gamma variant. And the Lambda variant. And J&J vaccine effectiveness. And vaccine breakthrough cases. And long-Covid, which terrifies me.
Resource #4: How to Stop ‘Shoulding’ Yourself via Shondaland
Yes, another article on self-compassion and all the things we tell ourselves we “should” be doing. It reminds me a bit of what I wrote in Volume 2, Issue 14: We Are Enough, but with a different spin.
“When [we’re] doing something because we feel we ‘should’ and it’s out of obligation, we also start to build resentment toward ourselves, other people, and situations that can lead to depression, a victim mentality, and all sorts of other [negative] things. When we’re doing things because we ‘should,’ we gloss over the idea of choice.”
That’s it for this week! You can shop any books I’ve mentioned in this newsletter at my affiliate shop, The Infophile’s Bookshop, and support independent bookstores. If you want to send me some snail mail, you can find me at P.O. Box 21481, Oakland, CA 94620-1481. If you want me to send you some happy mail, feel free to give me your address.
If you enjoy this free newsletter, here’s how you can show your support!
Here’s where you can find me on the internet:
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.