Juneteenth

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Jan 29-Feb 4, 2023

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

How’s your week going? Ready to get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend? Let’s go!

Scott Neuman shares three things to know about Black History Month. NPR

What is Juneteenth and why is it important? Karlos K. Hill and Soraya Field Fiorio. TED-Ed

Joanna Lonsdale and Jane Downs reveal the lost history of Tynemouth’s Holocaust safe home for girls. BBC

This injectable biomaterial heals tissues from the inside out. UC San Diego

Jadine Ngan explains why we made fewer memories during the pandemic. The Walrus

Fred Lewsey reports that tuning into brainwaves speeds learning in adults. University of Cambridge

Katina Bajaj says that our brains aren’t meant to work at optimal efficiency. Here’s how to offload your thoughts. Fast Company

Julia Métraux: how did Amy Robsart die? Fertile ground for an Elizabethan mystery 😉 JSTOR Daily

Emily Zarevich introduces us to Elizabeth Siddall, the real life “Ophelia.” JSTOR Daily

Jane Draycott introduces us to the other Cleopatra. Aeon

Alexandra Witze wonders, will an artificial intelligence discover alien life? SETI utilizes AI. The picture of ET is a little condescending and, as my spouse reminds me, what everyone’s calling AI is actually an expert system. Nature

Joey Roulette explains what to expect during the green comet’s encounter with Earth. Reuters

Will Dunham: astronomers document a not-so-super supernova in the Milky Way. Reuters

Becky Ferreira reports that archaeologists discover 1.2-million-year-old workshop in mind blowing find. Motherboard | Vice

Oliver Milman reports that US renewable energy farms outstrip 99% of coal plants economically. The Guardian

True facts: the smartest slime. Ze Frank

UK to restore swathes of wildlife habitat and provide a home for hedgehogs. Reuters

Charlotte Hilton Anderson list 28 ways your pet says, “I love you.” Reader’s Digest

Do all animals play? Be Smart

Thank you for visiting. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until my next chapter weekly update, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 13-19, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Guess what time it is? Time to get your mental corn popping 🙂

Elizabeth Alexander: this is how we can envision Black freedom. National Geographic

Jay Peters announces that Darnella Frazier, who documented George Floyd’s murder, receives Pulitzer citation. The Verge

Alana Wise reports that the US Senate unanimously approves bill to make Juneteenth a public holiday. NPR

Samantha Allen and Nico Lang: five years later, Pulse survivors reflect on its legacy. Them

Emily McCullar explains how the leaders of the Texas revolution fought to preserve slavery. Texas Monthly

Hugh Ryan shares the incredible true adventure of five gay activists in search of the Black Panther Party. Harper’s Bazaar

Nicole Chung is tired of trying to educate white people about anti-Asian racism. Time

The Public Domain Review presents a collection of images of the Zodiac Man.

Caroline Williamson: Zai Divecha turns plain white paper into geometric sculptures. Design/Milk

Matt Simon: how do you make a robot walk on Mars? It’s a steep challenge. Wired

NASA and Boeing progress toward July launch of second Starliner flight test. NASA

Catching solar wind. Is it a truly endless energy source? SciShow Space

Susannah Cullinane and Hollie Silverman report that Wasabi the Pekinese wins Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show. CNN

Sabrina Imbler: these brittle stars have thousands of “pig snouts” on each arm. The New York Times

A brief history of toilets (cause I’m a fan of toilet humour). Francis de los Reyes. TED-Ed

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you took away something to support a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, June 13-19, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome back to tipsday, your chance to peruse all the informal writerly learnings 🙂

K.M. Weiland covers the flat archetype of the ruler in part 19 of her archetypal character arcs series. Helping Writers Become Authors

Sue Campbell offers a guide for how to be a great podcast guest. Jane Friedman

Shaelin shares her long journey with confidence as a writer. Shaelin Writes

Elizabeth S. Craig is checking in on goals half-way through the year.

Dave King is managing a motif. Then, Barbara Linn Probst is pausing at the border of fiction. Later in the week, Kristan Hoffman posts on not letting ambition take over. Writer Unboxed

What people get wrong about African American English. Otherwords | PBS Storied

Becca Puglisi has some advice for revising your plot after the first draft. Fiction University

Lucy V. Hay shares eight ways to write your novel’s outline. Then, Jessica Conoley returns to complete your writing support triangle with part 3: accountability. Writers Helping Writers

Nathan Bransford: writers are storytellers, not theme-tellers.

Jane Eyre: why we keep reading it (featuring Princess Weekes). It’s Lit | PBS Storied

Anita Ramirez shares the life of a writer—episode 2: the unthinkable. Then, Angela Yeh is discovering ekphrastic poetry. Later in the week, Marissa Levien says, focus on the story, not the word count. Then, Kate Allen shares five tips for balancing writing and your full-time job. DIY MFA

Barbara Linn Probst is bringing a character to life. Jenny Hansen shares five “rules” that may change your writing future. Writers in the Storm

Kristine Kathryn Rusch continues her fear-based decision-making series with part 6: FOMO and the indie writer.

Chris Winkle shares six ways to add stakes to a mystery. Oren Ashkenazi: what a panic on Twitter revealed about writers today. Mythcreants

Why we need the manic pixie dream boy. The Take

Colleen Romaniuk peruses Painted Voices: Sudbury writers publish chapbook about St. Joseph’s Hospital. The Sudbury Star

Claire Cock-Starkey: a star is born (on the history of the asterisk). Lapham’s Quarterly

Ashawnta Jackson: James Baldwin and the FBI. JSTOR Daily

Open Culture shares a never-televised profile of James Baldwin.

Keyaira Boone compiles this list of 18 books to celebrate Juneteenth. Essence

How Jane Austen’s writing reveals her spiritual side. CBC’s “Tapestry”

Kevin Griffin reports that English Bay’s Berkeley Tower to be covered with Douglas Coupland’s murals. Vancouver Sun

Thank you for taking the time to visit. I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 14-20, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

Listen, learn, and do better. This is the work. I hope some of the following will help.

Hal Johnson of Bodybreak explains how the show was a response to racism.

Ibram X. Kendi: the difference between antiracist and not racist. TED

Jessica Zucker wonders if you’re feeling anxious as the country reopens? You’re not alone. Vogue

When things fall apart: Tibetan Buddhist nun and teacher Pema Chödrön on transformation through difficult times. Brain Pickings

Gloria Liu: walking is making a major comeback. Outside

Katelyn Burns introduces us to the trans kids helped by a pioneering project. The Guardian

Jon Hamilton: scientist’s pink cast leads to discovery about how the brain responds to disability. NPR

Matthew Sherrill wonders why John Ackerman is buying up America’s underground. Outside

PBS Eons looks at the world before plate tectonics.

Ethan Siegal explains the science behind the ridiculous headline: 36 alien civilizations in the Milky Way? Forbes

Chris Lee reveals what life on a movie set will look like in 2020. The Vulture

True facts about cats’ killer senses. Ze Frank

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you took away something that will support your next creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories.

ThoughtyThursday2019