Khadija Mbowe

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Sept 26-Oct 2, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Moar treats to get your mental corn popping.

Tim Arango and Shaila Dewan: more than half of police killings are mislabeled (and thus, uncounted), according to new study. The New York Times

Can we ever stop obsessing over race? Khadija Mbowe

Anastasia Tsioulcas reports that R. Kelly found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. NPR

Emma Farge and Hereward Holland reveal that WHO employees took part in Congo sex abuse during Ebola crisis. Et, tu, WHO? Reuters

Roberta Hill explains how she survived residential school. Toronto Life

Juanita Taylor reveals how the Inuit practice of Kakiniit is etched on the skin. CBC

Endangered Tlingit language has only a few hundred speakers. Mariella Wentzell is out to change that. CBC

Akiko Busch: the invisibility of older women. The Atlantic

Amy Davidson Sorkin explores the supply-chain mystery. The New Yorker

Danny Westneat is wondering why society went off-kilter during the pandemic. Apparently, there’s a book about it. Published in 2019. The Seattle Times

Cal Newport talks to Chris Herd: is going back to the office a broken way of working? The New Yorker

Totten Mine update: 35 trapped miners safe after rescue; 4 more on long trek out of mine. The Sudbury Star

Creating a template for habitable exoplanets. SciShow

Alexandra Larkin: Hubble discovers six mysteriously dead, massive galaxies from early universe. CBS News

Michelle Gamage and Zoe Yunker report that judge ends Fairy Creek injunction in a bombshell decision. The fight to protect old growth continues. The Tyee

On Ecological Disconnect, Climate Despair, and Our Changing Relation to “Nature.” Like Stories of Old

Angela Dewan: Greta Thunberg roasts world leaders for their “blah, blah, blah” on climate change. CNN

Simon Hattenstone documents the transformation of Greta Thunberg. The Guardian

Sierra Garcia: climate change and the criminal justice system. JSTOR Daily

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

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

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Sept 5-11, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Another week, another batch of informal writerly learnings. Enjoy!

K.M. Weiland delves into the archetypal antagonists of the maiden: the authority and the predator. Helping Writers Become Authors

Penny C. Sansevieri provides a checklist for in-person book events. Then, Colleen M. Story wants you to cure your internal frustrated writer. Julie Glover reveals the social side of social media for writers. Writers in the Storm

Carol Van Den Hende lists three criteria for effective author posts on LinkedIn. Then, Amy Ayres provides a history of humor writing. Gabriela Pereira interviews Finola Austin about historical fiction, the Brönte family, and the original Mrs. Robinson. Then, Julie Broad lists five ways to make “no” work for you. DIY MFA

Was James Bond a swashbuckler? Jill Bearup

Sarah Penner explains who’s who in your publishing village. Then, Juliet Marillier is writing female characters in historical fantasy. Kathryn Craft presents seven ways to add an undercurrent of tension. Then, David Corbett wonders, will there be a Dr. Strangelove for the war on terror? Writer Unboxed

James Scott Bell says that if you want success, get back to joyous writing. Writers Helping Writers

Nathan Bransford: don’t be too easy on your characters. Then, Lindsay Syhakhom explains how to stop writing a novel. Nathan Bransford

Khadija Mbowe analyzes Gossip Girl and the possessive investment in beige.

Barbara Linn Probst is choosing a publicist (again): assessing your changing needs. Jane Friedman

Chris Winkle wonders, which descriptive details are excessive to readers? Mythcreants

Kristen Lamb shares three simple ways to hook readers into your series.

The myth of post-feminism. The Take

Bristol manuscript fragments of the famous Merlin legend among the oldest of their kind. Phys.org

Lauren Sarner interviews Reservation Dogs star Devery Jacobs: Indigenous stories in Hollywood are long overdue. New York Post

11-year-old from Victoria publishes Kwakʼwala language book following UNESCO competition win. CBC

33 Canadian books coming out in September we can’t wait to read. CBC Books

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

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Aug 29-Sept 4, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to thoughty Thursday, your chance to get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend!

Eric Levenson and Stella Chan report that grand jury indicts police officers and paramedics in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain. CNN

Mohammed Elnaiem: what is critical race theory? JSTOR Daily

Khadija Mbowe: who benefits from all this outrage and division?

Hannah Kost: pipe ceremony held at Calgary City Hall to start planning a permanent residential school memorial. CBC

Adam Edelman reports that the Supreme Court declines to block Texas’ restrictive abortion law, dealing a blow to Roe vs. Wade. NBC News

Karen Gallardo: on the front lines, this is what the seven stages of severe covid-19 look like. Los Angeles Times

Denis Constantineau: Laurentian has lost trust of Francophone community. The Sudbury Star

Joe Hernandez provides the latest updates on Ida, the hurricane thrashing the Gulf Coast. NPR

How mirrors could solve our energy problem. Physics Girl

Paola Rosa-Aquino: floating wind turbines could open up vast ocean tracts for renewable power. The Guardian

Christine Rankin: two Canadians win gold and break records at the Paralympic games. CBC

Extreme senses. In our nature | It’s okay to be smart

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

Until next tipsday, 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, Aug 15-21, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to thoughty Thursday. You know what tomorrow is 😀 Rev up for the weekend by getting your mental corn popping!

Yordanos Eyoel and Aimee Allison report that women of color are the undercapitalized warriors of American democracy. The Hill

Lil’ Wayne: mental health doesn’t discriminate. Uncomfortable conversations with Emmanuel Acho

Eva Fedderly introduces us to the Black architects who built New Orleans. Architectural Digest

Kevin Waite reveals the little-known history of how slavery infiltrated California and the American West. The Conversation

Critical race theory. Khadija Mbowe

Ethan Sawyer reports that six more First Nations in BC launch investigation into residential school sites. CBC

Anne Applebaum believes that liberal democracy is worth a fight. The Atlantic

Robert Fife and Steven Chase: Canada working “closely” with allies on evacuation from Kabul amid “extremely fluid” situation. The Globe and Mail

Kait Hanson: 10 girls on Afghanistan’s robotics team rescued. NBC News

Death toll reaches nearly 2,000 after Haiti’s earthquake. BBC

Brianna Milord: after the earthquake, a mayor in Haiti struggles to console his town. The New Yorker

Desmond Brown: University of Guelph to establish Indigenous research lab, unique at a Canadian university. CBC

Course aims to keep Stoney language alive for years to come. CBC

Rose Minutaglio introduces us to Annie Vang, the woman who created an app to save her endangered language. Elle

Bob Yirka: analysis of returned Stonehenge core sample helps explain megalith’s durability. Phys.org

Physics Girl compares battery and hydrogen electric cars.

Sierra Garcia: tidal power is the forgotten renewable resource. JSTOR Daily

Why some species team up to survive. In our nature | It’s okay to be smart

Benji Jones reports that animals are shrinking. Blame climate change. Vox

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, 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, Aug 8-14, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend 🙂

Melissa Kimble covers Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and the revolutionary power of Black women’s rest. Glamour

Genelle Levy: the real history of Black Martha’s Vineyard. Narratively

Related: the history of Wampanoag (on Martha’s Vineyard).

Frankie Huang: can we solve America’s food appropriation problem? Grub Street

Alex Hern reports that a student proves Twitter algorithm “bias” toward lighter, slimmer, younger faces. The Guardian

You’re not dumb. You’re just not wealthy and/or *whispers* white. Khadija Mbowe

The Warrior Walk for Healing Nations honours children and residential school survivors. CBC

Terry Tang reports that there have been over 9,000 anti-Asian incidents since the pandemic began. Associated Press

Matthew Wills explains how blind activists fought for blind workers. JSTOR Daily

Josie Fischels shows you how to watch “the best meteor shower of the year.” NPR

Rivka Galchen declares that NASA’s new telescope will show us the infancy of the universe. The New Yorker

Maya Wei-Haas shares what we know about the Mars rover failed sample attempt. National Geographic

Joey Roulette reports that NASA’s new space suits are delayed, making a 2024 Moon landing “unfeasible.” The Verge

Livia Gershon bets you’ll never believe who invented curbside recycling. JSTOR Daily

Tom Pattinson: the wonders of Greta Thunberg. Vogue Scandinavia

Olivia Box warns of climate change’s dangerous effects on the boreal forest. JSTOR Daily

Nina Chestney and Andrea Januta: UN climate change report sounds “code red” for humanity. Reuters

Lizzie Marx tells the tale of a beached whale (and ambergris): picturing scent. The Public Domain Review

A purr-fect match! Animal shelter posts lonely pets on Tinder. Reuters

And that was thoughty Thursday. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, 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, Feb 14-20, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve 🙂 Fortify yourself for the weekend to come by getting your mental corn popping.

Brakkton Booker reports that Amy Cooper, better known as the Central Park Karen, has her charge dismissed. NPR

Taylor Moore profiles the Chicago plant that sparked a hunger strike amid environmental racism claims. The Guardian

Melissa Quinn: NAACP and Democratic congressman sue Trump and Giuliani over Capitol assault. It ain’t over yet. CBS News

‘Dark’ origins, decentering romantic relationships, & my best & worst Valentines Day | Khadija Mbowe

Ellen Feingold says, a Harriet Tubman $20 is just the beginning. Politico

Jenna Kunze wants you to meet the Inuk woman giving youth daily “reasons to stay alive” through social media. Native News Online

Terry Gross: almost a year into the pandemic, working moms feel forgotten. NPR

Ian Austen reports that delays turn Canada’s vaccination optimism into anxiety. The New York Times

Brooks Fallis: Canada is sleepwalking into a third wave, and it could be the worst one yet. What have I been saying? The Globe and Mail

Sean Davidson reports that Ontario moves 27 regions from stay-at-home order to reopening framework effective Feb 16. CTV News

Steve Almasy, Jason Hanna, and Madeline Holcomb: officials slam grid operator as dark comes and millions go without power. CNN

Oliver Milman: heating arctic may be to blame for the snowstorms in Texas, scientists argue. The Guardian

Experts identify a variety of cotoneaster that absorbs roadside pollution. The Guardian

Ashley Strickland reports that the Perseverance rover (Percy) has successfully landed on Mars and sent back its first images. CNN

Joe Hanson (channels the Smiths): when is now? It’s okay to be smart *For more on this, read Dean Buonomano’s Your Brain is a Time Machine: The Neuroscience and Physics of Time

Emma Taggart: photographers gain access to a traditional African village where every home is a work of art. My Modern Met

Mead Gruver introduces us to Elizabeth Ann, the black-footed ferret cloned from 30-year-old DNA. Associated Press

Richard Luscombe shares video of nearly 200 manatees basking in the shallows with frolicking dolphins. Because peace and joy. The Guardian

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you found something to inspire your next creative project.

Until next tipsday, 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, Feb 7-13, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

As you prepare for the coming weekend, don’t forget to get your mental corn popping.

Laila El Mugammar announces that an emotional documentary about Canada’s legendary Black cowboy is streaming free now. Chatelaine

Samantha Kubota reports that the brand formerly known as Aunt Jemima reveals new name. NBC News

Azi Paybarah: KKK member who drove into BLM protesters gets more than three years in prison. The New York Times

Emotional intelligence, racial stereotypes, and the politics of emotional expression | Khadija Mbowe

Michele Debczak: new spacecraft named after Katherine Johnson honors the pioneering NASA mathematician. Mental Floss

How did the Milky Way get its spiral? SciShow Space

WHO says coronavirus unlikely to have leaked from Wuhan lab. CBC

Micheleen Doucleff: extraordinary patient offers surprising clues to coronavirus variants. NPR

Jaclyn Diaz reports that a second person dies of Ebola in the Congo, marking the virus’s return. NPR

Jason Slotkin: tens of thousands rally in Myanmar, protesting military coup. NPR

Eric Levenson, Stephanie Becker, and Dan Simon report that the rise in attacks on elderly Asian Americans in Bay area prompts new special response unit. CNN

Leah Brennan and Josh LaBella report that a Yale graduate student identified as the victim of Saturday’s fatal shooting in New Haven. New Haven Register

Michelle Ghoussoub announces that women’s rights activist Loujain Alhathloul released after 1,001 days in Saudi prison. CBC

Oliver Milman shares that air pollution in US subway systems stuns researchers. The Guardian

Sharon J. Riley explains how a public uprising caused a province built on fossil fuels to reverse course on coal mining. The Narwhal

Sandy Schaeffer compiles all the Joss Whedon abuse and misconduct allegations. #metoo ScreenRant

Deiter Buse: now is the time to ask what you can do for Laurentian. The Sudbury Star

Health Sciences North faces lawsuit over misread breast imaging results. CBC

Why you read slower as you age. SciShow Psych

Brenda Knowles examines imposter syndrome and how it can be a blessing in disguise. Space2Live

Stonehenge may have been first erected in Wales. Aljazeera

Listen to the sweet, soft warble common ravens sing to their partners. Audubon

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you took away something to inspire your next 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, Jan 31-Feb 6, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

You’ve made it through Monday. Wednesday/humpday is just around the corner. Fortify yourselves with some informal writerly learnings.

Lauren J. Sharkey shares her experience with the negative balance of writing. And here’s my latest Speculations: The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger.  DIY MFA

The fabulous and flirty fight of The Mask of Zorro. Jill Bearup

Greer Macallister bemoans all the things she doesn’t know (about publishing). Sophie Masson explains how to celebrate new releases. Donald Maass wants you to consider hopes and fears in fiction. Later in the week, Rheea Mukherjee is writing real. Writer Unboxed

Race-baiting, queer-baiting, colorism, featurism, and performative diversity in Bridgerton. | Khadija Mbowe

K.M. Weiland offers an introduction to archetypal stories. Helping Writers Become Authors

J.D. Lasica: do stories have a universal shape? Jane Friedman

Emily Zarka introduces us to the werehyena, the terrifying shapeshifters of African Lore. Monstrum | PBS Storied

September C. Fawkes lists the eight points of progress. Then, Becca Puglisi provides an author’s guide to redeeming villains. Writers Helping Writers

The Take explains why we root for Gone Girl’s Amy Dunne.

Janice Hardy shares three steps to grounding your reader in your story world. Later in the week, Janice explains how the opening scene works in a novel. Fiction University

The hipster trope, explained. The Take

Kris Maze helps you sort fact from fiction: “flow” improves the writing life. Writers in the Storm

The magic of childhood in My Neighbour Totoro. Tale Foundry

Chris Winkle explains how to get readers to feel those emotional twists. Then, Kellie Doherty lists six ways to make fantasy travel more interesting. Mythcreants

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you found something to help with your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe!