Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Dec 10-16, 2017

December 21, 2017December 18, 2017 / Melanie Marttila

It’s time again to get the mental corn popping. In a small way.

I think I’ve figured out why my Thoughty Thursday curations have been suffering of late. 2017 has simply been an exhausting year. Though as a Canadian, I haven’t been in the thick of it, the madness is there, every day. It’s in the news, in the posts of friends and writers I follow, it’s EVERYWHERE.

There’s no escaping it.

And so I find myself shutting down. I don’t want to engage in all the sturm und drang. It makes my heart hurt. But it’s all important stuff. A lot of it needs to be shared. But I get selective. Because exhausted.

I seriously hope 2018 is a little lighter on the soul.

Salma Hayek: Harvey Weinstein is my monster, too. The New York Times

Courtney E. Martin: this isn’t about bad apples; It’s about our broken sexual culture. On Being

Why are America’s farmers killing themselves in record numbers? Debbie Weingarten for The Guardian.

The Boston Globe takes a hard look at its city. Boston. Racism. Image. Reality.

Christen Reighter: I don’t want children—stop telling me I’ll change my mind. TED Talks

Be well until the weekend.

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Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Dec 10-16, 2017

December 19, 2017December 18, 2017 / Melanie Marttila

Please find linked your informal writerly learnings for the week.

Jane Friedman gives you a book launch plan for first-time authors without an online presence.

Jami Gold takes her turn in the Writers Helping Writers coaching corner: episodic vs. epic.

Later in the week, Jami talks transitions on her own blog: meanwhile, back in our subplot …

Piper Bayard helps you win the anxiety war. Writers in the Storm

Sharon Bially touts the power of a writing group for publishing success. Writer Unboxed

David Corbett helps you motivate the reluctant protagonist. Writer Unboxed

Sarah Callender looks at fiction and improv and discovers that they’re sisters from different misters. Writer Unboxed

Kathryn Craft helps you bring your dialog to life. Writer Unboxed

Don’t get rolled by bad publicity. Porter Anderson on Writer Unboxed.

Leanne Sowul interviews Carol van den Hende for DIY MFA: be well, write well.

Melanie Bell shares five books that will help you start and finish your writing. DIY MFA

Steven Pressfield: the villain is not always a person.

Paige Duke helps you survive rejection. Standout Books

Oren Ashkenazi presents six tips for writing sequels. Later in the week, Oren lists five insufficient reasons for including bigotry in your story. Mythcreants

Ursula K. Le Guin explains how to build a new kind of utopia. Electric Lit

Then Ursula appears on Open Democracy, encouraging science fiction and fantasy authors to envision alternatives to capitalism.

CBC Books presents a guide to writing prizes for Canadians.

Jason Guriel: the case against reading everything. The Walrus

Olivia Zaleski reports that two Audible executives depart after harassment probe. The Seattle Times

Have you read “Cat Person” yet? I have, and apparently, I’m in good company: New Yorker short story triggers record-breaking response. Heloise Wood for The Bookseller.

Jessica Jernigan: the book that made me a feminist was written by an abuser. Electric Lit

Naima Coster: my editor was black. Catapult

Be well until Thursday!

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, October 11-17, 2015

October 22, 2015 / Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

Making up for last week!

Here are 13 reasons we need a change in government up here. Press Progress. And guess what? We got it (!) For better or worse. I hope for better. Really, anything’s got to be better.

Providing safe drinking water on reserves (one of numerous issues First Nations face) is simple. Just do it. The Globe and Mail.

Ken Taylor, the Canadian envoy who hid Americans during Iran Hostage Crisis, died last week. NPR.

Brainpickings has unearthed a rare BBC interview with Carl Jung.

Understanding sleep paralysis. IFLS.

The Psychiatric Times reviews the DSM-5 changes for sleep-wake disorders.

How we might cure Alzheimer’s (TED talks):

IFLS explains why you shouldn’t wear a bra. Your boobs will thank you 🙂

Eight things Michelle Coombs is too old for. The Huffington Post.

Bizarre star may suggest the existence of alien civilisations. BBC.

i09 lists five gruesome murders that inspired spooky ghost stories.

600 year old Henry V warship found in Hampshire river. The Telegraph.

Chivalry isn’t dead. You just don’t know what the fuck it is. Myths retold.

Doctors take women’s pain less seriously. The Atlantic.

Jennifer Lawrence speaks out on wage inequality in Hollywood. Salon.

A male engineering student explains why his female colleagues aren’t his equals. Click-bait title for a fair and thoughtful post. The Huffington Post.

Meg Urry writes about ending sexual harassment in astronomy. We need to do this across not only STEM fields, but all fields. Seriously people. Scientific American.

How California’s largest school district blamed an eighth-grader for her rape. This one made me swear. Copiously. The Atlantic.

Nobody cares how hard you work. 99u.

Ravens can tell if you’re a cheater who can’t be trusted. Corvus corvus rocks my world 🙂 IFLS.

Twin pandas were born last week at the Toronto Metro Zoo. IFLS.

Here’s a Red Panda and a pumpkin 🙂