Appreciate the time you take to read, understand and share these pieces and thank you again for sharing mine. I also feel (so deeply) your words about Substack enabling folk like me to co-exist with those who are published writers. Here on Substack we are all writers. Itās such an inviting space š
Come back - it happens weekly around here :) Really, I love what you're all about, happy Middle Finger Project is back on Substack and looking forward to more!!
So many amazing writers here. And so far I've never felt like it's a "social media platform" in the annoying time suck way. It's only added value for me.
Another interesting round-up of posts, Kathryn. I especially liked this: āto see my entire life as a body of work. It all counts. It all matters. And also any one project isnāt the be all end all. It doesnāt have to get completed (or even barely started) to have an important role in the entire body of work.ā This is something for me to think about some more.
Would love to hear your continued thoughts on that. <3 Sometimes I imagine that it's a hundred years from now and someone is curating a retrospective of my entire life ... it helps give it all context somehow.
True. Iāve thought often of legacy, and that my work may be the legacy I leave behind. And then I wonder, too, if my website disappears once I no longer pay for hosting & domain, who will even know Iāve been here. But things like my art and my journals and the books and various other project are tangible things that will last and I can have some sort of say in keeping them or tossing them...and that it can all be a body of work is, I think, a much better framework than legacy, for some reason....
I'm glad that's a helpful frame. I haven't thought extensively about the term legacy but it's something I'll mull over as to why that does feel different to me as well.
Thank you so much for reading my work and for sharing it!!! I am excited to hear about your class on perceptions!! As you know it's a topic that endlessly fascinates me!!
Speaking of scifi- have you read Becky Chambers? I love her Monk and Robot series best but I also love her other space series too...
I'm thinking you'll enjoy the writing of Becky Chambers- she fits firmly in the Hopepunk genre - a genre I adore from a "good mental health" perspective
I just restacked your newsletter with my favorite quote from it:
"I suppose what Iām trying to say is that many of us write to understand our worlds, reflect those worlds back to others and hopefully change those worlds into something better through shared understanding. And a lot of that means writing from our tough experiences, our individual and collective traumas, but also we can get sick of doing that and we can feel overwhelmed by still having to do that and we might want to write from the other parts of ourselves."
That has certain been my experience, which is one reason I also write on Medium about other topics. It's also true about what I read. When I finish reading an intense memoir about an author's painful experiences and mental health issues, I need a fun escape and read a novel.
For what it's worth, I will throw a little weight behind "Raised by Wolves."
I love almost everything by Ridley Scott, though. If you know his work, you know he likes to ask existential questions while pretending the movie is about the action in front of you, and I just can't get enough of that sort of storytelling. It's pretty imaginative, and the cast is fantastic.
This is such a beautiful round up, I'm so pleased I found it today and so much of it resonated with me. It's only recently that I've discovered Reverse SAD is a thing and it's not just me "being weird" for not enjoying summer. It's so heartening to know that others feel the same. And that we can all collectively rejoice in these cooler autumn days.
San Francisco typically has a pretty cold summer because of fog and breeze but this summer has been unusually hot (for us, temperatures still lower than lots of places) and I've really struggled with the discomfort of that a lot this year. While it's not the same as Reverse SAD, it's still definitely got me celebrating the cooler weather peeking its head in here!!
And I hope that in future summers you find ways to be gentle with yourself, support your needs at that time, and remember that the seasons will turn once again.
So true. I'm trying to appreciate each season as it comes but autumn always has a special place in my heart. I bet San Francisco in autumn is magical. I've been there years ago but it was spring then.
It is. We donāt have the bold colorful leaves (Iāve actually never lived in a place that does) but we have our one wonderful seasonal changes and I am very happy to be moving into that time.
Ahh I saved this one in my inbox for a moment to read and can't get over how much reading/reflecting you're able to do with this project -- it's so appreciated. Thank you so much for including my thoughts as part of your roundup!
Hey Kathryn, thank you so much for not only reading but for sharing some of my perspective in your roundup, I really appreciate it!
What you shared about showing up for yourself is very important stuff. šš¦
Appreciate the time you take to read, understand and share these pieces and thank you again for sharing mine. I also feel (so deeply) your words about Substack enabling folk like me to co-exist with those who are published writers. Here on Substack we are all writers. Itās such an inviting space š
Thank you, that's something that's really important to me - celebrating the writerly power of each and every one of us. <3
Thank you for including a quote from my work, Kathryn.
I'm always inspired by your way with words June.
This is an INCREDIBLE round up--thank you so much for including my writing here!
Come back - it happens weekly around here :) Really, I love what you're all about, happy Middle Finger Project is back on Substack and looking forward to more!!
I'm having a ball! And it's been so lovely meeting other writers, too. Hooray!
So many amazing writers here. And so far I've never felt like it's a "social media platform" in the annoying time suck way. It's only added value for me.
Thank you so much for mentioning my piece. I'm so glad you took something from it and I love how you related it to your experience :)
Here's to many more creative projects!
It really helps me engage in deeper reading when I do these roundups and explore my own reactions in writing. <3 <3 Thank you for that. <3
Another interesting round-up of posts, Kathryn. I especially liked this: āto see my entire life as a body of work. It all counts. It all matters. And also any one project isnāt the be all end all. It doesnāt have to get completed (or even barely started) to have an important role in the entire body of work.ā This is something for me to think about some more.
Would love to hear your continued thoughts on that. <3 Sometimes I imagine that it's a hundred years from now and someone is curating a retrospective of my entire life ... it helps give it all context somehow.
True. Iāve thought often of legacy, and that my work may be the legacy I leave behind. And then I wonder, too, if my website disappears once I no longer pay for hosting & domain, who will even know Iāve been here. But things like my art and my journals and the books and various other project are tangible things that will last and I can have some sort of say in keeping them or tossing them...and that it can all be a body of work is, I think, a much better framework than legacy, for some reason....
I'm glad that's a helpful frame. I haven't thought extensively about the term legacy but it's something I'll mull over as to why that does feel different to me as well.
Thank you so much for reading my work and for sharing it!!! I am excited to hear about your class on perceptions!! As you know it's a topic that endlessly fascinates me!!
Speaking of scifi- have you read Becky Chambers? I love her Monk and Robot series best but I also love her other space series too...
Thank you again!!! š
I have not read her but Iāll add that to my list. And Iāll try to remember to keep you posted on my perceptions class. Iām excited about it!
Thank you in advance for keeping me posted about your perceptions class!! I made a note to myself to write more about perceptions too šš¤šš
I'm thinking you'll enjoy the writing of Becky Chambers- she fits firmly in the Hopepunk genre - a genre I adore from a "good mental health" perspective
I've never heard that term - Hopepunk - and I love it! I'll check her out.
Becky Chambers is one of my favorite authors out of several favorites in the hopepunk genre, loosely defined as fiction that has noble characters who work for the good of everyone and work in community with others towards making life as good as it can be for all. Not pie-in-the-sky but belief in pragmatic working together. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopepunk#:~:text=Hopepunk%20is%20an%20approach%20in,industry%20recognition%20of%20hopepunk%20literature.
Love that idea.
The Fifth Element is a great film that just happens to be in the Sci-Fi genre, and Her is definitely a good addition to any Sci-Friday list!
Thanks! It makes me really happy when you sci fi guys make me feel welcome <3 <3
I just restacked your newsletter with my favorite quote from it:
"I suppose what Iām trying to say is that many of us write to understand our worlds, reflect those worlds back to others and hopefully change those worlds into something better through shared understanding. And a lot of that means writing from our tough experiences, our individual and collective traumas, but also we can get sick of doing that and we can feel overwhelmed by still having to do that and we might want to write from the other parts of ourselves."
That has certain been my experience, which is one reason I also write on Medium about other topics. It's also true about what I read. When I finish reading an intense memoir about an author's painful experiences and mental health issues, I need a fun escape and read a novel.
Oh, that's also a really great point about balancing "hard" and "fun" reading. <3 <3
And in a meta twist, here I am mentioned alongside some big name authors!
Kathryn, you're doing great work here.
Thank you. Likewise with what you're doing. <3 <3
For what it's worth, I will throw a little weight behind "Raised by Wolves."
I love almost everything by Ridley Scott, though. If you know his work, you know he likes to ask existential questions while pretending the movie is about the action in front of you, and I just can't get enough of that sort of storytelling. It's pretty imaginative, and the cast is fantastic.
My partner makes good choices :) it is one I plan to check out
Do keep me posted! I hope it's a fun one for you.
Another epic round-up. Such generosity at the heart of these!
Thank you. I get as much from them as I give. <3
This is such a beautiful round up, I'm so pleased I found it today and so much of it resonated with me. It's only recently that I've discovered Reverse SAD is a thing and it's not just me "being weird" for not enjoying summer. It's so heartening to know that others feel the same. And that we can all collectively rejoice in these cooler autumn days.
San Francisco typically has a pretty cold summer because of fog and breeze but this summer has been unusually hot (for us, temperatures still lower than lots of places) and I've really struggled with the discomfort of that a lot this year. While it's not the same as Reverse SAD, it's still definitely got me celebrating the cooler weather peeking its head in here!!
And I hope that in future summers you find ways to be gentle with yourself, support your needs at that time, and remember that the seasons will turn once again.
So true. I'm trying to appreciate each season as it comes but autumn always has a special place in my heart. I bet San Francisco in autumn is magical. I've been there years ago but it was spring then.
It is. We donāt have the bold colorful leaves (Iāve actually never lived in a place that does) but we have our one wonderful seasonal changes and I am very happy to be moving into that time.
Ahh I saved this one in my inbox for a moment to read and can't get over how much reading/reflecting you're able to do with this project -- it's so appreciated. Thank you so much for including my thoughts as part of your roundup!