Occam's Razor

I have seen a post circulating for a while that lists 10 short stories everyone should read and, while these are great works, most of them are older and written by white men. I wanted to make a modern list that features fresh, fantastic and under represented voices. Enjoy!

1. A Temporary Matter by Jhumpa Lahiri — A couple in a failing marriage share secrets during a blackout. 

2. Stone Animals by Kelly Link — A family moves into a haunted house.

3. Reeling for the Empire by Karen Russell — Women are sold by their families to a silk factory, where they are slowly transformed into human silkworms. 

4. Call My Name by Aimee Bender — A woman wearing a ball gown secretly auditions men on the subway. 

5. The Man on the Stairs by Miranda July — A woman wakes up to a noise on the stairs. 

6. Brownies by ZZ Packer — Rival Girl Scout troops are separated by race. 

7. City of My Dreams by Zsuzi Gartner — A woman works at a shop selling food-inspired soap and tries not to think about her past. 

8. A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor — A family drives from Georgia to Florida, even though a serial killer is on the loose. 

9. Hitting Budapest by NoViolet Bulawayo — A group of children, led by a girl named Darling, travel to a rich neighborhood to steal guavas. 

I’d like to add:

11. Good Country People by Flannery O’Connor

12. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (this one is my favorite short story of all time)

13. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

14. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates

15. Désirée’s Baby by Kate Chopin

16. The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

17. Impressions of an Indian Childhood by Zitkala-Ša

18. “My Dear You,” Rachel Khong — love, loss, & absurdity in the afterlife

19. “The Husband Stitch,” Carmen Maria Machado — a feminist retelling of the folklore story “The Green Ribbon”

20. “Inventory,” Carmen Maria Machado — one woman’s retrospective list of her life’s sexual encounters

21. “Boys Go to Jupiter,” Danielle Evans — what happens after a white college student poses for a photo in a Confederate flag bikini

News - Writer Cecilia D'Anastasio posted an article today about her quest to find a copy of the long lost Toon Makers American “Sailor Moon” pilot (also known as “Saban Moon”), and it’s an AMAZING read that doesn’t end the way you might expect it to. 

If you’ve somehow never seen the original video that’s been floating around the internet for years, here’s the full version of it that someone recorded on analog video at a panel at Anime Expo 1998.

Awake & Alive (happiness, health, protection, energy)

1 part rosemary

1 part mint

1 part orange

½ part lemon

½ part thyme

Patience (peace, harmony, love)

1 part rose

1 part lavender

1 part pine

Clear Decisions (clear thinking, harmony, health, protection)

1 part pine

1 part rosemary

1 part sage

Prosperity (movement, energy)

1 part mint

1 part basil

1 part cinnamon

1 part pine

Health (health, communication, strength)

1 part thyme

1 part pine

1 part eucalyptus

 1 part ginger

Peace (meditation, spirituality, harmony)

1 part violet

1 part lavender

1 part jasmine

1 part sandalwood

Protection (protection, wisdom, purification)

1 part sage 

1 part sandalwood

1 part angelica

1 clove

Pinch of salt

Love ( love, harmony)

1 part rose

1 part jasmine

½ geranium

¼ vanilla

Note: if you do plan on using any of the recipes on your skin, make sure it is heavy diluted in a carrier oil such a almond, jojoba or coconut. Some oils can cause major skin irritating and should not be applied directly to skin. Be safe, be smart, and ALWAYS research it for yourself