Blah blog

We don’t need to invalidate the experiences of others in order to elevate/validate our own. Doing that just turns us into the very people we fought against.

Hey, so I haven’t abandoned the fandom. Sorry I disappeared for a while. I’ve been sick with some mystery illness that doctors thought was pneumonia at first. But then I got a CT scan and it’s not that. They now think it’s bronchitis on top of possibly undiagnosed asthma, because whatever it is has been making me super tired all the time and short of breath for like moving/walking around. So, now I have a bunch of follow-up appointments to see what’s up with me, since the ER came up with nothing. 

Anyway, I’ll be back to writing soon, sorry that I’ve been out of commission for a while. The Valentine’s Day story is almost done and then I’ll be back to working on “Confirmed Bachelors.” 

I’ve seen one list going around but it consists mainly of books, which may be time-consuming or unavailable for some folks, and our ability to share them far and wide is limited. I compiled this list of online articles available for free plus archive.org links. Check on the notes if you save this link as I may occasionally reblog it to add articles that fit.

“Ur-Fascism” by Umberto Eco [mirror link] - an essential description of what fascism looks like.

“Autocracy: Rules for Survival” by Masha Gessen [mirror link] - avoiding complacency and deceit.

“Forget ‘Why,’ It’s Time to Get to Work” by Anil Dash [mirror link] - activism and consistency

“Don’t Let Anyone Tell You It’ll Be Okay” by Craig Martin [mirror link] - a very important debunking of all the rationalization going on around us.

“A madman has been given the keys to the surveillance state” by Cory Doctorow [mirror link] - a good reminder of why, even if all you do is talk to your niece on Facebook, we need to protect our digital freedom.

“No, We Won’t Calm Down” by Robothugs [mirror link] - how to avoid shutting out our marginalized allies, and how to recognize when someone is doing it to you

“The White Flight of Derek Black” by Eli Saslow [mirror link] - a powerful read on what it takes for a person to leave white nationalism behind.

“How to Help the Cause When You Need Help Yourself” by Carrie Cutforth [mirror link] - helpful reminders for activists with chronic illnesses or mental health issues. Read Spoon Theory, too, if you haven’t, for a helpful framework.

The White Flight of Derek Black is excellent reading if you feel like you need some hope. 

Ur-Fascism provides a lot of historical context to modern fascism. 

How to Help the Cause When You Need Help Yourself is a GREAT resource for people who feel like they can’t possibly do everything they want to, and who feel limited by disability, physical or neurological. 

On Arguing with the Upper Class is a short, concise, useful single-punch if you feel like you can’t handle anything deep or long today.