Gabriela Santiago. SFWA, Clarion 2013, 1/3 of Team Tiny Bonesaw. Published in Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, The Dark. Composed of 90% body horror and fandom references. Life on Earth can be an adventure too.
Fourth Is The Dwarf and the Wedding Dress They Jump Through Fires As Long As It Takes to Make the World None of This Ever Happened Children
I should probably make a pinned post of my writing, shouldn't I? Most of these are free to read in online magazines; some require buying an anthology. Things you will find in these short stories include body horror, kid culture, unreliable narrators, food as characterization, bi joy, more body horror, xenolinguistics, estranged siblings, hauntings as a metaphor for colonialism, an additional fandom reference for every time I got "fandom references will date your work and alienate readers" as feedback, and more body horror somehow.
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In general we ought to be kinder to everyone but I think we need to be a lot meaner to MFAs. "I know you went to Iowa Writing Workshop but this is trash, sweetheart" should be on all of our lips at all times. Give me Hunter S. Thompson chews out Anthony Burgess as a decade-long cultural event.
Iowa Writer's Workshop mentioned! Time for me to recommend one of my favorite articles, by S.L. Huang -- a must-read for anyone looking to hone their critiquing-MFAs muscles.
Part 1. The Emotionally-Charged World of the SFF Workshops That Make Professional Writers In 2016, Neil Gaiman tweeted: âIf you want to be a
Alumni of SFF workshops commonly rave about their experiences, describing them as âlife changingâ or as cramming years of transformative craft advancement into mere weeks. However, for some individuals, the workshop experience works less well. One repeated caution is the phenomenon that some participants stop writing entirely afterwardâsometimes for a year or two or five, sometimes forever.
Over time, Iâve noticed that bad workshop experiences seemed to come up far more often in my BIPOC communities than elsewhere.
When gathering feedback for this article, this perception has only been reinforced. A few BIPOC respondents recalled their workshops with unmitigated warmth, but I also heard from BIPOC writers about workshop issues small and large: from microaggressions during critique to sometimes grossly inappropriate, racist comments that instructors either hadnât shut down or were party to. Sessions where people had to push back against other critiquersâ ignorance, or were angry they werenât allowed to, or were blamed for any divisivenessâŠThough many described positive ways workshops had benefited them as well, their accounts tended to be much more mixed. Furthermore, a common refrainâincluding from some people with unsullied workshop memoriesâwas the desire to now seek out all-BIPOC critique groups.
In the past, I chalked up my sense of all this to the systemic racism in the rest of our world. Even the best-intentioned, most well-run workshops are made up of people, and it did not seem strange that my fellow authors of color would have a greater number of poor experiences, even at respected workshops. Not rightâbut not strange. Then I learned the fascinating, frightening history of creative writing workshops in the United StatesâŠa history that still influences how we teach today.
But this is not just about further punishing prisoners. There is a pattern here with the federal budget. Access to knowledge and information
The work of prison librarians is vital. In federal prisons in Canada there is extremely limited access to the internet and librarians are the only way that prisoners can access current information about any range of topics, including recent legal matters which may impact their own cases.
Simply put, access to librarians in prison is a human rights issue. Tanya Talaga recently noted in the Globe & Mail that the move to eliminate federal prison librarians violates Rule 64 of the United Nationsâ Nelson Mandela Rules
Really great article written by my colleague. If you care about libraries, museums, heritage, archives, or any other part of the cultural sector in Canada, give it a read.
Salt of the Earth actually has a crazy interesting history- OP already said it was made in 1954, but that was in the middle of the Red Scare (communism scary cold war hysteria)
Congressâs anti-communism target fell hard on Hollywood, and those in the industry who were suspected of communism at all were blacklisted from all jobs, because studioâs didnât want to face backlash from Congress
Salt of the Earth was made nearly 100% with blacklisted crew members from Hollywood, and had such difficulty finding actors that they hired local citizens and miners from the actual strike the plot is based on. There were only 5 trained actors involved, and one of them (Rosaura Revueltas, the woman in the gif) was deported to Mexico before they finished filming on accusations of communism, with no proof and no substance. The filming was plagued with police harassment and threats (according to my professor they were shot at more than once), and the local union hall was burned down.
The movie itself not only covers a real 1950âČs labor strike demanding safer and more equal labor conditions for Mexican-American employees, but after the miners were facing arrest, their wives and children took up the strike in their place. The movieâs combination of blacklisted crew, civil rights and feminist message, and pro-union plot (during the red scare) got the movie blacklisted and only 12 theaters in the entire United States would show the movie- it was successful in Europe, but didnât actually achieve viewership in the US until the 60âČs
Meagan Morris and Autumn Hill have been sent back to FMC Fort Worth to await sentencing. If you want to write them letters, you'll have to use their deadname in the addresses, but please use their actual names in the letters! The addresses are below:
For Meagan:
Bradford Morris 11136-512
FMC Fort Worth FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTER
P.O. BOX 15330
FORT WORTH, TX 76119
for Autumn Hill:
Cameron Arnold 11138-512
FMC Fort Worth FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTER
P.O. BOX 15330
FORT WORTH, TX 76119
If you provide them with contact information, you can get emails to and from them with Corrlinks. They need your legal name, physical address, phone number, and email address for Corrlinks, and if you ask to get in touch with them that way you'll receive an email from Corrlinks with their contact request and instructions on setting up a Corrlinks account. Corrlinks is free for the people on the outside, so if you want to contact them without paying for postage that's an option.
however, Meagan and Autumn do need to pay for a bunch of things - access to Corrlinks emails, food and toiletries from the commissary, mailing labels and stamps for mailing letters. If you want to send them commissary, the Bureau of Prisons website has the instructions on how to send commissary money. You'll need to use their deadname and register number to send money to their account:
For Meagan Morris:
Bradford Morris, register/account number 11136512
For Autumn Hill:
Cameron Arnold, register/account number 11138512
If you have any questions about all this, feel free to message me or send me an ask on Tumblr, I'm willing to pass along messages and help you troubleshoot things if necessary. As always, thanks to everyone who supports Meagan and Autumn and all the Prairieland defendants! To support all of them as they appeal their convictions and prepare for the future, you can donate to their legal fund here:
Please visit our website at https://prairielanddefendants.com/ for more updates, articles, and letter writing information.Español abajo Supp
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making an extra post because the tags aren't good enough
here is all the reasons why you should use comicfury (if you aren't already) :
pretty much full control over your custom site design. if you're an HTML/CSS nerd you can go as crazy as you want with it. but for those who aren't so code-savvy, there are also simplified built-in design tools so you can create a unique site for yourself and your work. reject homogeneous minimalism design of bigger platforms, embrace tradition of mid-2000's kitchen sink site design (if that's what you want, that is).
the site demonstrates its own philosophies through its extremely charming vintage 2000's-era site design. it ain't broke so it doesn't need fixing. if it's too 'ugly' for you and wards you off from using the site, then it's succeeding at what it was designed to do.
forums! remember those??? CF sure does!
full view of your comic statistics over the past month, shown as delicious daily line graphs, separated by unique visitors, web page view, and scroll view.
hosting is free. don't want that pesky 'thecomicseries' or 'comicfury' add-on? all you gotta do is purchase your own domain name. contact kyo and they'll take care of the rest.
you can categorize your pages per chapter, making for an easier reading experience
you can include page transcripts for screen-readers as well as mouseover text
you can enable comments per upload and even manage them so that all comments have to be approved by you before they're shared publicly
archive tagging!!! i.e. you can tag uploads with relevant characters / locations / etc. so people can find specific pages easier on your site.
you can run a goddang BLOG on your comic site so that people can read what you've been up to! or don't, it's your choice!
clear filters for NSFW content. the filters do what they must to inform your audience as intended, outside of that, your comic will not be taken down, flagged, or suppressed in search results just because it contains violence or boobies.
they are strictly anti-AI
they do not make licensing deals with third-party companies, so the only 'competition' you have are other indie creators like you, no Marvel or DC nonsense
you're free to embed ads and/or donation buttons on your site and CF will not take off a single cent of it for themselves.
the front page goes to Recently Updated by default, all the other tabs are simply Popular Now and Popular Overall. there's also a Random button if you want to be surprised with something new. while this might seem like a bad thing for people who prefer custom filtering, this unbiased layout prevents the common visibility issues / favoritism / etc. that happen on other platforms.
but if you DO want to find something new that fits your specific tastes? just use their search bar, unlike on Webtoons it actually does what search bars are supposed to do! within the search page you can pick and choose whatever genre tags you want, and you can filter out major NSFW flags you're not comfortable with seeing.
saving the best for last: none of those features outlined above require paying a premium subscription tier. you have access to ALL the same tools and permissions that everyone else does. you have just as much potential to gain an audience there as everyone else and you are all granted the same freedoms.
COMICFURY HAS A SCROLL VIEW SETTING THAT YOU CAN ADJUST IN YOUR SETTINGS. THE PLATFORM IS ALREADY DESIGNED TO BE CONSUMABLE ON YOUR PHONE. IT DOESN'T NEED AN APP.
ugh man i'm so sorry for popping off on this very innocent and well-meaning bystander but what did i JUST say
when i say it's a webcomic platform that knows it's a webcomic platform
that's it. no asterisk. that's the POINT OF THE MEME.
it is a website for reading and hosting webcomics. there is no app. and that is why it works.
i realize this might just be a consequence of me being Oldâąïž compared to the average webcomic consumer / artist, but do y'all know how destructive phone apps have been and still are to webcomic culture? because not only is developing a phone app EXPENSIVE AND TIME-CONSUMING, but it's pretty much impossible to have phone apps now that aren't managed and funnelled through Google and Apple.
that means CENSORSHIP. and CORPORATE INTERFERENCE. and FINANCIAL INVOLVEMENT. which is entirely opposing to WHAT WEBCOMICS ARE.
as soon as indie sites based around free content develop apps, there's a very clear shift in how that site continues to operate, prioritizing corporate standards and profit over usability and community. because otherwise, they can't justify the creation of the app in the first place, and they can't very well maintain that app on account of how expensive it is to do so.
in fact, i can even attest to this from experience! y'know Tapas? the friendly competitor to Webtoons?
this platform used to FUCKING SLAP and then guess what? they released their phone app. and in doing so, they immediately lost the entire fucking plot. their ad revenue program turned to shit, they started prioritizing their advertising and growth towards paywalled comics over the free to read ones, they started restricting the content that was allowed on the platform for the sake of 'brand friendliness' and most of all, they started caring more about what INVESTORS saw rather than what the average user experienced.
and i'm sure that's a heavily biased opinion in which i'm choosing to cast blame on one specific thing instead of all the various things that led to the downfall of this fuckass platform (and i could talk about all those things at length too) but guess what? i don't give a fuck if it IS biased, because i've been there and back and lived to tell the tale and the common denominator in the enshittification of all these major platforms i'm goddamn MEME'ING ON was the phone apps. and most of all, the normalization of corporate involvement which happens the MOMENT you build an app for the Google and/or Apple store.
modern phone apps are NOT about accessibility, they're about money and metrics. that's it.
again, big apologies to the person who left these tags in the reblogs because i know they didn't mean any ill will of it.
but EVERY FUCKING DAY i see y'all complaining that webtoons and tapas are garbage, that they don't let you consume NSFW content without censoring the fuck out of it or removing titles entirely from their platforms, how they progressively tighten paywalls and increase ads to force every last cent out of you, but never ONCE do y'all realize THE CALLS ARE COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE.
comicfury doesn't have or need a phone app for the same reason that AO3 doesn't have or need a phone app. to put it simply - because it's pointless, a waste of money and effort, and it would just destroy everything that's great about the thing that i'm trying to promote to you in the first place.
this is what usage freedom and decentralizing actually looks like. this is what has kept comicfury populated and alive. nothing more, nothing less.
I will hard, HARD second this. And I'll follow it up by urging all'ya thinking you'd like to start a comic to just go ahead and jump on it. No time like the present and comicfury is stupidly good and user friendly, love 'em.
Instead of the new dogshit Odyssey film you should watch Iphigenia (1977). Itâs made by actual Greek people and focuses on a mother-daughter relationship to explore how women are sacrificed by powerful men in times of war. Also the main actress has the face of an angel đ the whole movie is available on YT with English subtitles.
for the lovely lovely deafies out there who want to get involved in direct action you absolutely 100% cannot ever bring a hearing aid or cochlear implant with bluetooth to any direct action. bluetooth devices all carry a unique signal that can be used to identify you if it's picked up at a direct action. go with a [more] hearing buddy and communicate in sign language. if you don't mutually know a sign language then come up with gestures. do not risk your freedom because you want to have your hearing aid/cochlear implant at the action. it's not worth it.
flock cameras are also now tracking bluetooth device signatures when you pass them. if you drive past a flock camera with your bluetooth-enabled hearing aid or cochlear implant, the flock camera knows you passed through
Wait I just realized this is gonna apply to all cgms and most if not all insulin pumps. Theyâre all Bluetooth devices, itâs essential to how they work
This kind of shit is why my writing is about disability AND surveillance. This is the newest way disability is being used to surveil and target people, but the trend has been around for a lot longer than any of us.
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Transphobia is being signed into law in the UK. Let's fight it together.
I am begging the UK trans community and its allies to attend the rescheduled Mass Lobby at Parliament, now on Wed Sept 9th, 1pm-5pm, organised by Trans Solidarity Alliance.
The law around trans equality is fundamentally broken. Government inaction is hanging trans people and organisations out to dry - with a con
The new EHRC Code of Practice pushes trans people out of toilets, hospital wards, and community spaces. It normalises gender policing based on appearance and stereotypes. It became statutory guidance in the UK on August 5th, 2026.
Trans people are now legally their assigned gender at birth and must join gendered spaces accordingly, but if they are perceived as their lived gender, they can also be ejected from those spaces. The guidance says: either break the law, or donât pass too well.
A mass lobby is where you invite your MP to discuss your concerns with you in-person. Our demands have changed. Ask your MP to:
Write to Ministers and Prime Minister Andy Burnham to say they are profoundly concerned by the rolling back of trans rights, and that they believe that it is time for Parliament to legislate to protect equality for trans people.
Ask parliamentary questions focused on protecting trans peopleâs rights and defending trans peopleâs abilities to live safe and dignified lives.
Speak up both inside and outside Parliament in defence of trans peopleâs rights.
Meet regularly with trans constituents to understand their lived realities.Â
Your MP does not have to be an ally, they do not have to respond to your email for you to show up and greencard them (details below the cut.) What matters is that as many people as possible show up.
I cannot stress this enough: Showing up in person matters. It is much more effective than petitions, emails, and letters.
We have already had some wins because we took action. The 2026 EHRC guidance has already rolled back its most harmful elements because of mass campaigning by individuals like us, and groups like The Good Law Project. This summer, 166 MPs signed the Early Day Motion 240 to reject the EHRC Code of Practice, because of our campaigning. That is 1 in 4 MPs.
It is a horrible, stressful time, and I am so sorry if you're trans and live in the UK. But I was at last year's mass lobby and the line for greencarding alone stretched around the back gates. It was a record breaking mass lobby and made us impossible to ignore. Let's do even better this time. Details under the cut:
Worried about what to say?
Bring your personal worries about transphobia being signed into law, and trans friends being excluded from public spaces. You are a living person who deserves dignity. Remind your MP of that. On the day, you'll get guidance and brochures from Trans Solidarity Alliance that outlines our demands. This is mine from last year.
Here is an online briefing for lobbyists (10 mins read for essential info, 20 mins for details)
Money issues?
Trans Solidarity Alliance provides a travel bursary that you can sign up for via the link.
Got a refusal or no response from your MP?Â
Come anyway! You can request a same-day appointment with your MP through a process called greencarding. They will come and see you if theyâre already in Parliament. Even if they donât, theyâre made acutely aware of your cause because you showed up in person. This is my greencard from last year.
Here is the EHRC Code of Practice in full. It's a tough read, but some highlights are:
Organisations canât provide trans-inclusive, single-sex services, or they risk being sued for discrimination. e.g. domestic violence support for women including trans women, menâs rugby group including trans men (12.68).
Trans people will have nowhere safe to pee. If youâre a trans man, businesses can't allow you to pee in the men's, and you can also be ejected from womenâs bathrooms if youâre perceived as a man. Vice versa for trans women. EHRC suggests a âthird spaceâ bathroom, which is discriminatory and unworkable for most businesses. (13.130-133)
Sports organisations must exclude trans people from single-sex competitions (13.73). A womenâs only sports competition must exclude trans women because of their biological advantage or face potential lawsuits (13.74), but a trans man who has undergone testosterone treatment can also be excluded based on fairness rules (13.81).
Trans women are stripped of the legal definition of âlesbianâ, and therefore no longer have legal protections if theyâre discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation. (2.50, 2.92).
Here is the Good Law Project's better explanation of the EHRC Code.
Sign up for the mass lobby and email your MP here, or click the main link above.
If you are not in the UK but want to support the case, please donate to The Good Law Project.
Save the date and book off work!! I will see you there :))
I really am sick of the âWe killed this person/pointed a gun at them because they were trying to run us over.â justification from ICE and cops. Get out of the fucking way. Lol. Motorists hit bicyclists and pedestrians all the time while theyâre minding their own goddamn business and they donât pull a gun on the driver. Youâre standing in front of a car so you can shoot someone and justify it. Youâre not minding your own goddamn business crossing the street, youâre looking for a reason to kill.
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"One time a piano student asked me: 'Why play the piano if these days my tablet or smartphone can do it automatically better than me?'
He then showed me several apps that played music using scores.
I explained to him: 'Your cell phone always plays that Debussy score in exactly the same way. You, on the other hand, with your emotions and flaws, will never play the score the same way twice. You will not play the same way on a sunny day when you have just fallen in love as on a cloudy day when a relative has just died. Music is not just a score - you too are part of the music. Art includes you in the experience; your human imperfections are also part of the work.'"
- Nobuo Suzuki, Wabi Sabi: The Wisdom in Imperfection
Being able to draw older people as attractive without reducing or erasing the visual signs of aging, and in fact showing that they're attractive because of those signs, is an artistic skill that should be valued so much more. Honestly, it should earn you an immediate fortune because holy fuck is it a rare commodity. There are so many artists who seem to think attractiveness and aging exist in opposition to each other, so they smooth every wrinkle, erase every crease, and de-age the character until they're basically thirty with silver hair. But when an artist can look at crow's feet, smile lines, weathered skin, deep-set wrinkles, and all the little traces of a life well lived and say, "No, that's what makes them beautiful," that's a level of artistic observation and care I wish we celebrated more often.