OMM (On My Mind) – January 2024 – #4

~ a curated selection of discoveries ~

::: The Open :::

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoy this weekly newsletter (published on Sundays).

If you’re a subscriber, please consider reaching out to a friend you think may enjoy this newsletter and encourage them to sign up.

If you can, please consider signing up as a Paid Subscriber.

I’ll be just as happy if you donate to ONE ART: a journal of poetry.

Thank you for reading and for your time.

With Gratitude,

Mark

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::: Personal Notes :::

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‘How do we handle plagiarism in the lit mag community?’ (LitMagNews)

Becky Tuch addresses the MASSIVE headache, source of great disappointment, sadness, and you name it, of the week.

I spent countless hours dealing with this ordeal. Check socials and you’ll see both the damage and attempts at damage control.

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::: Music :::

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‘Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, more get into Songwriters Hall of Fame’ (ABC News)

R.E.M. deserves this honor, no question.

“On the ballot but unlucky this year were Public Enemy, Bryan Adams, George Clinton, Tracy Chapman, Blondie, Heart, The Doobie Brothers and David Gates.”

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‘Pitchfork Is Being Folded Into GQ, as Condé Nast Seeks ‘Best Path Forward’ for Music Publication’ (Variety)

15-year-old Mark would have been super pissed about this. Geriatric Millennial Mark, who has weirdly enjoyed aspects of GQ & Esquire over the years, is conflicted.

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::: The Literary Community & Beyond :::

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Submission Fee Support (Poetry Bulletin)

This is VERY cool!

Imagine if every lit mag and small press kicked in $20… There are somewhere between 3100 – 7500 active lit mags and small presses. Micro donations could really add up here and level the playing field in the world of “pay to play”.

For the record:

That $20 would add up to $62,000 – $150,000

Food for thought ~ ~ ~

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‘Beyond BICHOK: How, When and Why Getting Your Butt Out of the Chair Can Make You a Better Writer’ (Jane Friedman)

“Looking away gives the subconscious time to percolate”

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‘Invisible Ink: At the CIA’s Creative Writing Group’ (The Paris Review)

This is genuinely a fun read.

“Next I wondered if my visit could be used as soft-diplomacy propaganda. Look how harmless we are! We let writers come to our headquarters and pose for pictures. The CIA had veered into this type of literary boosterism before—supporting, for example, the founding of the very magazine for which I am writing this piece. So it wasn’t out of the question. In 2021, I had turned down an invitation from the government of Saudi Arabia for an all-expenses-paid trip to a writers’ retreat at al-‘Ulā, as I didn’t want to be a part of their arts and culture whitewashing. But in the end, I couldn’t think of a way that I’d be a useful propaganda tool for the CIA—unless they anticipated me writing this essay (in which case, kudos CIA)—and so I said yes.”

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[from] a newsletter by C. Hope Clark:

Self-published books fail to sell for three reasons:

1.     An average story idea / concept.

2.     Average writing.

3.     Insufficient marketing.

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Thoughts on the following list? Seems fairly basic…

‘The experts: artists on 20 easy, mind-expanding ways to be much more creative’ (Guardian)

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Youth Culture Embraces Libraries

‘Gen Z and millennials have an unlikely love affair with their local libraries’ (The Conversation)

As a Geriatric Millennial, I will say that this seems about right.

I took a brief hiatus from libraries but I’ve been back in full force post-pandemic.

I agree that it is something of an oasis in the following way:

“Younger generations tend to be more values driven than older ones, and libraries’ ethos of sharing seems to resonate with Gen Zers and millennials – as does a space that’s free from the insipid creep of commercialism. At the library, there are no ads and no fees – well, provided you return your books on time – and no cookies tracking and selling your behavior.”

“Our survey found that 64% of Black Gen Zers and millennials visited physical libraries in 2022, a rate that’s 10 percentage points higher than the general population. Meanwhile, Asian and Latino Gen Zers and millennials were more likely than the general population to say that browsing library shelves was a preferred way to discover new books.”

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More good news in the world of book sales…

‘Barnes & Noble hopes to open 50 shops in 2024 amid strong sales and 'significant growth'’ (The Bookseller)

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Patricia Lockwood on Blake Butler’s ‘Molly’ (London Review of Books)

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“Sometime last fall, Book Review editors began tussling over a battered advance copy of a January novel, Kaveh Akbar’s “Martyr!” It was the only one we had, and everyone wanted it.”

(The New York Times Book Review)

I think it’s important, in certain instances, to admit jealousy. Wow. Wouldn’t we all love someone to battle over an ARC of our book!?

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‘Write in Safety’ (Cleaver Magazine)

A reminder of the benefits of writing longhand.

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::: Health & Wellness :::

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Important, insightful, and thorough article.

‘BUT WHERE’S OUR Little Blue Pill?: WHY HASN’T THE SUPPOSED “MENOPAUSE GOLD RUSH” YIELDED A MIRACLE DRUG FOR WOMEN? THE SHORT ANSWER: MONEY AND MISOGYNY.”

“Combine that systemic low-boil misogyny with a dose of ageism and a general fear of women’s pleasure, and you can see why the landscape has been desolate for so long.”

“Women have forever been told if you get menstrual cramps, take two Midol and suck it up. If you are pregnant and have morning sickness, eat saltines and suck it up,” observes Levy. “When it comes to menopause, no one has really encouraged women to seek solutions for a very pervasive, complex, confusing time. But public consciousness is starting to change, though it’s early days still.”

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‘Improving women’s health ‘could add at least $1tn a year to global economy’ (Guardian)

“As of 2015, there were five times more scientific studies on erectile dysfunction, which affects 19% of men, than on premenstrual syndrome, which affects 90% of women.”

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‘The Yassification of Lactaid’ (Eater)

TBH: I wish I had discovered Lactaid (and generic lactose enzyme supplements) were helpful wayyy earlier in my life. (Wish there was an effective equivalent for eggs … unless there is and my research has failed me … )

As many are already well aware, adult humans are typically not meant to consume wild amounts of dairy products…and yet…We, The People (aka. Americans) consume a good deal of dairy. This was especially true in my days as a “Doritos Vegetarian”.

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The choice to be child-free. (Pocket)

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Some good news:

‘Cape Verde becomes fourth African country to eliminate malaria’ (Guardian)

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::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::

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‘Has a big village of tiny homes eased homelessness in Austin?’ (Texas Tribune)

I’ve been troubled to see some blowback against Housing First initiatives.

There are some disagreements about the effectiveness of Housing First; however, I’m not seeing anyone coming up with a better idea.

Humans have three essential needs:

1.     Water

2.     Food

3.     Shelter

You can’t expect someone to start working when they don’t know where they’re going to shower and sleep, let alone when they’re going to manage to find their next meal.

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Representation.

‘Mar Galcerán makes history as Spain’s first parliamentarian with Down’s syndrome’ (Guardian)

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‘Martin Luther King is not your mascot’ (NPR: Code Switch)

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“People are wrong to say that we have no heroes left.”

- Heather Cox Richardson, January 14, 2024

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AI Fears…

“The IMF said AI is likely to affect a greater proportion of jobs - put at around 60% - in advanced economies. In half of these instances, workers can expect to benefit from the integration of AI, which will enhance their productivity.” (BBC)

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Taylor Swift’s workout plan developed for The Era’s Tour (Outside)

Basically, it’s preterhuman.

“Taylor dropped miles like they were scarves at Jake Gyllenhaal’s house.”

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“A Chinese scientist filed a coronavirus sequence weeks before its official release.” (The Washington Post)

Many governments and individuals continue to be found further culpable in preventing Covid-19 from being as devastating as it was. Countless lives could have been saved.

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“North America has lost nearly 30% of its bird population in a half-century.” (The Washington Post)

Jon Franzen has his moments.

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Want to travel where it’s safe?

The Answer? Canada.

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Decoding ‘story’ (Seth Godin)

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Interested to hear other opinions on this piece.

‘Artists of our own lives’ (Aeon)

“Individual sex is a becoming.”

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‘The Airlines with the Most Legroom in Economy Seats, Ranked’ (Thrillist)

JetBlue for the win.

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‘Photographer Recreates Simpsons Characters Using Latest AI Technology’

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‘From Mark Ruffalo to Kieran Culkin, Men Are Kissing Each Other at 2024 Awards Shows’ (them)

“What’s especially promising is that, so far, no one really feels the need to “no homo” about these moments after they happen. As I’ll review below, these performers seem totally secure — and indeed happy about — these moments of affection.”

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::: News of the Weird :::

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‘The Indianapolis airport actually installed a full-length basketball court in the terminal in honor of NBA All-Star’ (USA Today)

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‘No joke: Feds are banning humorous electronic messages on highways’ (AP News)

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‘Home gardener grows giant 44-pound cabbage, sets state record’

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The Comment: “Chicago really needs a better educational system.”

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