OMM (On My Mind) – October 2023 – #4
~ findings & research ~
::: The Open :::
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In recent times, I spent countless hours putting together a post on Small Presses. I hope you’ll take time to check it out. This will be regularly updated as new information is sent my way. A serious undertaking that I hope will prove beneficial for the literary community.
The goal (a goal of mine, in general) is to improve the literary community’s ecosystem.
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What’s on the horizon?
New ‘On Your Mind’ posts in conversation with poets and writers.
Forthcoming posts are in-progress from Amy Small-McKinney, Liz Chang, Gerry LaFemina, Kari Ann Ebert, and others.
If you’d like to write about what’s On Your Mind, please reach out and we’ll discuss.
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::: Podcasts :::
Important, Not Important – Illusion of Choice (~20 minute listen)
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80K After Hours – Hannah Ritchie on why it makes sense to be optimistic about the environment
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Recent episodes of The Poetry Space_ with Katie Dozier & Timothy Green
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‘The Good, the Bad, and the Swiftie of Taylor’s Eras Tour Concert Film’ (Pitchfork)
I lived it. It’s Taylor’s world and we’re just living in it.
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Speak Now to the moon. (Chartr)
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‘Taylor Swift, SZA, Morgan Wallen Lead Billboard Music Awards Nominations’ (Variety)
TBH, I did not know Billboard even hosted a music awards ceremony… for whatever that’s worth.
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::: Music :::
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This is genuinely FASCINATING.
Check out how music has shifted in recent years based on a granular look at Spotify’s 6,000 genres. (The Pudding)
I’m intrigued by Omar Apollo’s designation as “Bedroom Pop”.
The crossovers are, indeed, very strange. Also, the references to people creating mashup playlists that seem to defy some kind of “musical physics”.
Rabbit Hole: Going to take a stand (on an issue that has no real consequences) and say that if we’re going to attribute “hyperpop” to a single person, that person is going to have to A.G. Cook. If you want to examine what I personally feel is the first breakthrough mainstream hyperpop album, then check out Charli XCX’s ‘Pop 2’.
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DJ Earworm has a new track. I can’t help myself.
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Didn’t realize boygenius has released ‘The Rest’ (4 tracks that were left off ‘The Album’).
The first 2 tracks are solid. The other two are decent. Time will tell [how they age]… as always.
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Never saw the video when it came out. Yes, a controversial character. This is well understood. With that in mind, I like this song and I like this music video by Chris Brown.
(Ugh, the latest. Stop letting fans down, man, and lay off the snow.)
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[The above-mentioned track] Pairs well with The 1975 song/video ‘Paris’. Beautiful. So very beautiful.
Matty Healy, of course, has his own controversies… a number of them he danced himself right into.
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For a while, I’ve been thinking it would be really great to have a remix with Drake featuring on this 1975 track.
If anyone happens to know Drake or Matty Healy maybe then can make that happen.
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There’s a great Spotify playlist called ‘Dark Academia Classical’
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Streaming is a disaster (as you hopefully are already aware). Most of us are using streaming anyways because that’s it’s the way you can access a whole lot of music for a kinda crazy low monthly fee.
If you use a platform and are looking for a good playlist in pretty much any genre, please feel free to ask. I’ve spent many years on Amazon Music, Apple Music, and have now returned to Spotify after not using it since the early days.
Frighteningly… some of my personal playlists are, in fact, publicly searchable on these platforms. Seek them out at your own risk.
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::: The Natural World :::
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“Bobi, known as the world's oldest dog ever, dies at age 31” (USA Today)
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‘Epic battle between heron and snake in Florida wildlife refuge caught on camera’ (USA Today)
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Nerd Snacks has a rundown on recent findings about dog-fox hybrids.
In short, it’s all humanity’s fault. Big surprise. We encroach on nature and it creates problems (think: pandemics). Also, those coyotes hanging out in your backyard? This was their territory first. And the explosive deer population? Ok, well we know we did that. And we, know too that the reason they tend to get hit by cars is because we paved roads directly through their natural routes.
Anyways, here’s, allegedly, the first known dog-fox hybrid.
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::: The Arts & The Literary World:::
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Virtual magnet poetry! Ok, so, I’d much prefer you engage with the real thing, in real life. We spend enough time in front of screens. But, if you’re going to be sitting in front of a screen anyhow, I reckon this is a better use of your time than 87% of whatever other distractions are tempting you.
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The Library Map (intended to help you discover your next read).
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SCAM ALERT:
‘Imposter Syndrome: The Rise of Impersonation Scams’ (Write Unboxed)
Shout-out to Writer’s Beware for calling attention to this.
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‘Research suggests that people find artworks more aesthetically pleasing when they’re personally relevant to them in some way’ (Psyche)
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IKEA residency!?
‘Why so many L.A. creatives meet up at a secret, underground spot: Ikea’ (LA Times)
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On FOMO & The Stoics (LitHub)
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Good advice.
‘How to Turn Real-Life Events Into Compelling Fiction’ (Writer’s Digest)
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An excerpt from a Chill Subs blog post about what they learned after working on a new lit mag (on Threads) for three weeks:
I have no idea how most editors work. I’ve mostly been on the writing side of things for over a decade so this is new for me. Also, grain of salt: this is a micro mag. Very very short works and poems. But here are some things I found:
80% of the time, I can tell something isn’t working within 5-10 seconds.
90% of those that work, lose me in the last line.
Folks use way more cliches than I thought. (I now plan to scour all of my current work for cliches. Then murder them).
People really like to write poems about writing/love; this is where I find the most cliches.
Issues make themselves. Every issue, I’ve found the first story sets the tone for what follows. It really does lead to situations where something I love just doesn’t fit.
I’m more critical when I’m hungry or sleepy. Pretty sure any editor this doesn’t happened to is either better than me or a damned liar.
I’m personally a big fan of the good folks at Chill Subs and encourage you check them out and donate to support their mission to help the literary community (and beyond) better navigate the world of submissions and publishing.
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‘Enough “How-To” Books: It’s Time For More “How-Come” (LitHub)
“My hypothesis was that all the productivity hacking, wellness seeking, and minimalism detoxes in the world cannot fix what’s ailing us if in fact, it is not us who are actually sick.”
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‘Nonfiction That Rivals Little Women: The Forgotten Essays of Louisa May Alcott’ (LitHub)
“Her earliest “real book,” as she called it, was Flower Fables published in December, 1854; a collection of fairy tales written for her pupil Ellen Emerson, the daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson.”
“First published in serial form and later as a book, (1863) “Hospital Sketches” provided rare on-the-ground reportage of the long, bloody conflict from a war nurse’s perspective—a thing unheard of at the time.”
“In her non-fiction Alcott spoke her mind, politically and otherwise, and incorporated into her writing her beliefs in abolition, suffrage and equal rights. She also wrote dozens of civic-minded minded letters, both privately and publicly, on issues important to her day. Newspapers provided a handy platform. One of her shortest pieces, “Happy Women,” published in a “Column of Advice to Young Women” on—of all days—Valentine’s Day, defends women’s inalienable right to remain single.”
“Alcott herself, though she later became an adoptive mother to a niece and a nephew, never married. Her mother Abigail May Alcott had labored in Boston’s worst slums, campaigning tirelessly for healthier, safer working conditions for women, fair pay, equal opportunity. Louisa was an outspoken defender of the rights of women to vote, early and late. (She was also the first woman ever to cast a vote in her home town of Concord, Ma.) She shared her mother’s dedication to feminist causes and social justice.”
“The essays also give further proof of her indefatigable energy. Nothing but death and dying could slow her down.”
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Getting more creative by letting go of your assumptions. Easier than you think? (aeon)
“You may be setting up barriers to creative thought and behaviour without even knowing you are doing so; one of my goals in this essay is to help you recognise the hidden creative strengths – your shadow creativity, so to speak – that wait to be explored.”
This article vaguely dances around the concept on Art vs. Content which is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately and will share more thoughts on soon. The article as is content.
“It is important, too, to remember that being a creative person does not have to mean sacrificing everything to appease the demons in your head. Creativity comes in all shapes and forms, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t fit a certain mental image of what you think a creative person should be. You can recognise and appreciate your own creativity even if it seems minor, even if others don’t like it, even if it feels like it’s just part of your job. Being creative can improve multiple dimensions of your life, regardless of what creativity looks like for you.”
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How Microsoft Word has guided how we use language over the last 40 years. And what is to come. (BBC)
“The suggestions you see will be the same as millions of others. Again, this may feel innocuous but it's another example of how Word standardises language by loosely guiding everyone down the same path.”
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The Best Books of the Year according to Bookshop.org (Book Riot)
Glad to see Matthew Desmond’s ‘Poverty, by America’ on this list. It’s an important read. I was also very taken with his previous book, ‘Evicted’. I highly recommend both.
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::: Recommended Poetry Reading :::
ONE ART: a journal of poetry – daily poems
Rattle Magazine – daily poems
Only Poems – weekly featured poets
Verse Daily – loads of wonderful work in the archives (Curated by J. P. Dancing Bear)
The Slowdown – rotating hosts (I loved it best while work was curated by Poet Laureate Ada Limón)
Poetry Foundation – Poem of the Day
Academy of American Poets – Poem-a-Day
Poetry Daily – daily poems
Haikuniverse – daily haiku
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::: Virtual Workshops :::
ModPo (free virtual poetry workshop through University of Pennsylvania)
24 Pearl Street (all genres)
Lambda Literary: Learn with Lambda
Check: Heavy Father Review’s ‘Where to Sumit’ for regular updates
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::: More Resources for Poets/Writers/Artists :::
Becky Tuch’s ‘Lit Mag News’ Substack is terrific!
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Chill Subs (now “married” to Write or Die) is doing an amazing job. Just hope they are taking care of themselves as best as possible to prevent burnout! I highly recommend paying the small monthly fee – it’s well worth the investment and you’re supporting people who are doing good work (and not getting properly compensated) and providing useful services for the literary community.
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There’s a good chance you’re already well aware of what Poets & Writers has to offer. Just in case you are not, they have a fairly comprehensive database of literary magazines and contests as well as information about residencies and conferences. – Poets & Writers | Contests, MFA Programs, Agents & Grants for Writers (pw.org)
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If you haven’t already checked it out, you can sign up for Duotrope’s basic newsletter for free. Otherwise there’s a small monthly fee. —
https://duotrope.com/
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I have not personally found a great deal of use from The Submission Grinder, however, it’s a free version that has some of the same info that Duotrope offers – The Submission Grinder (diabolicalplots.com)
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NewPages is worth checking out occasionally, especially if it’s new to you. They started a Substack not too long ago, so now much of their content is behind a paywall.
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CRWROPPS is a list of writing opportunities hosted by poet Allison Joseph.
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Trish Hopkinson is a good resource for places to submit, prompts, and other literary community info.
Erika Dreifus provides useful info for the literary community, too.
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Cliff Garstang creates an annual list of literary magazine rankings based on his own methodology
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Compare to Brecht de Poortere’s Top 1000 Literary Magazines (fiction-oriented).
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Robert Lee Brewer has written for Writer’s Digest for a long time now. The Poem-a-Day prompts are a good way to encourage generative writing. Brewer also hosts daily prompts for competitions in November and April (for National Poetry Month).
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::: Health & Wellness :::
Am I contagious? (New York Times)
Cold: Mild symptoms, including runny nose and congestion. Most contagious on Days 2 and 3.
Flu (influenza): Sore throat, congestion, fever, aches — all of which come on suddenly. Contagious for about five days.
Covid: Congestion, fatigue, cough, sore throat. Most contagious through Day 5.
R.S.V.: Severe coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath. Most contagious on Days 1 to 5.
Norovirus: Diarrhea and vomiting. Symptoms last 24 to 48 hours, but you can be contagious for weeks.
Strep Throat: Very sore throat, maybe fever. No longer contagious 24 hours after starting antibiotics.
Conjunctivitis (pink eye): Itchy, red, weepy eyes. Highly contagious for a few days to a couple weeks, if you get it in both eyes.
Hand, foot & mouth disease: Rash, mouth sores, fever. Most contagious while symptoms are present (a few days to a week).
Note: For the most accurate information, please consult recommended, vetted sources, including CDC, medlineplus.gov, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic. Given the amount of time and energy poured into what is now (likely) the largest experiment in knowledge collaboration – Wikipedia is now, in many instances, a useful guideline (as opposed to a source that was considered 100% unacceptable to as a reference/citation for papers when I was in college).
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‘Too much red meat is linked to a 50% increase in Type 2 diabetes risk’ (NPR)
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But wait, there’s more…
More health & wellness articles and info in the general ‘Small Explorations & Deep Dives’ section.
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::: News of The Weird :::
Chuck Shepherd was a dedicated person. For years, I got a kick out of his “New of the Weird” posts. Once (maybe twice?) I wrote his saying I thought someone he shared was inappropriate or vulgar or otherwise out of line. He actually answered personally and said something to the extent of “you’re always going to offend someone”. Fair enough.
I’m not out to offend anyone. I do think this category of so-called “news” can be shared in good fun. If I find anything noteworthy, I’ll share.
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“Matchmaker allows Tinder users to invite up to 15 loved ones to play cupid and recommend potential partners directly within the dating app.” (The Verge)
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When considering your “Team of 15”, why not add Chuck Grassley?
“Chuck Grassley crowned 'matchmaker' after 20 staff marriages” (BBC News)
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“Philadelphia men face federal charges for allegedly stealing 2 million dimes from truckload of coins” (Fox News)
Here’s my first question. What was their game plan? To go from bank chain to bank chain “discreetly” trying to exchange large numbers of dimes for stacks of cash?
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‘They Cracked the Code to a Locked USB Drive Worth $235 Million in Bitcoin. Then It Got Weird’ (Wired)
If you’ve followed this story (and there are a few others like it), this is a rather riveting read.
Also, can’t help myself. Remember, Homer Simpson’s confusion about “Wired Magazine” being “Weird Magazine”? Classic.
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::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::
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‘Israelis, Jews in US Seek Gun Ownership After Hamas Attack’ (All Sides)
Because antisemitism.
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‘Antisemitic hate crimes in London up 1,350%’ (Guardian)
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Not all news is accurate now. We know this. We also know terrible acts are being committed. It is the extent of horror that is under debate.
‘Kill, behead, rape: Interrogated Hamas members detail atrocities against civilians’ (The Times of Israel)
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‘Anti-Black racism is rising in EU countries, led by Germany, study finds’ (Reuters)
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Let’s be clear, Trump has always been “like a mob boss” (Guardian)
Rappers have been including nods to Trump…for a long time. Here’s an early mention by Ice-T from 1989. For reference, since his time as a rapper, Ice-T has been on Law & Order for 23 seasons.
Here’s an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to “Donald Trump in music”
I have often liked to point out to people that long before Kanye put on the MAGA hat, he wrote, "Balding Donald Trump taking dollars from y'all" (So Appalled, 2010).
I ubered frat boys who insisted on listening to Mac Miller’s “Donald Trump” (2011) on repeat. (In fairness, this was right after Miller’s untimely death and a lot of folks were upset and wanted to listen to his tracks in general.)
I appreciate Lil Wayne’s jab in ‘Uproar’ – “Listenin' to Bono, you listen to Donald".
Probably the best dig I’ve heard on Trump has been:
"Flame your crew quicker than Trump fucks his youngest" ("Nobody Speak" by DJ Shadow, feat. Run the Jewels, 2016)
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Well done: Musicians who oppose Donald Trump's use of their music
Anyway, I digress…
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“U.S. working adults with poor wellbeing are nearly twice as likely as those with holistic wellbeing to gain a new chronic condition within three years.” (Gallup)
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About ¼ of the world feels lonely.
“A Meta-Gallup survey of more than 140 countries shows 24% of people worldwide feel very or fairly lonely -- but about half do not feel lonely at all.” (Gallup)
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Clickbait, pure and simple, and digestible.
“Every Burger Topping Imaginable, Ranked” (The Takeout)
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"I am just wired for war." — Elon Musk (Yahoo Finance)
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Got Thrift?
Shout-out to Morgantown, West Virginia (and WVU students!) for making Motown the #1 thrifting location in the U.S. (WBOY)
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On the search for better alternatives to our current social media cesspool. (The Verge)
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P.S.A. on Panera’s charged (highly caffeinated) drinks.
“Ivy League student, 21, dies after drinking Panera lemonade beverage: suit” (NY Post)
These drinks should not exist. At the very least, they need to be well-labeled. An immediate solution: don’t allow people to have access to unlimited refills.
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“Study: Foods like ice cream, chips and candy are just as addictive as cigarettes or heroin” (USA Today)
It’s true. I’ve experimented with enough drugs to know. Humans get addicted to everything. We tell ourselves stories—this vice is less bad than that vice. Coffee is extremely addictive. Try to quit, it’s a real challenge for most people.
Sugar + fat is a combination not unlike audio + visual (tv).
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The now constantly question.. “are our short attention spans really getting shorter?” (Guardian)
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‘A simple checklist to plan for your old age, today’ (Vox)
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‘Iceland’s prime minister joins thousands of women on strike’ (CNN)
“Thousands of women across Iceland – including the prime minister – went on strike Tuesday as part of a campaign pushing for greater gender equality in the country.”
How often does a country’s leader go on strike?? Iceland is a small country. Imagine if the U.S. had this level of push [at scale] for gender equality.
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Philly has decided to make use of The National Guard (no big deal) to manage the situation in The Badlands. (Inquirer)
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An update on the tranq situation. For some reason, they’re positing this like it’s a new thing… it’s been a problem in the Philly drug scene for years. (NPR)
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‘Consumer Reports finds more lead, cadmium in chocolate, urges change at Hershey’ (Reuters)
Cheap chocolate has other problems you may already be aware of.
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Social Media is harming us. Hence, all the lawsuits. It’s not just children and adolescents, either. I must admit my susceptibility… it’s been a rough ride.
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‘Brain stays sharper longer on DASH diet, study finds’ (Insider)
The quotes about neuroticism and depression are important caveats.
“The authors noted that there were some limitations to the study, including that the cognitive impairments were self-reported. Certain personality traits, particularly higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness, and depression may make someone more likely to report impairments, they said, which the study did not account for.”
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Iran’s “morality police” are committing obscene acts. Look up the stories about Armita Geravand and Mahsa Amini.
I hear “morality police” and think about the “thought police” in Minority Report (which is a sci-fi book, and later, a good movie). There’s a reason sci-fi dystopian literature/media is created… as a warning. We don’t want these potentialities to become real life.
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There’s a Taylor Swift academic conference. Even though it’s in Indiana, I’m not gonna lie, I wish I was able to attend.
This has the making of a great modern day gonzo journalism article. Just sayin’.
While we’re talking conferences, on my bucket list is to one day have the opportunity to attend the Aspen Ideas Festival. Would be so cool.
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An article on ketamine treatments. This has been of personal interest for years. It’s used for drug-resistant depression, high anxiety, and other diagnoses (often NOS aka. Not Otherwise Specified).
Ketamine has gotten a bad rep for good reasons. As a club drug, it was indeed very dangerous. One reason is that the dosage to get high and overdose is slim in the world of street drugs. Again, street drugs. Big difference when you’re in a supervised medical setting.
I’m not pushing ket treatments here. I’m actually much more interested in the potential for MDMA (colloquially known as ecstasy). Same goes for psilocybin (magic mushrooms). Again, in the safety of a supervised medical environment.
Read up on these treatments and check out Michael Pollan’s surprise turn in this direction. (Fresh Air, 2019) It’s compelling, trust me.
Here’s info about the four-part documentary series based on Michael Pollan’s book. Highly recommend.
Here’s a recent episode of The Gray Area with Sean Illing on MDMA.
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‘Live Nation CEO's stock awards drive up pay to 5,414x median employee’ (S&P Global)
To be clear, what they’re saying is that Live Nation’s CEO is paid 5000x what a regular Live Nation employee earns in a year.
This is one of the most extreme versions of CEOs being paid vastly more than a company’s employees. A recent episode of NPR’s Planet Money discussed how 325x is common. This is a big change from a few decades ago when CEOs typically made 20x a regular employee. This subject has been under increased scrutiny since The Great Recession (2007/2008 onward).
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Kim K’s ‘skims’ now has a fashion line for men. I know you’ve already been waiting patiently.
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A throwback to the ye olde internet days. (Internet Artifacts)
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The “good” folks who brought you Cards Against Humanity have a new game out. Enter: Head Trip
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“Unilever reported a 15% surge in deodorant sales as workers returned to the office and socializing picked back up.” (Chartr)
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Tristan Harris, who founded The Center for Humane Technology, was recently on ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ discussing three areas in which he sees serious risks for AI harm.
(1) Things that are existential for marginalized people right now - like predictive policing and AI moderated loan applications
(2) AI that generates disinformation which undermines trust in democracy
(3) AI that can recursively self-improve, for example generating new scientific hypotheses.
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Children of Philadelphia rejoice!
‘America's largest swing set now open in Philadelphia’ (ABC News)
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No one wants Amazon as their doctor. Obviously.
‘Amazon Clinic Is Latest Sign That U.S. Healthcare Has Failed Us’ (Gizmodo)
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Contrary to the article’s title. I do not recommend buying this product. It seems mostly good for getting up to no good.
‘You Should Probably Buy a Flipper Zero Before It's Too Late’ (Gizmodo)
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Keep your relationships strong with the Agapé app? I dunno. (The Zillennial Zine)
Line to the Agapé app
Check ‘em out on z ‘gram_
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‘The Psychology of Wealth’ (Psychology Today)
Haven't heard talk of "affluenza" since Ethan Couch.
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‘How much house can I afford?’ (Yahoo Finance)
The 28% rule strikes again.
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‘First malaria vaccine slashes early childhood mortality’ (Science)
13% is no joke. A substantial accomplishment against a horror that has plagued humanity for far too long.
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Why are they banning all these books in prisons??
“It’s a form of control. It’s the ultimate form of power of manipulation,” Greene said in a statement issued through PEN. (AP News)
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The Yeezy / Adidas Saga (NY Times)
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This intense, heartfelt intro to Hope Clark’s ‘Funds for Writers’ newsletter:
TIME IS PRECIOUS
This week an acquaintance of mine collapsed after working out. She is beautiful, healthy as a horse, and could lift twice the weight I could. She is an inch taller and twenty pounds lighter. She is 45. And she had a stroke.
After the ambulance carted her off and the rest of us settled, I couldn't help but wonder how in the hell did I follow that? What was I to do with the rest of my day? Here is this girl fighting for her life, and here I was, going home to edge the yard for an evening soccer team party and get in a little writing. I felt rather trivial.
So I sat outside for an hour watching the water, the blue sky, the 80-foot trees . . . processing.
Quality of life kept pounding in my head. It's not about the quantity of writing to cram into my day but instead the quality. We have no idea what tomorrow may bring, and as cliché as that sounds, it never really rings true until an event smacks you in the face. Yes, I definitely want to write, but I don't need to sling words for the sake of amassing a lot of them. And I had to admit that even coming to that conclusion, today didn't seem to be a writing day.
So I decided to enjoy children, a soccer party, nature, and family. Today, I went back to the gym. And this afternoon I write. And suddenly all the little do-nothing things like scrolling Facebook or studying Amazon sales don't really matter anymore.
The important things in your life often get hidden in the noisiness and busyness of the day, when we think hitting buttons, texting, and streaming are what we need. My friend is doing well but has a long way to go to recovery. That sort of event awakens you to re-sort what's important, what to discard, what to ignore, and what to pursue, doesn't it?
Our days are definitely numbered.
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‘8,000 steps a day to reduce the risk of premature death’
Your step count demands were just taken down a notch.
Recently, I’ve read 4,000 is a good daily goal for folks as they age.
In this article, they write, “The idea that you should take 10,000 steps a day originated in Japan in the 1960s, but had no scientific basis. Researchers have now shown that, if we focus on the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, most of the benefits are seen at around 7,000 steps”
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‘Plufl Human Dog Bed Review: Comfy and Cozy’ (Wired)
So, the premise is basically… have you ever looked at a dog bed and been, like… huh, wish I could just lie down on a soft thing on the kitchen floor.
Many years of my life were spent on a comforter on a hardwood floor with no box spring… so I dunno… maybe I shouldn’t cast stones.
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