OMM – September 2024 – #5
~ 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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>>> Please Note <<<
This newsletter is typically too long to appear in its entirety in an email. Please click through to Substack to read in full.
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::: Personal Notes :::
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No pressure but…
If you’ve been thinking about upgrading to a paid subscription it would be appreciated and heartening. I remain between primary jobs at the moment and I’d love to continue to dedicate substantial time to writing and sharing in this space.
If you have suggestions for how I can improve this Substack, I’m all ears. Please feel free to email me directly at markdanowsky@gmail.com
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If you’re interested in working 1-on-1 with me on your writing, I’m available as a consultant and offer a range of editing services. Learn more on VRS CRFT.
I do offer sliding scale pricing and discounted rates for those I work with on a more regular basis.
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My longtime friend, the visual artist John Singletary, has a book out based on his most recent large-scale multimedia project Traces. This project was John’s most personal, in my opinion. Daylight Books did a truly gorgeous job of putting this book together.
As a fun fact: I make a very small cameo in the installation/book.
Learn more about John’s work on his website.
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Here’s a collaborative piece John and I worked on together before I took a position as Poetry Craft Essays Editor with Cleaver Magazine.
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::: ONE ART :::
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From Personal to Universal: Using Emotion to Craft Deeper Writing
Instructor: Karen Paul Holmes
Thursday, October 3, 7:00-9:00pm (Eastern)
Duration: 2 hours
Price: $25 (payment options)
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Thursday, October 10 — 7pm (Eastern)
Featured Poets: Donna Hilbert, Bonnie Proudfoot, Tamara Madison
Tickets available here (Free or Donation)
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Sunday, October 27 — 7pm (Eastern)
Featured Poets: Ace Boggess, CL Bledsoe, Anton Yakovlev, Jason Gordy Walker
Tickets available here (Free or Donation)
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::: Podcasts :::
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This is… dare I say… a must listen?
Michael & Peter, hosts of If Books Could Kill, a hilarious and brilliant podcast, bring us— ‘UNLOCKED: Eric Adams’
The hosts unpack Adams’ life trajectory in a riveting and truly laugh out loud funny manner. We learn that Adams is very very weird. I really don’t want to spoil it.
I highly recommend If Books Could Kill, in general. They do an exceptional job problematizing books that have gained too much traction in the cultural zeitgeist. It’s extra funny, I think, if you like[d] the book they’re dunking on.
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::: Music :::
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I’ve been a little bored with listening to the same stuff for a while now.
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In high school, I would have lost my mind over this festival lineup.
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Upcoming Album Releases (that I’m actually looking forward to checking out):
October 11 -- Charli XCX: Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat (ok… I’m only kinda intrigued tbh)
October 18 -- American Football: American Football (Covers) – covers??
October 18 -- Bon Iver: SABLE, EP (I don’t know what I want from Justin Vernon at this point)
October 25 -- Soccer Mommy: Evergreen
November 1 -- The Cure: Songs of a Lost World (low hope for this being any good)
November 15 -- Linkin Park: From Zero (actually really looking forward to this)
December 13 -- The National: Rome (bad feeling this will be a repeat of the last album’s disappointments)
January 24 -- FKA twigs: Eusexua (intrigued… no expectations… still growing as an artist imho)
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The Cure is releasing its first song in 16 years.
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::: The Literary Community & Beyond :::
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‘Are you a fisher or a hunter?: A few thoughts on how poems arrive (or are sought after)’
Terrific essay by Taylor Mallay on substack.
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RIP Dame Maggie Smith (BBC)
Time to watch Gosford Park (2001). Don’t look into it too much—avoid the spoilers if you haven’t seen this gem.
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‘Reclaim Your Mind With Brain Dump Journaling’ (The Zillennial Zine)
For your consideration…
Mostly about Julia Cameron’s ‘Morning Pages’
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‘The Scoop on Withdrawals’ (Cincinnati Review)
Shout-out to Erika Dreifus for sharing this article in her ‘Finds for Writers’
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‘126 Poetry Prompts for Writers’ (Writer’s Digest)
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A good list of publishers.
‘61 Specialized Publishers Open to Manuscript Submissions’ (Authors Publish)
I just recently bought a book from Tuttle Publishing.
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91 Calls for Submissions in October 2024 - Paying markets (Erica Verrillo)
45 Writing Contests in October 2024 - No entry fees (Erica Verrillo)
44 Outstanding Writing Conferences and Workshops in October 2024 (Erica Verrillo)
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“Exercise may not increase the quantity of ideas but it may enhance originality.” (Psychology Today)
“These are potentially important for the positive effect of aerobic exercise on the fluency aspect of divergent creativity seen in other studies.”
“The study found no significant correlations between the effect of stair-climbing on originality and participants' regular physical activity levels.”
“Several questions still remain though. To whom are these results generalizable? How long do the effects last? Can stair-climbing enhance creativity in different populations or contexts? Hopefully this finding that stair-climbing has the potential to enhance original thinking can inspire further research on the topic.”
On the other hand, we know (don’t we?) that when you walk through a door you are more likely to forget why you left one space and entered another.
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2024 Best New Poets – Finalists
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‘Glowing Frog on a Glowing Mushroom Wins Science Photo Competition’
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‘The Road’ by Dana Gioia on Poetry Town hosted by George Bilgere
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‘Riots, poetry, and AI porn: 10 highlights from St Moritz Art Film Festival’ (Dazed)
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‘New NEA Pilot Program Names $12.4 M. in Grants to 112 Nonprofits’ (ArtNews)
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‘Philadelphia launches a $1 million public art program to address gun violence’ (Inquirer)
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‘Contraband Marginalia’ (Split Lip)
On marginalia in prison books.
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Paterson (New Jersey) proclaims October is poetry month
Well, it is the land of William Carlos Williams…
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‘Thom Yorke Adapts Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief for New Production of Hamlet’ (Pitchfork)
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::: Health & Wellness :::
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The COVID-19 Pandemic probably did start in a Wuhan wet market.
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‘What Repeat COVID Infections Do to Your Body, According to Science’ (SELF)
This is scary.
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‘How many calories do you burn by walking 10,000 steps?’ (Men’s Health)
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‘The 5 best cities in America for people with disabilities — and the 5 worst’ (QZ)
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‘Study links anti-trans laws to an increase in trans teen suicide attempts’ (NPR)
According to research by The Trevor Project: “States that passed anti-transgender laws aimed at minors saw suicide attempts by transgender and gender nonconforming teenagers increase by as much as 72% in the following years.”
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Approximately 3.7 million U.S. adults live with schizophrenia.
The FDA approved Cobenfy, a twice-daily pill that alters dopamine levels in the brain by changing levels of another neurotransmitter, acetylcholine.
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::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::
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CNN plans to experiment with a paywall…
What does this mean for the future of the currently most-read news website?
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‘Why more Americans than ever are starting small businesses’ (Sherwood News)
“The US is experiencing a historic boom in small-business formation, one that VP Kamala Harris hopes to boost with her recently announced plan.”
Everyone wants to be their own boss.
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American Division
“Americans from all backgrounds have similar views -- between 74% and 83% of key gender, age, race, political and educational subgroups perceive the nation as divided in the current survey.” (Gallup)
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‘Cards Against Humanity sues Elon Musk's SpaceX over land bought to curb Trump border wall’ (USA Today)
This is the strange world we find ourselves living in.
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Going Nuclear, Again
“Once operational, Three Mile Island would be the fifth nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. Only Illinois, which has 6 nuclear plants, would have more. The rest are predominantly in eastern states, although the country’s largest is Palo Verde Station in Arizona, which has a total capacity of 3,937 megawatts — enough to power some 4 million homes.” (Chartr)
I’m not a nuclear scientist but… my understanding is that access to more forms of alternative energies is a good idea. We have, hopefully, learned from our mistakes, upgraded our technology and safeguards, and can make use of nuclear power while minimizing fears. Maybe someone on the Three Mile Island staff has read Atul Gawande’s Checklist Manifesto. If not, probably a good idea to do so.
“Unit 1, which was closed in 2019, will be renamed the Crane Clean Energy Centre. Unit 2, which experienced a partial meltdown in 1979, will remain closed. It’s rare that a nuclear plant is restarted — this is only the second such programme in the United States — but the move could become more common as tech giants seek low-carbon energy sources for power-hungry artificial-intelligence (AI) systems. Microsoft has invested in an AI chatbot trained on nuclear regulations in the hopes of streamlining the multi-year process of getting a new nuclear-power plant approved.” (Financial Times / WSJ / Nature)
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ICYMI… WordPress is pretty big. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before. After all, I use WordPress.
“WordPress counts Meta, Samsung, and USA Today as customers, and powers over 43% of all sites on the internet.” (Sherwood News)
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$15,000
“Mayor Rob Rue, who took office not even a year ago, taking on a part-time post that has been anything but that over the past several days.” (The Seattle Times)
“The mayor, as the elected head of the City Commission, is the leader of almost 60,000 people and the face of local government. But it’s not supposed to be a full-time role, reflected by an annual salary of just under $15,000.”
“After Trump chose to amplify those falsehoods on a national stage — despite a city official having told his campaign beforehand that those claims were wrong — Rue repeatedly went on cable news to push back.”
“The recent attention has made him a target…”
“There are threats against my family,” he said. “Emails, phone calls. They say they don’t want me around, I’m going to die, I’m a traitor, ‘We’re watching your family.’ All these things that you never want to hear.”
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Gen Z accused of being bad employees.
“Sure, learning Greek mythology is fascinating, but unless you're teaching it, how does that prepare you to communicate effectively in a corporate meeting or demonstrate professionalism? It doesn't.” (Newsweek)
But seriously…
“Instead of teaching new hires what they want from them, employers are simply firing workers for not being prepared. It's a cyclical issue that reflects systemic failure on multiple levels.”
“The larger disconnect between higher education and the workforce will likely not be solved without strong onboarding and mentorship to bridge the gap.”
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The Election.
Democrats. You must show up at the polls.
‘2024 Election Environment Favorable to GOP’ (Gallup)
Important to keep in mind that winning an election under our current system involves overcoming obstacles such as voter suppression, voter disenfranchisement, gerrymandering, and complacency.
Your vote matters even if you think it doesn’t.
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Biden Channels Yeats
“In 1919, Biden recalled, Irish poet William Butler Yeats described a world where “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.” But, Biden said, “[i]n our time, the center has held.” Leaders and people around the world have stood together to turn the page on Covid, defend the charter of the United Nations, and ensure the survival of Ukraine in the face of the 2022 Russian invasion.”
There will always be forces that pull our countries apart and the world apart: aggression, extremism, chaos, and cynicism, a desire to retreat from the world and go it alone,” Biden said. “Our task, our test, is to make sure that the forces holding us together are stronger than those that are pulling us apart, that the principles of partnership that we came here each year to uphold can withstand the challenges, that the center holds once again.”
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Are you taking in too much news?
If you are, then you probably have a distorted view of how dangerous U.S. society is on the home front. New data released by the FBI from 2022 and 2023 show that the murder rate feel 11.6% which marks the most significant drop in 20 years. Overall violent crime is down 3%.
Meanwhile, the global stage remains very scary. Sadly, you are not imagining that part at all.
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‘How the brain processes the number zero’
In short, we assign it actual value.
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Anyone older than… not even sure (7?)… may need this.
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‘The 2025 U.S. News Best College Rankings’ (U.S. News & World Report)
Based on… merit? Who knows, really.
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“New Yorkers can now rent an apartment in Goldman Sachs’ former HQ for $4,000 a month.” (Chartr/Bloomberg)
Frankly, sounds like a decent deal for NYC. Right?
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‘World's longest-serving death row inmate acquitted in Japan’ (BBC)
Deeply troubling… especially as the U.S. has been on an execution spree. This includes using methods generally deemed unacceptable to use on non-human animals.
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In other worrisome news…
‘Russia has secret war drones project in China’ (Reuters)
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‘Why Do Dogs Stick Their Heads Out of Car Windows—And Is it Safe?’ (Mental Floss)
“Dogs generally love adventures, especially ones that get them outside and let them take in fresh air and explore their surroundings. Sticking his or her head out the window is a sensory bonanza for your pup.”
“Dogs have more than 100 million sensory receptors in their noses (compared to the 6 million humans have). The part of their brain that’s devoted to processing scents is also about 40 times larger than that of a person’s. When dogs exhale through the slits in their nostrils, the air swirls around and introduces a whole host of new, interesting odors. Sticking their heads out of car windows (or any open windows) lets them really soak in all the smells of the outdoors.”
Is it dangerous to let dogs put their heads out of car windows? Sadly, yes.
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‘The Truth About Those Luxury Name-Brand Soaps in Your Hotel Bathroom’ (Thrillist)
Basically, brand partnerships allow for providing watered down versions of the real deal.
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::: Google Search Trends :::
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Let’s begin with what is obviously most urgent…
It appears that suede may be back in style this Fall.
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The WNBA is trending hard.
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All the Moo Deng shenanigans are getting out of hand.
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Return-to-Work (RtW)
Before we dig in on the Return-to-Work (RtW) search trends… consider this article.
Gallup research found that where you work does not appear to correlate with burnout. Those who work in the office, hybrid, and remotely all report similar degrees of burnout.
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Remote work is being searched more than ever this year, globally. Over the past month, the United States has been the top country searching for it
“return to office” is currently searched more than ever in the US and over the past week “return to office mandates” tripled
“hybrid jobs” is being searched more than ever and over the past week, the top trending jobs searched with hybrid jobs is “executive assistants”
The top searched “... for commuting” over the past week is “best electric scooter” followed by “best bag” and “best car”
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Top “jobs where___”
past week, US
1. Jobs where you work alone
2. Jobs where you can work from home
3. Jobs where you travel
4. Jobs where you help people
5. Jobs where you make your own hours
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Top searched “how to deal with … at work”
past week, US
1. A narcissist
2. A liar
3. Stress
4. Burnout
5. Bullies
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Also…
Top searched Founding Fathers
2024, US
1. Thomas Jefferson
2. George Washington
3. Alexander Hamilton
4. Benjamin Franklin
5. John Adams
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Top searched Articles of the US Constitution
past year, US
1. Art. 2 (executive branch)
2. Art. 1 (legislative branch)
3. Art. 3 (trials and justice)
4. Art. 5 (amending the constitution)
5. Art. 4 (federalism)
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Top trending “What does the Constitution say about…”
past year, US
1. …religion
2. ...the Supreme Court
3. ...immigration
4. ...voting
5. ...taxes
6. …presidential immunity
7. …borders
8. …slavery
9. …abortion
10. …the President
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Top searched Constitutional Amendments,
past year, US
1. 14th Amendment
2. 1st Amendment
3. 5th Amendment
4. 4th Amendment
5. 25th Amendment
6. 19th Amendment
7. 15th Amendment
8. 10th Amendment
9. 13th Amendment
10. 6th Amendment
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Top states searching for Civics Class
past year, US
1. Arkansas
2. Louisiana
3. Washington
4. Florida
5. North Carolina
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Top countries searching for Civics
past year, US
1. Nigeria
2. Zambia
3. Sri Lanka
4. Tanzania
5. Ethiopia
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Top searched “the right to…”
past year, US
1. ...vote
2. ...bear arms
3. ...remain silent
4. ...read
5. ...work
Show me the poems.
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::: News of the Weird :::
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‘Trump leads Cincinnati ‘cookie’ poll that has predicted every election but one since 1984’ (NY Post)
Notably—
“The bakery's presidential cookie poll has predicted the winner of every presidential election since 1984, with the exception of the 2020 election when Trump treats outsold President Joe Biden cookies.”
It appears cookie sales cannot predict the Trump wild card.
Note: Since first reading about this, there has apparently been a massive run on cookie sales.
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Consistent Recommendations:
Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American – daily news with historical context
ONE ART: a journal of poetry – daily poems
Verse Daily – daily poems
Chill Subs – down to earth submissions resource
** Want to subscribe? Get a discount using this ONE ART exclusive affiliate link.
Becky Tuch’s LitMagNews – literary community news & essential resource
Trish Hopkinson – resource for the literary community
Erika Dreifus – resource for the literary community
C. Hope Clark’s Funds for Writers –weekly email newsletter contains invaluable short essays
Jane Friedman – blog, email newsletter, resource for the literary community
The Poetry Space_ with Katie Dozier & Timothy Green (podcast)
Commonplace: Conversations with Poets and Other People (podcast hosted by Rachel Zucker)
The Gray Area with Sean Illing (podcast)
Hidden Brain (podcast)
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love. this is so quirky and so up my alley