SC Weekly – May 2025 – #4
~ a curated selection of discoveries ~
::: The Open :::
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoy this edition of SC Weekly (published on Sundays).
Please consider sharing with a friend who you think may enjoy this newsletter.
Thank you for reading and for your time.
With Gratitude,
~ Mark
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::: Personal Notes :::
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The Cover Reveal (and pre-order link) for my new poetry collection Take Care – forthcoming from Moon Tide Press.
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If you’re interested in seeing books I’ve been reading, I recently started using GoodReads again to keep track.
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::: ONE ART :::
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Practices of Assembly: Compiling Your Poetry Manuscript ~ A Workshop with John Sibley Williams
We're fast approaching John Sibley Williams' manuscript workshop hosted by ONE ART
Spoiler alert:
This workshop comes with a massive 50+ page workbook (to be shared post-workshop) that will help you on your journey to assemble a poetry collection.
To register:
Contact me directly. Pay using any of the donation options on ONE ART's website.
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Sunday, June 8 — 2pm Eastern
Featured Poets: Barbara Crooker, Robbi Nester, Judy Kronenfeld, Cathleen Cohen
>>> Tickets Available <<< (Free! Donations appreciated.)
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Book Launch: Human Resources by Erin Murphy
ONE ART is hosting the launch of Erin Murphy’s new poetry collection— Human Resources.
Wednesday, June 18, at 7pm Eastern
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::: The Literary Community & Beyond :::
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I cannot recommend this anthology enough:
Contemporary Poets on Pennsylvania
Edited by Marjorie Maddox and Jerry Wemple
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ONE ART will be co-hosting a reading honoring the anthology.
11/2/25 VIRTUAL: One Art: a journal of poetry @ 2pm EST
Details TBA closer to the event date.
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Save The Date
A rare opportunity to see me IRL
About Keystone Poetry:
From Philadelphia to Erie, and from the shale fields to the coal mines, Keystone Poetry celebrates the varied landscapes and voices of Pennsylvania. This collection brings together the work of 182 poets who, with keen eyes and powerful language, commemorate the hometowns, history, traditions, and culture of the Commonwealth.
Organized geographically, the poems traverse county lines, ancestral lineages, and thematic concerns—as well as gender, racial, and socioeconomic barriers. The poems in this collection seek to bring the reader close to home while fostering the discovery of new places and a deeper understanding of all those who live in the Keystone State.
Keystone Poetry also includes resources for teachers. Drawing from this collection of place-based literature, high school and college educators can use students’ hometown experiences to make disciplines such as literature, composition, creative writing, history, geography, sociology, political science, and psychology more engaging and accessible.
• To delve more deeply into class discussion, see “Let’s Talk About It,” a helpful aid for individual or group reflection.
• To fuel creativity, access “Let’s Write About It,” a practical guide to inspire writers of all levels.
You can find Keystone Poetry on the Penn State University Press web site at this URL: https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-09990-3.html
Take 30% off with code NR25 when you order through psupress.org
Be sure to ask for it at your local library and bookstore!
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Something silly.
‘Thirteen Writing Prompts’ by Dan Wiencek
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On AI “art”…
“It’s not a great feeling. It’s like a backhand to the face.”
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Some AI humor…
‘Opinion: A.I. Could Put Artists, Actors, And Writers Out Of Jobs, But It Could Do Bad Things As Well’
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The Em Dash Reigns Supreme
‘Marked decline in semicolons in English books, study suggests’ (Guardian)
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‘Brain oscillations reveal dynamic shifts in creative thought during metaphor generation’ (PsyPost)
“Researchers at the University of Arizona sought to better understand the neural mechanisms behind metaphor generation, a creative skill that plays an important role in how people understand complex concepts and communicate abstract ideas. While previous research has investigated creativity using tasks like alternative uses or story generation, less is known about how the brain supports the creation of metaphors—especially using tools that can capture the fast-changing dynamics of neural activity.”
“The researchers also found that when participants generated metaphors they rated as highly novel, their brains showed more transitions between the alpha synchronization and desynchronization states. These findings suggest that creative metaphor generation may involve an interplay between focused internal attention early on and heightened readiness or arousal just before the creative output is finalized to act.”
Why is this interesting?
I find it particularly interesting in conversation with how “AI” operates. There’s a reason some are calling AI “Alien Intelligence”. The point being that it does not “think” like us. As a non-carbon-based entity, an AI “mind” doesn’t have to jump through these kinds of cognitive hoops in order to arrive at a metaphor.
The human mind is a Small Language Model (SLM) and, in turn, limited. Which is a good thing. Our flaws make us far more interesting than anything resembling superintelligence.
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::: Podcasts :::
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Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams: The Real Power of Protest: How We Fight Back and Win
Definitely look into the amazing work by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal including The Resistance Lab
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Amanda Litman, Co-Founder of Run for Something, has a new book, When We’re In Charge
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The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway: How to Fight Fascism in America — with Timothy Snyder
Really worthwhile discussion.
Snyder is, frighteningly, predicting near future likelihoods.
His little essential book can be found here. He has a newer book, too— On Freedom
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Courtney Bambrick informed me that John Moe’s ‘Pop Song Correspondences’ appear in written form on McSweeney’s. Wonderful material. I loved these bits on his podcast variety show ‘Wits’ which sadly went off the air after just a few seasons. I really cannot recommend Wits enough. Take a break from the everyday madness and get a few laughs in.
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Is Your Phone Controlling Your Life? With Kaitlyn Regehr (Part One)
Yes, of course it is… for many of us at least.
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There are two episodes of The Poetry Space_ on Spirituality and Poetry.
Great listens!
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I absolutely loved this episode of The Gray Area and am excited to dig in on Rutger Bregman’s book Moral Ambition.
Do you have moral ambition?
The Gray Area with Sean Illing
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The connecting power of 'magical questions'
Good episode of Lifekit. These “magical questions” would make for some pretty darn good writing prompts, too.
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::: Music :::
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Sunday (1994) has a new EP out called ‘Devotion’ and it’s good because of course it is.
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Maybe I should start sharing the songs I wake up with in my head?
How common is this for others?
It’s certainly common for me.
5/23/25: The 1975 – Medicine
Sometimes the songs are… not great… they’re just really good earworms. Weird, too, how it can be a song you haven’t listened to in a long time. Or maybe a song you heard 30 seconds of at the supermarket. Or a song you used to hear on the bus in high school… and disliked… but aged better than expected.
Life is nonlinear and chaotic.
Cheers to searching for some kind of method to the madness.
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Speaking of earworms…
Jin: Don't Say You Love Me | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
I don’t really know much about BTS… or have opinions on BTS… but you gotta admit vocal talent.
I was lowkey addicted to this track when it came out.
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Also, more earworms… I can never get enough…
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::: Health & Wellness :::
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5 Tips for Talking to Your Doctor (SELF)
Good advice.
This is weirdly specific…
“Less, “I twisted my ankle when I was fighting with my boyfriend outside a Bad Bunny concert and I tripped on the curb getting into the Uber,” and more, “Ever since I tripped on a curb and twisted my ankle, when I walk around for more than an hour a day, my ankle swells up and feels stiff and sore until I wake up the next morning, which makes it hard for me to dance to ‘Monaco.’””
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‘Williams Syndrome: The people who are too friendly’ (BBC)
Important note that differences are not necessarily something we should want to correct. Variations are good, useful, important, valuable.
“People with WS, often dubbed the 'opposite of autism', have an innate desire to hug and befriend total strangers. They are extremely affectionate, empathetic, talkative and gregarious. They treat everyone they meet as their new best friend, yet there is a downside to being so friendly. Individuals often struggle to retain close friendships and are prone to isolation and loneliness.”
“As traits like trust, kindness, and friendliness are so important to human survival, Muotri believes that evolution must keep a tight rein on the expression of the GTF2I gene. Humans are a social species, and our very survival rests on collaborating with one another. We need to be able to trust each other to a certain extent.”
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::: The Trump Regime :::
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Welcome to American Fascism
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“Officials are making plans to spend millions earmarked for foreign aid to return migrants to active conflict zones, including more than 200,000 Ukrainians.” (WaPo)
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Timothy Snyder points out that Trump’s brand of authoritarian rules is a bit confounding because in modern times, well, there isn’t really a precedent for gift-giving as a way to curry favor… this goes back to the days of Chieftains.
Maybe Trump believes himself to be some sort of modern-day Christopher Columbus. (This look has really held up well… with the small exception of factions of the Italian-American community who wish to maintain a positive vision of Columbus’ legacy.)
“European explorers were familiar primarily with their own continent’s burgeoning market-based system of trade. As a result, they were often confounded by Indian gift economies. For example, in 1492 Christopher Columbus observed that the natives on Hispaniola “bartered like idiots.” They repeatedly gave “objects of great value for trifles, and content themselves with very little or nothing in return.” Likewise, Gabriel Archer asserted in 1607 that the Indians of Tsenacomoco had “no respect of profit.”” (‘Gift Exchange in Early Virginia Indian Society’)
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Expect to see more rewards given to those who will “martyr” themselves for Trump.
“The Trump administration is set to pay nearly $5 million to a Jan. 6 rioter’s family.” (WaPo)
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Rural libraries are in trouble.
‘It May Be Too Late for Rural Libraries to Weather the IMLS Storm’ (Publishers Weekly)
“People don’t understand what all of this means, ” Connery said. “They think it’s going to affect somebody else, somewhere else. In the end, it is against their best interest, and I don’t think that is what they intended.”
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Fear: The Master List
Rachel Maddow offers important, wise advice regarding authoritarian maneuvers. Whenever you read articles in the future that claim to target immigrants, note that these are preparations for a dictator to use at scale on the general public. It's practice, it's strategy, it's un-American for obvious reasons such as that we are all immigrants and that targeting the weakest among us is cowardly and cruel.
The regime intends to dismantle social security in ways that will lead to the deaths of those who are elderly and those who are disabled and those who are sick and those who need assistance to simply stay alive.
They want the data DOGE was gathering in order to create a "Master List" with sensitive information on all Americans for nefarious purposes that our country has not had to face since McCarthyism.
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‘We’re in the Hamptons of England’: Trump sends wealthy Americans fleeing to the Cotswolds (The Guardian)
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What News Is (and Isn't) According to Americans (Pew Research Center)
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::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::
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“A brain-dead woman is being kept on life support because she’s pregnant.” (WaPo)
This hammers home who some consider to be more important in these situations, right?
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“Artificial intelligence was more persuasive than humans in a new study.” (WaPo)
Yeah, but how’s their Emotional Intelligence? Also, good? Shit…
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Missed opportunity.
I Would Like to Be Pope by John Ortved
Integrating more humor into the newsletter this week.
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75%
“75% of restaurant traffic is now takeout orders. Per the National Restaurant Association, Gen Z and millennials are leading the push in off-premise dining.”
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Feels mean-spirited.
U.S. News “Best States” Rankings
They do this annually and it never makes any sense whatsoever.
Great clickbait though.
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Something fun[ny]:
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Meeting People More Famous Than You by Michael Ian Black (McSweeney’s)
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If the Center is the Center ... I'm confused and scared.
X/Twitter Bias Chart (AllSides)
This platform is mostly poison at this point.
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This is an interesting read even if you’re not into sportsball.
‘Inside the NBA's hand care obsession’
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Very Late Stage Capitalism Sickness…
Gen Z's new side hustle: selling data
All that’s left to sell is… ourselves.
Paraphrasing The West Wing— “Dire economic need is a form of coercion.” And what were they discussing in context? Prostitution.
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In the spirit of capitalism…
Way to go Trader Joe’s! #2!
Ranked: The 50 Best Places to Work in America
Interestingly, I suppose, this does not align with other lists about (a) the best places to work (b) the best brands (c) most popular brands
I posted a list not long ago that claimed Amazon was the most liked brand in America. This is super interesting given the company has, uh, some controversy. In any case, American consumers vote with their dollars and they like convenience, and they like technology when it works… and Amazon tends to come through. Is that the whole story? No, no it isn’t.
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‘A Florida High School Teacher Lost Her Job for Referring to a Trans Student by His Name’ (them)
X Æ A-12 is almost definitely going to go by a “preferred” name. And want teachers to use this preferred name.
How is this different from others who want to be called by a name that is not on their birth certificate?
Think about it.
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Delaware tiny homes: An affordable option in Georgetown?
This has led to a lot of reflection. I’ve wanted to see more like this. I think this can be scaled in ways that would make home ownership much more achievable. It would vary state by state, region by region, town by town.
It’s also one of the few ways I foresee rents coming down in the future.
If rents average $2000/month nationwide (as they do currently), having substantially lower mortgages is a path to home ownership. To compete, landlords may need to lower rents.
YIMBY’s (Yes In My Backyard) have touted the need for more rental housing [primarily] in major metro areas. Something they missed is that this focus on rentals doesn’t break the chain to get folks into affordable rent-to-own or standalone properties. While the 30-year fixed rate mortgage isn’t what it once was, there is a difference to having your own property than renting— especially when you can pretty much guarantee that rents will go up annually and you have no control over how much. Limited agency, in short.
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WNBA power couple Courtney Vandersloot & Allie Quigley welcome new baby (LGBTQ Nation)
"The teammates were the first married couple to win a professional sports championship together."
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::: Google Search Trends :::
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Summer Reading
“books to read” spikes in the winter and summer, and hit an all-time high in 2025
Romance novel hit a 15-year high in 2024, and “firefighter romance books” spiked +180% in the past month
“books to movie” hit an all-time high in 2025, and the Hunger Games were the top-trending “books to movie” search in the past month
Search interest in “reading logs for kids” broke out in the past month, and “summer reading challenge” rose +350%
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Top searched children’s/YA literature
Past month, US
Harry Potter
Hunger Games
Twilight
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
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Top trending autobiographies
Past month, US
Pope Francis (Hope)
Martha Stewart (Being Martha)
Paramahansa Yogananda (Autobiography of a Yogi)
Maya Angelou (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings)
Ozzy Osbourne (I Am Ozzy)
I love this week's newsletter. I do have to say, I love the writing prompts. I subscribed to McSweeneys after visiting link. It's nice to have a good laugh and produce some really meaningful work all at the same time :) Seriously, laughed out loud and I am going to use these. Everything seems so dismal right now. It's important to remember to smile and be silly!