Raging to change the machine + Nurture House
I read half of How Not to Exclude Artist Mothers (and Other Parents) by Hettie Judah before I had to put it down. The book is excellent, I just needed to breathe and not stoke my fury at all of the things in our world that make being a parent stifling (it's not the children.) This is connected to Subrina Heyink's excellent Instagram stories this past week about motherhood, referencing Toni Morrison's work and the book Toni Morrison and Motherhood: A Politics of the Heart by Andrea O'Reilly. As Subrina wrote, children are an oppressed class -- they aren't the ones oppressing their parents. It's not the children who systemically, structurally, socially make mothering and parenting an obstacle in making art and living a life. I needed to set aside Hettie's book because my brain was screaming I know I know how poorly mothers in particular are treated. Hopefully Hettie's book is read by people for whom all of this information is new, so their perception can shift and change can -- incrementally -- happen. Also, P.S., subscribe to Subrina's newsletter 'are you wearing that?' I'm learning so much and her writing is distinct, insightful, and inviting. One of my favorites from the archive is Subrina's essay about the late fashion designer Issey Miyake’s impact on her life and career.
>> Arizona Highlight <<
Nurture House is the hub and heart of the city for me. The cozy building houses Wasted Ink Zine Distro, Palabras Bilingual Bookstore, Abalone Mountain Press, Pachanga Press, and Cuentos Café. They all work together and serve the local community--especially the marginalized.
If you're local, check out the 3rd Friday Art Market and Artist Reception with food and music, and if you're not in Phoenix, consider putting some of your $$ toward purchasing zines from Wasted Ink and books from Palabras.
>> cactus emoji <<
Reading a clutch of zines I picked up from Half Letter Press (found via Charissa of Wasted Ink) about making art and publishing. I'm very enamored with the whole press and breathing some sighs of relief. The zines address concerns and questions I have about publishing and how it connects to writing.
ARTIST PUBLISHERS REFLECT ON BOOK WASTE by Temporary Services
WHAT PROBLEMS CAN ARTIST PUBLISHERS SOLVE? by Temporary Services with PrintRoom
AGAINST COMPETITION by Marc Fischer, illustrations by Kione Kochi
HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE COLLAPSE OF THE INDUSTRIAL PUBLISHING SYSTEM by Eric Schierloh
As a writer who hasn't published a book, I have a mix of longing, loneliness, and concern about publishing. I need to remind myself that I'm less interested in being a Writer and more interested in using writing to learn, to challenge myself, to stay sane, to connect. The zines mentioned above challenged my fascination/obsession with being traditionally published that's encouraged in the writing world. There's more possible than what is presented by the industrial publishing system. I especially liked the focus in How to Prepare Yourself on learning the skills needed to publish a book (printing, bookbinding, editing, etc), sharing digital access to books for free or cheap, and joining in a community that shares, consumes, and produces books.
Nighttime reading was Magdalene: Poems by Marie Howe (feels appropriately Lenten), Midwinter Day by Bernadette Mayer, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Writing emails to people I'm going to interview for a story on the origins of tepary beans. Notes on my research.
Cooking broth made from scraps and ends (tomato, carrot, celery, onion, Parmesan rind, lemon, garlic) in the water leftover from cooking chicken thighs in the InstaPot.