It just occurred to me that my planet-wide AI government in Children of Doro, the Dostoevsky-in-space novel I'll be indie publishing May 4, is becoming increasingly relevant with all our ChatGPT discourse. And to think early readers thought the concept was ~out there~!

Also, to heck with modesty: it is a damned good novel, & if presses couldn't see a place for it, that's fine, but I think major SFF readers would've loved it if given half a chance. (Applying to SFWA's NetGalley program instead.)

Evening, CoSo. 🕊️

New piece up at #OnlySky.

A lot has happened in the last few days in US politics, especially around government response to Chinese actions.

In this news brief, I outline some of the key events, but more importantly note the rhetoric. Concern is warranted. So too is caution.

Let's remember our history, and defend against fatalist thinking, as we teeter on the brink of greater worldwide violence. ⬇️

#Politics #Humanism #International https://onlysky.media/mclark/clash-of-civilizations-rhetoric-in-us-committee-hearing-on-china/

To-do list for the rest of the day:

🔲 News article
🔲 2 classes
🔲 Book promo
🔲 Article pitch
☑️ Thank everyone for their support - of me, 100%, you've all been terrifically kind in helping alleviate my debt from helping César's family, but also, in helping *so* many others. Our world is deeply wounded, too much for any one of us to bear alone. But what a gift to know so many helpers, everyone doing what they can, where they can, to lighten the load for us all.

Thank you for all this and more. 🕊️

Does anyone else wonder what we would have been tweeting/posting during WWII?

Every time I listen to a history podcast, I'm further affirmed in the feeling that people haven't changed much. And then I wonder what, if anything, could actually be done to coax greater kindness and courage from the world writ large. Is it possible for human beings to collaborate internationally with longterm success - or is our best bet rebuilding the global through improved local action? (Or are we just effed? 🙃)

*Unless your goal is to have March kick you in the pants. In that case, I hope you get as much of it as you can handle! No kink-shaming on this account. :)

It's been a rough two months, which pretty impressively wiped out a year's worth of gains. I'm cash-poor, opportunity-lean, and splendidly jaded about the future in a deeply hurting world.

But arbitrary calendrical shifts are nice little rituals of renewal, aren't they?

Right now I have nothing but personal projects, & I guess that means nowhere to go but up. But hey, what doesn't kill us makes us stranger. 🙃 Good riddance, February! Here's to March kicking us all in the pants a little less. 🤞

Form rejection today, for a nonfiction piece sent a place that says it doesn't respond to submissions unless interested. Ah, I missed the sweet, sweet chaos of the submissions process. 🙃

(And I'm itchy to write new work, but I have three other writing tasks to finish first tonight. So it goes sometimes! #AmWriting)

When a store reopens here, it's always an excuse for a fiesta. 😅 Yay for my low-cost goods returning! #Colombia

😅 Yes, I'm running late this morning.

No, that doesn't mean I'll skimp on baking.

What manner of uncivilized beast do you take me for?! #CoSoBakes

(Morning, CoSo! 🤗)

👌 This is for the #WritersOfCoSo who might need a boost, for whatever reason, right about now.

The rules are made up and the points don't matter - just write something that's true to you.

#Writing #Poetry #WritingCommunity

Heading out for an evening run - my first proper cardio since Tuesday; after Wednesday evening's mugging I haven't worked out morning or night (and I'm too pasty to work out in the day). No tech with me. Only the desire to reclaim routines in my home. 🤞🏻💪🏻 #5kOrBust

Sometimes I'm acutely reminded that being real with someone is way more important than the nonsense games we play online.

There's a wee situation in SFF right now, for which I'm privy to far, far more details than others have. But I wouldn't in a million years try to score internet points by sharing what's not mine to share. I'm just glad I can be present with the need of someone involved, person to person. Everything else is noise. But wow, do we ever confuse signal and noise on the daily. 🙃

Morning again, CoSo. 💫

Today's #Newsletter is a... *lot* more personal, but it felt important to raise the complex push-and-pull of my childhood to help get a handle on what the idea of "crab mentality" leaves out. It's so easy to think that the problem is "other crabs" when our world is filled to bursting with *so* many problems in need of redress.

But we're better prepared to handle them when we remember that our common foe is *the bucket* instead. 🦀

#Humanism https://mlclark.substack.com/p/crabs-in-a-bucket-reframing-the-problem