Off for a run, dagnabbit.

(Dodging everyone on the street today, as I go.)

Happy Friday!

Today, for paid subscribers, I talk about three perks of writing news and cultural analysis independently, in contrast with writing under the shelter of formal media organizations.

(Meanwhile, an opening anecdote from Abbott Elementary is free to read, and reflects on the perils of taking ourselves too seriously in this line of independent work!)

#BetterWorldsTheory #MediaLiteracy #Journalism

https://open.substack.com/pub/mlclark/p/the-perks-and-perils-of-writing-solo

Some days it do be like that. 🙃

This morning I sent out my first non-scifi submission in years.

I do write general fiction, too!

I just haven't placed any in a long, long while.

But it's nice to have work in queue again - and it was nice to have drafted a story in a day this past weekend. A refreshing reminder of what I *can* still do.

Next stop... try to write something to pitch to The New Yorker again? 🙃

(Probably not. I have an SF novella to finish by month's end!)

Nonfiction for the rest of today, though. #AmWriting

It's funny, but sometimes when I post an article I'm left fretting for hours that I was fiercer than intended in it - and then when I go back I realize, "Oh, no, actually that was pretty pleasant and a rather mild read after all!"

Which just means that the fury in my thoughts was tempered between brain and page. Good for trying to bridge tough cultural gaps! But also hilarious, how much I think I'm being "really tough this time!", when I'm far closer to a lion cub attempting its first roar. 🙃

(Tomorrow I'll leave earlier and avoid all this. Today I made the mistake of trying to answer correspondence before a run!)

...who crowded out others with his talk of work with trees. But once the others fell away, this one's topics wandered. He started talking about his son, now 20... though what he really wanted to share was how scared he'd been for his boy at age 14.

And I guess it's just a mark of how acutely different my own experience is, but it was nice to hear such a good example of an actual father's love.

So any good dads out there: thank you for the care you show to your own.

It matters so, so much. 2/2

I didn't get to the park; sometimes I'm caught by regulars on route, and today was like the seagull scene in Finding Nemo.

Sometimes this is exhausting, because I try to be polite with all, but I *really* don't like when people won't let go of my hand/arm, or when they badger me to finish a tinto to try to "do me the courtesy" of buying me another. (Lots of lonely people who don't see me as more than a gender role.)

But in the middle of today's setback of a throng there was one fellow... 1/2

More runs to keep my head right.

Happy Thursday, loves. 👍🏻

When a topic is very important and/or very technical, I tend to hold on to my posts longer.

This one's been building in me for a while, but now that it's out, I can breathe and focus on lighter (hopefully easier/shorter) pieces next week.

This is Part 2 on war propaganda.

Today, we look at the weaponization of history - and how this approach to our past diminishes us, and denies us access to a richer, more nuanced sense of the world we share.

#MediaLiteracy #History

https://open.substack.com/pub/mlclark/p/the-weaponization-of-ancient-history

I fell into a rabbit hole of 1st-century philosophers for a bit, and I ain't even mad about it. 🙃

Okay, that second half wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be - but I am still going to go for a pace before clicking "send".

And then I have a series review to finish, followed by a beta read. :) Today will be a decent day after all.

Yesterday’s piece took a little longer to finish, because it’s Part 1 of 2 on propaganda: a conversation I don't think we were ready to have earlier in the throes of war, but are maybe better prepared to discuss today.

The fact is, we differ immensely on the question of what we owe to one another, and to the societies we inhabit.

Are we prepared for the consequences of that difference, in times of (information) war?

#Humanism
#MediaLiteracy
https://open.substack.com/pub/mlclark/p/war-propaganda-and-notions-of-civic

Another day, another run to clear the mind.

I posted Part 1 of 2 last night of a tough topic - war propaganda and our sense of civic duty - but I'll share it in full today when I have Part 2 up. When I first planned this week's tough posts, I did not intend to be in as scattered a state, and yesterday's took me all evening to finish.

But, hopefully it was clear enough on the core components, and today's will round out anything critical I missed.

Cheers for now, folks.
Mind your noggins.

:) I see someone decided to use the tools and block me.

Good for them. Life is too short. If my existence online is annoying to others, I'm genuinely glad they're ridding themselves of the problem.

I strive not to block folks myself, because I think constructive dissent is something we need more of, but rarely have opportunities to practise. It's not always pleasant for others to watch, though (I got a few worried DMs during this last exchange), so apologies for that discomfort to all of you!

Gentle reminder, folks:

While today's news out of Arizona might be "good for mobilizing people for November", it also seriously hurts a lot of people in the interim.

Try to avoid falling prey to the idea that the passage or protection of bad law is something to be addressed on election days alone.

And check in on anyone you know who might be affected by this or related awfulness.

This is one heck of a year in the fight for human dignity, and democracy.

Stay fierce, but also kind.

#Politics

All right, slowly catching up.

Patrons have a post from me, which covers the full mess of my agent/novel situation, talks a little about the publishing industry, and... includes a story I whipped off on Sunday!

Not sci-fi - just something I wrote for myself, to replace a story I can't for the life of me seem to find again.

Hope there's something of interest in there for Patrons! Now to return to today's newsletter draft...

https://www.patreon.com/posts/bad-news-and-101882893