Celebrating Women's Day
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Hello friends, Today is International Women’s Day. This day began in the US but shifted to an international project in 1911, as a way to uplift women’s rights and demand social and economic change. As you can imagine, women’s global rights in the early 20th century were sorely lacking. During late March of the year IWD was first celebrated, the terrible Triangle Factory Fire happened in New York, giving a stark reminder that the lives of working women were daily at stake. 140 women died—trapped inside the building—as a result of management negligence and lack of safety regulations. Most of them were Italian and Jewish immigrants. During a time when too many people’s rights are under attack, I want to honor all women working hard for themselves, their families, and their communities. I honor women doing labor organizing and community outreach. I honor cis and trans women, immigrant women, stay at home moms, women in the fields, women cleaning bathrooms, women running businesses, women making art… all women. I also honor every single person working for their rights and the rights of others right now. Whether you are a woman, nonbinary, or a man. Whether you labor with your hands, heart, or mind. I hope you find something to celebrate today, and someone to celebrate you. And I hope you are finding solidarity and support, wherever in the world you may be. Best Wishes — Thorn Fantasy Book Lovers: I'm part of this terrific StoryBundle featuring 38 fantasy books from 10 authors. You can get the whole thing for only $30, which is a steal! The bundle also benefits World Central Kitchen who continue to feed people around the globe: Fantasy StoryBundle
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T. Thorn Coyle
Hello friends, There are a wide variety of humans, but today I’m thinking about two basic types. There are the people who take themselves out of the picture. Write themselves out of the story. Slink to the edges of the frame. Others take center stage at all times. They fill the image, crowding out or overshadowing those around them. These people are the stars of the show, and the only Main Characters. But here’s the thing: no matter what our tendencies or training, we would all do well to...
Hello friends, I wrote this week’s newsletter in advance, because I’m camping with no cell service. It’s so good for my psyche to disconnect from electronics, stare at mountains, and walk along streams for a week. I’m a mind-racer, and this disconnection—like meditation or prayer—helps slow me down inside. The meditation on nature is always a gift to me, even in the small city where I live. For example, on the summer solstice, it was cool enough for me to take a long afternoon walk. I headed...
Hello friends, It’s Pride weekend, and I’m thinking of all the brave people who fought so hard to be allowed to simply exist. And I think of those who are still fighting, myself included. Do we want to fight? No. We’d rather just live our lives, do our work, laugh with friends, raise families, read books, and tend our gardens. Just like immigrants and other people under attack do. “The first Pride was a riot,” it is often said, and whether something is called a riot or an uprising depends on...