Sep. 16th, 2020

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As the apocalypse continues, and I begin to go stir crazy from not being able to set foot outside in the smoke (literally feeling sick walking to the mailbox), I wanted to share a couple of philosophically/spiritually uplifting reads:

Wind, a short-story manhwa by Yuyun, which is about Buddhist monk and a two-tailed fox in WWII-era Korea. It is about Buddhist principles in a very on-the-nose way, and I mean that as a compliment, very nicely put together (and award-winning).

Nan Dòmi: An Initiate's Journey into Haitian Vodou by Mimerose Beaubrun. I can't praise this book enough. It is beautifully written, authentic, and insightful. As I am currently studying Buddhism, I've been really interested in how many of the Ginen teachings described here have the same basic message as Buddhism: letting go of ego, letting go of attachment, illusion, etc., but with a very different, quintessentially African flavor, much more embodied, much more exuberant.

(Side note: I have decided to give myself the gift of skipping my author newsletter this crazy September. I will return with non-Eurocentric stories next month.)
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From [personal profile] sallymn

A meme (in the old-fashioned sense)!

1. What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?

A toss up probably between the vibrant colors of the ocean as seen from the cliffs out at Russian Gulch State Park in Mendocino County, California, and the little knoll out by our oak tree Senex when Senex was alive. One is still there, one gone. I look forward to returning to Russian Gulch.

2. What is your greatest dream in life?

This varies by mood and perspective, I’m sure, but right now it’s to see the world really embrace degrowth economics and to be able to be a meaningful participant in that.

3. What is the best book you have ever read? 
I’m just going to say it: Mirage of Blaze.

(Okay, it’s multiple books, but it’s one series.) It is deeply flawed and often badly written, but when it is not…

4. What is your most cherished childhood memory?

I don’t really have just one, but one that stands out to me is in 8th grade when I had to perform a scene from The Importance of Being Earnest for my drama class, and I was worried the night before because I kept cracking up at the way my performance partner said, “The Brighton Line,” and I thought I would make a fool of myself in class. So my dad stayed up till like 11:30 p.m. with me, saying “The Brighton Line,” in every funny voice he could think of until I was too exhausted to laugh anymore. (He was an actor in college, so he had a lot of voices.) I remember feeling very loved by the attention he put into that endeavor. (I did crack a smile in the actual performance, but I did not burst out laughing.)

5. What is your best character trait or strength?

This is the hard one. Probably hope.

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