It’s more important than ever for me to remember how much good there is in the world.
To that end, I’m going to try to post 5 cool things I encountered recently. Weekly? Maybe. Or maybe just occasionally. However frequently I do it, my goal is to brighten your day and help me cleanse my own timeline of all the toxicity that current events and social media can bring.
With so much happening in the world, we all just need a link-love break, y’know?
AUG 12, 2024—I try not to watch too many politics right now, but I do love Monday nights with John Stewart.
He had Mark Cuban on for his Monday night guest. I wasn’t particularly excited since I’ve ditched The Shark Tank because its focus on gross consumerism kinda put me out. But then I learned that Cuban has this company—Cost Plus Drugs—that’s disrupting Big Pharma by being transparent and setting reasonable, affordable prices on drugs.
I tested the waters, found my previous MS drug (Tecfidera) at such a ridiculously low rate that I’m pretty darn impressed.
(What do you mean… low rate? Tecfidera [dimethyl fumarate] runs $6616.87 retail for a 1-month supply; at CPD, the same 1-month supply costs $39.50 not counting shipping and taxes).
- Why is this hi-vibe? Because a billionaire who invests in systems or services that make life easier, sustainable, affordable, and accessible for all people who are not billionaires is a huge win in my book.
AUG 13, 2024—As a writer, I’m always looking for bookstores, especially the little indies that specialize. Searching the Seattle bibliophile scene, I came upon Estelita’s Library.
While they have a book shop online, they offer something uniquely inclusive at their physical location: a community library with books focused on social justice, ethnic studies, and liberation movements.
From their website: “We invite everyone to use our library space as a community center; come cozy up with a book, learn about social justice, and connect with likeminded people. The space and books at our library are free to everyone and anyone (just call).”
They are now on my list of places to visit the next time I’m in that neck of the woods. I’m happy to donate copies of both Intention Tremor and Cul de Sac Stories to their library. Both have themes that intersect with social justice concerns.
- Why is this hi-vibe? In a world where words and ideas are quickly being censored and silenced, I’m all in on any organization that dispenses them freely to whoever needs to read and discuss them.
AUG 14, 2024—Honestly, I didn’t watch a lot of the Olympics. There just isn’t time these days to watch much TV at all; I’m in awe of people who can cram all the movies and series in to their lives (or, maybe, I’m not… I’m busy doing things I love!).
Anyway, I have no need for a sports fix because every summer I look forward to American Ninja Warrior. These athletes of all ages, genders, sizes, and backgrounds—who I see as Everypeople, just ordinary folks throwing their heart into the sport—fling themselves across these Herculean obstacles that test their strength, balance, coordination, speed, agility, and heart.
(How this hasn’t become its own Olympic sport escapes me. They should call it the Olympiad Obstacle Course.)
The pageantry of the event is silly and fun and inspiring as well. Athletes have Ninja nicknames such as The Weatherman, Sweet T, The Eskimo Ninja, The Classy Ninja, The Philly Phoenix, Flex Labreck, Big Dog Ninja, and others. Often the Ninjas will run the course bedecked in costumes linked to their identities, such as Jessie Graff, who goes by the Ninja nickname Wonder Woman (you can guess how she dresses).
- Why is this hi-vibe? The platform is resistant to commercial sponsorship. Several Ninjas run the course to raise awareness for mental health, chronic illness and cancer, the LGBTQ community, and more. Not only is the athleticism and sportsmanship remarkable, but the vibe is charitable, humanitarian, and community driven, without the crass commercialism of other televised sports.
AUG 15, 2024—Something a lot of nonwriter folks don’t know: it is much harder for writers to get their books into bookstores than y’all think!
If you’re famous, a well-known author or celebrity, or you’ve published with one of the Big 5 houses, that pretty much gets you in the door. But the vast majority of authors publishing traditionally are not published by the Big 5, nor are they famous. They have to apply to have their books included on a bookstore’s shelf. And that means they might be denied.
It also means their books must be found through specific distributors. My book, Cul de Sac Stories, is traditionally published but its chief distributor, Small Press Distribution, closed its doors unexpectedly, so my book doesn’t have distribution. This means booksellers have to go through a different process to include my book, and let’s face it, odds are that chains aren’t going to bother because they can’t buy it through the pre-established distribution channels that their systems support.
So what’s an author to do? Smaller independent booksellers care quite a bit more about local authors. Village Books and Paper Dreams in Bellingham, for instance, is a leader in community driven book buying… they will always try to find ways to make sure local authors are included on their shelves.
Indie booksellers also understand that there are authors putting out beautiful, viable work through small presses who may not have the same distribution privileges that the Big 5 houses can provide. So they work with local authors on a consignment basis (or order direct from the publisher).
- Why is this hi-vibe? I have been able to get my books into local indie booksellers by simply asking, telling them I am a local small press author, and that’s all they need to show me their support. Most recently, Ballast Books in Bremerton and Winter Texts in Port Townsend have made it extremely easy to include copies of Cul de Sac Stories on their shelves.(Granted, some local booksellers in the PNW are bigger indie stores and they have an application process because of demand and interest, but they’re far more likely to work out arrangements with authors to ensure these local voices have a fair shot at selling their books in stores—and online, as well.)
AUG 16, 2024—I love all the different seasons in the PNW (all for different reasons), but I have to say I have a special fondness for the fall.
When August rolls by, I know I’m going to be in that hot, dry breathless space between the height of summer and the cool crisp skies that autumn promises just around the corner.
This is harvest time, the period when the shade of blue in the sky deepens, the geese begin to form V formations, the blackberries sweeten up on the vine, and the fireweed turns from orchid spears to cotton fluff.
- Why is this hi-vibe? Because it signals the return of mushroom season.🍄🍄🍄 One of my favorite things to do while hiking in the woods is to spy the sudden appearance of fungus everywhere… dozens and dozens of different shapes, colors, sizes. This “mycelial spring” is a sign of healthy soil and marks the change toward cooler nights and the return of the rain. As a gardener, I treasure the mycelial return, because it marks a new season of growth even as things are dying away.