Related Recs

✍️

Sharing your writing with your closest friends before anyone else reads it

"I don't care if you think your writing is shit," she told me. "It's probably amazing and if you die before I do, I'm going to publish your work. Like Max Brod did for Kafka." We were sixteen years old and I was mortified by the idea of anyone reading my stories. Reluctantly, I started handing handwritten pages to my closest friends. We all have to start somewhere. 12 years later, I'm still as anxious and insecure about my writing as I was back then, but the group of friends in my corner has grown. They don't care much about writing, but cheer me on every step of the way. Without them, I would have given up in writing a long time ago. They truly are the Brod to my Kafka 🖤

@envy

Sep 21, 2024

📖

Reading at open mics

Read a ten minute prose I wrote at an open mic of my own curation, and that I hosted through my org (black girl fight club) on Wednesday night, in Chinatown… to like 50-60ish people. It was in amidst a quite wonderful art exhibit I co-curated with a friend (if I do say so myself). It was awesome. probably got 15 rounds of laughter during my piece. & a lot of praise. surreal. partly because it’s always surreal to produce an event, partly because when you read fast and real and long you black out, and during public speaking; especially off of an all nighter and a tad of hypomania. It’s the second time I’ve read at an open mic. again for lack of a better word: awesome. Then thursday night, last night– I did another reading. Bikini themed- on a roof in bedstuy (with notably no black people this time. Which for some reason I noted in my preamble). I knew no one there. except my best friend, who came with me. Another long ass prose. Cause that’s who I am. I went last. People laughed a lot and then listened to the serious parts then laughed again. One of favorite compliments is being told I’m funny. I used to never be able to really receive a compliment, I’d put a very fake voice on and give a very fake thank you. This year I’m truly proud of myself for the first time ever. It feels good to digest things you deserve genuinely; my mom doesn’t do it; I grew up not doing it; why not? I should. I’m growing up perhaps. Several people came up to me after and gave me kind genuine ass comments and praise. I chatted a lot with very nice individuals. they asked where they could read my writing they got my number and asked to send or followed me to see when is release, I don’t have anything released. And I felt on top of the world on that rooftop, and very real. Not hypomanic any longer, at least for all of yesterday. This summer has been consistently abundant and divine. I’ve felt abundantly full and swallowing gratitude. not for just what’s coming next or graduating or my accomplishments but for the love of my friends and traveling and the love of loves sake and sweet treats and the sun. I like to laugh loud. I want to go all the way with this writing stuff nowadays. Well I’m a renaissance woman and want to be a giant rose garden that is every color and grows everywear and then an 100 year old pine tree. And then a single rose that wilts on a first love’s or final love’s dresser and never forgotten. And be funny and real raw and relatable. A storyteller and all the things. And real artists writers and real listeners and peers of blackness and whiteness east coast and otherwise transplants and otherwise from my Alma mater and otherwise my friends my mutuals and complete strangers alike are looking and listening intently and think my words are worthwhile. I’m a professional yapper, I know, hence the long ass pieces. And the nights spent talking to my friends for hours on end. But a professional writer? I never thought I could go all the way- regardless of format… only when a few professors and teachers of my past really told me from their hearts at times, a few times… but peers feels so enlightening a lot more a lot of the time. They have a distinguished pulse, the respectable ones. So I guess it’s time to launch (or relaunch) the Substack and do more open mics and less close friends stories. And to just let it be how it should. You should hop on the mic if you feel like the timing is divine too And the spirit compels you. I ate carvel and a Cinnabon (it was combined in one establishment) leaving the reading last night). carvel is my favorite soft serve and they barely have any in New York. And I love Cinnabon so dearly. My best friend never had carvel she said it’s “actually pretty good” but it’s my favorite. I had vanilla with rainbow sprinkles. When I got to her house, I ate the Cinnabon after microwaving it. I was supposed to save it for tomorrow. But why save something deliciously sweet and divine and blessed for the next day when you can chew it and swallow it when you want it right now in the presence of someone you love and wants the best for you. who you held hands with in the car all the way home. I massaged myself with this special healing cream I have, then massaged her feet and calves. My friend on the other side of the country called me and she is coming here next week we are going to heal ourselves, body spirit and mind together. be little girls and big girls and be artists and date each other abd cuddle up - just like our 3-headed deer tattoo we all got together on my friend’s birthday. in the grand scheme of things we haven’t even known each other long, one of them less than a year. Who cares. Love isn’t about that. love is about being a deer, prey and pretty and sweet, hunted and prancing in the forest and front lawns, survivors and spotted, fairy tales Bambi movies children’s books filled with gunshots overpopulated — & on 3 heads, one body, resting on the shoulders of three girls who found home in each other and fell in love And will share that til their skin rots and they become poems and memoirs, rose gardens and star dust.

@gabz

Aug 2, 2024

🫶

Touching grass mostly

Literally in my backyard (and I think I possibly have a grass allergy that was undiscovered until now because where I grew up there just wasn’t a lot of grass) but also metaphorically. I moved to a cozy home in a beautiful walkable neighborhood and I’ve been enjoying strolling around and meeting so many neighborhood woodland critters—I just learned where Mr. Groundhog lives (at the base of a big tree in the woods behind my house)! On Saturday I found a dead squirrel in my backyard that seemed to have been killed by a bird of prey :( he was also my friend he was uniquely chunky and I loved watching him scurry around. My favorite mother deer has been hopping the fence and jumping into my yard to take naps and munch at the grass, vines, and hostas and I’m honored to have her as an esteemed guest. I’m meticulously and slowly planning what color and fabric of curtains I want to buy for every room which is such a process. I’ve never had so many windows before and curtains are one of my absolute favorite interior design elements so I’m overwhelmed but overjoyed. it’s also VERY nice to finally have my own dedicated office space to work in again. Having a basement is WEIRD but not as creepy as I expected. I’ve been regularly frequenting my neighborhood artisan bakery and tiny old indie movie theater and buying peaches by the crateful at the farmer’s market. I’m trying to cut back on sugar and have once again grown bored with alcohol so I’m rawdogging life despite recent legalization in my state because SWIM is now prone to extreme greenout panic attacks 💔 I’m doing a lot of somatic yoga which I greatly enjoy… and I take SO many hot baths. I’ve also been doing some controversial new tactics with my hair which I’ll post about soon and I’m due for another salon appointment… or overdue you could say but I always like to wait to see how the tones fade and blend with my roots almost more than I like the fresh color… the chiaroscuro of it all! my fiery red hair has faded to a caramel tortoiseshell and I’m kind of obsessed so I want to play off of that next time and get a Jane Birkin inspired cut. I’m ready for bangs again!!! I switched Benny and Bunny from their previous frozen raw foods to Steve’s Real Food—I love the ingredients they use and their complete transparency about the farms they source them from! Benny and Bunny’s coats look so much healthier + I think they like eating it more 🤔 my relationship with Benny has dramatically improved and I don’t know if it’s that he just loves living in a more spacious house with a backyard or if it’s because he’s grown up, but likely a combination of both. I’ve recorded two episodes of my new podcast Gilded with nunjournal my dear friend of 15+ years and once our third episode is complete we’re going to release them all at once then transition to a biweekly schedule! And last week I was unanimously elected to serve as the vice chair of an internal consultancy group I’m in at work which is the pet project of executive leadership for strategic future growth of the company so that’s kind of a slay… I’m leading my first subcommittee meeting on Wednesday I’m nervous but tickled pink. that’s about it thanks for reading this characteristically overly long post! :~)

@taterhole

Aug 12, 2024

Top Recs from @opalbby

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having sex with someone you love

it hits different!!!!!!!!

@opalbby

Sep 8, 2024

🚆

osaka loopline

I ended up riding the train on a loop because I love the fucking train! the sun shone upon me and I was content

@opalbby

Apr 7, 2024

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Starting a queer theory study circle

Because I want to think about sex (academically!). Because I want to meet new, intellectually stimulating people. Because I can! Because I should use my expertise to do something instead of just reading endlessly alone in my room. Because critical analysis is sexy and fun. Because I shouldn‘t assume that someone else will start one. Because it’s hot to be a person who creates and organises and hosts things. Because I don’t only want to read dry course literature. Because I want to be in charge! Because I like to learn. Because I like to teach.

@opalbby

Jun 18, 2024