My woke take, as someone who has worked in both a public library and a school library, is that we desperately need both more books that are at a higher reading level but a less mature subject matter, and more books that are at a lower reading level but a more mature subject matter, because 8 year olds who are advanced readers are still 8 year olds and don't want to read about graphic violence and torture, and teens and adults who have learning difficulties or who are just later readers for whatever reason are still teens and adults and don't want to read about Billy the Bunny going to school or whatever the hell.
Shoutout to people in the notes also mentioning people learning the language, I should've mentioned that really, given that I've been stuck reading German picture books myself while learning German.
oh my god I just saw the cutest thing in the world. little Black girl with beads in her hair for the first day of school and the beads were pink then silver then a bunch of yellow then beige then grey to make them look like pencils 🥺🥺🥺 brb I will draw an artist’s rendition
Reading older Black queer writing, it always strikes me how whites never goddamn change, whether it’s 1920 or 1987 or 2023.
It’s so fascinating to me how a lot of people accused me of inventing the idea of “marginalized white people are white before they’re marginalized” but I constantly see writings/media from ages ago referencing it. For example, in this Black lesbian piece from 1987 there’s multiple references to it but I’ll pull one:
“‘And we wanted to meet others like ourselves—‘ Patrice added, gently.
‘Like yourselves?’ The words were thrown like acid by J.L.
You goddamn racist! Lettie thought, as the beer churned sourly in her stomach. Beer and anger don’t mix. White racists and Black militants don’t mix, and white lesbians and Black lesbians are white and Black people first, instilled with personal backgrounds of distrust and hostilities.
Seeing the smoldering fire in Lettie’s eyes, J.L. backed away, putting out the cigarette in an ash tray on the edge of the table. ‘Uh—well—you see, this is kind of a private organization.’ She conjured up a weak grin, which became a clown’s grimace. ‘We meet at each other’s houses sometimes and we are all—er—friends.’”
–A Meeting of the Sapphic Daughters by Ann Allen Shockley (1987) in Mouths of Rain: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought
I read this and I think of how a “staunch abolitionist” white trans woman told me “it would behoove you to seek them out [Black trans people] and study their vibes.” How those who are supposed to be in solidarity with us as queer folks are committed to ensuring we “know our place” if we try to disrupt the status quo. So many white queers just.. continue the racism of their predecessors with no qualms so long as it fits them. I hate that so little changes.
i actually did work on Ghosts of Grimwick this week, and i am pleased to announce that the main ghost guy, Salem, has made his first appearance. and the girls are scared ofc
i actually did work on Ghosts of Grimwick this week, and i am pleased to announce that the main ghost guy, Salem, has made his first appearance. and the girls are scared ofc
