StolenMorningLight

Jack of all trades and Mistress of none: contact me for help with writing or research; also open to commissions for basketry and wood-burning art

[shutyourmoustache]

If you have the means to donate gifts to toy drives or shelters, please keep the above tips in mind so you can help meet people’s wants and needs! 💓

[snarky-synesthete]

I’ve had a LOT of experience with kids in custody at group homes and within the foster system/legal system. Here’s some suggestions to donate in that direction, if you’re interested:

- NICE backpacks: sturdy ones that still look cool (think of those solid ones that folks use as carry-on bags in planes, the ones that can fit a person’s whole life inside…I’ve seen too many kids have to pack out their stuff in trash bags & pillow cases. Not fun.)

- satin hair bonnets (in LOTS of colors, not just “feminine” colors: boys of color wear bonnets to sleep in, too!)

- sleep masks

- makeup in darker skin tones (my own students have reported that this is often overlooked!)

- nice soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, moisturizer, lip balm (Not just “girl flavors…PLEASE get the “For Men™️” version because boys need self-care too! Especially teenage boys who are wrestling wildly with the idea of manhood & its connection to independence [poverty, hard work, stoicism, self-sacrifice] interacting with their own sense of self-worth [boys in general are NOT taught self-care: not worth the trouble, waste of time/money, “be tough not soft” etc] I recommend the Dr. Squatch brand!!! It’s genuinely good quality stuff PLUS the marketing/packaging is inarguably “masculine” without being aggressive. It’s got friendly little instructions on everything, like “Hydrate and stimulate yer magnificent mane with Mother Earth’s finest blend. Use a nickel-sized drop and massage like you mean it!”)

Another idea is to look in your local community for the group homes and foster programs: call them directly to see what they lack! Sometimes a business donates a BUNCH of one thing (like backpacks, for example) but maybe no one is donating, like, travel/toiletry bags. I know we all have phone anxiety, so check their website first…but every time I’ve called and said “Hey, what do y’all need that folks aren’t donating?” I suddenly become The Most Popular Girl At The Dance. Folks are SO GLAD YOU ASKED.

Additionally, if you are a business owner/creator or can provide any sort of service/product (hair cuts, styling, braiding; art/craft classes, lessons, projects; artisan skill workshops like basketry, woodworking, baking; excursion events like hikes, native plant walks; journalling/writing workshops; photography/film production…use your imagination!) you can reach out to these places and offer an EXPERIENCE instead of an item!

Do you make things? You can donate that! I published a book of guided journal prompts a couple of years ago…I donated a bunch of copies to our local girls’ home. I crochet (and teach my students how to crochet as well): we donate scarves and hats in all colors and sizes.

A caveat to calling a food bank/group home/CASA base/haven: they will very likely say something along the lines of “Please donate money.” Look, man. I know we’re all broke. I know that money feels impersonal. I KNOW. But these places…due to their nonprofit status and their community networking skills…y’all, these folks have ways to take the $10 you give them and stretch it to $50.

Let’s say you hit a BOGO sale and donate 2 jars of peanut butter, 2 loaves of bread, and 2 jars of jam to a food bank, spending about $5 of your own money. That’s awesome and useful and THANK YOU! But the food bank has the connections to get a whole shipping flat of 50 loaves of bread for that same $5. The financial impact to YOU is the same, but your REACH has extended farther.

Y’all. I know that many of us feel like the filthy coin of the realm is impersonal, cold, and uncaring: we feel like donating money is somehow less virtuous, less meaningful.

Beloved reader, it is not. It is simply recognizing that someone else with more context and connection can take our meager donation and, with it, make a larger impact than we alone could accomplish.

“Apes together strong,” and all that.

I love you. Thanks for all you do. I love seeing all the helpers in these unprecedented goddamn times. I’m so incredibly proud of you for wanting to help enough that you read this whole thing.

If you need assistance figuring out the most effective way you can help in your area, I’m a professional researcher: give me a holler and I’ll see what I can find. Again: love y’all. 💚

[stolenmorninglight]

Doctoral Student Seeking English Teachers for TTRPG Research!

I'm throwing this in here because it seems like the best place. I'm an English teacher and doctoral student working on my capstone dissertation. My research focuses on the overlap between authentic student engagement with curricular content and adolescent mental health, and I assert that a great way to improve BOTH those things is through the use of TTRPGs and other RPG-inspired elements into the English/language arts classroom. Anyone in here an English teacher willing to try out a learning activity with their students and then talk to me about it?

[snarky-synesthete]

I helped my friend @stolenmorninglight make a thing! She composed the song & performed the vocals (recorded at her brother’s studio) and I made the graphic for her video!

Cloudward, ho!

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8r6bYqp

[snarky-synesthete]

Oh hey, she put it on her YouTube channel too:

[stolenmorninglight]

It is deeply weird to be putting my own stuff out there, but I've gotten to the point where I'm just trying to have fun playing in the storytime sandbox. ^_^

[stolenmorninglight]

A couple of folks have asked if they can use this song for remixing with other fanworks. Yes, please do - and tag me in anything you use so I can enjoy the collaboration!

Also, because my friend told me to tag these people:

@dropoutdottv @dimension20official @quiddie

(Sorry, Aabria, I know this isn't your show, but Snark up there twisted my arm...she said that since you were an OG Tumblr gremlin that you were the one to holler at.)

[hummingbee-o0o]

I'm sorry, I know we already talked about this, but

Aziraphale just. Casually painted an entire room the colour of Crowley's eyes.

He is so extremely normal about that demon.

[joyandotherstories]

Don’t forget that this line is specifically about the color yellow

[snarky-synesthete]

My friend has a whole book chapter coming out in a collection of literary criticism that is entirely about adaptation theory and the color yellow in Good Omens. @stolenmorninglight how’s that project coming??

[stolenmorninglight]

It's almost done! The editor has sent the final draft of the book to the publisher. I'll share the link once it's available for download/purchase! ^_^

[snarky-synesthete]

I helped my friend @stolenmorninglight make a thing! She composed the song & performed the vocals (recorded at her brother’s studio) and I made the graphic for her video!

Cloudward, ho!

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8r6bYqp

[snarky-synesthete]

Oh hey, she put it on her YouTube channel too:

[stolenmorninglight]

It is deeply weird to be putting my own stuff out there, but I've gotten to the point where I'm just trying to have fun playing in the storytime sandbox. ^_^

[stolenmorninglight]

"Roll For Storytime" Episode 3

Leaning heavily into the DnD of it all this episode! Shall we try to start a story and get a party together with a competitive romance...inside a HIVE, no less?

Let me know if you use any of my "Roll For Storytime" scenes or story-starters. I'd love to see where you take the tale next! ^_^

[stolenmorninglight]

Say HI, Questing Queens!

I’m not a makeup girl…I often aim more for “dapper dweeb” than “fierce femme” when I dress up…but Dungeons and Drag Queens makes me wish I was HALF as fabulous as the Questing Queens <3

[stolenmorninglight]

New “Dungeons & Drag Queens” Dice Tray

I might make a new one for each episode…this one is from one of my favorite moments in S2E2:

I chose orchids to decorate this one because I remember hearing somewhere that orchids were Bob the Drag Queen’s favorite flower. What do you think? Any suggestions for a tray from S2E3? (I haven’t watched it yet but I’m hoping I’ll have time this weekend!)

[stolenmorninglight]

Leaving The Adventure Setting Up To The Dice: Roll For Storytime, Episode 1

[plz-degrade-me]

Huh both Evan Kelmp and Riz Gukgak believe the only way to show their love for people is by being useful for them. Huh they're both played by people who normally DM games. Huh weird coincidence

[stolenmorninglight]

At first I read this and was like, "yes, that is a normal and acceptable way to show love, these are both totally normal people and behaviors"

And then I read it again. Re-read the names. Clocked the word "only." Hm.

Off to do more soul searching after being dragged for filth at the hands of a Tumblr post and Dimension 20.

[stolenmorninglight]

What should I do for my next dice tray project? I have a personal one I’m starting this week for my “Roll For Storytime” project, but I’m not sure what I should do next. I’m thinking maybe of that post that made the rounds recently: “Create, Consume, Cavort, Commune.” Or possibly “Blessed” with a D4 illustration. Maybe Gorgug’s “Keep Going” quote?

Any suggestions?

I probably should have made this a poll but I’d rather leave it open-ended…

[stolenmorninglight]

Roll For Storytime!

Trying something new...let me know your thoughts! Are story-starters helpful?

Who’s ready for storytime? I’ve heard from other storytellers - GMs, DMs, writers, all - that the beginning is the hardest part of a story. Getting the party together (without having them all meet in a tavern) or getting the protagonist moving can pose challenges for any story set-up. So why not roll for it, randomly generating a story-starter? Thoughts? #rollthedice #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #d20 #rollforstorytime #storytelling #story #storystarters #rpg #tabletop #ttrpgs #writingprompts #writing #revengestory

Who’s ready for storytime? I’ve heard from other storytellers - GMs, DMs, writers, all - that the beginning is the hardest part of a story. Getting the party together (without having them all meet in a tavern) or getting the protagonist moving can pose challenges for any story set-up. So why not roll for it, randomly generating a story-starter?

[stolenmorninglight]

NEW DICE TRAY! I loved this quote from Jujubee from this week’s Adventuring Party episode for “Dungeons and Drag Queens” when she said, “I give grace to my curiosity, sweetie!” As an educator, writer, researcher, and artist, that phrase nestled right down into my heart. I had to break out my wood-burning kit this morning and get right down to work!

[allthefoolmine]

“…as I jumped through the hoops of a new tenure track position, in Germany, I also devoted more of my energy to other kinds of writing, writing that still didn’t “count.”

I noticed a few things as I did. One was that all of my writing became easier – if blocked on a scholarly project, I could begin it in a playful style, or I could get the creative juices flowing by writing in another genre first. Or: I could do something creative with my hands or with my body, and allow my subconscious to do the work. Writing began to feel less like something I had to do in a way that would not offend my harshest critic, and more like something I could do to please myself.”

“…the distinction that now counts for me is not between critical and creative practices, or between aesthetic and other uses of literature. It is between work done to please power, and work done in the face of death.”

- Irina Dumitrescu, “Why I’m No Longer a Proper Academic” (Creative Critical)

[stolenmorninglight]

Why shouldn’t an academic paper include some creativity? Let’s bring some playfulness into academia!

[jstor]

Searching best practices on JSTOR

Hi Tumblr researchers,

As promised, we're going to dive into some best practices for searching on JSTOR. This'll be a long one!

The first thing to note is that JSTOR is not Google, so searches should not be conducted in the same way.

More on that in this video:

Basic Search on JSTOR

To search for exact phrases, enclose the words within quotation marks, like "to be or not to be".

To construct a more effective search, utilize Boolean operators, such as "tea trade" AND china.

Advanced Searching on JSTOR

Utilize the drop-down menus to refine your search parameters, limiting them to the title, author, abstract, or caption text.

Combine search terms using Boolean operators like AND/OR/NOT and NEAR 5/10/25. The NEAR operator finds keyword combinations within 5, 10, or 25 words of each other. It applies only when searching for single keyword combinations, such as "cat NEAR 5 dog," but not for phrases like "domesticated cat" NEAR 5 dog.

Utilize the "Narrow by" options to search for articles exclusively, include/exclude book reviews, narrow your search to a specific time frame or language.

To focus your article search on specific disciplines and titles, select the appropriate checkboxes. Please note that discipline searching is currently limited to journal content, excluding ebooks from the search.

Finding Content You Have Access To

To discover downloadable articles, chapters, and pamphlets for reading, you have the option to narrow down your search to accessible content. Simply navigate to the Advanced Search page and locate the "Select an access type" feature, which offers the following choices:

All Content will show you all of the relevant search results on JSTOR, regardless of whether or not you can access it.

Content I can access will show you content you can download or read online. This will include Early Journal Content and journals/books publishers have made freely available.

Once you've refined your search, simply select an option that aligns with your needs and discover the most relevant items. Additionally, you have the option to further narrow down your search results after conducting an initial search. Look for this option located below the "access type" checkbox, situated at the bottom left-hand side of the page.

Additional resources

For more search recommendations, feel free to explore this page on JSTOR searching. There, you will find information on truncation, wildcards, and proximity, using fields, and metadata hyperlinks.

[stolenmorninglight]

Did you know that you get 100 free JSTOR articles per year if you have a Google account?

[drlinguo]

… found in the university …