Beyond the cut is a compilation of inspiration and remedies for resistance building; resources for our resilience, sanity, and liberation in this turbulent time and place:
The COVID-19 pandemic should have shown us that we’re supposed to be meeting needs, not falling in line behind fascist incursions
"By now, the COVID-19 pandemic should have shown us that we’re supposed to rise to the occasion by meeting needs, not fall in line behind fascist incursions.
The same forces that encouraged us to sacrifice the disabled, poor, and unhoused to a distorted idea of “natural selection” now instruct us to ignore the genocide of Palestinians. The same forces that pushed conspiratorial misinformation about public health and vaccination want us to give up on practicing collectivity.
It’s connected because if we cannot be relentless in our determination to interrupt what’s unfolding before us, then we risk it becoming a disturbing norm. It cannot be overstated that this situation and the fight in front of us are unprecedented."
-William C. Anderson / Building Resistance ...
Below, a playlist by Anderson, that I've been enjoying all day:
Music solves many of my problems. It’s a remedy I use to address things I encounter daily. I also use music when it comes to writing; the cr
The next link is one of the single most comprehensive & useful COVID-organzing resources I've found. It's especially relevant for facilitating conversation that builds community without compromising safety and COVID-consciousness.
How To Talk To Your Loved Ones About Covid
And now, here's a lovely fire cider recipe and some herbacious knowledge from my friends @ Plants & Poetry
Just make soup and you’re using plant medicine.
and here's one of my favorite poems of June Jordan's, performed by herself. It feels freshly applicable as we live thru this tyrannical history on repeat:
Another one from the offshoot archive, this 2021 interview with Sylvia Wynter still resonates:
Last month, I had a chance to interview Sylvia Wynter about the pandemic, Black studies, and radicalism in our current moment. What began as
"The cure is that we must enact a transformation of the whole entire society, or else something else will come up. We run into difficulties because of this president who doesn’t believe in science of course, but we must also remember that what is required is a new science. The science we do have has led us to this point, you see!" - Sylvia Wynter
And that transformation, transcendence, healing all of it... it begins with acceptance and adaptation, within me. We are our own first community.
I call up all these things, about healing and transcendence because what else is resilience and resistance building if not adapting internally and externally in ways that promote and create safe and symbiotic living.
This next conversation is more personal. Tony & I joined Keith Hayden on his show The Digital Novelist. I also low key love being referred to as a "power couple" not gonna lie :)
It's one of the favorite (recorded) conversations I've had this year about all the connections in education, comic books, art, censorship, living these times, and the healing power of creative writing. We also discuss @fionastaples and her incredible art:
If you're keen, the anthology we're discussing / it is for sale here. If you want to read it without buying, we'd deeply appreciate putting in a request with your local library.
Word of mouth is how independent artists like us build community and make our living.
Here's one more mood music playlist.
I made this one, it's my current soundtrack for calibrating and centering:
Seemed like a good time to distribute this awesome guide again for how to talk to your loved ones about covid.
This helps offer concise info (with linked sources) for providing real information about covid & covid safety and helps you common false statements like "Nobody else is masking anymore" and "I don't need to mask because I'm vaxxed and boosted" etc.
the guide aims to:
Advocate for, center, and protect the people who are most vulnerable to harm from Covid, while recognizing that everyone is at risk for severe outcomes and death
Provide accurate and non-judgemental education to people who have stopped masking
Help people obtain high-quality masks that fit them
Teach others how to wear their masks properly
Teach others how to gather more safely in person
Encourage more and better masking practices, recognizing that imperfect mask wearing is better than none at all
Push for better air filtration, air cleaning, and better ventilation in indoor spaces
Create community with others who are shielding themselves from Covid
Protect the right to wear masks in public spaces (which is already under threat)
Protect ourselves and others from forced infection with Covid
Does anyone have any tips on managing covid? I'm only on the morning of day 2, and it's making all of my symptoms flare worse. I can't stop shaking from the fever. And it feels like I've been hit by a truck a few times. I haven't had it before, so I have no idea what this is going to do to me. Any advice to manage this would be very appreciated.
In light of Audible’s current advertising campaign, I’d like to remind anyone who might be interested (although I’m sure most people are already aware) that many of your local libraries have audiobooks and some even have e-audiobooks for free! Audible can be a great tool and currently has a reasonably wide selection but can be expensive and obviously doesn’t come with the nice feel-good factor of supporting local institutions. And of course the more they are used the wider the selection will get, and the more traffic your library gets the more they can help people in your local community in other ways. Absolutely recommend giving it a go- I am a really picky reader but I’ve managed to find a few crackers during lockdown and it’s definitely worth taking the extra time to look!
I don’t normally publish anything that I haven’t written but this article in the Irish Times, has some very useful practical tips that you and I can do in dealing with the virus if it comes to call. Tips in the article are sourced from reliable medical sources so worth a read and then save it for when that day comes. I publish the core advice below and a link to the full article at the end.
DR…
Laying on my stomach helped me with covid & I also recommend pedialyte
My lungs were able to inflate better when I had shortness of breath and it helped lower my heart rate a bit. “Proning”
But it legitimately did help me and there are hospitals reporting that they have been using this method so honestly you could try it out if you get covid and are desperate
Also the dehydration can be severe so just drinking water alone might not cut it. Pedialyte could help you more to drink some. Gatorade or Powerade would also be better than nothing
Keeping my fever down and having lower blood pressure/less faintness seemed to help my symptoms
Also my symptoms seemed to be worse late at night. Honestly don’t recommend just laying flat on your back with covid when you have breathing issues
Hey for all you AFAB individuals, not to talk about COVID on main but if you catch COVID you could be at risk for blood clots.
I was in the hospital for COVID in december and they kept testing me and giving me medicine so I wouldn't have blood clots. Apparently it's a thing in AFAB individuals that can possibly happen. Whether this can happen to AMAB individuals is beyond me.
So be cautious and pay close attention to your body. Also keep your potassium levels up.
