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Nancy Snyder's avatar

Great interview; 5 or 6 years ago Santa Monica Public Library chose FUN HOME as their One City Book Read; I am grateful for her work - hope she liked Santa Monica Reads

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Andrea Stoeckel's avatar

Did you ever see the 1 panel wonder of a reunion around a Thanksgiving dinner with everyone a little older and grayer? I met Alison about 43 years ago at Amazon Women's Book and Music in Minneapolis ( who Bezos took all that to SCOTUS and lost when he sued us for copyright infringement...and lost...and then beefed up his LGBTQIA books and drove them out of business) and I proudly own an Amazon Books poster staring rather familiar characters from DTWOF. I also own all the DTWOF books from Firebrand as well as everything else she's done.

She still looks like she did then even if I don't

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Susie Bright's avatar

You’re not kidding about Alison’s agelessness. Just a touch of silver fox now, but that’s it! I mentioned the old Mpls Amazon feminist bookstore in my introduction last night, and many in the audience whistled and clapped in its memory!

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WL Chapkis's avatar

Can’t wait to get my copy!

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Monica Miller's avatar

I got my copy of Spent and read it this weekend—wow, it was great! You look fabulous—I wish I could have teleported there. I hope you’re on the mend!

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Susie Bright's avatar

I know what you mean. I binged it in one sitting.

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Monica Miller's avatar

It was literally catching up with old friends :) And goats!

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Alexander Chee's avatar

Oh wow I have to have this right away. Thanks!

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Susie Bright's avatar

Oh yes you do! You are going to howl!

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Martha Garvey's avatar

Please tell me you fly wearing a respirator. Or that you will. Because Brainworm Jr. and his minions LOVE to see us sick from a pandemic they are pretending doesn't exist. And masks are an easy sign of resistance.

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Susie Bright's avatar

On the meta level, yes, I lay in bed groaning and thinking, “Christ, how can any of us fight the man when we’re dying of the plagues?” Whoever guessed our own government would turn infectious germ warfare on its own people? Actually, there’s probably a book or two about that, eh?

i note the way the Gestapo/Stasi wear masks to seize and beat us, that’s fine, but masks for health reasons are now considered a reason to be fired or banned.

On a cherry note: i feel slightly better than I did at 1am. My darling next door neighbor really did bring some Chinese chicken soup over! And a ¼ cup of whiskey for my throat tonic.

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Martha Garvey's avatar

Steven Thrasher's The Viral Underclass is *superb*. Must read.

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Celia's avatar

My best throat tonic: 1 heaping tsp of your best honey (this is disgustingly sweet), juice of 1/2 - 1 lemon. Heat gently to completely disolve honey. Add a splash of brandy or whiskey for palatability. Soothing and helps reduce coughing. (Just getting over 3 WEEKS of resp virus.) Don't be fooled into 'doing more' by false feel-good days. Rest, rest, rest!

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Susie Bright's avatar

Your thing about the false feel-good day is my vow this time. That is how I always get screwed. Must to be faked out this time.

I like whiskey, lemon and honey too!

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Celia's avatar

What pandemic are you referring to?

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Susie Bright's avatar

I’m just being sarcastic about whatever new viral catastrophe we’re heading into!

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Celia's avatar

I meant Martha who said "a pandemic they are pretending doesn't exist." I have my junior epidemiology badge and I nobody told me we were in one.

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Martha Garvey's avatar

@Celia: SARS-CoV-2. AKA Covid-19. Alive, well, mutating, disabling, and killing folks around the world. Newest variant has a nickname: "Razorblade throat."

Given the current state of U.S. federal health information, I don't expect anyone's gonna tell you anything (see this article: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-replaces-covid-websites/). Plus, you know, RFK Jr. using AI in a report, resulting in fake citations. When they *do* tell you stuff...it's made up. Or non-science.

So let's turn to the World Health Organization.

From WHO website as of today:

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic

https://www.who.int/europe/emergencies/situations/covid-19

"On 5 May 2023, more than three years into the pandemic, the WHO Emergency Committee on COVID-19 recommended to the Director-General, who accepted the recommendation, that given the disease was by now well established and ongoing, it no longer fit the definition of a PHEIC. *This does not mean the pandemic itself is over*, but the global emergency it caused is – for now."[Asterisks mine.]

The TLDR is: mask up as often as you can, especially at crowded events, inside and out. KN95, N95. Period. Don't rely on your vaccine to stop the virus, though it will lessen your symptoms. Invest in HEPA filters.

This is a great place for quick and dirty recommendations, with citations. https://newlevant.com/covidzine

Just as with HIV/AIDS, the powers-that-be have zero invested in keeping us alive. We have to keep each other safe.

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Celia's avatar

Thanks, I’ll take a closer look

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Reading Off Into The Sunset's avatar

VA. VA. VOOM! That’s all I’ve got to say!!

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