Resource Roundup #29
For the week of February 4th.
Are you from a rural community or the American South? Share your story with us to be published in an upcoming newsletter!
Hi Folks, and Happy Friday,
Did anyone else feel like this was the longest week ever? I, for one, thought January might never end. It’s been weird weather, and I just spent most of my morning (and money) at the DMV. Just another week in the life.
Lots of good things below to fill your weekend with, especially those of you headed into another weekend of snow. Enjoy it, and as always, reach out with any questions, comments, recommendations, etc.
ICYMI, Good Folk has a new series called View From Here that provides photo and video prompts for readers to respond to. The idea is to give people a glimpse of what life actually looks like across the country, especially in rural areas. This week’s prompt is tree. Send us your photos here!
Almost every essay I have ever loved came from Hazlitt, and this piece by Bryony White on leaving London and returning home to “queer the rural” is no exception. I know this newsletter largely focuses on American studies, but these are important topics everywhere in the world.
On that note, this story on queer love in South Carolina and falling in love with your best friend by Julia Koets absolutely me away. Once again, it seems I have never had an original experience ever.
Been thinking a lot lately about these delineations we make between urban and rural culture, and what the concept of an “urban redneck” might look like. If I finish it, keep your eyes out for an essay on that soon. For now, I love this NYT piece about urban fisherman in Los Angeles, a sport long associated with rednecks.
It’s Mistki Day! One of my favorite things about Mitski is the way that she is was just as popular at my New York City women’s college as she is at the rural middle school I work at. A group of my 8th grade students even have a Mitski fan club, of which you know I am a part.
Lee Mandelo, if you are reading this, I am dying to read your novel Summer Sons, about queer love and street racing in Appalachia, and I think we should be friends. I also have a queer novel set in the rural South, and I think it’s time we all just start our own new writer’s club. Please email me!
I needed this advice on the importance of letting yourself be seen in writing this week. This newsletter started almost entirely as a passion project, so it really has meant a lot to me to see how much it resonates with readers, and I hope you know how much your kind words and support mean. I save every one of them. Seriously! And I’m glad you resonate with my rambling and ranting. And thank you, for real.
Maya S. Cade has a list of 28 Black films to stream this month in honor of Black History Month. So much good stuff on here. Wow.
A reminder as we head into another weekend of snow and the South shuts down again:
I guess it’s time to share that I am heading back to school next year to become a folklorist (!!!), but if I wasn’t, you KNOW I would have already applied to this Deputy Editor job at Reckon South. Reckon, I love you, and if you ever need someone for contract or freelance work, you know where to find me…