What I Read and Wrote over Spring Break: A Couple Weeks in Review

Every week, I curate a list of the best links and articles to make you think and keep you informed. Enjoy!

What I wrote this week:

What I read this week:

Popery (Catholicism/Spirituality/Religion):

  • Jesus was a Protester (Sojourners): I am honored to be associated with a group of womens religious that has members who have been in jail for protesting, who protest and are activists and stand up for the Gospel. I think that people who get upset about "protesters" haven't read enough about the great protester, Jesus. I love this article for pointing this out. 

  • The Four Arguments for Affirming Same-Sex Marriages (Experimental Theology): Whether or not you agree with these arguments, I think they are really important for you to read. The arguments are strong and can help with dialogue between the two sides of this argument as well as leading to a more deepened understanding. 

Pens: 

  • Left-handedness And The Greatest Insult Of All (The Pen Addict): Although this is an older post, I have only just read it. I love this reflection on left-handedness. Although I am a righty, my mom is a lefty and it makes me more aware of it. What hand do you write with?

  • What Makes The Stationery Community Great (The Pen Addict): This is particularly meaningful for me this morning. Yesterday, I went to a pen meet up and was reminded, again, how much I love this community. Great people! This is a wonderful reflection on a community that welcomes anyone and everyone to its ranks. 

  • How Handwriting Sharpens Your Mind (Huffington Post): I love this article. It's very informative about how writing by hand is different from other tasks and uses a different part of the brain. Check it out! 

Paperbacks (Books and Writing):

Life in General:

  • Your Great-Great Grandparents Didn’t Sleep Like You (And Here’s Why) (The Vintage News): This is kind of interesting. I wonder how this would work out for some of us who have problems getting enough sleep.

  • How I Forgot Myself And Ended Up With A Miserable UTI (Ravishly): I'm not lying when I say that I know this feeling exactly. It's so easy to get seriously ill when you're paying attention to everyone else's needs. The exact first moment when I realized I needed to leave Indiana? Driving myself to the urgent care when I could barely stand. I was severely dehydrated and ended up with a UTI--all because I was trying to run welcome week without help.  

  • While Atlanta was a Burnin' (Appalachian Ink): I adore how this woman writes. She writes with so much honesty that I can't help but love her, even if we don't see eye to eye on everything. But I have to say, I have never heard a more true statement than this about life in a mountain culture: "With no industry comes no work, and with no work comes despair, and with despair comes the dope." And this paragraph, too, is true, though I might see it a little different: "And the churches, they have cropped up everywhere in this town and others like it, and another springs up just about every week, passing around collection plates and letting poor folks know without saying so that it’s better to invest in the next life than this one. They buy prayers instead of supper, and they go to bed hungry for good news." Even as a Christian and former minister, I've seen this all too often in my hometown. I love her message. Read her writing, I promise it soothes the soul. 

  • Choose to Hear Love Instead (Scribbles and Crumbs): I love this article and I appreciate the message. Sometimes people don't know what to say. You have to choose to hear love instead. 

  • 17 More Times Feminists Had The Perfect Comeback (Buzz Feed): This might be one of the best things I've read in a long time. 

Be Aware:

To make you Laugh:

Education and Teaching:

  • he infrastructure that supports a dissertation is ridiculous. (Mel Chua): This totally awesome article is written by my good friend, Mel. I think it is really important to think about the infrastructure required for academics to succeed. Yes, we need lots of willpower, but we also need support. I wouldn't get very far without my friends, my librarian, and my access to materials. 

  • Why do academics drink so much? (The Guardian): As a PhD student who spends a significant amount of time not just at her own institution, but also at her alma mater, I have to say: this article hits the nail on the head. We are constantly drinking. As someone who prefers not to drink at all, but most especially not around people she works with, I often feel out of the loop. 

  • Cheer up, my academic colleagues! We're so lucky to do this job (The Guardian): I really appreciate this article. I am often exhausted and overwhelmed, but I realize how lucky I am to have such a cool life. I hang out with college students and talk about grammar. What could be better?

  • Positive Strategies to Avoid Stress, Anxiety, and Burnout (edutopia): I have been struggling with this a lot lately and have been afraid of burning out because of how much work is on my plate. I think that these strategies will help a lot. I hope they help you, too!

  • The Conference Manifesto (New York Times): It's ironic for me to post this just after posting my own mini-explanation of the academic conference, but I think that this article is on point. 

  • The Life Of Overwhelmed College Students As Told By Friends (Odyssey): This was just too cute (and real for undergrads) to not share. 

Simplicity and Minimalism:

Environmentalism, Farming, Food, Health, and Nutrition:

Parenting: