Rachael Arsenault's Blog - Posts Tagged "lgbtq"
September Wrap-Up
What I’ve Enjoyed
Books
Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
Still on this series, still really enjoying it. Once again, this book is a lot more intense than earlier installments of the series, but it still has the same charm and distinct narrative voice that I love.
Articles
Why This Charming Gay Fairy Tale Has Been Lost for 200 Years
It’s no secret that there has been a long history of LGBTQIA+ people and their stories being silenced or covered up (shoved into the closet, so to speak), but it still surprises and excites me when I come across stuff like this. A gay fairy tale! From at least the 1800s! That’s amazing! Now we just need a faithful, animated adaptation and other retellings so it can become common public knowledge.
In the Land of Kush
A fascinating read about an ancient Sudanese society whose true nature and accomplishments has long been forgotten, dismissed, or overwritten by historians. Plus, the article is full of gorgeous photos.
Can You Tell an Author’s Identity by Looking at Punctuation Alone? A Study Just Found Out
This is super nerdy, I know, but I honestly just wanna read more about it. There are a lot of implications in a study like this, and I’m curious to see if and how its expanded upon in the future.
12 Old Words That Survived by Getting Fossilized in Idioms
I now know why “go” conjugates to “went” and why we call it a “nickname” and it all makes so much sense! Weird language quirks and the history behind them are one of my favourite things, in case you’re new to these wrap-ups or somehow didn’t pick up on that in the previous ones. And this article definitely delivers on that love!
The ‘Flying Feminist’ Who Was The First Woman to Design, Build, and Fly Her Own Plane
I think the thing I love most about this article, aside from the obvious joy of seeing women in history spotlighted for their accomplishments, is that Bland led such a long and varied life. She dedicated time and effort to creating and flying her own biplane, but that was far from her only ambition or achievement. To her, it was just a check in the box, another adventure completed – and I think that’s incredible and deeply admirable.
Other
Princess Mononoke
Another Ghibli movie! My husband and I are trying to make it a point to watch one of these films when we have a Saturday to ourselves, and I’m loving it so far. Princess Mononoke was definitely a lot darker than Castle in the Sky, but it was an incredibly powerful, beautifully animated story.
What I’ve Created
Books/Short Stories
Aether & Ichor
This is technically an old publication – it came out in January – but its inclusion on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database is new! The Beasts of Legend issue of Aether & Ichor features my short story, One-Tenth Merperson and can be read online for free.
Articles
Is It Possible to Play a Pacifist in D&D?
I’ve been missing playing D&D during the pandemic, and nerding out about the game helps sometimes. I saw a fellow D&D nerd online ask about the feasibility of designing a pacifist character, which I thought was a really interesting idea, so I wrote a whole little article about it.
Descriptive Writing: How Much is Too Much?
I’ve started poking around in some online writing communities recently, and a question I came across the other day was about knowing when you’ve described enough in a scene. I thought this was an interesting and complicated question, which made it great material for a quick little article.
How to Find Prenatal and Parenting Classes During a Pandemic
Life during a pandemic and being pregnant bring their share of stresses and uncertainties, and experiencing both at the same time only amplifies that. One problem I found myself grappling with was figuring out where to find classes for first-time parents. So, to save other new parents the same stress and hassle, I put together this little article to hopefully offer some insight and guidance.
Books
Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
Still on this series, still really enjoying it. Once again, this book is a lot more intense than earlier installments of the series, but it still has the same charm and distinct narrative voice that I love.
Articles
Why This Charming Gay Fairy Tale Has Been Lost for 200 Years
It’s no secret that there has been a long history of LGBTQIA+ people and their stories being silenced or covered up (shoved into the closet, so to speak), but it still surprises and excites me when I come across stuff like this. A gay fairy tale! From at least the 1800s! That’s amazing! Now we just need a faithful, animated adaptation and other retellings so it can become common public knowledge.
In the Land of Kush
A fascinating read about an ancient Sudanese society whose true nature and accomplishments has long been forgotten, dismissed, or overwritten by historians. Plus, the article is full of gorgeous photos.
Can You Tell an Author’s Identity by Looking at Punctuation Alone? A Study Just Found Out
This is super nerdy, I know, but I honestly just wanna read more about it. There are a lot of implications in a study like this, and I’m curious to see if and how its expanded upon in the future.
12 Old Words That Survived by Getting Fossilized in Idioms
I now know why “go” conjugates to “went” and why we call it a “nickname” and it all makes so much sense! Weird language quirks and the history behind them are one of my favourite things, in case you’re new to these wrap-ups or somehow didn’t pick up on that in the previous ones. And this article definitely delivers on that love!
The ‘Flying Feminist’ Who Was The First Woman to Design, Build, and Fly Her Own Plane
I think the thing I love most about this article, aside from the obvious joy of seeing women in history spotlighted for their accomplishments, is that Bland led such a long and varied life. She dedicated time and effort to creating and flying her own biplane, but that was far from her only ambition or achievement. To her, it was just a check in the box, another adventure completed – and I think that’s incredible and deeply admirable.
Other
Princess Mononoke
Another Ghibli movie! My husband and I are trying to make it a point to watch one of these films when we have a Saturday to ourselves, and I’m loving it so far. Princess Mononoke was definitely a lot darker than Castle in the Sky, but it was an incredibly powerful, beautifully animated story.
What I’ve Created
Books/Short Stories
Aether & Ichor
This is technically an old publication – it came out in January – but its inclusion on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database is new! The Beasts of Legend issue of Aether & Ichor features my short story, One-Tenth Merperson and can be read online for free.
Articles
Is It Possible to Play a Pacifist in D&D?
I’ve been missing playing D&D during the pandemic, and nerding out about the game helps sometimes. I saw a fellow D&D nerd online ask about the feasibility of designing a pacifist character, which I thought was a really interesting idea, so I wrote a whole little article about it.
Descriptive Writing: How Much is Too Much?
I’ve started poking around in some online writing communities recently, and a question I came across the other day was about knowing when you’ve described enough in a scene. I thought this was an interesting and complicated question, which made it great material for a quick little article.
How to Find Prenatal and Parenting Classes During a Pandemic
Life during a pandemic and being pregnant bring their share of stresses and uncertainties, and experiencing both at the same time only amplifies that. One problem I found myself grappling with was figuring out where to find classes for first-time parents. So, to save other new parents the same stress and hassle, I put together this little article to hopefully offer some insight and guidance.
July Wrap-Up: Disability Rights, Queer Chefs, and Sapphic Vampires
It should come as no surprise that my July media was pretty queer, since that is my ideal kind of reading month. But we’ve also got some much needed education on disability and disability rights during Disability Pride month, and a healthy dose of good ol’ fashion nerdiness. Enjoy!
What I’ve Enjoyed
Books
Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc
I haven’t read much work centering disability and ableism, and I really need to change that. This book was an eye-opening step in that direction, and even helped me rethink my own condition and whether or not that technically marks me as disabled (I have a depth perception impairment that prevents me from driving). Definitely worth the read.
Chef's Kiss by TJ Alexander
This was so cute! And, well, infuriating on behalf of the characters at times, but mostly cute! I loved how vividly food and cooking were described, Simone is an oblivious and precious bean, and Ray was an absolute delight. Lots of great queer rep. Highly recommend.
Articles
Quidditch Becomes Quadball to Distance Itself from J.K. Rowling
We hate TERFs here, but we love taking elements of a fandom or world that have grown bigger than their creator and turning them into something even better. The fact that Quadball has a long history of trans and non-binary inclusivity and is taking such a firm stance against J.K.’s bigotry fills me with spite-fueled delight.
Other
First Kill
It took me FOREVER to find time to sit down and watch this, largely because it’s not the sort so how I can put on while my toddler is playing in the living room. But I’m so glad I got around to it, because this was a delight. It’s not a perfect show to be sure, but I really enjoyed it. The world-building is interesting, the characters are dynamic and well-realized, and seeing a sapphic romance play out on screen like this is just very refreshing.
What I’ve Created
Books/Short Stories
When We Lie
Okay, so it’s not technically anything new I’ve put out in July, BUT When We Lie comes out on the 17th (*cue screaming*) and I’m very, very, very excited! I’ve also been sharing some promotional photos and graphics over on my Twitter and Instagram (check my WWL Edits highlight), so go check that out! I’m @rachaellawrites on both.
Articles
How to Make Any D&D 5e Class into a Healer
Back to my weird D&D pieces, though this one isn’t focused on stacking extremely specific abilities. Instead, I wanted to see how different classes could function as healers, outside of the typical cleric, paladin, druid, etc. Turns out there are a lot of options to play with!
What were you enjoying in July? Are there any books, movies, TV shows, etc. that you think I should check out?
What I’ve Enjoyed
Books
Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc
I haven’t read much work centering disability and ableism, and I really need to change that. This book was an eye-opening step in that direction, and even helped me rethink my own condition and whether or not that technically marks me as disabled (I have a depth perception impairment that prevents me from driving). Definitely worth the read.
Chef's Kiss by TJ Alexander
This was so cute! And, well, infuriating on behalf of the characters at times, but mostly cute! I loved how vividly food and cooking were described, Simone is an oblivious and precious bean, and Ray was an absolute delight. Lots of great queer rep. Highly recommend.
Articles
Quidditch Becomes Quadball to Distance Itself from J.K. Rowling
We hate TERFs here, but we love taking elements of a fandom or world that have grown bigger than their creator and turning them into something even better. The fact that Quadball has a long history of trans and non-binary inclusivity and is taking such a firm stance against J.K.’s bigotry fills me with spite-fueled delight.
Other
First Kill
It took me FOREVER to find time to sit down and watch this, largely because it’s not the sort so how I can put on while my toddler is playing in the living room. But I’m so glad I got around to it, because this was a delight. It’s not a perfect show to be sure, but I really enjoyed it. The world-building is interesting, the characters are dynamic and well-realized, and seeing a sapphic romance play out on screen like this is just very refreshing.
What I’ve Created
Books/Short Stories
When We Lie
Okay, so it’s not technically anything new I’ve put out in July, BUT When We Lie comes out on the 17th (*cue screaming*) and I’m very, very, very excited! I’ve also been sharing some promotional photos and graphics over on my Twitter and Instagram (check my WWL Edits highlight), so go check that out! I’m @rachaellawrites on both.
Articles
How to Make Any D&D 5e Class into a Healer
Back to my weird D&D pieces, though this one isn’t focused on stacking extremely specific abilities. Instead, I wanted to see how different classes could function as healers, outside of the typical cleric, paladin, druid, etc. Turns out there are a lot of options to play with!
What were you enjoying in July? Are there any books, movies, TV shows, etc. that you think I should check out?
