Me Time
"I've got some regrets, I'll bury them in Florida" Taylor Swift
It's the summer of pack and unpack and it's still not over yet. Who thought so much travel was a good idea? We've been on a 9-night Caribbean cruise and spent two-nights at my brothers-in-law's home on the lake. I've just returned from the Golden Crown Literary Conference in Orlando, Florida, with a side trip to Epcot (see photo). And there's another cruise coming up plus two day-long trips upstate to visit friends and family. Each thing individually felt reasonable, but taken together, it's a lot.
Anyway, GCLS was fun for the most part. I spent time with friends, did a reading, moderated a reading, participated on a YA book panel, and sat in on some great panels, especially the one on AI. I took a detour one night to Epcot where I had dinner at the Norwegian restaurant with Disney princesses and watched the amazing fireworks.
I've been catching up at home, spending time with my cat, Chloe, who made Jenny's life miserable while I was away (she's very attached to me...not Jenny, the cat, though actually Jenny too). Luckily, we'll be together on the next trip (not the cat, I mean Jenny).
I hope you're having a relaxing summer such as it is.
Sapphic Lit and Other Book Stuff
Should You Be Ashamed to Put Down a Book You Don’t Enjoy? - The New York Times
Is it shameful, or sensible, to put down a book you don’t enjoy? Three little letters, and social media, have turbocharged a longstanding debate.
Book Publishers Sue Google Over AI Training
The allegation comes as web publishers weigh abandoning Google Search altogether
Libby Rolls Out AI Filter as Digital Libraries Brace for Bot Books | The Tech Buzz
OverDrive's new CEO announces AI content controls for Libby app amid rising tide of AI-generated ebooks
AI Accusations and Book Publishing - cindyt.rizzo@gmail.com - Gmail
Publishers must slow down and better assess projects they receive with hype surrounding them. It’s too easy to get blinded by dollar signs. They must also take a beat before being too reactive if a manuscript seems to have the hallmarks of AI-written material. If they don’t, there are some lawyers who will gladly represent accused authors.
Generative AI in the sapphic fiction community & the value of human creativity - Jae
From Jae's blog: I think jumping on the generative AI bandwagon is the wrong decision for many reasons.
Omniscient POV: Pitfalls and Best Practices - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
If omniscient really is the right choice for your novel, what’s the best way to handle it? And what should you guard against?
Romance Bookstores Are Surging Across the Country
A host of booksellers in small towns and rural areas are opening romance-focused stores that double as community spaces
News For A Challenging Time
OPINION The unapologetic queer history at the new Obama Presidential Center - Windy City Times
I didn’t step onto the grounds expecting to experience all of the queer history I saw on full display
Appeals court allows Arkansas to enforce law restricting library materials | Arkansas Advocate
Law creates penalties for librarians distributing content deemed ‘harmful’ to minors
Brittney Griner Files for Divorce From Wife Cherelle After Eight Years of Marriage | Them
The divorce petition says the marriage is “irretrievably broken,” per TMZ.
Californian Woman Who Killed a Previous Spouse Admits to Murdering Wife - GO Magazine
Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi faces up to 36 years to life in prison after she confessed to murdering her wife, Fire Captain Rebecca Marodi.
Culture and Joy
Rosie O’Donnell Calls Sex Scene with Cynthia Nixon ‘Horrifying’
O’Donnell guest-starred as a nun who breaks her chastity vow and loses her virginity to Nixon’s Miranda Hobbes in the first episode of the Sex and the City spinoff’s third season
Angel Reese Makes History With Official WNBA Signature Barbie
Reese is now the first Black WNBA player to land a signature Barbie doll.
‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ Review: Gushing With Desire - The New York Times
Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson star in an exhilarating tale of a filmmaker rebooting a problematic slasher franchise.
Here’s everything you need to know about new hit sapphic show Sterling Point -
Created by Megan Park, Sterling Point follows city-girl Annie Jacobson, who is raised by her single dad in New York City. After her estranged grandfather’s death, Annie learns that she has inherited his island in Canada’s Muskoka Lakes. She heads out there to unlock secrets about her family, make new friends, and potentially catch the feels.
TV's boldest, queerest new show is hiding in plain sight - Queerty
The show—loosely inspired by the ’80s thriller Black Widow—is already drawing comparisons to the beloved sapphic series Killing Eve, but with an ever darker twist.
Watch Rebecca Ferguson Flirt on the San Diego Comic-Con Red Carpet and Send Lesbians Into a Panic - GO Magazine
During a red carpet appearance, she was asked a simple question by Eleanor Barnes, known online as cosplayer and makeup artist Snitchery, that resulted in a swoon-worthy sapphic answer.
Maren Morris and Cassadee Pope Seemingly Hard Launch Relationship | Them
The pair have a friendship dating back years.
For 50 Years, Sinister Wisdom Has Said Yes To Lesbians in Print | Autostraddle
Founded in 1976, Sinister Wisdom releases quarterly editions of its journal, which has published the work of hundreds of lesbians over its 50 years in print, including iconic writers like Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Minnie Bruce Pratt.
Here's true story of Stormé DeLarverie, her wife, & her legendary punch at the Stonewall uprising - LGBTQ Nation
In a moving first-person account of the pair’s love story, recently published on Autostraddle, Jenkins puts to rest a gay urban legend that had Stormé throwing the first punch at Stonewall — as told by Stormé herself.
A feminist lesbian retreat opened in 1993 Mississippi. Its enemies became friends. - LGBTQ Nation
The “womyn” of Camp Sister Spirit made headlines in the 90s.
Man says lesbians are "an elevated form of the human race" after going to dinner at neighbors' house - LGBTQ Nation
Steve Watson, who goes by That Steve Guy on social media, detailed a night at his lesbian neighbors’ house after they invited him and his wife over for chicken wings.
Sapphic 101: Looking for love? Check out these lesbian and queer dating tips -
We asked a queer relationship therapist for her expert advice
A Sapphic’s Guide to Making the First Move -
you have nothing to lose by making the first move. You’ll either connect with someone cool, or you’ll have found that someone isn’t right for you, and you can move your focus back to finding someone who is.
The Queer Side of Menopause -
In recent years, LGBTQ+ folks and the providers who serve them have begun creating new resources to meet the unique needs of LGBTQ+ people experiencing menopause. FOLX Health is a digital health care company designed by and for the LGBTQ+ community. Through their services, patients can secure HRT for menopause, join a virtual community, and seek mental health care. In London, therapist Tania Gayle and the Queer Menopause Collective maintain Queer Menopause, a site dedicated to providing resources to LGBTQ+ folks facing menopause.
Squirting 101: What it is, how to do it and the sapphic appeal -
We asked a sexologist to offer top tips and answer your burning questions
Lesbians Masturbate Less, But Likely Because They’re More Satisfied With Partners, Study Says | Them
Straight women, by contrast, reported higher rates of solo sexual activity.
Helpful Tools
This Period-Tracking App Actually Keeps Your Data Private | Lifehacker
Euki stores its data locally on your phone, with no account needed.
A Terrific Quote
Home - Inspiring Quotes
I learned that a friend may be waiting behind a stranger’s face. Maya Angelou