Two Months Into Grad School Update

Hello All, Yes, it's been a while. I started grad school - so taking three classes plus teaching two sections of English 101. [Insert all the grad school/ teaching cliches here about work and balance and writing and ] Publication Updates: I got another short story published. The research paper I helped write (and then …

Shelter in Place: Day 53

Hello Everyone, Today I am feeling a number of conflicting emotions that generally even out to "okay". I am feeling grief. Not only for my own family's loss, but for families that have lost loved ones to COVID and for family's that are continuing to lose loved ones to hate crimes. I am feeling excitement …

Shelter in Place: Day 40

Hello All, Laur here again. Just hanging out. Tomorrow I'll head to the grocery store. Today I started working on a felt octopus (pictures to come), made a strange pseudo-lasagna and also some surprisingly delicious peanut butter rice pudding. I'm trying very hard not to pack too much too quickly. I have this tendency to …

Shelter in Place: Day 24

Hello Gentlefolk of Every Persuasion, Brief update before I dive into the meat of the post: I have successfully petitioned to be furloughed at the company for which I work. The choice (or lack of choice) was to commute into San Francisco from Oakland or apply for unemployment. After three days of calling HR hourly, …

Shelter in Place: Day 11

Now, I am going to share my thoughts on prison and detention centers. I hope that more people now than ever will recognize the inhuman experience that is the United States' system of mass incarceration. Not only is it dehumanizing, immoral, and fundamentally racist, but in the light of the COVID-19 crisis, prisons and detention …

Shelter in Place: Day 5

For some reason, I keep thinking that I'll go to bed and when I wake up the whole catastrophe will have been a dream. I have very vivid and in-depth dreams, so it wouldn't be that out of the ordinary. One of my dreams was so compelling that I titled it in my sleep. But …

Stockholm- Lighting a Fire in My Belly

Okay gang, I'm writing these posts on my phone so no promises that they will be many or properly spelled. I'm in Berlin now, have been for all of one day, and I see suddenly why everyone is afraid I'm going to run away to Europe. But not yet. And before I tell you about …

Thoughts on Suicide and Self-Harm

Disclaimer: I am doing very well. I have a regular therapist and am taking anti-depressants. I have not had a serious depressive episode since January. I just want to share this side of my life in order to make it easier for other people going through similar situations and feeling alone. I am fine. You …

Another Open Letter

Content Warning: Discussion of suicide and grief       It feels like every morning I wake up and something new has happened to shake me to the core. Carleton College is a private institution of higher learning. It is deeply flawed in many ways. It is still struggling with a past rooted in racism. …

A Long-Delayed Post About Mental Illness

Trigger Warning: Discussion of depression and suicide. (Finally posting this because I just posted about vulnerability and the Break the Silence event is coming up.) I started working on this post last summer. I haven't posted it yet because 1.) I'm scared and 2) I'd rather tell people this in person. But the reality is …