Martha Wells, “Rogue Protocol: The Murderbot Diaries”
Wells has incorporated aspects of herself in Murderbot, a fact that resonates with readers. “I have some problems with anxiety and OCD and I’ve put those into the character… and…
Japan’s youngest female mayor takes on its oldest all-male sport
One of the most interesting parts of this story is how the city where this woman is mayor and cities where other women are mayors in Japan have higher birth…
Drabblecast 384 – The Cats of Ulthar
I’ve been getting into fiction podcasts lately and one I really love is Drabblecast. Check out this episode.
A Japanese medical university lowered women’s test scores because it was a “necessary evil”
It’s always a meritocracy until a man doesn’t get the job.Instead the system is rigged for mediocrity …Japanese media reports said today (Aug. 2) that the university had since 2011…
Wonderworld, U.S.A.
This story about a day at an amusement park is so creepy and delightful. {listen}
The Man is There … in the Tape – Poetry Off the Shelf
Remembering Donald Hall and his advocacy for archival audio recordings of poets. {listen} I have a subscription to poetry magazine but my favorite thing about the poetry foundation is the…
The history of Hello Kitty
Right alongside Mickey Mouse and Snoopy sits Hello Kitty, one of the most recognizable characters worldwide. Sanrio’s biggest star has won over fans of every age since her 1974 debut,…
EU and Japan sign trade deal covering a third of the world’s economy
The agreement covers 600 million people and almost a third of the global economy. It's also a major endorsement of a global trading system that is under increasing threat from…
In the Next Next World
Gillian Conoley discusses the devastation wrought by the October 2017 Northern California wildfires, the most destructive in the state’s history.
Open Openly – PoetryNow
Alan Felsenthal lists and blesses aspects of his life, large and small, for which he is grateful.