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Recently I’ve been writing (and by recently I mean this Labor Day weekend), and submitting work to publications for a chance to be published. This is HUGE for me because I’m all about applying labels to yourself that you are actually living day to day, and if I’m going to call myself a “writer” then obviously that means I need to be writing. So I wanted to highlight some recent publications I found that I’m looking forward to submitting to (and if you’re a writer, may interest you): Plunge Magazine, a brand new publication meant for queer women; Crossed Genres, which is trying really hard to get more work from WOC, LGBT, or anyone who isn’t mainstream; and finally the Cabinet Des Fées, a journal dedicated to fairy tales, particularly those from around the world (and not just European fairy tales that we’re used to seeing in the States). –Tatiana
I’ve just moved into my first real-life apartment and I’ve now gone nearly a week without a regular internet connection. Although I feel bad about all of the commitments I have let slide, I’ve finally come to appreciate the internetless world. Not only has my computer had the opportunity to power-down, but I’ve had a lot of time for organizing, reading, and fretting about all the things waiting for me on the other side of connectivity, so this week I’m recommending “me-time” and non-digital calendars. — Becca
Living in a building that is 150 years old is nice in theory but not as pleasant in practice. Without air conditioning or an outside window, my room will be stifling until mid-August, and getting my (thrice) daily cup of tea is really unpleasant. So my recommendation for this week is iced tea, made un-boring. My favorite iced mixes are both from Teavana, because it’s close by: the Youthberry and Acai Mateini Mate/Weight to Go combinations. Oolong is typically served hot but with a citrus flavor (I like mango) it can be very refreshing in the morning as well (mine is loose but Stash makes a coconut mango oolong) . And in case you don’t like tea, lavender lemonade tastes great even now that fresh lavender isn’t in season. You can make your own or get it at most Asian and fusion type restaurants- they serve it with basil seeds, which get a jelly-type coating when soaked in water. I’m signifying the end of summer by drinking sea monkeys. –Danielle
The last few weeks of summer haven’t been truly productive ones for me (too many barbeques and balmy nights to attend to before the New England winter creeps up on me), but I have been reading a lot. In addition to the at-once loose and frenetic The Orange Eats Creeps, I’ve run across some web gems this week. Sharon Olds offers counsel to get us through moments of heartbreak, Jami Attenberg talks about transient artist living, and Zadie Smith wins me over even more with “The House That Hova Built” in T magazine. Also, this transcript of Clinton’s speech from the Democratic National convention made me happy to see that even the former leader of the free world has a problem with authority–I smiled at the fact that all the bits of information others had edited out of his address returned during oration, and with colloquial flourish. Cheers to the triumph of voice (and excellent research). Happy reading, and happy weekend! –Emily
Now that Logo has brought me a re-airing of the UK’s series Misfits, I cannot get enough. I’m not sure what that says about me. It’s very English, yet it’s also brash, there’s bad language, and all the characters are just trying to get in bed with, well, all the other characters. Also, the story centers around a group of probationed community servicers who wind up with “super powers” after being zapped by an electrical storm. Once the show gets going (it’s a progressive build-up following the pilot), the dialogue is funnier, the characters are fresher and fleshier, and the story line is weirder. It’s just a good time. –Laura
