Xismosa Xit

Hello all,

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by “oh fuck I’ve been adding to this document for MONTHS and I’ve added so much that now I’ve overwhelmed by it and need to start fresh.” 

Happy Holiday Season!

Prose and Poetry of the Week

Graveyard Poetry

I love going to museums to write (and sometimes even sketch) because seeing art inspires art. I wrote this at the William Blake exhibit at the Getty Museum (which is free!!) for Holland’s first time there.

Hozier Haunts My Soul

In honor of seeing Hozier in concert and my entire idea of concerts changing, with poor Mo having to listen to me and the people behind us sing our witchy-goblin hearts out for every song. See more in Personal Chisme!!!!!!!!

Jackalope-burrows

Things I’ve learned, laughed about, and/or obsessed over

• books about futurism. I legit have 15 audiobooks about them in my Libby app. Don’t question it. Accept.
• Interstellar (2015): My family watched this for Father’s Day during quarantine and it was heart-wrenching and it haunts me to this day…….. obviously. Plus I love physics and I love that the rendering of the black hole in this movie legitimately helped progress in the study of black holes.
• Atheism channels, mostly for a more academic view of Christianity that I have always wanted to study. The funny thing is that since I started, I have received A LOT more Christian advertisements. Huh. Seems like Christianity got low self-esteem.
• Spongebob glasses

• Sean Paul’s smoulder, 20 years apart

• Hal watched me poop… I did not like it.

• little treats

Book Búho

What I’ve been reading/listening to bc audiobooks let me do both. Yes, comics count.

• Mona by Pola Oloixarac, read by Sofia Willingham: a pretentious book that pretends it’s not. Or maybe it knows it’s pretentious? ugh.
• Nightwood by Djuna Barnes, read by Gemma Dawson: 1930s lesbians and a “cross-dressing” doctor whose rants are at least 50% of the book (not sure they would call themself trans). Proto-manic-pixie-dream-girl but more depressed-woman-walking-all-over-town-with-no-thought-to-those-who-are-infatuated-with-and-love-her.
• The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, read by Ruta Gedmintas: The lives of women in early 1500s France that caused them to dance in a fictional account of the Dancing Plague of 1518, complete with a mixed race relationship and a separate lesbian relationship. Sad, maybe a little hopeful.
• Evolution Gone Wrong by Alex Bezzerides, read by Joe Knezevich: TW for some ableism. Essentially, we are in a middling stage of evolution as evidenced by our feet, back, and eye problems.
• In Ascension by Martin MacInnes, read by Freya Miller: I CANNOT FIND A GOOD EXPLANATION FOR THE ENDING MUST I DO EVERYTHING MYSELF (analysis pending)
• What Your Clutter Is Trying To Tell You by Kerri L. Richardson, read by the author: to go fuck yourself. JK, slightly, but prioritize your space, time, and peace, not your stuff.
• Cannibal Capitalism: How Our System is Devouring Democracy, Care, and the Planet – and What We Can Do About It by Nancy Fraser, read by Kate Udall: I mean… obvi? JK, not that obvi, they keep us tired so we don’t think too much about it.
• White Tears, Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad, read by Mozhan Mornò: Started, paused, keep putting it off bc this validates my experiences, but I wish I could afford to send this to all the white women I know.
• The Trouble With White Women: A Counterhistory of Feminism by Kyla Schuller, read by Brittney Cooper: the exact same sentiment as above.
• Be The Boss Of Your Stuff: The Kids’ Guide to Decluttering and Creating Your Own Space by Allie Casazza, read by the author: my inner child needs to declutter too.
• Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels, read by Cassandra Campbell: This was like being told that you were going to read about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from the perspective of Sherlock Holmes, and getting a tiny bit of that, but mostly through Moriarty trying to contradict Sherlock Holmes about Doyle, and then the second half being about a disciple of Moriarty trying to push Moriarty’s perspective. Was it interesting? Yes. Was it what I wanted to learn about? Not really. 
• The Clutter Corpse by Simon Brett, read by the author: weird take on female friendship, but a sweet relationship between mom and son, and there’s a murder mystery in the background.
• What It Means To Be Moral: Why Religion Is Not Necessary for Living an Ethical Life by Phil Zuckerman, read by Paul Brion: don’t base your morality on a deity. Try basing it on living with and caring for others; AKA humanism.
• Heart Eyes by Dennis Hopeless: the ending is annoying (turns romantic when it doesn’t need to), but gotta love a teenage girl embracing her own monstrosity.  
• “You Should Be Grateful”: Stories of Race, Identity, and Transracial Adoption by Angela Tucker, read by the author: THIS HAS TO BE REQUIRED READING, especially for people planning to adopt, especially cross-racially. This author’s parents empowered her enough to not think about their feelings and to be honest in her journey and in this book.
• Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church by The Investigative Staff of the Boston Globe, read by Paul Boehmer: I like reading about the (usually catholic) church getting their shit rocked. I just think it’s neat.
• The Hoarder In You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life by Dr. Robin Zasio, read by Cassandra Campbell: can’t even remember… oops.
• The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings, read by Angel Pean: great questions about the status of women, especially BIPoC (Black Indigenous People of Color) women, and how they can love men fully in a society that requires men to be in control of their lives and “transgressions,” if they can truly love men at all. It has a magic system I wish I had written. The protagonist’s mom is hypocritical and annoying.
• Brooding Over Bloody Revenge: Enslaved Women’s Lethal Resistance by Nikki M. Taylor, read by Machelle Williams: I think I got about half an hour into this and knew it would be too much for me, but I still support them and want everyone else to know about them.- How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems by Randall Munroe, read by Wil Wheaton: extremely fun ridiculous read with the use of real science.
• The Rise and Fall of The Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Steve Brusatte, read by Patrick Lawlor: Oh to be a large chicken roaming the earth.
• American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI by Kate Winkler Dawson, read by the author: About the triumphs and faults of the father of American CSI, Edward Oscar Heinrich.
• Nobody Wants Your Shit by Messie Condo, read by Hillary Huber: Swedish Death Cleaning, but make it a little obscene.
• Interstellar novelization by Greg Keyes, written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan: Listen, I just wanted more answers. I kinda got them.
• Hoarding: What Everyone Needs to Know by Gail Steketee and Christiana Bratio, read by LaQuinta James: Hoarders the show is wrong and highly likely to re-traumatize their “patients” with how quickly they get rid of the stuff. Cutting down the hoarding has to be an amazing slow and steady process.
• The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas, read by Scarlette Hayes: slow burn baby. Unfortunately about a Spaniard. Communication is no one’s strong suit.
• Parasite by Mira Grant, read by the author(?): I guessed the end in the first 5 minutes of a 16-hour audiobook, but still an intriguing concept and perfectly-paced action.
• Quantum Bullshit by Chris Ferrie, read by Daniel Henning: the first half helps you build an understanding of quantum physics, and the second half is the author desperately trying to reach a word count.
• A (Very) Shot History of Life on Earth: 4.6 Billion Years in Twelve Pithy Chapters by Henry Gee, read by the author: Loved the overview! We are not the beginning or the end. Also sound effects 🙂
• Pluto, Volumes 1-4 by Noaki Urasawa and Osamu Tezuka: I’m obsessed and confused. I love a puzzle. I watched the anime on Netflix first (basically my first one), and I am now onto the manga so I can be ~immersed~.

Playlist of the Quarter

“Apparently” I listen to my short playlists for a “wildly long time”

• oh? You didn’t know I was absolutely obsessed with Megan Thee Stallion?

• My Top Songs of 2023 – I doubt you’ll be surprised.
• AMBGW (Angry Mad Bad Giant Woman) – I once said that my music aesthetic is angry women. You’re welcome.
• C’est La Vie – at this point I am asking you to judge me, and you will send me to hell. See you there!

Personal Chisme

Chisme = Gossip

• I went ham on Spirit Halloween earrings on the last day they were open.

• I went to a Hozier Concert. My soul cried. His voice is so beautiful. Then my friend sent me a pic of them meeting him and I died vicariously.

• My cousin’s responses to The Opossum (La Zarigüeya in Spanish)

• I am unapologetic about my love for love

• anyone want a helium tank for $99.99? It’s on special!

• I got a new car (Holland don’t freak out)

The Void Shouts Back
If you would like to respond but don’t know what to say, answer the question below. If you don’t want to, just respond with keysmashing or send me a hug with your thoughts. If you don’t want to do that either, that’s okay too.

• What would you add to these Anti-capitalist affirmations?

Thank you so much for your patience in waiting for this! I’m sad it took me forfreakingever! If you want to catch up and see more, please check out Colochos de Flores. If you want to give me a few cents from Redbubble since I cannot yet afford to make my own, please check out my stickers. If you get too many emails and want to unsubscribe, just let me know 

Abrazos and/or high fives,
Ariana