Things That Made Me Less Cranky: June 2023 Edition
A month of cursing New York City weather, with other stuff in between
Welcome to my monthly list of recommended cultural consumption. This edition is focused on all that made me less of a raging, bitter, hag despite the dumpster fire that is our world. Enjoy!
Podcast: We Were Three. I know, I know, who wants to revisit the early COVID years? Not I! But this three-episode podcast packs a punch by emphasizing how deep-seeded toxic values, that have nothing to do with the disease per se, ended up destroying a family when the ‘rona came along.
Newsletter: How Things Work by Hamilton Nolan, which takes labor seriously.
Interwebs: Splitwise, which makes all that bill splitting with my roommates pretty easy.
Feel Good Org: Book Forum is back! Save media!
Books for Fun: Girlhood by Melissa Febos, which is a masterful example of the braided essay, in every essay, and Customs, a poetry collection by Solmaz Sharif, which has maybe the best takedown poem of an airport office I’ve ever read (niche interest lol).
Books for Writing: Lots of online workshops and about to take a whole week of in-person workshops, so no books for writing this month.
Activity: Pairing sandwiches with beaches.
Purchase: Look, I haven’t received these yet, but I’m praying to all the gods that these anti-chafing shorts work. It is as fiery as the gates to hell down there.
Movie: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. Oh, to have seen Times Square when it was a seedy, artistic shit hole!
TV: The Other Two. A short-lived replacement for the smart, acerbic humor-sized hole that’s been in my heart since 30 Rock ended.
Song: “Can’t Hardly Wait” by The Replacements by way of The Bear, which had an impeccable second season.
Links that Made Me Happy (or Cranky)
I Teach at an Elite College. Here’s a Look Inside the Racial Gaming of Admissions by Tyler Austin Harper for The New York Times.
Send Ines to Tin House!
I leave for Tin House this Saturday! I am so excited even though the financial pressure it has put me in has been real. The total cost of room and board is $2,200 plus the cost of a ticket from NYC-Portland, which ended up being $817.70. Tickets to Italy are cheaper, lmao. I sent the final payment on Friday, but this was after several months of having to pay back taxes, dealing with a move, and the end of my free health insurance plan. Plus, there are other miscellaneous items that have popped up, like buying a portable fan because the dorm rooms don’t have air conditioning and Reed College was built at a time where 90+ degrees in Portland was unthinkable. So if you think your chance to help send me to Tin House has passed, you’re in luck! I’m still fundraising for it through July.
I want to thank everyone who has booked a tarot lesson, subscribed specifically to support my Tin House workshop experience, and those long-time subscribers who have stayed with me through freelance feast and famine life. So far, I’ve managed to raise $711, which is an amazing amount of help. If I manage to raise $106.70 more then my entire plane ticket will be covered thanks to you fine people.
Here is how you can help:
To help me offset the costs, I am offering donation-based Tarot readings to raise funds. I have two options for Tarot readings:
A virtual 30-minute reading done via Zoom. This is a great way to gain some in-depth clarity around a situation in your life through the Celtic Cross spread. You can schedule one via Calendly. Please note that my schedule fluctuates wildly from week-to-week, which is why you can only schedule a reading two-weeks in advance. However, feel free to shoot me a quick message if there is a specific date you want. I’m sure we can work it out. Suggested donation: $30 via Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle.
A quick and dirty three-card reading done entirely via email. Just fill out this form and you’ll get a response from me in 24-48 hours, including a picture of the spread. This is great for when you want to brighten your day, send someone a fun gift, or simply want to do a vibe check lol. Suggested donation: $15 via Venmo, PayPal or Zelle.
If you’re like “Girl, I just like you and want to support you” then I also have other ways you can do that!
Every subscription payment from April-July will go directly towards paying for Tin House. If you’re already a paid subscriber, THANK YOU. My Tin House experience would be impossible without your support. If you are on the fence, a reminder that paid subscribers get:
Full access to the archive
Subscriber-only posts where I share my accepted pitches, residency and intensive applications, query letters, LOIs, templates and other miscellaneous material that I used to get published.
Access to all the food diaries, my biweekly account of what I ate, cooked and why you should too.
If you are feeling extra generous and your last name is Warbucks, you can send me your donations via:
Venmo: inesbellina
Zelle: ines.bellina@gmail.com
PayPal: ines.bellina@gmail.com
I will also gift you a year-long subscription for any donation you make. Please note that when I say “suggested” I really do mean suggested. If you have $2 to spare, I will graciously accept those, thank you profusely, and comp the subscription.
And to everyone who is like “IN THIS ECONOMY”, I totally understand! It’s enough that you read my work. Truly, thank you.