This will be a short post because I’ve been ill for weeks; no, not COVID. I hope everyone will be safe and avoid giving in to pandemic fatigue this winter holiday season. I had planned to share an early draft of an online web-graveyard. It would have been filled with defunct digital objects like old… Continue reading 8) Happy Virtual Thanksgiving!
I am conflicted about deciding not to attend the memorial for my maternal grandmother later this month. Although it is tradition to gather to mourn family members who have died, meeting in person isn’t safe, not yet. With a surge of COVID infections nationwide, people should follow the CDC recommendation to… Continue reading 7) Do I Stay, or Do I Go? The Eldest Grandchild Away During the Pandemic
The featured black and white photo shows my great grandma who raised me in Hanford, CA. She and her sister Justina (right side) volunteered in Hanford, CA during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. It doesn’t come naturally for me to give up without a fight, but my heart can’t take continuous worry. Stressed to exhaustion… Continue reading 6) Get Out of My Head: Healing Trauma in the Body
AT THE BEACH. I am taking a break from weekly blog posts. I will deliver new content every other week. Please browse my FREE PDF archive of published articles. And if you can, please donate $1-$5 to pay for the web hosting and software fees for the PDF archive. I no longer have access to university… Continue reading Taking a Break at the Beach.
In post #4, I wished for queer mestiza sci-fi dreams that would help me integrate my computer/tech and Chicana feminist worlds. That is a big dream given that Chicanx digital visibility has not increased much in the 41 years since my first computer at age 13. The pandemic has revealed a digital divide in communities… Continue reading 5) When Tenure Goes Queer: “Surprise! You’re Retired” or How to Proceed If the Pandemic Has Forced Your Departure
I am taking the day off. Normally I will make a new blog post each Monday, but I reserve the right to take a week off ONCE each month. I also suggest that you consider taking a break because we all deserve one! If reading is your passion, you can also browse my FREE PDF… Continue reading Taking a Break This Week
Writing this blog for the last month has been life-saving. Writing provides the accountability and structure I lacked during the three months before when I begrudgingly attempted early retirement by playing Xbox, Wii, and original Nintendo video games. Besides watching and playing via a screen, I didn’t do much. I didn’t imagine a future without… Continue reading 4) Queer Mestiza Sci-Fi Dreams: A Chicana Cyborg in Search of CyberAztlan
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing has shifted my attention back to many recent deaths in my own life. A neighbor, a close friend, my martial arts sensei, an old roommate, a close friend’s mom, my great uncle, a long-term ex, and a high school friend have died in the past year. Until RBG’s death, my financial… Continue reading 3) Grief Is Hard
My August had more ordinary days than June or July. I finally swam in the pool and stopped sleeping the days away. In August I slept at night with far fewer thoughts and tears about the trauma of being fired after 20 years. I started conceptualizing this blog to improve my focus, to set goals,… Continue reading 2) The New COVID-19 Normal: Finding Myself During a Pandemic
This blog is about my process. A Chicana colleague shocked me out of self-pity when she said she thought I was the first tenured Chicana feminist scholar to be displaced by COVID-19. In the spirit of sharing, I am blogging so no one else feels alone. I am sure that I am not the… Continue reading 1) Gloria Anzaldúa Is My Antidote for 2020
