Podcast appearances and mentions of ursula k le guin

Is that a real A-bomb? Will Carol and Paraguy ever get along? Will the Zoshive portmanteau ever catch on?Nique is joined by Gus, Kevin, and Ursula K. Le Guin reader Meg for a discussion of the Pluribus season 1 finale.Join us on Discord - the server is Moon Show Podcast and the channel is Pluribus.

Quaranteam - Dave In Dallas: Part 4 Shenanigans: Fun times at House Belsus. Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Let's review the list of characters: David Belsus – 46, physics & astronomy professor at Eastfield college, a community college in the Dallas area. Prepper, survivalist, has a greenhouse in his backyard and lives in an outer ring suburb. Six foot, fit, short cropped hair. Lupie Ramos – 32, former financial advisor, Dave's neighbor, got caught out of state when the lockdowns started. She spent two frantic weeks trying to get back to her daughter. Lupie has been in love with Dave for over a year. Long, dark brown hair, medium build, and a lovely smile. Esme – 9, daughter of Lupie, prone to the occasional snarky comment. Adores Dave. Becca; 18, Lupie's babysitter, was watching Esme when lockdowns occurred. Her refusal to abandon Esme, as her mother insisted, likely saved Becca's life, since her extended family ignored precautions and died of Duo. Esme, Lupie, and Dave are all Becca has left in the world. Short, medium build, small tits, with short blond hair and a smile that is shy with strangers and beams with family and friends. Janice Wheeler; 33, Dave's first partner to arrive, a librarian at Cedar Valley, another community college member of DCCCD. Slender build and medium height, Janice is 3/4 Korean, her paternal grandfather is Anglo. Medium length black hair often pulled back in a bun for work or ponytail at home. Shawna Cooper; 36, senior meteorologist at WFAA, Master's degree in meteorology from O U, worked at NSSL and spent time as a storm chaser. Whole hog sci-fi nut, beginning with Start Trek TNG. 5' 10", large tits, medium brown skin, dark brown eyes, shoulder length black hair styled like a frizzy weeping willow. Olivia Tyler (Liv); 21, senior studying horticulture at Tarleton State University, near Dallas. Daughter of Carter and Janelle, Dave's best friends since college. Had a well-known crush on Dave throughout her teen years. Since her dad was former SF and a survivalist, Liv is skilled with several firearms as well as bladed weapons. Never failed to take a deer any season she's hunted. 5'10" long, dark brown hair, large tits, lightly tanned, brown eyes, and a wide smile. Melanie Ustanich; 22, graduate student in IT at Tarleton, Liv's roommate, recently found a passion for cooking. Spent most of her life in foster homes, Liv's parents accepted her like family the first time she went with Liv on Thanksgiving Break. 5'8" medium length auburn hair, green eyes, small mouth with a ready, mischievous smile. During the interlude, Dave took some time to look over Melanie. He knew less about her than the others, but more than he'd known about Jan or Shawna when they'd shown up on his doorstep. He knew from a glance that she dressed more stylishly than Olivia, though he'd be hard pressed to describe why. He thought both looked great, even if he could tell a difference instinctively. He was always a fan of variety. Silver studs in her ears support three short silver chains each, drawing the eye tantalizingly into the chasm of her russet mane. The verdant green of Mel's satiny top provided the perfect counterpoint to the auburn tones of her hair. The cinched belt securing the crossing panels of her blouse held it together well, yet giving tantalizing views of her medium sized tits. The black slacks clung closely to her well-shaped thighs and calves without the 'painted on' look. "Dave, could you make me one of your 'ginger ales' please?" "Sure, Liv. Anyone else want something?" "Can you make me one of those drinks you made that first time?" Becca asked. "Yeah, that's what Livy is asking for. Seven-Up and Captain Morgan mixed to look like ginger ale." "Oh, okay, then one of those please." "You got it." Dave got to mixing drinks. Jan asked if anyone else wanted wine. All the others voiced their interest, Jan pulled two bottles of blush from the pantry and brought them to the living room. Lupie grabbed wine glasses for each of them and handed them out as Jan poured. Dave watched Becca's first sip carefully. He'd mixed this one normal strength, not the light pour he'd given her last time. Eyes flared, she took a smaller sip than usual, but nodded before setting it on the side table. "Olivia, dear," Lupie asked softly, "I hesitate to ask, but can you tell us about your parents? Should we contact them that you are here, or, are they; ?" "Dad died six weeks ago. Mom passed a week later." Olivia took another sip. Melanie hugged her loosely. Olivia's voice took on a husky note. "She called me, near the end. She told me Dad had died. That she was very ill and wasn't; wasn't, ah,; She knew she wouldn't make it." One hot tear dallied along the top curve of her cheek before coursing downward. Dave took her hand. "She said I should pursue my dreams. All of them." Livy looked Dave dead in the eyes. "She said she'd known for a long time it was more than a crush, that she was sorry she'd belittled it by calling it that. And then ;” Olivia sucked in a breath. Mel hugged Olivia again. "We're all here for you. Let it out at your own pace." Lupie encouraged softly. "She said 'Love him. Love him like I never did. Love him like he deserves.' And then she closed the call." A hard sob shook through Olivia as more tears fell. Dave and Mel hugged her, one from each side. Dave did so while looking at the ceiling with a distant gaze. After several minutes of silence, Jan got up for a second plate. Dave stood to join her. "My mind still doesn't want to eat, but my stomach got a taste of that bruschetta and wants more. Of that, and everything else." Jan smiled and gave him a quick kiss, which he returned. "Can you tell us something about Eddie?" Shawna asked after Dave sat back down. Dave thought for a minute. Slowly, a proud smile spread across his face. "His Eagle project." Olivia smiled and nodded. "Eddie was an Eagle Scout?" Jan asked. "Yes, he was. Got his Arrow of Light as a Webelo too." Livy provided. "Eddie and I were just beginning to reconnect when he began working on his Eagle rank. For his project, he decided to build a foot bridge across the stream in the park." "Armadillo park? The bridge on the south end?" Becca asked. Dave smiled broadly. "That's the one. Before that bridge, anyone walking the path and crossing the bridge at the north end would have to turn around when they hit the ends of the u-shaped path. For some folks, that was more walking than they could handle, so they wound up getting less exercise, or taking their walks in the few areas with sidewalks or walk along the side of the road. Either way they got very little 'green time'. He found a bridge design appropriate for the location, one that would last with little maintenance and convinced a local construction company to donate materials. He met with the city manager and then spoke before the city council to arrange an agreement for maintenance." "The foreman of the construction company and his best concrete specialist offered their services to supervise the volunteer workers and ensure the quality of the work. I think Eddie had a hand in that." Dave's pride in his son couldn't have been any louder on his face. "The kicker was, he vetted the design to make sure the angle of the curve was suitable for someone in a wheelchair. So at the ribbon cutting, the young lady that cut the ribbon, and the first to cross was in Eddie's class. I think she wound up the class Salutatorian. Anyway, she was paraplegic, lost the use of her legs in an accident during her eighth grade year." Dave paused. "I think she and Eddie started dating not long after." Olivia snorted. "They were already dating. I think that night was the first time she gave him the goods though." "Go Eddie." Shawna said huskily. "Seriously?" Dave asked Olivia. "Pretty sure. Not 100%. I mean, I know they did it. Like a lot. Once they opened up that part of the relationship they were like bunnies. I'm not absolutely sure that night was the first night though." "Hell, I was nineteen before my first time. He was always better with people than I ever was." Dave's looked wistfully into the distance, like he was seeing through the walls at something beyond. Then he swallowed hard. He took a steadying breath and blew it out slowly. Becca rubbed his shoulder lightly before giving it a soft kiss. Dave smiled at her, then leaned in to deliver a light peck on her cheek. He looked outward again, scanning across the room. "Thank you all for putting up with this. I'm sorry for acting like such a p--" Becca pressed a finger firmly to Dave's lips. "If that word crosses your lips, you'd better be talking about our body parts. The man that I've watched, relied on, and come to trust implicitly sure as hell isn't one of those. And he deserves better than that." The fire in her red-rimmed eyes put the punctuation to her statement. Dave just nodded in concession to his young lover's demand. With an impish grin she added, "And for the record, anytime we're getting frisky, or flirting, I'm perfectly happy with you calling it: or me: a pussy." She grabbed his hand and shoved it between her shorts-clad legs for emphasis. Becca's addendum broke the somber mood of the room. Everyone got a good laugh. A brief quiet descended as everyone ate a few bites or stared into their drink. Dave looked up to see Jan and Lupie gazing at him, concern and sympathy clearly written across both of their faces. "Well, Becca, since you have some history with our man, tell me something to catch me up with all of you." Shawna requested. "Oh, tell her about the cupcake exchange." Jan suggested. "Dave told me about it while the two of you were getting vaxxed." "Oh that one she told me already. Good story." "Okay, so something new." Becca paused, then blushed. She bit her lip and looked sideways at Dave and cringed. Then she flicked her eyes to Lupie. Lupie caught the look and rolled her eyes. "Go ahead." She said with a sigh. Then she turned her face away. "So, um, you know how Dave runs a couple times a week, and works out with his staff in the backyard about as often?" Shawna nodded at Becca's narrative, then turned to give Dave an appreciative leer. "Ahem, well, it's cooler now, so he does he work outs in a t-shirt and shorts." Shawna nodded again, then stared at Dave's torso like she was imaging him bare chested and sweating. Well, she'd seen him shirtless often enough. Melanie's breathing became slightly deeper and slower as she sized him up as well. "Well, remember we used to live next door. And Lupie's second story windows are high enough to see over Dave's fence." Mel, Shawna, and Jan all looked at each other. "Oh." They said in unison. "You lucky bitches." Jan added. Dave's mind was working at a slower pace and caught up a moment later. He closed his eyes and shook his head. With a small grin. "Well, that's not all of it. See, I made no pretense about watching him work out. I mean, mid-August, heat pounding down? Ten minutes into his work out his whole torso is covered in sweat, with rivulets running down his front and back." Shawna looked transfixed. Jan had her eyes closed. Mel tightly gripped her thighs, staring intently. "Usually I watched from one of the back windows, and just put up with the oblique angle. One day, a few months back, I realize it's very quiet in the house, and I seem to be the only one on the second floor. I decided to move over to Lupie's room, which is at the back corner, with two windows looking out over the backyard, one on each side of the corner." Lupie blushed hard and brought her hands up to cover her face. "So, there was a small space between the curtain panels and I was staring at Dave through the gap as I walked up. I walked as quietly as I could so Lupie and Esme wouldn't hear my footsteps from downstairs. I pulled back the curtain to get a better view. Lupie was hiding in the curtains, eyes fixed on Dave. We both screamed, and Lupie's hand flapped backwards hitting the window frame." "That's how you bruised your hand?!" Dave exclaimed, trying to suppress his laughter. "You flap your hands around when you're surprised?" "No. Just, um, I, uh ;” Lupie's muffled response trailed off. "She took care to wash her hands thoroughly before she let me bind it." Becca interjected. "Initially we thought she'd hurt her wrist, so I stabilized it. But, I recognized later what I had smelled while we were leaving the room." Lupie peeked between her fingers at Becca, pleading. "Okay, never mind." Becca conceded. "I've said too much already." The others looked confused at the abrupt ending until Melanie burst out laughing. When they looked at her questioningly, she said, "I know what I would be doing standing there watching him work out shirtless." And flopped back into the couch giggling furiously. The others started cackling and Jan, chortling, reached over to pull Lupie into her for a hug. "Not like we all don't do it." Dave sat there open mouthed, shocked, and feeling like he'd won something undefinable. He moved to kneel in front of Lupie. He took her hands in his own, pulling them away from her face. He pulled her into a hug. Into her ear he whispered, "I love you." Her hug on him tightened. "And if I hadn't been so dense I would have been in that room to take care of you properly. Or at least, lick your fingers clean." He punctuated his comment with a light nibble of her earlobe. Lupie swatted him on the back as she released him. Her face was still flushed to the tips of her ears. The tight, prim smile and her laughing eyes testified to her approval of the idea, and her mortification it was said out loud. Even at a whisper. Dave got up and refreshed his drink, and Olivia's as well. Becca sipped hers more slowly, and still had more than half a glass. Jan topped off her wine glass, along with Mel's and Shawna's. Lupie got up and made a fresh plate, then headed for the stairs. "I'm going to take a plate to Esme, just in case she didn't get enough earlier. Besides, if I tell her Dave likes the bruschetta, she might try it." Lupie said with a knowing mom smile. Shawna came to Dave once he was seated. She gave him a soft kiss and held him to her. She spoke no words, but conveyed clearly her heart ache for him, and her availability should he need something. When Lupie returned, she took her seat and looked to Olivia asking "Can you tell me something about your father?" Livy squirmed for a moment, then nodded. She took a breath. "He was a security consultant. Worked for a firm that advised companies on the weak points in their physical and cybersecurity. Dad was on the physical side. He'd been a Green Beret before going to college, where he met Mom and Dave." "Oh, wow. So your dad was a badass?" Becca asked. "Carter was so badass he was chill," Dave interjected. "He had that confidence of the guy that knows he'll win if things get physical. Smart too, though." "Yeah, Dad made supervisor pretty fast. He and his team would walk the grounds of a company and show them where a person could slip in or out without detection. Then the cyber guys would do the same for the company's networks. Sometimes, Dad would have to prove the point. He loved that. He and a couple of his team would don tactical gear and break in. Dad always left a fake tarantula with the company logo on its back on the boss' desk, or somewhere critical." Olivia chuckled. "One time, this one CEO was particularly resistant. Dad had to go in a second time. The first time he left a tarantula on the main server station, and one in the research lab; that by law was required to be restricted access. To drive his point home, Dad went to the CEO's office and installed this box on the ceiling, where most don't look. It had some kind of trigger because once the guy sat down, this tarantula drops on a thread from the box, right on the guy's paperwork." Several smiles broke out. Dave laughed soundlessly, his mouth closed so it didn't become a cry. The tears in his eyes were tattle-tale enough. He absently played with Olivia's dark locks. Olivia turned to look at him, eyes soft and happy. She leaned against his hand. Dave realized what he was doing, got self-conscious and pulled back. With downcast eyes, Liv turned back to the room and took in the other faces. A couple of looks exchanged suggested that most had caught what had just passed. Dave tried to process what just happened by staring off through a blank spot on the wall. It wasn't terribly helpful, once he recalled the picture that hung there just a few weeks before. Then Lupie cleared her throat. Dave fixed his eyes on her. He was never particularly perceptive of the looks on people's faces, but this time it seemed pretty clear. She stared at him with a stern look, then shifted her eyes to Liv and back to him. He looked to Jan, who just nodded. "Maybe someone else can share a family background story." Dave temporized. A few pensive looks passed. A tight smile grew on Jan's face. "My aunt Carolyn." She paused for a second. "My dad's sister. They were half-Korean, half European. Aunt Carolyn took more after the European side of the heritage, especially in the kitchen. She made an awesome meatloaf." She chuckled and looked over at Dave and Becca. "She would have loved that meatloaf cupcake." Her eyes watered at the bottom edge. "Visiting her was a way to encounter the white half of my ancestry. She had prints from famous artists. Classic books. If I was there on a Saturday night, she'd serve cheese and crackers, sometimes with a little sausage. As I got older, she'd let me have a small glass of wine as well." Jan took a light breath. "She played some classical music, but mostly it was Michael Bolton and Kenny G. Maybe some Cranberries and Matchbox Twenty when she felt wild. I haven't heard from her in over a month. And she has asthma." Jan trailed off into silence and the room observed it with her. Lupie reached out a hand to Jan's shoulder. She in turn, put her own hand on top of Lupie's. She turned her head and smiled. With a small nod, she turned away again, staring at the floor. Both hands dropped away. After a reasonable silence, Becca spoke. "When I was thirteen, my cousin Kimberly, who was sixteen, offered to pierce my ears for me." Half the women groaned. Dave sat silently, suspecting this wouldn't end well. "She got a large sewing needle, a bottle of rum, a small bowl, and a pair of my mom's stud earrings." "Rum?" Jan asked. Becca rolled her eyes. "Yeah," she said with a sigh, "she said she had to soak the needle in alcohol before using it." A variety of gasps, groans and sighs walked around the room. Dave's sympathetic grimace did less than his hand patting her knee to communicate his support. "Oh, but it gets worse. Wrong kind of alcohol at too low concentration, plus lots of sugar are only enablers. She cleaned my earlobes thoroughly with antimicrobial soap, so maybe that was the one thing she did almost right. But she didn't clean her own hands. And when she stuck the needle through; which hurt like hell; she stabbed her finger." Multiple hands struck foreheads or mouths. "Oh yeah. So we're both bleeding like stuck pigs, and crying. She's freaking out because 'the blood is mixing'. I never figured out what that meant. We bandage each other up the best we could, hide all the stuff from our parents and then hide ourselves. Three days later I have a raging infection in one earlobe and have to go to the doctor AND admit to my mom what happened." Becca paused, shaking her head. "Chewed my ass out. The doctor said because of the infection, I had to wait at least six months to get piercings. Mom added another six as punishment. She did take me to get professional piercings one year to the day after the doctor's visit though." Becca's eyes watered. Dave leaned over and kissed her cheek as a single tear slid down her face. Dave noticed Melanie getting increasingly fidgety. He thought he first noticed something during Becca's tale about his workouts. Maybe when the stories ran out, he'd have his head right. It wasn't fair to her to make her wait too long for imprinting. Or Liv. God, he really needed to get his head around this. He loved Olivia, he truly did. He was just so used to it being a non-sexual, non-romantic relationship. He'd looked on her as nearly a daughter for, well, for her whole life. But she wasn't his daughter. And she loved him. That was so clear in her eyes, every time she looked at him. Not just today, but thinking back over the years. It's crazy to think he could hurt this person he cared so deeply for, by not having sex with her. Fuck, it was Kim Dawson all over again. Shawna sat placidly, attentive as others told their stories. As the room lay silent again for a time, she took her turn. "I once caught my brother coming out of the shower with his girlfriend." Grins and giggles passed around the room. "Mind you, this is after my mother had chewed me out for getting frisky with, um, my best friend in my room." "Oh" several said in unison. "We were experimenting," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "It was my first Thanksgiving Break home from college. We were just friends, with nothing going on physical, since sixth grade. We were both single at the time, but we'd each had boyfriends, and each had sex before. We just thought we'd try out the other flavor. Who better to try that with than your ride or die?" She grinned. "Mom walked in when we had our shirts loose and hands inside each other's bras. Mom got all pissy about it and made some comment along the lines of 'Darian would never disrespect me by having sex under my roof.' Yeah sure Mom." Shawna rolled her eyes. "The bathroom smelled of" she looked straight at Becca, "pussy, so they'd been going at it in there. Mom wasn't home, so the obvious sounds of continuing humping came from his room almost immediately." "Hell of it is, she was this tiny little thing. Barely five foot tall and a nothing waist. And since I'd seen Darian stumbling around out of the bathroom when we both had midnight potty urges, well, he wasn't great at covering up when he's drowsy, and in his case, the stereotype is true. I don't know how he'd didn't break her in half." "After she left, I confronted him with Mom's comment. Now Darian ain't scared of shit; not a machismo thing, he uses his brain; but Momma. She's a foot shorter and at least a hundred pounds less muscle but that boy will cringe and genuflect if Momma is mad. He starts bargaining with me. Of course, he can't offer money since he's just getting his feet under him. He had plans, and he did eventually move out, but he was scrimping and saving so paying me money to shut up would have crippled him." We all hung there, waiting. "Well, Darian had been incredibly protective of me growing up. He over did it, by a lot. So my price for silence was for him to set me up with a friend of his that I had always wanted to date, but Darian kept getting in the way." She paused for a minute. "You know how you really want something, and imagine what it would be like to get it? And then you do, and ugh. Darian meant to protect me against a guy getting handsy. In this case he was protecting me from getting bored. The guy was about as much fun as a wet paper towel. I gave him a handshake at my door when he dropped me off." All the ladies shook their heads in commiseration. Dave closed his eyes and kept his mouth shut. Becca however, didn't. "Dave, how many of your dates ended in handshakes?" "None, from now on," he said flatly. "You got that right." Shawna said. Jan just shrugged and nodded. Becca and Liv hugged him tightly. Mel rubbed a hand against his back. Lupie sat still with an enigmatic grin. Dave knew there were thoughts churning behind those dark chocolate eyes. While he wondered what those thoughts were, he had a thought of his own. Maybe it was what she was thinking, maybe not. Here he was, sleeping with four women, two more about to be added to their ranks, and he hadn't taken a single one of them on so much as one date. That couldn't stand. Granted, movies and restaurant dinners were out. But they had two backyards to have a picnic meal in. The parks were open too. Maybe the Botanical gardens? He'd need to talk with each one, find out what they wanted, and find a way to make it happen. "Well Becca already told a story for me," Lupie said, breaking the silence. Becca blushed and chuckled. "So Melanie, what can you share with the family?" "I was orphaned so early, I don't really remember my parents. Just a few fuzzy images. I bounced from one foster home to another. One time I got to stay in the same place for two years. Usually it was more like eight to ten months. The social workers tried to at least let me stay in one school for a full year. Some of them anyway." "I don't have any horror stories about it. Other kids I fostered with told me about other homes they've been in, and some of those were bad. So I don't want to suggest it doesn't happen, it just never happened to me. The worst for me was not being connected to anyone for long. Honestly, living with Olivia is the longest I've shared a place with anyone. And she brought me home on holidays." Her face darkened. "Carter and Janelle were nice to me." Then she laughed. "I think Carter suspected I was Liv's lesbian lover though." "Oh my god." Liv rolled her eyes and brought a hand to her forehead, covering her eyes. Only Dave noticed Jan wincing at the hated phrase. Then Mel's face went blank, trying to hold back the intense emotions. "You're the closest I've ever had to a sister." The two college girls hugged. After a brief pause, Dave chimed in. "Now that is a tough life, having Olivia as your sister." Melanie laughed. Olivia turned and punched him in the shoulder, with a tight smile on her face. Laughing and rolling with the punch, Dave couldn't help but notice the way her large tits jiggled with the turn and the force of her punch. When she leaned against him, he found himself wishing her neckline was cut lower. The thought was surprising, and conducive to future events, but still slightly disconcerting. Before he could get too lost in his head, Jan spoke up. "So, how about a story about young Olivia?" she asked. Liv groaned. Dave grinned. "Okay, so we've mentioned before she hunts, hikes, does all kinds of outdoors She-Ra stuff." Liv glared up at him. She adjusted her head so the backs of her round silver stud earrings wouldn't poke her head. Mel rubbed Liv's back reassuringly. "You may have noticed that fishing was not mentioned in that list." "Oh God, no." Liv covered her face with her hands. The grins on every face in the room showed realization dawning in each of the other minds present. "So, Carter and I took Eddie and Liv fishing. Carter preferred drift catfishing, so we'd get out on the lake very early, usually by three am, four if we were running late. We had a small casting net we'd use in the shallows to catch bait fish. Then Carter would take the boat to a point up current from where he suspected the cats would be, and we'd drift across with our hooks in the water. Well, the bait fish had to be cut into two or three pieces to be useful. Olivia objected. But not to cutting the fish. To holding them. She squealed every time we put one in her hands. She loved casting the net and hauling it in. she liked fighting the fish on the rod, put touch one with her hands? Oh, no, not happening." Olivia buried her head in his chest and glared upward. "Oh, did I mention her fishing rod and tackle box were Barbie themed?" A series of giggles followed that assertion. "Don't talk about that!" "But you were cute!" "Shit like that is why you keep seeing me as a little girl for you to protect and raise instead of a woman you could sleep with." Olivia humphed. "Beginning to think the only way to change your mind is to sit here topless. I wait like that long enough and your cock might start taking charge." She accented her words by puffing out her generous chest and turning partially towards Dave. "You go girl," Shawna laughed. "How about some big titty solidarity?" She unbuttoned two buttons on her blouse. Jan joined in the laughter while Lupie shook her head, smiling. Becca stared a chant of 'Do it!' quickly joined by Mel. They both shook their chests in time with the chant. "No." Dave said, staring at Liv with no hint of a smile. He swatted Becca on the knee. "Hmm, what do I need to do to get a spanking Daddy?" Melanie purred. "Do not start that shit." Dave tried to be stern this time but didn't quite manage it. "Speaking of getting something started, I'm getting kinda itchy here. I don't know if either of you are in the mood yet, but this serum is starting to eat at me." Liv and Mel exchanged looks. "I don't want to jump the line on banging your dream guy, but please girl, let's get this started. If you don't go, I will." "Sexier words were never spoken," Dave noted dryly. That got Liv laughing. Dave stood. "Do you two want to do this one at a time, or side-by-side?" "One at a time," Mel stated emphatically. "After walking in on you masturbating once, I don't need to see that pussy again." Liv groaned and turned her head to the ceiling. Then Mel turned to Lupie "hashtag justiceforLupie." She grinned. Lupie just rolled her eyes while Becca laughed. Jan laughed, but reached out a hand to Lupie's shoulder. Dave took Olivia's hand and turned to the stairs. She interlocked her fingers with his and walked beside him with her head against his shoulder. They stayed like that until they reached the bed. Dave turned to face Olivia, placing his hands on her shoulders. She looked into his eyes, hungry, pleading. Dave took a deep, shuddering breath and pushed aside the thoughts of the little girl that kissed him on the check at bedtime as he tucked her into bed. He stared into Olivia's eyes, focusing on the woman in front of him, as she is now, wanting to be with him. She loved him. had for a long time. She had been dedicated to the idea of being with him for life, for longer than, well, any woman in his past or present. The reality of that finally washed over him. His love for her did not need to end or change, merely grow. He had always been hers. Dave pulled Olivia into him and kissed her with passion. Olivia moaned into the kiss. Dave felt her hot tears as their cheeks brushed. He pulled back, their faces parted but close. "I love you Olivia Barnes, always and forever." A heart-rending sob burst from her as her dearest dream manifested. She jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, and kissing him fiercely, their tongues dancing. Dave slowly walked them to the edge of the bed and sat her down. Mostly. Olivia was not letting go. Dave tugged at the bottom of her blouse and lifted. Olivia broke the kiss and raised her arms, her legs still clutching him tightly. Dave paused removing her shirt when her lips were exposed, but her eyes still covered. He moved in for a kiss. He felt her grin as their lips moved in unison. Olivia then grabbed Dave's shirt as he finished removing hers. Dave moved to her jeans and quickly removed those as She reached for his waist band. Olivia grasped his pants and boxers as one and removed them. Dave, standing, naked and half-erect. Olivia, seated on the edge of the bed, in a lacy white bra and matching panties. They drank each other in. She looked up at him. "Well, part of you is getting interested," she smirked. "You get all of me, Olivia, just as you always have. I'll show you my love every day. It will just manifest in a few new ways from now on." Olivia scooted up the bed as Dave crawled up, aligning himself over her, kissing as they moved. Dave's hands wandered along her thighs and sides. Olivia's fingers coursed lazily along his back. "Just one request." She gave him an impish look. "When you go get Mel to bring her up here, leave my legs spread so the first thing she sees when she walks in is my pussy." "You're rotten ya know that? I have to live with her too ya know." "She'll laugh. It's just roommate hijinks." Dave returned to kissing Olivia. He moved his lips lower, down her neck, to her collarbone, and then the slopes of her tits. He slipped his hands underneath her, unclasping her bra. Gingerly, he removed it. Olivia's large tits, no longer supported by a bra, formed two delicious lumps on her chest, that looked like they were about to slide off her chest. Olivia's eyes glistened, radiating joy as Dave took her tits in his hands and began kissing them. She moaned as he ministered to her bosom with his mouth. When he took one nipple in his mouth and suckled, she gasped. "Oh, David, Yes!" Pleasure and unbridled joy left her breathing ragged, her mind awash in bliss. His hands remained at her tit, massaging gently, easing her higher with delicate caresses. His mouth proceed lower, kissing her ribs. Her abdomen. Kissing and licking her belly button. She giggled and twisted her torso. Dave brought his hands down to Olivia's hips. He grasped her panties and pulled them down to her ankles, raising himself and her legs up. He tossed them aside and brought his face to kiss the crease of her pelvis and her hip. She shuddered. Her arousal scented the room. Her lovely light brown vulva filled his vision as he breathed softly across her bare essence. The hairs of the small landing strip on her mons tousled in the artificial breeze. She lifted her head to look at him. "David;” she pleaded. He grinned. He locked eyes with her and closed his mouth around her lower lips and began to suckle. Her body arched and she sucked in a breath. His tongue played across her sopping wet slit. He tasted her juices. He nibbled her flowering inner lips. He slipped his tongue into her entrance. "Oh God David Yes! Oh please put it in me." Olivia whimpered. "Darling, you've wanted this night for a long time. I intend to make it worthwhile." "You are enough David, that's al; Ah" she cried out as he took her clitoris in his mouth and suckled. He slid one finger gently inside, massaging her tunnel. Every stroke drew her natural lubricant in greater volume than the last. He inserted as second finger and she moaned, writhing, hips bucking. He released her button and withdrew his fingers. She eased her motions. Dave crawled up her body, a victorious and hungry grin on his face. She beamed, breathing heavily. He caressed and kissed her tits briefly as he moved up. Finally hovering over her, face to face, bodies aligned, his erection resting between them, Dave kissed her once again. She clutched him and returned the kiss. Dave maneuvered his member with his hips, aligning with her fully relaxed and open entrance. He pushed in gently, a small distance just to lodge the tip of his helmet in her. The precum coating his cockhead set off a body-rocking orgasm that stole her breath. When her eyes re-opened, Dave drove himself into her, full length, in one smooth stroke. Her eyes glowed with joy. He began moving himself in and out of her. Slowly at first. Always firmly, gently. Staring into her eyes as he worked them both to ecstasy. He picked up his pace. She began rocking her hips with his. Soon they were pounding into each other, breathing raggedly, eyes still locked, her hands braced behind his shoulders until their passion pushed him over the brink, firing rope after rope of hot cum into her waiting vagina. The effect on Olivia was immediate. A primal scream of pleasure burst from her lips as her body convulsed like a marionette in the hands of an angry child. And then she fell to the bed, limp. "Imprinting,; imprinting,; imprinting, ;” Dave kissed her forehead and extracted himself from her body. He crawled off the bed and left to clean himself in the bathroom. He returned with a damp washcloth to clean her. After dressing in loose shorts and a shirt, he arranged her as she'd requested and left the room shaking his head. Melanie met him at the bottom of the stairs with a passionate kiss and a tight hug. "You need a minute or two?" "Yeah, let me get a drink and I should be fine." He returned the kiss, then slipped from her arms to search out some juice from the fridge. "Oh, I thought you meant you needed a little something to steel yourself for doing me." "Please." Dave guzzled half the glass. "One, you are hot. Two," he blushed a bit, "I have a thing for redheads." Melanie smiled. "Oh yeah?" "Hell, if you had freckles, I'd kiss each one of them." That made her blush. After Dave finished off a second glass of juice, he and Melanie headed upstairs, pursued by catcalls and wolf whistles. Esme, who'd been invited into the living room after Dave and Olivia had gone upstairs, just laughed at the shenanigans. Opening the door, Melanie exclaimed, "Oh my god, you left; " she pursed her lips. "No, she put you up to this didn't she?" Dave chuckled and grabbed a light blanket. "No," Melanie said, "save that to cover us both when you finish with me." She cupped her hand under one of Liv's shapely thighs and brought the leg over the other, giving her friend a bit of modesty she hadn't asked for. Dave noticed that her hand seemed to linger just a bit on Liv's thigh. It certainly looked like Mel gave her rump a light squeeze. Maybe he just imagined it. She turned to face him. "Reading between the lines, from everything Liv's told me, you don't think you deserve any of us, do you?" Dave swallowed hard, trying not to react. "I'm going to tell you something harsh and reassuring. You don't. And you know something else? We don't deserve your love either. I learned bouncing around those homes that love isn't earned. It's too valuable to be earned. No one is ever worthy of someone else's love. Body, heart, or mind. Love is a gift. We each give our love to you, by our choice. And you give us your love by your choice. I barely know you and I'm more comfortable being here with you than I've ever been with any man." She paused to let that sink in. "David, just accept that you are a damn good man, and we are all happy to be here with you. Enjoy what we give you. Let us enjoy what you give in return." Dave felt like this beautiful young woman that barely knew him was staring straight into his heart, laying it bare and spearing it with the cruelest weapon; hope. He stretched out his hand tentatively, reaching for the sash holding her blouse closed. She looked down briefly, seeing his hand. She immediately looked into his eyes and gave the smallest nod, and a smile. Dave pulled slowly on the loose tail of the cinch and dropped it. The belt ends fell to her sides and the halves of her blouse hung loosely, exposing the center of her chest and abdomen. Melanie had a belly button piercing. A small chain with two small clear crystals near the top and at the bottom, a butterfly done mostly in silver metal clasping tiny crystals, except for a soft pink pearl serving as the body of the faux insect. "You like? Your profile said you weren't a fan of body modification, but I was hoping you would be ok with this." "It's cute and sexy and innocent and naughty all at once." Dave smiled. He stepped up to her, sliding his hands into her blouse and around her back. He pulled her into a soft, slow kiss. They explored each other that way for a few minutes. Dave brought his hands up to her tits, cupping them and kneading them through her black satin bra. Melanie sucked in a breath and hummed. She broke the kiss and drew his attention with her eyes. "The others told me how you like to take your time, maximize a woman's pleasure. I am super fucking horny right know. You can take me to the heights later, we have forever for that. Right now I just need to pound your stake into me and lay claim to my body." "What about your heart?" She grinned "Just like they said you would. It's getting there, just takes a bit more time." She shrugged her blouse off and shucked her pants. The panties were also black and satiny. "Come on Davey, fuck my brains out and make me yours." She tossed her bra and panties aside quickly and crawled up the bed, turn over on her back once she was alongside her friend. Dave stripped of his shirt and shorts rapidly and joined her on the bed, pressing his body lightly against hers. His erection sandwiched between their torsos, her medium sized tit and their pointy nipples pressed against his chest. He kissed her again and she hummed. She worked her hips against his and together that got him lodged in her. A few strokes inside her passage caused him to leak out the first drips of precum and she exploded in a howling convulsion, her eyes rolling back, one hand flailing and bashing the insensate Olivia. "Fuck that was good. Give it to me David, give your woman what she needs. Seal your claim." She kissed him fiercely and they both rocked their hips savagely. No sensuality, just raw primal fucking of two hungry bodies. Despite his recent bout with Liv, this carnal frenzy brought Dave to the pinnacle faster than he anticipated and he crashed through, erupting a geyser of cum inside her depths. As the hot load filled her cavity, Melanie wailed in ecstasy, her mind shattered by the biochemical overload. Then she flopped to the bed, repeating the new world's chant of family harmony and togetherness. Chapter 6 – Shenanigans. October 4, 2020. David Belsus awoke to three beautiful young ladies lying beside him, all nude. As yet, none of his partners had elected to sleep in another room. Last night they all emphatically wanted to be near him. No one piled over anyone else. Lupie came to bed in a rich blue camisole with matching high cut panties. Shawna clad herself in a soft pink camisole and pink boy shorts. Jan wore one of Dave's sweatshirts as a baggy night gown, no panties underneath. He'd checked by way slipping his hands under the hem of the shirt to dance along her skin. Finding paradise exposed, he impishly fingered her to heaven as she begged for his cock. She beamed when he finished. She kissed him deeply after he sucked all her juices off his digits. None of the three were in bed at the moment. Shawna was likely on her way to work already. Which meant Jan and Lupie had gotten up with her to talk and share breakfast, or at least coffee. They had developed a morning routine rather quickly. That left Liv and Melanie nude, side by side on his left, and Becca, nude, curled tightly under his right arm, his hand resting just above her hip. She slumbered peacefully, unperturbed by the small motions he made as he took in the morning tableau. Becca's insecurities stemming from the near-abduction at the vax center had faded quickly with the reassurance of imprinting on Dave. What followed in its wake was the desire to be close to the person she'd just started sleeping with, magnified by this being the only person she'd ever slept with, further multiplied by the vaccine-clad certainty this was her person for life. Becca wasn't pushy about it. She knew enough to leave some space for the others to get their 'Dave time' too. In and out of bed. And the others, having experienced a similar phase in life, and happy that, for her, it really would be for a lifetime, accommodated her wherever possible. And then Dave's mind recalled a text conversation. "; Oh god, I just had this thrill run through me at the idea of waking up with you already in me, on top of me." Dave stroked her hip softly, slowly easing his fingers toward the crease where her leg met her pelvis. After several minutes of this, he brought his left hand up to cup her tit, massaging lightly, avoiding the nipple. He wanted to slowly raise her towards wakefulness, and ignite her libido, but he didn't want her awake until after he'd penetrated her. Just as she'd asked. Dave carefully eased himself out of her arms, rotating himself until he was kneeling on the bed, behind her knees and 'under' her butt as Becca lay curled on her left side. Dave leaned in and began kissing along Becca's outer thigh of her top leg while gently stroking the inner thigh of her bottom leg with his right hand. His left hand stroked softly along her side. A quick brush of her lower lips indicated her unconscious arousal, or the serum effects. Either way, Dave rubbed his half-hard cock between her thighs, rubbing against her labia, to get them both ready. He kept kissing her hand and arm while softly playing with her tit. "David?!" Came the scandalized whisper. Lupie and Jan stood, frozen, in the doorway, not believing what they were seeing. "She expressly asked for this, you can even check my text messages." Both ladies looked concerned, but said no more. A few more minutes of play time had Dave fully hard, regaining what he briefly lost with the interruption. Becca was ready as well. Dave seated himself at her entrance and pushed slowly, steadily forward. He was half inside her, leaning over her when Becca's eyes flew open. Wide-eyed, mouth agape, she turned her head and moaned. She writhed against David and clutched his upright arms. When her breath returned, she kissed him hard. She pulled away, winking as she deliberately flexed the muscles of her inner passage. Dave took that as a signal to continue. He steadily worked himself in her. Becca grinned madly, moaning and encouraging him. In a few minutes, both were racing to a peak they reached in tandem. Becca fell limp against the mattress, gasping. Dave steadied himself by resting his ass on his heels. Both dismounted the bed and began searching for clothes. Lupie gave Dave a quick kiss on the cheek and hugged Becca before heading downstairs. Jan stayed to change clothes. Jan viewed Becca with a grin. "Get your jollies little freak?" Becca beamed and blushed. "Umm hmm." "Just razzing you, ya know." "I know. I'm still learning what I like, and that is one of them. You know, the way you get off when a guy has a big; book collection." Her eyes twinkled. She squealed and caught the pillow Jan threw as she joined the laughter. "Oh my god, a naked pillow fight. I knew they were real!" Dave laughed and ducked as both partners chucked pillows at him. Dark brown irises set in almond eyes gazed at Dave from Becca's laptop resting on the folding table Becca had set up in one of the unused bedrooms. Raven black hair framed an oval face of chocolate brown before cascading over shoulders set with remembered power, but a hint of sag. The plain white scoop necked t-shirt stretched into small ripples between her tits. The shirt was mostly opaque, yielding evidence of a white bra of exactly the same tone as the shirt, but nonetheless unable to disguise two ripe, thick nipples making their presence known. As the call began, her small, tight mouth had appeared balanced between the promise of lighting up the room with a smile, or unleashing a verbal tirade that would leave all within earshot cringing. Dave's skeptical, reserved approach was pushing her more towards desperation. "Yes, I have been; unkind to people through all of high school. I thought I was better than a lot of people. I had a group that I hung out with, and we deemed ourselves 'the betters' of everyone else. Becca knows some of what I did, more from hearing about it or seeing it than experiencing it directed at her. I; held back since she helped me study." Reena swallowed before continuing. "I've had all these months to think about life and people and a lot of stuff okay? I'm not proud of my behavior. I was a bitch." Her eyes began to water at the lower edge. "Being isolated, knowing people are dying, finding out from a few friends they only have another day or hour left; " her voice caught. A few tears coursed down her apple cheeks, but she batted them aside quickly. "Do you know what it's like to stop hearing from someone that you thought you'd invite to your wedding, or have your kids play together?" Becca inhaled, about to speak, but Dave stayed her with a gentle touch. It wouldn't do to interrupt when Reena was clearly pouring her heart out. The words she spoke over the next several minutes could be the ones he really needed to hear to make a good decision. "The kids in grades below us stopped answering a long time ago. There's an internet rumor that this thing takes more men than women, and everyone under eighteen, but even the ones over eighteen are hard to find someone that answers, boy or girl." Reena's 'queen of the school' composure was cracking. While that allowed a glimpse at the person behind the mask, it wouldn't do to let her fall apart. Time to say something reassuring, but realistic. "Reena, just tell me about why you want to be here." "Honestly, Becca may be the only friend I have left I the world. And I was never a very good friend to her before. I; I want to do better. I've been thinking a lot about what I should change. Specific things I should stop saying or doing. Remembering to say 'please' when I ask for something instead of expecting compliance because of 'who I am.' Or saying 'thank you' when someone else does something for me. Doing something for someone else just because they need it, even if they never asked." Shaking, Reena paused to collect herself. "Becca has told me about you. I'm not smart like you and her, but I would like to study something past high school. Please, please choose me. I'll; I'll do anything you want." Her voice lowered and her eyes dropped at the last sentence. "There's a lot I still don't know about sex, but I'll learn. I'll be your little; " "Hold up. Kareena, I'm not out to push you to be some kind of play toy. If we are compatible in other ways, we'll figure out the sex part. Why don't you tell me about your hobbies, things you do just because they're fun? May be things you did even if your friends weren't into them." "Well, I do like to read; even though I joined in with the others when we made fun of 'bookworms'." Her eyes were downcast for the end of that sentence but came back up. "Becca mentioned you're a big book lover. But; I don't read; like nonfiction, or high class stuff. I mean, I have red Lord of the Rings, but that took forever. I could only get through like the first three pages of Moby Dick and Tale of Two Cities before passing out though." She still looked scared, so Dave gave her some reassurance. "Yeah, I think I maxed out after the first chapter of each of those. Some people love that style, but for me, it was a snooze fest too. The last two I mean. I love Lord of the Rings. So tell me, what do you like to read?" "Well, there's this series about this guy that keeps monsters in check in the San Francisco area." "Monsters?" Dave tried not to sound dubious. "Well, magical creatures. Fairies, unicorns, vampires, stuff like that. Oh, the author's name is Blake Conrad. It's a lot of fun if you like magic stuff. I have the full collection. Everything that's out so far. The next book was due out already, but the pandemic hit and who knows when they'll publish it now. For all I know, the one that's waiting is the last one. Chances are the author caught this thing and died months ago." Her face darkened again. "Well, if this does work out," Dave said, "You're welcome to bring your complete; Blake Conrad collection with you, and we'll look for similar books, similar titles. I know Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and Ursula K. Le Guin use a lot of magic themes in their works. Sounds like they might be right up your alley." Hearing Dave endorse her reading interest perked Reena up. "You know, I could help the other girls too. I like doing nails. I'm pretty good at it too. I can free hand designs and stuff." "I could see where that could come in handy. So to speak." Dave grimaced at his unintended pun. Becca laughed. Reena just shook her head. "Anyway, I'm sure some of the ladies would appreciate that. I'll stick with natural myself," Dave said with a wink. That got a chuckle out of her. "Look, I'm not expecting you to have everything planned out. You're eighteen. There's still a lot to decide. And speaking of decisions, I'd like you to meet virtually with the other ladies of the house and we'll talk as a family after." "Also, take some time yourself to think this through completely. I know you want to be here so you can be close to someone familiar, but bear in mind, that means being sexually bonded to me, a forty-six year old man, more than twice your age. By the time you were born, I'd finished grad school, got married, had a kid, and divorced." Reena looked pensive but nodded. Dave left her to talk with Becca more. He caught Jan in the library with a notepad, apparently noting possible additions. On his suggestion, she left to join Becca. In the dining room, he found Olivia munching a bowl of cereal. Lupie sat with her. The two were sharing an easy conversation which halted when Dave walked in. He'd seen Lupie's bible on an end table in the living room when he passed through. Liv must have come down to get breakfast while Lupie was conducting a bible study on her own. Not like it was safe yet to go to a church. Especially when so many church goers around here seemed to buy into the 'just a hoax' nonsense. Dave shook his head. Christian Nationalism seem purpose built to destroy conservatism and faith in one fell swoop. Sure had a good shot at it with this damn plague. Dave shook out thoughts of things he couldn't control. Here, now, was one woman that had been interested in him for a few years as she lived next door, and another that had pined for him for; a decade? And both were happy to be bound to him by this weird vaccine, even though it meant sharing him with other women. This world was wonderful and terrifying in the same breath. "Morning, Hermosa," Dave said before kissing Lupie on the lips. She hummed into the brief contact. "Morning, love bug," he said as he greeted Olivia in the same manner. As he pulled away, she slugged his shoulder, smiling scowl pulling her lips tight. Lupie shook her head. "David, I'm with Olivia on this one. Terms of endearment you used when she was a child are not conducive to her feeling she's being accepted as a woman." "I meant it as continuity. She has a lot of love to give. Always has. And I appreciate that." Olivia's scowl relaxed but did not become a smile. Well, not immediately. Lupie raised an eyebrow at him with a gentle smile. Dave realized what he needed was a change of subject. "Becca is upstairs Zooming with a friend of hers from high school. She; would like to join us here." Both ladies smirked. Dave sighed and rolled his eyes. He brought a hand up to his face and rubbed his eyes before leaning into the hand, the elbow of the same arm resting on the table. "Look, it's not like I'm seeking women out. I'm not out pursuing young girls." Olivia shifted in her seat. "I mean; " "I get it Dave. Don't apologize." Her voice was soft, with a hint of iron. "I talked with her for a while. She's apparently been talking with Becca since before the two of you got vaxxed in the first place." He said, looking at Lupie. "And it seems Becca has been telling Reena all about us, especially about vaxxed life with me." "Kareena Agrawal? The one Becca calls 'the Indian Karen'?" Olivia barely managed to contain the mouthful of cereal and milk at Lupie's interjection. Dave held back a laugh. "She seems genuinely heartbroken and lost, Lupie. And she has taken time in isolation to examine her past behavior." Dave paused, looking each of them in the eye. "I'm reserving judgement for now. I think it would be a good idea if each of you took time to talk with her, probably with Becca as host. I ran into Jan already, she's probably up there with her now. All I'm asking is that you get with Becca sometime today to find a time you can Zoom with her and form your own opinion. I may be 'the man of the house'; " Dave bowed his arms out from his sides, leaning side to side with a faux stern look on his face; "but this is too big not to get ya'lls take on it as well." Both women giggled at the display. "Okay, okay, I'll seek Becca out in a few minutes. I'll give Reena a fair hearing, just understand, I've heard enough of her exploits to be a bit wary." "Wouldn't have it any other way, cielo." The warmth of the smile Lupie gave him was enough to power an entire town. It was a few hours past noon when Dave heard voices in the bedroom. He left his office to see if that meant Melanie was up. She'd been out for eighteen hours. Opening the door, he found Becca and Liv sitting on the bed, talking. Mel was nowhere to be seen. "Mel up I take it?" "Yup, been awake for a few minutes. She needed to use the bathroom," Becca informed him. "She'll probably be in there a while." Liv chimed in, just as Mel emerged. She had a huge smile on her face. "Wow, usually a night like last night would leave you crying on the toilet for an hour. And I needed a hazmat suit to go in there afterwards." Mel smirked. She strode over to Dave and gave him a big hug. He recognized the t-shirt she wore, black with a white line drawing of Einstein sticking out his tongue. Recognized, because it was probably the one from his closet. "Looks like I unlocked the special bonus. They did say sometimes a healing process happens during imprinting. How long was I out anyway?" "About eighteen hours," said Liv. "Longest of any of my partners. What's the healing you're talking about?" "I have; had; I B S. I tend to be careful about what I eat, or go ahead and indulge once in a while, knowing I'm going to pay the price in the morning." She turned to face Liv, with her hands on her hips. "And for your information missy, I was somewhat careful last night. The wine was dry, and I only ate a little bit of cheese. And I didn't have any deviled eggs." She grumbled that last sentence. Liv looked at Dave. "She loves deviled eggs, especially made with dill relish instead of sweet, which I've told her was the way you do it. Not that you made last night's, but that does mean the only relish in the house is dill. Problem is, the protein in the whites plus the fat in the yolk and mayo is an issue for her. If it weren't for that, she'd gobble deviled eggs like she's trying to set a world record." Dave chuckled. "As a deviled egg lover, I can testify that that much deviled egg will cause intestinal issues that oughta be against the Geneva Convention, without any medical conditions." The trio giggled. Becca sat bolt upright for a minute. "Hey, weren't there deviled eggs leftover in the fridge?" Mel was already up and moving. "Clear square sandwich container with the see through blue lid!" Mel's happy cackle faded as she sprinted down the stairs. To be continued in part 5, Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts, for Literotica.

Authors Michelle Ruiz Keil and Juhea Kim discuss Ursula K. Le Guin's legacy through exploration of pacifism and environmentalism in her works.

Welcome to another episode of the Bowie Book Club, where wild speculation and grasping for straws about Bowie's favorite books has reigned supreme since 2016. This time we read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin, a story of hot beer and cold nights (and many, many other more important themes and ideas!)

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: overwhelming feelings when reading and finding book twins Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: how to organize all the book recommendation sources we come across The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site). .  .  .  2:09 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 4:25 - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 8:40 - @kaitlynmlilly on instagram 8:41 - @klill01 on TikTok 9:22 - God of the Woods by Liz Moore 10:43 - Our Current Reads 10:49 - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (Kaytee)  11:15 - The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin 15:25 - Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo (Meredith) 16:35 - Katabasis by R.F. Kuang 20:06 - Of Boys and Men by Richard Reeves (Kaytee) 20:13 - The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt 26:30 - Forensics by Val McDermid (Meredith) 27:46 - Foyles 32:53 - I, Medusa by Ayana Gray (Kaytee) 33:03 - Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes 35:04 - Beast of Prey by Ayana Gray 36:40 - The Creeping Hand Murder by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper (Meredith) 38:11 - Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson  38:17 - Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper 41:09 - Murdle by G.T. Karber  42:34 - Organizing Recommendation Sources 43:56 - Currently Reading Patreon 47:21 - @kaitlynmlilly on instagram 48:18 - Fabled Bookshop 51:44 - Literally, A Bookshop 52:37 - Goodreads 52:38 - The Storygraph 57:44 - Meet Us At The Fountain 57:49 - I wish we gave ourselves grace to start small in our reading lives. (Kaytee) 59:04 - I wish you all knew that you can sort podcasts from oldest to newest in Apple Podcasts. (Meredith) 1:01:27 - Crime Time FM podcast   Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. December's IPL is a recap of the year with Kaytee and Meredith. Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business.  All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

Neste episódio especial Arthur Marchetto e Cecilia Garcia Marcon se reúnem para compartilhar as leituras do próximo ano. Eles compartilham alguns títulos que desejam ler em 2026… mas também o momento mais aguardado!! A apresentação oficial da seleção de livros que comporão o Clube de Leitura 30:MIN de 2026!Então, aperta o play e conta pra gente: o que vocês vão ler em 2026?---Livros citadosLavínia, de Ursula K. Le Guin (ed. Morro Branco, trad. Helena Coutinho)Sobre o cálculo do volume, de Solvej Baelle (ed. Todavia, trad. Guilherme da Silva Braga)Raul Seixas: Não diga que a canção está perdida, de Jotabê Medeiros (ed. Todavia)Alerta Vermelho, Condição Artificial & Protocolo Rebelde (série Diário do robô-assassino), de Martha Wells (ed. Aleph, trad. Laura Pohl)Tress, a garota do Mar Esmeralda, de Brandon Sanderson (ed. Trama, trad. Pedro Ribeiro)Contos Completos & O lugar sem limites, de José Donoso (ed. Mundaréu, trad. Bruno Colbachini Mattos/Lucas Lazzaretti)---Clube do Livro 30:MIN 2026Janeiro - Meu ano de descanso e relaxamento, de Ottessa Moshfegh (ed. Todavia, trad. Juliana Cunha)Fevereiro - Kitchen, de Banana Yoshimoto (ed. Estação Liberdade, trad. Lica Hashimoto, Fabio Saldanha & Lui Navarro)Março - Berg, de Ann Quinn (ed. DBA, trad. Gisele Eberspächer)Abril - Os pescadores, de Chigozie Obioma (ed. Globo Livros, trad. Claudio Carina)Maio - Feito Bestas, de Violaine Bérot (ed. Mundaréu, trad. Letícia Mei)Junho - Erva brava, de Paulliny Tort (ed. Fósforo)Julho - Te dei os olhos e olhaste as trevas, de Irene Solà (ed. Mundaréu, trad. Luis Reyes Gil)Agosto - Kim Jiyoung, nascida em 1982, de Cho Nam-Joo (ed. Intrínseca, trad. Alessandra Esteche)Setembro - Carva viva, de Ana Rüsche (ed. Rocco)Outubro - República luminosa, de Andrés Barba (ed. Todavia, trad. Antonio Xerxenesky)Novembro - Memórias do cacique, de Raoni Metyktire (ed. Cia. das Letras)Dezembro - Porrada, de Rita Bullwinkel (ed. Todavia, trad. Marcela Lanius)---Links⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apoie o 30:MIN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Siga a gente nas redes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Já apoia? Acesse suas recompensas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Confira todos os títulos do clube!

Où l'on parle modèle économique, mais aussi autrices de talent.♻️ LES FOLLOW-UPSPourquoi y a-t-il des pubs pendant les épisodes du show sur Spotify, même quand on paie le Premium ?Vos recos de livres et d'autrices chouettes pour sortir des vieux auteurs un peu réac : Becky Chambers (L'espace d'un an ; Un psaume pour les recyclés sauvages), Samantha Shannon, RF Kuang, Shannon Chakraborty, Robin Hobb, Ursula K. Le Guin, Megan Whalen Turner (La saga du voleur de la Reine)Tuto : comment brasser une bière sans alcool ?Anthony nous parle de sa colèreParticipez au Fab & Mymy Show : envoyez-nous un vocal !Abonnez-vous au podcastRejoignez le DiscordL'épisode en entier et en avance + une rubrique exclusive : sur Patreon !Suivez Le Fab & Mymy Show sur InstagramEnvoyez-nous un mail : coucou@lefabetmymyshow.com Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

While Lawson's voice recovers, enjoy a full episode from our patreon, wherein Joe from the Spirit Hunters helps him & Hannah understand what happened with this Ursula K. Le Guin adaptation, directed by Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro. To listen to us review the GOOD Miyazaki films, support us at patreon.com/bospod

Reginald is on a grand turkey saving journey, but luckily he has Dom and Jessie Gender to hold down the podcast fort! This episode they unpack the true nature of The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin.This podcast, like Dom's videos, sometimes touches on the foul language, violence, assaults, and murders in the books we read. Treat it like a TV-14 show.For the full episode with video, and bonus content, check out Dom's Patreon:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DomSmithWhere to find Jessie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/lostrekkieNebula: https://nebula.tv/jessiegenderTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jessiegenderTwitter: @jessiegenderInstagram: @jessiegenderPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/jessiegenderWhere to find Dom:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dominic-NobleWebsite: https://www.dominic-noble.com/Second channel: https://www.youtube.com/@domnobletoo8238Twitter: @Dominic_Noble Instagram: @dominic_nobleMerch:https://www.teespring.com/stores/domi...For information about sponsoring a video, convention appearances and similar business inquiries please contact my representation at dominicnoble@viralnationtalent.comEditor:Sophia Ricciardiwww.sophiakricci.com Music:“European Waltz” performed by Il NeigeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DJilneige

Lords: * Esper * Cort Topics: * Building your identity around a thing that you're kind of not as excited about lately * Stateless procedural music * Hulu can't decide whether it has X-Files * Offering, by Ursula K Le Guin * https://fleurmach.com/2016/09/28/ursula-k-le-guin-offering-2012/ Microtopics: * Figuring out new ways to make video games more expensive. * Puzzled Pint. * Oh man, this one's a real quart! * Puzzled Pint getting you through to the next MIT Mystery Hunt. * Blippo Plus. * If you're going to watch TV, why not watch TV from another dimension? * Capturing broadcast artifacts and CRT fuzz on a 1-bit display. * An amateur DSPist. (Such as myself.) * Whether Lucas Pope took time away from his busy life as a pirate actuary to make a video about temporally-stable dithering. * Dr. Richard Garfield, who loves lasagna and hates Mondays. * Final Fantasy espers vs. Magic the Gathering espers. * All the different licenses Wizards of the Coast is using to fuck up Magic the Gathering. * How to play Magic the Gathering without getting your ass kicked by a SpongeBob deck. * Splitbeard, my nemesis. * The Kickstarter backer tier that nobody pledged to get. * Jim's beard braids, still floating around in a Ziploc bag somewhere. * Electroswing Jackson. * Trying to continue to evolve as an artist after you named yourself Chrono Trigger Remix DJ. * A sci-fi weird constructed zone. * The guy on the team who comes up with names like "banalia" * Fake scam Oxford English Dictionaries. * A Finn named Viznut. * The C program on Viznut's business card. * Recognizing the twelfth root of two in an obfuscated C program. * Bytebeat. * Generating audio in ShaderToy. * A closed form function of T that produces the Terminator theme. * Learning how to put GLSL into the GPU. * Needing the preceding 200 samples to produce the current sample so you just start at T-200 and start crunching numbers. * The oldest film on Netflix. (From 1987.) * Trying to finish X-Files before it leaves your streaming service. * Esper's power over the Futurama production schedule. * Why would you attack and dethrone God when you could summon God to help you fight a slime? * Trying to summon your god in a tough JRPG battle and she's like "not right now I'm editing a podcast." * Trying to describe a vocal sample without saying what the voice is saying. * The bitrate itself shaping new phonemes. * Wahoo vs. wahey vs. waheh. * The great darkness where sleep goes and farther death goes. * The gods choking on all the dreams you forget. * The dump trucks of tasteless gruel keep coming. * How to prevent the data miners determining exactly how far the mystery goes. * You Can't Data Mine Fallen London. * The character who doesn't exist in the game, only the game data files, because he erased himself. * Media where you can predict how much longer the story goes and media where you can't. * The forty second episode of Topic Lords. * The episode of Game Changer that had the fake "end of video" screen before the episode continues. * Hitting tab to switch to the next field. * Hitting tab to highlight the secret clickable button. * Bittorrenting all eight hours of Bandersnatch and watching every scene in random order. * How many names does a Seaman know? * Escaping the internet. * Binge watching the PiCoSteveMo development thread.

Sample samsa with Naomi Kritzer as we discuss why a friend stepped up to start submitting stories for her, the question she asked Madeleine l'Engle when she was nine, why she spent years not reading reviews (even the good ones), her surprise at the way "Cat Pictures Please" went viral, what it's like when you're on "that" panel at a convention, why she wishes she'd told the early editors to whom she'd submitted how young she was, the many writers time has passed by (and how we hope neither of us will join them), what she was told by her mentor after confessing she wanted to be Ursula K. Le Guin, the story she sold to a market by deliberately writing the sort of story that magazine said it didn't want, the inability of writers to know which of their stories will resonate most with readers, whether the stories she's written in response to prompts might have existed in some other form without those prompts, how our writing has been affected by the times in which we live, and much more.

Whether you like ripping page turners, incredible characters, books that make you laugh out loud, exploring unforgettable new worlds, or literary books that will make you see the world in a new way, there's a great intro to scifi out there for everyone!Join the Hugonauts book club on discord to tell us about your favorite time travel booksOr you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoIf you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books we talked about: 00:00 Intro 00:38 Incredible Characters - Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold 3:07 A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers 4:04 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 4:52 Unforgettable Worlds - The Expanse by James S.A. Corey 6:58 Hyperion by Dan Simmons 8:24 House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds 9:20 Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky 10:56 The Forever War by Joe Haldeman 12:22 Funny SF - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 13:36 Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson 14:50 Old Man's War by John Scalzi 16:01 Page turners - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 17:43 Dark Matter or Recursion by Blake Crouch 18:52 All Systems Red by Martha Wells 20:01 Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card 21:35 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 22:34 Literary SciFi - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin 24:55 Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 26:26 The Road by Cormac McCarthy 27:49 Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 28:40 Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

Folge Nummer 49 von Burns kleinem GeBlauder. Horst hat Burn in seine Bibliothek geladen und erzählt über Ursula K. Le Guin Die erwähnten Bücher: Aeneis Vergil ISBN 9783730605479, Anaconda Verlag, € 12,99 Keine Zeit verlieren Über Alter, Kunst, Kultur und Katzen Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN 9783965090781, Golkonda Verlag, € 24,- Lavinia Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN 9783910914445, Carcosa, € 22,- Der Tag vor der Revolution Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN 9783596710874, FISCHER TOR, € 36,- Freie Geister Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN 9783596035359, FISCHER TOR, € 21,- Die linke Hand der Dunkelheit Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN 9783596707126, FISCHER TOR, € 18,- Erdsee Die illustrierte Gesamtausgabe Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN 9783596701605, FISCHER TOR, € 72,- Immer nach Hause Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN 9783910914001, Carcosa, € 58,-

111 Hz'in bu bölümünde, Ursula K. Le Guin'in kült bilimkurgu romanı Rüyanın Öte Yakası dünyasına gidiyor; gerçekliği rüyalarıyla değiştirebilen George Orr ve onun idealist terapisti Dr. Haber'la tanışıyoruz. Acaba iyileştirme arzusu, tehlikeli şekilde tanrıcılık oynamaya dönebilir mi? Güç zehirlenmesi ve narsisizm arasındaki farklar üzerinden; kusursuzluk istemine karşı karanlıkta dahi akışta kalabilmek mümkün mü, sorusuna cevap arıyoruz.  Sunan: Barış Özcan Hazırlayan: Maya Gedik, Gülşah Dim Ses Tasarım ve Kurgu: Metin Bozkurt Yapımcı: Podbee Media Tüm bölümler ve daha fazlası için ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podbeemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'u ziyaret et! ----- Podbee Sunar ------- Bu podcast reklam içermektedir.

When the polymorphous writer Ursula K. Le Guin died in 2018, she left behind novels, short stories, poetry, essays, manifestos and French and Chinese translations. The huge and loyal readership among children and older readers that she built during her lifetime has only grown since her death, as has recognition of her work as ‘serious' literature. Chafing against her confinement in genre fiction, she liberated sci-fi, fantasy and YA literature from the condescension to which they had long been subjected. In 2016, she joined the short list of authors to be published in their lifetime by the Library of America. For the final regular episode of Fiction and the Fantastic (though there will be one more special episode) Marina and Chloe read ‘The Left Hand of Darkness' and ‘The Dispossessed': works of exceptional imaginative power and intellectual range, passionate idealism and keen-eyed observation. Is Le Guin's status in both literary and ‘genre' canons a testament to the force and clear-sightedness of her radical – even prophetic – political vision? And what does it mean for the fantastic if we accept her self-characterisation as a ‘realist of a larger reality'? Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen to the full episode, and all our other Close Readings series, subscribe: Directly in Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lrb.me/applecrff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ In other podcast apps: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lrb.me/closereadingsff⁠⁠⁠⁠ Further reading and listening from the LRB: Colin Burrow on Ursula K. Le Guin: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v43/n02/colin-burrow/it-s-not-jung-s-it-s-mine A collection of writing on science fiction from the LRB: https://www.lrb.co.uk/collections/in-hyperspace Amia Srinivasan on Le Guin's experiments with pronouns: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/n13/amia-srinivasan/he-she-one-they-ho-hus-hum-ita Colin Burrow discusses Le Guin with Thomas Jones on the LRB Podcast: https://www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and-videos/podcasts/the-lrb-podcast/magical-authority Next episode: A taxonomy of fantastic literature with Marina, Adam Thirlwell and Edwin Frank.

In this episode Paul, Gwyn and Lara catch up with what has been inspiring them recently everything from dragons to hobbits via annihilation and exorcists.Here is a bookshelf of the books we mention along the way: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-5-episode-2?&new-list-page=trueThese are the links for the exhibtions we mentioned:The Word for World: the maps of Ursula K. Le Guin at the Architectural Association in Bedford Square, London https://www.aaschool.ac.uk/publicprogramme/whatson/the-word-for-worldAgatha Christie a major exhibition of the woman behind the books at the British Library in London from October 2026 https://events.bl.uk/exhibitions/agathachristieLewis Carroll at Exploring Surrey's Past https://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/themes/people/writers/lewis_carroll/

Von Ursula K. Le Guin bis Clara Heinrich: Geschichten über Freiheit, Fürsorge und Erinnerung. Und: Ein Blick auf die Rockjahre im Südwesten.

Show Notes: Jonathan Hughes talks about his career in consulting, starting with an economic consulting firm, Putnam Hayes and Bartlett, in Los Angeles. He mentions his connection back to Harvard through CMI (Conflict Management Inc.) founded by Roger Fisher and Bruce Patton, and his subsequent roles at Vantage Partners and BDO. The Career Path As a Consultant Jonathan describes his role at CMI, focusing on complex negotiations and business partnerships, and his role in helping to start the boutique firm, Vantage Partners where he spent around 25 years as a partner. He later moved over to BDO, a large professional services firm, where he led the Management Consulting practice in the US, and globally. Working As a Conflict Management ConsultantJonathan discusses his work with CMI, emphasizing the importance of managing conflict constructively and approaching conflict creatively to develop solutions. He shares his experience with a pro bono project for OCHA (Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance) at the UN, focusing on partnerships with the private sector. Jonathan highlights his work with conventional and special forces in the military, including SEALs and Civil Affairs, on negotiation and conflict management training. He explains the challenges of internal and interagency negotiations, as well as those with external parties, in both the military and corporate sector.Influence Training to Special ForcesJonathan elaborates on the influence training provided to special forces, including negotiations with governments and local leaders, partner forces, CIA, and the Department of State.He compares the challenges of internal negotiations within organizations to external negotiations with customer, strategic partners, and suppliers. Jonathan emphasizes the importance of aligning different stakeholders and executives within any organization. He shares an example of a multi-billion dollar negotiation with  a state-owned enterprise a global corporation where understanding the other side's perspective was key to coming to an agreement.Unpacking Negotiation TechniquesThe conversation turns to the influence techniques at McKinsey, including role-playing scenarios and tools like legitimacy, logical persuasion, and appealing to friendship.Jonathan discusses the importance of fact-based negotiation and the role of psychology and emotional motivations in influence. He introduces the concept of "calling people to a higher purpose" and the psychological drive for consistency. Jonathan shares a story about a negotiation where challenging the other side's unreasonable demand led to a more fair agreement.Work History SummarizedWhen asked how conflict resolution training has influenced Jonathan's personal life.Jonathan says that he is sometimes better at giving advice than incorporating it himself. Jonathan mentions that he has pursued a breadth of experiences working across life sciences, and biopharma, energy and natural resources, the semiconductor industry, and the intersection of software, financial services, and data and analytics. He mentioned extensive work with Equifax over the last 13 years. Jonathan discusses the balance between competition and collaboration in his strategy work.Creative Pursuits and Cat RescuersJonathan mentions his current focus on figuring out his next steps after leaving BDO and shares his interest in film. He mentions his experience as an executive producer on a documentary called "The Cat Rescuers." Jonathan mentions his love for travel, scuba diving, reading, and writing, including contributions to Harvard Business Review and MIT's Sloan Management Review, focusing on topics ranging from innovation, to supply chain management, to negotiation, influence, and conflict management. Jonathan expresses his interest in finding another film project in the future. He emphasizes the importance of reading philosophy and science books, which continue to influence his thinking.Harvard ReflectionsJonathan mentions his concentration in philosophy and the impact of professors like John Rawls and Stanley Cavell. He highlights a course called Thinking About Thinking taught by Stephen Jay Gould, Alan Dershowitz, and Robert Nozick. Jonathan discusses the relevance of his philosophy education to his career in consulting.He mentions his continued interest in philosophy and science, despite focusing on business in his professional life. Jonathan shares recently read books, including a new translation of The Odyssey and rereading the Earthsea trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin. He reflects on the theme of human finitude in Le Guin's books and its relevance to current discussions on human immortality and transhumanism. Jonathan expresses mixed feelings about the pursuit of human immortality and the importance of accepting human limitations. He mentions his recent LinkedIn post predicting future trends, including the impact of AI and technology on society. Timestamps: 02:56: Conflict Management and Pro Bono Work  06:25: Influence Training for Special Forces 11:37: Influence Techniques and Training Methods  22:43: Conflict Resolution in Personal Life  23:44: Professional Evolution and Current Focus  27:28: Personal Interests and Future Plans  29:19: Influential Courses and Professors at Harvard  32:48: Favorite Novels and Personal Reflections  Links: LinkedIn: Jonathan Hughes | LinkedIn Articles: What's Your Negotiation Strategy? HBR Formalize Escalation Procedures to Improve Decision-Making - MIT Sloan Review Unlearning to Innovate - Ivey Business Journal Why Influence Is a Two-Way Street - MIT SMR Store Simple Rules for Making Alliances Work - HBR Featured Non-profit: Hi. This is Mark Messenbaugh, class of 1992. Special thanks to Will Bachman for putting this podcast together to keep us all informed of what one another is doing. Great to hear your stories. The featured non-profit for this episode of The 92 Report is the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. I worked for BGCA back during the 2000s. It is a life changing organization that brings youth development and safe after school and summer programs to neighborhoods around the country that need it most. Saves Lives, saves communities. I hope you'll take a look at them. You can learn more@www.bgca.org and with that, here's Will Bachman with this week's episode. To learn more about their work, visit: www.bgca.org. AI generated show notes and transcript  

Antonio Michael Downing teaches our expert panel how to “maco," the Trini term for minding other people's business. Talia Kliot, Kudakwashe Rutendo and Nathan Maharaj convene to recommend their favourite Canadian memoirs. Plus, Winnipeg-based musician and emerging star Leith Ross talks about growing up as an avid reader and recommends a book that had a massive impact on their latest record.Books discussed on this week's show include:How to Share an Egg by Bonnie ReichertAll the Little Monsters by David A RobertsonSoft as Bones by Chyana Marie SageElseship: An Unrequited Affair by Tree AbrahamHow to Survive a Bear Attack by Claire CameronIt Must Be Beautiful to Be Finished: A Memoir of My Body by Kate GiesThe Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

En el episodio octogésimo tercero de nuestro podcast, el de sueñan las barbies con cambiar el pasado, os desvelamos la verdadera historia de Barbie y su hermano Ken. También debatimos sobre las publicaciones póstumas a raíz del reciente libro de cuentos de Harper Lee. Nos contamos «La rueda celeste», la novela de ciencia ficción onírico filosófica de Úrsula K Le Guin, en la que la realidad tiembla constantemente y de manera brillante.En nuestra sección Cuentos en los que quedarse a vivir, hablamos de «La soledad de las fronteras», de Ángeles Sánchez Portero, un relato que camina por el filo del precipicio y nos muestra este lado de la locura.Fernando nos trae un Oído por ahí sobre cómo demostrar que tu inteligencia no es artificial y que la foto que has hecho es tuya, ¿empezamos a ser un poco robots? Por último, desvelamos las próximas lecturas: el cuento Color fin del mundo, de Patricia Esteban Erlés, y la novela Abel, de Alessandro Baricco.Y, aunque parezca mentira, todo esto en una horita.Presentación: al principio.Desnoticias: minuto 3:00. Hablamos de La rueda celeste, de Ursula K Le Guin: minuto 20:30En Cuentos en los que quedarse a vivir hablamos de La soledad de las fronteras, de Ángeles Sánchez Portero: minuto 42:00.Oído por ahí: minuto 54:30.Despedida: al final.La sintonía del programa es de Charles Matuschewski y el logo del programa de Ana Nuria Corral. Las cortinillas animadas sonde Jara Vicente. La traducción sincronizada de Elvira BarrioCualquier sugerencia o crítica, incluso malintencionada, la podéis enviar a hola@cierraellibroalsalir.com. Búscanos en facebook (sobre todo), o en twitter o en bluesky o en instagram o en youtube, prometemos contestar lo antes posible.Esto es todo por hoy. Dentro de un mes, otro episodio.Escúchanos, compártenos, compra libros en librerías de barrio y ¡Cierra el libro al salir!#Barbie #UrsulaKLeGuin #AngelesSanchezPortero #libros #literatura #relatos

#curators #artpodcast #artbookTHE CARRIER BAG THEORY OF FICTON by Ursula K. Le Guin w/ curator Caterine Li #curators #artpodcast #artbook → ⁠SIGN UP TO THE EXHIBITIONISTAS FILES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://joanaprneves.substack.com/s/e...You'll know all about the guests, backstage information and much much more. All the references in the episode are linked there too. Plus, you get to explore all my published texts.ART BOOK CLUB is a segment where a guest brings a book which was not written with contemporary art in mind and yet is a source of inspiration, guidance and / or creativity for their work. This time, the chosen book by Catherine Li is: Ursula K. Le Guin's THE CARRIER BAG THEORY OF FICTIONIt's a very very short text that can basically change your life. With a simple shift in narrative, Le Guin demonstrates how we can totally change the narrative. But... how does this apply to curating?What you get from this episode: Curating revelations, unexpected curating methods, lessons in community, art philosophies, ethical art questions.→ Your donations support our work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://exhibitionistaspodcast.com/su...If you appreciate my work, why not buy me a coffee? It's a nice way to show your appreciation without having to commit to a membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/exhibitionis...For behind the scenes clips, links to the artists and guests we cover, and visuals of the exhibitions we discuss follow us on Instagram: @exhibitionistas_podcastBluesky: @exhibitionistas.bsky.socialexhibitionistaspod@gmail.com#contemporaryart #ursulakleguin #howtomakeart #artexhibitions #catherineli #exhibitionistas #exhibitionistaspodcast #joanaprneves #artbook #artbookclub #bookclub #painting #contemporarypainting #londonart #museum #londonmuseum #artpodcast #artconversations #arttalk #talkart #greatwomenartists #sciencefiction #drawing #museums #artisttalk #artpodcast #artgallery

For the Paris-born, New York–based artist Camille Henrot, time practically never stands still. Across her work in film, drawing, painting, sculpture, installation—and soon, live performance—Henrot has developed ways of stretching and distorting time, seamlessly shifting from moments of potent, rapid-fire intensity to quiet reflection. While her work carries a theory-driven ferocity and intelligence, it's also incredibly playful. Hers is serious art that manages—often with a knowing, subtle wink—to not take itself too seriously.On this episode of Time Sensitive, Henrot considers the subjectivity of speed and slowness; previews her upcoming first-ever performance-art piece, slated to premiere in 2026 and a collaboration with the nonprofit Performa; and reflects on why, for her, a work is technically never finished. She also shares her fraught fascination with animals, childhood, and the climate crisis—the intersection of which she examines in-depth in her soon-to-debut film “In the Veins.”Special thanks to our Season 12 presenting sponsor, Van Cleef & Arpels.Show notes:Camille Henrot[4:30] RoseLee Goldberg[4:30] Performa Biennial[6:37] Buster Keaton[6:37] Tex Avery[7:03] Estelle Hoy[7:19] Adam Charlap Hyman of Charlap Hyman & Herrero[16:10] “In the Veins” (2026)[17:45] "Grosse Fatigue"[17:45] Massimiliano Gioni[38:51] Roland Barthes[45:36] Pierre Huyghe[47:51] Ikebana Sogetsu[51:46] Okwui Enwezor[55:03] Hypernormalisation by Adam Curtis (2016)[59:51] Jacob Bromberg[59:51] Akwetey Orraca-Tetteh[1:08:50] Adrienne Rich[1:08:50] Ursula K. Le Guin[1:08:50] Annie Ernaux[1:08:50] Mother Reader by Moyra Davey (2001)[1:08:50] Jenny Schlenzka[1:10:14] Maggie Nelson[1:11:02] Mothers: An Essay on Love and Cruelty by Jacqueline Rose (2019)[1:11:02] Representation of Motherhood by Donna Bassin (1994)[1:13:00] Louise Bourgeois

Adolfo Ruiz es un diseñador, artista, investigador y educador español que vive en Canadá. Trabaja como profesor de diseño en MacEwan University in Edmonton. En esta charla nos cuenta sobre su trabajo audiovisual sobre un personaje histórico de una comunidad indígena y el proceso participativo detrás. También nos cuenta sobre metodologías de investigación indígena. Hablamos de relacionalidad, protocolos, reciprocidad y educación en diseño. Adolfo nos contó sobre un grupo que se reúne para pensar el futuro de la educación en diseño. El proyecto que mejor identifica su trabajo se trata de su colaboración con una comunidad indigena del norte de Canadá (Tlicho) y la creación de un cortometraje animado. Sobre su proceso y comunicar historia oral a partir de un cortometraje. Esta entrevista es parte de las listas: Arte y diseño social, Canadá y diseño, España y diseño, Educación en diseño, Investigación en diseño y Territorios y diseño. Adolfo nos recomienda: The Carrier Bag Theory of Friction de Ursula K. Le GuinLa teoría de la bolsa de la fricción de Ursula K. Le Guin (en Español). Meeting the Universe Halfway. Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning de Karen BaradIndigenous Research Methodology. El trabajo de Liz Sanders

He wrote the definitive history of Indian wrestling. His longform reportage has taken him into strange territories. He embedded himself with the Delhi police and has now come out with his first crime novel. Rudraneil Sengupta joins Amit Varma in episode 429 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about he throws himself into both his life and his work. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Rudraneil Sengupta on Instagram, Twitter, Mint and Amazon. 2. The Beast Within -- Rudraneil Sengupta. 3. Enter the Dangal -- Rudraneil Sengupta. 4. The Girl From Haryana -- Amit Varma's feature story on Sakshi Malik (2016). 5. Aadha Gaon — Rahi Masoom Raza. 6. Amitava Kumar Finds the Breath of Life — Episode 265 of The Seen and the Unseen. 7. From Cairo to Delhi With Max Rodenbeck — Episode 281 of The Seen and the Unseen. 8. Kind of Blue -- Miles Davis. 9. Wall-E -- Andrew Stanton. 10. The Complete Adventures of Feluda (Volume 1) (Volume 2) -- Satyajit Ray. 11. The Adventures Of Kakababu -- Sunil Gangopadhyay. 12. More Adventures Of Kakababu -- Sunil Gangopadhyay. 13. Sandesh. 14. Paar -- Goutam Ghose. 15. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? -- Philip K Dick. 16. Philip K Dick and Ursula K Le Guin on Amazon. 17. Sandman -- Neil Gaimon. 18. Persepolis -- Marjane Satrapi. 19. The Buddha -- Osamu Tezuka. 20. The Solitary Writer Meets the Impossible Man -- Episode 428 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Narayani Basu). 21. A Man For All Seasons: The Life Of KM Panikkar — Narayani Basu. 22. Understanding India Through Its Languages — Episode 232 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Peggy Mohan). 23. Wanderers, Kings, Merchants: The Story of India through Its Languages — Peggy Mohan. 24. Frank Zappa, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Muddy Waters and Django Reinhardt on Spotify. 25. Satyaki Banerjee and Paban Das Baul on Spotify. 26. The Indianness of Indian Food — Episode 95 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vikram Doctor). 27. The Refreshing Audacity of Vinay Singhal — Episode 291 of The Seen and the Unseen. 28. Stage.in. 29. Tom Waits, Mark Strand and Mary Oliver. 30. The Golden Age of Murder -- Martin Edwards. 31. Roseanna -- Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. 32. Ian Rankin (of Inspector Rebus fame) on Amazon. 33. Six Four -- Hideo Yokoyama. 34. Raag Darbari -- Shrilal Shukla (translated by Gillian Wright). 35. Saans -- Neena Gupta. 36. Anne Tyler on Amazon. 37. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas -- Hunter S Thompson. 38. The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved -- Hunter S Thompson. 39. The Life and Times of Gurcharan Das -- Episode 425 of The Seen and the Unseen. 40. Meet Suyash Dixit, the man who would be king -- Rudraneil Sengupta. 41. The Autopsy Report -- Rudraneil Sengupta. 42. Court -- Chaitanya Tamhane. 43. The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind -- Gustave Le Bon. 44. Invisible Man -- Ralph Ellison. 45. The Is-Ought Problem and the Naturalistic Fallacy. 46. V for Vendetta -- Alan Moore and David Lloyd. 47. Murder in Mahim -- Jerry Pinto. 48. The Life and Times of Jerry Pinto — Episode 314 of The Seen and the Unseen. 49. Hayao Miyazaki, Satyajit Ray and Martin Beck. 50. Disgrace -- JM Coetzee. 51. Moby Dick -- Herman Melville. 52. Julian Lage and Bill Frisell on Spotify. This episode is sponsored by CTQ Compounds. Check out The Daily Reader and FutureStack. Use the code UNSEEN for Rs 2500 off. Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new course called Life Lessons, which aims to be a launchpad towards learning essential life skills all of you need. For more details, and to sign up, click here. Amit and Ajay also bring out a weekly YouTube show, Everything is Everything. Have you watched it yet? You must! And have you read Amit's newsletter? Subscribe right away to The India Uncut Newsletter! It's free! Also check out Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing. Episode art: ‘Delhi' by Simahina.

J.G. Ballard and Angela Carter were friends and co-conspirators in their witness to the postwar world and the liberation movements of the 1960s. Both were scathing in their antipathy towards the polite novels of manners and empire that still dominated English readers' appreciation and expectations. Pioneers in the liminal spaces between literary and ‘genre' fiction, and science fiction in particular, both of them are haunted by the visions of Swift, Shelley, Kafka and Borges. Ballard's ‘The Atrocity Exhibition' and 'The Passion of New Eve‘, considered together here along with Ballard's short story 'The Drowned Giant‘, are vivid, fearless, still shocking novels of ideas – if ‘The Atrocity Exhibition' can be described as a novel at all. Marina and Chloe discuss that question as they consider Ballard's catalogue of contemporary violence and pop culture transgression. Then they turn to Carter's own gleeful transgressions, born out of the ferment of 1970s cultural theory, which she explores and interrogates with inimitable style. But do the excesses of these works still speak to the present, and does their lack of restraint risk collapsing the whole category of the fantastic? Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen to the full episode, and all our other Close Readings series, subscribe: Directly in Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lrb.me/applecrff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ In other podcast apps: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lrb.me/closereadingsff⁠⁠⁠⁠ Further reading in the LRB: Susannah Clapp on Angela Carter: ⁠https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v14/n05/susannah-clapp/diary⁠ Edmund Gordon on J.G. Ballard: ⁠https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v46/n10/edmund-gordon/his-galactic-centrifuge⁠ Watch ‘If God is a snail...', a film about Carter's food writing for the LRB: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxqr5O2JFvE⁠ Listen to Edmund Gordon discuss Ballard on the LRB Podcast: ⁠https://www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and-videos/podcasts/the-lrb-podcast/on-j.g.-ballard⁠ Next episode: Ursula K. Le Guin.

Today we are discussing Ursula K. Le Guin's Hugo and Nebula award-winning 1969 science fiction novel, The Left Hand of Darkness. Join us to hear about ambisexual beings who defy gender norms, the initially sexist man who comes to love them and a sexually charged journey across a glacier.  Check out our website, where you can find our sources, as well as everything there is to know about Queer as Fact. If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us on Patreon, checking out our merch, and following us on Instagram, Tumblr and Bluesky. [Image: A cropped cover of "The Left Hand of Darkness" featuring the author's name, Ursula K. Le Guin, as well as the tagline "A masterpiece from one of the great writers of the 20th Century".]

As an avid reader, I'm always seeking that next great book. The one that allows me to see myself and the world more clearly, comforts me when I'm lost, or inspires me to move through my day differently. This series is my opportunity to pass these remarkable books onto you, as readers of A Mind of Her Own, both for your own enjoyment and also, as a self-serving shout-out to the universe to send me more amazing, life-changing reads. I'm excited to hear what you think, and I'm so glad you're here!Life-Changing Reads: A Series1. Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation, by Parker Palmer“Vocation does not come from willfulness. It comes from listening…vocation does not mean a goal that I pursue. It means a calling that I hear.”I read this book when I was feeling lost, searching for a life that aligned with my values and desires, and doubting myself at every step. I kept hearing this call to write, to create, but I thought it was something I should do in my “non-work” time, because it wasn't a serious activity for a physician. Parker's discussion of his own struggle to find his true vocation, through an altruistic but ultimately unsustainable career path, was a fundamental guide on my journey.2. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain“So when introverts assume the observer role, as when they write novels, or contemplate unified field theory—or fall quiet at dinner parties—they're not demonstrating a failure of will or a lack of energy. They're simple doing what they're constitutionally suited for.”I listened to this book in the car, sitting in LA traffic, during my psychiatry residency. I still remember the feeling of hearing these words, suggesting my tendency to prefer listening to talking, observing to acting, thinking to doing was not because I was lazy, overly shy or antisocial. It was what I was “constitutionally suited for.” This was a revelation.Here I am now, writing books, listening as a psychiatrist and podcast host, and taking time to think about life's great mysteries. Thank you, Susan, for your beautiful writing.3. The Good Life: Lessons From the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, by Robert Waldinger, MD and Marc Schulz, PhD“Do I matter? Some of us have lived the majority of our lives and find ourselves looking back, others have most of our lives in front of us and are looking forward. For all of us, regardless of age, it helps to remember that this question of mattering, of leaving something for future generations and of being part of something bigger than ourselves, is not just about our personal achievements—it's about what we mean to other people. And it's never too late to start now and leave a mark.”This book, by the directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, is a powerful summary of the lives of two generations of individuals from the same families for over 80 years. It's remarkable to read their quotes as they navigate joy, loss, struggles and successes over the years. The reason I've found it so important to read and reread is its powerful reminder of the importance of our relationships in creating happiness. Not money. Not fame. Not a perfect body. Not prizes or rings or medals. It's all about the love and connection we have in our lives.Today, as I try to navigate the overwhelmingly stressful news and constant churn of social media, it grounds me in my day-to-day life to reflect on those in my closest orbit. How can I connect with them today? How do I show my love and interest in ways both silly and sincere? Even if I've been feeling disconnected, I trust that it is never too late to leave my own mark in their lives and remember the joy of having them in mine.4. How Do You Feel? One Doctor's Search for Humanity in Medicine, by Jessi Gold, MD, MS“Sometimes, the heaviest emotional burden is to bear witness or to hold space for someone else's story. To do my job well and be someone whom people can trust, I need to care. I need to be truly empathetic. I need to be raw and available.”This beautiful book, by Jessi Gold, describes so many aspects of my experience as a psychiatrist. She writes about the unique emotional toll of meeting with patients during some of their darkest moments, as they are working to overcome trauma, abuse, loss or grave illnesses. Reading this was incredibly validating. In the past, when I had finished my clinical week, I would look back and wonder, “Why can't I do more? Why didn't I see more patients? There is so much need.”Dr. Gold's book helped me to be self-compassionate, recognizing I could only be truly present if I also took care of myself. This is a message I now try to pass along to the psychiatry residents I teach. We are human, and we have limits. Thank you, Jessi, for generously sharing your life with us. Your work is so important.Listen to Dr. Gold on The Reflective Mind Podcast at https://amindofherown.substack.com/p/speaking-the-quiet-part-out-loud?r=1wdz1l5. Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow Up by James Hollis, Ph.D.“To engage with the summons of our souls is to step into the deepest ocean, uncertain whether we will be able to swim to some new, distant shore. And yet, until we have consented to swim beyond the familiar lights of the port left behind, we will never arrive at a newer shore.”This stunning book, by Dr. James Hollis, a Jungian scholar and prolific writer, shares his own story of midlife depression and his decision to leave the familiar to seek training in Zurich and become a Jungian analyst. He writes beautifully about his struggle to identify his own path with the guidance of Jung's theory of individuation, defined as “the lifelong project of becoming more nearly the whole person we were meant to be.” I read and re-read this book as I was struggling with my own path to meaning in midlife, and I found such comfort in his powerful belief that we all can tap into what we already know: the person we are most meant to be.You can listen to his beautiful description of his path here: https://amindofherown.substack.com/p/a-nameless-longing-when-your-soul?r=1wdz1l6. Shrill, by Lindy West (I also highly recommend the Hulu series by the same name, starring Aidy Bryant )“I am my body. When my body gets smaller, it is still me. When my body gets bigger, it is still me. There is not a thin woman inside me, awaiting excavation. I am one piece.”Thinking back on my training during medical school and beyond, I can summarize any lecture about body size with one phrase: overweight equals unhealthy. This repeated conflation means I now must consciously uncouple one from the other in my clinical work, stepping back from the broad and imprecise shorthand to consider how they are, and are not, actually related.Lindy West's book helped me significantly as I was trying to shift my thinking on this topic. Her frank depiction of life in her larger body was at times heartbreaking (especially in the doctor's office), frequently humorous (with chapter titles like “Are you there, Margaret? It's me, a person who is not a complete freak.”) and overall a powerful motivator for change. I think all health care providers should read it at least once.If this resonates, check out my interview with Dr. Mara Gordon all about the size-inclusive healthcare revolution. https://amindofherown.substack.com/p/the-size-inclusive-healthcare-revolution?utm_source=publication-search7. Words Are My Matter: Writings on Life and Books by Ursula K. Le Guin“Fiction offers the best means of understanding people different from oneself, short of experience. Actually, fiction can be lots better than experience, because it's a manageable size, it's comprehensible, while experience just steamrollers over you and you understand what happened decades later, if ever.”I grew up in a very small town in North Dakota, just a few miles from the South Dakota border. I didn't recognize the enormity of the sky above my childhood home until I returned as an adult, head tipped back, staring upward in awe. I grew up there with a loving family and a surrounding community willing to cheer me on in events from basketball games to theater performances, but I always felt a bit out of place. Reading became my reassurance that the world was as big as the sky overhead, and I would eventually find my own path. Books also helped me recognize the importance of placing myself in another's shoes, virtual empathy-building machines that taught me about those whose lives were so incredibly different from my own.This book of Ursula K. Le Guin's essays, poems and book reviews reveals a grounded, opinionated, brilliant woman who decided to create entire worlds with stunning clarity, illuminating the challenges existing in our own. Readers and writers alike will not be sorry for taking a moment to absorb her work.If this interests you, please feel free to listen to my short essay, Books are Empathy Machines.8. Intimations by Zadie Smith“Talking to yourself can be useful. And writing means being overheard.”This book by Zadie Smith, a collection of six essays, was published in 2020, and provides a glimpse into the author's life during the early months of the Covid-19 virus. I've long been an admirer of her fiction, but this series allowed a much more intimate window into her wandering mind, trying to comprehend her place in a society turned inside out with uncertainty and fear.What does it mean to be an artist when people are being categorized as “essential workers?” Is loyalty to a place something that can outlast a feeling of unique vulnerability? How can writing provide an outlet for survival when the world is so fraught? There was comfort in her struggle to understand and in her feeling of disorientation, which I certainly shared. I emerged from her writing feeling more hopeful and far less alone.If this essay resonated, please feel free to check out this podcast episode Hope is the Best Antidote for Demoralization with Dr. James L. Griffith, MD9. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi“We grow up believing that what counts most in our lives is that which will occur in the future…[however] since what we experience is reality, as far as we are concerned, we can transform reality to the extent that we influence what happens in consciousness and thus free ourselves from the threats and blandishments of the outside world.”My summary: We are always living for tomorrow, while life only happens right now, in our moment-by-moment experience, which we have the power to shape through our attention.You have likely heard of the concept of Flow, described by Dr. Csikszentmihalyi (here is a googled pronunciation: chik sent mee hai ee) as an optimal experience when a “person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.” It is often referred to as being in a “flow state,” so immersed in a particular task that you lose track of time and are able to concentrate in a prolonged and highly satisfying way. He refers to our attention our “psychic energy.” Where we give our attention is quite literally how we experience our lives. This has never been more relevant, each of us tasked with creating our own protective filters from the onslaught of demands on our limited—because we're human—attention spans.This book is a revelation, with insights about the very nature of consciousness, what it means to be happy, and how we can infuse our lives with more pleasure. Flow can emerge in a wide variety of settings, whether it's while listening to or creating music, engaging in satisfying sex or consuming delicious foods. It may also occur when we are working on a challenging problem at the office, pushing past a confusing but compelling problem in school, or out solving problems in the world beyond. I've learned so much from his writing, and have absorbed his ideas which influence many of my own.If the concept of a flow and the quest for a meaningful life is of interest, check out my interview, “What Lights You Up?' with Dr. Jordan Grumet, palliative care physician and writer.10. Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief by Pauline Boss“In the case of ambiguous loss…complicated grieving can be a normal reaction to a complicated situation—the endless searching of a battlefield by the mother of a missing soldier; a stepchild's angry outbursts when his biological parent is totally excluded; a wife's depression and withdrawal because her husband has suffered a brain injury and is no longer himself.”I've found ambiguous loss to be such a powerful and surprisingly common experience in my psychiatry practice. This idea describes the unique suffering caused by uncertainty or a lack of resolution regarding a missing loved one. This could be psychological absence of someone still in our presence, such as when our loved one is struggling with dementia or severe mental illness, or the physical absence of those we still keep very much present in our psychological lives, including missing persons with unknown whereabouts.After first reading Ambiguous Loss, I reached out to Dr. Pauline Boss, now in her 90s, to thank her for her work and speak with her about this extremely helpful framework, which had a profound effect on me. She shared the origins of the research into this topic, begun with the families of pilots declared missing in action in Vietnam and Cambodia while she was at the Center of Prisoner of War Studies in the U.S. Naval Health Research Institute in San Diego. She spoke about interviewing the wives of these missing pilots and the intense pain caused by the ambiguity surrounding their husbands' whereabouts. This ongoing, often unresolvable grief can lead to depression, isolation, and ongoing family disruption, even generations later. By giving a name to this phenomenon, however, Pauline Boss has helped countless families begin to heal from the unimaginable and move forward into a more hopeful future.11. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? A Memoir by Roz Chast“After my father died, I noticed that all the things that had driven me bats about him—his chronic worrying, his incessant chitchat, his almost suspect inability to deal with anything mechanical—now seemed trivial. The only emotion that remained was one of deep affection and gratitude that he was my dad.”This is the first graphic novel on my list, but it certainly won't be the last. I've been a fan of Roz Chast for a long time, with her quirky but poignant New Yorker cartoons. This powerful memoir highlights something I've found particularly helpful in my work and personal life: difficult truths are much more palatable if we can pair them with humor. My family has always taken this approach, particularly my father, coping with some truly heartbreaking cases in the hospital with an off-color joke about bowel movements around the family dinner table. Humor is also considered one of the most mature psychological defense mechanisms we use to cope with stress or loss in our lives, so way to go, Dad!Roz shares with us a uniquely painful time in her life, as her parents age well into their 90s, experiencing the indignities of increasingly frail bodies and waning independence. She writes with brave candor about the exhausting and expensive path an adult child must walk when her parents can no longer care for themselves, and her conflicted feelings as she watches them slowly fade. Her cartoons throughout provide much-needed moments of levity, as well as a beautiful tribute to the lives of these important people. If you or a loved one is going through this painful, but common, journey, this book could provide some true comfort, and maybe even a laugh or two.12. Congratulations, By the Way: Some Thoughts on Kindness by George Saunders“Be a good and proactive and even somewhat desperate patient on your own behalf—seek out the most efficacious, anti-selfishness medicines, energetically, for the rest of your life. Find out what makes you kinder, what opens you up and brings out the most loving, generous, and unafraid version of you—and go after those things as if nothing else matters.Because, actually, nothing else does.”These words are part of a lovely convocation address George Saunders delivered to the graduating students of Syracuse University, where he is a professor of creative writing. Understandably, it resonated far beyond the campus, and speaks a truly important message for today's world.I should admit, I have a soft spot for George Saunders. I imagine I'm not alone in this. I saw him speak at a New Yorker Festival event several years ago and he did not disappoint: sharp as a tack while also being thoughtful and extremely humble. In addition, he was super funny, which made sense because he's the author of one of the most hilarious short stories I've ever read. In “Pastoralia,” two employees are assigned to a caveman diorama in a fading fun park. One of them, who takes his role incredibly seriously, frequently pretends to scan the horizon for large game and refuses to speak to his cave mate, using only grunts and body language to communicate. The other employee, a chain-smoking, mint-eating mother of a struggling adult child seems to be trying to just get through the day, breaking every rule of proper performance, much to her cave mate's dismay. The story is simply sublime.My dear friend, John, who trained with me in psychiatry residency and became one of my dearest friends, introduced me to this story, along with other memorable cultural experiences such as the show “Broad City” and referring to the bathroom as the “wazzer.” He died in 2020 after a battle with brain cancer, but his legacy lives on, especially in my plan to someday turn “Pastoralia” into a musical (his idea). After all, what better way to honor his memory? Miss you John, but thank you for all you taught me.Thanks for reading A Mind of Her Own! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and hear about upcoming episodes & book events.Find Dr. Reid on Instagram: @jenreidmd and LinkedInYou can also preorder her upcoming book, Guilt Free!Also check out Dr. Reid's regular contributions to Psychology Today: Think Like a Shrink.Seeking a mental health provider? Try Psychology TodayNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255Dial 988 for mental health crisis supportSAMHSA's National Helpline - 1-800-662-HELP (4357)-a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.Disclaimer:The views expressed on this podcast reflect those of the host and guests, and are not associated with any organization or academic site. Also, AI may have been used to create the transcript and notes, based only on the specific discussion of the host and guest and reviewed for accuracy.The information and other content provided on this podcast or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this website is for general information purposes only.If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something that have read on this website, blog or in any linked materials. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services (911) immediately. You can also access the National Suicide Help Line at 1-800-273-8255 or call 988 for mental health emergencies. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amindofherown.substack.com

Alexis Shotwell is a professor of gender and feminist studies and philosophy at Carleton University in Ottawa. She's also an anarchist organizer particularly interested in the anarchist fantasy and science fiction author Ursula K. LeGuin. Alexis's website https://www.alexisshotwell.com/ Punch Up Collective https://www.punchupcollective.org/ Episode with Deeg on LAGAI-Queer Insurrection! https://www.patreon.com/posts/lagai-queer-w-1-104043005 October 11: Sacramento Anarchist Book Fair https://itsgoingdown.org/announcing-the-third-annual-sacramento-anarchist-bookfair/ October 18: Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair https://www.instagram.com/bayareaanarchistbookfair/ More episodes on anarchism: Edxi Betts https://www.patreon.com/posts/voting-is-scam-f-110266232 Margaret Killjoy https://www.patreon.com/posts/radical-demands-139152446

Hello Libration Nation! Our book this week is Catwings a whimsical and heartwarming tale by beloved author Ursula K. Le Guin. The story follows four ordinary kittens born with an extraordinary gift—they have wings. As they set out to find a safe place in the world, the kittens discover both the beauty and challenges of being different. With gentle language and charming illustrations, Catwings is a modern classic that captures the magic of imagination, the courage of leaving home, and the comfort of finding where you belong.My guest this week is the amazing Dr. Julia Skinner, she is a food writer whose work includes the award-winning book Our Fermented Lives. She is the founder of The Culinary Curiosity School, and also runs Root, a food-focused community and consulting organization offering classes, consulting on creative projects, a weekly newsletter, and more. She's also the founder of Roots and Branches, where she coaches other writers to help them find their voice and share their most important work with the world. She is also a nature lover, a teacher, and a traveler who firmly believes in finding, and sharing, the magic of everyday life. She has a PhD in Library & Information Science, and lives between Atlanta, GA and Cork, Ireland. As a special treat for Libration Nation: use the code DRINKSPOD to for 30% off anything at both The Culinary Curiosity School and Roots and Branches (Thank you Julia!)You can follow her work in her newsletter, or find her on social:@bookishjulia (writing)@rootkitchens (food)@yourrootsandbranches (coaching)@culinary.curiosity.school (culinary courses) For our drink we have two options: Simple Cat Lovers' Cocktail This is basically a Kentucky mule, with an added herbal garnish and/or herbal syrup (depending on your preference) in place of lime. Stir together 1 - 1 1/2 c ginger beer to 1 shot bourbonAdd herbal syrup (below) to taste (optional)Garnish with fresh lemon balm, basil, or mint: lightly crush or roll before adding to the cocktail for maximum flavor Herbal syrup (makes about 1 quart): Combine 2 c sugar to 2 c water with a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Add 1-2 c packed fresh herbs, depending how strong you'd like it (like basil, mint, lemon balm, or mountain mint). Simmer on M/L for 10-15 minutes or until aromatic and flavorful. Cool and store in the fridge in an airtight container. Catwings Cocktail (tailor made by Julia!) This cocktail has a few steps, but I promise they're worth it: And you can batch out the syrup and tea by doubling or tripling the recipe to make these for a group or to keep the ingredients on hand in the fridge (where they'll last a week). The tea can be nice on its own, and any leftover syrup is perfect for adding to coffee or other beverages or drizzling on desserts. For a non-alcoholic version, swap in your favorite NA gin, or try this sea buckthorn-based NA spirit. Makes 4 cocktails For the herbal tea:(Note: you may not have all these dried herbs available. If not, just use 1/4-1/2 tsp catnip and 1 tsp chamomile. Or, just a chamomile tea bag). · 1/4 tsp dried catnip· 1/4 tsp dried chamomile flower· 1/4 tsp Angelica root· 1/4 tsp elecampene Steep the herbs in 3/4 c hot water for 10-12 minutes. Strain and cool completely. For the lemon balm syrup: (Note: You can play with other herbs you like here too, catnip, mountain mint, and/or basil might be fun choices depending on your tastes and what's available). · 1 packed cup fresh lemon balm leaves· 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar· 2/3 c water· pinch salt· 1 c sugar Heat all ingredients together over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until fragrant and flavorful. Remove from heat, then cool completely and strain. For the cocktail · Divide the herbal tea across 4 rocks glasses (add ice, if desired)· Add 1 shot gin to each glass· Add 1 shot of syrup to each glass and stir· Top with sparkling wine or soda water to taste.· Garnish with fresh lemon balm, if desired.In this EpisodeSteering the Craft by Ursula Le Guin

In this episode, Masie and Stuart take a boat to the fantasy lands of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea book series for Studio Ghibli's 2006 adaptation titled Tales from Earthsea. Along with the director Goro Miyazaki, this film has quite a negative reputation among Ghibli's otherwise illustrious catalogue of animated productions. But does it deserve said reputation? Well, our hosts on their travels unfortunately find a film with a strong lack of visual identity and craft with a script that is... confusing to say the least. Tune into our hosts journey through turbulent waters as they discuss its strange adaptation decisions as well as how the film points to Ghibli's weaknesses as a studio.   Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cinema_bones Follow Us on Social Media @ Cinema_Bones on Instagram and Letterboxd for podcast updates.   Additional Reading/Sources: Interview with Toshio Suzuki about the Production of Tales from Earthsea Archive of Ursula K. Le Guin's Response to the Tales from Earthsea  

Join us for a special lecture exploring the work and legacy of Ursula K. Le Guin, one of the most influential voices in science fiction and fantasy. Dr. Rebecca Johns-Trissler of DePaul University will examine Le Guin's themes of anarchism, gender, and imagination in works such as our One Book Text, The Dispossessed. This lecture invites students, faculty, and the community to reflect on how Le Guin's writing continues to shape conversations about society and storytelling.

Check out the essay here: https://shsdavisapes.pbworks.com/f/Omelas.pdf⭐️ Exclusive Book Club! Join/Support on Patreon

Programa 53: La hora del lobo. Grabado el día 4 de septiembre de 2025. 05:09 "El libro de los hombres lobo. Información sobre una superstición terrible", de Sabine Baring-Gould 58:36 "Hijos de lobos", de Tanith Lee 01:37:52 "Lokis / El manuscrito del profesor Wittembach", de Prosper Mérimée 02:15:37 "Tetas", de Suzy McKee Charnas 02:40:49 "El cuento de la esposa / La versión de la esposa", de Ursula K. Le Guin

Join host Catherine and her guest Molly as they examine the Dispossessed by Ursula K. Leguin, her second Hugo winning novel. They talk about what an anarchical society looks like in this book, and how that might relate to our current world.

Mini Ráfaga sobre la necesidad de tener muchas formas de hablar del mundo, a partir de una cita de Ursula K. Le Guin de su conferencia "Deep in admiration", recopilada en el libro Late in the day. De la segunda época de Ráfagas de Pensamiento en Radio UNAM, pero nunca salió al aire.  Comentarios: Ernesto Priani Saisó. Producción: Ignacio Bazán Estrada. Voces: Tessa Uribe. Controles técnicos: Miguel Ángel Ferrini. Pronto dejaremos Podbean, pero nos podrán encontrar en Spotify.

We're back in Earthsea and we're BEGGING to unleash our draconic rage. Following Ursula's instructions, we're covering her short story collection before wrapping up the Earthsea Cycle with The Other Wind. Stories include The Finder, Darkrose and Diamond, The Bones of the Earth, On the High Marsh, and Dragonfly. This is a particularly hefty episode so dig on in!MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on empathy games, returning to discuss a little more about Papers, Please before digging into Cart Life a bit. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: A bit more of Papers, Please and a little bit of Cart Life Issues covered: thanks for the interview, a bit about Twin Suns Corp, showing earlier versions of the game, a vertical slice with all the game play, getting fired, building up through the systems, was this my run, tactility in games, citations and the space they take, space economy, inventory management by comparison, encumbrance, restriction on space, card games and space, making citations bigger, where's the money coming from, thinking about decisions, the save system, leveraging the save system to have space for warnings, a generous save system, you have to make the whole game, the spread of subversion, not playing through multiple times, an unfortunate bug, GDC and the IGF, festival games on the show floor, a history of game issues, the two storylines we're playing, a dark story of divorce, differences between the cart stories, more adventure game than expected, having a hard time getting a cart and also being too late to pick up your daughter, difficulty and opacity, a film equivalent, Brett's fantasy recs, Papers Please and authenticity, controlling your population in authoritarian regimes, stereotypes in games. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: CalamityNolan, BioStats, Kaeon, KyleAndError, Project Octavia, Harley Baldwin, Republic Commando, Choose Your Own Adventure, Mark Garcia, The Room, SpaceTeam, Gorogoa, The Elder Scrolls, Marvel: Snap, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, Netrunner, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, The Last Express, Nier: Automata, Spelunky, The Walking Dead, Richard Hofmeier, howling dogs, Porpentine, itch.io, Ad Hoc, Telltale, The Wolf Among Us, Adventure Game Studio, The Sims, Tow, Rose Byrne, Max, Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Raymond Feist, Riftwar saga, Piers Anthony, The Belgariad, David Eddings, Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan, Song of Ice and Fire, George R.R. Martin, Dave Duncan, Ursula K. LeGuin, Tales of Earthsea, Robert Jackson Bennett, Divine Cities trilogy, Founders trilogy, Terry Pratchett, Discworld, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Shadows of the Apt, Robin Hobb, Farseer trilogy, Martha Wells, Murderbot Diaries, Books of the Raksura, Lois McMaster Bujold, Vorkosigan saga, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, John LeCarré, Lee Child, Jack Reacher, Claudiu, Chernobyl, Outer Wilds, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers. Next time: More Cart Life Oops: What I was going to say at the end there is that This War of Mine caught some flak for not accurately representing how people would come together in times of strife (though generally the critical reception was very positive) Links: First look stream of Project Octavia  Twitch: timlongojr and Twin Suns Corp  Discord  DevGameClub@gmail.com 

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by Dan, a.k.a. “D.S.B” to talk about one of his favorite cube adjacent formats — Stone Soup. 8 players (or as many as you've got!) each bring their own selection of 45 sleeved cards to the draft. All the contributions are shuffled up and drafted as you would any other Cube. They talk about their experience drafting a Stone Soup and how the format plays. Choosing what cards to bring, especially if players don't discuss their choices in advance, is an interesting question, and our hosts go deep into the nuance of it.Inevitably they also meander off the path and talk a little bit about a lot of topics, and a lot about The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin.Huge thanks to Rush Coil for granting us permission to use his great chiptune version of “Too Many Cooks” as the backing track for our intro week.Tune in to our Twitch channel this weekend, August 23-24, for some live paper Cube coverage from Cube for a Cause in New York!Discussed in this episode:Stone Soup MTG Draft on YouTubeStone Soup Folk Tale100 Monkeys EffectRupert Sheldrake - Morphic FieldsE. coli Long-Term Evolution ExperimentMultiple DiscoveryConvergent EvolutionNarrative IdentityBroadcast ShuffleCube Draft FormatsMilkshake DuckTo make a thief, make an owner; to create crime, create laws.Nothing is yours. It is to use. It is to share. If you will not share it, you cannot use it.― Ursula K. Le Guin, The DispossessedIf you'd like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro5:42 - Main Topic: Stone Soup21:20 - Andy's Stone Soup Pool26:22 - Stone Soup Etiquette31:56 - Competitive Stone Soup?35:35 - Anthony's Pool, Balancing Favorites With Power53:35 - Favorite Aspects of Stone Soup1:03:30 - The Dispossessed

This time around, Langdon and Eden peer into the world, which is actually many things and not just one (and that's good!) Then, they take a look at Ursula K. Le Guin award nominee, Ursula Whitcher's North Continent Ribbon! Weird spaceships, radical politics, interesting AI, and a lot of emotions mix in this short story suite! Music played: Hypomanic Daydream - Dissociative https://hypomanicdaydream.bandcamp.com/track/dissociative Editrix - The Big E https://editrix.bandcamp.com/track/the-big-e

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon In this episode, we're finally breaking out the summer dungeon synth. But first we ask: what even is summer in music when freed from the burden of marketing and publicity? After that mild diversion, we chat about five dungeon synth albums that could, by some definition, evoke feelings appropriate for summer times. Whatever summer is to you we hope you join us and check out this great set of albums.Outro SampleThe Awakening from The Sleeping Green by Lunar WombAlbums DiscussedUpon The Dawn of the Vermilion Glaive by Hermit KnightThe Belfry at World's Edge by Lonely PilgrimVedurnan by FogweaverThe Sleeping Green by Lunar WombII by FiefAdditional LinksGoat Meadow by MEADOWGOATLunar Womb - Eben Ocean CreditsMusic by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Pig out on pork belly with Curtis C. Chen as we discuss how he discovered Star Trek through the bars of his crib, how the superspy star of his Kangaroo trilogy was born, what it was like being critiqued by Pat Murphy and Ursula K. Le Guin when he was starting out, how taking voice acting lessons kickstarted his desire to write, the way to tell when it's time to quit your day job (or not), how his nearly five-years-long flash fiction story-a-week project began, his creative solution for referencing the 20th century in his future series, an intriguing exercise for writers when watching TV shows based on the written word, why he went indie for the third book in his series, and much more.

Your hosts don't do justice to The Tombs of Atuan, the second of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea novels, but they DO discuss standalone sequels, the differences in coming of age stories between genders, claustrophobic settings, and classic fantasy.Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button.   You can find Suzy Krause at her website suzykrause.com/ and on IG at @suzykrause   Usually, Christmas in July sales feature new cars or mattresses, but we are giving you a Christmas in July book episode. Our guest this week is Suzy Krause, a Canadian novelist whose book I Think We've Been Here Before is set in the few weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday in a small town in Saskatchewan.  This book is cozy but not in a way you would expect because something terrible is about to happen.  A cosmic event is going to end the world, and residents have several weeks to prepare.  But this apocalyptic story is hopeful and uplifting and makes you feel good.  How can you combine the end of the world with Christmas and make it comforting?  That's what we asked Suzy because she has written a book that is nothing like I've ever read.  It's like a little unexpected gift under the tree.    For our book rec section of this episode, we are talking about diaries. And no, we're not going to be reading from our diaries because that would be a snoozefest. We've selected both nonfiction and fictional diaries that allow us to get a sneak peek into a historic event or a situation that we don't know much about.    Books Mentioned In this Episode:   1- I Think We've Been Here Before by Suzy Krause 2- We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver  3- A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold  4- The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin 5- Space Crone by Ursula K. Le Guin  6- The Millicent Quibb Schook of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon 7- The Cicada Tree by Robert Gwaltney 8- A Five Star Read Recommended by Fellow Book Lover Lizzy Roth - Dead Water by C.A. Fletcher 9- The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani 10- These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 by Nancy Turner  11- This is Going To Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay  12- The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal by Lilly Koppel  13- Here Comes the Fun: A Year of Making Merry by Ben Aitken  14- The Lost Diaries of Édouard Manet by Maureen Gibbon    Media Mentioned: 1- Adolescence (Netflix 2025) 2- We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011) 3- Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (Prime, 2012) 4- Ben Aitken Podcast episode - https://ThePerksofBeingaBookLover.podbean.com/e/s-7-ep-146-a-may-december-friendship-with-guest-ben-aitken-9722/

Binge on burnt ends with Aimee Ogden as we discuss the YA novel origins of her new novella and the way a watermelon radish gave birth to them both, whether we agree which of her characters therein will captivate readers the most, why she believes in "productive procrastination," how having twins counterintuitively helped rather than hindered her writing output, our opposing views on plotting vs. pantsing, the Bible story she can't stop thinking about, how she chooses the next best thing to write, her secret to writing successful flash fiction, how she was able to carry on in the face of rejection, why being an editor helped her become a better writer, which Ursula K. Le Guin quote she chose as a tattoo, and much more.

Marcando a metade do Clube de Leitura 30:MIN 2025, Arthur Marchetto, Cecilia Garcia Marcon e Anna Raissa (a nova trintaminuter que chegou como reforço) discutem "Floresta é o Nome do Mundo", de Ursula K. Le Guin.A conversa examina como a autora aborda temas como colonialismo, gênero e a relação entre humanos e natureza através de sua narrativa. Os participantes também analisam a estrutura do livro e a proposta narrativa de Le Guin conhecida como "teoria da cesta".Além disso, começamos a próxima leitura do clube: "Circe", de Madeline Miller. Então, bora! Aperta o play e conta pra gente o que você achou do livro.---Links⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apoie o 30:MIN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Siga a gente nas redes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Já apoia? Acesse suas recompensas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Confira todos os títulos do clube!

The local library has fantasy books and air conditioning, what else do you need for a great summer? This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, Hambone's cracked into Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea novels and asked for more fantasy fiction recommendations. On tap: Fritz Leiber, Lloyd Alexander, Margaret St. Claire, Roger Zelazny and Manly Wade Wellman. Tolkien who? * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter! That's where all the cool kids are now! Stu's book, Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground is for sale now! Buy it! Patreon? Discord? Cool RPG things to buy? All the Vintage RPG links you need are right here in one place! Like, Rate, Subscribe and Review the Vintage RPG Podcast! Edited by the one and only R. Alex Murray. Send questions, comments or corrections to info@vintagerpg.com. Available on iTunes, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, YouTube and your favorite podcast clients. The Vintage RPG illustration is by Shafer Brown. Follow him on Twitter. Tune in next week for the next episode. Until then, may the dice always roll in your favor!

Check out the amazing essay here: https://worlding808.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/leguin-1974-why-are-americans-afraid-of-dragons.pdf⭐️ Exclusive Book Club! Join/Support on Patreon

I've been revisiting Ursula K. Le Guin's brilliant essay "The Child and the Shadow". Le Guin was defending fantasy against the sterile modernism of her era—but what happens when that defence needs to evolve? We're no longer fighting a battle between "good" and "bad" fantasy. Instead, we're caught in something potentially more insidious: the tension between authentic imagination and the ersatz. From the disaster of Rings of Power to the destruction of Star Wars, from AI-generated Jung content flooding YouTube to the Soviet-style creative orthodoxy dominating our cultural institutions—we're witnessing the systematic neutering of the imaginal. But here's the thing: they can't actually touch the real. They break upon authentic creativity like waves upon rock. Through Le Guin's profound analysis of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Shadow" and Jung's psychology, I explore why confronting our shadow isn't just personal development—it's the key to understanding why authentic fantasy endures while corporate imitations crumble. Plus, I reveal how Bulgakov got there first in The Master and Margarita, showing us exactly what happens when the vital imaginal meets bureaucratic control. This isn't just about books or movies. It's about the difference between surface-level engagement and the depths where real creativity lives. Chapter Timestamps: 0:00 - Opening: The Shift from Good vs. Bad to Ersatz vs. Genuine 3:45 - Le Guin's Defence of Fantasy in the Modern Era 8:20 - The Rings of Power Problem: When Creators Think They're Fans 12:15 - AI Jung Slop and the Corruption of the Imaginal 16:30 - Bulgakov's Prophecy: The Master and Margarita's Cultural Critique 22:10 - Reading "The Child and the Shadow": Andersen's Dark Fairy Tale 28:45 - Jung's Psychology: Ego, Shadow, and the Collective Unconscious 35:20 - The Ethics of Fairy Tales: Why Gretel Can Push the Witch 42:15 - Tolkien's True Complexity: Frodo, Sam, and Gollum as Psychic Journey 48:30 - Why Fantasy is the Language of Moral Truth 52:40 - The Problem with "Realistic" Children's Literature 57:25 - Luke in the Cave: Star Wars as Genuine Imaginal Work 60:10 - Closing Thoughts and Shadow Project Tease

In this rich and thoughtful conversation, Tim and Tuesday delve into the themes of integration, imagination, and the courage it takes to face darkness—both personal and collective—in times of societal upheaval. Drawing inspiration from Ursula K. Le Guin's radical storytelling to the recent SSIR article on systems collapse, they explore alternatives to traditional heroic narratives and consider other ways to creatively navigate the current polycrisis. The discussion weaves together reflections on war, relationships, and the pursuit of peace, highlighting how deep bonds often form in extreme circumstances. Tim and Tuesday talk about the concept of "islands of sanity"—spaces of refuge and clarity amidst chaos—and the vital role of community in fostering resilience. They also explore the practical side of peace: how daily practices, honest self-reflection, and intentional connection can help build a more compassionate world, even in the face of difficulty. Ultimately, this episode invites listeners to imagine new models of creation, grounded in both hope and reality.For links and resources, please visit: https://www.findtheoutside.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.