Censored articles from around the world find refuge in this massive Minecraft map — Reporters Without Borders is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. In order to expand upon this goal, the organization has turned to an unlikely source: the video game Minecraft, and a 12.5 million-block neoclassical library containing banned journalism…

On the nature of centralized power’s inevitable corruption. — There is a fundamental disconnect between the American ruling class and the rest of us who actually live in the country. This is partly due to the mechanics of generational wealth, but the true difference lies in the pursuit of power. …

Childhood traumas, reflections, and poetry for a brighter world. — Poetry bridges places where reality and the mind refuse to meet. There is so much power in the space between the words, so much potential in a line left hanging, or a word chosen for the way it implies without meaning what it says. When I read poetry, I like…

Critiques, genius, and how art can change the world. — When I was nine years old, my parents gave me a couple of books to read: Dee Brown’s Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn. …

What really robbed us wasn’t the pandemic. — I just finished reading a poignant article by Rachel Hislop entitled “Testing My Fertility at the End of My World”. It’s a personal essay with some melancholic teeth, and is the first in a series I’m certain to continue reading. Hislop explores how women have lost so much over the…

How the big five paved the way for Amazon’s predation and the enshittification of publishing. — There can be no question on this issue: electronic books provide easier access to knowledge and entertainment for people than has ever before been possible. Hundreds, even thousands of books can be carried around on even the most basic e-readers or modern electronic devices, and the ability to borrow these…

Our shared humanity is visible in the light of the stars. — Today is Carl Sagan day, and I am stirred, as always, to take a moment to pause, look toward the heavens, and see in that awe-inspiring firmament all the hopes, fears, sorrows, and joys of our strange and beautiful lives. As a child, I looked to the stars in wonder…

How can your creative muse be given room to breathe? — The latest episode of Vickie Lan’s superlative Speculative Sandbox podcast has dropped with me as the guest-star! It’s a brisk 15-minute episode that you can slot into your day, and I hope you’ll consider giving it a listen. Have you ever had a dream that slips away the moment you…

A heads-up and test of the interoperable system — New on Micro.Blog, this is my first cross-post! The Verge had a great article with Cory Doctorow about this platform, and I love the idea behind it. I’ll be testing it out as a potential hub for my thicker content (depending on how “micro” I really have to be with these posts, lol).