Finds for Writers

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Most Fridays the Practicing Writing blog shares writing and publishing resources, news, and reflections to peruse over the weekend. But it’s been an excruciating week for so many of us. And frankly, I’ve paid next-to-no attention to garden-variety news from the writing and publishing spheres.

On Wednesday, however, I received an email from Facing History and Ourselves, a Boston-based global nonprofit organization that I’ve admired for many years. The email introduced a “mini-lesson” titled “Processing Attacks in Israel and the Outbreak of War in the Region.”

The resource isn’t perfect. (What resource is?) But one of its segments impressed me as something that, though intended for educators and students, could be clarifying for writers as well, in our work and in the rest of our lives. It’s a section titled “Avoiding Antisemitic and Islamophobic Tropes in Discussing Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”

Screenshot of text published beneath "Avoiding Antisemitic and Islamophobic Tropes in Discussing Israeli-Palestinian Conflict." Text taken from the website linked within the post.
  • Michelle Garrett’s latest newsletter offers tips on making the most of earned media coverage. (The advice isn’t aimed toward authors, but it’s relevant for us, too.)
  • In The New York Times, Jennifer Scheussler covers “a complicated centennial for free speech” at PEN America so well that I am gifting the article to all of you.
  • The New York Society Library has assembled quite a lineup for its September 28 event “Why Short Fiction? Writing and Publishing Short Stories and Flash Fiction.” And if you can’t make the (free) in-person event, there will be a livestream! (But you must still register.)
  • Remember to check out this week’s Jewish lit links, encompassing #WorldKidLitMonth, the National Book Awards, and much more.
  • And one last thing. Do you play the NYT‘s Wordle (SPELLING BEE! Apologies for my mistake here!)? Are you on Twitter? Between now and September 30, every time you share your “Genius” or “Queen Bee” status you can help raise money for First Book, which describes itself as “a nonprofit supporting teachers and students in the USA’s highest-need communities with books and educational resources.” As First Book has explained, the Times will contribute $1 to First Book for every share (up to $50,000.) Be sure to remember the tags: #BeeTime and @NYTgames. (As I’ve noted, I’m really not a fan of routine score-shares—but I’m making an exception for this effort.)
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