Digest 08.18.23 - Stone Soup

Sarah Gailey -

Welcome to the Stone Soup Weekly Digest! This is where I share what I'm up to and some of my favorite things from around the internet. Subscribe to Stone Soup to get this in your inbox every week.

Hello my friends! I am writing to you from the bottom of a deep well. I’ve been in a truly foul pain flare for the past week and a half, and I’m also hauling myself toward the finish line of a novel draft with all the determination of a Winnebago trying to prove that you don’t need to be a Formula 1 racer to whip your way around those tight turns. No link round-up this week, as a result. But fear not: there are some excellent reads ahead of you in the digest. Check out the featured new release I’ve been most excited about this year, plus strike updates and a spectacular Personal Canons Cookbook essay.

Oh, Also, There’s a Fucking Hurricane on the West Coast

Haha, what the fuck?? There’s a hurricane headed toward California. We don’t get those here, on account of it being California. So check Eye of the Storm, which has good coverage of the path of the storm and will keep you up-to-date to see if you’re in a risk area. Prepare yourself, your home, and your loved ones accordingly. More below:

For folks who don’t have access to or have sworn off using the platform formerly known as Twitter, here's the TLDR:

  • OBEY LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADVISORIES
  • ESPECIALLY EVACUATIONS
  • SERIOUSLY
  • IF THEY TELL YOU TO EVACUATE, DO IT
  • Find a battery-powered radio
  • If you have pets, get their food, medication, and carriers ready to go.
  • If you have a dog, it’s a good idea to have an appropriately-sized muzzle handy in case you wind up needing to shelter in a place with people who are afraid of dogs, or in case your dog is more anxious in scary weather than you currently realize. I know, muzzling your dog doesn’t feel great! But it feels better than some possible alternatives.

Have the following supplies on hand:

  • Batteries
  • 2-3 days of bottled water
  • Fill up your bathtub with water, too! This is especially handy for doing dishes and flushing the toilet without wasting your bottled water, and it can be essential if a storm surge or flooding contaminates your local water supply.
  • Non-perishable foods and a hand-crank can opener
  • Important papers (birth certificate, etc)
  • Prescriptions (for you and your pets)
  • Glasses, if you wear corrective lenses (yes, even if you normally wear contacts - locate your backup glasses and keep them handy)
  • Sensory overload management tools, like noise-canceling headphones, gravity blankets, and stimming tools for whoever needs them.

There’s also the National Hurricane Center and Tropical Tidbits for information, analysis, and forecasts. Special thanks to Mari Ness for pointing us in their direction!

WGA Strike Updates

Striking writers and screen actors are going without income in order to secure rights for creatives in the future. Support their efforts by donating to the support fund here.

Jeopardy is going to recycle old questions

In order to continue airing without breaking the strike, Jeopardy will be reusing their old questions. If you’re looking to hit a winning streak, now’s your chance:

Personal Canons Cookbook Highlight: Nuha Fariha

This week’s Personal Canons Cookbook author is Nuha Fariha. Nuha is a Bangladeshi-American writer. Her work has appeared in Nat Brut, Thin Air, and Oyster River Pages among others. Her first book, God Mornings, Tiger Nights, will be published in 2023 (GameOver Books). She is currently obtaining her MFA in Creative Writing at Louisiana State University.

Go read Nuha’s reflections on the origins of the curry house, culture, and assimilation in her essay, The Curry Goat.

I’m Reading: Strange Adventures by Tom King

Born on Earth and hero of the distant planet Rann, Adam Strange is famous throughout the galaxy for his bravery and honor. After leading his adopted home to victory in a great planetary war, Adam and his wife, Alanna, retire to Earth, where they are greeted with cheers, awards, and parades. But not all is as it seems, as the decisions Adam made during battles on Rann come back to haunt his family. It will take an investigation by one of the most brilliant heroes in the DC Universe, Mr. Terrific, to uncover the truth and reveal whether Adam Strange is a hero or a disgrace.

Buy Now

Barnes & Noble | Bad River Website | Local Library | Find an Indie Bookstore

All aboard The Hollywood Special, the 1942 luxury train touring the United States to support the war effort. On board is fading star Vivian Drake, doing her part to boost morale and finally give the tabloids something other than her nose-diving career and shambles of a family life to write about. But when the Special pulls into the coal-mining town of Minersville, PA, amid the collapse of a mine, Vivian finds herself facing every failure and bad memory she’s bottled up in the form of what the miners found in the dark—the thing they call the Mismatch Man, who feeds on pain and regret. And Vivian’s got both in spades.

Buy Now

Google Play | Comixology | Friendly Local Comic Shop

If you’re a paying subscriber, come by the Stone Soup Supper Club for our chat! I can’t wait to find out how you’re doing.

—Gailey