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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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Another home run from Solnit. These essays show their age in ways, being written during the Trump presidency, but the messages are still valid. Who controls the narrative, what stories we hear, how we interpret them - it‘s all here. Ideas about place names (how frequently do we see cities/streets/statues named for women?) and the hero mentality vs community action…there‘s a lot to unpack in this slim volume. Just read it, ok?

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

“…electability apparently tied to the gender-specific sparking of joy in the scrotum.”

Makes me laugh and cry all at the same time.

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

I started this book a couple of weeks ago, but I‘m actually getting into it just now. So often, Solnit just hits the nail right on the head.

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AllDebooks

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

#Backlistreadathon #NaturaLitsy

I devoured Orwell's Roses, it was such beautiful writing.
Next up is the tagged and A field guide to getting lost to complete my week of #backlist Rebecca Solnit's books.

@Clwojick @TheAromaofBooks

TheBookHippie I love her writing . 2y

AllDebooks @TheBookHippie me too, one of the best contemporary essayists, imho x 2y

TheBookHippie @AllDebooks Agree!! 2y

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2y

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

Today‘s #BookHaul - I read the Snyder but it was a library book so I wanted my own copy; the tagged is one of the few Solnit books I don‘t have already on my TBR shelf; and I really enjoyed Gill‘s Great Goddesses so I thought I‘d try this. I was supposed to get a haircut today but it fell through and trying to reschedule was stressing me out (after a lovely lunch at my favorite restaurant) so I took myself to BN to finish me time instead.

Hooked_on_books Books heal all ills! 2y

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emtobiasz

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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Liked but didn‘t love listening to this #audiobook collection of essays from Rebecca Solnit. I think part of the problem is that 2020 has been such a year, that even though these aren‘t that old, they already feel a bit dated. She‘s still a wonderful writer, though, and the reader did a good job of balancing the emotion of her words without coming off as too performative.

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Linsy

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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Oh my gosh, I love Rebecca Solnit!!! Everything in this book is on point. I blasted through listening to this in a day. Definitely need to devour her backlist now!

💜💜💜

Hooked_on_books She‘s so great 5y

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mo-rain

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

Morning tea and walk with a new audio book! #DogsOfListy #feminism #lgbtq

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Hooked_on_books

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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Rebecca Solnit is a treasure. She examines our current cultural moment with insight and nuance and hits the nail right on the head. And I like how this one ends on a note of hope. I really need to read her entire catalogue.

Emilymdxn I adore this book so much!!! It‘s from 2007 so a little out of date but this one of hers is so great for cultivating hope in difficult political times

Hope In The Dark

Hooked_on_books @Emilymdxn I just checked and I have the ebook! 🥳 Seriously, she could write the phone book and I‘d want to read it. 5y

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Jen2

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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She is always amazing!!

Megabooks Yes!! 5y

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Megabooks

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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In answer to the title question, less frequently white, Protestant men & some of them aren‘t happy about it! Rebecca talks about the way the story is being framed as the “fall of men” rather than a movement of women.

She discusses the importance of representation in, surprisingly, city streets and statues. I hadn‘t given much though to that.

She also includes the diversification of America and climate change in her topics. Solid feminist essays!

Emilymdxn So glad you liked it I love this book! 5y

Megabooks @Emilymdxn thanks for getting it on my radar!! 🤗🤗 5y

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kspenmoll

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

#NewYearNewYou #SpinePoetry

Whose Story is This?
An Odyssey
Lights on the Sea
Fates and Furies
Songs from the Deep
The Last True Poets
Of the Sea

Eggs

Eggs Oh this is awesomeness👏🏻💕 5y

readordierachel Well done! Love this! 5y

Tanisha_A Love it! 5y

maich Perfect👏 5y

kspenmoll @Eggs @readordierachel @Tanisha_A @maich Thank you all for your kind words!!!! 5y

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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I love Rebecca Solnit's writing. In this volume of essays, she tackles hard subjects and questions - Who is the story about? Who matters? Who decides? - and so many issues we face in today's world. (Couple of my favorite quotes pictured)

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

Yup. Looks like good reading weather to me!

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WellReadCatLady

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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Love Rebecca Solnit!

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

Ticked off my first square for #jennyis30 with my second book of the year for the politics prompt! Some of these will be very easy for me tick off and some I know will be a struggle that I‘ll be doing this December lol. Doing my best to get ahead now! @jenniferw88

Cinfhen Agreed!!!! (edited) 5y

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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#newyearwhodis @Caterina @monalyisha

My new favourite Solnit ❤️ the final piece, her open letter to young climate protesters, literally made me cry and I had to make my bf hold me til I felt better and could review this. So powerful, in difficult political times writers like this who make you feel proud of what you do with your life are so so important.

Also my #booked2020 book I finished in a day, I just couldn‘t put it down for a minute

Megabooks I have this downloaded from hoopla and need to read it. Thank you for the push! 5y

Emilymdxn @Megabooks yes yes yes yes yes it‘s so worth it but be ready to Feel Things 5y

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

From her open letter to youth climate protesters:

“You are standing up for people not yet born, and those ghostly billions are with you too. Today, you are the force of possibility that runs through the present like a river through the desert.”

First time in a while that a book has made me literally sob with emotion

Megabooks I was reading The Witches Are Coming and was crying about the next generation and climate change too this afternoon. 💞💞 5y

Emilymdxn @Megabooks I haven‘t heard of that one I‘ll put it on my list! 5y

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

Back at work today, reading Rebecca Solnit and eating my desk pasta 😊 I‘m so broke at the moment I neeeeeed to be better with money this month, this year and this decade tho I keep saying that with limited success! Being an adult is so expensive. I‘m trying to resist the urge to judge myself too hard every time I spend money, but I‘m also trying to resist spending any money, which is a hard tightrope to walk!

ljuliel I think I read once that money problems are common for most people at times. I try to be thrifty with common sense things , like keeping lights off when not being used , keeping the furnace down at night, etc. I also try grocery shopping for sales or at lower priced stores. We‘re not big spenders on other items . We only buy new clothes when absolutely necessary. Luckily, neither of us care much about clothes anyhow. My problem is Amazon & Audible 5y

ljuliel ☝🏼. Thus, I‘m trying my hardest to use only library this year. 5y

Emilymdxn @ljuliel I like to think I‘m quite sensible with money overall, but I don‘t have a lot of money to start with which means I‘m kinda at the limit of how much I can control by budgeting well :( I have a strict daily budget that I do my best to keep to, pack my lunch for work every day, minimise my bills as much as I can but then I still look at my bank account and make this face 😱😱😱 5y

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TheAromaofBooks I know for us writing a budget and sticking with it has really helped - planning ahead how we are GOING to spend money rather than looking back at how we already spent it!! It can also help to do more of your spending with cash rather than card - it's easier to physically see where the money is going/how much is left! Anyway, good luck with thriftiness - it's a skill that has to be practiced just like any other, but can be learned!! 5y

ljuliel I know it‘s really hard when money is tight. My husband worked for the same company for 38 years , then they decided to unload “ the old guys” , who had lots of vacation and benefits, etc. He finally got hired , but it‘s difficult when you‘re in your late 50s. He now makes half what he used to. I‘ve tried budgeting by putting only a certain amount in an envelope for each day . If I spend it, then I can‘t spend anymore. Wish I had more advice. 5y

ljuliel I make the same face. 😱. I know it‘s a worry. 5y

Itchyfeetreader @ljuliel this is exactly how my mum ran the household budgets when I was a kid. I do it more virtually now but it‘s a way of thinking about money that has stuck with me 5y

Mrs_B Thank you for your honesty about money worries - it‘s so important to talk about it. I believe whatever goals you set yourself you can do it! 5y

ljuliel @Itchyfeetreader I got the idea about 30 years ago. A family member went to a budget counselor and that‘s the advice he gave them, so I tried it and have been doing it for years. When I leave the house, I only take that envelope ,then I can‘t spend anymore. I‘ve also learned to leave the checkbook at home. It‘s just another temptation. Credit cards are awful challenges, thus , the Amazon and Audible problem. That‘s the biggest problem for me. 5y

AmyK1 We do the same as #TheAromaofBooks. It works well for us. 5y

janeycanuck Check out youneedabudget.com. Even if the software isn‘t for you, they have lots of great videos to help you on your money journey. 5y

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Eyelit

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

These were my five star (with a few high 4s thrown in cause I didn‘t have enough 5 star reads) for the year. It looks to me like I need to read more nonfiction. 😄

I look forward to more great reads in the new year!

#19in2019

Johanna414 Check Please was such a fun book! 5y

Eyelit @Johanna414 it really was! I can‘t wait for the next book (tho I admit I found my way to the webcomic) 😃 5y

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KathyWheeler

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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This collection covers much of the same ground as the Lindy West book I just read, including the #metoo movement. I liked Solnit‘s book a little bit better because I like her writing style more. Immigration issues, sexism, and racism are all addressed in this collection whose overarching theme is simply who gets to tell America‘s story, especially given the changing demographics of the US.

TiredLibrarian This reminds me of Hamilton the musical: Who tells your story? 6y

KathyWheeler @TiredLibrarian I would love to see Hamilton. 6y

TiredLibrarian @KathyWheeler Definitely go if you get a chance. I loved it! 6y

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ManyWordsLater

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

Is this awesome or ironic?
#feminism #womanwriter #relax

KathyWheeler I always try to keep up with Rebecca Solnit, but I didn‘t know about this one. Thanks! 6y

Megabooks Stacking it as well! 6y

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

Yes! Both of Our Shared Shelf's next selections are on my TBR, and I even picked up a copy of the tagged book in September but haven't gotten to it yet. I guess now would be a good time. 😉

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Eyelit

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

Making some progress on my #nonfictionnovember stack this chilly Friday evening. The kittehs are ensuring I both stay warm and don‘t move for a while 😹 #catsoflitsy #fridaynightdoneright 😄

LauraJ Good tabbies! 6y

Aimeesue Solnit! ❤️❤️❤️ 6y

ChasingOm Good cats! 6y

Soubhiville They look really cozy. One good thing about chilly weather is extra snuggles! 6y

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

I don't have photographic proof but I met Rebecca Solnit tonight and had a conversation with her during a break in the Sunrise Movement's Hope Amidst Crisis event in San Francisco tonight! Here she is giving the keynote. Last night Naomi Klein and tonight Rebecca Solnit. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Two heroes who have been so formative for me. So full of fire and hope for climate justice right now. 🥰😍😭🔥❤️🌲🌍

TrishB So lucky 👍🏻 6y

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ManyWordsLater

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

🙌🙌🙌🙌

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Eyelit

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

When it‘s been a long week, sometimes only a cupcake and a new book can soothe the soul. And also photobombing cats 😹 #catsoflitsy #treatyoshelf

(And yes, I‘m still on a #bookbuyingban - but this one was a preorder I‘d forgotten about that just came today... so...)😂 #idonthaveaproblem #reallyidont

Aimeesue Solnit! Love her. ❤️❤️❤️ 6y

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Bookalong

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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HAPPY #PUBDAY🎉
5/5🌟Solnit does it again! This essay collection is brilliant and insightful. She tackles political to personal with such grace. In these essays Solnit writes about our current culture, politics, climate change, social and cultural change and more. I found her outlook and optimism on large group movements over individual heroes quite interesting. All in all she is one smart woman and talented writer.Reccomended Reading!#bookreview

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

"We live inside ideas. Some are shelters, some are observatories, some are windowless prisons. We are leaving some behind and entering others."
#TBR Excited for this book after reading: https://lithub.com/rebecca-solnit-progress-is-not-inevitable-it-takes-work/

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AlexGeorge

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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As excellent and as relevant as you would expect from Solnit. I‘ve read most of her work and this is unquestionably among her strongest books. Highly recommended.

Suet624 Just saw George Hodgman raving about you on his Facebook page. :)
6y

AlexGeorge @Suet624 George is wonderful! He wrote a fabulous blurb for my new novel. 6y

Suet624 That‘s great! I loved his book so much. I hand it out to friends all the time. 6y

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Beachesnbooks

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

June reading wrap-up! I finished 7 books, but a lot of those were shorter books & I felt very reading slump-y overall. Hoping that July will be better! 🤞🏼

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego A successful month nevertheless, hopefully July bring you some more engaging reads. 💖📖💖 6y

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AlexGeorge

Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

“This country has room for everybody who believes that there‘s room for everybody.”

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

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Review https://bookandstitch.wordpress.com/2019/05/28/whose-story-is-this/
Another Rebecca Solnit essay collection that speaks to the current moment with long-sighted wisdom and hope. She writes with contagious optimism about the power of groups rather than individual “heroes” and the unnamed many who work for slow cultural change, leading to watershed moments (like #MeToo). She inspires hope with her patient wisdom and clear writing. Five stars!

Caterina #ARC from #Edelweiss and Book 13/12 for the #BookFitnessChallenge #BFC @wanderinglynn 6y

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

It looks like pleasant weather to sit outside reading, but it's 95°F. I'm not going to make it long out here, but I was just dying to be outside. I'm about to finish the tagged book, it will be 13/12 for my #BookFitnessChallenge #BFC, and I'll put up a review tomorrow. I'm at 10/24 hours for the #24B4Monday, but @DGRachel and I and anyone else who wants to join in are going to shoot for #24B4Tuesday because of the holiday! 😊 @wanderinglynn

DGRachel It‘s crazy hot here, too, so I‘ll be joining you from my air conditioned living room. 😆 6y

Caterina @DGRachel Thank goodness for air conditioning! 😂 6y

Emilymdxn It‘s even hot in Britain! Well, by British standards - 70something Fahrenheit and humid in a treacly way. 6y

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Caterina @Emilymdxn Haha I was tempted to laugh at you considering the 70s hot, but then I remembered that I start freezing around the low 60s so who am I to speak. 😂 Also I had to Google treacle because I couldn't remember what that was. 😂 6y

Emilymdxn Lol very different places! I had to google the Celsius Fahrenheit conversion - but the temperature at which I start feeling too ill to function is probably around 77 Fahrenheit. I‘m good with cold - I‘ve happily gone on holiday to a place that was round -15 Fahrenheit with a big scarf and an extra jumper, I just didn‘t evolve for heat 😅 6y

Caterina @Emilymdxn You're definitely suited to your climate! Where I grew up (in South Carolina, now I'm in North Carolina) it was regularly over 100°F in the summers, which is about the point where I really start melting. 🥵 I don't think I could handle -15 F, I barely survived two weeks in New York when it was like 15 F. 😂 6y

Emilymdxn I go on a lot of cold holidays! My bf studied in Montreal and this year we we went to Poland - I‘m fine with snow! I‘m allergic to almost all brands of suncream and the only type I‘ve found I‘m not allergic to can‘t be sold in the US for some regulatory reason 😞😞 so whenever I visit in the heat I have to arrive with a suitcase full of suncream and hide under huge hats (edited) 6y

Reviewsbylola If it‘s 95, the only outdoor place I‘m reading from is the pool. 😆 6y

BookwormAHN Its 92 here. Definitely no reading outside 😸 6y

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

"It's kind of like The Hunger Games, whose author could imagine violently overthrowing an old order...but not creating a new one that's different, or doing anything political with a larger group that's not corrupt and hardly worth the bother. Thus, at the drab end of The Hunger Games, Everdeen goes off and has babies with her man in a horribly rugged-individualist Little House on the Prairie nuclear-family-in-the-nuclear-ruins way." #ARC

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

Good morning Litsy and especially my new followers! 🤗❤️ Reading and loving this #ARC (advanced reader copy) from #Edelweiss on the porch with #Pippin. Soon I'll go for an #audiowalk with him for the #BookFitnessChallenge #BFC. I'm at 5 hours out of 24 for the #24B4Monday #readathon. #dogsoflitsy #bostonterriersoflitsy #Haymarket @wanderinglynn @TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @RadicalReader @Clwojick

Clwojick Sounds like a lovely Saturday ♥️ 6y

kspenmoll I just love Rebecca Solnit‘s body of work. Happy Saturday to you & Pippin! (edited) 6y

BookwormAHN He is so cute 💚 6y

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Emilymdxn Great day! I LOVE Rebecca solnit 6y

wanderinglynn Hello Pippin! ❤️🐶 And what a lovely Saturday. Enjoy! 6y

BeansPage 5 hours is a wonderful start! 💗 6y

RadicalReader Good morning!! Absolutely awesome!! Beautiful pup too 6y

jb72 Great job! 6y

Andrew65 Good luck with the rest of the Readathon. 6y

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

Kicked off the #24B4Monday #readathon with some reading on the porch after my early morning run/walk! Loving this #ARC from #Edelweiss, it's exactly the nonfiction essay collection I needed in my life right now. #Haymarket @TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @Clwojick @RadicalReader

RadicalReader Early morning walks are the best love listening to audiobooks while walking 6y

Caterina @RadicalReader I love audiowalks too! When I'm run/walking though I find I have to listen to pump-up music to keep myself going. 😂 But afterwards I can rest and drink water and read! 👍 6y

Clwojick I missed out on my audiobook this morning during my walk to work, but I got to chat with my best friend so that was nice. ♥️ 6y

Andrew65 Looks a lovely day! 😀 6y

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

Today is the first day since May 10, the day of my gum graft surgery, that I haven't gone for a walk at all. #BookFitnessChallenge has been working - that's a 9 day streak! - but I needed a rest day. I finished two books and made significant progress on two others today, and I cross stitched, and I bought a cute new pair of shoes. Tomorrow I'll be back to it, but today it was so nice to just sit outside and read for a bit. 💕 #BFC @wanderinglynn

Julsmarshall Sounds like a wonderful and we‘ll-deserved day! Glad you‘re on the mend! 6y

cobwebmoth You've been doing great! You totally deserve a rest day.❤ 6y

audraelizabeth You deserved a day of rest. Great job on reading and cross stitching. 6y

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Chrissyreadit 🥰🙏I‘m impressed with all you‘ve done! 6y

BethM Awesome! Rest is healthy! 6y

monalyisha Buying shoes is my favorite. 😉 Second only to sitting outside & reading. 😍 6y

BookwormAHN Fantastic, you deserved a break 👏🏻 6y

wanderinglynn A rest day is important! Especially considering you‘re healing. 💜 6y

dariazeoli Rest days are super important- way to take care of you! 6y

guinsgirlreads Rest days are necessary! Nice job!! 6y

alisiakae Rest days are extremely important! I find I usually come back stronger after a rest day. 6y

Simona Last week I was active for all seven days ... I realized that I need a rest day, so I changed my goals and for now - Friday is the day for being ‘lazy‘. 6y

Caterina @Julsmarshall @cobwebmoth @audraelizabeth @Chrissyreadit @BethM @monalyisha @BookwormAHN @wanderinglynn @dariazeoli @guinsgirlreads @4thhouseontheleft @Simona I love how affirming y'all are, thank you for the supportive comments!! ❤️ 6y

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Whose Story Is This?: Essays at the Intersection | Rebecca Solnit

#ARC #Edelweiss #Haymarket "It's easy now to assume that one's perspectives on race, gender, orientation, and the rest are signs of inherent virtue, but a lot of ideas currently in circulation are gifts that arrived recently, through the labors of others. Remembering that people made these ideas, as surely as people made the buildings we live in and the roads we travel on, helps us remember that, first, change is possible, and second...

Caterina ...it's our good luck to live in the wake of this change rather than asserting our superiority to those who came before the new structures, and maybe even to acknowledge that we have not arrived at a state of a perfect enlightenment, because there is more change to come, more that we do not yet recognize that will be revealed." 6y

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