Solstice Solidarities
The week 42 listicle
The coming weeks seem set to be the Season of Discontent in the UK. So this last post of 2022 begins and ends with some suggestions for action––stuffed with a few ideas for entertainment between stints on the picket lines!
In the spirit of solidarity, I’m shouting out a few of my fellow Substack writers. Here’s a selection of posts from newsletters I’ve been following lately.
EAT
If you’re eating out over the holidays, author and vegan chef has some friendly advice on the politics of tipping in her newsletter .
In the UK, it’s customary for 12.5% to be added automatically to restaurant bills. In Anglo North America the trend is now towards presenting customers with options for tipping 15, 20, 25 percent or more on the card machine, sometimes with little notes explaining what each percentage means (“good service,” “great service,” “excellent service”). Apparently, this system has got some American foodies’ knickers in a twist. Kennedy’s advice? If you can afford to eat out, don’t be Scrouge.
WATCH
If you’re a sucker for Christmas telly, check out ’s seasonal suggestions from last week’s newsletter by .
Cook also has lots of great reading suggestions, over on .
LISTEN
If you’re snowed in or cooped up digesting all that Tofurky and cranberry sauce, you can still live the live music scene vicariously over on . In memory of his father, a dear friend and fellow anarcho-queer activist based in Brighton is reviewing 50 alternative live music shows in the run-up to his 50th birthday. This bilingual newsletter (English and Spanish) was “born from the desire to recover the fascination for the small things.”
If you tire of listening to carols on loop, head to 's list of indie winter solstice recommendations. Mascaro sends out a list of three or four musical suggestions each weekend on , along with short descriptions of the artists and their music. The tunes are followed by visual inspirations from a featured artist. As a writer and activist, I love this newsletter because it gets me out of word and action mode into the worlds of song and art.
READ ABOUT LISTENING
If shuffling has got you thinking about how Spotify has burrowed its way into your brain via your eardrums, you’re not alone. It seems the music app’s “Wrapped” feature has got writers’ writing.
tells a lovely tale of music, friendship and memory in .
Brandon Taylor wraps wonderful words around the wonders of wrapping in his essay spotify lowkey giving sola fide vibes over on .
Taylor is not just a stellar essayist; he’s also an amazing fiction writer. Real Life is my solstice novel of choice.
READ MORE
If history is more your thing, why not take some time during this season of darkness to learn a bit more about women in the “dark ages”? In Ælfgif-who? medieval historian tells the stories of women in England in the early modern ages. Lots of queens, a bit of sex, some great outfits.
WRITE
Whether you want to get serious or more creative with your writing over the holidays, check out some of these writers on writing:
Poet and spoken-word artist Sarah Elliott tracks the ups and downs of .
is novelist and writing coach 's fortnightly newsletter where she shares her musings on writing and the writing life.
's is a newsletter on “intercultural communication, language, rituals, books, and the ideas that connect them”, with special attention to the lessons from the Stoics and memoir writing.
ACT
While some of us are stuffing ourselves with nut loaf, chocolate and red wine over the holidays, the world’s food systems are at breaking point. Food and climate justice journalist provides the low-down on the crisis and what we can do to promote international food justice over at .
And if all this thinking about the politics of food makes you hungry for more activism, check out Jasmin’s Jargon by animal advocate, author and podcaster It’s full of tips for living an ethical and environmentally friendly queer life, solidarities across species, activist self-care – and great vegan food.
Happy reading, listening and acting. See you back here in 2023.
Pen in Fist is written by me, C Lou Hamilton, aka Dr Carrie. To find out more about my activism, follow me on twitter. You can access my other writing, and information on my editing and translating work, on my website. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to Pen in Fist for free here.
Thank you so much for the kind mention! What a lovely idea.
I love the idea of this list. Gives me some actions to follow up instead of falling into the trap of wallowing around! And thank you so much for the mention - I appreciate it! Enjoy the festive season!