This Year's Best Writing By Me

And this week's writing 12/29/24

We’ll get to a round up of this weeks’ writing in a second. But first!

It’s that time of year when I reshare some of my favorite things I wrote from the last year. I write upwards of 300 essays a year. Add in poems and we’re looking at probably north of 500 pieces?

So I’m working hard! If you like my writing, maybe considering contributing so I can keep scribbling and maybe take a rest occasionally and also feed the kitty?

Anyway! Obviously that’s too much to read, or even remember. So the below is a very brief list , in no particular order, of things I’m especially proud of for one reason or another.

Here we go!

Best Writing By Me of 2024

If I could get you to read one thing by me this year, it would be my very first poetry collection, NOT AKHMATOVA. Available at Ben Yehuda Press (20% off now!) and Amazon. (Here’s a piece on being inspired to write the book by being envious of Akhmatova.)

On Christian Science as Jewish tradition in my family. (Revealer)

The phony populism of J.D. Vance. (Public Notice)

AI art shows the value of disability aesthetics. (EIH)

“You Can Use Me”: The Aesthetics of Whiteness in “Olympia” and “Ghost.” (EIH)

Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff moves to Chicago. (Chicago Reader)

Maybe Christian unity is the problem. (Religion Dispatches)

The Expanse shows that Israel is a colonial state. (EIH)

Why did W.E.B. Dubois support Zionism and Stalinism? (EIH)

The evil smile in Psycho and Double Indemnity. (EIH)

My adult daughter lives with us, and it’s fine. Good even! (Business Insider)

It may not be safe to stay friends with MAGA. (EIH)

On DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS, my favorite film of the year. (CNN)

The Omen 2, Child’s Play, and fear of revolution in Chicago horror film. (Chicago Reader)

Sex workers organize to stop Super Bowl raids. (Prism)

Women outnumber men in college because of sexism (against women.) (EIH)

Oh wait! Here is also other poetry! A chapbook of garbled villanelles! And two more that are free downloads! Poetry for all!

This Week’s Writing 12/29/24

Last roundup of the year. Phew!

Politics

We’ve memory-holed the election day bomb threats. This is bad. (Public Notice)

Cultural Criticism

Wrote a slew of anti Christmas movie content; Die Hard, It’s a Wonderful Life, Gremlins, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Love Actually. Check out the index! (EIH)

Nosferatu is (maybe too) faithful. (Splice Today)

Cuckoo is an incoherent metaphor for autism, but in a good way. (EIH)

Nightbitch is a mess, like motherhood. (EIH)

Poetry

Four poems by me, including “Rumpelstiltskin,” a favorite that’s been looking for a home for a long time. (Lothlorien)

Nostalgia poem. (Five Fleas)

my brain
has decided
to play this memory
forever
thanks, brain

Year end poem. (Five Fleas)

Every year
is like the last year
but worse.