Dec. 2024 Newsletter: What I’ve Been Up To

Happy December, reader! Each month, I try to share what I’ve been up to, what things I’ve published that month, and exciting news if there’s any to be shared.

News and updates

Nothing new to share this month! It’s mostly been a cozy December.

Blog posts from this month

As I continue to think about mental health post-election, I wanted to contribute something to queer and neurodivergent sanity. My list of 10 Thoughts on Creating Safe Space at Home provides some insights into neurodivergent-friendly ways to make your home space feel safer, cozier, and warmer. Maybe all 10 won’t work for you, so take the bits and pieces that feel like a good fit.

In the finale of our Neurodivergence Without Shame conversation, Ashton and I discussed being neurodivergent educators and creating affirming classroom spaces, for ourselves and students. Even if you’re not an educator, this conversation has some valuable insights for everyone!

ICYMI: My social media highlights

This month, I shared some of the same thoughts on creating safe space at home in a more digestible format. Ashton also shared a photo from their teaching and an example of a safe space they’ve made.

Things that have brought me joy recently

December has been a good month for reading in my household. It keeps me away from the news and gives me some great life ideas. Here are two books– and two sets of ideas– that I’m really appreciating right now. It’s possible that belonging + refusal may become my theme for 2025. 

You Belong: A Call for Connection by Sebene Selassie

Meditation teacher Sebene Selassie describes herself as a “Nerdy Black Immigrant Tomboy Buddhist Weirdo.” This book includes important moments from her life story interwoven with Buddhist teachings that are presented in a spacious way, allowing them to fit with other spiritual and wellness practices. 

As she says on her website: 

“To belong is to experience joy in any moment: to feel pleasure, dance in public, accept death, forgive what seems unforgivable, and extend kindness to yourself and others. To belong is also to acknowledge injustice, reckon with history, and face your own shadows. In You Belong, I offer you practical advice and profound revelations and I make a winning case for resisting the forces that demand separation and invite you to reclaim the connection—and belonging—that have been yours all along.” 

We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance by Kellie Carter Jackson

In this book, Jackson details five types of resistance that have worked over the last four-hundred years. I’m learning a lot about history and resistance– and have already shared the five types of resistance in my LGBTQ2S+ Literature class. Jackson breaks through the false binary of violent vs. non-violent resistance and gives us tools and lessons for the future of justice in this country. 

From the publisher’s website: 
“An ‘unsparing, erudite, and incisive’ (Jelani Cobb) reframing of the past and present of Black resistance—both nonviolent and violent—to white supremacy. … Clear-eyed, impassioned, and ultimately hopeful, We Refuse offers a fundamental corrective to the historical record, a love letter to Black resilience, and a path toward liberation.”

From Ashton

I’ve been continuing my dive into The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion this month. Mallanihl has fallen in fully with the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild, and is one of the most wanted people in Cyrodiil. Losing myself in a fantasy RPG remains one of my best methods of self-care.

I also recently started the game Dante’s Inferno from 2010. It’s a wild ride, and I would not recommend it to anyone under 18. However, its fast-paced action, moderately challenging combat, and horror elements have brought me a lot of joy. As soon as I killed Death I was hooked on this game. It’s been a while since I’ve played a good action-heavy game, so it’s a nice change of pace.

Stay tuned next month for more blog posts, social media updates, and the first newsletter of 2025. Thanks for being a reader!