It’s been a while since I have posted on Medium, but I just published “Rock Salt,” a short essay on migraine triggers, accessibility, and product design. Please feel free to let me know what you think in the comments below.
Thank you,
Suzanne
It feels wrong to write this without acknowledging the tremendous amount of sorrow that has hit our communities and homes.
Midnight marks a new day and a new year, but it doesn’t erase the pain, suffering, and disappointment.
I spent much of the year grieving, but 2020 brought me so many reasons to be grateful. Pre-pandemic closures, my writing was published overseas for the first time, and in my adopted hometown’s print literary anthology, Creative Colloquy. School closures meant being able to spend more time with my daughter. Changing my work style to accommodate additional childcare responsibilities led to taking new risks. In June, I started work in earnest on my video game. I even got up the nerve to try standup this year (from the comfort of my home).
The moving of meetings online post-pandemic has made it easier to engage in community decision making processes. In June, I successfully lobbied the Pierce County Democratic Party to recognize CS gas and tasers as deadly force. In 2021, I want to see this momentum continue at the State and national levels, and for the first time in a long time, I am optimistic that it will.
Gen-Z has taken to the streets and used social media and other avenues to challenge not only police brutality, but racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, economic inequality, and climate change. Emma Goldman said, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be a part of your revolution.” In the darkest of times, the new revolutionaries have embodied joy, humor, and hope. I am grateful my daughter has such positive role models.
Please stay safe and enjoy the holiday.
Happy New Year!
Suzanne
Summer has been fairly busy. On top of entertaining a kid during a pandemic and planning for homeschool, I’ve had other projects in the works. I was asked to submit work to a by invitation-only call for cyberpunk stories to a journal overseas. Regardless of whether my story gets picked up for publication, it was an honor to be asked, especially as I haven’t written in this genre before. I’ve been volunteering locally as I’ve been able. Remote meetings are a lifesaver for individuals with chronic illnesses/ conditions like migraines, arthritis, and motherhood (ahem), so I hope this trend continues after the pandemic. The ability to turn off the video and audio functions is especially appreciated. A laughing, streaking kid in the house did elicit momentary panic at one point.
In the relatively quiet moments and through the chaos, I have begun to make significant progress on my biggest project to date [Master’s thesis be damned]: an indie narrative game combining many of my favorite subjects.
Here is a peek at the main character:
My last programming class was in high school, more than 20 years ago, so I have been teaching myself Unity, a development platform which is free to users up to a certain revenue bracket. Brackeys tutorials on YouTube have been on repeat for months in the house. They are awesome: go check them out! Thanks to the site Beepbox, I have also been working on digital music composition for the first time. I first started using Audacity for podcasts a few years back, and it continues to be a great tool for artists. [While I’m not ready to share some of my serious attempts yet, my co-conspirator did willingly lend her vocals to this “parenting dance anthem.” It was created using Beepbox and Audacity.]
Other snippets of the game art are up on the No Mine! Studios Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pages. I’ve set myself a soft deadline of December (6 months from when I started) to get basic art in place so I can focus on research, writing, and mechanics. This game is a one mother show. If you are on the above platforms, please follow for updates, like, and share. Your support means a lot!
Spoiler alert: Swearing ahead.
I haven’t posted much at all since schools closed and I took over homeschooling/ entertaining my mini-me during my normal working hours. The work I have done has been in short bursts, then set aside to focus on the crisis of the day.
And then came last week. Protesters rightfully gathering to speak out against police brutality inspired our country’s “president” to declare war on the nation. I’m honestly surprised he made it to his last year before unleashing the military on citizens. He wasted no time detaining babies and children and tearing apart immigrant families.
I guess all those weekends playing golf saved the rest of the country this long.
But here we are. Tear gas and pepper spray and rubber bullets are being used on peaceful protesters in a country whose constitution states right to assemble as fucking rule number one. Journalists are being targeted and arrested on camera, just like in other authoritarian regimes. In Seattle, attendees at the peaceful gatherings were detained from Sunday evening through Tuesday afternoon because the courts closed on Monday and police officers are choosing to violate their duties to protect and serve the people.
My city, Tacoma, imposed a curfew yesterday. Tonight there’s a vigil in honor of Manuel Ellis, who died at the hands of Tacoma police. [Click the link to help his family with legal fees.]
This happened despite our community and state voting for deescalation legislation. Manuel’s death was EXACTLY what this legislation was designed to prevent. And yet…
I digress. I promised a new dinosaur animation. I made this last night while trying to take a break from thinking about what’s going on right now.
If you liked this video, please donate to a local protesters’ bail fund or your local ACLU. [If you hated it, donate double.]
Keep fighting however you can. You don’t have to be on the frontlines to make a difference.
Suzanne
In honor of another impending Valentine’s Day, I shared the essay Spare Tires on Medium. Take a look. It’s a short read. ☕️🤓❤️
Suzanne
I was inspired by conversations with activists regarding transparency and elected officials’ voting records, so I researched direct/ indirect campaign contributions in light of the City of Tacoma’s November 2019 $2 million settlement with US Oil. You can read “Connections vs. Corruption: Where is the Line?” at Medium now.
Please let me know what you think.
I just published my first essay on Medium entitled “Genius.” Click here to take a look!
Thank you to those who took the time to give me feedback on the piece. I greatly appreciate it!
Suzanne
I am honored to have a poem included in The London Reader’s Winter 2019 issue: “Motherhood: Stories of Love, Loss, & Life.”
Per the publication, “10 percent of revenue from this issue is donated to Women’s Aid, a grassroots federation in the UK working to provide life-saving services and to build a future where domestic violence is not tolerated. Find out more about the charity at womensaid.org.uk.”
To purchase this publication or learn more about The London Reader, check out
Thank you for your support.
I just received word that my as yet unpublished short work, “The Biopsy,” has been accepted for Creative Colloquy’s upcoming annual print anthology. Details to come!
– Suzanne
Hey all! The lineup for Portland’s October 5, 2019 Drunken Discourse has been announced! Help get the word out and RSVP to the event page.
No, Mine! Studios 