The Wordsmith's Forge

The following is a growing reading list for the ReadPalestinianSpecFic challenge. This is a work in progress to create a list of all available Palestinian speculative fiction.

The survivors of the Shoah remember, because they have seen this before.



Never forget. Never again.

And in case you need a reminder of why.

Priestess Statue Found Preserved in Walls of Pompeii, Set to Star in New Exhibit on Roman Women

Later this month, an exhibition will open at the Archaeological Museum of Pompeii where a brand-new discovery will play a starring role in communicating the lives of women in the Roman world’s famous buried city.

Found mounted against a wall inside a necropolis near Porta Sarno, one of Pompeii’s city gates, the statues of a man and a priestly woman have emerged from the ash in remarkable condition.

Colombia created a first-of-its-kind territory specifically designed to protect a group of Indigenous people living in isolation

For the first time in the country’s history, Colombia has created a territory specifically designed to protect a group of Indigenous people living away from regular contact with the rest of the world.

Spanning 2.7 million acres, the territory is home to the uncontacted Indigenous Yuri-Passé people and reaffirms the country’s “commitment to their autonomy and survival.”


Holy crap, Colombia may be trying to claw its way up from the bottom ten.

Black woman develops 'Black Amazon' app to help shoppers find Black-owned businesses

What started as Petrie’s goal to “amplify authentic representation of the African Diaspora, and bridge the global racial wealth gap” is now a Black-owned marketplace with over 3,000 Black-owned brands across over 40 product categories.

“I mean every category,” Petrie said in her TikTok video. “Skincare, haircare, nail care, feminine care, hotels and villas, hair stylists, restaurants, grocery stores, luxury wear, handbags, wedding, home and kitchen, babies and kids, swimwear, lingerie, plus-size clothing. Y’all, the list goes on.”
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It’s integrated with Google Maps, which allows users to locate nearby businesses. Supporters can also shop online, with a marketplace directly integrated into the app that takes users straight to the websites of individual brands.


Just in case you're looking for an alternative to Amazon that lets you kick white bigots in the wallet by shopping at black-owned businesses. \o/ The map interface also makes it easy to find black businesses near you.

This website explains how to make tiny zines from a sheet of A4 paper. If you live in America, you can use 8 12" x 11" paper. Yes, they're meant to be really small. This is a good project if you have a hard time finishing things. There are downloadable resources if you'd like to run this activity at a library, makerspace, or other venue. It's a great choice for people who feel unheard and want to share their lived experience, which is highly useful at this time in history. Check out the POC Zine Project for inspiration.

Some other fun resources:

"Hand-Stitching Zines"

"What's a zine? And why?"

Zine links by tozka

Zines on the Internet Archive

This is supporting material for the poem "Weeping Over the Trail They Almost Walked" sponsored by siliconshaman. While researching that, I found there were plenty of reading lists for fiction, but I couldn't find a good one for nonfiction. So I made one. Go read some history books written by the losers as well as the winners.

WARNING: The following materials cover acts of genocide and other atrocities. Please consider your tastes and headspace before deciding whether this is something you want to read.

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Gabions are watershed structures that slow water as it flows downhill, thus enabling seasonal streams to flow year-round and support more plants.  They consist of porous rock or brush walls that trap large masses of sediment behind them, acting as a sponge.  The brush version is ancient technology.  They act much like beaver dams, but beavers are fussy about water quality and food access; these can work even in conditions that aren't great initially.  This video shows how gabions work. 

This is an example of humans doing what they're actually meant to do, which is shape environments to create more niches and life by buffering difficult events.  They have a lot of advantages, especially in the face of climate change.  So if you have a seasonal stream on your property, consider giving this a try.

Singer Roberta Flack has passed away. You may know her from songs like "Where Is the Love," "The Closer I Get to You," "If Ever I See You Again," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," and "Killing Me Softly with His Song." She will be missed.

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