Happy Friday! Here’s what I’ve been reading this week. Feel free to share what you’ve been reading and/or writing in the comments.
Fa(t)shion
-Lesley rounds up the best plus size swimsuits of 2013.
–Re/Dress has reopened. Huzzah! I’m drooling over the magnolia skater dress.
-Also pretty cool: Abbey Post, a new site for buying and selling plus size clothes.
-Shannon has some important criticism of Occupy Abercrombie & Fitch.
-Tracy of Domino Dollhouse rounds up some great plus size Etsy finds.
–The double-edged sword of boycotting disposable fashion.
–A bra that fits me: a critique of Chrysalis Lingerie’s (a line of bras for trans women) May 1st launch.
Fat Acceptance
–The HAES files: a dietician’s road to HAES.
–What happens when the pursuits of strong and skinny collide?
–I’m chronically ill and I still believe in body acceptance.
–Where are all the disabled people in body positivity campaigns? It’s worth noting that not all disabilities are visible, but this is still an important point.
-Kath has a beautiful piece about how she used to put life on hold until she lost weight, and no longer does.
-More Cabaret, Ragen Chastain’s plus size dance troupe, will be holding auditions next month.
–The “good kind” of fat.
–This tale of fat camaraderie is lovely and heart-warming.
Climate/Sustainability
–Love and the apocalypse: how to act powerfully – “When the status quo is unstable, we have the best shot at replacing it. Since a system built on greed is dying, let’s create one built on love.”
–The jobs are in the trees. This is so true, and I hope our government takes the initiative to create these jobs.
–China agrees to impose carbon targets by 2016. I hope like hell that the US follows suit.
-I’m super-excited for the proposed climate justice hub right here in my town. If you can, donate to help make it a reality!
–The Dalai Lama and a suicidal economy. Yes, yes, yes.
Everything Else
–For badass disability justice, working class and poor led models of sustainable hustling for liberation.
–Community care: a reflection on whiteness, privilege, connection, and spirit.
–Yoga studios: everyone’s welcome?
–19 pretty things to make with edible flowers–so cool!
–Finding strength in fragility: reflections on love and support in non-traditional families.
–Six things you can do instead of shaming unmarried women from having children.
–Janelle Monae, Q.U.E.E.N. of my heart. She is pretty freaking awesome, and I love this song.
I hope to raise kids half this badass someday.
I really like John Green’s reflections on poetry and Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s work:
Golda Poretsky’s TED talk on why it’s ok to be fat = awesome. It needs to be spread far and wide.
Tutus And Tiny Hats 
Thanks for the links as usual! Hmm, what am I reading these days… well, I read about the Pope declaring that God will forgive anyone who does good deeds, regardless of their religious beliefs and practices (or lack thereof), which is pretty rad I think. I read about how #fitchthehomeless sucks. I read about how anyone who was formerly incarcerated (no matter how long ago) may get denied for food stamps, which also really sucks since really, those who were incarcerated are often poor and otherwise disadvantaged and so need assistance more than anyone, to get back on their feet after getting out of jail. I’m reading a book about getting organized that I got at the Coop, called “It’s Hard to Change the World if you Can’t Find your Keys”. I’m also reading “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity”. I highly recommend both.
As for writing, I’m plotting my first entry here, which will basically be an introduction and summary of what the blog will focus on (mostly disability rights/neurodiversity/mad pride/radical mental health, through the lens of my own personal experiences with mental illness/madness, autism, ADD and LD). My second entry will probably be on my thoughts on the mad pride/radical mental health movements vs the traditional medical model of psychiatry, and where I stand (which is honestly somewhere in the middle, as I do think that there are some things to be gained from the medical model for some people. Personally, I’ve found medication and therapy and groups like NAMI to be helpful in my recovery.)
I’m looking forward to reading your posts!
I thought the Pope’s declaration was pretty cool too. And yeah, it’s awful about people who were formerly incarcerated getting denied food stamps!
I’ve read the Artist’s Ways, and I liked it. I haven’t read the other book, though–I will check it out!