Rachael Arsenault's Blog - Posts Tagged "essays"
May Wrap-Up: A Monstrous Comic, Purple Poetry, and Feminist Dissection
Sunshine! It’s finally starting to feel like summer, which makes me wish I could sit out and read on a breezy day. Alas, our yard doesn’t really have any nice reading spots, and I’m not healed enough to push the baby all the way to the park yet. But the dream is alive! For now, I’ll settle for pulling back the curtains and opening the windows.
What I’ve Enjoyed
Books
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
This book is such a gem. Great characters with incredible chemistry, A+ humour, and so much heart. I loved the disability rep, the male abuse victim rep, and the fact that both were still portrayed as whole, complex, and ultimately joyful people in spite of their hardships. Definitely a book I recommend checking out, though be aware that it does have smutty content.
Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening, Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood, Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
I’ve been devouring this comic and absolutely loving it. Maika is powerful and broken and badass and I love her dynamic with all the other characters. Kippa is so precious and adorable. Master Ren is a magical talking cat, which, I mean, what else does a book really need? And I just love, love, love the world-building and atmosphere and the very sinister, foreboding direction the story has been taking so far.
Articles
Mount Grace Priory
Super informative little article that gives me something to add to my list of places to visit if I ever go to Europe.
What Did the Ancient Egyptians Eat?
An informative piece about the food and drinks available to the people of Ancient Egypt. It’s especially interesting to see what has and hasn’t carried on into modern times.
Other
Violet Times
A beautiful poem about the author’s experience coming out as asexual.
What I’ve Created
Books/Short Stories
Those Who Fall
It’s finally out in paperback! I had hoped to get this sorted out earlier in the year, but having a C-section and some other personal life chaos threw me back several steps. But now it’s here and I’ve held it in my hands and it’s amazing to see TWO OF MY OWN BOOKS in physical form.
Just like when She Who Rises released in paperback, you can order this book to your local bookstore or library (or from Amazon, if that’s your thing). For easier ordering, the ISBNs are:
She Who Rises: 9781777160609
Those Who Fall: 9781777160616
If you get a copy of either of these books, please take a photo and tag me in it on Insta or Twitter! I would love to see where my stories end up in the world. My handle is @RachaellaWrites
Articles
What It Takes to Photograph the Family Pet for the Last Time
A piece I wrote about the old family cat, Olive. It was nice to look back on photos of her and reminisce about the life she got to spend with us.
Part honey, part whore: Sex shaming and internalized misogyny in the House of Night and She chose vengeance and anger: Sex shaming and internalized misogyny in the House of Night [Part 2]
This essay has been in the works for months, and ended up so long that I had to split it into two parts. And that’s after I cut parts from it! Needless to say, I had a looot of thoughts on this subject. Always feels good to flex my sociology muscles a bit!
You may have noticed, across all these wrap-ups, that a lot of the pieces I share or create are hosted by a site called Vocal. It’s a platform I’ve been using since 2019, and I’ve always really enjoyed it. It’s free, you can earn a little bit of money here and there off story reads or tips, and it’s a great way for me to step outside my comfort zone and experiment with writing about different topics without worrying too much about what that work will do for me in the long term.
The site is free to use, as I said, but there is the option to sign up for a Vocal+ membership. This allows you to enter more contests, plus you earn more from story reads and can withdraw money from your wallet in lesser quantities.
If all of this sounds interesting to you, then I highly recommend checking Vocal out. And if you decide to sign up with Vocal+, please do so with my Ambassador link. I earn a small commission if you do.
What I’ve Enjoyed
Books
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
This book is such a gem. Great characters with incredible chemistry, A+ humour, and so much heart. I loved the disability rep, the male abuse victim rep, and the fact that both were still portrayed as whole, complex, and ultimately joyful people in spite of their hardships. Definitely a book I recommend checking out, though be aware that it does have smutty content.
Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening, Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood, Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
I’ve been devouring this comic and absolutely loving it. Maika is powerful and broken and badass and I love her dynamic with all the other characters. Kippa is so precious and adorable. Master Ren is a magical talking cat, which, I mean, what else does a book really need? And I just love, love, love the world-building and atmosphere and the very sinister, foreboding direction the story has been taking so far.
Articles
Mount Grace Priory
Super informative little article that gives me something to add to my list of places to visit if I ever go to Europe.
What Did the Ancient Egyptians Eat?
An informative piece about the food and drinks available to the people of Ancient Egypt. It’s especially interesting to see what has and hasn’t carried on into modern times.
Other
Violet Times
A beautiful poem about the author’s experience coming out as asexual.
What I’ve Created
Books/Short Stories
Those Who Fall
It’s finally out in paperback! I had hoped to get this sorted out earlier in the year, but having a C-section and some other personal life chaos threw me back several steps. But now it’s here and I’ve held it in my hands and it’s amazing to see TWO OF MY OWN BOOKS in physical form.
Just like when She Who Rises released in paperback, you can order this book to your local bookstore or library (or from Amazon, if that’s your thing). For easier ordering, the ISBNs are:
She Who Rises: 9781777160609
Those Who Fall: 9781777160616
If you get a copy of either of these books, please take a photo and tag me in it on Insta or Twitter! I would love to see where my stories end up in the world. My handle is @RachaellaWrites
Articles
What It Takes to Photograph the Family Pet for the Last Time
A piece I wrote about the old family cat, Olive. It was nice to look back on photos of her and reminisce about the life she got to spend with us.
Part honey, part whore: Sex shaming and internalized misogyny in the House of Night and She chose vengeance and anger: Sex shaming and internalized misogyny in the House of Night [Part 2]
This essay has been in the works for months, and ended up so long that I had to split it into two parts. And that’s after I cut parts from it! Needless to say, I had a looot of thoughts on this subject. Always feels good to flex my sociology muscles a bit!
You may have noticed, across all these wrap-ups, that a lot of the pieces I share or create are hosted by a site called Vocal. It’s a platform I’ve been using since 2019, and I’ve always really enjoyed it. It’s free, you can earn a little bit of money here and there off story reads or tips, and it’s a great way for me to step outside my comfort zone and experiment with writing about different topics without worrying too much about what that work will do for me in the long term.
The site is free to use, as I said, but there is the option to sign up for a Vocal+ membership. This allows you to enter more contests, plus you earn more from story reads and can withdraw money from your wallet in lesser quantities.
If all of this sounds interesting to you, then I highly recommend checking Vocal out. And if you decide to sign up with Vocal+, please do so with my Ambassador link. I earn a small commission if you do.
January 2022 Wrap-Up: A Lack of Five-Stars, Drunk Hamsters, and A Project Finally Completed
I know it looks like I read basically nothing this month, but that’s not true! I finished three books! They were just all very meh. 😩 Yeah, 2022 is not off to the best start in terms of reading. But it is a big month for my essay writing!
What I’ve Enjoyed
Articles
In This Prison, COVID Patients are Housed with Inmates on Suicide Watch
A horrifying but eye-opening look into how both mental health crises and the COVID-19 pandemic are mishandled in prisons.
What’s the Mandatory Deduction for Being Black at the Olympics?
I had never considered the role systemic racism played in sports competition before, but after reading this, it’s obvious that it’s a rampant problem. Figure skaters who were technically more skilled than their competition received consistently lower scores, advertisements for massive televised sporting events like the Olympics focus almost exclusively on white athletes, and countries with a predominantly non-white population see far fewer Olympic medals than countries like the United States.
You Have No Idea How Hard It Is To Get A Hamster Drunk
And now for something completely different!
People do a lot of weird stuff in the name of science. In this case, trying to get hamsters drunk. It’s an interesting and weird little weird – definitely worth five minutes of your time. The only downside is there are no cute pictures or videos of tipsy hamsters wobbling around.
Other
The Legend of Vox Machina
When I tell you I have been waiting years for this show, I’m not exaggerating. I’ve been hype ever since the Kickstarter was announced. Now that the first three episodes are finally out in the world, I can safely say it does not disappoint. Seeing these characters come to life is WILD, and I’m so stoked for the Critical Role cast that they were able to do this – and excited for what this means for the future of animation and television. And, you know, wondering if we might see other campaigns animated if this does well. 👀
What I’ve Created
Articles
“I don’t really think he counts as a guy.” Queerness in the House of Night
I originally published this to Vocal in 2020, but I’m sharing it again for two reasons. One, I’m still extremely proud of it and want more people to read it. And two, it’s the first in a series of essays that I’ve been working on for years, and I intend to share links to all of them, too. Being able to apply my degree in sociology and Native Studies (as well as my personal perspectives and experiences) to critical analysis of the harm done by a popular book series has been a very important and fulfilling process for me, and I hope I’m able to leave an impact on anyone who reads these essays.
The other essays that came out this month are:
•Part honey, part whore: Sex Shaming and Internalized Misogyny in the House of Night [Part 1]
•She chose vengeance and anger: Sex Shaming and Internalized Misogyny in the House of Night [Part 2]
•”My own Nubian princess.” Blackness, Exotification, and Dehumanization in the House of Night
•Ancient tribal blood and the heartbeat of outsiders: Mystification, Appropriation, and Indigenous Representation in the House of Night
As always, if you’ve enjoyed these essays and other work I’ve shared on Medium, please consider following me over there. I’m currently sitting at 30 followers, and if I can get to 100 I’ll be eligible for the Medium Partner Program. Sharing my work is also a great way to show your support!
And that about wraps things up. While the books I read were certainly disappointing, the month wasn’t a total waste. Plus, there are plenty of other books I’m looking forward to reading throughout the year. Fingers crossed February brings me a five-star!
If you want to see my somewhat more sporadic updates throughout the month, check me out on Twitter and Instagram, where I’m @rachaellawrites
What I’ve Enjoyed
Articles
In This Prison, COVID Patients are Housed with Inmates on Suicide Watch
A horrifying but eye-opening look into how both mental health crises and the COVID-19 pandemic are mishandled in prisons.
What’s the Mandatory Deduction for Being Black at the Olympics?
I had never considered the role systemic racism played in sports competition before, but after reading this, it’s obvious that it’s a rampant problem. Figure skaters who were technically more skilled than their competition received consistently lower scores, advertisements for massive televised sporting events like the Olympics focus almost exclusively on white athletes, and countries with a predominantly non-white population see far fewer Olympic medals than countries like the United States.
You Have No Idea How Hard It Is To Get A Hamster Drunk
And now for something completely different!
People do a lot of weird stuff in the name of science. In this case, trying to get hamsters drunk. It’s an interesting and weird little weird – definitely worth five minutes of your time. The only downside is there are no cute pictures or videos of tipsy hamsters wobbling around.
Other
The Legend of Vox Machina
When I tell you I have been waiting years for this show, I’m not exaggerating. I’ve been hype ever since the Kickstarter was announced. Now that the first three episodes are finally out in the world, I can safely say it does not disappoint. Seeing these characters come to life is WILD, and I’m so stoked for the Critical Role cast that they were able to do this – and excited for what this means for the future of animation and television. And, you know, wondering if we might see other campaigns animated if this does well. 👀
What I’ve Created
Articles
“I don’t really think he counts as a guy.” Queerness in the House of Night
I originally published this to Vocal in 2020, but I’m sharing it again for two reasons. One, I’m still extremely proud of it and want more people to read it. And two, it’s the first in a series of essays that I’ve been working on for years, and I intend to share links to all of them, too. Being able to apply my degree in sociology and Native Studies (as well as my personal perspectives and experiences) to critical analysis of the harm done by a popular book series has been a very important and fulfilling process for me, and I hope I’m able to leave an impact on anyone who reads these essays.
The other essays that came out this month are:
•Part honey, part whore: Sex Shaming and Internalized Misogyny in the House of Night [Part 1]
•She chose vengeance and anger: Sex Shaming and Internalized Misogyny in the House of Night [Part 2]
•”My own Nubian princess.” Blackness, Exotification, and Dehumanization in the House of Night
•Ancient tribal blood and the heartbeat of outsiders: Mystification, Appropriation, and Indigenous Representation in the House of Night
As always, if you’ve enjoyed these essays and other work I’ve shared on Medium, please consider following me over there. I’m currently sitting at 30 followers, and if I can get to 100 I’ll be eligible for the Medium Partner Program. Sharing my work is also a great way to show your support!
And that about wraps things up. While the books I read were certainly disappointing, the month wasn’t a total waste. Plus, there are plenty of other books I’m looking forward to reading throughout the year. Fingers crossed February brings me a five-star!
If you want to see my somewhat more sporadic updates throughout the month, check me out on Twitter and Instagram, where I’m @rachaellawrites
February and March Wrap-Up: An Unfortunate Dry Spell With Hope for the Future
I know I missed a month, but I have a very good reason for that: I haven’t read a single thing I genuinely enjoyed.
Yeah. It sucks.
I’ve also been struggling to find time to read, and the book that I am enjoying working my way through is over 600 pages long and only available to me in paperback, which means no reading on my phone when the baby falls asleep on me. I’m not sure when my reading will pick up again, or how long it will take me to finish my current read.
That being said, I do want to continue posting these wrap-ups and sharing what I’ve loved reading and writing recently. So, with that in mind, I might shift to posting these every two or three months unless I happen to have a busy month for reading or writing.
Now, let’s get into this rather short wrap-up, shall we?
What I’ve Enjoyed
Other
The Legend of Korra
Yeah, yeah, I’m about ten years late to that bandwagon. But I’m glad I finally decided to check it out! While there were certainly flaws in the series (let’s all just agree not to talk about season 2, am I right?), I really enjoyed it! The characters were fun, I loved the new ways bending was explored, and seeing how the world had grown and changed in the years after A:TLA was really fascinating. Plus, getting to see some old favourites pop in now and then was delightful. Definitely look forward to rewatching this sometime.
What I’ve Created
Articles
Acceptable Targets and Miscellaneous Misrepresentations in House of Night
Continuing on with the essays I was sharing in my last wrap-up, this is a collection of mini-essays on a variety of topics that I either couldn’t expand into full-length solo pieces, or didn’t have time to do so in a manner that would do the subject justice. The length of this piece might look daunting, but because it’s a collection of essays rather than a single standalone essay, you can actually dip in and out and read sections as you see fit.
Aging Poorly vs. Being Harmful: A Final Look at House of Night and the Works of PC Cast and Kristin Cast
Summing up my thoughts on all of this was hard, not least because the subject is so expansive. But I did my best to convey why the problematic and harmful content in these books is not just an example of something aging poorly or being outdated, while also showing that these issues exist throughout the authors’ body of work, not just within this one series.
How to Write a Book Series as a Pantser
I had a hard learning curve when it came to mapping out and effectively executing a multi-book plot as a pantser (well, plantser, really), and I decided to share some of the tips and lessons I had learned along the way. Hopefully it will make that journey a little easier for other writers out there.
Buzzword Feminism and a Legacy of White Saviours: An In-Depth Review of Spells Trouble
When I say my reading has been bad lately, this is a prime example. Normally I don’t do straight-up book reviews outside of Goodreads and Storygraph, but I’ve decided to experiment with lengthy ones like this for books that I have a lot to say about. In the future, I hope those reviews can be more positive, but that sadly is not the case for this first one. If you’re interested in seeing my thoughts on the world-building and writing of Spells Trouble, as well as my opinion on how the authors’ handled representation of queer characters and POC, then definitely check this one out.
And that’s all I have to share for now. If you like my content and want to see more regular updates from me, follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and/or Medium. I’m @rachaellawrites on all of them.
Yeah. It sucks.
I’ve also been struggling to find time to read, and the book that I am enjoying working my way through is over 600 pages long and only available to me in paperback, which means no reading on my phone when the baby falls asleep on me. I’m not sure when my reading will pick up again, or how long it will take me to finish my current read.
That being said, I do want to continue posting these wrap-ups and sharing what I’ve loved reading and writing recently. So, with that in mind, I might shift to posting these every two or three months unless I happen to have a busy month for reading or writing.
Now, let’s get into this rather short wrap-up, shall we?
What I’ve Enjoyed
Other
The Legend of Korra
Yeah, yeah, I’m about ten years late to that bandwagon. But I’m glad I finally decided to check it out! While there were certainly flaws in the series (let’s all just agree not to talk about season 2, am I right?), I really enjoyed it! The characters were fun, I loved the new ways bending was explored, and seeing how the world had grown and changed in the years after A:TLA was really fascinating. Plus, getting to see some old favourites pop in now and then was delightful. Definitely look forward to rewatching this sometime.
What I’ve Created
Articles
Acceptable Targets and Miscellaneous Misrepresentations in House of Night
Continuing on with the essays I was sharing in my last wrap-up, this is a collection of mini-essays on a variety of topics that I either couldn’t expand into full-length solo pieces, or didn’t have time to do so in a manner that would do the subject justice. The length of this piece might look daunting, but because it’s a collection of essays rather than a single standalone essay, you can actually dip in and out and read sections as you see fit.
Aging Poorly vs. Being Harmful: A Final Look at House of Night and the Works of PC Cast and Kristin Cast
Summing up my thoughts on all of this was hard, not least because the subject is so expansive. But I did my best to convey why the problematic and harmful content in these books is not just an example of something aging poorly or being outdated, while also showing that these issues exist throughout the authors’ body of work, not just within this one series.
How to Write a Book Series as a Pantser
I had a hard learning curve when it came to mapping out and effectively executing a multi-book plot as a pantser (well, plantser, really), and I decided to share some of the tips and lessons I had learned along the way. Hopefully it will make that journey a little easier for other writers out there.
Buzzword Feminism and a Legacy of White Saviours: An In-Depth Review of Spells Trouble
When I say my reading has been bad lately, this is a prime example. Normally I don’t do straight-up book reviews outside of Goodreads and Storygraph, but I’ve decided to experiment with lengthy ones like this for books that I have a lot to say about. In the future, I hope those reviews can be more positive, but that sadly is not the case for this first one. If you’re interested in seeing my thoughts on the world-building and writing of Spells Trouble, as well as my opinion on how the authors’ handled representation of queer characters and POC, then definitely check this one out.
And that’s all I have to share for now. If you like my content and want to see more regular updates from me, follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and/or Medium. I’m @rachaellawrites on all of them.
