Here are a few of the past newsletters that you probably missed (which I'm still super proud of!)

A celebration of the special education teacher who saved me from slipping thru the cracks when I had a severe learning disability:

https://buttondown.email/charliejane/archive/the-teacher-who-saved-my-life-and-made-me-a-writer/

An essay about my late father and his journey toward accepting my transition:

https://buttondown.email/charliejane/archive/the-story-i-like-to-tell-about-my-father/

"The story I like to tell about my father doesn’t end with his death."

Seven wrong lessons that everybody learned from the success of Game of Thrones:

https://buttondown.email/charliejane/archive/7-wrong-lessons-that-creators-learned-from-game/

"If you actually go back and watch the first episode of Game of Thrones, you’ll be startled by how friendly and cheerful a lot of it is. People smile and show affection."

To survive COVID, indie bookstores had to reimagine what it means to be a bookstore:

https://buttondown.email/charliejane/archive/to-survive-a-year-of-covid-indie-booksellers-had/

A heavily reported piece about all the creative strategies indie booksellers figured out to get through a uniquely challenging time. Support local bookstores! <3

Here's a tribute to John Ostrander, one of the all-time great comics writers who co-created Suicide Squad and Grimjack, and did amazing work with Batman and Star Wars:

https://buttondown.email/charliejane/archive/if-you-like-the-suicide-squad-you-ought-to-love/

"The best word I can come up with for Ostrander’s writing is 'humane.'"

Three Factors That Make a Community Fall Apart in the Face of Disaster

https://buttondown.email/charliejane/archive/three-factors-that-make-a-community-fall-apart-in/

"People are capable of so much generosity after some disasters — but when it comes to covid and climate change, we're hopelessly divided and plagued with denial."

All The Steps That REO Speedwagon Took In Their Unsucccessful Attempt To Fight This Feeling

https://buttondown.email/charliejane/archive/all-the-steps-that-reo-speedwagon-took-in-their/

"They attempted to form a multilateral commission to explore forming a united front against this feeling."

A Few Ways of Thinking About "Cancel Culture"

https://buttondown.email/charliejane/archive/a-few-ways-of-thinking-about-cancel-culture/

"I increasingly think it's not helpful to say of someone, 'They have been canceled.' Passive voice lets people avoid accountability for their actions. The phrasing I prefer is, 'They have disgraced themself.'"

J.K. Rowling and "Separating the Art from the Artist"

https://buttondown.email/charliejane/archive/jk-rowling-and-separating-the-art-from-the-artist/

"This hypothetical separation of the person from the thing they created always rankles me a little bit — because I don't think marginalized creators, including trans creators, ever quite get that luxury."