My capacity for going down rabbit holes is out of control. As a result, I’ve got hundreds – literally hundreds – of tabs open in my phone’s browser. Yes, I should close them, but I can’t because they may be important some day. If you’re a writer, you’ll understand. This quandary has been troubling me for some time, but I’ve finally come up with a solution that allows me to keep my favorite tabs close at hand while closing them out on my phone. Welcome to the new occasional post series “Too Many Tabs” in which I share five tabs that have been open in my phone browser way too long before I finally close them forever. These first five have been with me for more than two years. đź‘€
How Women Fought Misogyny in the Underground Press, Jeremy Guida
I’m fascinated by the role of indie presses in social change, and I’ve had some ideas of *things* I might like to write in that vein. Perhaps at the time I opened the tab – way back in 2021 – I was doing research on one of those things. Here’s the gist of the article: the socially progressive underground newspapers of the 1960s had a misogyny problem. Most of the editors were men, but women did most of the hard labor. That is until feminist Robin Morgan and other women writers revolted, challenging gender inequality in the underground press scene.
The Magic of Words: North Carolina’s First Witch Trial, Hope Thompson
Here lies the tale of a North Carolina colonist named Susannah Evans of Currituck County who beat the witchcraft rap thanks to Cornelius Jones, a well-known sea captain who served as the foreman of the jury during Susannah’s trial. While Susannah’s reputation was restored, the jury found her accuser guilty of being an “ignoramus,” their word not mine. The original website where I found this article has been hacked (or bewitched), so the tab has been open but apparently not functional for more than a year. However, you can still read a little of it over at UNC’s blog NC Miscellany.
Motif-Index of Folk-Literature, Wikipedia
Stith Thompson, an American folklorist, developed the Motif-Index classification system to catalog and analyze recurring themes, motifs, and narrative elements found in folklore and traditional literature from various cultures. If you’re studying folk narratives, you can use the index to identify and compare motifs across different traditions and tales. The Wikipedia page has an overview of the motif-index that I find useful to contemplate if I’m stuck on a story and need a jolt of inspiration from the ancestors but don’t want the hassle of a ouija board.
Florida Keys History: Sponge Wars in the Early 1900s Pit Greeks Against Conchs, Brad Bertelli
Tarpon Springs, Florida is the “Sponge Capital of the World” due to the natural sponge beds discovered off the coast in the early 1900s. First Bahamian and, later, Greek divers were brought to the area to harvest the profitable sponges. As a result, Tarpon Springs has a higher percentage of Greek-Americans than any other American city. Full disclosure: I’ve never even been to Tarpon Springs, but I’m 100% intrigued by the human drama surrounding this unique work culture as well as the environmental consequences of the overzealous harvesting of sponges. Expect more random articles on Tarpon Springs despite the fact that I have no intention of using the information for anything.
Watch Kurt Vonnegut Explain the Different Shapes of Stories, Katie Yee
Learn how the happiness of a character shapes the movement of a story in a charming 15-minute presentation by lovable, cuddly, good-natured author Kurt Vonnegut.
My I recommend bookmarking websites?
Well, I guess you could, but I also have about four hundred bookmarks from the last several years, so thanks for reminding me that I also have to start going back in time through those. XD