In the latest wave of science fiction, authors of color take space to imagine multiple new societies Salon 2 hrs ago The female engine, woman as a machine Getty Stock Photo
The year 1968 was one of racial progress and retreat: the year athletes raised their fists in a Black power salute at the Olympics, the year Martin Luther King Jr. was slain. In the world of science fiction – far ahead in an invented future – the period brought more progress. Star Trek aired the first kiss between two characters of different races on television. And in literature, Ursula Le Guin launched the Earthsea Cycle, a series whose protagonist had red-brown skin, Le Guin s attempt to correct a canon populated by pale heroes.
Pramila Jayapal, Democrat congresswoman for Washington, shares a heartfelt tribute to trans kids across the US as the proud mother of an incredible trans kid . (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/Twitter/@RepJayapal)
Washington lawmaker Pramila Jayapal shared a heartfelt tribute on social media to all trans kids – including her own – in honour of Mother’s Day.
The Democrat celebrates Mother’s Day in the US with a photograph of herself and her child, who came out to her as gender non-conforming in 2018. Jayapal, who was born in Madras, India, represents most of Seattle, Washington. Before entering politics, she worked as a civil rights activist, which has carried into her current career. She is also the mother of two children. Janak, Jayapal’s child from a previous marriage, is non-binary, and Jayapal also has a step-son named Michael.
Born in Trinidad, Monique Roffey is an award-winning author of several books, including six novels. Her memoir, With the Kisses of his Mouth (2011), traced a personal journey of mid-life sexual self-discovery. Her most recent novel, The Mermaid of Black Conch, won the Costa Novel of the Year 2020 and was shortlisted for several other literary awards. Set in a tiny Caribbean village, it features a fisherman whose surprise catch turns out to be a beautiful young woman cursed by jealous wives to live as a mermaid. Monique Roffey appears at Aye Write this week.
Favourite book you read as child? All the Nancy Drew mysteries excited me (female agency) and then all my brothers’ Willard Price books enraptured me (adventure).
Politics
“But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?” –James Madison, Federalist 51
“They had one weapon left and both knew it: treachery.” –Frank Herbert, Dune “They had learned nothing, and forgotten nothing.” –Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord
Biden Administration
HHS tries to put Fauci’s toothpaste back in the tube:
.@SecBecerra: We still want you to be as safe as possible. That s why the indoor policy should still be masking. pic.twitter.com/29hz6PITDg
“Bernie Sanders skeptical of the Biden White House’s dealmaking plan” [Axios]. “Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) indicated to “Axios on HBO” he’s already impatient with the White House’s quest for Republican support for President Biden’s infrastructure package, saying. ‘The American people want results’ and don’t care if these results are achieved with bipartisan votes… [F]rankly, when people got a, you know [ha ], $1,400 check
The Guardian celebrates its 200th birthday with a trio of rousing films
Tony Barry directs the films, which feature a montage of striking photographs that highlight the biggest challenges our planet faces 07/05/2021 9:32 am
Oliver created the campaign to mark a huge milestone for the British paper, which was founded in 1821. Each film is dedicated to a different topic, all of which tie into the Guardian’s editorial mission. Environment explores the ecological impact of humans on the future of the planet and its climate; Equality looks at civil rights and gender issues; and Stories looks back at major world events.