“why don’t you talk about dating when you talk about Beauty?” and other musings.

updates! ALSO I’m doing a book drive in Los Angeles this weekend! be there or be square.

hi hi!

been a second. let me answer a few frequently answered questions.

Listen to this listcle moment right here!

ismatu, where have you been?

grinding. update video below.

ismatu, are you leaving substack?

You’ll see in a second. My relationship to this platform has necessarily changed; it’ll be the subject of my next essay. There will also be a link to where I am choosing to move my more academic, researched essays so please don’t fear being left behind :) All will be revealed soon.

ismatu, how do you find revolutionary optimism amidst manifold reasons to despair?

This summer, instead of drowning my various griefs in workaholism like I normally do, I spent so much time with children I love. I called it the great baby tour of 2024. Children knock you out of despair so quickly. Who has time for that when there’s a two year old showing you a sick new dance move? Kids actually do not care about grief or desperation or any of that— even when they are in desperate circumstances themselves. They care about eating delicious fruit and time with the people they love. What a wonderful reorientation on life.

ismatu, why don’t you talk about dating when you talk about the politics of desirability?

see this live (one of my favorite lives of this year; finally captioned it). dating tends to take up more space in conversations about desirability on the internet than I would like. I answer this question in the first five or so minutes of the live, and then I talk about my own changing relationship to Beauty politics and capital.

ismatu, how can I support you?

Lovely question!! I am doing a book drive for Children’s literature with the Radical Hood Library in like three days.

I know this is short notice!! But come anyways!! I’m working on literacy in the United States and Sierra Leone (both of my homes). Everyone benefits when there is children’s literature around because those texts are designed to keep early readers engaged. I personally am focused on adult literacy, but that does not mean I can just start with adult books and hand them to people who have just learned the English alphabet. Literacy means little bites. So bring your picture books so I can make my dreams of having a mobile library in Sierra Leone a reality!! Thank youuuuuu

If you can’t be there cash assistance is literally always so helpful. It will go to shipping costs and reusable menstrual supplies, as well as buying any texts we might not get donated (like school lined paper workbooks to practice handwriting).

ismatu, are you good?

…yeah. Been a wild year. Almost lost my mom this summer (after almost losing her in spring). I think I’m just now realizing how depressed it made me— the first sign that I’m struggling with my mental is that I completely lose track of time. I’m looking around like… it’s already the end of November? 2024 is almost over? Huh?

But I’m good, thank you for asking. Feeling every day again. Excited to be back to writing.

hope the work of your hands passes through your day with ease.

ig