Five Star Friday's 200th Edition Is Brought to You By David Rakoff

This week's Five Star Friday is brought to you by gun violence in America, the reality of being on government aid, altruism and vanity, being a femme, hitting mid-life, religious right lobby dollars, the lack of proper constructive criticism in blogging, overt racism, rape culture, and, in honour of his untimely death, David Rakoff:

There are many things in this world that are an outrage, to be sure, but death at our current life expectancy doesn’t strike me as one of them. Maybe I sound like some Victorian who felt that forty years ought to be enough for any man, but one of the marks of a life well lived has to be reaching a state of finally getting it, of not needing more, and of being able to sign off with something approaching peace of mind.

     — David Rakoff

Happy Friday!

"How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: A Remembrance" by Kiese Laymon at Gawker:

I wonder what all three of those children of our nation really remember about how to slowly kill themselves and other folks in America the day before parts of them definitely died under the blue-black sky in Central Mississippi.

"Assumptions Are for Assholes" from Brittany Herself:

Contrary to what politicians say, there is no fun or sense of entitlement in government aid. And they could counter, well you were the exception, something happened to you that was out of your control, and you needed it temporarily.

But, sitting in the Department of Health office with my three small children, I can promise you, I wasn’t the exception at all. Everyone in that waiting room looked like me. Down on their luck and totally humiliated to be there.

"The Halfway Point" from Surrender Dorothy:

I am halfway, and for some that would seem a bad thing, but for me it feels glorious. If I am lucky enough to achieve the average lifespan in the United States, I will have another whole 39 years to become twice as good as I am tonight, twice as meaningful.

"Dual Motivation" from Studio Liz:

I threw my tunic-clad self back into supporting women in crisis. Having to focus on the needs of others kept my mind off my weight and related compulsion to stuff french fries into my mouth until the salt eroded my gums. The weight dropped. The biscuit roll stayed. Regardless, I felt an intoxicating sense of altruism laced with vanity.

"Be Inspired" from zenhabits:

Don’t wait for inspiration to strike — you have to meet it halfway. If you want to be hit by lightning, go out in a thunderstorm with a metal rod. Scream at the thundering gods, daring them to strike you.

"Body Image: I'm a Femme" by Melissa Heckman at Disruptive Women In Health Care:

Femmes have healed my heart but butches brought me home to my body and stimulated my reclamation of my sexuality. I never felt beautiful until I was loved by butches. My sexuality never felt powerful until I knew butch love. Every time a butch touches the small of my back, kisses my mouth, and holds me in her arms I ease further into myself. My body is now a safe place to reside, a place I want to stay rather than a place I try to escape.

"Chick-Fil-A: Eat, Pray, Love" by Deb Rox at Babble.com:

If we were in denial before, there’s no way to ignore it now. Southern chicken quick-fried in religious right lobby dollars makes for a combo meal that feeds the suppression of equal rights. Can we have waffle fries with that?

"The Craft of Writing and Our Community" from Ill Seen, Ill Said:

Blogs got going, in no small part, as a result of dissatisfaction with mainstream, traditional media. But now blog and indie publication content often has significantly less editorial integrity, with content often sourced from a limited pool of popular contributors, many of whom have little interest in writing as a profession or an art. Fair enough, some people’s talent lies in photography, illustration, design and style. And both of us admire (and frequently gasp over) their obvious talent. But the writing does count for something too, and it’s disappointing that equal energy is not devoted to it in such publications and that serious writers are turned away and discouraged.

"Open Letter to the Boxercise Racist" from Uncle Typewriter:

You see it’s unfortunate for you that after years of being bullied, taunted and discriminated against because of my skin colour, I don’t take that shit lying down any more. Gone are the days I would lower my eyes and retreat to a corner to lick my wounds and I guess you caught me during a particularly racist week what with all the Save the Pearls debates and what not because you certainly seemed shocked when I in turn called you a racist sack of shit.

"#322 & #323 “My friend group has a case of the Creepy Dude. How do we clear that up?”" from CaptainAwkward.com:

This is how far Rape Culture skews our vision. Being sexually harassed and assaulted is seen as something that you should be cool (i.e. quiet) about. But GOD FORBID you break up the weekly games night with the temerity to be a victim of such a crime! Don’t you know that your harasser has the best table for playing Settlers of Cataan?

Please come back and share good writing with us over the coming week to be featured on the next Five Star Friday. If you have read a really good piece on someone else's weblog, submit it by Thursday at midnight CST to have it featured on Five Star Friday.

And because you are a fan of finding good new writing on the internet:

• Subscribe — Subscribe to this website to keep up with us every week.
• Show your pride — Take one of our badges for your website and spread the word.

Comments

[frelle]

Great list as always! Thank you for curating and sharing!

[Laurie]

Some weeks I love you more.

I wish you could filter the whole Internet.

[Deb Rox]

200!!!!! Congratulations. You are the hardest working woman in North America.

Thank you so much for including me, and more importantly for all of the awesome stuff I only find because of you.

[deborah quinn]

I echo all these sentiments and add that your writing and your curating make the internet a better place to live. Wait. No, I don't *live* on the internet, do I? No, no, there's another life, I think, where there is actual flesh? Hmm....
Anyway. Thanks.

[Blondie]

Fantastic choices! I especially love the piece by my sister, of course. (Rita Arens)

[KeAnne]

Thank you for curating great writing week after week! I always look forward to receiving the email notification that the werk's issue is up.