#beacon press

[uwmspeccoll]

Steamy Saturday

We hold a considerable collection of pre-1970s romance pulp fiction, including queer romances and nurse romances. So, over the next several weeks we will be highlighting some of these titles with their suggestive covers and provocative blurbs.

For Pride Month, we begin the series with March Hasting's Three Women published by Beacon Books, an imprint of Universal Publishing and Distributing Corp., in 1958. The storyline is classic 1950s lesbian romance fiction: a young woman (Paula Temple) meets mister right (Phil Carson), but soon falls for Phil's wealthy aunt Bryne, an artist who lives in Greenwich Village, who herself is in a relationship with another artist, Greta. So many entanglements, you need a flow chart to keep track!

Here, the cover art offers stereotypical 1950s butch/femme imagery, while sensationalist language entices the reader: "An intimate picture of women in love -- with each other!"; "A courageous excursion into a forbidden world."; "Phil Carson strove with all his strength and virility to rescue Paula from unnatural desire." In the end (spoiler!), tragedy befalls both Bryne and Greta, while Paula, not surprisingly, returns to Phil. This is not the ending Hastings, one of the pseudonyms for lesbian pulp fiction writer Sally Singer (b. 1930), wanted for her story, as it did not reflect her own lived experience. Wikipedia quotes Singer as saying,

I really had no choice in the matter. . . . We all know the publishing climate in those days: same sex affection is out of the mainstream loop in this country, therefore, give it to us overtly for fun and games (hetero titillation) but make sure you tack on an ending of misery, punishment, sadness—that was the commercial voice, loud and distinct.

When Naiad Press republished Three Women in the late 1980s, Singer rewrote the optimistic ending for her characters that she always intended. "I don't believe in sadness," Singer said.

View other pulp fiction posts.

[desoax]

The US Department of Health and Human Services defines "social determinants of health" (SDOH) as "the conditions in the environment where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship and age that affects a wide range of health, functioning and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. A disease or healthcare issue is seldom the result of one isolated event but rather a series of interconnected events. These conditions and events are influenced by the amount of education a person has, their income, and social support. They are impacted by the physical environment one lives in (which, in turn, is heavily influenced by education and then job access, beginning with safety considerations, as well as exposures to environmental pollutants). SDOH also include the accessibility of healthcare services, as well as the easy access to fresh, unprocessed foods and to sidewalks and parks, which are conducive to exercise and thus help manage and maintain optimal health. This is a scholarly way of saying that where you live, what biases you face, how much money you have, what life skills you're taught, and how much violence you witness or participate in largely determines how healthy—or unhealthy—you are until the day you die. And for those who don't have enough education or job opportunity, who are forced to accept cheaper housing in unsafe and environmentally unsound neighborhoods, that death is far more likely to be premature.

Treating Violence: An Emergency Room Doctor Takes On a Deadly American Epidemic, by Rob Gore, MD (pg 76)

[revlyncox]

Highly recommended for anyone interested in disability studies or religious studies, and definitely if you are interested in both, "Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole" is part memoir, part theology, part invitation to our spiritual imagination. Check out the plain language pieces related to this book on the Beacon Press website.

[graphicpolicy]

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States is some fascinating history

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States is some fascinating history #comics #graphicnovel

In stunning full color and accessible text, a graphic adaptation of the American Book Award winning history of the United States as told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples—perfect for readers of all ages Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s influential New York Times bestseller exposed the brutality of this nation’s founding and its legacy of settler-colonialism and genocide. Through evocative full…

[brainrockets]

When I was telling my brother about my crisis re: do fungrils have bones he was like 'you should ask Aabria, she should probably know.' And like yes, but then I was like, 'oof maybe I should finish watching the menagerie content and see if they already answered that question for Sweetpea.'

And that's why I remembered to subscribe to Beacon.tv. (and then forgot to watch because I'm so stressed with my move that I had to watch British people charmingly do and solve murders)

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Jane Brewington - Are You There, God ? - Beacon Hill Press - 1975

[officialbruciewayne]

mr wayne, i’d like to introduce you to what the youth call minion memes :)

apparently, people your age find them funny. what are your thoughts?

I feel threatened, somehow...

[banji-effect]

If nothing else, we can look forward to reading books. Pretty stoked to get into this one

[midnightmoonbeams]

Buizilla wants players to use their beacons. tsupidkun says, Let's get inking aephalorock drew Jace ? pupa drew a smallfry with an option to kiss. Missmisimo wants to know where Spyke is (just wait untril Spring!).

From October 7th, 2022

[jonathanbowmanus]

[homielander]

every once in a while i remember that nobody in season 3, not even annie or MM, ever bothered to bring up the very valid point that maybe the boys shouldn't be hunting and killing supes who haven't actually done anything wrong (at least to their knowledge), and i am filled with rage all over again

[expendablemudge]

THE CANCER FACTORY: Industrial Chemicals, Corporate Deception, and the Hidden Deaths of American Workers by Jim Morris via Beacon Press Books, got 5* from me: https://expendablemudge.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-cancer-factory-industrial-chemicals.html

[rapono-writes-stuff]

Are you still gonna do that subnautica fic you mentioned? Or did it get cancelled?

Okay so fun fact: I'm pretty sure I got the sparse reef mixed up with the dunes, or at least the specific cave I used as reference, since eyestalks don't grow in the dunes. Actually I should go boot up the game and try to find the spot again. I think I put a beacon by it in my most recent survival save file.

Anyways I do hope to finish it eventually, it's about halfway done currently, just got stuck on the pacing and sequence of events. I might have to adjust the descriptions tho based on that cave I mentioned when I find it again.

[graphicpolicy]

Under the Banner of King Death tells the story of what piracy was really like in the 18th century

Under the Banner of King Death tells the story of what piracy was really like in the 18th century #comics #comicbooks #graphicnovel

Under the Banner of King Death: Pirates of the Atlantic, a Graphic Novel is a graphic exploration of the resistance and radical vision of18th century pirates Story: Marcus RedikerEditor: Paul BuhleArt: David Lester Get your copy in comic shops! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links…

[madeofvoid]

Valid points, all of it. I'm not anti china for any of the above reasons.

I'm just not over the laundry detergent advertisement.

Like I haven't forgiven the US for shit like that and I live here. Great post, but China can fuck right off until 2050 imo.

Just try looking for a positive story on China any day of the week in any of the leading global media outlets. Apart from reports in January about the Lunar New Year, there will hardly be any, and these too are likely to have a negative spin. It would appear there is a confidential memo circulating within Western media groups that guides reporters and editors to ensure there cannot be any positive news arising from a country with 1.3 billion people.

Typically, the negative stories adhere to three core ideas, which inform the unspoken guidelines within these press rooms when it comes to reporting on China.

First is the belief that China is a threat to the world and that this belief must be relentlessly reinforced at every available opportunity. How and why China is a threat is never explored; such is the deep-rooted and almost religious nature of the belief. Sound arguments do not matter. The basic tenets of good journalism are ignored when it comes to a China story. There is no need to explain or give evidence of why China is a global threat.

Left ignored is the plentiful evidence that shows China is not a global threat – even if one can point to mistakes and overreach in certain areas. China has not invaded any country in decades, or imposed sanctions that have devasted the lives of millions in poor countries, unlike the West, led by the United States.

Second is that China must be linked to every possible global event that affects the West. This provides an opportunity for the West to bash China while simultaneously burnishing its own credentials as the supposed arbiters of what is right and wrong in international relations. From the pandemic to the Russia-Ukraine war to carbon emissions; from rising sea levels to the scramble for rare earths; from the building of infrastructure in Africa to the production of vaccines – there must be an angle to demonize the country and instill fear in Western nations (and beyond).

Indeed, media outlets are reverting to the “yellow peril” of the late 1800s. There is no subtle and nuanced approach to instilling fear like this. It is full-on and very often blatantly racist – but it is now acceptable for one to be racist about the Chinese in Western media, despite the fact that Black-White relations are very carefully described.

The third part of this phenomenon, which is surprisingly not challenged by liberal readers of mainstream media, is the sentiment that everything must be done – even illegal and unfair methods – to arrest the rise of China. Never mind the rights of hundreds of millions of Chinese to have a better life after a century of poverty and deprivation.