Her Favorite Patient is screening Saturday, 7/22 at 12:30 pm at KuBe Art Center Theater (211 Fishkill Ave, 1st Floor, Beacon, NY 12508) and Sunday, 7/23 at 4:30 pm at The Cinehub (20 W Main St, Beacon, NY 12508). Her Favorite Patient is part of a one hour short film program for the Beacon Film Society in conjunction with Beacon Open Studios and Upstate Art Weekend. Sponsored by Ethan Cohen Gallery and Beacon Arts. Tickets by donation with a Q&A to follow each screening.
Directed by Reuben Hernandez
Written by Brady Evan Walker
Starring Barbara Miluski (Girls, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Isabelle Pierre
"In response to last year’s record-breaking heat due to El Niño and impacts from climate change, Indigenous Zenù farmers in Colombia are trying to revive the cultivation of traditional climate-resilient seeds and agroecology systems.
One traditional farming system combines farming with fishing: locals fish during the rainy season when water levels are high, and farm during the dry season on the fertile soils left by the receding water.
Locals and ecologists say conflicts over land with surrounding plantation owners, cattle ranchers and mines are also worsening the impacts of the climate crisis.
To protect their land, the Zenù reserve, which is today surrounded by monoculture plantations, was in 2005 declared the first Colombian territory free from GMOs.
...
In the Zenù reserve, issues with the weather, climate or soil are spread by word of mouth between farmers, or on La Positiva 103.0, a community agroecology radio station. And what’s been on every farmer’s mind is last year’s record-breaking heat and droughts. Both of these were charged by the twin impacts of climate change and a newly developing El Niño, a naturally occurring warmer period that last occurred here in 2016, say climate scientists.
Experts from Colombia’s Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies say the impacts of El Niño will be felt in Colombia until April 2024, adding to farmers’ concerns. Other scientists forecast June to August may be even hotter than 2023, and the next five years could be the hottest on record. On Jan. 24, President Gustavo Petro said he will declare wildfires a natural disaster, following an increase in forest fires that scientists attribute to the effects of El Niño.
In the face of these changes, Zenù farmers are trying to revive traditional agricultural practices like ancestral seed conservation and a unique agroecology system.
Pictured: Remberto Gil’s house is surrounded by an agroforestry system where turkeys and other animals graze under fruit trees such as maracuyá (Passiflora edulis), papaya (Carica papaya) and banana (Musa acuminata colla). Medicinal herbs like toronjil (Melissa officinalis) and tres bolas (Leonotis nepetifolia), and bushes like ají (Capsicum baccatum), yam and frijol diablito (beans) are part of the undergrowth. Image by Monica Pelliccia for Mongabay.
“Climate change is scary due to the possibility of food scarcity,” says Rodrigo Hernandez, a local authority with the Santa Isabel community. “Our ancestral seeds offer a solution as more resistant to climate change.”
Based on their experience, farmers say their ancestral seed varieties are more resistant to high temperatures compared to the imported varieties and cultivars they currently use. These ancestral varieties have adapted to the region’s ecosystem and require less water, they tell Mongabay. According to a report by local organization Grupo Semillas and development foundation SWISSAID, indigenous corn varieties like blaquito are more resistant to the heat, cariaco tolerates drought easily, and negrito is very resistant to high temperatures.
The Zenù diet still incorporates the traditional diversity of seeds, plant varieties and animals they consume, though they too are threatened by climate change: from fish recipes made from bocachico (Prochilodus magdalenae), and reptiles like the babilla or spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus), to different corn varieties to prepare arepas (cornmeal cakes), liquor, cheeses and soups.
“The most important challenge we have now is to save ancient species and involve new generations in ancestral practice,” says Sonia Rocha Marquez, a professor of social sciences at Sinù University in the city of Montería.
...[Despite] land scarcity, Negrete says communities are developing important projects to protect their traditional food systems. Farmers and seed custodians, like Gil, are working with the Association of Organic Agriculture and Livestock Producers (ASPROAL) and their Communitarian Seed House (Casa Comunitaria de Semillas Criollas y Nativas)...
Pictured: Remberto Gil is a seed guardian and farmer who works at the Communitarian Seed House, where the ASPROL association stores 32 seeds of rare or almost extinct species. Image by Monica Pelliccia for Mongabay.
Located near Gil’s house, the seed bank hosts a rainbow of 12 corn varieties, from glistening black to blue to light pink to purple and even white. There are also jars of seeds for local varieties of beans, eggplants, pumpkins and aromatic herbs, some stored in refrigerators. All are ancient varieties shared between local families.
Outside the seed bank is a terrace where chickens and turkeys graze under an agroforestry system for farmers to emulate: local varieties of passion fruit, papaya and banana trees grow above bushes of ají peppers and beans. Traditional medicinal herbs like toronjil or lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) form part of the undergrowth.
Today, 25 families are involved in sharing, storing and commercializing the seeds of 32 rare or almost-extinct varieties.
“When I was a kid, my father brought me to the farm to participate in recovering the land,” says Nilvadys Arrieta, 56, a farmer member of ASPROAL. “Now, I still act with the same collective thinking that moves what we are doing.”
“Working together helps us to save, share more seeds, and sell at fair price [while] avoiding intermediaries and increasing families’ incomes,” Gil says. “Last year, we sold 8 million seeds to organic restaurants in Bogotà and Medellín.”
So far, the 80% of the farmers families living in the Zenù reserve participate in both the agroecology and seed revival projects, he adds."
While many in America are doing their hardest to stifle diverse voices, there is an enormous push back by many invested parties to make sure books are available to all. Today we're highlighting two organizations doing their part.
The first, Authors Against Book Bans, is a national organization that consists of authors, illustrators, translators and more. AABB aims to be a resource for authors who have experience their book being banned and to help local organizations in the fight against book bans. If you are an author or involved in the publishing industry in any way, click on the link to find out more: Authors Against Book Bans.
The second organization, Every Library, is a national organization that anyone interested in the fight can join. The organization tracks legislation that is harmful to schools and libraries, provides crowdfunding for libraries and provides support for people who are fighting book bans in their local vicinity. If you would like to get involved, click on the link to find out more: Every Library
Today's book is from Contributor Crystal. Her choice is Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero. She states that she chose this book because "Gabi is a character that everyone should get a chance to meet. Gabi faces difficult situations with vulnerability, honesty, and an abundance of humor. It's a beautiful, sometimes messy journey of a young woman finding her voice. "
Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
In this groundbreaking William C. Morris Award winner for a YA debut, Gabi's life is a mess--her family, her friends, her attempts at a love life--but writing helps, especially since it turns out she's pretty good at poetry.
Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year of high school in her diary: college applications, Cindy's pregnancy, Sebastian's coming out, the cute boys, her father's meth habit, and the food she craves. And best of all, the poetry that helps forge her identity.
July 24
My mother named me Gabriella, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn't want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, MANY, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was twenty-five. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it's important to wait until you're married to give it up. So now, every time I go out with a guy, my mom says, "Ojos abiertos, piernas cerradas." Eyes open, legs closed. That's as far as the birds and the bees talk has gone. And I don't mind it. I don't necessarily agree with that whole wait until you're married crap, though. I mean, this is America and the 21st century; not Mexico one hundred years ago. But, of course, I can't tell my mom that because she will think I'm bad. Or worse: trying to be White.
If this novel appeals to you, show your support by visiting your local library or purchasing a copy at Bookshop.org.
Start of September edits Rachel Marie Jones Arana, Ana Rose “Nortie Grace” Huntley, Ahnika Elaine Clark, Heather Michele O'Rourke, Judith Eva Barsi (1978 - 1988), JonBenét Ramsey, Meika Dawn “Peeka” Jordan, Sara Sharif, Charlotte Figi, Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Liliana Marie “Lily” Peters, Saffie-Rose Brenda Roussos, Audrii Danielle Cunningham, Norah Lee Howard, 5-year-old Mercedes Losoya, Little Lucy Morgan, Sloan Ella Mattingly, Destiny Arianna Kay Riekeberg, Louis XVII Dauphin of France, Athena Presley Monroe Strand, Pauline “Paultje” Adelaar, Angellika Nicole “Angie” Arndt, Niña Sophia Gabrielle Corullo or Sophie,Charlotte Helen “Char” Bacon, Charlotte Louise Dunn, Kylie Ann Rosset, Naomi Reese Dunmire, Deborah Anne “Debbie” Bricca, Kyleigh Rampley, Kyleigh Leann Rampley, Eliahna “Ellie or Elle” Torres, Layla Marie Salazar, Alexandria Aniyah “Lexi” Rubio, Tess Marie Mata, Makenna Lee “Kenna” Elrod Seiler, Jacklyn Jaylen “Jackie” Cazares, Ahnika Elaine Clark, Ana Rose “Nortie Grace” Huntley, Rachel Marie Jones Arana, Emilie Alice “Em” Parker, Grace Lillian Ford, Three-year-old twins Aisha and Lailani Ford, Leiliana Wright, Arabella McCormack, MCKENNA CLAIRE WETZEL, Olivia Rose “Liv or Livie” Engel, Olivia Twenty Dahl, Olivia-Leigh Picton, Jaquita Mack, Bella Skye “Bellz” Edwards, Natalia Victoria Wallace, Bella Claire Callaway,Delyza Alyze Ortiz Hernandez, Mia Ugalde-Jorris, Mary Beatrice “Mary Bea” Perez, Hope Arismandez, Angel Hope Herrera, Danielle Marie “Danny” Franklin, Emma Catherine Grace Thompson, Katelynn Elizabeth Stinnett, April Sue-Lyn Jones, April Marie Tinsley was an eight-year-old, Cody Paul Chama, Star Hobson, Karla Isabelle Ruth “Karly” Sheehan, Opal Jo Dace Jennings, Amber Rene Hagerman, Lois Janes, Sarah Payne, Alicia Lynn Clark, Tristyn Bailey, Rosalie Avila, Elizabeth Shelley,
I don’t usually do this but my grandmother recently passed away so we started a gofundme to help with funeral expenses. Anything helps and reblogs are greatly appreciated.
My Year Of Dicks (2022) from Sara Gunnarsdottir on Vimeo.
ACADEMY AWARD ® NOMINEE - BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Hilarious and genre-mashing, an imaginative fifteen year-old is stubbornly determined to lose her virginity despite the pathetic pickings in the outskirts of Houston in the early 90’s. This charming, animated, retro-romantic-comedy pulls no punches with its female-forward look at sexual awakening. Created by Pamela Ribon from her critically-acclaimed memoir.
Commissioned by FX Productions
Production Companies: Cat’s Pajamas / Wonder Killer
___________________
Created & Written by Pamela Ribon from her critically-acclaimed memoir "Notes to Boys (And Other Things I Shouldn't Share in Public)"
Directed by Sara Gunnarsdóttir
Produced by Jeanette Jeanenne
Music by Adam Blau
Sound Design by Trevor Gates
Animators:
Josh Shaffner
Grace Nayoon Rhee
Amanda Bonaiuto
Brian Smee
Isabelle Aspin
Kevin Eskew
Cassie Shao
Cast:
Pam - Brie Tilton
Sam - Jackson Kelly
Karina - Klarissa Hernandez
Joey - Chris Elsenbroek
David - Sterling Temple Howard
Wally - Mical Trejo
Robert - Sean Stack
Clint - Dylan Darwish
Dad - Chris Kelman
Mom - Laura House
Natalie - D Ribon Upton
Diane - Martinique Duchene
Kelly - Pamela Ribon
Anais Nin - Pamela Ribon
Teen Driver - Ira Carling
Backgrounds by
Isabelle Aspin
Simon Estrada
CJ Walker
It has been a week filled chock full of information and good books. We hope our posts gave you valuable information or encouraged you to get involved.
If you missed any of our book recommendations click below to find out our favorite banned books.
Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu
The hilarious and heartbreaking confessions of a figure skater turned collegiate hockey player who’s terrified of checking . . . and is desperately in love with the captain of his hockey team.
Eric Bittle is a former Georgia junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and amateur pâtissier. But as accomplished as he is, nothing could prepare him for his freshman year of playing hockey at the prestigious Samwell University in Samwell, Massachusetts. It’s nothing like co-ed club hockey back in the South! For one? There’s checking. Second, there is Jack—his very attractive but moody captain.
A collection of the first half of the mega-popular webcomic series of the same name, Check, Please!: # Hockey is the first in a hilarious and stirring two-volume coming-of-age story about hockey, bros, and trying to find yourself during the best four years of your life.
If this novel appeals to you, show your support by visiting your local library or purchasing a copy at Bookshop.org.
Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
In this groundbreaking William C. Morris Award winner for a YA debut, Gabi’s life is a mess–her family, her friends, her attempts at a love life–but writing helps, especially since it turns out she’s pretty good at poetry.
Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year of high school in her diary: college applications, Cindy’s pregnancy, Sebastian’s coming out, the cute boys, her father’s meth habit, and the food she craves. And best of all, the poetry that helps forge her identity.
July 24
My mother named me Gabriella, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn’t want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, MANY, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was twenty-five. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it’s important to wait until you’re married to give it up. So now, every time I go out with a guy, my mom says, “Ojos abiertos, piernas cerradas.” Eyes open, legs closed. That’s as far as the birds and the bees talk has gone. And I don’t mind it. I don’t necessarily agree with that whole wait until you’re married crap, though. I mean, this is America and the 21st century; not Mexico one hundred years ago. But, of course, I can’t tell my mom that because she will think I’m bad. Or worse: trying to be White.
If this novel appeals to you, show your support by visiting your local library or purchasing a copy at Bookshop.org.
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
When Springville residents–at least the ones still alive–are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have the same explanation . . . Maddy did it.
An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she’s dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington.
After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High’s racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their image: host the school’s first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it’s possible to have a normal life.
But some of her classmates aren’t done with her just yet. And what they don’t know is that Maddy still has another secret . . . one that will cost them all their lives.
If this novel appeals to you, show your support by visiting your local library or purchasing a copy at Bookshop.org.
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
Sixteen-year-old Yamilet Flores prefers to be known for her killer eyeliner, not for being one of the only Mexican kids at her new, mostly white, very rich Catholic school. But at least here no one knows she’s gay, and Yami intends to keep it that way.
After being outed by her crush and ex-best friend before transferring to Slayton Catholic, Yami has new priorities: keep her brother out of trouble, make her mom proud, and, most importantly, don’t fall in love. Granted, she’s never been great at any of those things, but that’s a problem for Future Yami.
The thing is, it’s hard to fake being straight when Bo, the only openly queer girl at school, is so annoyingly perfect. And smart. And talented. And cute. So cute. Either way, Yami isn’t going to make the same mistake again. If word got back to her mom, she could face a lot worse than rejection. So she’ll have to start asking, WWSGD: What would a straight girl do?
Told in a captivating voice that is by turns hilarious, vulnerable, and searingly honest, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School explores the joys and heartaches of living your full truth out loud.
If this novel appeals to you, show your support by visiting your local library or purchasing a copy at Bookshop.org.