Stories! Difficulties made visible

[sonia]

I posted "To Each Their Own Demons" story by Midnightmooncatcher, art by Kiriani, when there were only two episodes. It is now complete! A webcomic about two men of color getting to know each other. I like how people relate to each other and themselves in this story.
1. A New Acquaintance
2. Close and Closer
3. A Demon's Worth The third episode adds a lot to the story! I will note that friends hug each other in the first panel, a fond memory from the Before Times.

I've read this one before, but it looks like I didn't post it back in 2018 when it came out. It has a whole new resonance now. Flash fiction about illness from Uncanny Magazine's Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction issue.
This Will Not Happen to You by Marissa Lingen, mrissa.

In the same issue Marissa Lingen also has an essay, Malfunctioning Space Stations and an Interview by Sandra Odell.

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

Yes! I loved how the comic created a way for someone to empathize with other’s pain and not be sticky-sappy about it.

The notion of my demons surrounding me in specific colors and shapes (a cloud of annoying insects) also feels empowering. Like the alien baby metaphor, it reframed my mental health issues as a tangible thing, not a sucking black hole in my head.

I appreciate how precisely mrissa captures the nightmare at the human-medical interface.

[jesse_the_k]

And now I’m pondering whether that icon — Alanna, from the Vaughn/Staples comic epic SAGA — is digital blackface. I used it because it conveys “positive regard,” as well as “I like comics.”

[sonia]

I'll be interested to hear your conclusions. Seems like there's a dynamic balance between representation and appropriation. I only recently learned about digital blackface and have not yet formed opinions about how to evaluate it.

[sonia]

The alien baby metaphor makes sense. I'm glad it makes self-care more clearly possible. Putting the link here in case anyone else wants to follow along. (Slightly borked in your comment.) https://jesse-the-k.dreamwidth.org/177635.html

The Untangling class I'm taking emphasizes disindentification from parts, and in response I've been feeling an impulse to pull my parts closer and say they belong to me, with me, are me. I think both directions are useful.

Yeah, part of that medical nightmare is pretending it doesn't exist!

[jesse_the_k]

Thanks for fixing the link — it’s the “Editor helpfully curling quotes” behavior o(

Is “Parts” from Family Systems Theory?

[sonia]

Inner Relationship Focusing and Family Systems Theory have a lot of similarities, but didn't develop directly one from the other.

[silveradept]

The three-part comic was great to read. Thanks for linking it.

So are the other parts from mrissa, and I'm sure that entire issue will be worth going through.

[sonia]

Glad you enjoyed! Wishing you happy further reading!