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INTERSECTIONALITY   Intersectionality refers to the processes through which a combination of a person’s race, gender, class, religion, and/or sexuality can elicit marginalization. Intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989, highlights that many individuals belong to more than one minority or underprivileged group— for example, a black woman who suffers discrimination based on both gender and race—and as such their encounters with marginalization would be far greater than that of the average black man or white woman. Kamala Harris can be used to effectively explain how intersectionality influences communication and social interactions. Kamala Harris, first female Asian African-American Vice President of the United States of America, who, hailing from two marginalized races in the USA, would have undoubtedly faced an abundance of racism in her personal and professional life. Even more discrimination for her gender in such a male-populated environment as the US government, culminating in a lifelong battle against misogynoir. Intersectionality was a big factor of her election as the Vice President. On one hand, she was called an “angry black woman” by racist and sexist groups, but on the other hand, she was seen by minority groups as a representative of their communities.   Ultimately, her victory into office was a fruit of the tree of her identities as a woman, an Asian, and a black woman. This shows that her value as seen (and not seen) by the majority of the country is largely based on her identities and not necessarily on her merits. As a result, she was largely viewed through the lenses of activism and bigotry respectively, instead of being evaluated based on her personality and merits. Therefore, when people communicate, they should each understand the intersections in identities unique to the other person, but not restrict them to the straitjackets of these identities. Nonetheless, an intersectional approach shows the way that people's social identities can overlap, creating compounding experiences of discriminationand leading to distorted communication. As segmented communities, we mustn’t fail to go deeper than the surface to achieve effective communication.  

It amazes me sometimes, how life seems to always come around full circle, and that certain moments today are somehow connected to moments in our past in the most unexpected ways; I was reminded of that today God surely does work in mysterious ways I lost someone special in my past; someone so very close to me I was so very blind that I couldn't even see what was happening right before my eyes; nor could I hear his many silent cries and I can't help but feel this burden of guilt now for not doing my part to help heal him He left me with a gaping hole beyond my control deep within my heart, and the real truth is, I lack closure Today, an unfortunate news; someone else I once knew, same place, same circumstances but maybe this time; maybe this time I can close that gaping hole I can somehow help to heal his soul, and through him,  make my brother proud ... I miss you Vic, so very much, with love, this is for you ~ ©️ Priya Patel,  Jan 16, 24 🕉

Can’t bust a rhyme No matter how I try Focused on the climb 3 miles up- total high What do I find? A rhythm in the breese Guitar riff in the stream Drums in the Earth’s heart-beat A funky bass in the sunbeams Leaving me to sing. Life’s syncing frequencies Thanks for the read! Kerry~

Sea Queen Once Before By: Aundrea Methvin The sand shifted as the horse’s hooves bounded and the waves pounded the shore Memories flash as the sunset in all its blushing beauty lights the Caribbean Sea White sails glistened as the ship cut through the waves The colors raising as the black and white Jolly Roger rose above the crow’s nest The secret this ship holds is that its tale was never finished For she disappeared just before sunset, yet the horse and rider stared at the beauty that sails just along the reef’s edge Memories of cannon and pistol shots rock her mind “Aye Captain” a ghost pirate murmurs as he tips his hat to her almost bowing as if she were a Queen Then the sea water splashes sending her from her reverie as if to remind her of who she once was She may be a simple farmer now but once she was as fiery as the sea A beauty true but like the cruel mistress that floods her mind she remembers what history forgot to find As in the cliff, a cavern sits as does a ship waiting for high tide and the freedom of the sea A ghost she may be but to be free again she longs to be Away from shore cutlass in hand, her throne the open sea Memories fade but the visions still play The rider still wonders what it could mean The horse turns and runs for dry sand on the beach far from the water’s edge It knows that bad omens come in visions such as this, The ghost had no smell but it was real standing in the wet sand his hat in his hands As if hoping for her return.

Dementia, everyday is a first take!? Ross Dickinson, December 21, 2023 (https://42itus.com/blog/blog/dementia-everyday-is-a-first-take/) Rough draft of the uncharted: By an Alzheimer bound senior. A Gnome (new home) already. signed, I’m actually unkgnown. I moved to Dementia Friendly Baker County during the snowstorm of Christmas 2019. Haven't made any new friends yet.

I recently had an interview on NJ Morning Show about my new book, Creating Your First Novel. It runs 8 minutes. You can watch it here: https://www.onnj.com/videos/creating-your-first-novel-with-hank-quense/(https://www.onnj.com/videos/creating-your-first-novel-with-hank-quense/)

Numbers and I can never agree, And logic supposes they are smarter than me. Two plus two equals four, every time, don't you see? Even though what I need is a five or a three! When balancing my checkbook invariably, I'm bound by the rules, locked in by decree. I just can't change the numbers to satisfy me, Though "out" exceeds "in" to quite a degree. How handy, how dandy, mathematics would be, If two hundred dollars could be made into three! But, I can't bend the rules, treat them easy and free, So numbers and I can never agree. Donovan Baldwin 30 Mar 83

CHORUS ...because I have been wrong the wrong sex the wrong age the wrong skin… the wrong need the wrong dream… June Jordan, “Poem About My Rights, 1980 My new cocktail of choice is Anisette and Anxiety on the rocks; it constantly fuels and feeds me. While my moral fallibility goes unpunished, I look for and look after any tender explosion of thought. I am a calm woman, they say, given to long pauses and quiet rages (if any rages at all). Women like me grow hoarse with apologies. By my 90th birthday, I’ll not be able to vocalize a single syllable. I want to please as much as I want to be pleased, want to revere as much as I want to be revered. Sometimes I curse like a sailor to show I am real; to show I can make my bones with the best/least of them. Understand that all my apologies don’t equal one bad deed, but I make them freely, often with very little conscience to back them. I am bent by all my steam-rolled sins; a flattened shadow, a cocker spaniel rather than the smart, sleek Doberman I’ve always wanted to be. Come with me now, ladies of the evening, ladies of the canyon, ladies of round-table knights. Let’s sing together our apologetic apostasies, allow our faces to supplant the landscape.

Red has always been my favorite color. I love it's depth and warmth. I relish in the joy of the color red. This photo was taken with my iPhone 12 Pro and has not been edited. I was at a BBQ joint in DC with my family and took this in the staircase leading away from the roof top dining area.

Kayla Cook is a writer, artist, and book reviewer based in the USA. She can usually be found reading several books at once or spilling her twisted imagination into the physical world by writing or drawing. Having practiced art from the age of two, she used to daydream of becoming an artist for DreamWorks, but she ultimately set her sights on becoming an author. Books have long been her sanctuary, and it’s her dream to provide for others the adventure, solace, entertainment, and enchantment that so many authors have provided for her. To this end, she’s authored and illustrated a range of works including nine full-length novels and countless novellas, short stories, and poems. While her novels tend to be fantasy, her novellas and short stories generally slip toward the horror end of the spectrum. Kayla is still working to find homes for her stories, but she’s currently in the process of revising them, focusing primarily on her latest novel—a New Adult high fantasy which she plans to make her debut. She also runs two websites, one for book reviews and the other for . . . everything else. If you’d like to connect with Kayla, please feel free to visit her websites and social media. To read her latest short stories, poems, personal musings, and writing tips, please drop by her author website, www.kaylacookauthor.com. There, you’ll also find some of her artwork, including a few pieces of concept art she’s created for her coming debut. To find some great books that are already published, please check out her book reviews at www.kaylacreviews.com. For a full list of her profiles and websites, please click : https://kaylacook.contactin.bio/