No Steubenville coverage this week, but I have been reading about the rape crisis in Syria.  It’s an important story and one that’s been largely ignored — or forgotten? — by the other side of the world even as it’s been happening.

I also did some reading about the trial of Kermit Gosnell and his illegal “women’s health center” of horrors, both via Jezebel’s coverage and The Atlantic.  (TRIGGER WARNING for all links here. I couldn’t finish the latter article; I had to stop when a photo scrolled onto the screen.) I remember reading about this a long time ago, but now the particulars are emerging (slowly, as each media outlet seems to recognize that this should have been talked about two years ago) and it’s horrific.  Which makes it all the more imperative that people need to know about what this man and his staff did.  When reproductive choices are limited by law, that doesn’t allow for a woman’s individual situation (whatever that may be).  It allows for things like this: the deaths of women patients and of innumerable, viable infants.  Obviously, Gosnell’s case is an extreme one, but it’s a reminder that illegal abortions still happen, all over the world.

After those articles, you might need something to decompress:

On Monday, Buzzfeed covered the Trans 100, a list honoring 100 American, trans activists and their work.  It’s the first list of its kind, despite there existing (seemingly) yearly lists for the “best”/”hottest”/”most successful” cisgender men and women in X number of publications at X number of supermarket registers across the U.S.  About damn time trans people had their own!  You can read an abridged version of the list at Buzzfeed or download the full list as a PDF at the second link.  More info on the Trans 100 tumblr.

Buzzfeed also lists 17 Shakespearean insults to use in ordinary life, complete with disapproving pictures of cats.

The DIY Couturier writes on “tips to keep your shit together when you’re depressed.”  It’s easy to scorn yourself when you’re depressed, as if you did it on purpose.  That will only make it worse, in my experience.  I found this helpful; maybe you will too.

And as for lit links:

The Rumpus has an article, transcribed from a panel presentation at AWP 2013, on “Post Black? Culture, Craft and Race in Verse.”  I wish I’d seen this panel. 

At The Atlantic, they renew the debate over the usefulness of teaching creative writing and whether life experience or study is best for writers developing their skills.  Experience, the author argues.  Technical skill is nothing if you have no font from which to plumb.  Your thoughts? Feelings?  Opinions?

And lastly, in other news, have you seen this video?