Samantha Puc | The Verbal Thing

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In Case You Missed It: A Link Round-Up

I don’t have a newsletter. I’ve started multiple and always fallen off of them, no matter the service, yet every time I see someone mention their newsletter I once again think about starting one. I have accounts on seemingly every possible newsletter creation platform and I’ve even considered taking my blog posts here and simply turning them into newsletters to be mailed out when I post. As you can probably tell, I haven’t done that, and I likely won’t.

Why am I rambling about newsletters? In every attempt I have made at producing one consistently, a core component of what I wrote and sent was a link round-up of work I had published elsewhere. Given that Twitter is dying and I’m still growing my Instagram, making sure my audience sees my work feels harder than it used to be…

So every once in a while, you’ll see a post like this! “In Case You Missed It” will be a link round-up featuring select articles, essays, interviews, and news from recent weeks, all in one spot for your convenience.

In addition to linking my own work, I’ll also provide links to what I’ve been reading, fundraisers, crowdfunding campaigns, and more. My goal with each “ICYMI” post is to share a curated list of content that I think y’all will appreciate, with the dual purpose of making sure my work finds its way to your eyeballs and boosting things that have come across my various feeds.

What I’ve Been Up To:

In late March, I made my Polgyon debut with a piece exploring LGBTQIA+ readings of The Legend of Zelda protagonist Link. My advice: Don’t read the comments.

At the beginning of April, I returned to Autostraddle with an essay about how practicing safe polyamory with my partners has given me the necessary framework to advocate for my health needs, specifically when it comes to my pelvic health. I have a hysterectomy scheduled for next month, which will hopefully close a door in my ongoing chronic illness and disability journey.

Meanwhile, over at The Mary Sue, I’ve been publishing some really fun essays and interviews. Here’s a rapid-fire list of my favorites:

Great Reads:

Because of my hospitalization earlier this month, I haven’t been producing as much work as I normally do. I have, however, been reading other people’s work with the same voracity. I highly encourage you to check out each of these pieces.

Comics & Art

StudioCARTRIDGE has released the first chapter of Lunar Blight, a mature gothic horror webcomic scheduled to update on Wednesdays. This team has created some truly incredible work, including Ghost Junk Sickness, and I cannot wait to see how this new story unfolds.

Other Stuff

💰 Greenlight Bookstore, my former place of work, is closing one of its two locations and laying off approximately half of its union staff. The workers have put together a GoFundMe to support those being laid off, as the company has only offered them two weeks of severance. Donate here.

💆‍♀️ My best friend, Keda, has been creating great YouTube content on her new channel. In the video below, she describes her experiences getting professional massages as a fat, Black woman, and offers tips for navigating the spa industry. Please like, comment, and subscribe to help her grow her channel, especially if this resonates for you!

🧶 The Washi Station has released its Grandmacore Collection, and it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of. I spent the better part of Saturday making a glasses chain with my mother-in-law, and I told her the vibe I wanted was “spooky grandmacore.” I’m so glad to see others making stuff that fits this mold.


Thanks for checking out the first official “ICYMI”! I won’t commit to any particular frequency with these, but they’ll definitely start cropping up more often. What have you been reading? What’s new in the world that excites you? Tell me about it in the comments!


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