April '24 Myths & Recs
Sexual orientation, Cowboy Carter, mental health recovery, and more
Hello again and welcome to all my new subscribers — thanks for joining! I’ve been on a small hiatus, which was unexpected, but did lead to the piece I will publish next week. Thanks to those already on my list for sticking with me.
Welcome to this month’s Myths & Recs, a short-form post where I share what I’ve been digesting, and nuggets of insight or information I think will be relevant to my readers. Going forward, the pieces I present here won’t have a time stamp; I’ll finish them when I finish them.
Now then, let’s dive in!
First off, some mini myth-busting:
Sexual orientation: isn’t biologically determined the way we think it is. Invented in the 1860s, the idea of a sexual orientation was primarily a tool for scientists to identify those they considered deviant or pathological. It continues today in the “born this way” narrative for queer and trans people, and shores up straightness as genetic and therefore normative. The only problem: there’s no science to back it up. People can’t be so neatly sorted into sexual species. For most of our history we’ve understood this. I think we’re in a political and social moment where it would be a huge help if we could recover that understanding.
Things I’m listening to:
Beyoncé’s new album Cowboy Carter — just like most American genres, country started as Black music. Please treat yourself to this masterpiece! The vocal range, the genre-bending, the beats, the ballads, the bangers, it’s all there and then some.
Can’t Tame Her by Zara Larsson — a surprisingly hypnotic dance track from a Swedish pop sensation, it hearkens back to Miley Cyrus’ 2010 “Can’t Be Tamed” but with 80’s glam, ethereal melodies, and an irresistible thrumming bass.
Whatever We Feel by Sammy Rae & The Friends — a bouncy acoustic folk song, this bubbly piece celebrates friendship, freedom, and fun. Rae’s incredible vocals are complemented by luscious horns and popcorn percussion; it’s a lovely ride!
Mental illness: also isn’t biologically determined, and can be healed. Turns out the bio-medical model was never accurate to begin with. In her powerful memoir Cured,
shows that recovery from mental illness is not just possible, it’s common. As an ADHDer, I distinguish between mental illness/disorder and neurodivergence, meaning I don’t think there’s anything wrong with me to begin with. But I am deeply in need of recovery from trauma for other reasons, and it was so inspiring to learn that the recovery movement is alive and well.Things I’m reading:
Moneyless Society by Matthew Holten — “Moneyless Society: The Next Economic Evolution explores how capitalism throttles Earth's capacity to sustain life and undermines our deep longing to live in peace and prosperity. Fortunately, it also provides a blueprint for innovative thinking and new structures to replace our outmoded monetary system. In short, Moneyless Society illuminates just how much our lives and those of future generations could improve with a new kind of freedom: freedom from money.”
- — “Throughout history, two perspectives on the world have dueled in our minds: the extrinsic—that of mechanism and physics—and the intrinsic—that of feelings, thoughts, and ideas… [The] attempt to reconcile these perspectives is the science of consciousness... The World Behind the World is a grand tour of the state of this science, an exploration of the point where tectonic metaphysical forces meet, often in paradoxical conclusions.”
I just got these two books in the mail, and I’m beyond excited to start reading them! I expect to publish my reflections as I do.
People get more conservative as they get older: I honestly don’t understand why so many believe this, but I hear it all the time, in several variations. I’m starting to think it’s just a slip of the mind, a set of phrases that folks default to in conversation when they’re not thinking too hard about the topic at hand. But beyond anecdotal observation, I want to explore the layers of ageism that often undergird this way of thinking. The young and the old both get a bad rep, especially in the States, and I think that’s to our detriment.
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On the subject of sexual orientation, I agree. That phenomenon—like transgender and related phenomena—is far too complex to be understood on the basis of any one aspect of biology or physiology. Science is examining everything from placement of the SRY gene that begins the masculinization process, to the efficacy of hormones and of their receptors, to the possibility that androgens are perceived by some mothers’ bodies to be invaders. It seems beyond specious to think that we can expect to understand someone else’s sex/gender; we’re lucky if we understand our own.
I am loving Cowboy Carter. This is a genre all its own, and it is stunning!