Jennifer Berney
@jennberney.bsky.social
Author of The Other Mothers: a memoir of queer family-building
Writing coach and developmental editor:
https://www.jenniferberney.com/
https://scrapheap.substack.com/
Learning about CPTSD and neurodivergence
Devoted to the animals
Writing coach and developmental editor:
https://www.jenniferberney.com/
https://scrapheap.substack.com/
Learning about CPTSD and neurodivergence
Devoted to the animals
Pinned
Jennifer Berney
@jennberney.bsky.social
· Nov 28
Low-Demand Parenting Is All About Giving In & These Parents Swear By It
What really changes if you let a kid have a popsicle before dinner? What Amanda Diekman found was: not much and also, everything.
www.romper.com
Earlier this year, I wrote this article on low-demand parenting for Romper. The more I learn about autism and neurodivergence, the the more convinced I am that we need to overhaul our collective definitions of what "good parenting" looks like.
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
It was so much fun to not just work on this post but to highlight the work of so many fantastic writers, including Sue William Silverman, @allisonlanda.bsky.social @kellymcmasters.bsky.social, @jennberney.bsky.social, @eirencaffall.bsky.social, Laura Cathcart Robbins, and so many others.
The challenge of writing memoir is not just how much reflection to include, but in how—and when—you reflect. The more your early reflections hint at how everything is OK now or spell out lessons for the reader, the less mystery.
More at the link from @lisacooperellison.bsky.social.
More at the link from @lisacooperellison.bsky.social.
Don’t Ruin the Mystery: How to Reflect in Memoir Without Giving It All Away | Jane Friedman
What draws readers into your story is the mystery of how you achieved your transformation, so reflection must be handled carefully.
janefriedman.com
May 21, 2025 at 2:57 PM
It was so much fun to not just work on this post but to highlight the work of so many fantastic writers, including Sue William Silverman, @allisonlanda.bsky.social @kellymcmasters.bsky.social, @jennberney.bsky.social, @eirencaffall.bsky.social, Laura Cathcart Robbins, and so many others.
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
What is this hollow argument that says the ongoing problem of the pandemic is isolation? No, the problem is structural abandonment leading to personal abandonment that goes on and on. Isolation is a symptom of the problem. If you treat it as the problem itself, then the problem will never end.
March 15, 2025 at 9:48 PM
What is this hollow argument that says the ongoing problem of the pandemic is isolation? No, the problem is structural abandonment leading to personal abandonment that goes on and on. Isolation is a symptom of the problem. If you treat it as the problem itself, then the problem will never end.
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
Here I react to the shameful behavior of American leaders and media toward the Ukrainian president. No doubt there were more, but I saw five failures on our side: of hospitality, decency, democracy, strategy, and independence. Please watch and share.
snyder.substack.com/p/five-failu...
snyder.substack.com/p/five-failu...
Five Failures in the Oval Office (video)
America hurt itself badly today.
snyder.substack.com
March 1, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Here I react to the shameful behavior of American leaders and media toward the Ukrainian president. No doubt there were more, but I saw five failures on our side: of hospitality, decency, democracy, strategy, and independence. Please watch and share.
snyder.substack.com/p/five-failu...
snyder.substack.com/p/five-failu...
New story up at @craftsmanshipmag.bsky.social! Talking to sign painter Ira Coyne totally changed the way I experience my city.
A Hand-Painted Welcome: Ira Coyne's Lasting Imprint on Olympia
By the late 90s, digital printing was king and hand-painted signage—as well as apprenticeships for sign-painters—were fading fast from the American landscape. Ira Coyne didn't let that hold him back.
craftsmanship.substack.com
February 16, 2025 at 7:51 PM
New story up at @craftsmanshipmag.bsky.social! Talking to sign painter Ira Coyne totally changed the way I experience my city.
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
After calling my reps today, I tried to call the White House to leave a 'comment.' Apparently the business hours of the comment line are Tuesday-Thursday 11-3. Not sure what other business runs with those hours but OK. If you want to let off some steam around midday tomorrow, call 202-456-1111.
February 3, 2025 at 10:16 PM
After calling my reps today, I tried to call the White House to leave a 'comment.' Apparently the business hours of the comment line are Tuesday-Thursday 11-3. Not sure what other business runs with those hours but OK. If you want to let off some steam around midday tomorrow, call 202-456-1111.
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
Ever wonder what snow in the swamp would look like? This is 5 miles into the Louisiana swamps in the Atchafalaya basin... it's unreal... having lived down there for the first 28 years of my life, we never saw anything like this.
Smashed records.
Curtesy of Garrett Roberts.
Smashed records.
Curtesy of Garrett Roberts.
January 25, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Ever wonder what snow in the swamp would look like? This is 5 miles into the Louisiana swamps in the Atchafalaya basin... it's unreal... having lived down there for the first 28 years of my life, we never saw anything like this.
Smashed records.
Curtesy of Garrett Roberts.
Smashed records.
Curtesy of Garrett Roberts.
I borrowed the wordless picture book A Ball for Daisy from the library. Every page had a blue post-it note where an adult had transcribed what a child saw in the picture. I was annoyed until I got to this charming annotation: "The other girl gived the puppy a new ball that wasn't popped"
January 23, 2025 at 10:30 PM
I borrowed the wordless picture book A Ball for Daisy from the library. Every page had a blue post-it note where an adult had transcribed what a child saw in the picture. I was annoyed until I got to this charming annotation: "The other girl gived the puppy a new ball that wasn't popped"
sound on
January 20, 2025 at 5:48 AM
sound on
For The Scrap Heap, I wrote about Tahlequah, and the burdens we impose on the animals we love.
Orca Burdens
Tahlequah in her own language
open.substack.com
January 18, 2025 at 10:19 PM
For The Scrap Heap, I wrote about Tahlequah, and the burdens we impose on the animals we love.
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
Monday morning we are entering a new chapter in this country's history and we are entering it together, with our friends and principles held close and our eyes wide open.
January 18, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Monday morning we are entering a new chapter in this country's history and we are entering it together, with our friends and principles held close and our eyes wide open.
May we all age into our hairstyles this gracefully
January 17, 2025 at 4:57 AM
May we all age into our hairstyles this gracefully
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
The looters I want to talk about are the ones who stole our safe and stable climate from us. Millennia of planetary harm for individuals' profit. They set the fires.
January 10, 2025 at 9:13 PM
The looters I want to talk about are the ones who stole our safe and stable climate from us. Millennia of planetary harm for individuals' profit. They set the fires.
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
Book Giveaway! 📚🎉 Help me test out @laiew.bsky.social's RaffleBlue tool & you may win a paperback copy of I'M BORED by @michaelianblack.bsky.social and me.
TO ENTER: pls Like and re-post. US/Canada only. Winner picked Mon. Hoping to use RaffleBlue as my go-to Bluesky giveaway tool. #BookGiveaway
TO ENTER: pls Like and re-post. US/Canada only. Winner picked Mon. Hoping to use RaffleBlue as my go-to Bluesky giveaway tool. #BookGiveaway
January 3, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Book Giveaway! 📚🎉 Help me test out @laiew.bsky.social's RaffleBlue tool & you may win a paperback copy of I'M BORED by @michaelianblack.bsky.social and me.
TO ENTER: pls Like and re-post. US/Canada only. Winner picked Mon. Hoping to use RaffleBlue as my go-to Bluesky giveaway tool. #BookGiveaway
TO ENTER: pls Like and re-post. US/Canada only. Winner picked Mon. Hoping to use RaffleBlue as my go-to Bluesky giveaway tool. #BookGiveaway
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
Coming to you on 9 Fridays in February-April (2.7-4.11.25)— WRITING TO WITNESS, GRIEVE, AND HEAL: Cultivating Hope and Resilience Through Storytelling and Community. 10 am - 12 pm Pacific on zoom.
Scholarship applications due 1.20. Payment plans. To learn more: www.anneliukellor.com/work-with-me...
Scholarship applications due 1.20. Payment plans. To learn more: www.anneliukellor.com/work-with-me...
Anne Liu Kellor
anneliukellor.com
January 8, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Coming to you on 9 Fridays in February-April (2.7-4.11.25)— WRITING TO WITNESS, GRIEVE, AND HEAL: Cultivating Hope and Resilience Through Storytelling and Community. 10 am - 12 pm Pacific on zoom.
Scholarship applications due 1.20. Payment plans. To learn more: www.anneliukellor.com/work-with-me...
Scholarship applications due 1.20. Payment plans. To learn more: www.anneliukellor.com/work-with-me...
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
What if you lay down on the ground and start screaming and call that writing for the day?
December 20, 2024 at 4:58 PM
What if you lay down on the ground and start screaming and call that writing for the day?
I am still haunted and amazed by this video David Bowie released just three days before his death.
On Bowie's Lazarus
a video I wish we were still talking about
scrapheap.substack.com
December 13, 2024 at 2:47 AM
I am still haunted and amazed by this video David Bowie released just three days before his death.
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
🕯️🌹Nikki Giovanni🌹🕯️
December 10, 2024 at 4:04 AM
🕯️🌹Nikki Giovanni🌹🕯️
I could write forever and ever about the magic of Kim Deal, but I managed to keep this under 1,000 words.
I Want to Move Through Time Like Kim Deal
towards tenderness, with ferocity
scrapheap.substack.com
December 7, 2024 at 10:06 PM
I could write forever and ever about the magic of Kim Deal, but I managed to keep this under 1,000 words.
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
A lot of people think everything will work out if we just play by the rules but don’t seem to recognize that rules only matter when everyone agrees to follow them and, well, that isn’t our present reality.
December 2, 2024 at 2:22 AM
A lot of people think everything will work out if we just play by the rules but don’t seem to recognize that rules only matter when everyone agrees to follow them and, well, that isn’t our present reality.
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
People are leaving Twitter because it’s not fun anymore and no one is obligated to be on a platform they don’t enjoy.
It’s not rocket science.
It’s not rocket science.
December 2, 2024 at 5:03 AM
People are leaving Twitter because it’s not fun anymore and no one is obligated to be on a platform they don’t enjoy.
It’s not rocket science.
It’s not rocket science.
Earlier this year, I wrote this article on low-demand parenting for Romper. The more I learn about autism and neurodivergence, the the more convinced I am that we need to overhaul our collective definitions of what "good parenting" looks like.
Low-Demand Parenting Is All About Giving In & These Parents Swear By It
What really changes if you let a kid have a popsicle before dinner? What Amanda Diekman found was: not much and also, everything.
www.romper.com
November 28, 2024 at 5:15 AM
Earlier this year, I wrote this article on low-demand parenting for Romper. The more I learn about autism and neurodivergence, the the more convinced I am that we need to overhaul our collective definitions of what "good parenting" looks like.
It's been a minute since I laughed this hard
"You may notice our gums bleeding profusely. This is normal and healthy."
Please Accommodate Our Jolly Rancher Diet This Thanksgiving
RE: Thanksgiving Dinner Hi Johnson Clan, We can’t wait to see you all at Cathy’s for Thanksgiving! This is just a reminder that June and I have cho...
buff.ly
November 27, 2024 at 5:06 AM
It's been a minute since I laughed this hard
Reposted by Jennifer Berney
Bluesky has made it. I can once again explain very online things to my not very online wife and have her stare at me, bewildered. We’re back baby!!!!
November 26, 2024 at 6:03 PM
Bluesky has made it. I can once again explain very online things to my not very online wife and have her stare at me, bewildered. We’re back baby!!!!