Michelle
@thegreenstudy.com
Writer, Minnesotan, Army Veteran, Bird Nerd, Parent, Spouse, Atheist, GenX. I've named the squirrels in my yard & I swear a lot.
Writing at thegreenstudy.com. She/her.
2025-26 Loft Literary Mentor Fellow in Fiction.
Ruining workplaces since 1985.
Writing at thegreenstudy.com. She/her.
2025-26 Loft Literary Mentor Fellow in Fiction.
Ruining workplaces since 1985.
Pinned
Michelle
@thegreenstudy.com
· Mar 10
"My heart is moved by all I cannot save: so much has been destroyed I have to cast my lot with those who age after age, perversely, with no extraordinary power, reconstitute the world."
Adrienne Rich
Adrienne Rich
Moonlighting, side hustles, and now "polyworking". Anything to avoid calling it what it is, the exploitation of American workers by the obscenely wealthy corps & persons.
apnews.com/article/work...
apnews.com/article/work...
Workers turn to 'polyworking' to combat frozen salaries and inflation
Working professionals in the U.S. are taking on side jobs to supplement their incomes amid frozen salaries, inflation and fear of layoffs.
apnews.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Moonlighting, side hustles, and now "polyworking". Anything to avoid calling it what it is, the exploitation of American workers by the obscenely wealthy corps & persons.
apnews.com/article/work...
apnews.com/article/work...
Reposted by Michelle
Scientists should graduate ready to share what they know, effectively. Even the top science programs in our country do not require science communication and public engagement for their graduates. This is dangerous. Let's change the future. Sign the petition to make a difference: bit.ly/3LbnfHB
November 13, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Scientists should graduate ready to share what they know, effectively. Even the top science programs in our country do not require science communication and public engagement for their graduates. This is dangerous. Let's change the future. Sign the petition to make a difference: bit.ly/3LbnfHB
On Nov. 15th, it's the Day of the Imprisoned Writer. Art is often dismissed - but freely speaking, creating & writing is how we bring attention to injustice, it's how we make things better. This is why authoritarians don't want free speech.
Letter from Jailed Egyptian Poet Galal El-Behairy
This letter announcing a hunger strike from imprisoned poet Galal El-Behairy was shared with PEN America on August 8, 2025.
pen.org
November 13, 2025 at 5:48 PM
On Nov. 15th, it's the Day of the Imprisoned Writer. Art is often dismissed - but freely speaking, creating & writing is how we bring attention to injustice, it's how we make things better. This is why authoritarians don't want free speech.
Reposted by Michelle
Somewhere out there someone who’s the best at what they do is terrified that they have imposter syndrome while a bunch of barely literate pedophiles are very calmly running the world
November 13, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Somewhere out there someone who’s the best at what they do is terrified that they have imposter syndrome while a bunch of barely literate pedophiles are very calmly running the world
After galloping through the morning news (must be done at full gallop lest one decide getting out of bed isn't worth it). My god, this administration...such a bunch of fucking weirdos.
youtu.be/PB-wmOYelnM?...
youtu.be/PB-wmOYelnM?...
Sam the Eagle "You Are All Weirdos!"
YouTube video by Vaughn Michael
youtu.be
November 13, 2025 at 2:17 PM
After galloping through the morning news (must be done at full gallop lest one decide getting out of bed isn't worth it). My god, this administration...such a bunch of fucking weirdos.
youtu.be/PB-wmOYelnM?...
youtu.be/PB-wmOYelnM?...
Growing up on Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young, I hear echos of 70s folk in Humbird's "Child of Violence" (2024).
youtu.be/NhWc-ZuZZ54?...
youtu.be/NhWc-ZuZZ54?...
Humbird - Child of Violence (Official Visualizer)
YouTube video by Humbird
youtu.be
November 13, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Growing up on Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young, I hear echos of 70s folk in Humbird's "Child of Violence" (2024).
youtu.be/NhWc-ZuZZ54?...
youtu.be/NhWc-ZuZZ54?...
"...adulthood will shower you with so many accidental thefts from so many sources that teach you what it means to be she."
Object Lessons by Addie Tsai
I've taken pages of notes from this collection of essays. Expansive, heartbreaking, and triumphant. @electricliterature.com
tinyurl.com/sebtc9pk
Object Lessons by Addie Tsai
I've taken pages of notes from this collection of essays. Expansive, heartbreaking, and triumphant. @electricliterature.com
tinyurl.com/sebtc9pk
Both/And
From Denne Michele Norris and Electric Literature, a vital anthology of essays by trans and gender-nonconforming writers of color, sharing stories of joy, h...
tinyurl.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:47 AM
"...adulthood will shower you with so many accidental thefts from so many sources that teach you what it means to be she."
Object Lessons by Addie Tsai
I've taken pages of notes from this collection of essays. Expansive, heartbreaking, and triumphant. @electricliterature.com
tinyurl.com/sebtc9pk
Object Lessons by Addie Tsai
I've taken pages of notes from this collection of essays. Expansive, heartbreaking, and triumphant. @electricliterature.com
tinyurl.com/sebtc9pk
Doing useful research to find more words to call members of the current administration. Oof. Love my Brit insults, but "toerag/towrag" is super gross when you read about the nautical etymology. Hence, also perfect for the purpose.
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?t...
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?t...
Urban Dictionary: Tow Rag
Tow Rag: Means a low-life, scum, or loser. Originally a British Royal Naval term. This was a long piece of rope, either frayed at the end, or with a bit of...
www.urbandictionary.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Doing useful research to find more words to call members of the current administration. Oof. Love my Brit insults, but "toerag/towrag" is super gross when you read about the nautical etymology. Hence, also perfect for the purpose.
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?t...
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?t...
I've returned to falling in love with music like I did growing up. Streaming instead of wornout cassette tapes, but listening to an artist's album in the order they intended. And repeatedly. Latest obsession is Malena Cadiz's album Hellbent & Moonbound. Poetic lyrics.
youtu.be/PBkX8zaREqA?...
youtu.be/PBkX8zaREqA?...
Malena Cadiz "Call It a Night" - Live at Gold Diggers Sound
YouTube video by Malena Cadiz
youtu.be
November 12, 2025 at 6:04 PM
I've returned to falling in love with music like I did growing up. Streaming instead of wornout cassette tapes, but listening to an artist's album in the order they intended. And repeatedly. Latest obsession is Malena Cadiz's album Hellbent & Moonbound. Poetic lyrics.
youtu.be/PBkX8zaREqA?...
youtu.be/PBkX8zaREqA?...
Menopause reminds me that I don't have to listen to incompetent assholes. Life is too short.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
The many problems with the FDA’s big menopause announcement
No, it doesn't kill women or cause divorce.
www.motherjones.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Menopause reminds me that I don't have to listen to incompetent assholes. Life is too short.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Ooh. Just sent some Mormons on their way. The last time they approached me, I was 7 mos pregnant getting off the city bus. I just looked at them & said "No". Most religions are misogynistic as hell & only serve to perpetuate a hierarchy where I am a 2nd class citizen. No, buddy, bless YOU.
November 12, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Ooh. Just sent some Mormons on their way. The last time they approached me, I was 7 mos pregnant getting off the city bus. I just looked at them & said "No". Most religions are misogynistic as hell & only serve to perpetuate a hierarchy where I am a 2nd class citizen. No, buddy, bless YOU.
Reposted by Michelle
Soldiers have a moral responsibility to refuse illegal orders. It’s our duty to remind them of this fact.
ICE Is Functioning Like an Occupying Army. I Know Because I Served in One.
Veteran-led protests against Trump’s National Guard deployments encourage soldiers to resist Trump’s illegal orders.
buff.ly
November 11, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Soldiers have a moral responsibility to refuse illegal orders. It’s our duty to remind them of this fact.
Just saw the Joyce Carol Oates/Elon Musk exchange. When the world's richest man whines that JCO "delights in being mean" - what an accolade! Imagine having more money than any human should have and being such soggy rot. Go feed some children, assface.
lithub.com/elon-musk-ge...
lithub.com/elon-musk-ge...
Elon Musk gets roasted on his own platform by Joyce Carol Oates.
Like an ancient cyborg culling through the ruins of a post-apocalyptic planet (twitter, derogatory), Joyce Carol Oates recently fired her full-power death ray at aspiring trillionaire Elon Musk, wh…
lithub.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Just saw the Joyce Carol Oates/Elon Musk exchange. When the world's richest man whines that JCO "delights in being mean" - what an accolade! Imagine having more money than any human should have and being such soggy rot. Go feed some children, assface.
lithub.com/elon-musk-ge...
lithub.com/elon-musk-ge...
Reposted by Michelle
For the past few years, I have partnered with @blackbirdletterpress.com around this time of year on a handmade notebook. Proceeds support REBUILD. I am so excited to share this year's notebook inspired by Gwendolyn Brooks's words. www.blackbirdletterpress.com/limited-edit... - limited edition
Magnitude and Bond notebook for REBUILD by Blackbird Letterpress — Blackbird Letterpress
Magnitude and Bond notebook for REBUILD by Blackbird Letterpress. Partnering with Mariame Kaba to raise funds findmeatherapist.org. A letterpress printed journal with snippet of Gwendolyn Brooks poem,...
www.blackbirdletterpress.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:44 PM
For the past few years, I have partnered with @blackbirdletterpress.com around this time of year on a handmade notebook. Proceeds support REBUILD. I am so excited to share this year's notebook inspired by Gwendolyn Brooks's words. www.blackbirdletterpress.com/limited-edit... - limited edition
I celebrate this Veteran's Day by reminding everyone that the Commander-in-Chief is a felon who has never served anyone except himself & that a white supremacist, misogynistic shit-talking scumbag is the Secretary of Defense. We've never been less safe. They dishonor the memory of every veteran.
November 11, 2025 at 2:37 PM
I celebrate this Veteran's Day by reminding everyone that the Commander-in-Chief is a felon who has never served anyone except himself & that a white supremacist, misogynistic shit-talking scumbag is the Secretary of Defense. We've never been less safe. They dishonor the memory of every veteran.
Reposted by Michelle
Reminder this Veterans Day: While comprehensive data on the relationship between military service & incarceration is not available, one thing is clear -
The U.S. has left many veterans behind & does not provide enough support for one of the most vulnerable populations. 🧵
The U.S. has left many veterans behind & does not provide enough support for one of the most vulnerable populations. 🧵
November 11, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Reminder this Veterans Day: While comprehensive data on the relationship between military service & incarceration is not available, one thing is clear -
The U.S. has left many veterans behind & does not provide enough support for one of the most vulnerable populations. 🧵
The U.S. has left many veterans behind & does not provide enough support for one of the most vulnerable populations. 🧵
Going to ignore people who value partisan unity over solving actual problems. We don't help Dems by patting them on the head every time they barely miss fucking up. If you want a stronger, more defiant party you have to push them to be that. Raise your expectations. Get that bar off the floor.
November 10, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Going to ignore people who value partisan unity over solving actual problems. We don't help Dems by patting them on the head every time they barely miss fucking up. If you want a stronger, more defiant party you have to push them to be that. Raise your expectations. Get that bar off the floor.
Reposted by Michelle
tl;dr: the tentative Senate budget deal sucks.
The deal still needs a final vote to pass the Senate, and it must pass the House. There's still room here for course correction with heavy constituent pressure, but it's moving fast.
Call your Senators & House Rep NOW 👉 5calls.org/issue/federa...
The deal still needs a final vote to pass the Senate, and it must pass the House. There's still room here for course correction with heavy constituent pressure, but it's moving fast.
Call your Senators & House Rep NOW 👉 5calls.org/issue/federa...
November 10, 2025 at 7:16 PM
tl;dr: the tentative Senate budget deal sucks.
The deal still needs a final vote to pass the Senate, and it must pass the House. There's still room here for course correction with heavy constituent pressure, but it's moving fast.
Call your Senators & House Rep NOW 👉 5calls.org/issue/federa...
The deal still needs a final vote to pass the Senate, and it must pass the House. There's still room here for course correction with heavy constituent pressure, but it's moving fast.
Call your Senators & House Rep NOW 👉 5calls.org/issue/federa...
Reposted by Michelle
🚨 The shutdown isn’t over. The Senate vote was a procedural step, not a deal. Nothing is reopening. Nothing is fixed. Eight Democrats helped move an old GOP bill while families go unpaid and SNAP stays frozen.
Flood the lines. Call your Senators.
☎️ (202) 224-3121
🧵1/2
Flood the lines. Call your Senators.
☎️ (202) 224-3121
🧵1/2
November 10, 2025 at 4:51 PM
🚨 The shutdown isn’t over. The Senate vote was a procedural step, not a deal. Nothing is reopening. Nothing is fixed. Eight Democrats helped move an old GOP bill while families go unpaid and SNAP stays frozen.
Flood the lines. Call your Senators.
☎️ (202) 224-3121
🧵1/2
Flood the lines. Call your Senators.
☎️ (202) 224-3121
🧵1/2
Reposted by Michelle
“The truth is, my mom would not have died if immigration had not deported her."
Nory's mother, Estela, had health issues and died months after deportation because she couldn't access the care she needed to survive.
No one should be deported to their death.
https://bit.ly/3XkRjDv
Nory's mother, Estela, had health issues and died months after deportation because she couldn't access the care she needed to survive.
No one should be deported to their death.
https://bit.ly/3XkRjDv
Nory and her mother were deported together. Then she was orphaned.
Estela’s death at 45 followed her rapid deportation, leaving her teenage daughter to navigate a new life in Guatemala on her own — afraid of the same gang violence her mother originally fled.
19thnews.org
November 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM
“The truth is, my mom would not have died if immigration had not deported her."
Nory's mother, Estela, had health issues and died months after deportation because she couldn't access the care she needed to survive.
No one should be deported to their death.
https://bit.ly/3XkRjDv
Nory's mother, Estela, had health issues and died months after deportation because she couldn't access the care she needed to survive.
No one should be deported to their death.
https://bit.ly/3XkRjDv
From childhood to my 20s I rarely went to doctors or dentists, because I couldn't afford it. The 7 largest health insurers raked in $71.3 BILLION in 2024 profit. No ACA subsidies? Capitalist-sanctioned deaths will rise. Health care should be a right, not just for the privileged. #UBI #Medicareforall
November 10, 2025 at 12:33 PM
From childhood to my 20s I rarely went to doctors or dentists, because I couldn't afford it. The 7 largest health insurers raked in $71.3 BILLION in 2024 profit. No ACA subsidies? Capitalist-sanctioned deaths will rise. Health care should be a right, not just for the privileged. #UBI #Medicareforall
Reading Hahrie Han's Moved to Action. It explains so much about why establishment Dems are failing & the GOP is destroying this country. Winner Mamdani focused on daily living issues - stayed on message & didn't throw groups under the bus. Motivating & personal politics.
www.sup.org/books/politi...
www.sup.org/books/politi...
Moved to Action | Stanford University Press
Wealthy, educated, and more privileged people are more likely to participate and be represented in politics than their poorer, less educated, and less privileged counterparts. To reduce these inequali...
www.sup.org
November 10, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Reading Hahrie Han's Moved to Action. It explains so much about why establishment Dems are failing & the GOP is destroying this country. Winner Mamdani focused on daily living issues - stayed on message & didn't throw groups under the bus. Motivating & personal politics.
www.sup.org/books/politi...
www.sup.org/books/politi...
Every "moderate" Democrat deserves to lose their job. Moderate in current parlance means not a fighter for their constituents, but a kowtower to the regime. Cowardice and short-term thinking will put the country under authoritarian rule for years to come and crush its citizens.
November 10, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Every "moderate" Democrat deserves to lose their job. Moderate in current parlance means not a fighter for their constituents, but a kowtower to the regime. Cowardice and short-term thinking will put the country under authoritarian rule for years to come and crush its citizens.
Stuttered through phonecalls to my Dem Senators to not kowtow Schumer-style to GOP extortion. 5calls.org is extremely useful - gives you all the info you need to contact your reps, including a script (although I still stuttered through that).
5 Calls
Spend 5 minutes. Make 5 calls. Make your voice heard.
5calls.org
November 10, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Stuttered through phonecalls to my Dem Senators to not kowtow Schumer-style to GOP extortion. 5calls.org is extremely useful - gives you all the info you need to contact your reps, including a script (although I still stuttered through that).
Reposted by Michelle
Can’t make it up. The name of the Indianapolis suburb where a homeowner killed Maria Florinda Rios Perez on his front steps, as she stood next to her husband, ready for another day of cleaning other people’s houses?
Whitestown.
Whitestown.
House cleaner shot to death on front porch after going to wrong house in Indianapolis suburb
Authorities are considering whether to charge an Indiana homeowner who they say shot and killed a woman working as a house cleaner after she came to the wrong address.
apnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Can’t make it up. The name of the Indianapolis suburb where a homeowner killed Maria Florinda Rios Perez on his front steps, as she stood next to her husband, ready for another day of cleaning other people’s houses?
Whitestown.
Whitestown.