Issue 5: Like a dog biting the wind
A new poem, inclusive sex ed, and my all-time favorite TED Talk.
Welcome back, Strawberries, and welcome to all the newly-initiated (Fresh) Strawberries!
How does that feel as a name for all you lovely subscribers? Maybe you prefer…Dreidels? Spinsters? (Maybe not.) Idk! If you have strong thoughts, let me know!
Either way, thanks so much for being here; I’m grateful to have you on this journey. As a refresher on what to expect, this is a weekly-ish newsletter where I’ll share mostly a) Poetry, b) Impact work, and c) Miscellaneous delights to brighten or add intrigue to your day.
Let’s get to it!
1. Poem: “Depth Perception” (Sky Island Journal)
Have you ever shared a powerful, profound experience with someone – a friend, a partner, a stranger? – and afterward, life’s momentum yanks you in different directions, leaving the future of your relationship hanging in the balance? That’s what my poem is about. (Pro tip: Tap the link, then scroll down ‘til you see my face; it’s the second entry.) An excerpt:
2. Article: “How Sex Ed’s Benefits Go Beyond Contraception and STI Prevention” (BESAFE Media)
When Elena Mezhanskaia left Russia to attend college in the US, she took stock of her homeland’s climate around sex ed: Minimal learning beyond the basics of reproductive anatomy. Anti-LGBTQIA+ “propaganda” laws. And a lack of safe, inclusive online spaces for young people to have conversations around sexual health, relationships, and beyond.
Elena knew there was an audience for – and real value in – creating a “social media safe space” for Russian youth, so in January 2021, she founded BESAFE. The company’s Russian-language Instagram quickly amassed thousands of followers, and the team built out both its online content and in-person programming. Now, the 23-year-old has created BESAFE Media, an English-language platform, with the goal of bringing real talk and inclusive education to a global audience. I’ve worked with Elena on the site’s branding, messaging, and blog, with articles like this one on the crucial benefits of inclusive, comprehensive sexual health education.
3. Recommendation: TED Talk – Reggie Watts
Have you ever seen someone troll a thing and, in doing so, do that thing better than the people who actually do that thing? No need to answer (or even understand) that question. Just take my word for it: Reggie Watts’s completely improvised musical comedy meta-TED Talk TED Talk is brilliant and hysterical; my favorite 9 minutes & 43 seconds on the internet.
Sending you love and thanks and strawberries and dreidels,
Ben