I don’t know about y’all, but 2024 has been a year of massive growth for me personally and professionally. To start, I launched QSL in early spring, and writing to you all has continually brought me joy. Through this process, I’ve met and talked to so many wonderful people — in comments, DMs, and in the QT Stackers discord1. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading and being a part of this community. 💜
I don’t know what exactly 2025 will bring to us, but I fear that tough times lie ahead. Regardless, I hope to continue to bring you informative and fun content. If you have topics that you want me to cover, please reach out! You can reach me by commenting on a post, DMing me on Substack, or emailing me.
Until then, I want to make space for the highlights of my 2024 as a queer scientist. So, below I am sharing 6 of these (in no particular order) - including books, movies, music, and art. I’ve written about some of these before and will link to original pieces. Some items listed below were not released this year, but all of them shaped my growth and thinking in 2024 in critical ways.
i defended my phd
In early December, I successfully defended my Ph.D. with a public lecture followed by closed door questioning from my thesis committee. I’m so proud of myself and am already off on the next phase of my career in science!
il teatro anatomico in bologna, italy
This summer, I took my first vacation in years. I co-organized a neuroscience conference in Italy and took time off before and after to visit a few cities, including Bologna. The University of Bologna houses an elegant dissection theater (Il Teatro Anatomico). The whole room is adorned with carved wood along the walls and ceilings. A marble dissection table sits in the center.
The university is the oldest continually operating Western university. I wrote about the its history — beginning as a student-run collective but student power was eventually usurped by political and Papal interests.
“the substance”
Despite writing for QSL semi-weekly, I’m not very online. So, I hadn’t heard of the “The Substance” before a friend suggested going to see it in theaters because it was getting rave reviews online and in their circles. The movie stars Demi Moore as an aging celebrity who takes a black market drug (the substance) to present a younger version of herself. Chaos ensues as the young and old bodyminds of the character become increasingly hostile to each other. If you’ve ever felt the urge to make changes to your body, this movie has plenty to offer you. Plus, you meet the one, the only Monstro Elisasue!!!
(content warning: body horror)
so much art!
“Untitled (It’s our pleasure to disgust you)” by Barbara Kruger is featured in “A Politics of Filth.”
“Ghost Ledger” is part of the Kambui Olujimi: North Star exhibit featured in the post “Defying Gravity.”
Hiss
According to Spotify, my top song of the year was “HISS” by Megan Thee Stallion. That was unsurprising because this song helped me cope with a toxic work environment.2 But, the writing is unimpeachable. I recently moved to the Los Angeles area, and my landlady directed me to Megan’s Law if I wanted to know if there were any sex offenders in the area. Immediately, my brain went to:
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedThese hoes don't be mad at MeganThese hoes mad at Megan's LawI don't really know what the problem isBut I guarantee y'all don't want me to start
Looking at you, Nicki ;;; Anyway, I also wrote about Megan Thee Stallion’s use of snake imagery in the first act of her eponymous album.3
my reading list 🥵
I’ve always been an avid reader (possibly related to my parents’ careers in libraries?), and 2024 was no different. Here are the works that I enjoyed most:
A Short History of Transmisogyny by Jules Gill-Peterson. An incisive historical analysis of violence against transfemmes that will actually leave you feeling more empowered than when you started. I binged this book over a fever dream-like weekend! Featured in “The Tyranny of Taxonomy.”
The Art of Joy by Goliarda Sapienza. An epic novel depicting the life of an Italian woman as she navigates childhood trauma, religion, radical politics, and the nation’s descent into and ascension out of Mussolini’s fascism.
Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown. The book on this list that I read most recently, thanks to suggestions from a few people in my life. This book explores the power and politics of pleasure, using Audre Lorde’s “Uses of the Erotic” as a jumping off point.
Crip Negativity by J. Logan Smilges. Disability theory that encourages us to think beyond mere access and to “feel crip feelings cripply.” Shoutout to my friend who recommended and loaned it to me!
Empire of Normality by Robert Chapman. A sprawling class-oriented history of neurodivergence within the context of capitalist demands on labor. Featured in “On ‘Gender Insanity.’”
Disability Intimacy edited by Alice Wong. A collection of short works exploring the expansive views of intimacy within the disability community, including in caregiving, community, friendship, and sex.
Historias y poemas de una luche de clases by Roque Dalton. Beautiful poems of revolution written in the context of left-wing Salvadoran armed struggle.4
On Beauty by Zadie Smith. A novel detailing the politics within an academic art department and the dysfunctional family of one professor. This acerbic story engages with race, class, professed objectivity, and subjective beauty.
Revolutionary Letters by Diane di Prima. A poetry collection on radical politics that still resonates today. Revolutionary Letter #63 featured on QSL.Share