Crash Course: Don't fear the gatekeeper — or become one yourself

Some aspiring artists complain bitterly about gatekeepers. Let's talk about opening doors for others instead Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgpiKsJaOGJrlZRYUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). Don't fear the gatekeeper — or become one yourself The art world can be [as dirty as a gas station bathroom](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0R6aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMTkvMDYvMjMvdG9tLXdvbGZlLXZzLWpvaG4tdXBkaWtlLW5vcm1hbi1tYWlsZXItYW5kLWpvaG4taXJ2aW5nLWFuZC1vdGhlci10aW1lbGVzcy1saXRlcmFyeS1mZXVkcy9XA3NwY0IKYirCWjhia5WUWFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Like any business, it has its cutthroat sides, and at times [it can seem impossible to break into](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0R9aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zYWxvbi5jb20vMjAyMi8wMi8wNS9teS1yZWFkaW5nLWZyb20taGVsbC1hLXdyaXRlcnMtcm9hZC10by1zZWxmLXByb21vdGlvbi1pcy1wYXZlZC13aXRoLWxpdmUtaW4tcGVyc29uLWRpc2FzdGVycy9XA3NwY0IKYirCWjhia5WUWFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). Don't let this uninspiring reality keep you from trying, though. You can make it through. Here's one part of my story. About ten years ago, back when I was an inexperienced writer, I paid attention to what writers with slightly more experience had to say about publishing and the business. One day, one writer who I won't name says about another, more successful writer (who I also won't name) that the more successful writer never shows love, never shows up, never looks out. "Never, ever puts on!" "For real?" I said. "Never? Not even a little?" "Nope, never." [Read the rest from D. Watkins](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0RRaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMTkvZG9udC1mZWFyLXRoZS1nYXRla2VlcGVyLW9yLWJlY29tZS1vbmUteW91cnNlbGYvVwNzcGNCCmIqwlo4YmuVlFhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) (Getty Images/Inti St Clair) Evan Rachel Wood's "Phoenix Rising" and the art of trauma How many documentaries about abuse do we need? The answer, of course, is all of them. Every experience of survival is unique and every survivor deserves to be heard. But alongside that? "Phoenix Rising" is astonishingly and painfully beautiful. [Read the rest from Alison Stine.](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0RSaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMjAvZXZhbi1yYWNoZWwtd29vZC1waG9lbml4LXJpc2luZy1hYnVzZS1hcnQtdHJhdW1hL1cDc3BjQgpiKsJaOGJrlZRYUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) (HBO Max) - A plastic chemical you can't escape is [linked to cancer in children](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0RkaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMjAvYS1wbGFzdGljLWNoZW1pY2FsLXlvdS1jYW50LWVzY2FwZS1pcy1saW5rZWQtdG8tY2FuY2VyLWluLWNoaWxkcmVuL1cDc3BjQgpiKsJaOGJrlZRYUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - California candidate running for office because [Jesus spoke to her son in the closet](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0R-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMjAvY2FsaWZvcm5pYS1jYW5kaWRhdGUtcnVubmluZy1mb3Itb2ZmaWNlLWJlY2F1c2UtamVzdXMtc3Bva2UtdG8taGVyLXNvbi1pbi10aGUtY2xvc2V0X3BhcnRuZXIvVwNzcGNCCmIqwlo4YmuVlFhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "[Shining Vale](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0RIaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMjAvc2hhcm9uLWhvcmdhbi1zaGluaW5nLXZhbGUtc2Fsb24tdGFsa3MvVwNzcGNCCmIqwlo4YmuVlFhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~)" creator on the horror of midlife: "Depression and possession share similar symptoms" - The weird reason [symmetry abounds in nature](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0SDaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMjAvdGhlLXdlaXJkLXJlYXNvbi1zeW1tZXRyeS1hYm91bmRzLWluLW5hdHVyZS1tYXktaGF2ZS10by1kby13aXRoLW91ci1nZW5lcy1zdHJpdmluZy1mb3ItZWZmaWNpZW5jeS9XA3NwY0IKYirCWjhia5WUWFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) may have to do with our genes striving for efficiency - Africa and the Ukraine war: [Cold War hangover](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0RyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMjAvYWZyaWNhLWFuZC10aGUtdWtyYWluZS13YXItY29sZC1oYW5nb3Zlci1pcy1rZWVwaW5nLW1hbnktYWZyaWNhbi1uYXRpb25zLW5ldXRyYWwvVwNzcGNCCmIqwlo4YmuVlFhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) is keeping many African nations neutral - The [diary of a pastry cook](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0RZaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMTkvdGhlLWRpYXJ5LW9mLWEtcGFzdHJ5LWNvb2std2l0aC0xOS10YXN0ZS1hbmQtc21lbGwtbG9zcy9XA3NwY0IKYirCWjhia5WUWFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) with Covid-19 taste and smell loss - A less sexy "[Sanditon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0Q1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMjAvc2FuZGl0b24tcmV2aWV3LXBicy9XA3NwY0IKYirCWjhia5WUWFIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo)" doesn't evolve the plot, but so what? That's not why people watch Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0RVaHR0cHM6Ly9zYWxvbi51czgubGlzdC1tYW5hZ2UuY29tL3N1YnNjcmliZT91PTcxY2IzZThhNmU5NjM5YzgxMDIzY2Q0MjcmaWQ9NWRlZGEyYWFhN1cDc3BjQgpiKsJaOGJrlZRYUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) to receive Crash Course. Putin's massive miscalculation: Echoes of George W. Bush — and a lesson for America's elites Google "Putin miscalculation" and you get more than a trillion hits. As the Russian invasion of Ukraine turned catastrophic for both Vladimir Putin's ambitions and the Ukrainian people, many have suggested that the Russian president's miscalculation is the result self-isolation and listening only to a shrinking handful of yes-men, a pattern that's common in personalist autocratic regimes where power is concentrated in a single individual. [Read the rest from Paul Rosenberg](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0R5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMjAvcHV0aW5zLW1hc3NpdmUtbWlzY2FsY3VsYXRpb24tZWNob2VzLW9mLWdlb3JnZS13LWJ1c2gtLWFuZC1hLWxlc3Nvbi1mb3ItYW1lcmljYXMtZWxpdGVzL1cDc3BjQgpiKsJaOGJrlZRYUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images/Stephen JAFFE/AFP/Alexey NIKOLSKY) - "‘X’ Review: Trash, Art and the Movies," [The New York Times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0Q3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMy8xNy9tb3ZpZXMveC1yZXZpZXcuaHRtbFcDc3BjQgpiKsJaOGJrlZRYUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "Famous Ukrainian Cat Who Brings Joy To So Many Flees With His Family," [The Dodo](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0RaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlZG9kby5jb20vZGFpbHktZG9kby9mYW1vdXMtY2F0LWZsZWVzLXVrcmFpbmUtd2l0aC1mYW1pbHktbWFrZXMtaXQtdG8tc2FmZXR5VwNzcGNCCmIqwlo4YmuVlFhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "'Micro-Apartments' Break Ground in East Austin," [Planetizen](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0RYaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucGxhbmV0aXplbi5jb20vbmV3cy8yMDIyLzAzLzExNjU3My1taWNyby1hcGFydG1lbnRzLWJyZWFrLWdyb3VuZC1lYXN0LWF1c3RpblcDc3BjQgpiKsJaOGJrlZRYUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "Get paid up to $1,200 a month for your poop by Tempe research company," [12News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0SlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuMTJuZXdzLmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlL25ld3MvbG9jYWwvYXJpem9uYS90ZW1wZS1jb21wYW55LWdvb2RuYXR1cmUtcGF5aW5nLXVwLXRvLTEyMDAtYS1tb250aC1mb3Itc2FtcGxlcy1vZi15b3VyLXBvb3AvNzUtODFkNmJmMjgtYWZlOS00OGRjLTkzMWEtZDlhNzFiZmQ3OTAwVwNzcGNCCmIqwlo4YmuVlFhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Dozens of babies trapped in Ukraine bomb shelter Although sheltered underground, the sound of bombs and gunfire is still making its way down into the makeshift shelter while the surrogacy center"s nurses, also trapped, do their best to create some form of stability for the babies who have never known anything other than war in their new lives. [Read the rest from Kelly McClure](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0RSaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDMvMjAvZG96ZW5zLW9mLWJhYmllcy10cmFwcGVkLWluLXVrcmFpbmUtYm9tYi1zaGVsdGVyL1cDc3BjQgpiKsJaOGJrlZRYUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). Photo credit here Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). Our mailing address: 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200 Wilmington, DE 19801 [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmIqwlo4YmuVlFhSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2022 Crash Course, All rights reserved. [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRkGt_AP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgpiKsJaOGJrlZRYUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)