Minte Stara
Bio
Small writer and artist who spends a lot of their time stuck in books, the past, and probably a library.
Currently I'm working on my debut novel What's Normal Here, a historical/fantasy romance.
Stories (68)
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No Longer Wearing Cardigans
When thinking about a librarian, your first mental image is likely very close to what I've chosen as the cover image. A woman, usually on the older side, with large glasses and an outfit that can best be described as 'something a grandmother would wear.' And it doesn't matter the age of the person wearing it either. This is the image of The Librarian. And we're all guilty of expecting it. Often, the idea of The Librarian is in movies, TV shows, cartoons, and picture books. The image of The Librarian is almost as prevalent as the expectations of what a librarian does and is.
By Minte Stara7 months ago in Journal
Art Fight: What is it and what you do
Art Fight is in a bit less than a week and you might be seeing its name pop up a bit. What, exactly is it? It has a rather violent sounding name and when I explain it to those older than me, they even sometimes sound concerned, as if I'm taking out paint and battering people with it. But Art Fight is essentially a game. It takes place across the whole month of July, from the 1st to the 31st, on the main Art Fight website.
By Minte Stara7 months ago in Art
Sensory Toys and Spaces
As more awareness about neurodiversity becomes available, so too does understanding and acceptance of places and things to accommodate it. As an autistic person, I have watched places grow and develop new programs and services for the neurodivergent community as I have grown up. They were rare to unheard of when I was growing up in rural California. Particularly libraries were pioneers in creating these spaces or allowing check-outs of fidget and sensory toys. But as time progresses and I'm seeing more and more acceptance, I have started to see such spaces pop up in festivals and conventions as well. There will, in these cases, usually be a quiet room filled with sensory toys and/or weighted blankets.
By Minte Stara7 months ago in Psyche
Existentialism
The quiet silence that is being alone in your own head. The world is crash and loud, but you feel it pressing down around you. At best, it briefly pierces through your years. At most, you watch the stream of light through your eyes. It is like being under a blanket of water, where the occasional spear of air and bubbles pound down around you. It disappears in all but your memory. It is the memory that hurts. The understanding that there is a world outside of the numbness. That there is some kind of life to be had. But it just … can't quite … reach.
By Minte Stara7 months ago in Poets
Making Media Literacy Fun
When I first was introduced to the concept of media literacy, it was by reviewing an article written by the KKK. I was in junior college and one of the guest lecturers for that day had come in with two separate articles. No details about the articles were given, just the plane text on the background of the website they had been presented on. The lecturer then asked us what was wrong with these two examples.
By Minte Stara7 months ago in The Swamp
Invest in Cloudstuff: Viral Technology and Media Literacy
Today its AI, yesterday it was cryptocurrency. The internet is fit to bursting with new ideas which you must see, much get in on, or you risk being left behind. Or not, and watch others get in on it and lose a lot of money. The constant push and pull of influencing peer feedback produces a lot of white noise in this constantly changing times. It is sometimes hard to see where you can actually place any trust.
By Minte Stara7 months ago in 01
I Couldn't Read Until I Was 12
I know how to read. One would have to ask how I could write this if I didn't. But that's the surface meaning of the sentence. I know how to read means I know how I read. I know that I was carefully taught how words 'sounded' and their illogicality would have me crying on the floor, unable to string together a book.
By Minte Stara7 months ago in Psyche
A Study in Fan Fiction
Fan fiction is any piece or written work created from inspiration and with direct ties to a piece of published work. The piece can be of any length and the writer can be of any skill level. And that's truly the beauty of it. You can find something created that is as good as if not better than the source material. Or you can find (what you consider) complete trash. It is a mix bag of wonderful pieces of writing.
By Minte Stara7 months ago in BookClub
