JoAnna Haugen

... that she'll be asked to join the campaign's communications team, playing an infinitesimal role in the election of the first woman to become president of the United States."

OUCH. 😳

In the epilogue of a novel published in April 2023: "She doesn't know she's going to get a call from the office of a certain female presidential candidate ...

At the Rikers Jail, the Women Have No Library. But They Have a Book Club.

Imagine if prisons generally treated people like the humans they are. This story about a women's book club at Rikers Jail is a tiny glimpse of what that could look like.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/n...

10x2: Molasses, Hiccups, Serenity, and Backcountry Rescues 10 interesting facts and 10 recent reads from February 2026

I'm often asked what I'm reading. Find out in my first 10x2 Substack newsletter, where I share 10 interesting things I read this month and 10 interesting facts I learned.

joannahaugen.substack.com/p/10x2-molas...

😳😳

My cat went viral on Threads today. I think I've reached peak social media success.

We’re Doing Analogue Living Wrong Do we want to be tech-free or trendy?

I've started dabbling in #Substack. Join me?

joannahaugen.substack.com/p/were-doing...

From Fishing Nets to Furniture: Turning Ocean Plastic Into Usable Products

Love this initiative from Gravity Wave, a Spain-based company that's not only removing "ghost nets" (plastic ocean pollution) from the sea but also turning it into valuable products like furniture & stadium seating - a great example of flipping the "waste" narrative. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/b...

I read 8-12 books a month -- a combo of audiobook, e-book, and good ol' fashioned physical book.

Is it time to retire 'Venice of the East'? From "Venice of the East" to "lost civilisations", colonial-era travel metaphors still shape how some see non-Western places. But that language deserves a rethink.

This BBC article asks, is it time to retire "Venice of the East?"

Yes, yes, and more yes! This kind of language comes from a Western lens that perpetuates colonial-era thinking and expectations.

Read the article here: www.bbc.com/travel/artic...

I'm leaning all in on the Heated Rivalry love these days. The world needs as much joy as possible, and this is it. It's not just the story and the characters, but the deep waves of happiness and connection the HR community and fandom share that are so beautiful.

#HeatedRivalry

Think society is in decline? Research gives us some reasons to be cheerful If we look at people’s values - abstract ideals that guide our behaviour - there are reasons to be positive about society.

I'm as guilty as anyone at saying we live in a deeply divisive society, but it turns out that's not really the case. Excellent piece from @uk.theconversation.com @theconversation.com about how these myths persist and how we're more aligned than we think we are.

theconversation.com/think-societ...

‘It changes lives’: the sporting event for organ transplant recipients - Positive News At the British Transplant Games, athletes compete not just for themselves, but the donors who gave them a second chance

In the category of Things I Didn't Know Existed, the British Transplant Games warms every bit of my soul. So thankful to Positive News for reminding us that beautiful things very much still exist in this world.

www.positive.news/society/a-se...

#BeautifulThings #TransplantGames #PositiveNews

I've been listening to the Fleetwood Mac radio channel on Spotify today and it's been nostalgic balm for my soul.

Can Art Be the Key to Integration for Refugee Women? — HURS Anna Prudhomme explores how École Monique Apple transforms language learning through art, helping refugee women rebuild their professional lives in France.

Incredibly inspiring story about using art and lived experiences to help refugee women learn French from HURS. Language barriers are a huge challenge for immigrants, and this humanizes the process *and* the women.

#SolutionsJournalism #Language #Hope

hurs-official.com/home/hur-tho...

Oof. This is a punch in the gut -- and also strangely freeing.

I'm thinking of starting a #Substack newsletter in the new year but have been seeing mixed reviews about the platform's ethics. Now considering #Beehiv but would love to hear from anyone who is using the service. Pros/cons?

#Newsletter #AmWriting

I wonder if the devaluation of #freelance and #contract workers began with this niggly little phrase: A penny for your thoughts.

Opinion | 600 Readers Told Us About the Best Gifts They Ever Got. These Are the Top 13.

Just when you think the world is too much, the @nytimes.com publishes this. A little bit of thoughtfulness and love can go so very far into making our world a better place. #HappyHolidays

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/o...

Woman on the bus: What blusher do you use?
Her friend: Oh, cold air, a brisk walk, alcohol or sometimes the menopause. You?

A Small Scottish Town Delegates the Annual Christmas Light Display to Its Youngest Residents In a delightful holiday tradition, the small town of Newburgh in southern Scotland tasks its youngest residents with creating the glowing Christmas decorations that adorn the streets. Now in its 19th ...

A blast from the past with this 2020 post from @thisiscolossal.com but still worth the share. You kind of can't help but to smile and feel a bit mushy inside. 💖

www.thisiscolossal.com/2020/12/newb...

As painful as it is, I agree. I've brushed up against several micro-retaliations as I live, work, and travel abroad, and I don't blame any of these countries / businesses / people for them. American citizens are paying for this disaster as death by a thousand cuts, and it's deserved.

I just learned what "scrollytelling" is: interactive, scroll-based storytelling.

I've always liked this format but didn't know that's what this was called. Did you know this?

#LearnSomethingNewEveryDay

That makes my heart happy. 🌸

I had a warm conversation with educated and successful friends last night about how we all have regrets to some extent about not pursuing manual/hands-on trades versus "proper" professional jobs.

Our dreams? Book binding, piano repair, and calligraphy specialist.

We've entered the analogue era.

How to Fix a Typewriter and Your Life (Gift Article) This is the story of how a man traded steady, grinding corporate security for a dying craft and, in the process, found his soul.

Love your newsletter -- thank you!

Thought you might appreciate this article about an awesome typewriter guy. ⌨️
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

The High Price Of Circular Fashion In India’s Recycling Capital | Atmos In Panipat, weak regulation at recycling warehouses means workers breathe toxic dust and families are left without protection.

Eye-opening articles recently published in @atmosmag.bsky.social about the so-called #sustainable circular, upcycled #fashion industry. A reminder that even "good" solutions may be riddled with inequities and harm. atmos.earth/fashion-and-...

Ninety Years of Penguin: How typography built a publishing icon This year, Penguin celebrates its 90th birthday, marking a near-century of one of the most instantly recognisable and influential identities in publishing history.  From the beginning, typography...

Love this interview about @penguinbooksusa.bsky.social #typography on @creativeboom.com. This is so not in my professional sphere at all, but it's these little details that make my #creative heart swoon.

www.creativeboom.com/insight/nine...

These are our 8 favorite books about hope — and they make great gifts this holiday season Good Good Good's end-of-year book recommendations — featuring books that inspire hope, empathy, and action.

#Books about #hope? I'm here for it! I've read several of ones @goodgoodgoodco.bsky.social has listed here, but I'll be adding the rest to my TBR list.

www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/goo...

The Ritz Carlton / Marriott International property built in the Maasai Mara is hugely problematic - harming animals + people. Nothing about this is ethical. Would really like to see some of the @marriott-bonvoy.bsky.social #travel #contentcreators speak out on this.
www.reuters.com/business/env...