Readers!
A reader asks: “What would you be writing if money were no object?”
This is an interesting question with a boring answer. If money were not object, I’d be focused on fiction, or trying to write a memoir about all my travels. But since money is an object and I live in a world where the publishing industry has told me “lol no, absolutely not,” I’m going to instead share, in broad strokes since almost none of this has been published yet, what I wrote about in August:
- Lights for long line fishing
- Satellite propulsion systems
- Intergenerational mentorship
- Cyclospora testing
- Doctor workforce shortages
- Methods for assessing heart attack risk
- Quantum computing
- Pediatric sarcomas
- Lab developed tests
- Data compliance across state lines
- Phoenix
Maybe I’m a bit philosophical since I’m on the first day of vacation when I’m sending this, but aren’t I lucky that I get to spend my working hours learning about and writing about cool stuff? Look at that list. Even I’m flabbergasted when I see it all together. Me? I did that? I did! And when I get back from vacation, I’ll start up all over again.
Is it the career I envisioned when I said “I want to be a writer?” No. Is it extremely cool? Yes! I’ve set up a life where I can tackle interesting topics, write every day, and when I feel like taking on a two week road trip, no one can tell me no. So yes while in an ideal world, I’d be picking away at a book project without having to worry about rising inflation at the same time that many of my clients lost budgets because of [insert screaming], it’s a feat that I’m still at it, and able to take some time off for the trip I’m embarking on right now.
Of course, people with less free time are still working on those passion projects, and that is fine! But at this exact time in my life, where my self-employment income is the only household income, and my body has gone berserk, and all of [insert screaming] in the world, that seems just fine right now.
But at least on the my stupid body front, I’ve made progress as I finally started on hormone replacement therapy after six years of doctors telling me I was too young for what has now been diagnosed as late stage Peri-menopause. Whoopsie daisy! [Insert maniacal laughing because Jesus Christ].
Anyway! I am off. I don’t know if I’ll be writing the newsletter while I’m away but, as always, if you want to check out this current adventure, follow me on Instagram.
Recent Bylines
“What mentorship looks like in a disconnected era,” HR Dive
“10 years, 14,000 lives changed,” Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
What I’m Reading
- The Seagull by Ann Cleeves. This is the eighth in the Vera Stanhope series, which despite it’s popularity in novel and TV form, I have never read/watched. As with most book series, you don’t need to have read the earlier books but I think this time they might have helped. That’s because it lies heavily on Stanhope’s background, of being in law enforcement but the daughter of a crook, a crook whose mate is in prison and reveals to her the existence of a dead body — but doesn’t claim to have been part of the murder of him. Good enough I’ll probably work through the series at some point — both book and TV.
What I’m Watching
- Death by Lightening. The true story of the assignation of James Garfield (Michael Shannon) by Charles Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen). I knew most of this story because I’ve been to the James A. Garfield National Historic Site, which turned out to be much more fascinating than I ever imagined, and is a must if you’re in the Cleveland area. I can see the miniseries got attention but didn’t light the world on fire. It might have leaned too much in the political backstory when I wanted to know more about these people. Nick Offerman deserved that Emmy nomination, to the point I was asking myself this just so he could play Chester Arthur (and also if they cast Betty Gilpin as Crete Garfield, just so she could slap him). Also, a mentally ill person who becomes obsessed with the president? I wonder why that’s relevant these days…
- The Death of a Pastor’s Wife. This is a three part docu-series about the death of Mica Miller, and the conditions that lead up it, which were steeped in the worst parts of evangelical Christianity, including how men abuse religion to abuse women. It’s really awful, but eye opening if you aren’t familiar with those patterns. And thus concludes my month of Netflix.
- Kiss of the Spider Woman. A 2025 movie of a 1992 play and also a 1976 book — that had also been adapted into a movie in 1985. Sheesh. It’s about two people imprisoned in Argentina in 1983, and how, a trans woman (Tonatiuh) recounts her favorite movie, staring Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), to her fellow prisoner (Diego Luna) as strife rages around them. This…isn’t very good. I read a lot of negative reviews before I picked it up at the library, but they all said that JLo sang and danced her heart out. I agree. No one can say she didn’t give it her all.
- Coyote vs. Acme. This is a very silly and fun return through the Looney Tunes world, where Wile E. Coyote sues ACME for faulty products, and in the process (with the help from a down on his luck attorney, played by Will Forte) uncovers a much more sinister story. It’s a David vs. Goliath story, when the movie has a David vs. Goliath backstory, where the movie was already done and testing well with audiences when Warner Brothers decided to shelve it for tax purposes, then threatened to delete it entirely when people protested (yes, these goons all do talk like abusers because, well). The Ringer has the long backstory if you’d like to take a gander. Someone said this movie is better live action/cartoon movie than Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Ah, no. That is one of the greatest movies of all time (of any genre) and on my very short list of perfect movies, which maybe I’ll share someday. But I still enjoyed this a lot.
Nail Polish of the Week
Mimosas for Mr. & Mrs. by OPI. This is, for me in August, the most neutral of neutrals. I did a lot of cleaning and packing over the last few days, so if there are chips, I can see them but no one else can. Perfect!
Until next time!
Jen A. Miller (she/her)
Notes from a Hired Pen ebook series
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