avatarMarilyn Flower

Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

4975

Abstract

 <div>
            <h2>The Runaway</h2>
            <div><h3>250 words on the craziest thing I did as a kid</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*PI9Awyco4-4sbmsvYAX_Ow.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><p id="8f30">Protesting is becoming a family activity for <a href="undefined">Ena Dahl</a>.</p><div id="5c6a" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/little-streams-make-big-rivers-6c95f8767d67">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>Little Streams Make Big Rivers</h2>
            <div><h3>250 words on why I went to a protest march</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*H3cIUra1m9St8Lhf)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><h1 id="15d8">Recommend Reads</h1><p id="5120"><b>Nothing above moving you? Sample these stories…</b></p><div id="2c0b" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/world-gone-wild-e0619cb07ae7">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>World Gone Wild</h2>
            <div><h3>A possibly unpopular rant concerning current events from a sleepless, Southern Grandma</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*6lkfaFvWLU6idFEW3UJH0g.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><p id="c51e">By <a href="undefined">Glenda Thompson</a></p><div id="98f3" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/universality-of-racism-d2760d1d63c3">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>Crash (2004): Observing The Universality Of Racism</h2>
            <div><h3>The Oscar-winner where everyone’s at least a little bit racist is worth dusting off. Today.</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*JmG5vZ723tVLZQeR6TMSGQ.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><p id="e068">by <a href="undefined">Nicole Chardenet</a></p><div id="67ac" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/everyday-acts-of-defiance-you-can-start-doing-now-without-getting-arrested-c16cd2519374">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>Everyday Acts of Defiance You Can Start Doing Now (Without Getting Arrested)</h2>
            <div><h3>We interrupt our regularly scheduled articles to bring you this special report on activism, for those who want to…</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*CZiv_Lpv8GLR8qKbV_4Osw.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><p id="9eda">by <a href="undefined">Cate Patricolo</a></p><div id="2deb" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/be-proud-of-your-body-and-show-it-off-9943ef8b4b0d">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>Be Proud of Your Body and Show It Off!</h2>
            <div><h3>You are beautiful for being you. If you want to show off, do it proudly.</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*jMQtf97wKCt_FSGKt6z5Gw.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><p id="5d40">by <a href="undefined">Chris Hedges</a></p><div id="3c23" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/remembering-george-carlin-93dfea16786a">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>Remembering George Carlin</h2>
            <div><h3>We could use his insight right about now</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*USd6IW5cFGE9xCm-_11eFQ.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><p id="9df8">by <a href="undefined">Rob Janicke</a></p><div id="b524" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/should-straight-men-date-trans-women-f806907abdc1">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>Should Straight Men Date Trans Women?</h2>
            <div><h3>Dating Trans Women Is Still Taboo, E

Options

ven To ‘Liberals’.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*_EkNeVk_KHnnIKVTnV9R5w.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="9f13">by <a href="undefined">Mansa Brice</a></p><div id="0cf3" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/im-not-a-prude-for-championing-consent-fadc889e2e15"> <div> <div> <h2>I’m Not “A Prude” For Championing Consent</h2> <div><h3>And you sound like an idiot when you say that</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*k_AWfm8KsTkk9jXR)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="f53f">by <a href="undefined">Elle Beau</a></p><div id="13ab" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/im-jealous-of-the-people-who-aren-t-taking-covid-19-seriously-57f63283c59e"> <div> <div> <h2>I’m Jealous of the People Who Aren’t Taking COVID-19 Seriously</h2> <div><h3>I wish I could live my life blissfully unaware of the consequences of pretending we aren’t in the middle of a pandemic.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*pVB5OhXPiUJGmjvD)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="5360">by <a href="undefined">Jennifer Nelson</a></p><div id="ab3e" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/when-obedience-kills-1b2adc4db697"> <div> <div> <h2>When Obedience Kills</h2> <div><h3>Speak up and save lives. Always question authority.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*FKbdsiztvZ_CjWs4)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="375e">by <a href="undefined">Reuben Salsa</a></p><div id="4f73" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/you-have-a-right-to-be-free-e05ad17e9ac4"> <div> <div> <h2>You Have a Right to Be Free</h2> <div><h3>Take it: Life is short</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*rLUwTO_09JymgQYw)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="37cc">by <a href="undefined">Marla Bishop</a></p><h1 id="a033">The Bad Influence and IdeaStream</h1><p id="7142">If you’re looking for a home for your writing with people that like to read & support other writers then we’d be honored to have you no matter your skill level. Check out the submission details below.</p><div id="0fb2" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/submission-guidelines-bf92a35f707f"> <div> <div> <h2>Submission Guidelines</h2> <div><h3>Fear and loathing at Sloppy Joe’s</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*9WGIbug16A0GuL6t1-qDYw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h1 id="d5e5">Would you like to support The Bad Influence?</h1><div id="c2af" class="link-block"> <a href="https://www.patreon.com/thebadinfluence"> <div> <div> <h2>The Bad Influence is creating writing/journalism and communities | Patreon</h2> <div><h3>Become a patron of The Bad Influence today: Read 3 posts by The Bad Influence and get access to exclusive content and…</h3></div> <div><p>www.patreon.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*96xt2s1EJJ_QxvYn)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="f7f6">Marilyn Flower writes political humor and satire to delight socially and spiritually conscious folks. She’s a regular columnist for the prison newsletter, Freedom Anywhere, where she writes about faith and prayer. Five of her short plays have been produced in San Francisco. Clowning and improvisation strengthen her resolve during these crazy times.</p></article></body>

THE NEXT IDEASTREAM

Still Sheltering After All These Months

So let’s give our creative spirit full reign.

Photo by Obi Onyeador on Unsplash

We are still here, sheltering, masking, six-feet apart and it’s getting worse, not better, with no end in sight. What’s a responsible, people-loving, word-loving, world-changing, socially-minded people to do? Well, there’s a lot we can’t do right now, and it’s frustrating.

But there is a lot we can do. And one of the biggest ones for us, here on the platform, is, we can write. Poetry, fiction, essays, rants, humor, satire, tirades, manifestos, and visions — to name a few. So here to get you started is the next IdeaStream. Enjoy, or not, but write!

Poetry Salvage

Use these ten words to write a poem. Or prose if you prefer.

  • jackhammer
  • justice
  • blessing
  • fortitude
  • gravel
  • freak out
  • polish
  • squash
  • pretense
  • enjambment

Mix and Mash

Here’s a list of words. Use at least ten of them in a poem, essay, or short fiction piece. Don’t think about it ahead of time. Grab words at random, or based on how they sound or your favorite letters of the alphabet, or number of syllables. Then play with them and let them reveal their form and message. Above all else, have fun! That’s an odor, I mean order!!!

jackhammer…justice…blessing…fortitude….gravel…freak out…polish….squash…. pretense…enjambment…putrid…decay…parliament…zig zag…basket…melancholy…forfit…pergatory…sunflower…jewel…cotton…silk…milk…ilk…bilk…fornight…candygram…perfunctory…rude…crude…prude…lewd…screwed…brood…nude.

Most recent poetry salvage

Marilyn Flower takes on history:

Limerick Corner

Limerick Starter

COVID-19 is now running amok

There’s no place to dodge, there’s no place to duck

Last time’s contender

Marilyn Flower made sure we honored Breonna Taylor.

100 * 250 * 500 *1000

Write 100 words about a food you do not like.

Write 250 words about what The Bad Influence means to you.

Write 500 words about a book, film, play, etc that changed your life.

Write 1000 words, on your vision for a happy, healthy, safe future.

Offerings from last week

Jimmy Doom shared his perspective on attending Black Lives Matter rallies.

Yael Wolfe heard the call of the road at a ripe young age.

Protesting is becoming a family activity for Ena Dahl.

Recommend Reads

Nothing above moving you? Sample these stories…

By Glenda Thompson

by Nicole Chardenet

by Cate Patricolo

by Chris Hedges

by Rob Janicke

by Mansa Brice

by Elle Beau

by Jennifer Nelson

by Reuben Salsa

by Marla Bishop

The Bad Influence and IdeaStream

If you’re looking for a home for your writing with people that like to read & support other writers then we’d be honored to have you no matter your skill level. Check out the submission details below.

Would you like to support The Bad Influence?

Marilyn Flower writes political humor and satire to delight socially and spiritually conscious folks. She’s a regular columnist for the prison newsletter, Freedom Anywhere, where she writes about faith and prayer. Five of her short plays have been produced in San Francisco. Clowning and improvisation strengthen her resolve during these crazy times.

Ideastream
Poetry
Writing
Writing Prompts
Covid-19
Recommended from ReadMedium
avatarKarolina Kozmana
Common side effects of not drinking

By rejecting alcohol, you reject something very human, an extra limb that we have collectively grown to deal with reality and with each…

10 min read
avatarBebe Nicholson
The Day My Mother Didn’t Recognize Me

We are not defined by any one moment in life. We are the sum total of everything.

5 min read
avatarUlf Wolf
My Father was Too Self-Absorbed

And this finally caught up with him

5 min read
avatarUnbecoming
10 Seconds That Ended My 20 Year Marriage

It’s August in Northern Virginia, hot and humid. I still haven’t showered from my morning trail run. I’m wearing my stay-at-home mom…

4 min read
avatarAC0040
Mistaken Rejection

Alicia’s Missing Kisses

2 min read
avatarErica Verrillo
64 Writing Contests in June 2024 — No entry fees

This June there are more than five dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes this…

13 min read